Waiting on a DrunkenSlug Invite? UsenetServer’s Global Search Is 70% Off!
DrunkenSlug is one of the best-liked NZB indexers around, but it’s invite only most of the year. Registration opens for everyone a few times a year, usually not for long, and the rest of the time you need an invite from a member. Once you’re in, the free level is small, and paid plans run from €5 to €20 a year. You’ll also need a Usenet provider to download anything, and we use UsenetServer.
What Is DrunkenSlug?
DrunkenSlug is an automatic indexer. It scans Usenet around the clock and gives you an NZB file for each post it finds, so your newsreader knows where to get the pieces. It’s been running for years, and it also has a big and helpful community, and it’s especially good at finding older posts that other indexers miss. It doesn’t have many extras. Even so, it’s fast and reliable, and there are only a few ads, even for free members. Also, the forum is open to everyone with an account, which is handy if you’re new to Usenet.
How to Get a DrunkenSlug Invite
There are two ways into DrunkenSlug. First, you can catch registration while it’s open. You can check the DrunkenSlug registration page any time. If it’s closed, set a free alert on that page with Visualping, so you get an email when it changes.
Second, you can get an invite from someone who already has a DrunkenSlug account. Members sometimes get invites to hand out, so it’s worth asking in Usenet forums and communities. In addition, our guide on how to get an indexer invite has more tips. Some sites sell DrunkenSlug invites, but indexers often close accounts they find were bought, so we wouldn’t risk it.
Tips for Getting a DrunkenSlug Invite
- Be an active, helpful member in Usenet forums before you ask. People give invites to folks they recognize.
- Ask once, politely, and say why you want one. Don’t spam threads or send lots of private messages.
- Never pay a stranger for an invite. Indexers often close accounts they find were bought.
- Be patient. Invites come and go, and open registration will come around again.
Is DrunkenSlug Registration Open Right Now?
Usually not. Most of the time the registration page says the bar is closed, and it asks people not to contact them for invites. There’s no set schedule for when it opens again, and it can be months between windows. That’s why a page alert is the easiest way to catch it. When it does open, sign up straight away, because it doesn’t stay open for long.
Is There a DrunkenSlug Lifetime Membership?
No, it only sells yearly levels, from €5 to €20 a year. You might see people offering a “lifetime” DrunkenSlug account for sale, but that isn’t something they sell, so we’d stay away from it.
DrunkenSlug Price and Membership Levels
Every DrunkenSlug account starts on the free level, and you can upgrade any time. The levels are named after drinks, and the difference is how many NZBs and API calls you get each day.
| Level | NZBs a day | API calls a day | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water | 5 | a small number | Free |
| Lager | 25 | 250 | €5 a year |
| Ale | 100 | 1,000 | €10 a year |
| Wine | 200 | 2,000 | €20 a year |
DrunkenSlug’s free Water level is fine for trying it out or as a backup indexer. For Sonarr or Radarr, though, Lager or Ale is where most people end up. If you’re not sure which one to pick, start with Lager, and move up to Ale if you keep hitting the daily limit. You can pay by card or with crypto, and paying with crypto has been getting people 15 months instead of 12. Prices can change, so check once you’re in.
Does DrunkenSlug Have a Black Friday Deal?
In past years they’ve run a Black Friday offer of 15 months for the price of 12. We can’t promise it will happen again, but when the Black Friday deals come out, we’ll post the ones we find on our Usenet Black Friday deals page.
Easynews is our top choice among the best NZB search options. It’s a complete all-in-one service with unlimited high-speed Usenet access plus a Usenet search that gives you accurate results. It’s easy to use. Just log into your Easynews account, type what you want into the search bar, and hit enter.
Other features:
- 6,604+ days of retention
- Retention that grows every day
- Fast and accurate results
- Easy to use, fully customizable search interface
- No NZBs, indexers, or newsreaders needed
- Works on any device (mobile and desktop)
It also saves you the hassle and cost of paying for NZB indexers, since you get unlimited access and unlimited Usenet search with your Easynews account.
Exclusively through Usenet.com: Get Easynews for $5.99 a month, 80% off with 3 free months and a 30-day money-back guarantee
Using It With Sonarr, Radarr and SABnzbd
Once you have an account, copy your API key from your profile. Then add DrunkenSlug as a Newznab indexer in Sonarr or Radarr, or in NZBHydra2 if you use more than one indexer. In Sonarr or Radarr, that’s under Settings, then Indexers. Click the plus sign, pick Newznab, and paste in the site’s address and your API key. Then click Test, and if it goes green, save it. After that, your apps search it and send the NZBs to your newsreader on their own. Our SABnzbd review shows how that side is set up.
How an Indexer Fits Into Your Usenet Setup
It helps to know where DrunkenSlug fits, because it’s only one part of the setup.
- DrunkenSlug finds the post you want and gives you an NZB file.
