IMDb list sync tools for self hosted diary fans in 2026

Ways to turn an IMDb list into Radarr and Sonarr links, with notes on refresh timing, title matching and cost for self hosted diary fans.

By VLClean · 2026-11-01

VLClean is published by the makers of Askarr and Watcharr, which are compared here alongside other tools.

Self hosted diary fans usually want the titles on an IMDb list to reach their own Radarr, which adds movies, and Sonarr, which adds shows, without copying them by hand. Watcharr takes one public IMDb list and gives one link for Radarr and one for Sonarr. ^[1] The sections below compare how each tool reads lists, how often it refreshes them, and what it asks of you.

Option	What it does	Cost details
Watcharr	Gives one Radarr link for movies and one Sonarr link for shows from a public IMDb list ^[1]	The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account ^[1]. Own fee: not published. Card fee: not published.
Traktarr	Traktarr works with Trakt public lists ^[2] and private lists ^[2]	Own fee: not published. Card fee: not published.
MDBList	MDBList creates auto-updating movie and show lists ^[3] and imports external lists from Trakt, IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and other sources ^[3]	MDBList offers a Supporter membership with benefits ^[4]. Own fee: not published. Card fee: not published.
Listrr	Listrr creates personalized lists for shows and movies with many filters ^[5] and donors can create lists by IMDB or TMDB ids ^[5]	Donors get extras the source does not list ^[5]. Own fee: not published. Card fee: not published.
FlexGet	Manages and tracks series and movies from Trakt, TheTVDB or IMDb ^[6] and can run in daemon mode ^[6]	Own fee: not published. Card fee: not published.

What self hosted diary fans need from IMDb list sync tools

Self hosted diary fans keep their own record of what they watch, and they usually want titles from an IMDb list to reach their own server. Radarr adds movies to that server and Sonarr adds shows, so the job is getting list entries into both apps without copying titles by hand. Both apps need to identify each title, so a tool has to match entries before it can add them, and shows that fail to match are the usual gap. Lists also change over time, so check how often a tool rereads the list and what happens when a read fails. Some tools need a login or an account, so note what each one asks of you before you set it up. Finally, check whether a list can serve a whole household, especially if others in your house use the same server.

Traktarr for self hosted diary fans

Traktarr uses Trakt to find shows and movies to add to Sonarr and Radarr. ^[2] It reads the official Trakt lists, such as trending, popular, anticipated, box office, most watched and most played. ^[2] It supports multiple authenticated users. ^[2] Check how each tool's source lines up with the IMDb list you keep.

MDBList for self hosted diary fans

MDBList creates auto-updating movie and show lists. ^[3] It can sync your watchlist, ratings, and progress with Trakt. ^[3] Check its page for sign-in and cost details, which this page does not cover.

Listrr for self hosted diary fans

Listrr creates personalized lists for shows and movies with many filters. ^[5] You can filter by ratings and the amount of votes. ^[5] It can also create lists that contain only anime. ^[5]

FlexGet for self hosted diary fans

FlexGet lets you manage and track series and movies directly from Trakt, TheTVDB or IMDb. ^[6] It can run in daemon mode, which means it keeps running in the background. ^[6] Its settings are written in a plain text file format called YAML. ^[6] Check its page for how it reads your list, since this page does not cover it.

Watcharr for self hosted diary fans

Watcharr is made by the team that publishes this site. Watcharr takes one public IMDb list and gives one link for Radarr and one for Sonarr. ^[1] Radarr checks each link every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5. ^[1] It accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list, including lists from the desktop site, the phone site and IMDb's other-language pages. ^[1] The links are built from the IMDb list's id, so the same list always gives the same two links. ^[1] Watcharr looks up TheTVDB ids, the ids Sonarr uses for shows, through TVMaze and TMDB. ^[1] It leaves out shows it cannot match and tells you which ones it skipped. ^[1] Signed-in users can combine several IMDb lists into one Radarr link and one Sonarr link for the whole household, and a title on two lists is added only once. ^[1] The page shows the list's covers in a row, and each one opens TMDB's plot, genres, rating, backdrop and trailer. ^[1] Watcharr runs as one Cloudflare app with a Cloudflare database, plus a GitHub job that reads IMDb. ^[1] The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. ^[1]

Matching the tool to the job

For a public IMDb list that should reach Radarr and Sonarr, Watcharr gives one link for each app. ^[1] For a list shared across a household, signed-in users can combine several lists into one link for each app. ^[1] For shows that have no TheTVDB id, Watcharr leaves them out and tells you which ones it skipped. ^[1] For managing and tracking series and movies from IMDb, FlexGet does that directly. ^[6] For a tool that keeps running in the background, FlexGet can run in daemon mode. ^[6] For a household where several people sign in, Traktarr supports multiple authenticated users. ^[2] For anime-only lists, Listrr can create lists that contain only anime. ^[5] For keeping a Trakt watchlist, ratings and progress in step, MDBList can sync them with Trakt. ^[3]

Questions to ask before you choose

Before you choose, check which list source you use. Is your list on IMDb, Trakt, or somewhere else, and does the tool read it directly? Ask how often new entries reach Radarr and Sonarr, and whether the tool keeps the last good copy of the list when a read fails. Check how it treats shows it cannot match and whether it says which ones it skipped. Note any login, account or membership the tool requires. Finally, ask whether the list can be shared with other people in your house, and whether you can run the tool where you already keep your server.

Frequently asked questions

Which IMDb list sync tool should self hosted diary fans compare first?

Start with where your list lives and which apps you use. Watcharr works from one public IMDb list and gives one link for Radarr and one for Sonarr. ^[1] Then compare how each tool reads the list, how often it refreshes, and how it handles shows it cannot match. Those three points show how much manual work remains.

Can Watcharr sync an IMDb list to Radarr and Sonarr without an account?

The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. ^[1] You paste one public IMDb list and get one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. ^[1] A bookmark you click inside Radarr or Sonarr adds the list for you, using that app's API key, the key that lets outside tools add titles, without sending it anywhere else. ^[1]

How often does Watcharr check an IMDb list for changes?

Radarr checks each Watcharr link every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5. ^[1] If you sign in, Watcharr re-reads your list about every 15 minutes and warns you when a list fails three reads in a row. ^[1] When a read fails, the links keep serving the last list that loaded correctly. ^[1]

Can MDBList sync a Trakt watchlist and ratings?

MDBList can sync your watchlist, ratings, and progress with Trakt. ^[3] It also creates auto-updating movie and show lists. ^[3] Check its page for sign-in and cost details, since this page does not cover them.

Can Watcharr be used for commercial purposes?

Commercial use is not licensed, and no commercial licence is for sale. ^[1] Its code is available to read under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence, and older versions remain under MIT. ^[1] Read the licence terms yourself before you copy or run the code in any setting.

Its code is available to read under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence; older versions remain under MIT. ^[1]

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