Pure Usenet

This post is also available in: Nederlands (Dutch)

Pure Usenet is a Dutch Usenet provider, just like Tweaknews, XLned and Eweka. How does Pure Usenet profile itself in this lineup? Well, by offering very competitive pricing, combined with good retention, unlimited data and anonymous payment methods. We tested Pure Usenet extensively. You will read all about our experience in this review.

Pure Usenet subscriptions and price

Pure Usenet has various packages you can choose from. Whatever package you end up choosing, some features are always included. Standard with every package comes:

• Unlimited data
• 256-bit SSL encryption
• A free 7-day trial
• 2000 days retention

In what way do the different packages vary? The main difference is rooted in the download speeds and the number of connections. We will clarify this down below:

Pure Usenet XS

Pure Usenet XS is the most economic package available. For only €1,83 per month you get:

• A speed of 4 Mbps.
• 4 simultaneous connections.

Pure Usenet M

If you would like a modest upgrade from the XS package in terms of speed and connections, then check out the M package:

• A speed of 20 Mbps.
• 8 simultaneous connections.

Pure Usenet XXL

The most comprehensive package Pure Usenet has to offer. Its price is still very sharp. For just €6,63 per month you get:

• Unlimited speed.
• 12 simultaneous connections.

If you are planning on downloading regularly with Usenet, then the XXL package is most interesting. But for casual downloaders, the other packages might suffice as well. If you have a thorough look at the Pure Usenet website, you might notice additional packages being available, namely Pure Usenet S, L and XL. Every package offers just a different setup in terms of number of connections and download speed.

Payment options Pure Usenet

There are various payment options available at Pure Usenet. They support credit card, iDeal, Butcoin and wire transfer. From a privacy point of view the Bitcoin compatibility is always nice to see!

Pure Usenet configuration

To connect to the Pure Usenet servers, you will need the following information for your newsreader.

• News server hostname: news.pureusenet.nl.
• Ports: 119 (no SSL), 80 (no SSL), 563(SSL), 443(SSL).
• Connections: Depends on your subscription, between 4 and 12.

You will receive your username and password after signing up. With this information you can configure your newsreader.

Security and privacy Pure Usenet: SSL encryption but no VPN

Pure Usenet offers an excellent 256-bit encryption to its users. The SSL connection enables you to download safely, without external parties being able to grasp or see what you download or upload exactly. Contrary to some other Usenet providers, Pure Usenet unfortunately does not offer a VPN solution. This is not a huge issue, as we expect many people already have access to a good VPN service. Do you happen to be one of those people not using a VPN yet? A VPN is a crucial tool in safeguarding your online privacy and safety. Not only on Usenet, but also outside of it. An excellent VPN service we can recommend is GOOSE VPN.

Visit GOOSE VPN

Excellent Dutch VPN. Fast, reliable and 30 day money-back-guarantee.
Deal: Get 30% off the Unlimited Packages by using the discount code ‘Privacy‘ during registration.

What information does Pure Usenet store?

Similar to XLned (another Dutch Usenet provider), Pure Usenet asks for address information when you register for an account. So you’ll be conveying your name, address, e-mail and payment information when signing up to Pure Usenet. We aren’t too big of a fan of this, especially the requirement to include address details.

XLned and Pure Usenet both fall under the UNS Holdings Inc family. What strikes us is that both providers are branded as being Dutch, although the headquarters seem to be in Iceland. That’s what the contact forms on the website imply at least.

We’ve been assured that no user logs are kept. This means that Pure Usenet does not register what you do as a user when you download or upload via their server network. Even when other organizations come knocking, Pure Usenet will have no concrete information about your download activities. This is crucial from a privacy standpoint.

Customer support

On the Pure Usenet website you can find answers to various questions pertaining to Usenet. There are several guides on how to handle certain error messages that might occur when downloading with Pure Usenet. In case you would like to talk to someone from customer support, you can fill in a form on the website. Furthermore, a phone number is given, an e-mail address and even a Twitter and Facebook account. We took a look at the replies on their social media pages, and it seems both the Facebook and Twitter accounts have not been updated in years. We really think there is room for improvement here, either by deleting those accounts or by properly maintaining them. For now, if you want to contact customer support, we recommend doing it through the contact form on the website. Don’t bother with social media.

Speed of Pure Usenet

The speed you’ll get when using Pure Usenet will heavily depend on the package you choose. We tested the XXL package with 12 connections. Connections speed were really fine, although there are competitors which offer a (far) higher number of connections. The number of connections can possibly become an issue when you want to download several files simultaneously.

We managed to reach download speeds of up to 160 Mbps, which is pretty solid given our own connection speeds. The speed you will get will depend on your own internet connection though, and your physical distance to the Usenet servers. Since there are servers in The Netherlands, where we are located ourselves, we benefit from this proximity. If you are in Asia, Oceania, North America or South America (anywhere which isn’t Europe, basically), your download speeds might be a bit lower. And when you use a VPN, your download speeds will plummet even further. Still, we were pretty satisfied with the download speeds we got using Pure Usenet.

Conclusion: Is Pure Usenet good?

Pure Usenet is an incredible Usenet provider when you consider the fact you can get a subscription for under €2 per month. This cheapest package offers substandard speeds, but some people might not be bothered by that. What most people would be bothered by, is the customer support via social media. We advise you to just use the contact form on the website in case you have questions. And we advise Pure Usenet to revamp or delete the social media channels, but not leave them unattended as is the case now. All in all, we are still a fan of Pure Usenet and think you get great value for the money you spend.

Visit Pure Usenet