I often get asked which file-sharing method is better; BitTorrent or Usenet. In this article we'll take a look at the pros and cons of both file-sharing methods so you can make the decision yourself.
Note: We won't cover free
Usenet access from your ISP here as it has become rare and the quality of service is almost always horrible.
Price
BitTorrent is free to use. All you need is a BitTorrent client and a torrent file and you're good to go. However, Usenet involves paying monthly for it or purchasing blocks. (For example, $10 for 20GB)
Advantage: BitTorrent
Speed
Just got a 50Mbit fiber connection? No problem, Usenet can most likely max it. This is definitely one of Usenet's strong points. While the speed may be limited if you go with a lesser known Usenet Provider you'll be fine if you stick with a trustworthy provider, such as Giganews or Newshosting. BitTorrent's speed, on the other hand, depends largely on how many seeders there are. Unless there is an abnormal amount of seeders you'll have a hard time maxing out that fiber connection. As you can see in the screen shot below, I'm able to easily max out my 16Mbit connection without any problem; keep in mind this is sustained speed too. Meanwhile, if you're lucky enough to max out your connection on BitTorrent it probably won't stay that way for long. BitTorrent's speed tends to fluctuate depending on the amount of seeders available.
Advantage: Usenet
File Availability
You may look at your favorite BitTorrent site and think BitTorrent has everything you could want. While technically you may be able to find a torrent for the file you're looking for you'll often discover when you go to download it you'll end up downloading it at dial-up speeds if you're lucky. More likely you won't even be able to get it at all because there won't be anyone seeding it. However, if you're looking for newer, popular content you can usually find it on BitTorrent and speeds will be good enough assuming it's relatively popular. Furthermore, BitTorrent generally gets newer content faster than Usenet. (Although this is becoming a very small advantage as Usenet becomes more popular) When it comes to Usenet, retention plays a major role in file availability. Assuming you go with a trustworthy Usenet provider this isn't an issue though. As of right now you'll find retention is around 270 days at some of the popular Usenet providers and this increases daily. Even more impressive, a lot of the major providers are currently upping this to a year or more. This means if something was uploaded nearly a year ago you'll be able to grab it once these updates complete. While you may be able to grab a torrent over a year old you'll often find it has very little seeders or none at all unless it's something that continues to be very popular. Usenet doesn't have this restriction; anything uploaded in the past year will be available and you'll max out your connection when downloading it too. There is no file discrimination on Usenet. No matter what it is, as long as it was uploaded in the past year, you'll get it without any issues. (Again, having a trustworthy Usenet provider is vital here though) While it's true popular content may be available quicker on BitTorrent the difference is usually very small. (Generally there's only a few minutes to a couple hours difference here)
Advantage: Usenet; while files may become available on BitTorrent shortly before they appear on Usenet you'll have a much better chance at actually getting them; even if you wait weeks or even months.
Security & Privacy
I'm sure you've already heard about the numerous lawsuits from the RIAA and MPAA regarding BitTorrent users. This is a major weakness for BitTorrent because it works by connecting to virtually anyone, regardless of who they are, to either upload the file to them or request it from them. Because of this it's very easy to obtain the IP Address of a person sharing specific files on BitTorrent. While you may be able to use BitTorrent anonymously you'll only end up making your downloads much slower in the process. To make matters worse, there have been cases where the RIAA has sued someone even when the file being shared isn't owned by them. So if you think you're safe downloading that CD from an artist not owned by the RIAA, think again. Meanwhile, Usenet is virtually anonymous. Your ISP may be able to see what you're downloading but there has never been a case of an ISP actually doing so. Furthermore, many of the major Usenet providers now offer encrypted service. Depending on the Usenet provider this is either free or may cost a small amount extra. With an encrypted connection the only thing your ISP will see is that you're using Usenet. That's it. Clearly, and without question, Usenet has the advantage here.
Advantage: Usenet
Ease of Use
A few years ago this would have been a simple answer; BitTorrent. Usenet used to be complicated and difficult to get started. It required a lot of research just to get started and even then finding files was very time consuming and difficult. Fortunately, those days are a thing of the past. For example, many user-friendly Usenet clients have come around that easily compare to BitTorrent clients. The one that sticks out the most in this respect is Newsleecher. Also, NZB file's make finding files on Usenet virtually painless. Let me give you an example, normally on BitTorrent you would download a .Torrent file via your favorite BitTorrent site, open it, and your BitTorrent client would automatically open up and start downloading the requested file. With Usenet everything is pretty much the same now except rather than finding using a .Torrent file you would locate a NZB file for whatever it is you're looking for. Many NZB websites have popped up over the last few years. The only difference is many torrents download the files in an uncompressed format. For example, if you're downloading a CD once the download finishes you would be left with Mp3's and no further user action would be needed. Unfortunately, files from Usenet must first be checked for errors, using software like QuickPAR, repair if needed, and then finally extract. Luckily, many Usenet clients have automated this task. Unfortunately, while this may be a great feature many clients sometimes have issues doing this with certain files. It works most of the time but you sometimes get files that simply refuse to automatically repair and extract and you've got to do it manually instead. Because of this I'd have to give a slight advantage to BitTorrent. However, Usenet clients continue to evolve so it won't be this way forever. Also, repairing files and extracting them is very easy to do yourself so I wouldn't worry too much about this.
Advantage: BitTorrent; although very slight
Conclusion
While BitTorrent may be the most popular form of file-sharing it certainly isn't the best. Like most things you get what you pay for and Usenet is no exception. Assuming you don't mind paying for Usenet you'll find it outperforms BitTorrent in almost all aspects covered here. While BitTorrent has a slight advantage when it comes to ease-of-use and doesn't cost anything you'll discover Usenet is well worth the cost. Just take some time to research Usenet a bit and you'll have no trouble at all. Take a look at some of these articles and you'll be a Usenet pro in no time.
