Best media renamer for a seedbox (2026)

The best media renamer for a seedbox is the one that runs on the seedbox and renames by hardlink. Anything else either copies gigabytes over the internet to identify a file, or moves it and breaks the torrent. That rules the field down quickly: EvoSeedboxBot runs there and hardlinks by default; FileBot and tinyMediaManager are desktop programs that need a mount or a shell; Sonarr and Radarr are already on the box but only touch what they downloaded; command-line tools like guessit or mnamer need a shell you may not have.

At a glance

1. EvoSeedboxBot

Included with EvoSeedbox. Browser app on the box: file browser over your downloads, preview with the identified title next to each file, presets for Plex, Jellyfin/Kodi, Nuplex and anime, hardlink by default, revert from history. Auto-organise watches rtorrent for finished torrents, routes by label, fetches subtitles and artwork, refreshes Plex, Jellyfin, Emby or Kodi. Metadata keys included. Missing: Groovy scripts, subtitle upload, music tagging, a desktop app. Guide.

2. FileBot

The reference renamer since 2011. Desktop app plus command line, Groovy formats, amc automation, subtitles up and down, music and photos. On a seedbox it needs a shell and a Java runtime, or a mounted drive; its default action moves files. US$8 per year or US$80 lifetime, per user. EvoSeedboxBot vs FileBot.

3. tinyMediaManager

A library manager first: scrape, edit, NFO, artwork, trailers, with a template renamer. Desktop only; the FREE edition scrapes TheMovieDB, PRO (12 € a year) adds TVDB, OMDb, AniDB, TVmaze, fanart and subtitles. Good on top of an organised folder, not as the organiser of a seedbox. FileBot vs tinyMediaManager.

4. Sonarr and Radarr

Already on every EvoSeedbox. Unbeatable for series and movies you follow: they grab, import by hardlink, rename and upgrade. They do not organise the torrent you added yourself unless you use Manual Import each time. Pair them with EvoSeedboxBot by label. FileBot vs Sonarr and Radarr.

5. Command-line tools

guessit parses names (it is the parser inside EvoSeedboxBot too); mnamer wraps it with TMDb/TVDB lookups and renaming. Free and scriptable, but you need a shell on the box, and you build the automation, the seeding safety and the undo yourself.

How to decide

1. Files on an EvoSeedbox → EvoSeedboxBot; keep Sonarr/Radarr for what they grab.
2. Files on your PC or NAS → FileBot for rules, tinyMediaManager for curation.
3. You have a shell and like scripts → mnamer or FileBot’s CLI.

FAQ

Why does “hardlink by default” matter so much?

A move takes the file away from rtorrent and the torrent stops; a hardlink gives the library a second name for the same bytes at no space cost. Hardlink, copy or move.

Which of these works with Nuplex?

Any tool that writes Name (Year) folders works; EvoSeedboxBot also writes the id files Nuplex reads for exact matches.

Can I try EvoSeedboxBot without changing anything?

Yes — Preview identifies and shows new names without touching files; Apply is a separate step, and History reverts it.