VLClean Plain comparisons of self-hosted media tools

How to keep ratings in a self hosted app for Trakt alternative seekers in 2026

Keep movie and show ratings in a self hosted app with practical steps for readers moving away from Trakt in 2026.

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

Trakt alternative seekers can keep ratings in a self hosted app by choosing one public IMDb list as the main list, entering it in the app, and checking the ratings the app shows for each title.

OptionWhat it doesCost details
WatcharrPaste one public IMDb list and get one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. [1] Each link acts like a small Radarr or Sonarr server, so Radarr checks it every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5. [1] The list's covers each open TMDB's plot, genres, rating, backdrop and trailer. [1]The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. [1]
A different self hosted appCheck what it does with a public IMDb list and with ratings before choosing.not published

What you need before you start

Trakt alternative seekers who want to keep ratings in a self hosted app should start with the list that carries the titles. Decide which movies and shows the app should hold, and where the ratings should appear for the reader.

Pick one public IMDb watchlist or list as the main list. Watcharr accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, the phone site, or IMDb's other-language pages. [1]

Radarr and Sonarr are free helper programs that many self hosters run to find and add movies (Radarr) and shows (Sonarr) to a media library. Check how the rating list reaches them before you set your list.

Decide whether others in the household will add titles too, and note how often the app should re-read the list. Check that the ratings you want to keep appear on each title's page once the list is loaded.

Step by step

  1. Choose the one public IMDb watchlist or list that holds the titles and ratings you want to keep, and keep it public if the app reads public lists.
  2. Set up Radarr and Sonarr if titles will be added to a media library, and check how the rating list reaches them.
  3. Enter the main list link in the self hosted app, and confirm the same list always brings back the same titles.
  4. Review the titles the app adds, and write down any it skips so you can add those by hand.
  5. Decide how often the list should be re-read, and set a rule for what happens when a read fails.
  6. Give others in the household one place to add titles, and look through the list each week to check that new titles and ratings appear.

Tools that can do it

Watcharr is made by the team that publishes this site. Watcharr runs as one Cloudflare app with a Cloudflare database, plus a GitHub job that reads IMDb. [1]

You paste one public IMDb list and get one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. [1] Each link acts like a small Radarr or Sonarr server, so Radarr checks it every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5. [1] The links are built from the IMDb list's id, so the same list always gives the same two links. [1]

The page shows the list's covers in a row, each opening TMDB's plot, genres, rating, backdrop and trailer. [1]

Watcharr looks up TheTVDB ids through TVMaze and TMDB, leaves out shows it cannot match, and tells you which ones it skipped. [1] If a read of the list fails, the links keep serving the last list that loaded correctly. [1] You paste, copy and browse from any screen in the web app; the one-click sticker shows on bigger screens. [1] The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. [1] A bookmark you click inside Radarr or Sonarr adds the list for you, using that app's API key without sending it anywhere else. [1]

If you sign in, it re-reads your list about every 15 minutes and warns you when a list fails three reads in a row. [1] Signed-in users can combine several IMDb lists into one Radarr link and one Sonarr link for the whole household, and a title that is on two lists is added only once. [1]

No other tool is named here because no source facts about other tools were provided. Before choosing a tool, check how it handles ratings, a public IMDb list, and updates.

Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid keeping more than one main list with different ratings, so the app has no single source to show.

Avoid choosing a tool without checking how it hands titles to Radarr and Sonarr and whether those titles are then added to the media library.

Avoid ignoring the titles an app leaves out; those are best added by hand so nothing is lost.

Avoid skipping update checks after setup, because a list that stops refreshing can miss new ratings.

Avoid skipping account and privacy checks. Review what information a tool asks for and what access it uses before connecting it to a list.

Frequently asked questions

Can Watcharr keep ratings in a self hosted app?

Watcharr shows the list's covers in a row, and each cover opens TMDB's plot, genres, rating, backdrop and trailer. [1] Watcharr is made by the team that publishes this site and runs as one Cloudflare app with a Cloudflare database. [1] The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. [1]

Which IMDb lists can Watcharr read?

Watcharr accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, the phone site, or IMDb's other-language pages. [1] The same list always gives the same links, because the links are built from the IMDb list's id. [1]

How does Watcharr add new titles to Radarr and Sonarr?

Watcharr turns one pasted public IMDb list into one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. [1] Each link acts like a small Radarr or Sonarr server, so Radarr checks it every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5. [1] A bookmark clicked inside Radarr or Sonarr adds the list using that app's API key without sending it anywhere else. [1]

What happens when Watcharr cannot read a list?

If a read of the list fails, the links keep serving the last list that loaded correctly. [1] A signed-in user gets the app to re-read the list about every 15 minutes, and is warned when a list fails three reads in a row. [1]

Can more than one person keep a shared rating list in Watcharr?

Signed-in users can combine several IMDb lists into one Radarr link and one Sonarr link for the whole household, and a title that is on two lists is added only once. [1] The links stay stable because they are built from the IMDb list's id. [1]

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

Try Watcharr

Sources

  1. Watcharr's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)

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