What is UsenetServer? UsenetServer is a premium, Tier-1 Usenet provider that offers unlimited gigabit download speeds and over 5,500 days of file retention. It is widely considered the best budget-friendly provider on the market, offering enterprise-grade server access and a bundled zero-logs VPN at a highly discounted annual price.
If you are looking for the best Usenet providers to fuel your home NAS, the choices can be overwhelming.
Most premium providers charge a premium price. If you want top-tier retention and uncapped speeds, you usually have to pay $10 to $15 a month. But what if you are on a strict budget?
This is where UsenetServer dominates the market. It offers the exact same massive Tier-1 server backbone as the most expensive providers, but at a fraction of the cost. In this complete UsenetServer review, we will test its download speeds, evaluate its unique “Global Search” feature, and see if it is the right provider for your automated media server.
Table of Contents
1. Retention and Completion Rates
When you are learning how to download from Usenet, you quickly learn that “retention” is everything. If a provider has low retention, you will not be able to download older files.
UsenetServer operates on a massive Tier-1 backbone. Because they do not rent their servers from a middleman, they offer an incredible 5,500+ days of retention.
This means you can search for and instantly download movies, software, and audiobooks that were uploaded more than 15 years ago. During our testing, completion rates were fantastic. We rarely encountered missing articles or broken downloads, even on massive 4K video files.
Verdict: 10/10. Industry-leading retention that matches the most expensive providers.
2. Uncapped Download Speeds
A budget price tag usually means budget speeds. This is not the case with UsenetServer.
Because it operates on a Tier-1 network, there are no artificial speed caps. UsenetServer offers server clusters in the United States and Europe. When you connect your Usenet newsreader (like SABnzbd), it automatically routes your traffic to the fastest, closest server.
UsenetServer allows up to 20 simultaneous connections. While this is lower than the 100 connections offered by Newshosting, 20 connections is more than enough to saturate a 1Gbps fiber internet connection. Your downloads will still finish in minutes.
Verdict: 9/10. Blazing fast gigabit speeds, though power users on 2.5GbE connections might want more simultaneous connections.
3. Global Search 2.0 (The Secret Weapon)
If you use Sonarr and Radarr to automate your downloads, you have to pay a yearly fee to a third-party NZB indexer (like NZBgeek) to find files.
UsenetServer attempts to solve this problem by including a feature called Global Search 2.0 for free with every subscription.
Global Search is a massive, built-in search engine that allows you to search the entire UsenetServer archive directly from your web browser. When you find the file you want, you can instantly generate an NZB file and send it to your downloader.
While it is not quite as polished as the web interface we highlighted in our Easynews review, Global Search 2.0 is an incredibly powerful tool that can save you money on third-party indexer fees.
Verdict: 8/10. A fantastic free search tool, though hardcore automation users will still prefer dedicated indexers.
4. Privacy and Bundled VPN
Privacy is mandatory for data hoarders. UsenetServer includes free 256-bit SSL encryption on all connections. By using port 563, you ensure your Internet Service Provider (ISP) cannot see what you are downloading.
However, UsenetServer takes it a step further. If you purchase their annual plan, they include a free subscription to PrivadoVPN (our top-rated VPN for Usenet).
PrivadoVPN is a strict zero-logs provider based in Switzerland. By running the VPN alongside your downloads, you ensure your real IP address is completely hidden from the public. This is an incredible value, as buying a premium VPN separately usually costs $50+ per year.
Verdict: 10/10. The bundled zero-logs VPN makes the budget price even better.
Final Verdict: Is UsenetServer Worth It?
If you are a serious data hoarder on a strict budget, UsenetServer is the absolute best value on the market.
If you compare it to our Newshosting review, you will notice the two services are incredibly similar. Both offer 5,500+ days of retention, gigabit speeds, and a free VPN.
The difference? Newshosting includes a free desktop newsreader app and more simultaneous connections, making it slightly better for absolute beginners. UsenetServer drops the desktop app and lowers the connection limit to offer a significantly cheaper annual price.
If you already know how to set up SABnzbd or NZBGet, UsenetServer is the smartest financial choice you can make.
Want to test it out? UsenetServer offers a massive discount on their annual plan, which includes the free VPN and unlimited downloads.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is UsenetServer safe to use?
Yes, UsenetServer is incredibly safe. As long as you enable SSL encryption in your newsreader settings, your downloads are completely private and hidden from your ISP. Furthermore, their bundled PrivadoVPN account allows you to hide your IP address entirely.
Can I use UsenetServer with Torrents?
No. UsenetServer only provides access to the decentralized Usenet network. However, the free PrivadoVPN account included with your subscription fully supports P2P torrenting. If you read our Usenet vs Torrents guide and decide to use a torrent client, you can use the bundled VPN to protect your torrent downloads!
Does UsenetServer work with Plex?
Yes! Once you use a newsreader to download a movie from UsenetServer to your hard drive, you can instantly play that file on your Plex server. It works flawlessly with all media center applications, including Emby and Jellyfin.