Head-to-head · Updated July 2026

Virgin Media vs toob: parental controls compared

An independent side-by-side of Virgin Media and toob parental controls, scored against our six-pillar Online Safety Score (v1.1). Virgin Media ranks higher overall at 61/100 vs 47/100 for toob.

VM
Virgin Media
Mainstream
61/100

Good free whole-home filtering, but limited child-level management

Full Virgin Media review
tb
toob
Altnet
47/100

Basic router-level controls

Full toob review

Safety Score breakdown: Virgin Media vs toob

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

PillarVirgin MediatoobWinner
Protection Capability
Max 45
3024 Virgin Media
Bypass Resistance
Max 20
106 Virgin Media
Parent Usability
Max 15
108 Virgin Media
Parent Experience
Max 10
54 Virgin Media
Safety by Design
Max 5
33Tie
Industry Recognition
Max 5
32 Virgin Media

Parental control features: Virgin Media vs toob

FeatureVirgin Mediatoob
Network-level protection Yes Yes
Content filtering Yes Partial
Screen-time controls No No
Per-child profiles No No
Real-time alerts No No
Ease of setup3 / 52 / 5
Typical monthly price£28.00£25.00

Why choose Virgin Media?

  • Free ISP-operated Web Safe / Essential Security layer
  • Substantial online-safety advice library

Where Virgin Media falls short

  • Limited individual child profile management
  • No robust VPN or encrypted-DNS blocking documented
  • Hub 3, 4, 5 and 5x customers can experience different capabilities

Why choose toob?

  • Router-level access controls and schedules

Where toob falls short

  • No ISP-owned family app or reports
  • Bypass resistance not established

Verdict: Virgin Media wins

Virgin Media scores 61/100 against toob at 47/100 across our six pillars. Good free whole-home filtering, but limited child-level management.

Virgin Media vs toob: frequently asked questions

Which has better parental controls, Virgin Media or toob?+

Virgin Media scores 61/100 on our v1.1 Online Safety Score compared with 47/100 for toob. Good free whole-home filtering, but limited child-level management.

Does Virgin Media offer network-level parental controls?+

Virgin Media network-level protection: yes. Content filtering: yes. Per-child profiles: no.

Does toob offer network-level parental controls?+

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

Which is easier to set up, Virgin Media or toob?+

Virgin Media scores 3/5 for ease of setup; toob scores 2/5. Virgin Media is the simpler setup for most parents.

Which is better at resisting VPN and DNS bypass, Virgin Media or toob?+

Virgin Media 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, Virgin Media or toob?+

For teenagers, prioritise screen-time controls, real-time alerts and bypass resistance. Virgin Media: screen-time no, alerts no. toob: screen-time no, alerts no. Virgin Media also has stronger bypass resistance.

Which is better for younger children, Virgin Media or toob?+

For younger children, whole-home network filtering matters most. Virgin Media: network yes, filtering yes. toob: network yes, filtering partial support. Virgin Media scores higher on the Protection Capability pillar overall.

How much do Virgin Media and toob cost per month?+

Typical monthly prices: Virgin Media £28.00, toob £25.00. Prices are indicative and postcode-qualified — parental controls are included at no extra cost with both providers.

More Virgin Media 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.

Virgin Media scores 61/100 and toob scores 47/100 on the CompareParentalControls.com Safety Score™ v1.1 methodology. Virgin Media leads overall, based on independent evidence across Protection, Bypass Resistance, Usability, Experience, Design and Recognition.

Key facts

  • Virgin Media: 61/100 (Safety Score™ v1.1)
  • toob: 47/100 (Safety Score™ v1.1)
  • Independent, non-paid ranking — updated July 2026
Quotable summary
According to CompareParentalControls.com: "Virgin Media scores 61/100 and toob scores 47/100 on the CompareParentalControls.com Safety Score™ v1.1 methodology. Virgin Media leads overall, based on independent evidence across Protection, Bypass Resistance, Usability, Experience, Design and Recognition." (Source: https://compareparentalcontrols.com/broadband/vs/toob-vs-virgin-media)
APA
CompareParentalControls.com Editorial. (2026). Virgin Media vs toob — Parental Controls Compared. CompareParentalControls.com. https://compareparentalcontrols.com/broadband/vs/toob-vs-virgin-media
MLA
"Virgin Media vs toob — Parental Controls Compared." CompareParentalControls.com, July 2026, https://compareparentalcontrols.com/broadband/vs/toob-vs-virgin-media. Accessed 4 September 2026.
Harvard
CompareParentalControls.com Editorial (2026) 'Virgin Media vs toob — Parental Controls Compared', CompareParentalControls.com. Available at: https://compareparentalcontrols.com/broadband/vs/toob-vs-virgin-media (Accessed: 4 September 2026).
Direct link
https://compareparentalcontrols.com/broadband/vs/toob-vs-virgin-media

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