List of Usenet newsreaders
(Redirected from Comparison of Usenet newsreaders)
Usenet is a worldwide, distributed discussion system that uses the Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP). Programs called newsreaders are used to read and post messages (called articles or posts, and collectively termed news) to one or more newsgroups. Users must have access to a news server to use a newsreader. This is a list of such newsreaders.
Types of clients
[edit]- Text newsreader – designed primarily for reading/posting text posts; unable to download binary attachments
- Traditional newsreader – a newsreader with text support that can also handle binary attachments, though sometimes less efficiently than more specialized clients
- Binary grabber/plucker – designed specifically for easy and efficient downloading of multi-part binary post attachments; limited or nonexistent reading/posting ability. These generally offer multi-server and multi-connection support. Most now support NZBs, and several either support or plan to support automatic Par2 processing. Some additionally support video and audio streaming.
- NZB downloader – binary grabber client without header support – cannot browse groups or read/post text messages; can only load 3rd-party NZBs to download binary post attachments. Some incorporate an interface for accessing selected NZB search websites.
- Binary posting client – designed specifically and exclusively for posting multi-part binary files
- Combination client – Jack-of-all-trades supporting text reading/posting, as well as multi-segment binary downloading and automatic Par2 processing
- Web-Based Client - Client designed for access through a web browser and does not require any additional software to access Usenet.
Active
[edit]Commercial software
[edit]- BinTube
- Forté Agent
- NewsBin
- NewsLeecher
- Novell GroupWise
- Postbox
- Turnpike
- Usenet Explorer
Freeware
[edit]Free/Open-source software
[edit]- Claws Mail is a GTK+-based email and news client for Linux, BSD, Solaris, and Windows.
- GNOME Evolution
- Gnus is an email and news client, and feed reader for GNU Emacs.
- Mozilla Thunderbird is a free and open-source[1] cross-platform email client, news client, RSS and chat client developed by the Mozilla Foundation.
- Pan a full-featured text and binary NNTP and Usenet client for Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, OpenSolaris, and Windows.
- SeaMonkey Mail & Newsgroups
- Sylpheed
- X Python Newsreader
Text-based
[edit]- Alpine
- Gnus (Emacs based)
- Line Mode Browser
- Lynx (has limited Usenet support)
- Mutt (3rd party patches)
- rn
- Slrn
- tin
Web-based
[edit]- Easynews
- Narkive
- Nemo
- Newsgrouper
- novaBBS
See Web-based Usenet for details.
Discontinued
[edit]Commercial software
[edit]- Lotus Notes
- Netscape Communicator (superseded by Mozilla)
- Windows Mail – replaced Outlook Express for Windows Vista – terminated by Windows 7
- Windows Live Mail – replaced Outlook Express for Windows XP; optional for Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7
Freeware
[edit]- Opera Mail
- Xnews – MS Windows
- MT NewsWatcher – Mac OS X Universal Binary
Free/Open Source
[edit]- Arachne (with aranews.apm package)
- Arena
- Argo
- Beonex Communicator
- KNode (may be embedded in Kontact) [2]
- Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups (renamed to SeaMonkey)
- Spotnet
Shareware
[edit]- Unison – Mac OS X
Text-based
[edit]Web-based
[edit]- Google Groups – discontinued on February 22, 2024
Comparison
[edit]| Name | User interface | Client type | Downloading headers XOVER | PAR | NZB | unZip or unRAR | Integrated search service (retention / $$$/yr) | IPv6 | SSL/TLS | Audio video streaming | Price | Platform | License | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arachne | GUI | Traditional newsreader | Yes | No | No | Free | DOS, Unix-like | GPL | ||||||
| BinTube | GUI | Binary Grabber | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes (3200 days / free) |
Yes | Yes | Yes | $59.95 / Free with subscription | Windows | Proprietary | Streams media while downloading; free with Usenet service |
| Claws Mail | GUI | Traditional newsreader | Yes [3] | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | Free | Cross-platform | GPL | ||
