Best Usenet Search Engines 2025
All Usenet search engines are not created equal. Without extensive testing, it’s hard to know which search engines return the most accurate results and have the most reliable service uptimes. Some search engines also index more days of Usenet content than others. It’s confusing to say the least, which is why we compiled our list of the best Usenet search engines to help.
Usenet search engines need to be combined with a Usenet access service and a Usenet Newsreader. Each of these generally involves a subscription fee and will need to be configured with one another.
Editor’s Tip: The best Usenet search engine is built in with Easynews, an all-in-one service that includes everything you need to get up and running with Usenet:
- Unlimited Usenet access
- Highest quality retention (and growing)
- Built-in search interface with fast, accurate results and search previews
- Search Usenet without NZBs
- No software needed
Easynews search results are better than today’s NZB indexers.
Exclusive Deal: 75% off + free upgrade to unlimited GB (normally 150GB/mo)
Top 5 USENET Search Sites
| # | Name | Details | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
|  ●
OnlineFree Trial Open |
| 2 |  |
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●OnlineRead Review custom Open |
| 3 |  |
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●Online Read Review Spotnet Open |
| 4 |  |
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●Online Read Review Custom Open |
| 5 |  |
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●Online Read Review Custom Open |
In addition to a USENET search engine or an NZB site to find content you will also need a USENET newsreader and USENET service provider. See our lists for our Best USENET newsreaders and our Best USENET Service Providers for 2025 . Please note we make a distinction between USENET search engines and NZB sites.
Top 5 USENET Search Sites in Detail
First Place - Easynews
Pros
- ✔ Best Usenet Search Interface
- ✔ Best Usenet Search Results
- ✔ File Previews
- ✔ Easy to Use
- ✔ Usenet Access Included
Cons
- ✖ Bitcoin Not Available
Easynews keeps raising the bar for the Usenet community by combining high-speed Usenet access with a web based, mobile ready newsreader interface. Avoid the cumbersome process of setting up, registering and configuring Usenet service, newsreader software and an NZB index separately. Just open your preferred web browser to Easynews and you’re all set.
The newsreader’s web interface is well designed and intuitive. Plug in your search, choose a file type from a dropdown menu, then hit enter. All results are displayed cleanly on a single page with infinite scroll. Each result includes a file preview and details like newsgroup, post date and file size.
To be clear, you can use your current newsreader and NZB index with Easynews if that’s your style. Enter news.easynews.com for the Usenet server address into your newsreader for unlimited downloads, fast speeds and access to the largest Usenet archive with the best binary and text retention rates of any Usenet provider.
Second Place - Binsearch
Pros
- ✔ Completely Free Access With No Hidden Fees
- ✔ Robust Advanced Search Capabilities
Cons
- ✖ Lacks Category-Based Search Functionality
Binsearch is a fully free Usenet search engine that allows users to search through 1100 days of binary Usenet data.
No registration is required, granting users immediate access to all site pages and available files.
Third Place - NZBStars
Pros
- ✔ Comprehensive Search Filters
- ✔ Swift Search Results
Cons
- ✖ 500 Days of Retention
NZBStars offers a straightforward and user-friendly Spotnet experience.
Established for approximately 7 years, their servers are located in the United States.
Fourth Place - NZBKing
Pros
- ✔ Indexing of Up to 3750 Groups
- ✔ Over 4000 Days of Binary Retention
Cons
- ✖ Experimental Search Engine
NZBKing is an open NZB indexer that employs a sophisticated pattern-matching algorithm within its advanced search engine.
This leads to rapid search capabilities, making it easier and more accurate to search and index over 200 million posts from Usenet.
Fifth Place - NZBIndex.com
Pros
- ✔ Fast, Free, and Easy to Navigate
- ✔ Robust Advanced Search Options
Cons
- ✖ Lacks API Integration for Automation
NZBIndex is a free and visually appealing NZB indexing site.
No registration, invites, or fees are required to access its features.
All Usenet Search Sites Ranked
| Name | Quick Info | More Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Status:Open Price: |
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| Status:Open Price: free custom |
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| Status:Open Price: Free Spotnet |
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| Status:Open Price: N/A Custom |
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| Status:Open Price: Free Custom |
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 | Status:Open Price: Free |
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 | Status:Open Price: free custom |
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 | Status:Dead Price: Free |
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 | Status:Dead Price: Free |
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 | Status:Dead Price: Free |
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 | Status:Open Price: Free Custom |
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 | Status:Dead Price: Free |
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Some of these USENET search sites are slightly complicated especially if you are not used to USENET and don’t have a techie background. (Remember though USENET does have 2 big advantages: privacy and high speed downloads)
Anyways, if you are interested in USENET but a bit technically intimidated then check out our Best NZB site list as NZB sites tend to be easier to use.
How To Effectively Use USENET Search Sites
There is so much data being added every second that searching USENET search to rapidly find what you are looking for can be difficult. We talk a little about how to quickly search USENET in our article there and give you some pointers. USENET search sites can seem a bit intimidating, especially since many USENET search sites are designed for functionality and not for looks. In other words, if you’ve never used anything more complicated than Google, USENET search sites might seem overly complex, but they’re really not.
UsenetServer’s search site is our best USENET search site of choice but, since not all of our readers will have a membership to that site, Binsearch, which is free, will also provide an additional example. In this example, we’re going to search for “sports car.”
First, enter the text in the search field, as you would on any other search engine, and hit the “search” button to execute the search.
You can see in the screenshot below that the results are a bit different than what you’d expect from a regular search engine. In addition to the title of the file we have the groups, posted by, completion(which determines availability) , date (sooner is typically better) . Note that:
- The group, a.b.d.f, seems to be one that would have the type of binary you could be looking for. The first part of the group name ( a.b of the text a.b.d.f) stands for alt.binaries
- The parts of the file are listed, 29, meaning it’s not just a spam listing, which do show up on USENET search engines
- The date, 163 days, is pretty old, demonstrating why we always list retention times on our USENET provider reviews
Take all of these things together and the listing seems good. To download the NZB, you’d tick the checkbox to the left of the listing–right after the number “1”–and select “Create NZB” from just below the “Results” heading. This will make an NZB file that you can use to download the binary in any of our recommended newsreaders. Hint: Just click on the NZB file and, more likely than not, your computer will know which program to use to download the binary to which it points. Just want a program to do that? We have a list of the best newsreaders; any one of them is a good option.
Read this if you are still confused
NZB sites might be a bit easier for you to use if you’re not quite ready to jump into full-fledged USENET search sites yet. You can use our list of the Best NZB Sites to find out more about them.
If you need more help , you can see our page on How to search USENET, which gives more detailed instructions.
Remember don’t get discouraged. USENET is actually very simple to use. Some of the resources, such as USENET search sites, can seem overly complex, but play around with them for a while and you’ll get the hang of it very quickly. Once you do, you can enjoy better privacy than bit torrents offer, and download speeds that put bittorrent and everything else to shame!
