VLClean Plain comparisons of self-hosted media tools

Oscarr vs Searcharr in 2026

Oscarr and Searcharr compared for people who run Plex with Radarr or Sonarr: what each does, what each asks for in setup, and what they cost.

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

Oscarr and Searcharr compared for people who run Plex with Radarr or Sonarr: what the two tools do, what each asks for in setup, and what they cost. Askarr is a hosted website that works with your existing Radarr and Sonarr. [1] The Free plan costs $0 and allows 10 requests a month. [1] Plus costs $3.99 a month for 50 requests a month. [1] Pro costs $6.99 a month for unlimited requests. [1]

OptionPriceRequest limitWhat it works withAlso stated
Oscarrnot publishednot publishedRadarr and Sonarr [2]Seerr-compatible API layer at /api/v1/* [2]; quality selection with SD, HD, 4K and 4K HDR [2]; AES-256-GCM encryption at rest for stored service credentials [2]
Searcharrnot publishednot publishedAdds movies to Radarr and series to Sonarr via Telegram [3]Admin access by re-authenticating with the admin password [3]; dependencies from requirements.txt when run from source [3]; requires a bot password, a Telegram bot token, and Sonarr and Radarr connection details with quality profile IDs [3]
Askarr Free [1]$0 [1]10 requests a month [1]Your existing Radarr and Sonarr [1]Request history with live status [1]
Askarr Plus [1]$3.99 a month [1]50 requests a month [1]Your existing Radarr and Sonarr [1]Request history with live status [1]
Askarr Pro [1]$6.99 a month [1]No monthly limit [1]Your existing Radarr and Sonarr [1]Request history with live status [1]

The short answer

Radarr and Sonarr are the apps that add movies and shows to a home media library, and this page is for people who run them. Oscarr's page says it exposes a Seerr-compatible API layer at /api/v1/*. [2] Searcharr's page says it requires a bot password, a Telegram bot token, and Sonarr and Radarr connection details with quality profile IDs. [3] Askarr is a hosted website where you request a movie or show, and your own Radarr or Sonarr adds it. [1]

If you want users to pick a quality such as SD or 4K, Oscarr's page says it provides quality selection for users. [2] If you want an admin step that an authenticated user can repeat, Searcharr's page says a user adds it by re-authenticating with the administrator password. [3] For running, no price appears in the facts of either tool, so what they cost is not published.

What Oscarr, Searcharr is built for

Oscarr's page describes its API layer and per-user choices. It exposes an experimental Seerr-compatible API layer at /api/v1/*. [2] It provides quality selection for users with SD, HD, 4K and 4K HDR options, mapped to specific profiles per service. [2] It encrypts stored service credentials with AES-256-GCM encryption at rest. [2] The facts for Oscarr give little beyond this, so check its own pages for anything else you need.

Searcharr's page gives its setup. It requires certain settings at minimum, including a bot password, a Telegram bot token, and Sonarr and Radarr connection details with quality profile IDs. [3] An authenticated user can add admin access by re-authenticating with the administrator password. [3] Those running it from source install their dependencies from a requirements.txt file. [3] The facts for Searcharr give this setup side and little else, so check its own pages for what else it does.

What Askarr is built for

Askarr is made by the team that publishes this site. It is a hosted website that works with your existing Radarr and Sonarr. [1]

You request a movie or show on the Askarr site, and your own Radarr or Sonarr adds it. [1] If you already have a link, you can paste a TMDB, IMDb or TVDB link to find the title. [1]

Askarr says it never connects to your Radarr or Sonarr and never receives their API keys. [1] A webhook from Radarr and Sonarr reports back so the site shows when a title was added and downloaded. [1] You can see your request history with live status. [1]

Each friend who signs up through your link adds 10 requests a month to your limit. [1] You can try the dashboard with a throwaway demo account and sample data without signing in. [1]

Pricing and fees

No price appears in the facts given for Oscarr, so what it costs is not published. No price appears for Searcharr either, so its cost is also not published. The facts for both name no paid plan or fee for either tool.

