Plusnet Broadband review: Decent value, but falling behind on speed

Plusnet has ground out a reputation as a solid broadband provider. It won the Expert Reviews Broadband Awards in 2022 and 2023, and registered a solid third place in the rankings this year, just behind Vodafone and Zen Internet.

It achieved a strong set of scores across the different categories in this year’s awards, without claiming a win or a Highly Commended in any category. The broadband‘s best score came in the value for money category, where it notched an 86% satisfaction score, placing third. That’s reflected in the table of tariffs that Plusnet offers (below), where you’ll find that Plusnet is among the cheapest of the providers on test, when you compare like-for-like speeds.

Being BT-owned, Plusnet is rather handcuffed to the Openreach network (also part of the BT Group), which means it can’t match the top speeds offered by rivals such as Vodafone or Zen Internet, who have deals with CityFibre. If outright performance is your priority, it’s probably best to look elsewhere.

However, if you’re a family on a budget looking for reliable broadband, there’s plenty worth considering in Plusnet’s simple range of tariffs.

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Plusnet Broadband review: Fibre

Note: Prices were correct at the time of writing but are liable to change.

The Fibre tariff is for those in fibre-to-the-cabinet areas, who can’t benefit from the triple-digit speeds on offer from full-fibre connections. The stated speed of 66Mbits/sec is the best you’ll get – the top speed may suffer depending on your distance from the cabinet, but Plusnet should give you a reasonable estimate of the speeds you can achieve at the point of sign-up.

All of Plusnet’s fibre connections, including the full-fibre lines below, are supplied with the Hub 2 router. That’s based on Wi-Fi 5 technology which is now two generations old, and might go some way to explain why Plusnet’s speed ratings are merely mediocre. So much of the in-home experience depends on the range and speed of the router equipment. Relying on this older equipment, despite still branding it “new” on its website, is likely to be harming customers’ real-world experience.

Plusnet review: Full Fibre 74, 145, 300, 500 and 900

If you’re in a full-fibre area, you can’t complain about the range of prices of Plusnet’s tariffs.

The cheapest deal starts at £28/mth, but you might as well pay at least a £1 extra per month to double that speed. The sweet spot is probably the Full Fibre 300 line – that’s plenty fast enough for most families and at £31 is very reasonably priced. That said, you can get a 500Mbits/sec line from the award-winning Vodafone for £29/mh, so it’s not the cheapest deal on offer.

The prices listed below are for two-year contracts. However, Plusnet does offer one-year deals, albeit they cost £4/mth extra over the prices quoted below.

Plusnet Broadband review: Coverage

Like the other BT Group providers, EE and BT Broadband, Plusnet is limited to the Openreach network for its fibre connectivity. The good news is that Openreach is by far the biggest fibre network, covering just over half of the UK with full fibre and with plans to reach most of the rest over the next few years. However, if you’re currently outside of the full-fibre footprint, your Plusnet tariff selection is reduced to one: the £28/mth Fibre plan.

If you’re not in a full-fibre region, it might well be worth checking if providers such as Vodafone, Zen Internet and Virgin Media can offer you faster speeds, as they all use alternate networks.

Plusnet Broadband review: Performance and customer satisfaction

Plusnet’s performance across the board is better than average, but just not quite good enough to claim any of our awards.

When it comes to speed, 78% of Plusnet customers are happy with their lot, but rivals such as Vodafone and Zen Internet both offer much faster speeds in some areas and have better speed ratings.

Customer service isn’t bad either. A 53% satisfaction score might not sound amazing, but when the top score of any of the eight providers was 62%, it’s not bad. Plusnet was the third best when it came to customer service, according to our survey.

Reliability is less impressive. A score of 60% leaves it well down the field in sixth place, although the best score of all eight broadband providers on test was 70%, so it’s by no means shameful.

The 86% satisfaction score for value for money shows most of the company’s customers are content with the overall service. Price is by far the biggest attraction for Plusnet customers too – two thirds of those we surveyed said the cost of the broadband plan led them to choose Plusnet.

Plusnet customers also seem reasonably loyal to the brand. More than half of those we surveyed had been with the company for two years or more, the length of the standard contract. A quarter had been with the company for more than five years.

Plusnet Broadband review: Verdict

Plusnet might not have won any trophies in the Expert Reviews Broadband Awards 2025, but it can take pride in a solid all-round performance. It doesn’t particularly shine in any category, but neither are there any areas of major concern. If you’re pulled in by its relatively cheap packages and the simplicity of its offering, you likely won’t be disappointed.

Methodology

Unless otherwise stated, all figures are drawn from a comprehensive survey conducted by Expert Reviews in December 2024, targeting a representative sample of 2,162 UK residents aged 18 and over. This sample size allows for statistically significant analysis across eight internet service providers, ensuring confidence in the results.

The figures are derived from responses to six survey questions targeting value for money, speed, customer service and reliability. We then take an average of these scores to produce an overall satisfaction metric, which we use to name our winner and runner-up.