How to move off a paid tracking service in 2026

A practical guide for cloud tracker leavers: what to prepare, the steps to move off a paid tracking service, tools to compare, and mistakes to avoid.

By VLClean · 2026-11-09

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

Moving off a paid tracking service takes three things: a copy of your current list, a new home for that list, and a check that the new home shows the same titles before you stop paying. The steps below follow that order whichever tool you choose.

Option	What it does for the move	Cost and setup
Watcharr	Turns one public IMDb list into one Radarr link with the movies and one Sonarr link with the shows. ^[1]	Hosted version: nothing to install and no account. ^[1]
Other tools (not named here)	not published	not published

What you need before you start

Start by collecting your current list from the paid tracking service. Check whether the service lets you copy or export the titles, and write down which lists you keep there, because each one may need its own pass.

Decide whether the new list will hold movies, shows, or both, since the movie helper and the show helper each take their own titles. Radarr is the movie helper and Sonarr is the show helper. Both are programs many people run to add titles to a media library, and both should be set up before you start.

If you plan to use Watcharr, the list must be a public IMDb list or watchlist. ^[1] Make that change on IMDb before you start, so the list is ready when you paste it in.

Finally, set aside a day when you can compare the results, because checking the first set of titles takes more attention than the setup itself.

Step by step

Copy or export your current list from the paid service. If the service offers no export, write the titles down.
Put the titles in one place you control, such as an IMDb list you can make public.
Choose how that list will reach Radarr and Sonarr, and connect it to each program as the tool you choose describes.
Let the new setup run once, then compare the titles it added with the copy you saved.
Fix any title that is missing or wrong, and note any show the new setup could not match.
Stop the paid service only after the comparison matches what you expect.

Keep the copy until the new setup has run for a few days, so you can compare again if a title goes missing.

Tools that can do it

Watcharr is made by the team that publishes this site, VLClean. You paste one public IMDb list into Watcharr 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 at least every 15 minutes and Sonarr at least every 5. ^[1] The links are built from the IMDb list's id, so the same list always gives the same two links. ^[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] Watcharr looks up TheTVDB ids through TVMaze and TMDB, leaves out shows it cannot match, and tells you which ones it skipped. ^[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] If a read fails, the links keep serving the last list that loaded correctly. ^[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]

The page shows the list's covers in a row, and each cover opens TMDB's plot, genres, rating, backdrop and trailer. ^[1] You paste, copy and browse from any screen in the web app, and on bigger screens a one-click add option also appears. ^[1] The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. ^[1]

Its code can be read under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence, and older versions remain under MIT. ^[1] Commercial use is not licensed, and no commercial licence is for sale. ^[1]

No other tool is named here because no source facts about other tools were provided. Before you choose one, check how it reads your list, how it sends titles to Radarr and Sonarr, and what it costs.

Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid deleting the paid service before you compare the results. A short comparison catches titles that did not carry over, and the copy you saved is the reference.

Avoid assuming a private list will work with Watcharr. Watcharr works from public IMDb lists, so check the visibility setting first. ^[1]

Avoid sending movies and shows through one link without checking each one. Radarr and Sonarr each get their own link, so confirm both show the titles they should. ^[1]

Avoid expecting every show to match. Shows that cannot be matched are left out, and Watcharr tells you which ones it skipped. ^[1]

Avoid assuming a household list behaves like a single list. Only signed-in users can combine several lists, and a title on more than one list is added once. ^[1]

Frequently asked questions

How can cloud tracker leavers move off a paid tracking service?

Start by copying your current list, then choose a new place for it and connect that place to Radarr and Sonarr. Next, compare the titles that arrive with your saved copy before you stop paying for the old service. The steps above follow that order. Keep the copy until the new setup has run for a few days, so a missing title can still be checked against the original list.

Can Watcharr read a list from a paid tracking service?

Watcharr accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, the phone site or IMDb's other-language pages. ^[1] Its input is an IMDb list, so the titles first need to sit on a public IMDb list. Check that your copy of the list matches the titles in the original service before you paste it in, because the new list is only as complete as the copy you start from.

Does Watcharr need to be installed before use?

The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. ^[1] You paste, copy and browse from any screen in the web app, and on bigger screens a one-click add option also appears. ^[1] Because the web app works from any screen, you can set up the list from the device you already use, whether that is a laptop or a phone. ^[1]

How often does Watcharr refresh a list for Radarr and Sonarr?

Radarr checks each Watcharr link at least every 15 minutes, and Sonarr checks at least 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] If a read fails, the links keep serving the last list that loaded correctly. ^[1]

Can Watcharr combine lists for a whole household?

Signed-in users can combine several IMDb lists into one Radarr link and one Sonarr link for the whole household. ^[1] A title that is on two lists is added only once. ^[1] Check the combined results against each source list after the first run, so you can confirm that every title from every list arrived.

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

Try Watcharr

Sources

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