Recommended Newsreader Software

Free software Paid commercial software Web based

Free Newsreaders

The first question potential users of newsgroups usually ask is what is the best newsreader to use. I always recommend freeware newsgroup readers as these applications are usually userfriendly and selfexplanatory.

Once you get a newsreader application I highly recommend using my current provider at NewsgroupBinariescom as they allow access from anywhere you can get Internet access and all the newsreaders listed below can be used with this service. Ive compiled a list below of currently available newsreader applications

Agent Forte Inc Windows arguably the most popular newsreader. Supports yEnc and SMTP authentication. Has both paid and free Free Agent version.

Alexandra Object Factory NextStep written for an operating system that was purchased by Apple.

Getbinnews Frederic Bricout nix adware application that will extract multipart binary files mp3 jpg gif mpg asf avi divx encoded with MIME UUencode or yEnc format.

Gigis Own Newsreader SourceForge Windows simple and intuitive multithreaded offline NNTP Client for the NET platform totally written in C.

GrabIt Ilan Shemes Windows Application for selecting downloading and the decoding of binary attachments in posts.

Halime Imdat Solak MacOSX public domain newsreader no longer being developed but is still freely available for download.

MicroPlanet Gravity was MicroPlanet Inc now SourceForge net Windows recently converted from freeware to open source. Another popular newsreader created back in 1996 with numerous ways to adjust the screens.

Microsoft Outlook Express Microsoft Corp Windows included as part of the download of Internet Explorer. If you have it installed its usually under the IE menubar toolsmail and newsread news. User friendly has wizard for configuration but does not decode yEnc.

MTNewsWatcher Simon Fraser MacOS easy to use filtering searching and sorting features. Viewing and saving binaries from newsgroups easy and works transparently across multiple news servers. Also available in French.

News Xpress Ken Ng Windows although no longer be updated another easy to use news reader.

NewsEngine SourceForge nix news reading program written in Java.

newsgrab SourceForge nix shell program to downloaded encoded multipart binaries.

NewsMole SourceForge Linux perl newsreader supporting multiple newsservers yEnc and assembles multipart messages.

NewsPro NewsPro Windows newsreader better suited to veterans of Usenet. Powerful but reading of directions is important. Free and paid versions available.

NewsWatcherX Electric Fish MacOSX carbonized version of MTNewsWatcher.

nget SourceForge POSIX Windows MacOSX command line NNTP file downloader. Automatically joins multipart postings for easy retrieval even substituting parts from multiple servers and newsgroups.

OSXnews SourceForge MacOSX open source news reader developed in Objective C and Cocoa.

Pan Public nix MacOSX Windows supports yEnc binary encoding offline newsreading and article filtering.

PCast Right Click Windows uses newsgroups to find pictures and download them.

PicMonger SourceForge Linux scans available posts for UUencoded or MIME base64encoded binaries eg JPEG image. When a binary is found it is automatically decoded back to its original form.

PowerGrab SourceForge Windows 32bit windows application that allows you to download files from a news server.

QNNTPGet SourceForge Linux Python program for downloading multipart binaries from newsservers.

slrn SourceForge nix OS2 MacOS VMS Windows BeOS scoring rules to highlight sort or kill articles based on information from their header. Offline reading is possible.

Tin Public nix threaded NNTP and spoolbased Usenet newsreader.

WinVN Mark Riordan Windows one of the first newsreader applications developed. Can also send email via the SMTP or MAPI protocols.

Xnews Luu Tran Windows A little trickier to use but powerful. Supports yEnc and multiserver configurations.

yanoff SourceForge PalmOS allows NNTP downloading of news articles posting articles and scoring.

Yencee SourceForge POSIX command line program for posting binary files to newsgroups using the yEnc encoding.

Commercial Newsreaders

These newsreader applications tend to have more features especially for binaries downloaders who need flexibility automated downloading and speed to get the most out of Usenet.

Agent Forte Inc Windows arguably the most popular newsreader. Supports yEnc and SMTP authentication. Has both paid and free Free Agent version.

AutoPix Browing and Assoc Windows automated NNTP downloaderdecoderpreviewer.

BinaryBoy BinaryBoy Windows useful for downloading pictures MP3 and software. Can decode yEnc BommaNews Base64 QuotedPrintable UUencoding and QP Lite. Recently added NZB support.

Express NewsPictures ExpressSoft Windows tool for downloading and viewing pictures audio and video from newsgroups.

GroupsAloud NextUp Tech Windows unique news reader that has ability to speak Usenet postings aloud.

Hogwasher Asar MacOS offline and online newsreader capable of connecting to multiple news servers.

MacSoup Stefan Haller MacOS offline reader for Usenet newsgroups and Internet email. Better suited to users already comfortable with newsgroups.

MaxNews MAX Programming LLC MacOSX Usenet newsreader supporting reading and composing both news articles and email messages.

News File Grabber rsbr Software Windows lets you download all kinds of binary files photos movies pictures and sounds. Supports many coding schemes including yEnc and can combine multipart posts.

News Rover S and H Computer Systems Windows automates the process of decoding file attachments and reconstructing those files split across multiple posts.

Newpicture Miner MyMinercom Windows search and download pictures from newsgroups.

NewsBin DJI Interprises Windows application specifically geared toward automated binary newsgroup batch downloading. Supports yEnc and multipart binary decoding.

Newsgroups Pictures Downloader Keronsoft Windows downloads and presents images from the picture newsgroups.

NewsPro NewsPro Windows newsreader better suited to veterans of Usenet. Powerful but reading of directions for usage important. Free and paid versions available.

NewsReactor DaanSystems Windows tool to download binaries from Usenet newsgroups. Progam is shareware and can be used 50 times before having to register.

NewsShark WMHSoft Windows developed to download large binary files from Usenet. Has trial version.

Ozum OzInsight Windows fully programmable news robot and freeware autoposter.

Picture Patrol Brainchild Software MacOSX Windows designed to download pictures from Usenet newsgroups.

Pluckit The DeKaf Co Windows automatically searches newsgroups for binary attachments pictures MP3 exe MPG AVI RAR ZIP etc.

SBNews News Robot SBSoftware Windows awardwinning program for automated downloading of information from binary newsgroups. Has antispam features and fully automatic unattended operation. Works with all types of binary files including images jpeggifbmp archives movies sound files etc.

QuadSuckerNews SBSoftware Windows multithreaded news downloader. Supports yEnc and all other message posting formats uuencode base64 etc. Handles all possible types of attachments GIF JPEG MP3 MPG RAR ZIP and more.

TiFNY tifny Windows downloads and organizes binary files from Usenet newsgroups. Powerful navigation of downloaded files in full database with the author date file size file type and subject from the original postings.

UsenetGrab East Bay Tech Windows has a webbrowserlike interface that makes it a great way to get started using newsgroups.

Unison Panic MacOSX featurerich reader allowing easy picture and text newsgroup viewing.

Web based newsreaders

UsenetAccesscom allows access to all newsgroups using any web browser. Textbased and binary newsgroups available. Also works with AOL and WebTV newsgroup users. Highly recommended

Google Groups was DejaNews free newsgroup access to textonly forums no binaries. Excellent search functionality with posts dating back to 1995.