Run Sonarr and Radarr Without Docker or a Home Server
If you've ever tried to set up Sonarr and Radarr on your own, you know the drill:
- Find a guide (there are dozens, all slightly different)
- Install Docker (or Docker Compose, or Portainer, or unRAID, or...)
- Get the paths wrong the first three times
- Figure out why your containers can't see each other
- Keep everything updated and running when you'd rather just be watching something
ElfHosted runs your entire media management stack in the cloud, pre-configured and pre-connected. It's already running when you subscribe.
What ElfHosted gives you
With an ElfHosted personal stack, you get:
- Sonarr - automated TV show management, running 24/7
- Radarr - automated movie management, running 24/7
- Prowlarr - indexer management, pre-wired to your Arrs
- Decypharr - handles the connection between your Arrs and your cloud storage backend
- Your choice of media server - Plex, Jellyfin, or Emby
- First-class storage integrations - purpose-built to work with Real-Debrid and Usenet via NzbDAV
How it compares
| Self-hosted (Docker/NAS) | ElfHosted | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup time | Hours to days | Minutes |
| Hardware required | Yes (NAS, server, or VPS) | No |
| Maintenance | Manual updates, backups, monitoring | Handled for you |
| Availability | As good as your home internet | 24/7 cloud uptime |
| Path configuration | Famously painful | Pre-configured |
| Monthly cost | Hardware + electricity + VPS | From $39/month for the Arrs stack, or from $24/month for a personal media stack (Zurgling, Jellygoblin) |
What the stack looks like
Here's how the pieces fit together for a cloud media stack on ElfHosted:
All of this runs on ElfHosted's infrastructure, not your home connection or a VPS you have to manage. The stack is pre-wired to work with Real-Debrid and Usenet (via NzbDAV) out of the box.
Choosing your setup
The exact configuration depends on your choice of media server. All personal stacks use Real-Debrid for cloud storage. ElfHosted has step-by-step guides for each combination:
- Plex + Radarr/Sonarr + Real-Debrid
- Jellyfin + Radarr/Sonarr + Real-Debrid
- Emby + Radarr/Sonarr + Real-Debrid
Not sure which media server to pick? Jellyfin is free and open-source and a good starting point. Plex has a larger ecosystem. Emby sits somewhere between the two.
Getting started
- Pick your stack - choose a personal stack bundle that includes Sonarr, Radarr, and your preferred media server
- Subscribe - 7-day trials start at $1
- Follow the guide - detailed setup instructions are linked above for each combination
- Watch things appear - Sonarr and Radarr will find, download, and organize media automatically
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to keep my computer on? No. Everything runs on ElfHosted's servers. Your computer, phone, or TV just needs the relevant app to stream.
What storage does this work with? Real-Debrid and Usenet via NzbDAV are both first-class integrations - the stack is pre-wired to work with either. You can also attach any rclone-compatible cloud (Hetzner Storage Box, Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, etc.), but that's a secondary use case requiring more manual configuration.
What if I already have a Docker setup at home? ElfHosted can run alongside it or replace it. Your existing media library can be migrated if it's on compatible cloud storage.
Is there a free trial? Yes, 7-day trials for $1, no commitment required.
What users say..
We're rocking some excellent 
TrustPilot Reviews, and here's what some of our usersfriends say..
I am new here, but today I learned realized that Elfhosted is one of the best free and open source software communities I've seen, and FOSS communities have been at the center of my life since the 90s (Perl, PHP, Symfony, Drupal, Ethereum, etc.). Great open software built by great people who care = great community, and that is something special.
You've done an amazing job @Funky Penguelf with the platform you provide and this place has an awesome mix of active community caretakers and software creators that I've seen here so far like BSM, Spoked, LayeZee and other elf vengers. Keep up the energy, productivity and community and take time to enjoy it and appreciate each other!
As a happy Elfhosted customer—who also self hosts MANY things across about 10 severs (dedicated, VPSes, and VMs running on Synology), I wouldn’t switch to self hosting the services I get from Elfhosted. They just work with very little effort configuring things, and the support the owner and his team provides is second to none. Plus I love being part of a fledgling—but quickly growing—enterprise.
I’ve been using this service for a while now, and honestly, it’s a game-changer compared to anything else I’ve tried for managing my media library. The support is fantastic—super quick, and if the staff aren’t around (which rarely happens), the community steps up right away. I can’t imagine going back to any other platform.
