How to send requests to Radarr and Sonarr for Plex server owners in 2026

Q: How much does Askarr cost for a Plex server owner?

The Free plan costs $0 and allows 10 requests a month. Plus costs $3.99 a month for 50 requests a month. Pro costs $6.99 a month for unlimited requests. Pick the plan that matches how many people will request and how often.

A plain guide for Plex server owners on getting movie and show requests into Radarr and Sonarr, with the steps, the checks and the tool options.

By VLClean · 2026-10-09

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

Pick a request tool, connect it to Radarr for movies and Sonarr for shows, make one test request, and confirm the title shows up in the right app. Askarr is one option: you search for a title on the Askarr site, request it, and your own Radarr or Sonarr adds it. ^[1] The Free plan costs $0 and allows 10 requests a month. ^[2]

Option	Price	Monthly requests
Askarr Free plan ^[2]	$0 ^[2]	10 requests a month ^[2]
Askarr Plus plan ^[3]	$3.99 a month ^[3]	50 requests a month ^[3]
Askarr Pro plan ^[4]	$6.99 a month ^[4]	Unlimited ^[4]

What you need before you start

Request tools sit between the people who want something to watch and the apps that fetch it. Before you pick one, get a few basics in place so the connection steps go quickly.

Radarr and Sonarr already running. Radarr handles movies and Sonarr handles shows. Both should be able to add a title and send it to your download client without help.
Their addresses and keys. Each app has a web address and an API key in its settings. Keep them handy, and note whether the app is only reachable inside your home network.
A default quality profile and a root folder for each app. A request tool hands over a title, and Radarr or Sonarr still needs to know where it goes and in what quality.
A list of who will request. Decide whether it is only you, your household, or friends outside your home. This decides how many requests you need and what you should look for in limits.
A way to see results. Plan to check Plex after the first request to confirm the title appears in the right library.

If Radarr and Sonarr cannot yet add a title by hand and finish a download, fix that first. A request tool cannot repair a broken download setup.

Step by step

These steps apply to any request tool. The wording of the screens will differ, but the order stays the same.

Test Radarr and Sonarr by hand. Add one movie in Radarr and one show in Sonarr yourself. Confirm each reaches your download client and lands in Plex. This proves the base setup works.
Choose a request tool. Decide whether you want a website you do not have to run, or an app you run on your own machine. Check how each one reaches Radarr and Sonarr, because that decides whether you open anything to the internet.
Create your account or install the tool. Some tools need an account on a website, others need an app on your server. Follow the tool's own first-run screen.
Connect Radarr. Give the tool what it asks for, which may be an address and key, or a list setting that Radarr reads from. Pick the default quality profile and root folder for movies.
Connect Sonarr. Repeat the same process for shows. Pick the default quality profile and root folder for shows, and check whether new seasons are monitored.
Turn on status reporting if it is offered. Some tools get a message back from Radarr and Sonarr when a title is added or downloaded. This lets requesters see progress instead of asking you.
Make one test request. Search for a movie you do not already own and request it. Watch Radarr to see it appear, then do the same for a show in Sonarr.
Check the result in Plex. Once the download finishes, confirm the title shows in the right library with the right name.
Invite the people who will request. Share the tool's link or sign-up route. Tell them how to search, and what to do if a title is not found.
Review limits after a week or two. If people hit a monthly cap, decide whether to change plans or settings.

Tools that can do it

Radarr and Sonarr can receive titles from outside tools in more than one way. Askarr's details are given below, followed by what to check on other tools you compare.

Askarr. It is a hosted website that works with your existing Radarr and Sonarr. ^[5] Nothing is installed; you add the Askarr site as an import list in Radarr and Sonarr. ^[6] You add the Askarr site to Radarr and Sonarr once as an import list, and they read your requests from it. ^[7] The Askarr site never connects to your Radarr or Sonarr and never receives their API keys. ^[8] Running the Askarr bookmark on your Radarr or Sonarr page fills in the list and the status report setting there for you. ^[9] A webhook from Radarr and Sonarr reports back so the site shows when a title was added and downloaded. ^[10] You can paste a TMDB, IMDb or TVDB link to find the title. ^[11] You can try the dashboard with a throwaway demo account and sample data without signing up. ^[12]

Plans list 'Request history with live status'. ^[13] Each friend who signs up through your link adds 10 requests a month to your limit. ^[14]

A request website you do not run yourself. Check how it reaches Radarr and Sonarr, whether it needs your API keys, and what it costs.

A request app you run on your own machine. Check what it needs installed, whether Radarr and Sonarr must be reachable from outside your home, and who keeps it updated.

No further details on specific other tools are given here, so compare any you consider on those points and on the plan table above.

Common mistakes to avoid

Skipping the manual test. If Radarr or Sonarr cannot add and finish a title on their own, the request tool will look broken when the real fault is the base setup.
Leaving defaults unset. Without a default quality profile and root folder, requests can stall or land in the wrong place.
Opening more of your network than you need. Before you forward a port or share an API key, check what the tool actually requires, and prefer a route that asks for less.
Mixing up movies and shows. Radarr takes movies and Sonarr takes shows. Connect both, and test both.
Ignoring limits until friends complain. Look at the monthly request cap before you invite people. Decide what happens when it runs out.
Forgetting status. If requesters cannot see whether a title was added or downloaded, they will message you. Turn on status reporting where the tool offers it.
Not checking Plex. A finished download is only useful if the library scan picks it up. Look in Plex after the first request.
Copying keys into places you cannot track. Note where each API key is stored, and change it if you ever shared it by mistake.

Frequently asked questions

Does a request tool need Radarr or Sonarr opened to the internet?

It depends on the tool, so check before you set anything up. With Askarr, the Askarr site never connects to your Radarr or Sonarr and never receives their API keys. ^[8] For any other tool, find out whether it must reach your apps from outside your network.

How do Radarr and Sonarr get requests from Askarr?

You add the Askarr site to Radarr and Sonarr once as an import list, and they read your requests from it. ^[7] Nothing is installed; you add the Askarr site as an import list in Radarr and Sonarr. ^[6] After that, your own Radarr or Sonarr adds each requested title. ^[1]

How much does Askarr cost for a Plex server owner?

The Free plan costs $0 and allows 10 requests a month. ^[2] Plus costs $3.99 a month for 50 requests a month. ^[3] Pro costs $6.99 a month for unlimited requests. ^[4] Pick the plan that matches how many people will request and how often.

Can requesters see whether their movie or show was added?

With Askarr, a webhook from Radarr and Sonarr reports back so the site shows when a title was added and downloaded. ^[10] Plans list 'Request history with live status'. ^[13] For other tools, check whether they show progress to requesters or leave you to answer questions.

Can Askarr be tried before signing up?

Yes. You can try the dashboard with a throwaway demo account and sample data without signing up. ^[12] That lets you look at a demo dashboard with sample data before you connect Radarr or Sonarr. When you are ready, the connection steps in this guide apply the same way.

The Free plan costs $0 and allows 10 requests a month. ^[2]

Try Askarr

Sources

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