An independent side-by-side of EE and Zen Internet parental controls, scored against our six-pillar Online Safety Score (v1.1). EE ranks higher overall at 74/100 vs 62/100 for Zen Internet.
Strong modern router controls, with hub and app consistency caveats
Full EE reviewCapable router-platform controls, but vendor-led and package-dependent
Full Zen Internet reviewHigher awarded points win each pillar. Ties are shown with no badge.
| Pillar | EE | Zen Internet | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
Protection Capability Max 45 | 33 | 30 | EE |
Bypass Resistance Max 20 | 13 | 9 | EE |
Parent Usability Max 15 | 12 | 11 | EE |
Parent Experience Max 10 | 9 | 6 | EE |
Safety by Design Max 5 | 3 | 3 | Tie |
Industry Recognition Max 5 | 4 | 3 | EE |
| Feature | EE | Zen Internet |
|---|---|---|
| Network-level protection | Yes | Yes |
| Content filtering | Yes | Yes |
| Screen-time controls | Partial | Partial |
| Per-child profiles | No | Yes |
| Real-time alerts | Partial | Partial |
| Ease of setup | 4 / 5 | 3 / 5 |
| Typical monthly price | £30.00 | £35.00 |
EE scores 74/100 against Zen Internet at 62/100 across our six pillars. Strong modern router controls, with hub and app consistency caveats.
EE scores 74/100 on our v1.1 Online Safety Score compared with 62/100 for Zen Internet. Strong modern router controls, with hub and app consistency caveats.
EE network-level protection: yes. Content filtering: yes. Per-child profiles: no.
Zen Internet network-level protection: yes. Content filtering: yes. Per-child profiles: yes.
EE scores 4/5 for ease of setup; Zen Internet scores 3/5. EE is the simpler setup for most parents.
EE 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. EE: screen-time partial support, alerts partial support. Zen Internet: screen-time partial support, alerts partial support. EE also has stronger bypass resistance.
For younger children, whole-home network filtering matters most. EE: network yes, filtering yes. Zen Internet: network yes, filtering yes. EE scores higher on the Protection Capability pillar overall.
Typical monthly prices: EE £30.00, Zen Internet £35.00. 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.
EE scores 74/100 and Zen Internet scores 62/100 on the CompareParentalControls.com Safety Score™ v1.1 methodology. EE 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.