---
{"title": "Simkl vs Trakt in 2026: Free, Price and Setup", "description": "Simkl and Trakt compared for people who sync IMDb lists with Radarr or Sonarr: what each does, what each costs, and what to check first.", "url": "https://vlcleanplayer.com/simkl-vs-trakt/", "date": "2026-10-15"}
---
Simkl and Trakt compared for people who sync IMDb lists with Radarr or Sonarr: what each does, what each costs, and what to check first.

Trakt's own pages describe a tool that is free on web, iOS and Android. [^1] Watcharr takes a public IMDb list and gives you one link for Radarr and one for Sonarr. [^2]

| Option | Price | Where it runs | What its sources say it does | Also stated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trakt | Free on web, iOS and Android [^1] | Web, iOS and Android [^1] | Free on web, iOS and Android [^1] | Not published in the facts here |
| Simkl | Not published in the facts here | Not published in the facts here | Not published in the facts here | Not published in the facts here |
| Watcharr (hosted) | Not published in the claims here [^2] | Web app, from any screen [^2] | Pastes one public IMDb list and gives one link for Radarr and one for Sonarr [^2] | Nothing to install, no account [^2]; shows it can't match are skipped and reported [^2]; last good copy kept if a read fails [^2] |

## The short answer

IMDb lists are where people collect movies and shows they want to watch, and this page is for people who want those lists to reach Radarr or Sonarr. Trakt's own pages say it is free on web, iOS and Android. [^1] Watcharr is a hosted tool that takes a public IMDb list and gives you one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. [^2]

The facts for Simkl do not give detail on what it does or how it works, so there is little to report about it here. Trakt's sources say it is free on web, iOS and Android. [^3] Watcharr's claims say the hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. [^2] The facts for Simkl and Trakt do not mention Radarr, Sonarr or IMDb list syncing, so check their own pages for anything you need that is not shown here.

## What Simkl, Trakt is built for

The pages for Trakt say it is free on web, iOS and Android. [^1]

The facts for Simkl give no description of what it is built for or what it does for a person who runs a media server. When a source is silent on what a tool does, the reader should check its own pages before relying on it.

Neither set of facts mentions syncing IMDb lists to Radarr or Sonarr, connecting to a self-hosted server, or any plan beyond what is stated. The table below lists the few points the facts do give. Beyond what is shown there, the sources give little detail, so check each tool's own pages for anything else you need.

## 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. [^2] Each link acts like a small Radarr or Sonarr server, so Radarr checks it every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5. [^2]

It accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, the phone site or IMDb's other-language pages. [^2] The links are built from the IMDb list's id, so the same list always gives the same two links. [^2]

It looks up TheTVDB ids through TVMaze and TMDB, leaves out shows it can't match, and tells you which ones it skipped. [^2] The page shows the list's covers in a row, each opening TMDB's plot, genres, rating, backdrop and trailer. [^2]

The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. [^2] A bookmark you click inside Radarr or Sonarr adds the list for you, using that app's API key without sending it anywhere else. [^2]

## Pricing and fees

Trakt's pages say it is free on web, iOS and Android. [^1] No paid plan or hosting price appears in the facts for Trakt, so any cost beyond what is stated is not published there. [^3]

The facts for Simkl give no price, plan or fee, so what Simkl costs is not published in the sources here.

Watcharr's claims do not state a price, plan or fee for the hosted version. [^2] Its code is available to read under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence; older versions remain under MIT. [^2] Commercial use is not licensed, and no commercial licence is for sale. [^2]

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

## Setting it up with your server

For Trakt, the facts say it is free on web, iOS and Android. [^1] The facts say nothing about connecting Trakt to Plex, Radarr or Sonarr, so check its own pages for how to do that.

For Simkl, the facts give no detail on setup or on connecting to any server app, so check its own pages for that.

For Watcharr, the hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. [^2] A bookmark you click inside Radarr or Sonarr adds the list for you, using that app's API key without sending it anywhere else. [^2] Each link acts like a small Radarr or Sonarr server, so Radarr checks it every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5. [^2] You paste, copy and browse from any screen in the web app; the one-click sticker shows on bigger screens. [^2] 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. [^2] The claims do not mention Plex, so check how your library fits.

## Things to check before you choose

Start with where you want the tool to run. Trakt's facts say it is free on web, iOS and Android, but do not say how it connects to a self-hosted server. [^1] Simkl's facts give no detail on hosting or setup, so check its own pages first.

Ask whether the tool reads IMDb lists and turns them into links that Radarr or Sonarr can read. Watcharr's claims say it does. [^2] Ask how often the list is checked for changes, and what happens when a read fails. Watcharr says it re-reads about every 15 minutes if signed in, and if a read fails the links keep serving the last list that loaded correctly. [^2] [^2]

Ask whether shows that can't be matched are reported. Watcharr says it tells you which ones it skipped. [^2] Ask whether commercial use is allowed. Watcharr says commercial use is not licensed, and no commercial licence is for sale. [^2]

## How to choose

If you want a tool that is free on web, iOS and Android, Trakt's sources say it meets that. [^1] The facts for Simkl give no detail, so check its own pages before relying on it for anything.

If you want to turn a public IMDb list into links for Radarr and Sonarr, Watcharr's claims say it does that. [^2] If you want nothing to install and no account, Watcharr's claims say the hosted version needs neither. [^2] If you want the list checked on a schedule, Watcharr says Radarr checks every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5. [^2]

If you want several household lists combined into one pair of links, Watcharr says signed-in users can do that, and a title on two lists is added only once. [^2] If you want to look at list contents before adding them, the page shows covers with plot, rating and trailer. [^2]

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Trakt free?

Trakt's own pages say it is free on web, iOS and Android. [^1] No paid plan or hosting price appears in the facts, so any cost beyond that is not published there. Check its own pages before you plan around a total cost. [^3]

### What does Simkl cost?

The facts for Simkl give no price, plan or fee, so what it costs is not published in the sources here. Check Simkl's own pages for pricing before you rely on a number. Nothing in the facts here describes what Simkl does or how it runs.

### Does Watcharr need anything installed?

The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. [^2] A bookmark you click inside Radarr or Sonarr adds the list for you, using that app's API key without sending it anywhere else. [^2] The claims do not describe any other setup step.

### Can Watcharr turn an IMDb list into Radarr and Sonarr links?

You paste one public IMDb list and get one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. [^2] Each link acts like a small Radarr or Sonarr server, so Radarr checks it every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5. [^2] It accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, the phone site or IMDb's other-language pages. [^2]

### Does Watcharr tell you which shows it could not match?

It looks up TheTVDB ids through TVMaze and TMDB, leaves out shows it can't match, and tells you which ones it skipped. [^2] If a read of the list fails, the links keep serving the last list that loaded correctly. [^2] 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. [^2]

Its code is available to read under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence; older versions remain under MIT. [^2] - [Visit Watcharr](/go/start-watcharr)

## Sources

[^1]: Trakt, trakt.tv, read 2026-10-07 (https://trakt.tv)
[^2]: Watcharr's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher) (/go/start-watcharr)
[^3]: Trakt, trakt.tv/vip, read 2026-10-07 (https://trakt.tv/vip)