- Your newsreader, like SABnzbd, opens that NZB file.
- Then your newsreader downloads the pieces from your Usenet provider.
- Finally, the newsreader puts the pieces back together into your file.
So the indexer alone can’t download anything, and a provider alone won’t always help you find things. You need both, unless you pick a provider with its own search.
Can’t Log In to DrunkenSlug?
You log in at drunkenslug.com with the username and password you picked when you joined. We aren’t part of the site, so we can’t help with accounts. But if the site won’t load at all, it’s often a short outage, so try again a little later. And if your apps stop getting results, check that your API key hasn’t changed and that you haven’t used up your daily limit.
DrunkenSlug vs NZBgeek vs NZBPlanet
These three come up together a lot, and the big difference is how easy they are to join.
| Indexer | How you get in | Price |
|---|---|---|
| DrunkenSlug | Open registration or an invite | Free, or €5 to €20 a year |
| NZBgeek | Open to everyone | $12 a year |
| NZBPlanet | Invite, or buy premium | Premium without an invite |
So if you can’t get into DrunkenSlug yet, NZBgeek is the easy one to join today. Plenty of people use two indexers at once through NZBHydra2, so you don’t have to pick just one.
Who Should Use DrunkenSlug?
It’s a great pick if you use Sonarr or Radarr and want a reliable indexer that’s good at finding older posts. It’s also cheap as a second indexer next to NZBgeek. But if you’re brand new to Usenet and want to start today, the wait for an invite can be frustrating. In that case, start with an open indexer or a provider with its own search, and add it when you get the chance.
Don’t Want to Wait? Search Usenet Without an Indexer
You don’t need an indexer at all if your Usenet provider has its own search. Easynews lets you search and download right in your web browser, with previews, so there’s no NZB file to deal with. It’s $5.99 a month through our link, with 3 free months. UsenetServer includes Global Search, which searches every group and builds the NZB file for you. That’s also $5.99 a month with 3 free months. Either one gets you searching today, and you can still add an indexer later when registration opens. Our Easynews review and UsenetServer review explain how each search works.
Is DrunkenSlug Worth It?
Yes, as long as you can get in. It’s cheap, reliable and great for older posts, and it works well as a second indexer. However, the only real downside is the wait for an invite or open registration. If you want something you can join today, NZBgeek is $12 a year and open to everyone, and NZBPlanet lets you buy a premium account without an invite. Otherwise, our best NZB sites list has more.
You Will Need a Provider Too
DrunkenSlug only finds the files, because the downloading runs through a Usenet provider, which is a separate account. If you don’t have one yet, UsenetServer is the one we use, and it’s 70% off for our readers with 3 free months on the yearly plan and a free VPN. Here are the three we’d pair with DrunkenSlug.
- UsenetServer: $5.99 a month for 12 months plus 3 free, with 55 connections, Global Search and a free VPN.
- Newshosting: $5.99 a month for 15 months, with 100 connections, a newsreader with search and a free VPN.
- Easynews: $5.99 a month for 15 months, with 60 connections and search in your web browser.
You can compare the rest on our best Usenet providers page, or read our Newshosting review.
DrunkenSlug FAQs
Is DrunkenSlug free?
Yes, there’s a free Water level with 5 NZBs a day. But you still need to get in through open registration or an invite first.
What is a DrunkenSlug invite?
It’s a code from an existing member that lets you make an account while registration is closed. Members only get a few, so ask politely and don’t pay strangers for one.
Is DrunkenSlug safe to use?
DrunkenSlug only gives you NZB files, which are small text files that point to posts on Usenet. The download itself comes from your Usenet provider. So use a provider with SSL, keep your API key private, and don’t share your account.
What is the DrunkenSlug API key for?
It’s what lets Sonarr, Radarr or NZBHydra2 search DrunkenSlug for you. Each level has a daily limit on API calls, so a busy setup may need Lager or Ale.
Is DrunkenSlug down?
If it won’t load, give it a little while and try again. If you need to keep downloading in the meantime, a second indexer or a provider with its own search keeps you going.
What does “the bar is closed” mean?
It’s DrunkenSlug’s way of saying registration is closed right now. You can only join with an invite until it opens again.
How do I know when registration opens?
Set a free alert on the registration page with Visualping. Then you’ll get an email as soon as the page changes, so you don’t have to keep checking.
Do I need a VPN?
No, you don’t need one for the indexer. But if you want a VPN anyway, all three provider deals above come with one free.
How much does DrunkenSlug cost?
The free Water level costs nothing. Paid levels are Lager at €5 a year, Ale at €10 a year and Wine at €20 a year.
Can I use it on my phone?
Yes, through an app that talks to your setup at home, like nzb360 on Android. You can also use the website in your phone’s browser.
Can I use DrunkenSlug with NZBHydra2?
Yes. Add it in NZBHydra2 with your API key, and NZBHydra2 will search it along with your other indexers.