Every “provider comparison” on the internet compares marketing pages. This one compares the specs that decide whether your download completes — how deep the binary retention really goes, how many connections you get, and what it costs.
Pick any two providers below and see who wins on each scored spec. Underneath is the full matrix of every provider we track, with the partially-verifiable specs shown for context rather than scored.
A word on honesty: there’s no single “winner”, because “best” depends on how you use Usenet. We only score retention and connections — the two specs where more is unambiguously better. Backbone breadth and price are shown as context, because a four-backbone account isn’t “better” than a single deep spool, it’s just broader. And rather than hide a weighting you can’t see, every provider carries a plain “pick this if you…” line.
Written verdicts for the pairs people actually search for
A tool gives you numbers; sometimes you want the argument. These are the head-to-head pages we’ve written, each with a plain verdict:
- Abavia vs Usenet.Farm — not a rivalry: a backbone and the front-end that resells it.
- Newshosting vs Eweka — the same Omicron spool, very different connection caps.
- NewsgroupDirect vs Newshosting — four backbones against one deep spool.
- NewsgroupDirect vs UsenetExpress — same owner, two tiers.
- Omicron vs UsenetExpress — the full backbone deep dive.
Only retention and connections are scored — the two specs where more is unambiguously better. Backbone breadth, price and block pricing are shown as context, not as wins.
Every provider, side by side
The complete matrix we track. Only the two scored specs are highlighted — purple = the best figure in that column. Breadth and price are context, not scores.
| Provider | Spool | Backbones (context) | Retention (scored) | Connections (scored) | Price (context) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NewsgroupDirect | Multi-backbone | 4 (multi) | Up to 5,912 days | 100 | $9/mo, or $75/yr (≈$6.25/mo) | Maximum coverage in one account — a gap on one backbone is often complete on another |
| Newshosting | Omicron | 1 | 6,639 days | 100 | ≈$99/yr (≈$8.25/mo); monthly plan higher | Omicron depth with a high connection count — the freshest Omicron front-end |
| Eweka | Omicron | 1 | 6,635+ days | 20 | €9.50/mo (also €6.99 / €9.00 plans) | Deep European retention on the Omicron spool, with strong Dutch peering for UK/EU routes |
| UsenetExpress | UsenetExpress | 1 | ~5,000 days | 100 | ~$8/mo tiered (unverified) | Speed and completion on recent releases, with 100 connections |
| Usenet.Farm | Abavia | 1 | 3,000+ days (text) | 40 | €7.95/mo (€4.95 is throttled) | Cheap never-expiring blocks and fast European (Dutch) peering, on the independent Abavia backbone |
Figures verified against each vendor's own site on 2026-10-19. Where a figure could not be confirmed it is marked approximate in the tooltip. Usenet.Farm's retention figure is text completion, not binary retention — hovers explain the caveat. Always check the vendor; promo pricing moves constantly.
Frequently asked questions
How does the comparison decide which provider 'wins'?
Only two specs are scored, because only two have an unambiguous direction: retention (more days = a deeper archive) and connections (more connections = more headroom to saturate your line). Everything else — backbone breadth, price, block pricing — is shown as context, because 'more' is not automatically 'better' for them.
Why not given an overall winner?
Because 'best' depends on how you use Usenet. A provider can win on retention and lose on connections. Rather than inventing a weighting you can't see, we show who wins each scored spec and give a plain 'pick this if you…' answer for each provider.
Which providers can I compare?
Five: NewsgroupDirect (Grand Slam), Newshosting, Eweka, UsenetExpress and Usenet.Farm. These span the three backbones that matter plus one genuine multi-backbone product.
Why are Newshosting and Eweka both listed if they share the Omicron backbone?
They share one spool, but differ on the things that decide your experience: Newshosting gives up to 100 connections on the same archive where Eweka caps around 20, at different prices. Same depth, different usable speed — so they're worth comparing side by side.
Are these figures live pricing?
No. They're published vendor figures verified on 2026-10-19 and noted as approximate where they couldn't be confirmed. Promo pricing moves constantly — always check the vendor before buying.
Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page (including the NewsgroupDirect link in the tool and matrix) are affiliate links. If you buy through one, UsenetPirate may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change which specs a provider wins — the scoring is limited to retention and connections and is published in full above.