Plusnet Broadband Review UK 2026: Worth Switching?

Plusnet has built its reputation on one simple promise: cheap broadband with a human being at the end of the phone. Owned by BT but priced well below its parent, Plusnet sits in an interesting niche — budget positioning with a reliability story that most budget providers can’t match. But is it actually worth switching to in 2026? We’ve dug into the packages, prices, router, customer service data, and how it stacks up against TalkTalk, EE, and BT to give you a straight answer.

Plusnet at a Glance: Quick Verdict

Plusnet is one of the cheapest ways to get full-fibre broadband in the UK right now. It runs on the Openreach network — the same physical cables as BT, Sky, and EE — but charges noticeably less per month. The trade-off is a basic router and a 24-month contract with annual price rises baked in. Here’s the summary before we get into the detail.

Feature	Plusnet
Cheapest package	~£22.99/mo (Full Fibre 145, prices checked July 2026)
Top speed	900Mbps (Full Fibre 900)
Contract length	24 months only
Setup fee	£0 on all packages
Router	Plusnet Hub Two (Wi-Fi 5)
Phone line	Not available to new customers
TV bundle	Not available
Ofcom complaints	4 per 100,000 (lowest of major providers)
UK customer service	Yes — Yorkshire-based
Network	Openreach (BT infrastructure)

Plusnet Broadband Packages and Prices (July 2026)

Plusnet currently offers two types of broadband: standard fibre (FTTC, which runs fibre to your local cabinet and copper the rest of the way) and full fibre (FTTP, which runs fibre directly to your home). All packages come on 24-month contracts with no setup fee and include the Plusnet Hub Two router. Prices checked July 2026 — use the postcode checker on plus.net to confirm current pricing in your area.

Package	Type	Avg Speed	Price/mo	Reward Card
Fibre	FTTC	66Mbps down / 18Mbps up	~£22.99	~£90
Full Fibre 74	FTTP	74Mbps down	~£20.99	varies
Full Fibre 145	FTTP	145Mbps down	~£22.99	~£155
Full Fibre 300	FTTP	300Mbps down	~£23.99	~£130
Full Fibre 500	FTTP	500Mbps down	~£26.99	~£130
Full Fibre 900	FTTP	900Mbps down	~£29.99	~£100

Which package should you choose? For most households, the Full Fibre 145 is the sweet spot. It costs about the same as the entry-level FTTC Fibre package, gives you nearly twice the speed, and typically comes with a higher reward card — making it the better deal outright if full fibre is available in your street. If you’re a heavier user with multiple 4K streams, video calls, and cloud uploads happening simultaneously, step up to the Full Fibre 300 for just £1/month more.

A word on the annual price rise: Plusnet locks in a £4/month increase every 31 March for the duration of your contract. On a 24-month deal signed in July 2026, that means one rise (March 2027) before your contract ends. Factor that in: a deal at £22.99/mo today becomes £26.99/mo from March 2027. This is now standard practice across the industry, but it’s worth knowing upfront rather than being surprised by the letter nine months later.

Plusnet Speeds and Network Performance

Plusnet runs on the Openreach network — the same physical infrastructure used by BT, Sky, EE, and TalkTalk. This means your actual speeds depend on the quality of the Openreach infrastructure in your area, not anything specific to Plusnet. In practice, that’s reassuring: Openreach covers around 96% of UK premises for standard fibre, and its full-fibre rollout is expanding rapidly.

For the FTTC (standard fibre) package, you’ll get an average of around 66Mbps download and 18Mbps upload. That’s enough for a typical household — you can stream 4K on two or three screens simultaneously, handle video calls, and browse without bottlenecks. If you’re in a busy household with four or five people all hammering the connection at once, the Full Fibre 145 or 300 will serve you better.

The full fibre (FTTP) packages push significantly higher upload speeds than FTTC — Full Fibre 145 gives symmetrical-ish speeds, meaning uploads are much faster than the 18Mbps you get on standard fibre. This matters if you work from home, regularly backup to the cloud, or upload video content. If you want to know how much speed you actually need for your household, our guide breaks down the numbers by use case.

One thing to note: Plusnet’s FTTP availability depends entirely on whether Openreach has laid full-fibre cables in your street. In many urban areas, you’ll have a choice of all six packages. In rural or less developed areas, you may only have the standard Fibre option — or potentially nothing at all if Openreach hasn’t reached you yet. Always check with the postcode tool before switching.

