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

#NameOSDetails
1Easynews logo
  • Best Usenet Search Interface
  • Best Usenet Search Results
  • File Previews
  • Easy to Use
  • Usenet Access Included
2 logo
  • Multi Platform Newsreader
  • Bundled USENET service
  • Quickly Scan Header Files
  • Good USENET Search
3 logo
  • Free and Easy Binary Newsreader
  • Popular NZB Downloader
  • Responsive Web Interface
  • Automated Features
4 logo
  • Popular NZB Downloader
  • Supports Multiple Platforms
  • Web Interface
  • Automatic Download Features
5 logo
  • Basic Newsreader Functions
  • Offline Reading Function
  • Support yEnc
  • Multi Server Support

Details on the Top 5 Free USENET Newsreaders 2024

First Place - Easynews

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.

Get Free Trial Now


Second Place - Newshosting

Newshosting Newsreader Review
Newshosting Newsreader Review
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.

Read Review


Third Place - SABnzbd

SABnzbd Review
SABnzbd Review
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.

Read Review


Fourth Place - NZBGet

NZBGet Review
NZBGet Review
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.

Read Review


Fifth Place - Pan

Pan Newsreader Review
Pan Newsreader Review
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.

Read Review


Five things to consider when choosing a free USENET newsreader

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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

NameOSMore Detail
Newshosting Newsreader Review
  • Multi Platform Newsreader
  • Bundled USENET service
  • Quickly Scan Header Files
  • Good USENET Search
SABnzbd Review
  • Free and Easy Binary Newsreader
  • Popular NZB Downloader
  • Responsive Web Interface
  • Automated Features
NZBGet Review
  • Popular NZB Downloader
  • Supports Multiple Platforms
  • Web Interface
  • Automatic Download Features
Pan Newsreader Review
  • Basic Newsreader Functions
  • Offline Reading Function
  • Support yEnc
  • Multi Server Support
Thunderbird Review
  • Mail Reader and Usenet Client
  • Very Basic Newsreader functions
  • Supports multiple servers
  • Supports multiple platforms
Xnews Review
  • Mutli Server Support
  • Downloads Binaries
  • Message Filter
  • Delphi-based
Sickbeard Review
  • Searches and Manages Video Files
  • Usenet and Torrent Support
  • Integrable with download clients
  • Automatic Downloading
Sonarr Review
  • PVR that automatically downloads video files
  • Fully Integrable with NZB downloaders
  • Reads RSS Feeds
  • Automatic Failed Download Handling
Kwooty Review
  • NZB Binary Downloader for KDE 4
  • Solid Graphical User Interface
  • Automatic file verification/repairing
  • Also works on portable OS like POSIX
Sickrage Review
  • Automatic Video Library Manager
  • Python Script
  • Integrable with SABnzbd and NZBGet
  • Supports Usenet and Torrent
NZBDrive Review
  • Streaming newsreader
  • SSL Support
  • Multi Server Support
  • RAR and ZIP file Support
Newsflash Plus Review
  • Full Download Control
  • Impressive Search Features
  • Multiple Server & Connections Support
  • Easy API for Beginners
Alt.Binz Review
  • Multi Server Support
  • Supports Various Search Engines
  • Auto PAR and RAR
  • Full NZB File Support
Grabit Review
  • Supports Multiple Servers
  • Handles Multiple Downloads
  • Easy to Use Interface
  • Automatic Repairing and Extraction
HelloNZB Review
  • Java-based newsreader
  • Supports Multiple Servers
  • Extracts, Repairs & Unzips
  • Built-in yEnc- and UU-decoding
Unison Review
  • Newsreader for MacOS
  • Multi Connection Downloads
  • Newsgroup Search
  • Modern and Easy to Use interface
Mimo Review
  • Usenet browser and Newsreader
  • Auto unRAR and PAR Technology
  • Servers optimized for speed
  • Text, Binaries and Images Filtering
Holmez Newsreader Review
  • Free Usenet Newsreader
  • Stream Directly from the App
  • Easy to Use
  • Compatible with Mobile Devices
  • Free with SnelNL Account
  • Streaming Newsreader
  • Simple User Interface
  • Good for Beginners
Tangysoft Newsreader Review
  • Classic Newsreader
  • Good User Interface
  • Works on Multiple OS
  • Decent Filter Options
Momentum Newsreader Review
  • Multi Platform Newsreader
  • Free Software
  • Browser Available
  • NZB File Support
Newslazer Review
  • Simple Setup
  • Streamlined Search
  • Automated Downloads
  • Multi Platform Support
MicroPlanet Gravity Review
  • Open Source Newsreader
  • Capable of Binary Decoding
  • Flexible Display Filters
  • Implements scoring system
Slrn Review
  • Very Traditional Usenet Newsreader
  • Read and Respond to Posts
  • Works on multiple platforms
  • Multilingual interface
Lidarr Review
  • Audio Collection Manager
  • Full Integration with NZBGet & SABnzbd
  • Manual or Automatic Search
  • Good User Interface
Radarr Review
  • Video Collection Manager
  • Full Integration with NZBGet & SABnzbd
  • Manual or Automatic Search
  • Good User Interface
Pineapple News Review
  • Usenet Newsreader for Mac OSX
  • Primarily an Offline Reader
  • Basic Newsreader Functions
  • Supports Multiple Servers
MT-NewsWatcher X Review
  • Multi-threaded Usenet Newsreader
  • Handles Binaries
  • Multiple Search Commands
  • Supports Multiple Languages
SeaMonkey Review
  • All-in Internet Suite
  • Very Basic Newsreader Functions
  • Mail & Newsgroups Functions
  • Built-in Web Browser
Klibido Review
  • Linux Binaries Downloader
  • Not a full-featured newsreader
  • Supports Multiple Servers
  • Download Queue Manager
NZB Leech Review
  • Android Usenet Downloader
  • NZB File Support
  • 7-day Free Trial
  • Free with limitations
Binreader Review
  • Secure and Free NZB Downloader
  • Simple User Interface
  • RAR and PAR2 Handling
  • Multi Connection Support
Unzbin Review
  • Focused on NZB file downloading and extraction
  • RSS Intergration
  • Multiple Downloads
  • Easy and Simple to Use

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 .

Best Usenet Services