Best IMDb list sync tools for TV show bingers in 2026

Q: Is Trakt free to use?

Trakt is free on the web, iOS, and Android. That makes its stated access options relevant when comparing places to manage viewing activity. The available facts do not establish whether a particular IMDb list can be passed directly to Sonarr or Radarr, so check the current integrations if media library automation is a requirement.

Compare IMDb list sync tools for TV show bingers, from Watcharr's Radarr and Sonarr links to tools for tracking shows and building custom lists.

By VLClean · 2026-10-22

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

If the goal is to turn a public IMDb list into a list that Radarr and Sonarr can check, Watcharr provides separate links for movies and shows. ^[1] MDBList creates dynamic, automatically updating movie and show lists, while Traktarr uses Trakt.tv to find shows and movies for Sonarr and Radarr. ^[2] ^[3] The right choice depends on whether the priority is sending shows to a media library, building personalized lists, or keeping track of viewing.

Option	Documented purpose	IMDb and list workflow	Cost details
MDBList	Creates dynamic, automatically updating movie and show lists tailored to preferences. ^[2]	Provides curated lists including Trakt Trending and IMDb Most Popular. ^[2]	not published
Trakt	Free on the web, iOS, and Android. ^[4]	Direct IMDb list synchronization with Radarr or Sonarr: not published	Free on web, iOS, and Android. ^[5]
Traktarr	Uses Trakt.tv to find shows and movies for Sonarr and Radarr, respectively. ^[3]	Supports an automatic scheduled mode. ^[3] Direct IMDb list import: not published	not published
Simkl	Tracks TV shows, anime, and movies. ^[6]	Calendar support includes iCal sync. ^[6] Direct IMDb list synchronization with Radarr or Sonarr: not published	not published
Watcharr	Turns one public IMDb list into separate links for Radarr movies and Sonarr shows. ^[1]	Radarr checks its link every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5 minutes. ^[1]	Hosted version needs no installation or account. ^[1] Price: not published

What tv show bingers need from IMDb list sync tools

When shows pile up on a watchlist, the useful part is turning that list into something that supports the next step. You might want a list that changes when your interests change, a way to keep track of shows already watched, or a way to pass selected shows to the apps that manage a home media library. These are related jobs, but they are not the same.

A list builder helps decide what belongs on a list. A viewing tracker records what you watch. A media library workflow can help move titles from a list into the apps that manage movies and shows. Some tools cover more than one of these jobs, so the name of a service alone does not establish how it handles IMDb lists.

For a workflow built around Radarr and Sonarr, check how a tool provides lists to those apps, how often the apps check for changes, and what happens when a title cannot be matched. Watcharr accepts a public IMDb watchlist or list and provides separate links for Radarr and Sonarr. ^[1] It also skips shows that it cannot match to TheTVDB identifiers and tells you which shows were skipped. ^[1]

For a viewing-focused workflow, check tracking and discovery features instead. Simkl tracks TV shows, anime, and movies. ^[6] The aim is to choose a tool based on the job that needs doing, rather than assuming every list service handles the same steps.

MDBList for tv show bingers

MDBList is a tool for creating dynamic, automatically updating movie and show lists tailored to your preferences. ^[2] It also provides curated lists, including Trakt Trending and IMDb Most Popular. ^[2]

That makes list creation and discovery central considerations when comparing it with a tool that turns an existing IMDb list into links for media library apps. If the aim is to build a changing collection of shows around personal preferences, examine how its list options match that goal. If the main aim is to send an existing public IMDb list to Sonarr, check the available export or connection options before choosing. The available facts establish MDBList's list-building and curated-list features, but do not establish its exact Sonarr import workflow.

Trakt for tv show bingers

Trakt is free to use on the web, iOS, and Android. ^[4] ^[5] For someone who spends time keeping track of shows, its availability across these platforms is relevant when deciding where to manage a viewing routine.

The available facts do not establish how Trakt handles direct IMDb list imports or whether a particular list can be passed to Sonarr. Those details matter if the goal is to automate a home media library rather than simply organize viewing. Check the current list-import and media-server workflow before relying on Trakt for that purpose. A viewing tracker and a list-to-Sonarr workflow can solve different parts of the same routine, so the choice depends on which part needs attention.

Traktarr for tv show bingers

Traktarr uses Trakt.tv to find shows and movies to add to Sonarr and Radarr, respectively. ^[3] It also supports an automatic scheduled mode. ^[3]

This makes Traktarr relevant when the intended workflow starts with Trakt and ends with the apps that manage shows and movies. Its documented workflow is tied to Trakt.tv, so anyone starting from an IMDb list should check how that list would enter the process. The available facts do not establish a direct IMDb-to-Traktarr import path. Checking the source-list requirements and scheduling behavior can help determine whether it matches an existing setup without assuming that every list source is supported.

Simkl for tv show bingers

Simkl tracks TV shows, anime, and movies. ^[6] Its stated features also include calendar support with iCal sync. ^[6]

These features are relevant when the aim is to keep track of viewing and organize dates around shows. That is a different job from supplying an IMDb-derived list to Sonarr. If both viewing records and library automation matter, check whether the current integrations cover both workflows and how the information moves between them. The available facts establish Simkl's tracking and calendar features, but do not establish direct IMDb list synchronization with Radarr or Sonarr.

