VLClean Plain comparisons of self-hosted media tools

How to keep separate watch histories for shared accounts in 2026

Learn how a shared household can keep each person's public IMDb list separate and combine them for Radarr and Sonarr.

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

Each household member keeps a public IMDb list. Watcharr can combine several of those lists into one Radarr link for movies and one Sonarr link for shows [1].

OptionHow it worksCost details
WatcharrPaste a public IMDb list to get one Radarr link for movies and one Sonarr link for shows; sign in to combine multiple lists for a household and auto-refresh about every 15 minutes with three-failure warnings; last-good-copy fallback [1][1][1][1]Hosted version needs nothing to install and no account; commercial use not licensed [1][1]
Other list sync toolsCheck whether the tool accepts public IMDb lists, Trakt, Letterboxd, or private lists; check refresh interval and failed-read handling; check how duplicates across multiple lists are handled.Check whether an account or installation is required; check licence terms for commercial use.

What you need before you start

Decide which people in the household will each keep a public IMDb list. Each person's list can be on the IMDb desktop site, phone site, or other-language pages [1]. Combining lists into one Radarr link and one Sonarr link requires signing in to Watcharr [1]. Each household member's list is one input to the combined links, and a title that is on two lists is added only once [1]. Watcharr gives one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows, so both kinds of title reach the right app [1].

Step by step

  1. Ask each household member to keep a public IMDb list. Watcharr accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, the phone site, or IMDb's other-language pages [1].
  1. Paste one public IMDb list into Watcharr to get one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows [1].
  1. Sign in to combine the household's lists into one Radarr link and one Sonarr link [1].
  1. Sign in so each list is re-read about every 15 minutes [1].
  1. If you are signed in and a list fails three reads in a row, Watcharr warns you [1]. Until a read succeeds again, the links keep serving the last list that loaded correctly [1].

Tools that can do it

Watcharr is made by the team that publishes this site. It accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, the phone site, or IMDb's other-language pages [1]. You paste one public IMDb list and get one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows [1]. Radarr checks the link every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5 [1]. Each link acts like a small Radarr or Sonarr server [1]. A bookmark you click inside Radarr or Sonarr adds the list for you [1]. It uses that app's API key and does not send the key anywhere else [1]. The links stay the same for the same IMDb list [1]. Watcharr skips shows it cannot match and tells you which ones it skipped [1]. It looks up TheTVDB ids through TVMaze and TMDB [1]. The page shows the list's covers in a row, each opening details such as the plot, genres, rating and trailer [1]. If a read of the list fails, the links keep serving the last list that loaded correctly [1]. The code is available to read under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence; older versions remain under MIT [1]. You can paste, copy and browse from any screen in the web app [1]. The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account [1]. Commercial use is not licensed, and no commercial licence is for sale [1]. Before you choose a tool, check which list sources it accepts, how often it re-reads lists, what it does when a list cannot be read, and how it handles a title that appears on more than one list.

Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid assuming every show will be added, since Watcharr leaves out shows it cannot match and tells you which ones [1]. Before you choose a tool, check whether it supports private IMDb lists, as Watcharr accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list [1]. Avoid expecting commercial use, because commercial use is not licensed and no commercial licence is for sale [1]. Ask who can see a combined list before sharing its links outside the household. Do not expect a title on two lists to be added twice, since it is added only once [1]. Do not let a failed read go unnoticed; signed-in users are warned after three failed reads in a row [1].

Frequently asked questions

How does Watcharr combine household IMDb lists for Radarr and Sonarr?

Each person keeps a public IMDb list. 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].

Can Watcharr read private IMDb lists or Trakt and Letterboxd lists?

Watcharr accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, the phone site, or IMDb's other-language pages [1]. Check whether a tool supports private IMDb lists, Trakt or Letterboxd before you choose it.

What happens when Watcharr cannot read an IMDb list during a scheduled refresh?

If a read of the list fails, the links keep serving the last list that loaded correctly. If you are signed in, Watcharr warns you when a list fails three reads in a row [1][1].

Does Watcharr require an account or installation to use the hosted version?

The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account [1]. You paste one public IMDb list and get one link for Radarr and one for Sonarr [1].

How often does Radarr check the Watcharr link and how often does Sonarr check it?

Radarr checks the link every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5 minutes [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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