Best Usenet Search Engines 2024
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 |  |
| 
●Read Review custom Open |
| 3 |  |
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● Read Review Spotnet Open |
| 4 |  |
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● Read Review Custom Open |
| 5 |  |
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● 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 2024 . 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
- ✔ Advanced Search Option
Cons
- ✖ No Search by Category Option
Binsearch is a completely free Usenet search engine that allows you to search 1100 of binary Usenet data.
There is no registration required when using Binsearch and users get instant access to all pages of the site as well as the files they have.
Third Place - NZBStars
Pros
- ✔ Search Filters Available
- ✔ Fast Searches
Cons
- ✖ 500 Days Retention
NZBStars simple and easy-to-use spotnet website.
Their domain age is estimated to be operating for around 7 years, and their server is in the United States.
Fourth Place - NZBKing
Pros
- ✔ Up to 3750 Indexed Groups
- ✔ 4000+ Days Binary Retention
Cons
- ✖ Experimental Search Engine
NZBKing is an open NZB indexer that uses a sophisticated pattern-matching algorithm on its advanced search engine.
This results in fast search capabilities and makes searching and indexing easier and accurate for over 200 million posts from Usenet.
Fifth Place - NZBIndex.com
Pros
- ✔ Free, Fast and Easy to Use
- ✔ Advanced Search Settings
Cons
- ✖ No API Integration
NZBIndex is a free and clean looking NZB site.
They do not require any registration, no invites needed, or any fees required to get you on board.
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 Custom |
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 | Status:Open Price: free custom |
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 | Status:Open Price: Free |
|
 | 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: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!
