Self-Hosted / Projects / Sonarr
Sonarr
StableSpecs verified August 28, 2026 · against vv4.0.19.2979
Overview
Self-hosted TV series manager that automates downloads, upgrades, and episode organization.
Sonarr is a self-hosted TV series manager for people who want to automate finding, downloading, organizing, and upgrading episodes instead of handling every release manually.
Why people choose Sonarr
Official Sonarr and Servarr docs position it as a smart PVR for Usenet and BitTorrent users, with calendar views, quality profiles, and automatic handling of better releases over time.
What is included in the stack
The official site and wiki cover RSS monitoring, manual search, calendar and activity views, indexer and download-client integrations, quality profiles, automatic renaming, path management, and installation paths for Linux, Windows, macOS, NAS, and Docker workflows.
What to know before you deploy
Sonarr is not a media server by itself, so it usually lives alongside a download client and a playback stack such as Jellyfin or Plex. The official docs also emphasize that permissions, ownership, and path mapping are some of the most common problems, especially in Docker setups.
Best fit
Choose Sonarr when you want a repeatable TV-library automation layer and you are comfortable connecting indexers, download clients, and media folders. If you only want to browse and play an already curated library, a media server alone may be enough.
Interface previews
Screenshots of the Sonarr interface.
Feature support
| Feature | Support |
|---|---|
| RSS monitoring and automatic grabsThe official repository says Sonarr monitors multiple RSS feeds and can grab new episodes automatically. | Supported |
| Automatic quality upgradesOfficial project descriptions say Sonarr can upgrade already downloaded episodes when a better format becomes available. | Supported |
| Calendar and activity viewsThe website and wiki document calendar and activity pages for tracking upcoming and recent episode work. | Supported |
| Manual search and release choiceThe official website highlights manual search so you can review releases and push the one you want to your download client. | Supported |
| Automatic failed-download handlingOfficial feature pages say Sonarr can block bad releases and try another candidate automatically. | Supported |
| Automatic renaming and organizationThe official README says Sonarr can grab, sort, and rename episodes into your preferred library structure. | Supported |
| Docker deploymentThe installation docs include a Docker path and discuss container-specific permission and path-mapping concerns. | Supported |
| PostgreSQL database supportThe Servarr wiki documents PostgreSQL configuration as an advanced setup rather than the default path. | Partial support |
Community signals
- Stars
- 17k
- Forks
- 2k
- Open issues
- 86
- Last commit
- 7h ago
- Latest release
- v4.0.20.3014
- Repo created
- Sep 2011
Includes open pull requests
4w ago
Refreshed nightly from the GitHub API.
Questions
What is Sonarr used for?
Sonarr is used to monitor TV series, send grabs to download clients, rename episodes, and keep a show library upgraded over time.
Does Sonarr work with Usenet and BitTorrent?
Yes. Official Sonarr materials describe it as a PVR for both Usenet and BitTorrent users.
Is Sonarr a media server like Jellyfin or Plex?
No. Sonarr automates acquisition and library organization for TV episodes, while playback is usually handled by a separate media server such as Jellyfin or Plex.
Does Sonarr support Docker?
Yes. The official installation docs include Docker guidance and explain common volume, permissions, and path-mapping concerns.
What port does Sonarr use by default?
The official install guidance tells users to browse to http://localhost:8989, so 8989 is the standard default web interface port.
Can Sonarr upgrade episodes automatically when better releases appear?
Yes. The official project description says Sonarr can automatically upgrade files already downloaded when a better quality format becomes available.
What is the most common Sonarr deployment pitfall?
The official docs repeatedly warn that permissions, ownership, and remote path mapping are common trouble spots, especially when Docker containers and download clients do not share the same filesystem layout.
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