Prowlarr vs Jackett: Which Indexer Manager?
Quick Verdict
Prowlarr is the better choice for anyone running Sonarr, Radarr, or other *arr apps. It syncs indexers directly to your *arr stack without copying API keys manually. Jackett still works and has more indexer support, but its development model is showing its age compared to Prowlarr’s native integration.
Overview
Both Prowlarr and Jackett solve the same problem: managing torrent and Usenet indexers in one place so your media automation stack can search for content. Jackett was the original solution — a proxy that translates Torznab/Potato API queries into tracker-specific requests. Prowlarr was built by the *arr team as a modern replacement with native integration into the Servarr ecosystem.
Prowlarr is developed by the same team behind Sonarr, Radarr, Lidarr, and Readarr. It’s written in C#/.NET and follows the same UI patterns as other *arr apps.
Jackett is an independent project that predates Prowlarr. It acts as a proxy server — you add indexers in Jackett, then point your *arr apps at Jackett’s Torznab/Potato endpoints.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Prowlarr | Jackett |
|---|---|---|
| Native *arr sync | Yes — pushes indexers directly | No — manual API key per app |
| Supported indexers | 800+ | 1,000+ |
| Torznab support | Yes | Yes |
| Potato (Newznab) support | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in search | Yes | Yes |
| FlareSolverr support | Yes | Yes |
| Indexer health monitoring | Yes — built-in stats | Basic — error logs only |
| Multi-app sync | One config, all apps updated | Copy API keys to each app |
| UI framework | *arr-style (consistent with Sonarr/Radarr) | Custom web UI |
| RSS sync | Yes | No — search only |
| API | REST API with Swagger docs | REST API |
| Docker image | LinuxServer.io (lscr.io/linuxserver/prowlarr) | LinuxServer.io (lscr.io/linuxserver/jackett) |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Active development | Very active (Servarr team) | Active (community maintained) |
Installation Complexity
Both run as single Docker containers with minimal configuration.
Prowlarr is slightly easier to set up in an *arr stack because you add indexers once, then Prowlarr pushes them to Sonarr, Radarr, Lidarr, and Readarr automatically. No API key juggling.
Jackett requires you to add indexers in Jackett, copy the Torznab feed URL and API key, then paste them into each *arr app individually. For a stack with 4-5 apps and 10+ indexers, this gets tedious.
Both need to be on the same Docker network as your other *arr apps for direct communication.
Performance and Resource Usage
| Metric | Prowlarr | Jackett |
|---|---|---|
| RAM (idle) | ~100-150 MB | ~80-120 MB |
| RAM (searching) | ~200-300 MB | ~150-250 MB |
| CPU | Low | Low |
| Disk | ~500 MB (config + DB) | ~200 MB (config) |
| Database | SQLite (embedded) | None (file-based config) |
Jackett is slightly lighter since it stores config in files rather than a database. In practice, neither app puts meaningful load on a server.
Community and Support
Prowlarr benefits from the Servarr ecosystem. The same team maintains Sonarr, Radarr, Lidarr, and Readarr. Documentation follows the same patterns. The community is active on Discord and GitHub. Updates are frequent.
Jackett has a large, established community and extensive indexer support. Many niche trackers have Jackett definitions that haven’t been ported to Prowlarr yet. Development is community-driven with regular releases.
Use Cases
Choose Prowlarr If…
- You run Sonarr, Radarr, or other *arr apps — the native sync is the killer feature
- You want one place to manage all indexers across all apps
- You prefer a consistent UI across your media stack
- You want indexer health monitoring and search statistics
- You’re setting up a new *arr stack from scratch
Choose Jackett If…
- You need a specific niche tracker that Prowlarr doesn’t support yet
- You use non-*arr apps that support Torznab (like Mylar3 or CouchPotato)
- You want the lightest possible resource footprint
- You’re already running Jackett and everything works — no need to migrate
Migration: Jackett to Prowlarr
If you’re switching from Jackett to Prowlarr:
- Install Prowlarr alongside Jackett (don’t remove Jackett yet)
- Add your indexers in Prowlarr — most major trackers are supported
- Add your *arr apps as “Applications” in Prowlarr’s settings
- Prowlarr pushes indexers to each app automatically
- Remove old Jackett Torznab entries from your *arr apps
- Once everything works, remove Jackett
The migration is straightforward. The main risk is missing indexers — check Prowlarr’s indexer list against your Jackett config before removing Jackett.
Final Verdict
*Prowlarr wins for arr stack users. The native integration is a significant quality-of-life improvement. Add an indexer once, and it’s available everywhere. Indexer health monitoring catches problems before they affect your automation.
Jackett remains relevant for edge cases: niche trackers, non-*arr applications, or existing setups that work fine. But for new installations, start with Prowlarr.
FAQ
Can I run both Prowlarr and Jackett?
Yes. Some people run both — Prowlarr for native *arr integration and Jackett as a fallback for unsupported trackers. In Prowlarr, you can add Jackett as a “Generic Torznab” indexer.
Does Prowlarr replace Jackett completely?
For most users, yes. Prowlarr supports 800+ indexers. Unless you need a specific niche tracker only available in Jackett, Prowlarr handles everything.
Which has better FlareSolverr integration?
Both support FlareSolverr for Cloudflare-protected trackers. Prowlarr’s integration is slightly more polished — it shows FlareSolverr status per indexer in the health checks.
Do I still need Jackett if I only use Sonarr and Radarr?
No. Prowlarr is the recommended replacement. The Servarr team (who makes Sonarr and Radarr) built Prowlarr specifically to replace Jackett for *arr users.
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