The Best Usenet Providers in 2022

I challenge you to find a Usenet thread not mentioning Newshosting. The provider is one of the most popular companies in the industry, especially among new users.

Here’s why:

Features

Newshosting is a Tier 1 provider, meaning it maintains its own Usenet servers. This gives it much more control and reliability compared to what resellers get.

It runs facilities both in the US and Europe, leading to low latency for most users.

Speaking of speed, you can establish up to 30 concurrent connections (60 on the largest plan). Even 30 is enough to max out most home internet connections, so there’s little to worry about.

Independent companies usually have relatively short Usenet server retention periods, but Newshosting hosts articles and binaries since its inception. That’s 4,551 days (or over 12 years) of data available for browsing.

Completion sits at 99.99%, giving you 110,000 uncensored newsgroups to browse.

Navigating all that information is challenging. That’s why Newshosting includes its own newsreader that can access both text and binaries. It even gives previews for file types like images and videos.

The tool is very easy to use and includes a search tool, so you don’t have to subscribe to an NZB indexer. The browser can also work with other Usenet providers, which is great if you have a backup host.

The newsreader includes fantastic options for automating downloads. For instance, if you follow a TV show, you can automatically get new episodes as soon as they are out.

A few privacy tools are included as well. All connections are secured with 256-bit SSL encryption, so your ISP or packet-sniffers can’t peek at your data.

If you don't want anyone to see what you're connecting to, Newshosting has a bespoke VPN (free on the largest plan). It can help you hide internet activity or pass geolocation blocks.

It might not be as powerful as the top dedicated VPNs, but it’s more than enough for working with a Usenet provider.

Support and Knowledge Base

Newshosting has a pretty solid learning center. The articles explain key Usenet concepts in simple words and provide guidelines on using tech like a newsreader.

The company also features a standard ticketing support system. You can reach out if you have a technical issue with the newsreader or downloading a binary.

The agents do a decent job here, so Newshosting performs exceptionally in the customer service department.

Pricing

Newshosting has three Usenet pricing tiers:

• Lite—50GB transfer, $10/month
• Unlimited—Unlimited transfer, $12.95/month ($14.95 billed monthly)
• XL Powerpack—Unlimited transfer, double the data streams, free VPN, $15.83/month ($19.95 billed monthly)

Newshosting extends a 14-day free trial with 30GB of traffic with all plans. It’s a nice way to check if the service works for you and if you’re okay with the speeds.

The pricing is reasonable, even more so if you pay for the entire year upfront.

Verdict

Newshosting is the best Usenet provider overall, especially if you want to get everything in one place. It gives you access to millions of files, an all-in-one newsreader, and reliable privacy add-ons. 

It all amounts to a well-rounded service.

Established in 1998, UsenetServer is among the older Newsgroup providers. It offers an extensive set of services, so let’s check them out.

Features

UsenetServer runs servers in the US and Europe, connected to numerous Tier 1 bandwidth providers and many broadband access companies.

It runs a pretty standard 99% completion offer. You also get a global search feature, so you don’t need an NZB indexer to find binaries.

On top of that, you get SSL-encrypted transfers and a zero-log VPN (free only on the largest plan).

It’s a fair Usenet access offer—you get everything you need, but no fancy extras.

Support and Knowledge Base

UsenetServer support is average. It is available via email and will resolve your issues.

There’s not much of a knowledge base.

UsenetServer has a blog that is supposedly for learning, but all the articles are quite old and mostly just serve to promote the company.

Pricing

UsenetServer has a single-tier pricing structure.

The plan comes with unlimited bandwidth and up to 20 connections. The cap isn’t too high, but it should be enough for most users.

The variation in Usenet prices depends on the length of the subscription period.

• One month—$14.95/month
• Three months—$8.95/month
• 12 months—$7.95/month

Overall, the three and 12-month periods are reasonably priced. To further incentivize you, UsenetServer throws in the VPN for free with the 12-month subscription.

Verdict

UsenetServer offers cheap Usenet access for unlimited binary downloads.