Watcharr for tv show bingers

Watcharr is made by the team that publishes this site, VLClean. Watcharr turns one public IMDb list into one link for Radarr with movies and one link for Sonarr with shows. ^[1] Each link acts like a small server for its matching app, so Radarr checks it every 15 minutes and Sonarr checks it every 5 minutes. ^[1] These are check intervals, not a guarantee that every change appears immediately.

You can use a public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, phone site, or IMDb pages in other languages. ^[1] The links are built from the IMDb list's ID, so the same list keeps the same two links. ^[1]

If you sign in, Watcharr rereads 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 continue serving the last list that loaded correctly. ^[1] Signed-in users can also combine several IMDb lists into one Radarr link and one Sonarr link for the household, with duplicate titles included only once. ^[1]

The hosted version needs no installation and no account. ^[1] Watcharr runs as one Cloudflare app with a Cloudflare database, plus a GitHub job that reads IMDb. ^[1] Its code is available under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence, while older versions remain under MIT. ^[1] Commercial use is not licensed, and no commercial licence is for sale. ^[1]

Matching the tool to the job

For turning an existing public IMDb list into separate links for Radarr and Sonarr, Watcharr provides that specific workflow. ^[1] Its links have fixed check intervals for the two apps, and signed-in users can combine several lists for a household. ^[1] ^[1] Check how the matching process handles shows without TheTVDB identifiers before relying on the resulting list. ^[1]

For creating personalized, automatically updating lists, MDBList documents dynamic movie and show lists tailored to preferences. ^[2] Its curated lists include Trakt Trending and IMDb Most Popular. ^[2] For a workflow that uses Trakt.tv to find titles for media library apps, Traktarr documents adding shows to Sonarr and movies to Radarr. ^[3]

Simkl lets you track what you watch and discover new shows and movies. ^[6] Trakt offers access on the web and mobile platforms. ^[4] Those facts can help narrow a viewing-management shortlist, but they do not by themselves establish a direct IMDb-to-Sonarr connection.

The deciding question is where the work should happen. If it begins with a public IMDb list and ends with Radarr or Sonarr checking that list, prioritize the documented list handoff. If it begins with deciding what to watch or recording what has been watched, prioritize list-building or tracking features. Where a required connection is not documented, verify it before changing the workflow.

Questions to ask before you choose

Start by identifying the list source. Does the workflow begin with a public IMDb watchlist, a custom IMDb list, or a list managed elsewhere? Check whether the tool explicitly supports that source instead of assuming that a service supporting lists can accept every list format.

Next, establish the destination. If Radarr or Sonarr should pick up changes, find out how each app receives the list and how often it checks for updates. Scheduled checks can be delayed, so an interval should not be treated as an exact arrival time.

Check how unmatched shows are handled. A missing identifier can affect whether a show appears in the resulting list, and a clear report of skipped titles can help explain discrepancies. For shared household lists, find out whether duplicates are removed and whether sign-in is needed for the feature.

Finally, consider maintenance, privacy, licensing, and cost. Ask what information a tool needs, whether the intended deployment requires installation, and what the licence permits. For Watcharr, the hosted version requires no installation or account, while commercial use is not licensed. ^[1] ^[1] Confirm the current terms and capabilities of any other option before settling on it.

Frequently asked questions

Can Watcharr sync an IMDb list with Sonarr?

Watcharr turns one public IMDb list into a link for Sonarr containing shows and a separate link for Radarr containing movies. ^[1] Sonarr checks its link every 5 minutes. ^[1] Shows that cannot be matched to TheTVDB identifiers are skipped, and Watcharr tells you which ones were skipped. ^[1] This workflow is intended for public IMDb lists, including watchlists.

Does Watcharr need an account or installation?

The hosted version of Watcharr needs no installation and no account. ^[1] You paste a public IMDb list into the web app and get separate links for Radarr and Sonarr. ^[1] Signing in enables additional features, including rereading lists and combining several IMDb lists into shared links for a household. ^[1] ^[1]

How often does Watcharr update IMDb lists?

Radarr checks its Watcharr link every 15 minutes, while Sonarr checks its link every 5 minutes. ^[1] Signed-in Watcharr users also get list rereads about every 15 minutes. ^[1] These intervals do not guarantee that every change arrives at an exact time. When a read fails, Watcharr continues serving the last list that loaded correctly. ^[1]

Can MDBList build personalized TV show lists?

MDBList creates dynamic, automatically updating movie and show lists tailored to user preferences. ^[2] It also provides curated lists such as Trakt Trending and IMDb Most Popular. ^[2] These features are relevant for list creation and discovery. If the intended goal is to send an IMDb list directly to Sonarr, check the current import and connection options before relying on that workflow.

Is Trakt free to use?

Trakt is free on the web, iOS, and Android. ^[4] ^[5] That makes its stated access options relevant when comparing places to manage viewing activity. The available facts do not establish whether a particular IMDb list can be passed directly to Sonarr or Radarr, so check the current integrations if media library automation is a requirement.

Can Traktarr add TV shows to Sonarr?

Traktarr uses Trakt.tv to find shows and movies to add to Sonarr and Radarr, respectively. ^[3] It also supports an automatic scheduled mode. ^[3] If the source list currently lives on IMDb, check how that list can enter the Trakt-based workflow. The available facts do not establish a direct IMDb list import path.

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

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