If you’re new to Usenet, Easynews is practically a no-brainer. There’s so much less to figure out, and you’ll be able to start downloading and enjoying your favorite content within minutes.
Our Easynews review gives you all the pros and cons about using this web-based Usenet provider.
Easynews is one of the oldest and most popular Usenet providers in the business, with some interesting features that many providers don’t have. But the question remains: is it actually any good?
Let’s take a look. Keep reading for a detailed review of Easynews Usenet.
[+] 'Easynews Review' contents
Easynews Review: Bottom Line
Easynews is perfect for those completely new to Usenet. Its web-based interface makes downloading from Usenet as simple as using Google, especially with their recent upgrade to Easynews 3.0.
Just search, preview, and then download or even stream, right from your web browser. It’s that easy.
But you don’t have to be a Usenet newbie to benefit. If you’re looking for a service that can provide all your Usenet needs in one package, without requiring other subscriptions or software, Easynews is a great pick.
They even offer a free 14-day/50GB trial so you can always try it first completely risk-free.
Easynews Review: Prices and Plans
With three distinct subscription packages to choose from, Easynews offers something for all kinds of users – and budgets. Here’s a quick rundown of their monthly plans.
Easynews has a Usenet plan for every user.
- Classic - $9.98/month – 20GB monthly access, 60 connections, 365 days retention
- Plus - $14.97/month – 40GB monthly access, 60 connections, 525 days retention
- Big Gig - $9.99/month (for the first three months and $29.99/mo thereafter) – 150GB monthly access, 60 connections, 3,725 days retention, Unlimited NNTP access + Easynews VPN
Free Trial Accounts Available
Easynews is nice enough to offer a free 14-day/50GB trial to new users who want to give their service a spin without committing to anything upfront.
And the trial is available for ALL of their plans, including the premium Big Gig plan, which includes the free VPN service.
Just visit Easynews and select the ‘Start Free Trial’ link or use the button below to go there directly.
Easynews Review: Where It Stands Out
Easynews Usenet offers a lot of great features, whether you’re a Usenet veteran or a total noob. In fact, a few of its features are hard to find anywhere else.
Let’s talk about what Easynews does best.
All-In One, Hassle-Free Provider
Easynews has a lot going for it.
A Usenet provider isn’t the only thing you need to start downloading.
You’ll also need a way to search Usenet, whether via an NZB indexer, web search or simply a newsreader with a search feature. Any of these will enable you to search for the files you want to download, from music to movies.
If you want to focus on NZBs, you’ll probably want to use an NZB-friendly downloader. Wondering what an NZB is? Check here.
And if you’re serious about your privacy – and you should be – you may also want a VPN.
In short, you'd be needing…
- Usenet provider
- Indexer or newsreader with search (or both!)
- NZB Downloader
- VPN
All of these can require separate websites/software, subscriptions, and payments. No wonder Usenet can be so confusing to people who are just getting started, not to mention expensive!
But with Easynews, you get all of these things in one.
You can search for files quickly and easily, right from the Easynews web-based interface. You can download files directly, also using your web browser.
An Easynews subscription and a web browser are all you need to take full advantage of everything Usenet has to offer.
Plus, the Big Gig plan even comes with the EasynewsVPN included in the price (Classic and Plus users can get it too for an extra $2.99/month).
Ultimately, veteran users may prefer a more complicated setup, simply because it provides slightly more flexibility (we’ll get to that below), but for those looking for an easy and hassle-free Usenet experience, Easynews is hard to beat.
Very User and Newbie Friendly
If it wasn’t obvious above, Easynews is a, well, easy pick for those people just getting into Usenet. Or those who don’t have the time or inclination to juggle lots of different subscriptions and software.
Just sign up, log in to the Easynews website, and start searching and downloading (or streaming). It really doesn’t get any easier or any more user-friendly than that.
A New and Improved Web-Based Search Engine
Easynews' new search interface is as awesome as it is powerful.
Easynews’ web-based Usenet search has always been one of its standout features. It’s something that few other Usenet providers offer.
And with its 3.0 update, Easynews’ search has gotten even better.
There are thumbnail previews for video files, with the option to both download or stream each video.
An infinite scroll features makes it easy to comb through search results.
And there are plenty of advanced search settings, like file size and post date, to help narrow your results down to more quickly find exactly what you’re looking for.
Supports Obfuscated Files
One issue with Easynews search in the past was its inability to deal with obfuscated files, but this doesn’t seem to be a problem anymore.
