VLClean Plain comparisons of self-hosted media tools

Watcharr vs Simkl in 2026

Watcharr and Simkl compared for Plex self-hosters who sync IMDb lists: what Watcharr's pages state, and what to check on Simkl's own pages.

By VLClean ยท

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

People who run Plex with Radarr and Sonarr often keep a watchlist in IMDb, and this page compares two tools that can move those lists into the library. Watcharr's page shows it takes one public IMDb list and makes two links, one for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. [1] The facts on this page include no description of Simkl from its own pages, so what Simkl does and what it costs must be read from Simkl's own site instead of guessed here.

OptionPriceWhat its source says it doesAlso stated
WatcharrNot publishedOne public IMDb list becomes two links, one for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows [1]Radarr checks it every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5 [1]; nothing to install and no account [1]; accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list [1]
SimklNot publishedNo description from Simkl's own pages is in the facts; check Simkl's siteNot published

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. Watcharr's page shows it takes one public IMDb list and makes two links, one for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. [1] Each link acts like a small Radarr or Sonarr server, so Radarr checks it every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5. [1] The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. [1] It accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, the phone site, or IMDb's other-language pages. [1] The facts on this page give no description of Simkl from its own pages, so which needs Simkl meets is not stated here; check Simkl's site for that.

What Simkl is built for

The facts supplied for this page do not include a description from Simkl's own pages, so nothing is stated here about what Simkl says it does. To compare fairly, a self-hoster should read Simkl's own site for what it does, what it costs, and how it connects to Plex, Radarr or Sonarr. Any plan, limit or fee Simkl lists is best taken from Simkl directly. Because no Simkl fact is available, the rest of this page speaks to what Watcharr says, and the reader is left to weigh Simkl's own words against it.

What Watcharr is built for

Watcharr is made by the team that publishes this site. Its page shows it turns one public IMDb list into two links, one for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. [1] Each link acts like a small Radarr or Sonarr server, so Radarr checks it every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5. [1] It accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, the phone site, or IMDb's other-language pages. [1] The links are built from the IMDb list's id, so the same list always gives the same two links. [1] The page shows the list's covers in a row, each opening TMDB's plot, genres, rating, backdrop and trailer. [1] It also looks up TheTVDB ids through TVMaze and TMDB, leaves out shows it cannot match, and tells you which ones it skipped. [1]

Pricing and fees

Simkl's price is not published on this page because no Simkl fact was supplied; a reader must check Simkl's own site for what it charges. Watcharr has no published personal-use price in the claims either, so that part is not published here. Watcharr's page says commercial use is not licensed and no commercial licence is for sale. [1] No card fee or other charge from a payment service is stated for Watcharr, so that part is not published. For anyone weighing total cost, both tools leave the price to be read from their own pages before a choice is made.

Setting it up with your server

For Simkl, the facts give no steps for connecting to Plex, Radarr or Sonarr, so a self-hoster should check Simkl's own pages for those. For Watcharr, a bookmark clicked inside Radarr or Sonarr adds the list, using that app's API key without sending it anywhere else. [1] Paste one public IMDb list and get one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. [1] The hosted version needs nothing installed and no account. [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]

Things to check before you choose

Start with where you want the tool to run. Watcharr runs as one Cloudflare app with a Cloudflare database, plus a GitHub job that reads IMDb. [1] For Simkl, check its own pages for how it runs and what that needs. Ask whether you want to sign in: Watcharr's auto-refresh, warnings and combined lists are for signed-in users. [1] [1] Ask whether other household members share lists, since signed-in users can combine several IMDb lists into one Radarr link and one Sonarr link. [1] Ask Simkl's pages the same questions, and ask each tool how it handles a list that stops loading.

How to choose

If you want one public IMDb list to become a Radarr link and a Sonarr link, Watcharr's page says it does that. [1] If you want that link added with one click and no key sent elsewhere, its claims cover that. [1] If you want a list that keeps updating on its own and stays up when a read fails, Watcharr covers that too. [1] [1] If you want a whole household on one pair of links, signed-in use gives that. [1] If you want to run things yourself, Watcharr's code is available to read under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence. [1] For Simkl, match its own pages to the same needs before choosing.

Frequently asked questions

Is Watcharr free?

Watcharr's page gives no personal-use price in the claims, so that part is not published here. It says commercial use is not licensed and no commercial licence is for sale. [1] Check Watcharr's own page for any current price before you plan around a total cost, since the claims do not state one.

Does Watcharr need anything installed?

The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. [1] A bookmark clicked inside Radarr or Sonarr adds the list, using that app's API key without sending it anywhere else. [1] The claims give no other setup step, so check Watcharr's page if you want more.

How often does Watcharr check a list?

Each link acts like a small Radarr or Sonarr server, so Radarr checks it every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5. [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 fails, the links keep serving the last list that loaded correctly. [1]

What does Simkl cost?

The facts on this page include no price for Simkl, so it is not published here. A self-hoster should read Simkl's own site for its plans, limits and fees, and check what it charges on top of any other service. No Simkl fact was supplied to this page.

Can Watcharr handle a shared household list?

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] That combining is for signed-in users, so a household would sign in to use it. [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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