IMDb list sync tools for anime watchers in 2026

Compare IMDb list sync tools for anime watchers and see how each handles list building, show matching, and Sonarr or Radarr links.

By VLClean · 2026-10-11

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

Compare IMDb list sync tools for anime watchers and see how each option handles list building, show matching, and links to Sonarr or Radarr.

Option	What it does with IMDb lists	Cost details
MDBList	Creates dynamic, auto-updating movie and show lists and imports external lists from Trakt, IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and other sources. ^[1] ^[1]	Offers a Supporter membership through Memberful and Patreon; the page does not publish the Supporter price. ^[2]
Trakt	Free on web, iOS and Android. ^[3]	Free on web, iOS and Android. ^[3]
Traktarr	Uses Trakt.tv to add shows and movies to Sonarr and Radarr, with official Trakt lists, public lists and private lists. ^[4] ^[4] ^[4] ^[4]	not published
Simkl	not published	not published
Ryot	not published	not published
Kometa	not published	not published
Watcharr	You paste one public IMDb list and get one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. ^[5]	Commercial use is not licensed under the current licence terms, so check the licence before any commercial use. ^[5]

What anime watchers need from IMDb list sync tools

Anime watchers who keep IMDb lists often want those lists to reach Sonarr or Radarr without copying titles one by one. Ask whether a tool can read a public IMDb list, match each title to a database Sonarr can use, and produce a link that Sonarr or Radarr reads. Anime titles can be hard to match because databases use different names for the same show, so the tool should say which titles it could not match rather than skipping them silently. Some watchers manage lists for a whole household and want to combine several lists into one link. Others want to check covers and details before sending a list to their media apps. The right choice depends on which databases the tool looks up, how often it re-reads the list, and whether it works with public IMDb lists from any device or language.

MDBList for anime watchers

Its page lists building and curating lists, tracking progress on movies and shows, discovery, personalization, and use across devices. ^[2] MDBList works with Stremio and combines ratings from platforms including IMDb, TMDb, Letterboxd, Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic, MyAnimeList, and RogerEbert. ^[1] It lets users import external lists from Trakt, IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, and other sources. ^[1] It offers full Trakt.tv integration, syncing watchlist, ratings, and progress without leaving the MDBList interface. ^[1] MDBList requires login or sign-up to use the service. ^[2]

Trakt for anime watchers

Trakt is free on web, iOS and Android. ^[3]

Traktarr for anime watchers

Traktarr uses Trakt.tv to find shows and movies to add to Sonarr and Radarr. ^[4] It supports official Trakt lists, public lists, and private lists. ^[4] ^[4] ^[4] Traktarr can add single or multiple shows to Sonarr, and single or multiple movies to Radarr. ^[4] ^[4] ^[4] ^[4] It supports multiple authenticated users. ^[4] Traktarr requires Python 3.5 or newer. ^[4] It has an automatic scheduled mode. ^[4]

Simkl for anime watchers

No facts were provided for Simkl beyond its name, so check its site for what it does and how it handles IMDb lists.

Ryot for anime watchers

No facts were provided for Ryot beyond its name, so check its site for what it does and how it handles IMDb lists.

Kometa for anime watchers

No facts were provided for Kometa beyond its name, so check its site for what it does and how it handles IMDb lists.

Watcharr for anime watchers

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. ^[5] Each link acts like a small Radarr or Sonarr server, so Radarr checks it every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5. ^[5] A bookmark you click inside Radarr or Sonarr adds the list for you, using that app's API key without sending it anywhere else. ^[5] It accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, the phone site or IMDb's other-language pages. ^[5] It looks up TheTVDB ids through TVMaze and TMDB, leaves out shows it can not match, and tells you which ones it skipped. ^[5] The page shows the list's covers in a row, each opening TMDB's plot, genres, rating, backdrop and trailer. ^[5] 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. ^[5] 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. ^[5] The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. ^[5]

Matching the tool to the job

For turning one public IMDb list into separate Sonarr and Radarr links, Watcharr gives you one link for Sonarr with the shows and one for Radarr with the movies. ^[5] For matching anime titles to TheTVDB, Watcharr looks up ids through TVMaze and TMDB and tells you which shows it skipped. ^[5] For combining household lists, signed-in Watcharr users can merge several IMDb lists into one link per app, and a title on two lists is added only once. ^[5] For regular re-reads, Watcharr re-reads a signed-in list about every 15 minutes and warns after three failed reads. ^[5] For importing IMDb lists into a broader tracking service, MDBList lets users import external lists from Trakt, IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, and other sources. ^[1] For adding Trakt lists to Sonarr and Radarr, Traktarr uses Trakt.tv to find shows and movies and supports official, public, and private lists. ^[4] ^[4] ^[4] ^[4] For ratings that include MyAnimeList, MDBList combines ratings from platforms including IMDb, TMDb, Letterboxd, Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic, MyAnimeList, and RogerEbert. ^[1] For a free tracking app on phone or web, Trakt is free on web, iOS and Android. ^[3]

Questions to ask before you choose

Before choosing an IMDb list sync tool, consider which databases the tool uses to match anime titles, and ask whether it reports the shows it could not match. Check whether the tool works with public IMDb lists from the desktop site, the phone site, or other-language pages. Ask whether it produces separate links for Sonarr and Radarr or a single combined list. Check how often it re-reads the list and what happens when a read fails. Ask whether the tool needs an account or login, and whether it can combine several lists for a household. Check whether the tool runs on its own server or needs Python or another runtime installed. Also check the licence if the tool will be used beyond personal watching.

Frequently asked questions

Which IMDb list sync tool should anime watchers compare first?

Anime watchers can compare tools based on which databases they use to match titles, whether they accept public IMDb lists, and how they produce links for Sonarr or Radarr. Some tools read IMDb lists directly, while others work through Trakt or another service, so the right choice depends on the setup and which databases cover the anime titles being tracked.

Can anime watchers use Watcharr without installing anything?

The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. ^[5] You paste a public IMDb list and get one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. ^[5]

How does Watcharr handle anime titles it can not match?

Watcharr looks up TheTVDB ids through TVMaze and TMDB, leaves out shows it can not match, and tells you which ones it skipped. ^[5] Watcharr tells you which ones it skipped. ^[5]

Does Watcharr show what is on the list before sending it to Sonarr?

The page shows the list covers in a row, each opening TMDB plot, genres, rating, backdrop and trailer. ^[5]

What should anime watchers check before choosing an IMDb list sync tool?

Check which databases the tool uses for matching, whether it tells you which titles it skipped, and how often it re-reads the list. Ask whether it needs an account or login, whether it can combine multiple lists, and what happens when a list read fails. Also check the licence terms for commercial use.

Its code is available to read under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence; older versions remain under MIT. ^[5]

Try Watcharr