The other aspects of the service are lacking compared to those of Easynews or Newshosting, but it brings few unique advantages to offset this.

It's sufficient for basic downloads but isn’t the most advanced solution otherwise.

Dating back to 1994, Easynews is one of the oldest Usenet companies still in business. What’s more, it offers Usenet services to over a million clients worldwide.

But why is it so popular? Let’s find out.

Features

Easynews is a dependable provider with 4,551 days of binary retention. You might’ve noticed that's the exact same number as Newshosting. Well, the companies are partnered, so they offer access to the same 11,000 newsgroups.

Both solutions have solid coverage.

That said, if you're picking two services (one being the backup), you should be careful not to choose both these companies. If a file is incomplete with one Usenet service provider, it will likely be the same with the other.

Easynews aims to make downloading files as easy as possible.

Once you sign up, you can search newsgroups and binary files without downloading any piece of software. You can just do that from the browser and download full files—no zip archives needed.

You don’t need an NZB indexer and the reader will automatically assemble and repair binaries if needed.

The search is optimized for images and videos.

You can get previews before you download, so it’s easy to ensure you’ve got the right file of appropriate quality. You can also organize files into groups before you initiate Usenet downloads—way easier than doing it after they’re on your PC.

You can still download other binaries, like music. It’s tougher to leverage Easynews’s preview features, though.

Another great feature is that you can make up to 60 connections with even the smallest plan. This lets you max out even generous bandwidth allotments.

Easynews features security extras like SSL and VPN. The VPN is free on the largest plan. Otherwise, it costs $2.99/month, which is quite affordable.

Overall, Easynews has some of the best Usenet servers with all the critical features (and a few cool bonus ones).

Support and Knowledge Base

Easynews support is available via email. We got replies in 20-40 minutes, which is okay for email support.

Besides that, customer service is mediocre. The agents tend to misunderstand questions and give confusing replies.

You will get help eventually, but the overall experience may be a bit frustrating.

Pricing

Easynews offers a free Usenet trial. It lasts for 14 days and gives you 50GB, which is more than enough to see how the service works.

There are three paid plans:

• Classic—$9.98/month, 20GB download cap
• Plus—$14.97/month, 40GB download cap
• Big Gig—$9.99/month for the first three plans, $29.94/month when you renew, 150GB download cap

Easynews is a tad more expensive than your standard Usenet provider. However, it makes up for this with loyalty gigs and data rollover.

Verdict

If you need the easiest possible way to browse Usenet and download files, Easynews is the right choice for you. The solution is beyond accessible, especially for photo and video downloads, and it allows you to stay anonymous.

The cost is well worth it for arguably the best Usenet server provider.

Eweka is a Europe-focused provider with a base in the Netherlands. It boasts super-long retention with affordable prices—a combo few companies can pull off.

Let’s see if Eweka succeeds.

Features

Eweka maintains its own servers and network. It extends 4,551 days of binary retention, which is in line with pretty much all the big solutions.

The completion sits at around 99.5%, which is okay. It is not quite as much as some of the top Usenet providers in 2022 offer, so you might not always find what you’re looking for, but it’s still satisfactory.

Plus, you could get a small plan with a backup service to browse missing newsgroups.

The provider supports SSL browsing, so you can stay safe from packet sniffing and man-in-the-middle attacks. It doesn’t support a VPN, though.

If you want to keep connections hidden from your ISP, you would have to use a third-party one.

The company lets you make between eight and 50 simultaneous streams, depending on the plan. Eight is a bit on the low side, but 50 should be enough to max out even generous internet packages.

You should note that the Usenet provider actually puts a hard bandwidth cap on the smaller packages. The smallest plan limits you to 50 Mbps and the medium—to 300 Mbps.

Support and Knowledge Base

Eweka’s support is decent. The newsgroup provider runs a multilingual team speaking Dutch, English, German, and French.

You can contact them through ticketing and get help with connecting to Usenet or finding any incomplete binaries.

Unfortunately, there is no sales support. If you need extra info before purchasing a plan, you would have to hunt it down on the website.

