NewsgroupDirect Review - The Provider On The Test Bench

Marketing yourself as the very best Usenet provider out there has become the norm in the business these days and NewsgroupDirect is not too different in that regard. Having been in operation since 2004, NewsgroupDirect claims to offer the best and most affordable Usenet service of them all, so I had to find out if this was actually true.

The provider’s website presents some fairly grand claims, with all the features you would want to see being prominently featured. This NewsgroupDirect review goes into some detail on that, as I try to find out whether NewsgroupDirect is worth signing up for, or if it’s just another mediocre provider you would be better off skipping.

newsgroupdirect-logo

NEWSGROUPDIRECT

Table of Contents

Advantages and disadvantages of the provider

Pros

  • Competitive prices
  • Several subscription plans to pick from
  • 500 days of retention and 99.99% completion
  • SSL/TLS encryption included
  • Free VPN service with all packages

Cons

  • Block packages are a little expensive
  • No newsreader included

Prices - can savings be made with a NewsgroupDirect coupon?

As I usually do, I will start this out with the most obvious of all things, the pricing. NewsgroupDirect promises the best prices to all its users, including price matching with its closest competitors. Indeed, the packages are all priced very reasonably, although it can be hard to compare packages that offer different terms.

At NewsgroupDirect, you can pick from several different subscription options. There are monthly, yearly, and 6-month plans in place, each with unlimited download volume and speeds included. The NGD + Supernews package adds access to Supernews, along with the Ghost Path VPN in the mix.

NewsgroupDirect Subscriptions
Subscriptions: Choose your subscription model with NewsgroupDirect

The unlimited plans can be billed for 6 months or a full year, with the yearly plan coming with a slight discount, meaning you don’t need a NewsgroupDirect coupon. The Unlimited plan is as good as it sounds, as there is no limit to the speed or the volume of data you can download. All of this comes with up to 100 simultaneous connections as well.

Apart from the unlimited plans, users can also purchase block plans, which put a ceiling on your maximum download volume, but without any time limitation. The smallest block plan you can buy comes with 50GB of downloads, and you can go all the way up to 2,000GB, with the price reducing as you move up.

Try NewsgroupDirect free for 30 days

Like most providers, NewsgroupDirect offers a free trial to its new users. Whichever plan you decide to go with, you will get a trial period of 30 days and including 15GB of downloads. Within that period, you can cancel your subscription and receive your full money back, no questions asked. If you don’t like the service, simply cancel it and get your cash back.

Finally, there is the question of actually paying for the packages, and this can be done in several ways. As you would expect, you can just pay with your credit card, but you can also use your PayPal account or make a Bitcoin payment if you prefer to keep some extra anonymity.

Independent high-speed network with 110,000 newsgroups

I tested the features of NewsgroupDirect myself to find out just how true their grand claims are, and for the most part, they seem to be indeed. Concerning the price/quality ratio, NewsgroupDirect definitely provides good value to any user who decides to subscribe to a plan. All packages come with unlimited download speed and volume, as well as 100 connections, which is more than almost any competitor can offer.

Features: Amazing features offered with NewsgroupDirect

From a retention standpoint, users can access files as old as 3,500 days, which is some 10 years’ worth of data. There are a few providers that offer more, including this provider’s sister company Newsdemon, but even in that case the difference is slight.

NewsgroupDirect servers are located in both the USA and the EU, which means users in both hemispheres will get good speeds without interruptions. The provider also boasts 100% uptime, which seems to be legitimate, and the customer support works at a reasonably high level. Their SSL encryption guarantees secure and safe Usenet browsing at all times.

Newsreader selection - the right NewsgroupDirect download for every device

The one slight downside that NewsgroupDirect could work on is the fact they don’t feature a newsreader of their own, which means every user must find and set up one by themselves. This should not be too hard for most, and a universal newsreader such as SABnzbn or Grabit does the job just fine for users on all sorts of devices and operating systems.

FAQs - all questions about NewsgroupDirect answered

What is NewsgroupDirect?

NewsgroupDirect is a Usenet service provider which allows you to access Usenet from any device of your choosing. The provider offers a good level of quality at reasonable and competitive prices, which makes them a solid choice for most users.

Is NewsgroupDirect secure?

NewsgroupDirect is a secure Usenet provider. Your connection to Usenet will be secured via 256-bit SSL/TLS encryption which makes it as safe as any service you would find on the internet these days. The provider does not store too much user data either, which is always good to know.

How can I cancel NewsgroupDirect?

You can easily cancel your NewsgroupDirect subscription at any time. During your first 30 days, you can cancel your subscription and get your money back, provided you downloaded less than 15GB of data by that point. Past that mark, you can cancel your future payments easily, but the subscription you already paid for will not be reimbursed.

What is the best Usenet provider?

Different users prefer different things, and there are many good services out there for everyone. NewsgroupDirect specifically is not the very best Usenet provider, but it does rank quite highly in my personal experience and compares well to most of the competition.

What features does NewsgroupDirect offer?

As a user of NewsgroupDirect you will get unlimited access to Usenet, meaning no limits on how much data you download and no limit on your download speeds either. Some 3,500 days of retention and a high file completion rate make it a good choice for most users.

Is NewsgroupDirect illegal?

No! There is nothing illegal about using Usenet or NewsgroupDirect specifically. However, make sure that what you do on Usenet is in compliance with the law and stay away from newsgroups that may be spreading any illegal content.

Alternatives to NewsgroupDirect

As I already explained in this review, NewsgroupDirect is definitely a provider that offers some solid features at affordable prices, making it a good choice for most. However, there are a few alternatives that I find to be better when all things are considered and there may also be personal reasons you don’t want to use NewsgroupDirect.

In this case, I would highly recommend checking out Eweka, which is probably the very best Usenet provider today, with the widest selection of features and great prices. Easynews is another good provider you may want to take into consideration, so take your pick of these great alternatives if NewsgroupDirect is not your cup of tea.

Conclusion: Final words on NewsgroupDirect

NewsgroupDirect is a Usenet provider with some grand claims, and to my surprise I found that most of them were actually quite true. They offer good retention, competitive prices for unlimited plans, Bitcoin payments, and great levels of security.

NewsgroupDirect Service
Service: Get 30 days free and join the happy NewsgroupDirect customers

The slight downside of NewsgroupDirect may come for those looking to sign up to block plans, which are a little pricey compared to some other services. There are also a few providers with longer retention, if you want to have access to a bit more of the Usenet, but with a free VPN included and all the other features listed above, NewsgroupDirect is certainly close to the top. I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars, as only a few of the very best can really outmatch them.

alyn-smith

“NewsgroupDirect is a high-quality provider with solid retention, good speed, and affordable prices.”

4.5 / 5.0 rated by Alyn Smith

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