Askarr has three plans. [1] [1] [1] The Free plan costs $0 and allows 10 requests a month. [1] Plus costs $3.99 a month for 50 requests a month. [1] Pro costs $6.99 a month for unlimited requests. [1] The Pro plan has no monthly request limit. [1]

No card fee or other charge from a payment service is stated for Askarr, so that part is not published here.

Setting it up with your server

For Oscarr, the facts give little about connecting it to your apps. Its page mentions an experimental Seerr-compatible API layer at /api/v1/*. [2] The facts say nothing more about the steps, so check its own pages for how to connect Radarr or Sonarr.

For Searcharr, the page says it requires certain settings at minimum, including a bot password, a Telegram bot token, and Sonarr and Radarr connection details with quality profile IDs. [3] The facts say nothing about connecting Plex, so check how your library fits.

For Askarr, nothing is installed; you add Askarr as an import list in Radarr and Sonarr. [1] That is a list Radarr and Sonarr read your requests from, and you add it once. [1]

A bookmark you run on your Radarr or Sonarr page saves the list and webhook there for you. [1] After that, you request a title on the site and your own Radarr or Sonarr adds it. [1] Check how Askarr fits with Plex before you choose.

Things to check before you choose

Start with where you want the tool to run. Check what each tool costs to run before you rely on it. Askarr is a hosted website. [1]

Ask how many people will make requests. Askarr's Free plan allows 10 requests a month, and Plus allows 50. [1] [1] The facts give no request limits for Oscarr or Searcharr, so check each.

Ask which channel you want requests to come through and whether each tool supports it. Ask what quality choices your users need, and check each tool's pages for them. Ask whether a demo is available before you commit. Askarr offers a demo account. [1]

How to choose

If you want to test an experimental API layer, Oscarr's page says it exposes a Seerr-compatible API layer at /api/v1/*. [2] If you want to protect stored credentials, Oscarr's page says it encrypts stored service credentials with AES-256-GCM encryption at rest. [2] If you want users to pick SD, HD, 4K or 4K HDR, its page says it offers that. [2]

If you want admin access that a user regains by re-authenticating with the administrator password, Searcharr's page says that is available. [3] If you want to know which settings a bot password, a Telegram token and connection details require, its page names the minimum settings. [3]

If you want nothing installed, Askarr's claims say you only add a list in Radarr and Sonarr. [1] If you want to know what the site can reach, Askarr says it never connects to your Radarr or Sonarr. [1] If you want a request page with status that shows when a title was added and downloaded, its claims cover that. [1]

If you want to look first without signing up, Askarr has a demo account. [1] If you want no monthly request limit, Pro has none and costs $6.99 a month. [1] [1]

Frequently asked questions

Is Oscarr free?

No price appears in the facts given for Oscarr, so what it costs is not published. The facts give no paid plan or fee either. Check its own pages before you plan around a total cost.

Is Searcharr free?

No price appears in the facts given for Searcharr, so what it costs is not published. The facts give no paid plan or fee either. Check its own pages before you plan around a total cost.

How much does Askarr cost?

The Free plan costs $0 and allows 10 requests a month. [1] Plus costs $3.99 a month for 50 requests a month. [1] Pro costs $6.99 a month for unlimited requests. [1] No card fee is stated for Askarr, so that part is not published.

Does Askarr need anything installed?

Nothing is installed; you add Askarr as an import list in Radarr and Sonarr. [1] A bookmark run on your Radarr or Sonarr page saves the list and webhook there for you. [1] The claims do not describe any other setup step.

Can Oscarr give users quality choices?

Its page says it provides quality selection for users with SD, HD, 4K and 4K HDR options. [2] The facts give little beyond that, so check its own pages for the full picture before you rely on it.

The Free plan costs $0 and allows 10 requests a month. [1]

Try Askarr

Sources

  1. Askarr's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
  2. Oscarr, github.com/arediss/Oscarr, read 2026-10-13
  3. Searcharr, github.com/toddrob99/searcharr, read 2026-10-22

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