VLClean Plain comparisons of self-hosted media tools

Ryot vs Traktarr in 2026

Compare Ryot, Traktarr and Watcharr for tracking media or adding titles to a home library, with details on features, costs and setup.

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

Ryot describes features for tracking media consumption, fitness progress and daily habits, while Traktarr uses Trakt.tv to find shows and movies to add to Sonarr and Radarr. [1] [2] Traktarr needs Python 3.5 or newer. [2] Watcharr turns one public IMDb list into two links, one for Radarr and one for Sonarr. [3]

OptionWhat it addsLists it supportsRuns whereAlso stated
Ryotnot publishednot publishednot publishedOffers a live demo and free trial [1] [1]; charts and statistics [1]
TraktarrAdds shows and movies to Sonarr and Radarr [2]Official Trakt lists, plus public and private lists [2] [2] [2]Python 3.5 or newer on Debian OS, can work on others [2] [2]Adds single or multiple movies and shows [2] [2] [2] [2]; automatic scheduled mode [2]; multiple authenticated users [2]
WatcharrTwo links for one public IMDb list, one for Radarr with movies and one for Sonarr with shows [3]Any public IMDb watchlist or list [3]Hosted; nothing to install, no account [3]Radarr checks every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5 [3]; code readable under PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence [3]

The short answer

Ryot describes features for tracking media consumption, fitness progress and daily habits, while Traktarr uses Trakt.tv to find shows and movies to add to Sonarr and Radarr. [1] [2] Traktarr needs Python 3.5 or newer. [2] Watcharr turns one public IMDb list into two links, one for Radarr and one for Sonarr. [3]

Traktarr supports official Trakt lists, public lists and private lists. [2] [2] [2] Watcharr accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, the phone site or IMDb's other-language pages. [3]

What Ryot, Traktarr is built for

Ryot says it can track books, movies, TV shows, workouts and daily habits. [1] Its pages also describe tracking media consumption, fitness progress and daily habits. [1] Ryot offers analytics with charts and statistics, and describes privacy features involving encryption and control over personal information. [1] [1] Its page offers a live demo and a free trial. [1] [1]

Traktarr uses Trakt.tv to find shows and movies to add to Sonarr and Radarr. [2] Its pages describe official Trakt lists for trending, popular, anticipated, box office, most watched and most played titles, [2] plus public lists [2] and private lists. [2] It can add single or multiple movies to Radarr and single or multiple shows to Sonarr. [2] [2] [2] [2]

Traktarr's page says it can run on Debian OS and other operating systems, requires Python 3.5 or newer, and supports automatic scheduled mode and multiple authenticated users. [2] [2] [2] [2] Check each tool's own pages for details not covered by these facts.

What Watcharr is built for

Watcharr is made by the team that publishes this site. You paste one public IMDb list and get one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. [3] Each link acts like a small Radarr or Sonarr server, so Radarr checks it every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5. [3]

It accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, the phone site or IMDb's other-language pages. [3] The links are built from the IMDb list's id, so the same list always gives the same two links. [3] It looks up TheTVDB ids through TVMaze and TMDB, leaves out shows it cannot match, and tells you which ones it skipped. [3]

The page shows the list's covers in a row, each opening TMDB's plot, genres, rating, backdrop and trailer. [3] 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. [3]

Pricing and fees

Ryot offers a free trial, but the facts do not state its price after the trial or give a plan price. [1] Traktarr's facts do not state a price, so its cost is not published here. Watcharr's claims do not state a price, so its cost is not published here.

Watcharr's hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. [3] Its code is available to read under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence, with older versions under MIT. [3] Commercial use is not licensed and no commercial licence is for sale. [3] No card fee from a payment service is stated for any of the three, so that part is not published.

Setting it up with your server

Traktarr uses Trakt.tv to find shows and movies to add to Sonarr and Radarr. [2] It needs Python 3.5 or newer and runs on Debian OS, with the page saying it can work on other operating systems. [2] [2] The facts do not describe the steps further, so check its own pages for how it connects to Radarr and Sonarr.

