SABnzbd
$18.00 / month with a 7-day free trial and a $1.00 sign-up fee
Hosted SABnzbd — the classic Usenet downloader, with your cloud storage as the destination.
A managed SABnzbd instance hosted on ElfHosted. Sonarr/Radarr/Lidarr/Readarr push NZBs to SABnzbd, which downloads, repairs, and unpacks them into your connected cloud storage (Google Drive, OneDrive, S3, B2, anything rclone supports). Files actually land — unlike NzbDav‘s stream-in-place model. Bring your own Usenet provider account.
The Usenet downloader you've already used in three home-lab setups, except now somebody else keeps it running and the files land in cloud storage instead of on a NAS that needs babysitting.
What is SABnzbd?
SABnzbd is the long-running, deeply battle-tested Usenet binary downloader. You point it at one or more Usenet providers, hand it NZBs (manually or via Sonarr/Radarr/Lidarr/Readarr), and it downloads, verifies par2 integrity, repairs, and unpacks the resulting files. Decades of community-maintained scripts and integrations mean almost any automation tool already speaks SABnzbd.
This is a hosted SABnzbd instance on ElfHosted. The downloads land in cloud storage you connect (Google Drive, OneDrive, S3, Backblaze B2, anything rclone-compatible) — not on a local server you have to maintain.
Key Features
- 📥 Real downloads, not streams: NZBs are fetched, verified, repaired, and unpacked into actual files. Unlike NzbDav, this is the traditional download workflow.
- 🔌 Sonarr/Radarr/Lidarr/Readarr ready: the canonical Usenet download client for the *arr family. Drop in API key, done.
- ☁️ Cloud-storage destination: rclone-mount any bucket (Google Drive, OneDrive, S3, B2, Wasabi, etc.) as the SABnzbd download folder. Files land in your storage, not ours.
- 🩺 Auto-repair via par2: SABnzbd's par2 handling fixes corrupt and incomplete downloads automatically — fewer Sonarr-failed grabs.
- 🌐 Multi-provider support: primary plus backup Usenet providers, with automatic failover and per-server retention rules.
- 📜 Mature scripting: post-processing scripts, category-based folders, custom notification hooks — all the SABnzbd ecosystem you already know.
- 🔄 Updates handled: ElfHosted keeps SABnzbd current; you focus on your library.
SABnzbd vs NzbDav
Both are Usenet download clients with SABnzbd-compatible APIs. The difference is what happens to the bytes:
- SABnzbd (this product) — actually downloads NZBs to your storage. Files exist on disk-equivalent storage. Any media server, any post-processing, any local-file workflow.
- NzbDav — exposes NZBs as a virtual WebDAV filesystem. Bytes don't land — your media server streams from Usenet on demand.
Pick SABnzbd if you want files in your cloud storage (e.g. for Plex/Jellyfin scanners that prefer real files, or for retaining content past Usenet retention windows). Pick NzbDav if you want a zero-storage streaming-only workflow.
Why Run SABnzbd on ElfHosted?
SABnzbd is fine to self-host until your downloads outgrow your server's disk, your home connection caps the throughput your Usenet provider could deliver, or you're tired of an at-home server breaking on every par2 repair. ElfHosted's hosted SABnzbd handles all of that:
- Symmetric server bandwidth — pulls from Usenet at provider speed, not at home-line speed.
- Cloud-storage destination — your Google Drive / OneDrive / S3 / B2 holds the files, not a local disk.
- SSO and HTTPS on your ElfHosted subdomain — no port-forwarding for the SABnzbd UI.
- Updates and dependency management handled — fewer 4am SABnzbd config migrations.
Technical Specifications
- 🛠️ Software: SABnzbd
- 🔌 Talks to: Sonarr, Radarr, Lidarr, Readarr (native SABnzbd download-client integration)
- ☁️ Download destination: bring your own cloud storage (rclone-mounted) — Google Drive, OneDrive, S3, Backblaze B2, Wasabi, etc.
