When it comes to choosing a Usenet platform, it’s never a bad decision to go for a company that’s been in the game for years. And that’s certainly the case with Giganews – founded in 1994, it has built up a positive reputation over the years.
Giganews calls itself the “world’s Usenet provider” and that really isn’t an exaggeration. Since first launching over two decades ago, it has expanded exponentially and there are now over 10 million people using the service in 180 countries, and the software and support services are available in 10 different languages.
As well as being popular, Giganews happens to be one of the most advanced Usenet services on the market, packed with some great features. You’ll find a VPN tool, a dedicated Usenet browser, a download accelerator and lots more. So let’s look more closely at how this provider stacks up to the competition.
Performance
Giganews offers access to more than 110,000 newsgroups, with 2,367 days of binary retention and 5,016 days of text retention. That’s impressive, and another thing that bodes well on the performance front is the fact that the company writes all of its own server software.
Because of this, the firm doesn’t have to deal with third-parties, which is often the case for Usenet providers. Giganews also promises a 100% completion rate, and you shouldn’t experience any maintenance outages.
There are many Usenet outfits around that either don’t own their servers or they’re restricted to a particular region. Fortunately, Giganews owns servers in the UK, US and the Netherlands for a more global reach.
Speed is another factor that determines the success of a Usenet service, and luckily, Giganews doesn’t disappoint. Its Platinum account boasts unlimited server speeds, giving you the ability to max out your connection. And because of its international reach, you should hopefully experience low latencies and steer clear of connectivity issues. There’s also 100% uptime guaranteed here, unlike many other Usenet services.
Security and support
Most Usenet providers take security seriously, and Giganews is no different. Every account uses 256-bit SSL encryption for better privacy, and the unlimited plans offer a bundled VPN service as well (VyprVPN) for tighter security still.
Some Usenet services are complicated to set up and use. You’ll find that Giganews is relatively simple in comparison. This is because it has a dedicated Usenet browser called Mimo. Compatible with Windows and macOS devices, it’s been built for faster browsing, searching and downloading.
Mimo actually has two integrated Usenet search engines, and allows you to queue up multiple downloads, adjusting their priority based on your connection. You can track how downloads are progressing within the browser.
Quality support is a priority for Giganews, too. The firm promises a ‘human response’ within minutes, with tech support around the clock, every day of the week including weekends.
Pricing
However, you’re definitely paying for quality here if you want an unlimited account. The Platinum account costs $19.99 (£16.30, AU$26) a month, and you get unlimited access and 20 connections. If you want something more powerful, you can opt for the Diamond plan, which has 50 connections available. That’d normally set you back $29.99 (£23, AU$38) a month, but it’s currently available at an introductory offer of $14.99 (£12.20, AU$19.50) for the first three months.
Both these unlimited accounts come with VyprVPN as we previously mentioned, and you get VyprVPN Basic with the Platinum offering, and VyprVPN Pro with the Diamond plan.
The limited plans start from $4.99 (£4, AU$6.50) a month, for which you get a Pearl account which is limited to 5GB of monthly data, 30 days retention and 20 connections. There’s also a 14-day free trial with every account, meaning if you cancel within this time – and you haven’t used more than 10GB of data – you won’t be charged anything.
Final verdict
We’ve reviewed some great Usenet services over the past few weeks, but there’s no doubt that Giganews is among the best of them. It offers an easy-to-use service that’s fast and secure, with affordable options to boot. And it’s great to see a company that puts flexibility and customer support at the forefront, too.