Ryot offers self-hosted options. [1] Its pages describe tracking books, movies, TV shows, workouts and daily habits, but the available facts do not explain how it connects to Plex, Radarr or Sonarr. [1] Check its own pages for the setup steps and any media-library connections.

For Watcharr, the hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. [3] A bookmark you click inside Radarr or Sonarr adds the list for you, using that app's API key without sending it anywhere else. [3] You can paste, copy and browse from any screen in the web app, and the one-click sticker shows on bigger screens. [3] Which connections to Plex, Radarr or Sonarr do you need, and which of those does each tool's documentation describe?

Things to check before you choose

Start with where you want the tool to run. Traktarr needs Python 3.5 or newer, [2] so ask whether you can run a Python program. Ryot offers self-hosted options, [1] while Watcharr's hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. [3]

Ask where the titles come from. Traktarr works from official, public and private Trakt lists, [2] [2] [2] while Watcharr works from public IMDb lists. [3] Ryot describes tracking books, movies, TV shows, workouts and daily habits. [1] Ask which features and list sources matter to you. Ask what each tool costs, since the available facts do not publish a price for any of them. Ask whether you want Watcharr to check your IMDb list again periodically. When signed in, Watcharr re-reads the list about every 15 minutes and warns you when a list fails three reads in a row. [3] Check the other tools' pages for details about how often they revisit their sources.

How to choose

If you want to track books, movies, TV shows, workouts and daily habits, Ryot's sources say it covers those activities. [1] If you want charts and statistics about consumption patterns and progress, Ryot describes analytics for that purpose. [1] If self-hosting matters, Ryot says self-hosted options are available. [1]

If you want titles pulled from Trakt lists and added to Radarr and Sonarr, Traktarr's sources say it does that. [2] If you want official, public and private Trakt lists, its sources cover those. [2] [2] [2]

If you want nothing installed, Watcharr's claims say its hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. [3] If you want one public IMDb watchlist or list to feed both Radarr and Sonarr, Watcharr's claims cover that. [3] If you want the same list to always give the same two links, its claims say the links come from the list's id. [3]

Frequently asked questions

Is Traktarr free?

No price appears in the available facts for Traktarr, so its cost is not published here. Traktarr needs Python 3.5 or newer. [2] Its pages describe adding shows and movies to Sonarr and Radarr from Trakt.tv. [2] Check its own pages for current pricing and any costs associated with running it.

What lists does Traktarr work with?

Traktarr uses Trakt.tv to find shows and movies to add to Sonarr and Radarr. [2] It supports official Trakt lists for trending, popular, anticipated, box office, most watched and most played titles, [2] as well as public lists [2] and private lists. [2] The available facts do not specify further details about list filtering, so check its own pages for the options you need.

What does Watcharr need installed?

Watcharr's hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. [3] A bookmark you click inside Radarr or Sonarr adds the list for you, using that app's API key without sending it anywhere else. [3] Watcharr's claims do not describe a Plex connection, so check how it would fit with your existing library.

Can Traktarr add one title at a time?

Traktarr can add a single show to Sonarr or multiple shows to Sonarr, and it can add a single movie to Radarr or multiple movies to Radarr. [2] [2] [2] [2] Its pages also list automatic scheduled mode. [2] Check its own pages for details about how to choose individual titles or groups.

What happens in Watcharr when an IMDb list cannot be read?

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. [3] If a read fails, the links keep serving the last list that loaded correctly. [3] The claims say shows that cannot be matched to TheTVDB are left out and you are told which ones were skipped. [3]

Its code is available to read under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence; older versions remain under MIT. [3]

Try Watcharr

Sources

  1. Ryot, ryot.io, read 2026-10-10
  2. Traktarr, github.com/l3uddz/traktarr, read 2026-10-07
  3. Watcharr's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)

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