VLClean Plain comparisons of self-hosted media tools

Watcharr vs Ryot in 2026

Watcharr and Ryot side by side for self-hosters who keep IMDb lists and want them flowing into Radarr and Sonarr, with prices, setup and what to check first.

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

Watcharr turns one public IMDb list into a Radarr link for the movies and a Sonarr link for the shows. [1] The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. [1] This page's facts give no detail about Ryot, so its price and setup are not published here, and its own pages are the source to check. The table below shows each tool's price, what it does, and its setup as far as the sources state it.

OptionPriceWhat it doesSetupAlso stated
WatcharrNot publishedPastes one public IMDb list into one Radarr link for the movies and one Sonarr link for the shows [1]Hosted, nothing to install, no account [1]Combines several IMDb lists into one Radarr and one Sonarr link for the whole household, one title added once [1]; keeps serving the last list that loaded when a read fails [1]
RyotNot publishedNo detail in the facts for this pageNot publishedCheck its own pages

The short answer

Radarr and Sonarr add movies and shows to a home media library, and this page is for people who run them. Watcharr is a hosted version that needs nothing to install and no account. [1] You paste one public IMDb list and get one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. [1]

The facts for this page give no description of Ryot, so its features and price are not stated here; check its own pages for what it does. For Watcharr, the claims say it accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list, combines several lists into one Radarr link and one Sonarr link for the whole household, and keeps serving the last list that loaded correctly when a read fails. [1] [1] [1]

What Ryot is built for

The facts for this comparison carry no description of Ryot. Its own pages are the only source for what it is and what it does, so nothing about its features, hosting or price appears here. Before choosing, read what Ryot's pages say it does and judge that from its own words, the same standard used for the rest of this page. Where the facts say nothing, check rather than assume a feature exists or is missing. If Ryot's pages give details, weigh them against the claims below for Watcharr.

What Watcharr is built for

Watcharr is made by the team that publishes this site. It is a hosted version that needs nothing to install and no account. [1] You paste one public IMDb list and get one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. [1] The same list always gives the same two links, because they are built from the list's id. [1] It accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, the phone site or IMDb's other-language pages. [1]

Each link acts like a small Radarr or Sonarr server, so Radarr checks it every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5. [1] A bookmark you click inside Radarr or Sonarr adds the list using that app's API key without sending it anywhere else. [1] 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. [1] If a read of the list 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]

Pricing and fees

The facts for this page give no price for Ryot, so its cost is not published here; check its own pages for what it charges, if anything. The claims for Watcharr also give no price, so what it costs is not published either. Watcharr's claims say the hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. [1] Its code is available to 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 card fee or other payment service charge is stated for either tool, so that part is not published here.

Setting it up with your server

For Ryot, the facts give no setup steps, so check its own pages for how to connect it to Radarr or Sonarr. For Watcharr, nothing is installed. [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] Each link acts like a small Radarr or Sonarr server, so Radarr checks it every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5. [1] It looks up TheTVDB ids through TVMaze and TMDB, leaves out shows it can't match, and tells you which ones it skipped. [1] The claims for Watcharr 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. The facts carry no hosting detail for Ryot, and the claims give no price for Watcharr, so check both before you rely on them. Ask how many people will use it and how many lists you keep, and check each tool's pages for that. Ask whether you need one link per person or a single household link, since Watcharr's claims cover a combined household link. [1] Ask what happens when a list read fails; Watcharr's claims say the last good copy keeps serving. [1] Ask whether you can use the tool for work or commercial ends; Watcharr's claim says commercial use is not licensed. [1]

How to choose

If you want a hosted page with nothing to install and no account, Watcharr's claims say it meets that. [1] If you want one IMDb list turned into a Radarr link for movies and a Sonarr link for shows, its claims cover that. [1] If you want several lists combined into one Radarr link and one Sonarr link for the whole household, its claims cover that too. [1] If you want the app to find the right TheTVDB id and tell you which shows it skipped, its claims cover that. [1] For Ryot, the facts here give nothing to compare, so match its own pages against these listed needs before deciding.

Frequently asked questions

Is Ryot free?

This page's facts carry no price for Ryot, so the cost is not published here. To find out whether it is free or what it charges, read what Ryot's own pages say. Because the facts give no detail, treat the price as unknown until it is stated on the tool's pages rather than assuming either way.

What does Watcharr cost?

The claims for Watcharr give no price, so its cost is not published here. The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. [1] The code is available to 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] Check the site for a price before you plan around one.

What does Watcharr do with an IMDb list?

You paste one public IMDb list and get one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. [1] It accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, the phone site or IMDb's other-language pages. [1] It looks up TheTVDB ids through TVMaze and TMDB, leaves out shows it can't match, and tells you which ones it skipped. [1]

Does Watcharr need anything installed?

Nothing is installed; the hosted version needs no account. [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] The claims do not describe any other setup step, so check the site for anything more you need.

Can several IMDb lists be combined?

Yes. 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 same list always gives the same two links because they are built from the list's id. [1] A read of the list failing does not stop the links, which keep serving the last list that loaded correctly. [1]

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

Try Watcharr

Sources

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

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