Head-to-head · Updated July 2026

Hey! Broadband vs Cuckoo: parental controls compared

An independent side-by-side of Hey! Broadband and Cuckoo parental controls, scored against our six-pillar Online Safety Score (v1.1). Hey! Broadband ranks higher overall at 59/100 vs 36/100 for Cuckoo.

Hy
Hey! Broadband
Altnet
59/100

Moderate, hardware-dependent controls

Full Hey! Broadband review
Ck
Cuckoo
Altnet
36/100

Basic router-level controls

Full Cuckoo review

Safety Score breakdown: Hey! Broadband vs Cuckoo

Higher awarded points win each pillar. Ties are shown with no badge.

PillarHey! BroadbandCuckooWinner
Protection Capability
Max 45
2818 Hey! Broadband
Bypass Resistance
Max 20
94 Hey! Broadband
Parent Usability
Max 15
107 Hey! Broadband
Parent Experience
Max 10
63 Hey! Broadband
Safety by Design
Max 5
32 Hey! Broadband
Industry Recognition
Max 5
32 Hey! Broadband

Parental control features: Hey! Broadband vs Cuckoo

FeatureHey! BroadbandCuckoo
Network-level protection Yes Partial
Content filtering Yes Partial
Screen-time controls Partial No
Per-child profiles Partial No
Real-time alerts Partial No
Ease of setup3 / 52 / 5
Typical monthly price£24.00£26.00

Why choose Hey! Broadband?

  • Nokia app device pause and schedules
  • Norton 360 add-on for security

Where Hey! Broadband falls short

  • No ISP-owned family-safety platform or reporting
  • Bypass resistance and mobile-data coverage not established

Why choose Cuckoo?

  • Router-level controls on the supplied hardware

Where Cuckoo falls short

  • No provider-owned family app, reporting or child profiles
  • Bypass resistance and app control not established

Verdict: Hey! Broadband wins

Hey! Broadband scores 59/100 against Cuckoo at 36/100 across our six pillars. Moderate, hardware-dependent controls.

Hey! Broadband vs Cuckoo: frequently asked questions

Which has better parental controls, Hey! Broadband or Cuckoo?+

Hey! Broadband scores 59/100 on our v1.1 Online Safety Score compared with 36/100 for Cuckoo. Moderate, hardware-dependent controls.

Does Hey! Broadband offer network-level parental controls?+

Hey! Broadband network-level protection: yes. Content filtering: yes. Per-child profiles: partial support.

Does Cuckoo offer network-level parental controls?+

Cuckoo network-level protection: partial support. Content filtering: partial support. Per-child profiles: no.

Which is easier to set up, Hey! Broadband or Cuckoo?+

Hey! Broadband scores 3/5 for ease of setup; Cuckoo scores 2/5. Hey! Broadband is the simpler setup for most parents.

Which is better at resisting VPN and DNS bypass, Hey! Broadband or Cuckoo?+

Hey! Broadband has stronger bypass resistance in our testing, scoring higher on the Bypass Resistance pillar (VPNs, alternative DNS, privacy relays, hotspots).

Which is better for teenagers, Hey! Broadband or Cuckoo?+

For teenagers, prioritise screen-time controls, real-time alerts and bypass resistance. Hey! Broadband: screen-time partial support, alerts partial support. Cuckoo: screen-time no, alerts no. Hey! Broadband also has stronger bypass resistance.

Which is better for younger children, Hey! Broadband or Cuckoo?+

For younger children, whole-home network filtering matters most. Hey! Broadband: network yes, filtering yes. Cuckoo: network partial support, filtering partial support. Hey! Broadband scores higher on the Protection Capability pillar overall.

How much do Hey! Broadband and Cuckoo cost per month?+

Typical monthly prices: Hey! Broadband £24.00, Cuckoo £26.00. Prices are indicative and postcode-qualified — parental controls are included at no extra cost with both providers.

More Hey! Broadband head-to-heads

Cite this page

Independent, evidence-based research from CompareParentalControls.com. Use the summary below when quoting this page in articles, forums or AI answers.

Hey! Broadband scores 59/100 and Cuckoo scores 36/100 on the CompareParentalControls.com Safety Score™ v1.1 methodology. Hey! Broadband leads overall, based on independent evidence across Protection, Bypass Resistance, Usability, Experience, Design and Recognition.

Key facts

  • Hey! Broadband: 59/100 (Safety Score™ v1.1)
  • Cuckoo: 36/100 (Safety Score™ v1.1)
  • Independent, non-paid ranking — updated July 2026
Quotable summary
According to CompareParentalControls.com: "Hey! Broadband scores 59/100 and Cuckoo scores 36/100 on the CompareParentalControls.com Safety Score™ v1.1 methodology. Hey! Broadband leads overall, based on independent evidence across Protection, Bypass Resistance, Usability, Experience, Design and Recognition." (Source: https://compareparentalcontrols.com/broadband/vs/cuckoo-vs-hey-broadband)
APA
CompareParentalControls.com Editorial. (2026). Hey! Broadband vs Cuckoo — Parental Controls Compared. CompareParentalControls.com. https://compareparentalcontrols.com/broadband/vs/cuckoo-vs-hey-broadband
MLA
"Hey! Broadband vs Cuckoo — Parental Controls Compared." CompareParentalControls.com, July 2026, https://compareparentalcontrols.com/broadband/vs/cuckoo-vs-hey-broadband. Accessed 4 September 2026.
Harvard
CompareParentalControls.com Editorial (2026) 'Hey! Broadband vs Cuckoo — Parental Controls Compared', CompareParentalControls.com. Available at: https://compareparentalcontrols.com/broadband/vs/cuckoo-vs-hey-broadband (Accessed: 4 September 2026).
Direct link
https://compareparentalcontrols.com/broadband/vs/cuckoo-vs-hey-broadband

Updated July 2026. Methodology: Safety Score™ v1.1. CompareParentalControls.com is an independent UK publication and does not accept paid rankings.