rDownloader

rDownloader is an independent, local-first, cross-platform download manager. One persistent queue handles direct HTTP downloads, one-click hosters, Usenet/NZB, BitTorrent, video and audio sites, image galleries, livestream recordings and remote file transfers. It is a Rust service with an embedded Vue web interface, a desktop capture agent, a browser extension, signed WebAssembly plugins and a built-in MCP endpoint for AI assistants.

This wiki is the handbook: it explains what every feature does and how to use it. The repository holds the source; building it and writing a plugin for it are covered here too, in Building from source and the plugin pages.

This wiki describes the current release. Features that have not been released yet are not documented here.

Start here

If you are	Read
New to rDownloader	Installation → First run → Your first download
Looking for a specific feature	The interface, which maps every screen to its page
Running it on a NAS or a server	Docker and NAS → Reverse proxy → Accounts, sessions and permissions
Wiring it into other tools	REST API, MCP server, Sonarr, Radarr and other automation tools
Writing a plugin	Plugin overview → Developing a plugin → the page of its type, e.g. Resolver
Stuck	Troubleshooting · FAQ

What it does

• One queue for every source. HTTP and HTTPS, one-click hosters and multihosters, Usenet articles, BitTorrent, yt-dlp media sites, gallery-dl galleries, livestream recordings, and FTP/FTPS/SFTP/WebDAV — all in the same list, with the same priorities, the same speed limit and the same post-processing.
• A LinkGrabber in front of it. Links are grouped into packages, checked for availability and reviewed before anything is downloaded. Release pages are recognised by site rules you exchange as plain exports, and a release posted to several hosters arrives as a single row with the rest behind it as mirrors.
• Automatic intake. A desktop capture agent (Click'n'Load, clipboard, .nzb files), a browser extension, watched folders, subscriptions to channels and feeds, and a REST API.
• Post-processing that finishes the job. PAR2 repair, checksum verification, unpacking, cleanup, user scripts and upload to a remote destination.
• It says what it did. A statistics page that survives a restart, a searchable log, an append-only audit log and a diagnostic bundle you can hand to a support request.
• Local by default. The service binds to 127.0.0.1:8710, credentials live in an encrypted vault, and nothing is sent anywhere you did not configure.

Key facts

Licence	GNU GPL v3.0 or later
Author	Alexander Herling
Publisher	DEGOYA.digital
Repository	https://github.com/degoya/rDownloader
Project site	https://rdownloader.net
Platforms	Windows x86-64, Linux x86-64 and ARM64, macOS Intel and Apple Silicon, Docker amd64/arm64
Default address	http://127.0.0.1:8710
Capture agent port	9666, loopback only
Interface languages	English, German, French, Spanish
API	REST under /api/v1, OpenAPI document, Server-Sent Events, Prometheus metrics, MCP under /mcp
Bundled plugins	72 signed WebAssembly components across eleven plugin types

All pages

Getting started — Installation · Building from source · Translating rDownloader · First run · Your first download · The interface

Using rDownloader — The download queue · The LinkGrabber · Hosters and accounts · Usenet and NZB · BitTorrent · Video and audio downloads · Image galleries · Livestream recording · FTP, SFTP and WebDAV · Object storage · Subscriptions · Remote jobs · Storage, categories and rules · Watched folders · Post-processing · Bandwidth and power · Notifications · Automation · Statistics · Download history · Keyboard and accessibility

Integrations — Browser extension · Desktop capture agent · Command line client · REST API · MCP server · Automation tool compatibility

Operating — Docker and NAS · Synology NAS · Reverse proxy · Accounts, sessions and permissions · External tools · Backup and restore · Updates · Security and privacy · Diagnostics and maintenance · Troubleshooting · Defaults and limits · Support matrix

Plugins — Overview · Installing and trust · Bundled plugins

Plugin development — Developing a plugin · Resolver · Transfer backend · Intake parser · Intake parser with mirrors · Folder crawler · Remote job · Sign-in · OAuth sign-in · Metadata enricher · Notification destination · Post-processing step · Upload destination · Stream transform · Plugin reference · Packaging, signing and distribution · Running a plugin repository

Reference — FAQ · Glossary · Transfer states

For providers

Run a hosting, debrid, Usenet or cloud service and would like rDownloader to support it? Sponsored accounts for testing and integration are very welcome — open a provider support request. Never post credentials there; the account handover is arranged privately.