| Forté Agent | GUI | Combination | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | $29 | Windows | Proprietary | Shareware, includes 3 month newsgroup service trial | |||
| Gnus | Text-based | Traditional newsreader | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Free | Cross-platform | GPL | Runs in Emacs; also does Email |
| GrabIt | GUI | Binary Grabber | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes
( 30 days / $24.99/yr ) |
No | Yes | Free (searching extra) | Windows | Proprietary | Usenet search service | |
| GroupWise | GUI | Traditional newsreader | Yes | No | No | Varies | Windows, Unix-like | Proprietary | ||||||
| HCL Notes | GUI | Traditional newsreader | Yes | No | No | Varies | Windows, Unix-like, macOS | Proprietary | ||||||
| KNode | GUI | Traditional newsreader | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Free | Unix-like | GPL | KDE | |||
| Lynx | Text-based | Traditional newsreader | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Free | Cross-platform | GPL | Limited USENET support | |||
| Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups | GUI | Traditional newsreader | Yes | No | No | No | No | Free | Cross-platform | MPL–GPL–LGPL tri-license | Replaced by SeaMonkey Mail & Newsgroups | |||
| Mozilla Thunderbird | GUI | Traditional newsreader | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Free | Cross-platform | MPL | Plugin support | |
| NewsLeecher | GUI | Combination | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes
Optional extra Add $10 per year |
No | Yes | Varies | Windows | Proprietary | Shareware | |
| Opera Mail | GUI | Traditional newsreader | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Free | Cross-platform | Proprietary | Part of Opera, up to version 12.17 | ||
| Outlook Express | GUI | Traditional newsreader | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Windows | Proprietary | Part of Windows, up to Windows Server 2003 | ||
| Pan | GUI | Combination | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Free | Unix-like, Windows | GPL | Gtk+ | ||
| SeaMonkey Mail & Newsgroups | GUI | Traditional newsreader | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Free | Cross-platform | MPL | Replaced Mozilla Mail & Newsgroups | |
| slrn | text-based | Traditional newsreader | Yes | Yes
(using macros) |
Yes
(using macros) |
Yes
(using macros) |
No | Yes | Yes | No | Free | Cross-platform | GPLv2+ | Highly extensible using S-Lang scripts (macros) |
| Sylpheed | GUI | Traditional newsreader | Yes | No | No | Yes | Free | Cross-platform | GPL–LGPL | Gtk+ | ||||
| tin | text-based | Traditional newsreader | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Free | Unix-like | BSD | Free software | ||
| Unison | GUI | Combination | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes
(audio only) |
Free | macOS | Proprietary | Development ceased; free, unsupported |
| Usenet Explorer | GUI | Combination | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes
( 1500 days / $23.34/yr ) |
Yes | Yes | $35 | Windows | Proprietary | Shareware | |
| Windows Live Mail | GUI | Traditional newsreader | Yes | Yes | Free | Windows | Proprietary | |||||||
| Windows Mail | GUI | Traditional newsreader | Yes | Yes | Windows | Proprietary | Part of Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008; Windows 10 omits newsgroup and Usenet support[4][better source needed] | |||||||
| Xnews | GUI | Combination | Yes | No | No (Can create NBZs) |
No | Free | Windows | Proprietary |
Name field background color legend:
| active product |
|---|
| Discontinued support for newsgroups |
See also
[edit]
- alt.* hierarchy
- List of newsgroups
- List of Usenet newsreaders
- News server
- Newsreader (Usenet)
- Network News Transfer Protocol
- Usenet newsgroup
References
[edit]- ^ Corbet, Jonathan (10 January 2005). "Debian and Mozilla – a study in trademarks". LWN.net. Retrieved September 18, 2010.
- ^ "Home - KDE Community".
- ^ "Claws Mail release notes".
NNTP: Fetch XOVER and XHDR data in batches of 5000...
- ^ "Windows 10 Mail + Newsgroups". Microsoft. Archived from the original on 2021-11-17. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
External links
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Usenet clients.