These days, you can access Usenet via many providers, but the quality of service they offer is not always on the same level. Pure Usenet is a provider based out of the Netherlands that’s been in operation since the mid-2000s. The provider lists some reasonable features, but as always I wanted to test it for myself before jumping to any conclusions.
On the basic level, Pure Usenet offers solid performance, with close to 11 years of file retention and secure and fast access to the network. I tested the service myself with several different subscription plans to make sure that the features listed are actually available and work as promised.
In this Pure Usenet review, I will go over the subscription models and their pricing, the security levels of using the service, as well as the actual features and download speed you can expect. If you are looking for a new Usenet provider, keep reading and find out if Pure Usenet is right for you.
Pros
Cons
First of all, let’s talk about the options you have as a user with regards to subscription packages and prices at Pure Usenet. Overall, the prices offered here are slightly lower than some of the competition, and are definitely among the more affordable options.
Each user is given a level of choice in terms of buying a monthly or a yearly subscription. Picking the yearly option saves you 20% of the cost, so whichever package you choose you may want to pay for a whole year in advance.
Whether you go for a month or a year, you will have three main options. These are called Pure M, Pure XL, and Pure XXL. With the Pure M package, you will get a speed limit of 20 Mbps and 8 connections. The Pure XL will get you a maximum speed of 60 Mbps, along with 12 connections. The ultimate package is the Pure XXL, which gets you unlimited speed and up to 20 simultaneous connections.
As you can see, the one downside of the Pure Usenet software compared to some other providers is the low number of simultaneous connections you can have running. While many users won’t really feel this, those who like to download in bulk may find this to be a deal breaker.
Try Pure Usenet for free for one week
Like many other Usenet providers, Pure Usenet offers a chance to try their service for free. You can sign up for any of the available packages and after registering your account and payment details you will get 7 days of free use. During that time, you can cancel your subscription if you are not impressed, or keep it going past your trial week if you enjoy the service.
Speaking of financial matters, users get a good selection of payment methods, including the classic ones like credit cards and PayPal, and some less common ones such as Paysafe Card, iDEAL, and even Bitcoin.
When it comes to actually browsing Usenet with Pure Usenet, we should consider the features that are offered in various packages. Regardless of which subscription you choose to go with, you will have access to over 110,000 newsgroups and downloadable data dating as far back as 11 years.
Purchasing the XXL package will get you unlimited download speed and volume, all at a fairly reasonable price. Pure Usenet connections are protected by bank-grade SSL encryption, which makes them 100% secure and safe to use, with no need to fear hacking or intrusions.
The provider offers 24/7 customer support for all its users, and my own experience with them has been good as they answer in a timely fashion and offer good quality responses that tend to be actually useful in real-life scenarios. Overall, there are hardly any downsides to purchasing the top-level package, with the cheaper ones limiting your download speed and maximum connections heavily. Even the Pure XXL package only offers a maximum of 20 simultaneous connections, which is easily beaten by a good number of competitors.
To actually get started with Usenet, you will also need a newsreader, and unfortunately Pure Usenet software does not come with one. However, it should not be too hard to set things up with one of the prestigious top-level newsreaders out there.
From my own experience, I recommend you go with a newsreader like Holmez if you are looking for a versatile and easily adaptable reader that you can use on any device or system. If you are running on a computer of any sort, TangySoft is another good alternative with a very friendly and easy-to-use interface even for novice users.
Pure Usenet is a top-tier Usenet provider, which offers access to Usenet at unlimited speeds and with a high level of retention. With over 110,000 newsgroups available and the ability to establish completely secure connections, this provider offers a high-quality service at very affordable prices.
Pure Usenet, like most Usenet providers, offers full protection via 256-bit SSL/TLS encryption. This encryption ensures that all your connections remain private (unless you choose otherwise), and there is no record of the newsgroups you have visited or the data you may have downloaded.
The debate of the best Usenet provider is a constantly ongoing one, but there are some providers that often come out on top of these lists. In my personal opinion, Eweka is the best provider these days, but if you decide to go with Pure Usenet, you will not regret your decision either.
Pure Usenet accepts several different payment methods. You can pay for your subscription via your credit card or PayPal account, but if you prefer some extra privacy using Paysafe Card or Bitcoin to pay will grant you that.
Pure Usenet offers many useful features that put it high on the list of Usenet providers. All users can get access to unlimited download speed and volume with the XXL package, while SSL encryption is available to everyone. Secure and fast downloads from more than 110,000 newsgroups is amazing, and you get to do it all via an easy-to-use interface you can access with every Pure Usenet login.
I have already mentioned that my experience with Pure Usenet has been a good one, but if for any reason you decide that this provider is just not right for you, there are several alternatives I could recommend. The one provider I already stated offers a superior service is Eweka, which is probably the best Usenet service overall.
Apart from Eweka, you may also want to try out Newshosting, a popular and long-standing Usenet platform that comes with an integrated newsreader and plenty of amazing features, including a two-week free trial which lets you download 30GB of data at amazing speed.
There are a great number of Usenet providers you can choose from these days, and the actual decision of which one to use is always a personal one. While Pure Usenet is not the very best service I have used, it certainly offers some good features and does not compare badly even to the very best in the business.
With Pure Usenet, you will be able to access Usenet at top speed, download without any limitations or interference and establish multiple connections at one time. However, all but the XXL package come with some limitations, which is a bit of a downside. The provider does not offer a newsreader with the initial subscription and does not offer block plans. These few downsides taken into account, I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend the most serious users to look at the alternatives I listed above.
“Pure Usenet is a solid Usenet provider for beginners, but lags behind top competitors in a few areas.”
4.5 / 5.0 rated by Alyn Smith
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