Before this, I had my own setup with a NUC, NAS, and tools like Sonarr and Radarr. It worked pretty well for a while, and my internet speed was high enough to stream without any buffering. But in the end, it wasn’t worth the time or headache of managing all the storage and keeping everything running smoothly.
Now, with this service, everything runs smoothly in 1080p+ with no buffering issues. The interface is really easy to use, which makes managing everything a breeze. Plus, having a whole community of smart people available for guidance is a huge bonus.
I was sold from the start, which is why I quickly upgraded from a 1-month to a 3-month subscription, and I’m planning to switch to a 1-year plan soon. This service totally pays for itself, and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed. It’s been really impressive.
Best possible options for anyone looking for the do-it-all option along with the best customer service ive experienced in this space so far. Id rate it a 6 if I could but its limited to 5/5...
(responding to a discussion re the cost of ElfHosted vs mainstream streaming / self-hosting):
I didn't know that the goal of this project was to compete with large companies running/renting entire DCs. I was under the impression that the goal of this project was to manage the updating of almost selfhosted applications on a shared platform with other users. Basically, be my sysadmin for me.
That being said, paying for services is the 'easy button'. There is a real world cost incurred for the time saved. Time is money. Time is the most valuable currency that exists. Once time is spent, it's forever lost, one cannot retrieve it again (yet). In my mind, there are 3 options for use of time with respect to: mainstream, selfhosting, elfhosted.
mainstream - my time is valuable and I don't want curated content and I don't care what content that I have the ability to consume. I only like what's popular.
elfhosted - my time is valuable, I want my own curated content without being forced to browse past the same damn entry 500 times just to find out that I can't watch the movie I want because it's not available in my current location or was removed last week from mainstream providers.
selfhost - I care about costs and I have nothing but time to waste or I want to learn about the backend of the systems involved. I'll pay for my own VPS/homelab, electricity, manage the OS, manage app updates, figure out how to make the apps talk nice to each other, create my own beautiful frontend.
I know how much my time is worth, does that reddit poster know how much their time is worth? Without knowing what you are worth, you can't make effective capital expenditures with respect to the time it will take to recoup the capital.
I know I don't need elfhosted at all for my use case. I choose to stay with elfhosted because it's my 'easy button'. It's an efficient capital expense for the amount of time it saves me managing my own hardware, apps and saves me electricity costs. I'm also in a situation where I don't have upload bandwidth from my home to serve HD content to myself remotely. If I lived back in a city, I would still be here. My time is worth $$/hr.
"Just wanted to check in here and let @Darth-Penguini and anyone/everyone else know...WOW. I have been struggling with storage for years, maintenance of Docker containers, upkeep, all of it. Elfhosted is so freeing. It's an amazing service that I hope to be a member of for a long, long time!"
"I would recommend ElfHosted to anyone. It has been great so far and made life a lot easier than running my own setups. If you’re in the fence give them a try and help support this great community."
Zestyclose_Teacher20 (Reddit)
"thanks for the help and must say this is the best host I every had for my server 🙂 10/10 🙂 All other places I have try have I got a lot buff etc. Your host can even give me full power on a 4K Remux on 200GB big movie file . That's damn awesome 😄"
@tjelite (Discord)
"What an amazing support system these guys have Chris and Layzee i think it was! Both are very patient with me even though I am a newbie at all this. Very thorough and explained everything step by step with me
I couldn’t ask for anything better than the service I have received by these guys! Happy happy client❤️"
"Very happy customer. Great service"
"Very good customer service, frequent updates, and excelent uptime!!!!!"
"I had my own plex-arrs setup on hetzner for years. Yesterday I deleted everything as elfhosted has gone above and beyond it. And it has a fantastic, active community as well! Very friendly, helpful and like-minded folks always willing to help and improve the system. Top notch!"
"Absolutely Amazed with the patience and professionalism of all Elf-Venger Staff including bossman penguin❤️"
"@BSM went above and beyond to make sure I had all the one on one support needed with my sub. Thank you for your patience! Elfhosted continues to be Elftastic !!"
"really enjoying the service from elfhosted. The setup is really easy from the guides on the website. And the help on the discord channel is really quick."
"Support is amazing, and once you find a setup which works best for you it works perfectly, very happy 😊"
"great fast service, resolved my problem and really friendly"
"Great service and sorted out a billing issue super quick and easy."
"Very friendly support, resolved a problem with my account! I also appreciate the community that has been built around the service!"
"excellent customer service and very fast replies"
"Loved the simplicity, experience and support"
"Very friendly help as always, problem solved, one happy elf here!"
"Great Helpful and Fast support. Thanks!"