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Comparison · Collab

Prowlarr vs Readarr

A side-by-side editorial comparison of Prowlarr and Readarr — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.

Shared themes:self-hosted

Prowlarr vs Readarr: at a glance

FeatureProwlarrReadarr
SectorCollabCollab
Velocity score5.00.0
Sparks · 30d00
Top themesindexer, self-hosted, arr-ecosystem, dotnetbook-management, self-hosted, maintenance-only, dormant
Last editorial update1d ago3mo ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is Prowlarr?

Prowlarr 3.0 pre-release moves to .NET 10 and requires Postgres 15

Prowlarr, the indexer manager for the *arr apps, ships patch releases every one to three weeks. The 2.6–2.7 line added Trusted Networks, hostname validation and wildcard IPs in Allowed Hosts. A 3.0.0 pre-release on the develop branch now moves the runtime to .NET 10 and Node 24, raises the minimum Postgres version to 15 and adds reflink support for ZFS.

Read the full Prowlarr trajectory →

What is Readarr?

Six releases of small fixes and translations, then nothing since June 2025.

Readarr's last six entries run from March to June 2025 and are uniformly small: a truncated root-folder path, remote image links for posters and covers, NLog message templating, disabled SelectInput options, Weblate translation batches. Every entry opens with the same instructions about switching to the develop branch and not updating inside a running Docker container. Nothing in this window adds capability, and no entry has appeared in over a year.

Read the full Readarr trajectory →

Prowlarr vs Readarr: editorial side-by-side

P
Prowlarr
COLLAB
5.0

Prowlarr 3.0 pre-release moves to .NET 10 and requires Postgres 15

◆ Current state

Prowlarr, the indexer manager for the *arr apps, ships patch releases every one to three weeks. The 2.6–2.7 line added Trusted Networks, hostname validation and wildcard IPs in Allowed Hosts. A 3.0.0 pre-release on the develop branch now moves the runtime to .NET 10 and Node 24, raises the minimum Postgres version to 15 and adds reflink support for ZFS.

◆ Where it's heading

The project is pairing small indexer fixes on the stable branch with a platform refresh on develop. The 3.0 work is mostly runtime and database floor changes rather than new user features, so the jump is about keeping the stack current.

◆ Prediction

Expect further 3.0 pre-releases before a stable 3.0, with Postgres users below version 15 needing to upgrade first; the entries do not show a release date.

R
Readarr
COLLAB
0.0

Six releases of small fixes and translations, then nothing since June 2025.

◆ Current state

Readarr's last six entries run from March to June 2025 and are uniformly small: a truncated root-folder path, remote image links for posters and covers, NLog message templating, disabled SelectInput options, Weblate translation batches. Every entry opens with the same instructions about switching to the develop branch and not updating inside a running Docker container. Nothing in this window adds capability, and no entry has appeared in over a year.

◆ Where it's heading

The pattern is a project in caretaker mode: auto-generated commit lists, incremental UI corrections, and internal work like using ReflectionOnly types to avoid loading assemblies unnecessarily. Volume held steady at roughly one release every one to two weeks until it stopped entirely. The entries themselves give no reason for the halt.

◆ Prediction

The changelog offers no signal of resumed development; without new entries there is nothing here to project forward beyond the fact that the feed went quiet after 0.4.18.

Alternatives to Prowlarr and Readarr

Other Collab products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either Prowlarr or Readarr.

See all Prowlarr alternatives → · See all Readarr alternatives →

Recent activity from Prowlarr and Readarr

Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.

  1. 2d agoProwlarrProwlarr 3.0 pre-release: .NET 10, Postgres 15 minimum
  2. 8d agoProwlarrProwlarr 2.7.0: Allowed Hosts wildcards and indexer fixes
  3. 9d agoProwlarrProwlarr 2.6.6 pre-release, shipped as 2.7.0
  4. 1mo agoProwlarrProwlarr 2.6.5 adds Trusted Networks and host validation
  5. 1mo agoProwlarrProwlarr 2.6.5 pre-release: Allowed Hosts logging fixes
  6. 1mo agoProwlarrProwlarr 2.6.4 patch
  7. 1y agoReadarr0.4.18.2805 avoids loading unnecessary assemblies
  8. 1y agoReadarr0.4.17.2801 returns remote image links for posters and covers
  9. 1y agoReadarr0.4.16.2793 fixes a truncated root folder path
  10. 1y agoReadarr0.4.15.2787 switches log messages to templates
  11. 1y agoReadarr0.4.14.2782 fixes adding an author before root folders load
  12. 1y agoReadarr0.4.13.2760 improves author status and loading-error display

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Prowlarr and Readarr?

Both compete on the same themes — self-hosted — within Collab. Prowlarr is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 0.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.

Is Prowlarr better than Readarr?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Prowlarr is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 0.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Collab products to evaluate alongside.

What are the best alternatives to Prowlarr?

Top Prowlarr alternatives in Collab are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Prowlarr alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/prowlarr for the full list with editorial commentary on each.

What are the best alternatives to Readarr?

Top Readarr alternatives in Collab are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Readarr alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/readarr for the full list with editorial commentary on each.