There are few learning resources as well, save for a basic FAQ page. Eweka could stand to improve on this front.

Pricing

The provider has three pricing plans. Since it’s based in Europe, its costs are displayed in euros.

• Prepaid Standard—50Mbps, eight connections, €7.50/month
• Prepaid High-Speed—300Mbps, 20 connections, €9.60/month
• Subscription High-Speed—Unlimited speed, 50 connections, €7.00/month when paying annually

You might have noticed the last plan offers a way better deal than the others.

This is because prepaid plans let you preload a few days of Usenet subscription at any time. You can do a month now, then take a break for a few months, then come back.

This makes Eweka a prime backup provider. Whenever your primary host is missing a file, you can pay a few bucks to find it through Eweka.

The Subscription tier has you pay upfront for a specific period and then renew once your subscription expires.

It’s a standard pricing structure for Usenet, great if you want to make Eweka your primary provider.

Verdict

Eweka is a decent choice, both as a primary and a backup solution. It might lack a few flashy features, but it’s reliable overall and has affordable rates.

It easily qualifies as a backup for the best Usenet provider in 2022.

NewsDemon is a big reseller of Usenet solutions. It offers services in North America and Europe and boasts numerous positive Usenet reviews by customers.

Here’s what its offering looks like.

Features

NewsDemon has 3,002 days of retention, which amounts to about eight years. It’s quite decent, even for downloading older files.

You can establish up to 50 connections, which will max out even more robust internet connections.

And with NewsDemon’s NVMe spools and header compression, you can expect to reach pretty impressive download speeds.

The provider does impose a download limit, though it is usually reasonable for the price.

If you want, you can enable auto recycling that will automatically bump you to the next Usenet subscription period if you exhaust your bandwidth pool. You will have to pay for the next month sooner, but you wouldn’t have to sit and wait to get that extra boost.

On the flipside, NewsDemon has a vacation pause feature that lets you sign up today and start your membership at a later date. It’s a handy deal if you want to transfer from a different provider but are still waiting for the original subscription to expire.

There is no proprietary newsreader included in its deal, but NewsDemon recommends two solutions—Newsbin Pro and Newsleecher—and includes instructions on setting them up.

All connections to NewsDemon servers are encrypted with SSL. Some plans also include a free zero-log VPN.

All things considered, you get pretty awesome tools.

Support and Knowledge Base

One step up from a standard Usenet service provider is that NewsDemon offers live chat support in addition to ticketing.

Customer service is only available during work hours, but it’s still an advantage compared to many other names in the business.

The reply times are a tad slow, though you can expect decent responses. The agents did a nice job explaining how the platform works and how to find specific things on Usenet.

There is sort of a knowledge base, but the better part of the portal looks a bit dated. It’s not the easiest to find the exact resource you need.

Pricing

NewsDemon’s Usenet hosting plans get a bit complicated. The provider has three tiers, all with different pricing based on a flexible download cap.

You can start at 50GB, which costs as little as $1/month.

There are also non-expiry plans that last until you spend all allocated bandwidth. They start at $10 for 500GB and go up to $40 for 5TB.

You get the best value with the Unlimited download plan. It costs only $4/month and includes a free VPN. However, you would have to pay for a full year to get the lowest price.

NewsDemon gets bonus points for privacy because it’s one of the few providers that accept Bitcoin. As long as you maintain an anonymous crypto wallet and use a VPN to access NewsDemon, it will be nigh-impossible to connect your Usenet account with your identity.

Even better, NewsDemon will price-match any offer by other services that have plans with the same resources.

Great if you like NewsDemon’s features but can find a more affordable host!

Verdict

NewsDemon really surprises with its flexible assortment of plans, fair pricing, and industry-leading privacy features.

It’s hands-down the best Usenet provider oriented towards security and privacy.

Established in 1994, Giganews is another elder of Usenet. It boasts an impressive 10 million customers, making it one of the largest Usenet companies.

Let’s see if size and experience transfer to quality of service.

