Prowlarr vs Jackett
What Kochab exposes through each indexer manager, and which one to add first.
Prowlarr and Jackett both manage indexers and both plug into Kochab’s search. Prowlarr pushes its indexer list to your *arr apps and can alert Kochab when an indexer starts failing; Jackett stays a standalone proxy you configure by hand in its own web UI.
Quick pick
| Your setup | Add this in Kochab |
|---|---|
| You run Sonarr, Radarr, or similar and want indexers synced automatically, with a push alert when one fails | Prowlarr |
| You already run Jackett, or an indexer you need turns out to be defined there and not in Prowlarr | Jackett |
Most new *arr stacks should start with Prowlarr. Add Jackett when an existing setup already depends on it, or when an indexer you need turns out to be defined there and not in Prowlarr.
Comparison
| Capability | Prowlarr | Jackett |
|---|---|---|
| Indexer list with health status | Yes | Yes |
| Meta-search across configured indexers | Yes (AppBar action) | Yes (button on the indexer list) |
| Syncs indexers to Sonarr/Radarr/etc. | Yes (app sync) | No - configure each app by hand |
| Indexer-failing push alert | Yes, registered automatically when you add the service | No |
| Torznab feed URL for manual use elsewhere | No | Yes |
| Full indexer field editor in Kochab | Yes, every field the indexer defines | No - indexer setup stays in Jackett’s UI |
| Default port | 9696 | 9117 |
| Auth | API key in the X-Api-Key header |
API key as a query parameter |
Prowlarr
Best for: stacks running Sonarr, Radarr, Lidarr, or Readarr, where you want one place to add an indexer and have it reach every app.
Exposes: the control screen (version, indexer list with per-row test, app sync status), a full indexer editor with every field the indexer defines, a recent-activity drill-in (grabs, searches, and failures), per-indexer query and grab stats, meta-search across configured indexers, and a push alert for indexer failures. Kochab registers that webhook in Prowlarr for you when you add the service; nothing to configure by hand.
Does not expose: app profiles or Prowlarr’s own global settings, which stay in Prowlarr’s web UI. Prowlarr does not appear in Library or Calendar. It feeds indexers to your *arr apps rather than managing media itself.
Jackett
Best for: an indexer source you already run, or a specific indexer definition Jackett has and Prowlarr does not.
Exposes: the indexer list with health status, meta-search across configured Jackett indexers, and the Torznab feed URL for an indexer, so you can copy it for use outside Kochab.
Does not expose: indexer configuration or CAPTCHA/FlareSolverr setup, which stay in Jackett’s web UI. There is no push alert either; Kochab does not send indexer-failing notifications for a Jackett-only stack today. Add Prowlarr alongside it if you want that alert.
Running both
You can add both. If an indexer you need is defined in Jackett and not in Prowlarr, a mixed stack (Prowlarr for most indexers, Jackett for the rest) works - Kochab treats them as two independent indexer sources. Set up each in Kochab from Connect Prowlarr or Connect Jackett, then see Set up Prowlarr indexer sync for Sonarr and Radarr once Prowlarr is connected.