Radarr — Free, open-source movie library automation: it watches for releases, grabs them, renames and files them for you.
What it is
Radarr is a self-hosted movie organizer and manager for usenet and torrent users, part of the Servarr family alongside Sonarr and Prowlarr. It monitors your wanted list, searches configured indexers, sends releases to a download client, and renames and files finished downloads into your media library.
Editor's review
Long-form introduction by the BetterPicker editors · checked against the official site · Oct 28, 2026
Radarr is the piece that turns a media server from a part-time job into an appliance. Tom Spark's Reviews has rebuilt the same automated-stack tutorial repeatedly because it keeps drawing crowds - the 2024 walkthrough (293,000 views) and a 2026 refresh (74,000 views) both put Radarr at the center, KL Tech Videos' 2026 NAS setup (84,000 views) ships it in a home-server OS, and seedbox and TrueNAS guides (16,000 views each) cover the niche deployments. The project is free and open source under a GPL license, actively developed with fresh 2026 releases, and runs on Windows, Linux, macOS, Docker and NAS packages, serving its web interface on port 7878. You add the movies you want, set quality profiles and custom formats, and Radarr watches release feeds, queries your indexers through Prowlarr, pushes approved grabs to qBittorrent or SABnzbd, then renames and moves the result into the folder your Plex, Jellyfin or Emby server scans. The trade, reviewers agree, is a little configuration up front for a library that largely maintains itself.
What it does well
The automation loop is complete: watchlist to downloaded-and-renamed file with no manual step, and reviewers of the full stack show adding a movie and finding it downloading seconds later. Interactive search lets you pick a specific edition or release when you care, and the queue view shows exactly where every grab stands.
Quality control is granular: quality profiles, custom formats and upgrade-until rules decide which release wins, so a better source replaces an early grab automatically once you have tuned them to taste.
It plays well with the rest of the stack: Prowlarr for indexers, qBittorrent or SABnzbd for downloads, Plex, Jellyfin or Emby for playback, plus a calendar of upcoming releases, list imports from watchlist services, and automatic retries when a grab turns out broken or incomplete.
Who it's for
Self-hosters running a home media server who are comfortable with Docker or an installer, API keys and a bit of networking. It is a hobbyist tool by design - if you want a one-click appliance, the surrounding stack will feel like homework.
Where it falls short
Setup is a project, not an install: reviewers walk through indexer accounts, API keys, download-client wiring and anonymizing your torrent client, and each piece needs credentials you had better not lose.
It depends on sources you do not control: indexers go down, trackers change rules, and grabs fail - the manager is only as healthy as the feeds around it, so budget for occasional maintenance sessions rather than a set-and-forget appliance.
Acquisition is your responsibility: Radarr automates the plumbing for usenet and torrent content, and the legal picture of what you fetch through it depends entirely on where you live and what you grab.
Specs at a glance
Facts from the official site · not editorial opinion
| Latest version | v6.4.4.10685 (2026-09-16); rolling releases, actively developed |
|---|---|
| Price | Free and open source |
| Platforms | Windows, Linux, macOS (10.15+), Docker, NAS packages (Synology, QNAP); web UI on port 7878 |
| Open source | Yes - GPL-3.0, GitHub Radarr/Radarr, about 14,600 stars |
| Core capability | Movie monitoring, release search via indexers, download-client automation, renaming, quality profiles and custom formats |
| Integrations | Prowlarr, qBittorrent, SABnzbd, NZBGet, Plex, Jellyfin, Emby, calendar and list imports |
| Best for | Self-hosted media server owners who want their movie library maintained automatically |
Frequently asked questions
▸Is Radarr legal?
Radarr itself is free, open-source software that manages downloads. Whether what it downloads is lawful depends on the content and your country's rules; the tool does not decide that for you.
▸Do I need Prowlarr to use Radarr?
Not strictly - indexers can be added directly - but Prowlarr keeps indexer configuration in one place and pushes it to Radarr and Sonarr, which is how most guides set it up.
▸What is the difference between Radarr and Sonarr?
Sonarr manages TV episodes and seasons; Radarr is the movie-focused sibling. They share the same interface style and are usually run together in the same stack.
▸Can Radarr run on a NAS?
Yes. There are community packages for Synology and QNAP, though the project notes those often lag behind, so Docker is the recommended route on NAS hardware.
Video reviews
4 review videos aggregated · praise and criticism included alike · click through to the original video
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