- 📡 Bandwidth: 125Mbps
- 🔑 Subscription: Usenet provider account required (paid directly to your provider — ElfHosted does not resell Usenet)
- 🌐 Access: hosted on your ElfHosted subdomain with TLS and SSO
- 🔄 Updates: handled by ElfHosted
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a Usenet provider subscription?
Yes. SABnzbd reads NZBs from your Usenet provider — bring your own account from any reputable provider. ElfHosted does not resell Usenet access.
Where do the downloaded files go?
To cloud storage you connect to the instance — Google Drive, OneDrive, S3, Backblaze B2, Wasabi, or any rclone-supported backend. ElfHosted doesn't bundle storage; you bring the account, we mount it as the SABnzbd download path.
How is this different from NzbDav?
SABnzbd actually downloads NZBs to disk-equivalent storage. NzbDav streams them in place via WebDAV without writing files. Use SABnzbd for traditional file-based workflows; use NzbDav for stream-only.
Will Sonarr/Radarr work with this?
Yes. SABnzbd is the canonical Usenet download client for the *arr family. Configure it as a download client with your SABnzbd API key and you're set.
Can I use this without a *arr stack?
Sure — SABnzbd has its own web UI for adding NZBs manually. But most users get the most out of it as part of an automation flow.
What if a download is corrupt?
SABnzbd uses par2 parity files to detect and repair corrupt or incomplete downloads automatically. Most issues are resolved without intervention.
Hosted SABnzbd is the classic Usenet downloader, run for you, dropping files into your cloud storage. The right pick when you want actual files on disk-equivalent storage rather than a stream-in-place workflow. Bring your Usenet provider; we run the rest.
Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.
Related products
Zurg [Standalone]
Real-Debrid as a real filesystem — for the media server you already have.
A managed Zurg instance that turns your Real-Debrid account into a browseable WebDAV filesystem. Plex, Jellyfin, Emby, Infuse, Kodi — anything that reads files — sees your RD library as a normal mount. No media server included; if you want Zurg + a media server bundled, look at Zurgling instead. Bring your own Real-Debrid subscription.
NzbDav [Standalone]
Add Usenet to a Personal Media Stack that came with Decypharr — without doubling your storage bill.
A managed NzbDav instance: a virtual filesystem that exposes your Usenet library over WebDAV, so Sonarr/Radarr can stream NZBs in place instead of downloading them. If your Personal Media Stack shipped with Decypharr (the Real-Debrid side), NzbDav adds Usenet alongside it — same arr stack, two content sources. Bring your own Usenet provider account.
Decypharr [Standalone]
Add Real-Debrid to a Personal Media Stack that came with NzbDav — without changing what already works.
A managed Decypharr instance: a qBittorrent-API shim that routes Sonarr, Radarr, Lidarr, and Readarr requests to your Real-Debrid account. If your Personal Media Stack shipped with NzbDav (the Usenet side), Decypharr adds Real-Debrid alongside it — same arr stack, two content sources. Bring your own Real-Debrid subscription.
Webtor
Stream torrent content in your browser — no client, no downloads, no exposing your home IP to swarms.
A managed Webtor instance hosted on ElfHosted. Drop in a magnet link or .torrent and stream the contents directly in your browser, mount the torrent library over WebDAV for native players (Infuse, Kodi, VLC), or grab files as a single ZIP. All peer-to-peer traffic happens server-side — your home IP never touches the swarm.
CatBox [Standalone]
The TorBox-safe way to plug Sonarr/Radarr into a Plex/Jellyfin/Emby library — without violating TorBox's 30-day retention policy. Bring your own TorBox account.
A managed CatBox instance: a TorBox-backed library shim that fills the same role Decypharr plays for Real-Debrid, but with an architecture designed specifically for TorBox's policies. Sonarr/Radarr submit releases via the qBittorrent API, CatBox virtualises them as symlinks, and only materialises the real file in your TorBox account when you actually press play.
This standalone CatBox does not include a TorBox subscription — you bring your own paid TorBox account and paste the API key into CatBox. If you'd like TorBox included in the price, see the Hobbit / Ranger / Halfling / Nazgul bundles with the TorBox variation — those ship CatBox + TorBox + arrs + media server as one bundled stack.
Reviews
Clear filtersThere are no reviews yet.