Best Free Usenet Clients
Last Updated: Jun 18, 2020
On this page we have listed the top 5 free USENET newsgroup newsreaders followed a list of all the free USENET newsgroup newsreaders that are to be found currently. We also make a list of the best USENET newsreaders (some are free and some are a one time fee).
In addition to USENET newsreader software you will need a USENET provider ( See our Top 5 Recommended USENET Providers for 2024 and some place to find content most easily done via an NZB site (recommended) or USENET Search Engine.
Top 5 Free USENET Newsreaders 2024
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Details on the Top 5 Free USENET Newsreaders 2024
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 - Newshosting
Pros
- ✔ Quality Software
- ✔ Search USENET newsgroups
Cons
- ✖ Monthly Fee
Top Usenet service provider, Newshosting, provides a newsreader software that runs on multiple operating systems and has several impressive features that enhance search and downloading activity.
Third Place - SABnzbd
Pros
- ✔ Low Impact on your device
- ✔ Supports multiple languages
Cons
- ✖ No Usenet Headers
SABnzbd is a popular binary newsreader and NZB downloader that runs on multiple platforms.
It is completely free and has several impressive features that improve your whole Usenet experience.
Fourth Place - NZBGet
Pros
- ✔ Multiple Configuration Settings
- ✔ Can be integrated with popular indexers
Cons
- ✖ Less User Friendly than SABnzbd
NZBGet is a popular and solid piece of Usenet downloader that has constantly been improved since its inception.
Its most recent version was released in 2019.
Fifth Place - Pan
Pros
- ✔ Advanced Sorting Function
- ✔ Download Task Management
Cons
- ✖ No NZB Handling
Pan is a Usenet newsreader that runs on Linux, MacOS X, Windows and BSD systems.
It is a good newsreader for text and binaries; however, Pan was not designed to handles NZBs.
Five things to consider when choosing a free USENET newsreader
- Search Ability some USENET newsreaders such as Newshosting Newsreader come in with a free built in search mechanism whereas other USENET newsreaders only download NZB files and are not able to search USENET in any way. Whatever choice you make you will need to have a plan for how you are going to find the content you want. If you don’t search within your USENET newsreader then you would need to search USENET via NZB sites or a USENET search engine.
- OS Compatibility Many of the USENET newsreader currently are platform independent such as Thunderbird, NZBGet and SABNzbd, be sure to check our list to quickly verify whether the newsreader you are interested in works with your intended platform.
- Easy of Use some USENET newsreaders are easier to setup than others. One of our top recommendations, Newshosting really doesn’t get any easier just download and run the installer and you can search by group or by search term. Easynews is also another very easy choice. While Newshosting Newsreader and the Easynews Webapp are free only if you signup for their USENET service, remember you will need to pay for USENET access in almost all cases. Only a few limited exceptions for completely free USENET access exist.
- Headers vs NZB Compatibility In some cases you will want to download the latest USENET headers or message subject headings from a USENET newsgroup to see what is being posted. Not all browsers support the downloading and browsing of USENET headers. Some USENET newsreaders such as NZBGet and SABNzbd would be better called NZB downloaders as with these USENET newsreader you are not able to easily scan the latest message headers in a USENET newsgroup. In some cases you might not need this nor be interested in the ability to download USENET headers as you might be using only NZB sites for finding your desired content.
- Performance Some newsreaders are faster than others. This can be a very important point if you are trying to install a USENET newsreader on a low powered small CPU device such as a Raspberry PI. Our best example of a fast and efficient USENET newsreader would be NZBGet. Other fast and efficient options exit such as PAN and SABnzbd but NZBGET is the clear winner for this category. See list below.
Below we have listed the most popular free usenet newsgroup readers. There are a few others out there but the free newsgroup reader list below is the best of the best.
All Free USENET newsreaders
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Some other free usenet news readers are not listed because they are very outdated and not even worth your time especially if you are looking to download binary files.
Additional Free USENET newsreaders tips
If you want something free and you are going to participate in only discussions and not binary downloading then Mozilla Thunderbird is the perfect free USENET news reader. Thunderbird is available for every platform Windows, Mac and Linux and despite a slightly more complicated installation and a few hidden configuration option, is a very good piece of software. Check out our review of Mozilla Thunderbird here.
Another USENET newsreaders to consider would be the Newshosting Newsreader. Newshosting’s newsreader is able to use NZB files to quickly download USENET binary files, search USENET and participate in USENET discussion. Yes you need to sign up for Newshosting USENET service but if you want to use USENET you will need to buy access for at least one provider.
Finally, If you are only interested in downloading binary files from Usenet via NZB files or if you want to automate you USENET usage with PVR applications like Sonarr or CouchPotato then typically your best options would be one of two programs. and you want something free then essentially you have just a few choices
- SABnzbd this is a web-based USENET NZB downloader meaning that SABnzbd installs it own web-server and the user interface is web-based. SABnzbd continues to make improvements and has a large base of fans that are happy with their software.
- NZBGet similar to SABnzbd, NZBGet is a multiplatform USENET NZB downloader which runs it own web-server. NZBGet is different in that NZBGet is optimized for low powered CPUs. NZBGet is written in C++ and designed to achieve maximum download speeds while very little system resources. We hope you find these tips helpful. Be sure to give these free USENET newsreaders a try. Also be sure check out our list of best paid Usenet newsreader software in addition to our list of recommended USENET Providers for 2024 .
