IMDb list sync tools for self-hosted media hoarders in 2026

Compare IMDb list sync tools for self-hosted media hoarders and see how each option turns IMDb lists into Radarr and Sonarr imports.

By VLClean · 2026-10-11

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

Watcharr lets you paste one public IMDb list and get one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. ^[1]

Option	What it does with IMDb lists	Cost details
MDBList	MDBList lets users import external lists from Trakt, IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, and other sources. ^[2]	MDBList offers a Supporter membership, with sign-up linked through Memberful and Patreon. ^[3] Exact fees are not published.
Trakt	Check Trakt's site for whether it imports IMDb lists into Radarr or Sonarr.	Trakt is free on web, iOS and Android. ^[4]
Traktarr	Traktarr uses Trakt.tv to find shows and movies to add to Sonarr and Radarr. ^[5] It supports official Trakt lists, public lists, and private lists. ^[5] ^[5] ^[5]	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. ^[1]	Watcharr's own fee: not published. Card fee: not published. Commercial use is not licensed, and no commercial licence is for sale. ^[1]

What self-hosted media hoarders need from IMDb list sync tools

Self-hosted media hoarders often keep lists of movies and shows on IMDb and want those lists to flow into Radarr and Sonarr without copying titles by hand. A useful sync tool reads an IMDb list and turns it into something Radarr or Sonarr can import, so new titles get added and downloaded on their own. The right choice depends on how the list is shared, how often it updates, and how much the hoarder wants to run or install. Some hoarders want a hosted page that needs no setup, while others are fine running a script or a self-hosted app. Hoarders should also check whether the tool handles shows that cannot be matched to TheTVDB, how it behaves when a list fails to load, and what happens with duplicate titles across multiple lists.

MDBList for self-hosted media hoarders

MDBList is a tool for creating dynamic, auto-updating movie and show lists tailored to user preferences. ^[2] It lets users import external lists from Trakt, IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, and other sources. ^[2] MDBList requires login or sign-up to use the service. ^[3] It offers a Supporter membership, with sign-up linked through Memberful and Patreon. ^[3]

Trakt for self-hosted media hoarders

Trakt is free on web, iOS and Android. ^[4] Check Trakt's site for how it works with IMDb lists and whether it can feed lists into Radarr or Sonarr.

Traktarr for self-hosted media hoarders

Traktarr uses Trakt.tv to find shows and movies to add to Sonarr and Radarr. ^[5] It supports official Trakt lists including Trending, Popular, Anticipated, Box Office, Most Watched and Most Played. ^[5] It also supports public lists and private lists. ^[5] ^[5] Traktarr requires Python 3.5 or newer. ^[5] It has an automatic scheduled mode. ^[5]

Simkl for self-hosted media hoarders

No rival facts are available for Simkl beyond its name as a listed option. Check the Simkl site for what it does with IMDb lists and whether it exports to Radarr or Sonarr.

Ryot for self-hosted media hoarders

No rival facts are available for Ryot beyond its name as a listed option. Check the Ryot site for what it does with IMDb lists and whether it exports to Radarr or Sonarr.

Kometa for self-hosted media hoarders

No rival facts are available for Kometa beyond its name as a listed option. Check the Kometa site for what it does with IMDb lists and whether it exports to Radarr or Sonarr.

Watcharr for self-hosted media hoarders

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. ^[1] The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. ^[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 for you, using that app's API key without sending it anywhere else. ^[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] 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]

Matching the tool to the job

For turning an IMDb list into Radarr and Sonarr imports, Watcharr lets you paste one public IMDb list and get one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. ^[1] For importing lists from multiple sources, MDBList lets users import external lists from Trakt, IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, and other sources. ^[2] For feeding Trakt lists into Radarr and Sonarr, Traktarr uses Trakt.tv to find shows and movies to add to Sonarr and Radarr. ^[5] For households with multiple IMDb lists, signed-in Watcharr users can combine several IMDb lists into one Radarr link and one Sonarr link, and a title that is on two lists is added only once. ^[1] For resilience when a list fails to load, Watcharr keeps serving the last list that loaded correctly. ^[1] For hoarders who want a hosted page with no install, the Watcharr hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. ^[1] For hoarders comfortable running Python, Traktarr requires Python 3.5 or newer. ^[5]

Questions to ask before you choose

Before choosing an IMDb list sync tool, consider where the IMDb list comes from and whether it is public. Check whether the tool produces something Radarr or Sonarr can read directly, or whether it needs another app in between. Ask how often the list updates and what happens when a read fails. Check whether shows that cannot be matched to TheTVDB are skipped or cause errors. Consider whether multiple household lists need to be combined and how duplicates are handled. Check whether the tool needs an account, a self-hosted install, or a Python runtime. Also check the licence terms, especially if the tool will be used in any setting beyond a personal home server.

Frequently asked questions

Can Watcharr import private IMDb lists?

Watcharr accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, the phone site or IMDb's other-language pages. ^[1] Private list import is not covered on this page, so check the Watcharr site.

How often does Watcharr update Radarr and Sonarr from an IMDb 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, Watcharr re-reads your list about every 15 minutes and warns you when a list fails three reads in a row. ^[1]

What happens when a show in the IMDb list cannot be matched?

Watcharr looks up TheTVDB ids through TVMaze and TMDB, leaves out shows it can't match, and tells you which ones it skipped. ^[1] Shows it cannot match are left out of the Sonarr link. ^[1]

Does Watcharr need Radarr or Sonarr API keys?

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 API key is not sent anywhere else. ^[1]

Can multiple household members combine their IMDb lists in Watcharr?

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 hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. ^[1]

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

Try Watcharr