Features

Giganews runs its own servers and network, which is an impressive feat in and of itself. It is so confident in the infrastructure, it promises no downtime—not even for maintenance.

The provider hosts over 120,000 newsgroups for nearly 99.99% completion.

Unfortunately, the Usenet server retention is not that great. Giganews only retains binary files for three years, so you can’t really go searching for older information. Text retention is significantly better, sitting at 17 years.

Still, that’s not much of a benefit when you can browse articles as old as 40 years on Google Groups.

The host lets you establish as many as 100 simultaneous connections, though. This can max out an optic fiber connection, so it’s safe to say you’ll be covered in terms of speed.

The provider throws in a proprietary VPN with over 50 connection points, available even in China. Better still, it’s free with all three plans.

Giganews has a bespoke newsreader called MIMO. It works for both text files and Usenet binaries and supports SSL.

The company has developed a few unique tools to boot.

The big one is the Giganews Accelerator. It includes header compression for faster downloads, all sorts of bandwidth stats and controls, and SSL connection enforcement. You can even hook it up to a third-party newsreader that doesn’t support SSL and still force an encrypted connection.

All the extra features are fantastic, though the binary retention period is a bit limited.

Support and Knowledge Base

Giganews customer service is available via both email and chat (as opposed to most newsgroup providers that only support mail).

The agents do a fantastic job. On one occasion, we contacted them with a query about the bespoke newsreader. The agent gave us the details we needed, but not only that.

We also got info about appropriate alternative newsreaders, as well as helpful configuration instructions.

As for the knowledge base, Giganews has a nice welcome kit walking us through the configuration of the newsreader and the VPN. There are also FAQs explaining various important aspects of the service.

All in all, Giganews gets the support right.

Pricing

Giganews has a single plan available. The only difference is the starting cost, depending on how long you prepay for.

• One month—$9.99/month
• Six months—$9.17/month
• One year—$8.33/month

Best of all, the Usenet prices stay the same when you have to renew your plan. Giganews is one of the few providers without higher renewal fees, which is brilliant.

To top it off, you can take advantage of the industry-standard 14-day free trial. It’s an opportunity to see if the platform performs to your expectations.

Verdict

Giganews is a solid solution with tons of security, practically unlimited speeds, and compression for binaries.

It’s not ideal if you’re looking for older TV shows, but it might just be the best Usenet provider for fresh content. 

If you want to watch new things as soon as they are out and do it safely, subscribe to Giganews.

Supernews hails back to 1996, making it one of the older US-based providers. Today, its services are available in English, French, German, and Dutch.

Let’s go over the key points.

Features

Supernews has a standard offer, with servers in the US and Europe, 110,000 stored newsgroups, and 15+ years of text and over three years of binary retention.

You can establish up to 30 connections to Supernews servers across the board. This is fine for most users, though not the highest you can find. There are otherwise no restrictions.

Connections are secured with SSL. You can safely browse without worrying about someone spying on your traffic.

Other than that, Supernews lacks proprietary tools like a Usenet downloader or a VPN. You would have to use third-party solutions.

Support and Knowledge Base

Supernews customer service is available exclusively via email. The support team is a little slow, so you can expect to wait at least a few hours for a reply.

You will get help eventually, but it takes a little too much waiting.

There is a basic FAQ section on the website but no full-on knowledge base. You'd have to rely on the support or your own wits for accessing Usenet.

Pricing

Supernews has a one-size-fits-all plan that includes all the features. The only pricing difference comes down to whether you pay for a month or a full year.

• Monthly—$5.99 the first month, $11.99/month after that
• Annually—$74.25 ($6.18/month) the first year, $99/year ($8.25/month) after that

Overall, the Usenet pricing is decent for unlimited downloads, especially on the annual deals.

There is a free trial, but it lasts only three days. You’d have to put in some effort to properly test out the downloads in that short period.

Verdict

Supernews is your average service. You get unlimited access to most key features for an affordable price.

If you want a simple provider without bells and whistles, Supernews does the trick.