Usenet retention is the number of days articles remain stored on a Usenet provider’s servers. Higher retention means more access to historical text discussions and binary posts, improving both search results and completion rates.
Leading providers like Newshosting, Eweka, and Easynews now offer 6,219+ days (17 years) of full binary and text retention, giving subscribers access to billions of more articles across more than 120,000 newsgroups
Quick Overview: What is Usenet Retention?
- Definition: Retention is how long a Usenet provider keeps articles stored on its servers, measured in days.
- Binary vs. Text Retention: Binary posts (audio, video, images, software) take more storage. Text posts require less. Top providers like Newshosting, Eweka, and Easynews now keep both at the same high level – over 6,219 days.
- Why It Matters: Higher retention means more articles, better search results, and access to a complete archive.
- Provider Quality: Retention reflects a provider’s storage investment. Tier-1 providers with the best quality backbones maintain the highest and most consistent retention.
Why Usenet Retention Matters
Retention is a direct measure of how much of Usenet’s history is available on a provider’s servers:
- Access to older discussions: Posts from many years ago remain available alongside the newest articles.
- Binary availability: Images, audio, and video posts remain accessible for years.
- Flexibility: Users don’t have to access posts immediately – high retention allows browsing and searching at any pace.
- Completeness: Retention paired with strong completion rates means accessing intact, reliable articles.
Providers like Newshosting and Eweka offer more than 17 years of binary retention, while Easynews provides similar depth through its web-based platform with integrated search.
Binary Retention vs. Text Retention
- Binary Retention: Measures how long larger posts (media, software, video, audio, images) remain stored. These require more space, so binary retention is the key benchmark. Some providers cut corners here, but Tier-1 maintain equal retention for both binary and text posts.
- Text Retention: Measures how long text-based discussions and messages are kept. These consume less storage, so retention is often as long – or longer – than binaries.
Example: With 6240+ days of text and binary retention, you could retrieve an article posted in 2008 just as easily as one posted today.
How Providers Advertise Retention
Not all providers support retention the same way:
- Full Binary Retention: All articles are stored locally for the full retention period. This is what top providers offer.
- Cached Retention: Some providers keep only frequently accessed posts or pull data from upstream providers. These archives often drop less-accessed articles, meaning advertised numbers may not represent a complete archive.
- Growing Retention: Reliable providers extend retention daily (“spooling”), preserving older data while continuously adding new articles.
When evaluating a provider, check that they offer full text and binary retention, not just “up to” numbers.
Retention vs. Completion
- Retention = how far back articles are stored.
- Completion = whether those articles are actually intact and available.
High retention with poor completion means a large but unreliable archive.
High retention with near-100% completion means a complete, dependable archive of nearly every post.
Additional Retention Terms
- Cached Retention: Storage of only popular or recently accessed posts; often incomplete.
- Full Binary Retention: Every binary article is stored locally for the full
- Text Retention: Discussion posts, often stored as long or longer than binaries. retention span.
How to Choose a Usenet Provider Based on Retention
When comparing providers, consider:
- Binary Retention: Look for 6240+ days for the most complete access.
- Text Retention: Should match or exceed binary retention.
- Completion Rates: Near-100% completion ensures intact articles.
- Growth: Retention should grow daily (spooling).
Why Usenet Retention Defines Your Experience
Usenet retention is the most important indicator of how complete your Usenet experience will be. Long retention provides access to decades of text and binary posts, but it must be paired with high completion to ensure intact articles.
For the best results, choose providers that deliver full retention across all newsgroups. Our top recommendations:
- Newshosting – 6240+ days retention, built-in newsreader with search, VPN included.
- Eweka – Independent EU backbone, long retention, excellent completion.
- Easynews – Web-based access with built-in search and archives spanning 17+ years.
These providers lead in retention, speed, and reliability, making Usenet both a living discussion platform and a long-term historical archive.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good Usenet retention period?
At least 6,000+ days. Top providers exceed 6240 days (17+ years).
Why does binary retention matter?
It determines how long binary posts (audio, video, images, software) remain accessible.
How does retention affect me?
Higher retention gives more complete access to Usenet’s archives, improving search results and completion rates.
What’s the difference between retention and completion?
Retention is how far back articles are stored. Completion measures whether those articles are intact and accessible. Both matter.
Do providers keep retention growing?
Yes. Leading providers spool retention forward daily, continuously expanding their archives.
Next step: Compare the Best Usenet Providers and get started with long-term, full retention from Newshosting, Eweka, or Easynews.
