An independent side-by-side of Hey! Broadband and Plusnet parental controls, scored against our six-pillar Online Safety Score (v1.1). Hey! Broadband ranks higher overall at 59/100 vs 48/100 for Plusnet.
Useful free filtering, but limited child-specific control
Full Plusnet reviewHigher awarded points win each pillar. Ties are shown with no badge.
| Pillar | Hey! Broadband | Plusnet | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
Protection Capability Max 45 | 28 | 24 | Hey! Broadband |
Bypass Resistance Max 20 | 9 | 6 | Hey! Broadband |
Parent Usability Max 15 | 10 | 9 | Hey! Broadband |
Parent Experience Max 10 | 6 | 5 | Hey! Broadband |
Safety by Design Max 5 | 3 | 2 | Hey! Broadband |
Industry Recognition Max 5 | 3 | 2 | Hey! Broadband |
| Feature | Hey! Broadband | Plusnet |
|---|---|---|
| Network-level protection | Yes | Yes |
| Content filtering | Yes | Yes |
| Screen-time controls | Partial | No |
| Per-child profiles | Partial | No |
| Real-time alerts | Partial | No |
| Ease of setup | 3 / 5 | 3 / 5 |
| Typical monthly price | £24.00 | £24.00 |
Hey! Broadband scores 59/100 against Plusnet at 48/100 across our six pillars. Moderate, hardware-dependent controls.
Hey! Broadband scores 59/100 on our v1.1 Online Safety Score compared with 48/100 for Plusnet. Moderate, hardware-dependent controls.
Hey! Broadband network-level protection: yes. Content filtering: yes. Per-child profiles: partial support.
Plusnet network-level protection: yes. Content filtering: yes. Per-child profiles: no.
Hey! Broadband scores 3/5 for ease of setup; Plusnet scores 3/5. Both are equivalent for everyday parents.
Hey! Broadband 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. Hey! Broadband: screen-time partial support, alerts partial support. Plusnet: screen-time no, alerts no. Hey! Broadband also has stronger bypass resistance.
For younger children, whole-home network filtering matters most. Hey! Broadband: network yes, filtering yes. Plusnet: network yes, filtering yes. Hey! Broadband scores higher on the Protection Capability pillar overall.
Typical monthly prices: Hey! Broadband £24.00, Plusnet £24.00. 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.
Hey! Broadband scores 59/100 and Plusnet scores 48/100 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.
Updated July 2026. Methodology: Safety Score™ v1.1. CompareParentalControls.com is an independent UK publication and does not accept paid rankings.