NZBCat is an invite-only NZB indexer with a solid reputation among the Usenet community.
But since it’s not easy to sign up, most people haven’t had the opportunity to try it for themselves. In this review, we’ll highlight NZBCat’s pros, cons, and everything in between, so you can decide whether it’s worth the effort of getting an invite.
Update: NZBCat has continued to go down the drain since we first published this review, as this newer Reddit post highlights. The indexer appears to be pretty much dead at this point, with very few posts being added and support gone AWOL.
NZBCat Review: Pricing
Let’s start with one of people’s main considerations when choosing an NZB indexer: price. Whether you’re frugal or a big baller, NZBCat has a pricing tier for you:
- Free – 5 Downloads Per Day and 100 API Hits
No XXX and No Forum Access - Contributor – 1000 Downloads Per Day and 1000 API Hits
$3 per month or $20 per year - VIP – 5000 Downloads Per Day and 5000 API Hits
$6 per month or $43.20 per year
In comparison to some of the other top NZB indexers we’ve reviewed, NZBCat is a little pricey. Especially since many of their competitors offer unlimited downloads and/or API hits. Of course, most Usenet users aren’t downloading thousands of files per day, but it’s still worth noting.
How to Register for NZBCat
NZBCat is invite-only. And unlike some other NZB indexers with closed registration, Cat doesn’t ever open registration to the public – at least not that we’ve seen.
That means you’ll require an invite, either from a friend or from checking forums like r/UsenetInvites. There is a page on NZBCat’s site where they supposedly offer free invites at certain times, but it seems to be a very rare occurrence.
NZBCat Review: Top Features
Here are some of the best features that the site has going for it:
- Free plan available
- Over 600+ days binary retention (though this may not be enough for some users)
- No advertisements
- Built-in forum for paid users
- Built-in chat for paid users
- Easy integration with Usenet automation software, like Sonarr, Radarr, etc.
- SSL encryption available for all downloads
- RSS feed available
NZBCat Review: Disadvantages
Here’s the stuff we don’t like about this indexer:
- Invite-only (though some might argue this is an advantage)
- One of the most expensive NZB sites
- Limited downloads and API hits
Some users have even been less than thrilled about NZBCat’s recent selection, as the comments on this recent Reddit post detail.
NZBCat Alternatives
Whether you’re not sold on NZBCat or you just can’t get an invite, here are some alternatives to check out:
- NZBGeek – Geek has open registration, so you don’t need an invite, and their memberships are very affordable, at around $12 or less per year.
Check out our full NZBGeek review to learn more. - DrunkenSlug – Slug opens registration to everyone a few times per year, which means it’s generally easier to get access to than NZBCat. And its library is pretty extensive.
Check out our full DrunkenSlug review to learn more. - NZB.su – Su has a huge selection of content to download, and registration is completely open to the public. No invite needed.
Check out our full NZB.su review to learn more.
If you’d to see some other options, our post on Best NZB sites is the place to go.
NZBCat Review: Wrap-Up
So, now that we’ve looked at NZBCat’s strengths, weaknesses, and pricing, what’s the verdict: is NZBCat worth using?
Between the difficulty of getting an invite, the relatively high price, and a serious lack of content, we wouldn't recommend paying for an NZBCat membership at this time. That being said, they do have a free membership tier, so it may still be worth taking a look if you can get an invite.
Or just use one of the alternatives above instead.