We even did a side-by-side comparison between Easynews and some of the better Usenet indexers, like NZBGeek and DrunkenSlug, searching for a wide variety of content, from the newest releases to obscure old foreign films – and Easynews really holds its own.
Caveat: Search is NSFW
We do have one suggestion for Easynews’ search though: an option to limit NSFW (erotic) content from the search results. Why is this a problem? Because of the prominent thumbnail previews.
Search for a rather innocuous string of keywords – or even a fairly unique movie title – and there’s a chance you’ll get an eye full of boobies while you’re scrolling through the results. This means Easynews search is strictly NSFW (“not safe for work”) or other sensitive environments, such as at school, coffee shops or any public places really.
It really doesn’t get any easier or any more user-friendly than Easynews.
Provides Fast and Secure Direct Downloads
Another feature that separates Easynews from the pack is its direct downloads via your browser.
Most Usenet providers offer NNTP downloads, which require an NZB downloader or newsreader software. But that’s not the case with Easynews.
Simply click on the file you want to download, and it’ll be sent directly to your browser’s download manager.
Not only is this easy, it’s very secure, since only you and Easynews can see what you’re downloading thanks to the secure https connection, making it much safer than torrenting.
By the way, Easynews’ Big Gig plan also offers unlimited NNTP downloads, so it’s not like you have to choose between direct downloads and NNTP with a newsreader. With Easynews, you get both, all for one reasonable price.
Play or Download Content from Your Mobile Device
One of the biggest advantages of Easynews’ web-based search (and its direct downloads), especially since the 3.0 update, is how easy it is to access Usenet from your mobile device.
Using the Easynews web-based interface, which is optimized for smartphones, you can stream almost any video you find. You’ll even have the option to download the files to your device, though not all devices or browsers support this feature.
Of course, you’ll have to be mindful of both your mobile data and your phone’s storage space, since some NZBs can easily reach sizes of 10-30 GBs and up. So best to do your mobile streaming and downloading while on WiFi.
But there are much more manageable file types and qualities to be had, and it’s definitely nice to have the option of accessing Usenet from your Android or iOS phone or tablet.
Select to zoom.
Top-Notch Privacy and Security
We’ve already talked about the security provided by direct downloads from Usenet with 256-bit SSL encryption, which are much more secure than torrenting. And we’ve also touched on the Easynews VPN, which is included with the Big Gig plan.
On top of that, Easynews keeps no logs of what you download, which is another must-have feature for maximum privacy.
Our only criticism is that they don't accept cryptocurrency (Bitcoin) payments.
How Does Easynews Measure Up to the Competition?
Now, if you’re new to Usenet, you may be wondering, “All of that sounds great, but how does Easynews compare to other Usenet providers?”
Good question.
And if you’re in that boat, Easynews may be the best choice you can make, since it makes things so easy for Usenet newbies. You have everything in one place, and there’s not much to figure out.
But if you’re slightly more experienced, there are a few things to keep in mind. For example, let’s compare the default Easynews setup to the very basic setup of a Usenet vet.
Easynews vs Typical Usenet Setup
A typical Usenet setup might look like this: you’d have a provider on the Omicron backbone, like Newshosting. Plus, an indexer, like NZBGeek. And an NZB downloader, like NZBGet. And for a VPN, you could go for NordVPN.
Checklist
We compared this setup side-by-side with Easynews, and we noticed the following:
In short, if you’re a big-time downloader who knows what they’re doing, you may get slightly better results and for less money with a setup like the one above.
However, Easynews really shines with its ease of use. You’ll still be able to find most of the same content and download (or stream) it without a problem, without needing to figure out (or keep track of) all those other sites and software.
Easynew Alternatives
If you're looking for something a little different in your Usenet provider, give these alternatives a look.
- Newshosting: The best retention in the game, with servers in the US and EU, plus unlimited speeds and downloads.
- Eweka: One of the top European Usenet providers, with great retention and unlimited speeds.
Easynews Review Wrap-Up
Okay, enough rambling. Let’s just answer the question: is Easynews worth it?
If you’re new to Usenet, Easynews is practically a no-brainer. There’s so much less to figure out, and you’ll be able to start downloading and enjoying your favorite content within minutes.
Even if you already know what you’re doing, Easynews is worth a look, especially since it provides features you won’t find from most providers. For example, check out its unlimited NNTP-only account for $9.95/mo.
And you can’t go wrong with their 14-day free trial no matter what.
Easynews Review
Overall Rating (4.4 of 5 stars)