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What is MovieClaw?
MovieClaw is an AI media server you run on your own hardware. It handles subscriptions, downloads, matching, metadata, and playback in one place, with a web app, an iPhone app, and a built-in AI agent.
Last reviewed 2026-10-09
MovieClaw is an AI media server you run on your own hardware. A single Docker container covers the whole loop: subscribe to a show or movie, and it finds, downloads, matches, adds metadata, and files it into your library. Then you watch in the web app, the native apps, or players like Infuse. It has a built-in AI agent, and every feature is open to outside agents too. It's free for personal and household use.
Before you go further
- The interface is Chinese only for now, and so are the logs.
- Built-in indexers are Chinese private trackers. There's no Torznab, public tracker, or Usenet support.
If either is a dealbreaker, the classic Sonarr + Radarr + Jellyfin setup is still the better fit today.
What it does
- Subscriptions and quality upgrades: subscribe once and new releases download automatically. Rules swap in better releases as they show up. If a season is only missing an episode or two, it grabs just those.
- Indexers: 23 Chinese private trackers are built in. Search and grab from inside MovieClaw, with qBittorrent or Transmission doing the downloading.
- Matching and metadata: a built-in model parses release names into title, year, season, and episode. Artwork and details come from TMDB and Douban. Anything uncertain waits for your confirmation. Files aren't renamed or moved unless you turn that on.
- Playback: a web player, plus native apps for phone, TV, and Mac. MovieClaw also speaks the Jellyfin API, so Infuse and VidHub connect with just an address, and watch progress syncs everywhere.
- Subtitles: OCR turns image-based PGS subtitles into text, and AI translates existing subtitles into your language.
- Family accounts: admins and members, with per-member library access, request permissions, and age ratings.
- AI agent: tell it what you want in plain language, from the web app or over WeChat, Telegram, or Discord. Outside agents can drive every feature through the
mclawCLI or MCP.
What it replaces
| You used to run | In MovieClaw | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Sonarr + Radarr | Subscriptions, upgrades, importing | — |
| Prowlarr / Jackett | Built-in indexers | Built-in Chinese private trackers only. No Torznab, public trackers, or Usenet |
| Bazarr | Subtitle OCR and AI translation | Doesn't download from online subtitle sites |
| Overseerr / Jellyseerr | Member requests and permissions | — |
| Plex / Emby / Jellyfin | Library and playback | Web, iPhone, Mac, and Apple TV clients. Apple TV is in public beta. On Android, use the web app or a Jellyfin client |
What it doesn't do
- It doesn't provide, host, or distribute any media. You connect your own trackers, download client, and accounts.
- It isn't a download client. Bring qBittorrent or Transmission.
- No built-in remote access. Use Tailscale, WireGuard, or a reverse proxy.
- No native Android app yet. The Apple TV app is in public beta through TestFlight; see the download page.
License and pricing
The source code is on GitHub. Releases after v0.27.0 use the MovieClaw License, which is Apache License 2.0 plus a non-commercial condition. Personal and household use, non-profit sharing with family and friends, and study are free. Commercial use (hosting it for others, bundling it with paid hardware, paid installation services, or use inside a company) needs written permission. v0.27.0 and earlier remain under the MIT License.
Try it first
The live demo needs no install. Pick one of the four demo accounts on the sign-in page. It's read-only and resets daily. Ready to set it up? See Install with Docker.