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    NZBHydra2 Review

    NZBHydra2 logo

    NZBHydra2 is free software that searches all your NZB indexers at once. You add the indexers you use, type in one search, and it gives you back one list of results from all of them. It’s the newer version of NZBHydra, which started in 2015, and NZBHydra2 has been around since 2018. It’s still being worked on too, version 8.9.0 came out in July 2026. If you need indexers to add, see our reviews of the major NZB sites.

    Highlighted Features

    Here’s what NZBHydra2 does:

    • Searches Binsearch, NZBIndex and newznab indexers all at once
    • Puts the results from all of them into one list
    • Logins and more than one user
    • RSS support
    • Lots of settings you can change
    • Open source and free to use
    • Works with Sonarr, Radarr, NZBGet and SABnzbd
    • Stats on NZB age, download shares, how fast each indexer answers and more

    Easynews is our top choice among the best NZB search options. It’s an all-in-one service. You get unlimited high-speed Usenet access plus its own search, and the results are really accurate. It’s easy to use. You log into your Easynews account, type in the search bar and hit enter.

    Other features:

      • Highest retention rates / largest Usenet archive
      • Retention grows daily (no Usenet posts are expired)
      • Fast and accurate results
      • Easy to use, fully customizable search interface
      • No NZBs, indexers, or newsreaders needed
      • Can be accessed from any device (mobile and desktop)

    It also saves you paying for a bunch of NZB indexers. You get unlimited access and unlimited Usenet search with your Easynews account.

    Exclusively through Usenet.com: Get 3 FREE Months of Easynews – Includes 30 day MBG + Free Upgrade to Unlimited (normally 150GB/mo)

    NZB & Retention

    NZBHydra2 doesn’t have NZBs of its own, it pulls results from the NZB indexers you add. So how many NZBs you can find and how far back they go depends on those indexers. Your provider matters too, because it has to still have the files. UsenetServer keeps 6,585+ days.

    Is NZBHydra2 Free?

    NZBHydra2 is open source and free, there are no limits. Some of the indexers you add might cost money though, a lot of the good ones have a paid tier.

    Is NZBHydra2 Easy to Use?

    NZBHydra2 is made for people who like to tinker. There are tons of settings, so it can be a lot if you’re new. Once you get the hang of it, it’s easy to use. It has a dark theme too, which is nice at night. If you’ve used this kind of software before, you’ll pick it up fast.

    Searching

    NZBHydra2 lets you pick which indexers to search. It works with Binsearch, NZBIndex and newznab indexers. You can also search by IMDB, TMDB or TVDB IDs, that’s how Sonarr and Radarr find the right show or movie. It only shows the first 100 results. You can click “Load More” or “Load All” to see the rest, but that can use up more of your API hits on the indexers.

    NZBHydra2 Search Options

    There are lots of ways to narrow a search down:

    • Tick or untick the indexers you want for that search, like SimplyNZB or whatever else you’ve added.
    • Set a minimum and maximum age for the NZBs.
    • Set a minimum and maximum size.
    • Search in one category, which is really handy.

    NZBHydra2 search options

    Search Results

    When you hit search, NZBHydra2 sends it to each indexer and gathers up what comes back. A box pops up showing how it’s going. When it’s done you’ll see:

    • Title of the NZB
    • Which indexer it came from
    • Category
    • Size
    • Grabs
    • Age
    • Links

    It shows 100 results at a time, and next to the “Load more” button it tells you how many more there are.

    How to Install and Use NZBHydra2

    To install it, download the latest release from the GitHub page for NZBHydra2. There are versions for Windows and Linux, and a lot of people run it in Docker. The GitHub page tells you if your version needs Java installed first.

    • Download the file for your system.
    • Extract it and run NZBHydra2.
    • Follow the steps to set it up.
    • Once it’s set up, you can start using it.

    Here’s how you use it:

    • Open NZBHydra2, it runs in your web browser.
    • Type what you’re looking for and pick your indexers. The first time, you’ll need to add your indexers in the settings.
    • Click “Go” to start the search.
    • A box shows you how the search is going, then your results come up.
    • Click the one you want and send it to your newsreader, like Newsbin, or to SABnzbd or NZBGet.
    • Your newsreader downloads it. You’ll need a Usenet provider for that part. We use UsenetServer for its retention and speed, see our UsenetServer review.

    NZBHydra2 search results screen

    Is NZBHydra2 Safe?

    NZBHydra2 is open source under the Apache 2.0 license, so anyone can look at the code and check it for problems. The developer says not to put it straight on the internet. Keep it on your home network, or put it behind a reverse proxy with a login if you need to reach it from outside. Newer versions also let you log in with authentik or Keycloak. If you don’t know how to set that up, just keep it at home.

    Forums

    There’s no official forum, but there’s a subreddit where you can talk to other users. You can also report bugs on the GitHub page.

    Customer Support

    Like most free open source software, there’s no support team. You can ask in the NZBHydra community on Reddit or open an issue on GitHub.

    Conclusion

    NZBHydra2 is really useful if you use more than one indexer. It has tons of features and works with Sonarr, Radarr, NZBGet, SABnzbd, NZB360 and others. The screen is clean and easy to get around. But it’s made for people who’ve done this before, so if you’re new to Usenet it might be a lot at first. If you only use one indexer you probably don’t need it. If you’re trying to get into a good indexer, we have tips on how to get an invite. And for downloading, go with a reliable provider like UsenetServer.