What is Sonarr used for?

Sonarr is a PVR for Usenet and BitTorrent users that monitors feeds for new TV episodes, then downloads, sorts and renames them automatically. It is a good fit for automating a personal TV library and upgrading episode quality over time.

Is Sonarr open source?

Yes. Sonarr is open source under the GPL-3.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at Sonarr/Sonarr and is written mainly in C#.

Yes. Sonarr is open source, so the software itself is free to use.

Can I self-host Sonarr?

Yes. Sonarr can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure; there is no official hosted version.

What are some alternatives to Sonarr?

Similar open-source tools in the Media & Streaming category include Radarr, Lidarr and Seerr. SaaS products in the same category include Channels DVR, Disney+ and Emby.

Is Sonarr actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to Sonarr was on 30 September 2026, and the latest release is v4.0.20.3014, published on 16 September 2026. The project has 17k stars on GitHub.

Sonarr: open-source media & streaming

About Sonarr

Sonarr is a personal video recorder for people who download TV shows through Usenet or BitTorrent. It watches multiple RSS feeds for new episodes of the series you follow and then grabs, sorts and renames them, so a library stays organized without manual work. It is written in C# and released under the GPL-3.0 license.

It can scan an existing library and fetch any missing episodes, and it can watch for a better-quality release of an episode you already have, such as moving from DVD to Blu-ray, and upgrade it automatically. If a download fails, it tries another release, and a manual search lets you pick any release or see why one was not chosen. Episode renaming is fully configurable, and specials and multi-episode releases are supported.

Sonarr integrates with the SABnzbd and NZBGet download clients and with Kodi and Plex for notifications, library updates and metadata. It runs on Windows, Linux, macOS and Raspberry Pi and is meant to be run on your own machine or home server, with a web interface and API documentation available.

Key features

Monitors RSS feeds for new episodes
Automatic quality upgrades of existing episodes
Failed download handling with alternate releases
Manual search across releases
Configurable episode renaming
SABnzbd, NZBGet, Kodi and Plex integration

Good fit for

→Automating a personal TV library
→Upgrading episode quality over time

Built with: C#
Tags: pvr; tv-shows; usenet; bittorrent; media-automation; self-hosted; plex; kodi

Sonarr: questions and answers

What is Sonarr used for?: Sonarr is a PVR for Usenet and BitTorrent users that monitors feeds for new TV episodes, then downloads, sorts and renames them automatically. It is a good fit for automating a personal TV library and upgrading episode quality over time.
Is Sonarr open source?: Yes. Sonarr is open source under the GPL-3.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at Sonarr/Sonarr and is written mainly in C#.
Is Sonarr free?: Yes. Sonarr is open source, so the software itself is free to use.
Can I self-host Sonarr?: Yes. Sonarr can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure; there is no official hosted version.
What are some alternatives to Sonarr?: Similar open-source tools in the Media & Streaming category include Radarr, Lidarr and Seerr. SaaS products in the same category include Channels DVR, Disney+ and Emby.
Is Sonarr actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to Sonarr was on 30 September 2026, and the latest release is v4.0.20.3014, published on 16 September 2026. The project has 17k stars on GitHub.