Comparing Ruddarr and Cupola.
Ruddarr is a polished, open-source app for Radarr and Sonarr on iPhone and iPad, from iOS 26. Cupola covers fifteen more services, runs on Android and older iPhones, and is free with nothing to subscribe to.
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Where Cupola stands out
- Seventeen services instead of two: Seerr, Lidarr, Bazarr, Prowlarr, download clients, Jellyfin, Plex and your server.
- On Android too, and on iPhones back to iOS 17.
- Notifications are free: your phone checks your services itself.
- Family members can request with their own Seerr account.
Side by side
| Fact | Ruddarr | Cupola |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | iPhone and iPad; on Apple silicon Macs as an iPad app, which the App Store lists as not verified for macOS | iPhone, iPad, Android and Mac; Windows and Linux builds not yet tested on real machines |
| Oldest system | iOS 26 | iOS 17, Android 7, macOS 12 (Apple silicon) |
| Price | Free. Notifications need Ruddarr+, a $5.99 in-app subscription | Free, nothing to unlock |
| Source code | Open source, MIT License | Open source, Apache License 2.0 |
| Around since | 2024 (first release in April) | 2026 as Cupola, earlier as Seekarr |
| Services | Radarr and Sonarr | Seventeen: Radarr, Sonarr, Lidarr, Readarr, Bazarr, Seerr, Prowlarr, four download clients, Jellyfin, Plex and the server underneath |
| Languages | English and seven more | English only |
Where Ruddarr is ahead
- Fine-grained push notifications (with Ruddarr+), Siri Shortcuts, Spotlight and iCloud sync.
- Translated into eight languages; Cupola is English only.
- A long App Store record: 4.9 out of 5 from 767 ratings when we checked.
Moving to Cupola
- Cupola does not import Ruddarr settings: add Radarr and Sonarr again with the same address and key.
- Custom headers for your reverse proxy go in each connection's access settings.
- Test each connection before you save it. If it fails, Cupola tells you why.
Questions
Does Cupola need a server or an account?
No. There is no Cupola account and no Cupola server. The app talks straight to your own services, and their keys and passwords stay on your device, in the Keychain or the Android Keystore.
Is Cupola free?
Yes. It is open source under the Apache License 2.0, with nothing to buy or unlock. If it helps you, a donation on Ko-fi keeps it moving.
How do I manage my home server from my phone when I am away?
With the route you already have: a VPN such as WireGuard or Tailscale, or a reverse proxy. Give a connection a second address for when you are out, and Cupola uses whichever one answers.