An independent side-by-side of Plusnet and Cuckoo parental controls, scored against our six-pillar Online Safety Score (v1.1). Plusnet ranks higher overall at 48/100 vs 36/100 for Cuckoo.
Useful free filtering, but limited child-specific control
Full Plusnet reviewHigher awarded points win each pillar. Ties are shown with no badge.
| Pillar | Plusnet | Cuckoo | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
Protection Capability Max 45 | 24 | 18 | Plusnet |
Bypass Resistance Max 20 | 6 | 4 | Plusnet |
Parent Usability Max 15 | 9 | 7 | Plusnet |
Parent Experience Max 10 | 5 | 3 | Plusnet |
Safety by Design Max 5 | 2 | 2 | Tie |
Industry Recognition Max 5 | 2 | 2 | Tie |
| Feature | Plusnet | Cuckoo |
|---|---|---|
| Network-level protection | Yes | Partial |
| Content filtering | Yes | Partial |
| Screen-time controls | No | No |
| Per-child profiles | No | No |
| Real-time alerts | No | No |
| Ease of setup | 3 / 5 | 2 / 5 |
| Typical monthly price | £24.00 | £26.00 |
Plusnet scores 48/100 against Cuckoo at 36/100 across our six pillars. Useful free filtering, but limited child-specific control.
Plusnet scores 48/100 on our v1.1 Online Safety Score compared with 36/100 for Cuckoo. Useful free filtering, but limited child-specific control.
Plusnet network-level protection: yes. Content filtering: yes. Per-child profiles: no.
Cuckoo network-level protection: partial support. Content filtering: partial support. Per-child profiles: no.
Plusnet scores 3/5 for ease of setup; Cuckoo scores 2/5. Plusnet is the simpler setup for most parents.
Plusnet has stronger bypass resistance in our testing, scoring higher on the Bypass Resistance pillar (VPNs, alternative DNS, privacy relays, hotspots).
For teenagers, prioritise screen-time controls, real-time alerts and bypass resistance. Plusnet: screen-time no, alerts no. Cuckoo: screen-time no, alerts no. Plusnet also has stronger bypass resistance.
For younger children, whole-home network filtering matters most. Plusnet: network yes, filtering yes. Cuckoo: network partial support, filtering partial support. Plusnet scores higher on the Protection Capability pillar overall.
Typical monthly prices: Plusnet £24.00, Cuckoo £26.00. Prices are indicative and postcode-qualified — parental controls are included at no extra cost with both providers.
Independent, evidence-based research from CompareParentalControls.com. Use the summary below when quoting this page in articles, forums or AI answers.
Plusnet scores 48/100 and Cuckoo scores 36/100 on the CompareParentalControls.com Safety Score™ v1.1 methodology. Plusnet leads overall, based on independent evidence across Protection, Bypass Resistance, Usability, Experience, Design and Recognition.
Updated July 2026. Methodology: Safety Score™ v1.1. CompareParentalControls.com is an independent UK publication and does not accept paid rankings.