An independent side-by-side of Zen Internet and Hey! Broadband parental controls, scored against our six-pillar Online Safety Score (v1.1). Zen Internet ranks higher overall at 62/100 vs 59/100 for Hey! Broadband.
Capable 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 | Zen Internet | Hey! Broadband | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
Protection Capability Max 45 | 30 | 28 | Zen Internet |
Bypass Resistance Max 20 | 9 | 9 | Tie |
Parent Usability Max 15 | 11 | 10 | Zen Internet |
Parent Experience Max 10 | 6 | 6 | Tie |
Safety by Design Max 5 | 3 | 3 | Tie |
Industry Recognition Max 5 | 3 | 3 | Tie |
| Feature | Zen Internet | Hey! Broadband |
|---|---|---|
| Network-level protection | Yes | Yes |
| Content filtering | Yes | Yes |
| Screen-time controls | Partial | Partial |
| Per-child profiles | Yes | Partial |
| Real-time alerts | Partial | Partial |
| Ease of setup | 3 / 5 | 3 / 5 |
| Typical monthly price | £35.00 | £24.00 |
Zen Internet scores 62/100 against Hey! Broadband at 59/100 across our six pillars. Capable router-platform controls, but vendor-led and package-dependent.
Zen Internet scores 62/100 on our v1.1 Online Safety Score compared with 59/100 for Hey! Broadband. Capable router-platform controls, but vendor-led and package-dependent.
Zen Internet network-level protection: yes. Content filtering: yes. Per-child profiles: yes.
Hey! Broadband network-level protection: yes. Content filtering: yes. Per-child profiles: partial support.
Zen Internet scores 3/5 for ease of setup; Hey! Broadband scores 3/5. Both are equivalent for everyday parents.
Zen Internet and Hey! Broadband score equally for bypass resistance across VPNs, alternative DNS and privacy relays.
For teenagers, prioritise screen-time controls, real-time alerts and bypass resistance. Zen Internet: screen-time partial support, alerts partial support. Hey! Broadband: screen-time partial support, alerts partial support.
For younger children, whole-home network filtering matters most. Zen Internet: network yes, filtering yes. Hey! Broadband: network yes, filtering yes. Zen Internet scores higher on the Protection Capability pillar overall.
Typical monthly prices: Zen Internet £35.00, Hey! Broadband £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.
Zen Internet scores 62/100 and Hey! Broadband scores 59/100 on the CompareParentalControls.com Safety Score™ v1.1 methodology. Zen Internet 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.