Plusnet Customer Service: Better Than You’d Expect

Customer service is where Plusnet genuinely punches above its weight. For a budget provider, the numbers are remarkable: Ofcom’s 2025 data puts Plusnet at just 4 complaints per 100,000 customers — the lowest rate of any major UK broadband provider. The industry average is around 8. To put that in context, BT receives 14 complaints per 100,000 and some providers reach 18–20. Plusnet’s figure is exceptional.

The team is based in Sheffield, Yorkshire, and operates on extended hours: Monday to Friday 8am–8pm, Saturday 8am–6pm, and Sunday 9am–5pm. You can reach them by phone, live chat, or through Plusnet’s community forums, which have a reputation for being genuinely helpful (Plusnet staff respond directly). If you’ve ever tried to reach BT at 7pm on a weekday and been bounced through four menus, Plusnet’s approach feels refreshingly straightforward.

Trustpilot tells a slightly different story — Plusnet sits at around 2.0/5. But this needs context: Trustpilot reviews for broadband providers are self-selecting. People visit Trustpilot almost exclusively to complain about a bad installation, an unresolved fault, or a difficult cancellation. The same pattern affects BT (1.6) and Sky (1.5). The Ofcom complaint data — which measures all customers, not just the unhappy ones — is a much more reliable signal, and there Plusnet leads the field.

Ofcom’s satisfaction surveys consistently put Plusnet above the industry average at 89–91%, versus the sector average of around 84%. Which? and Uswitch have also rated Plusnet highly across their independent assessments. If customer service matters to you — and it really should when you’re committing to a 24-month contract — Plusnet’s track record is hard to beat at this price point.

The Plusnet Hub Two Router: Reliable, But Not Exciting

Every Plusnet package includes the Plusnet Hub Two router, and it’s worth knowing what you’re getting. The Hub Two is essentially BT’s Smart Hub 2 running Plusnet’s own firmware — a dual-band Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) router with seven internal antennas, four Gigabit Ethernet ports, and a USB port for basic storage sharing.

In practical terms, the Hub Two works well for small to medium-sized homes. It broadcasts on both 2.4GHz (better range, slightly slower) and 5GHz (faster but shorter range) simultaneously, and automatically connects devices to whichever band is most appropriate. For a two-bedroom flat or a standard three-bedroom semi, you’ll likely have good coverage throughout without needing to do anything.

Where the Hub Two falls short is in larger homes, older buildings with thick stone walls, or properties spread across multiple floors. In those situations, you’ll probably need a mesh Wi-Fi extender — and Plusnet doesn’t include one in any package. Some competitors handle this differently: Sky includes its Sky Booster (and Sky Pods on higher-tier plans), and Vodafone offers optional mesh nodes. With Plusnet, you’ll need to buy a third-party mesh kit separately if your home needs it.

The other notable limitation is Wi-Fi 5. In 2026, BT offers a Wi-Fi 6-capable router on several packages, EE has moved to Wi-Fi 7, and Sky’s latest hardware supports Wi-Fi 6. The Hub Two isn’t going to hold back your 66Mbps or even 145Mbps connection — Wi-Fi 5 has plenty of headroom for those speeds — but if you’re on the Full Fibre 500 or 900 plan and you have newer devices that support Wi-Fi 6, you won’t be getting those speeds wirelessly. You’d need to plug in via Ethernet for the full benefit of a 500Mbps or 900Mbps line.

How Plusnet Compares to Other UK Broadband Providers

Plusnet’s main competition is in the budget-to-mid-range broadband space. Here’s how it stacks up against the providers you’re most likely comparing it to.

Plusnet vs BT

They’re the same company under the hood — both run on Openreach, and the Hub Two you get from Plusnet is literally the same physical device as BT’s Smart Hub 2 with different firmware. The practical difference is price. Plusnet typically runs £3–5/month cheaper than BT for equivalent speeds, with similar or higher reward cards. BT adds perks Plusnet doesn’t: a Wi-Fi 6 router on some plans, phone line options, and its EE TV service. If you need those extras, BT (or its sibling brand EE) makes sense. If you just want broadband at the lowest possible cost from a reliable provider, Plusnet is the better choice.

Plusnet vs TalkTalk

TalkTalk is Plusnet’s most direct competitor — both target price-conscious customers on the Openreach network. In most postcode comparisons, Plusnet comes out slightly cheaper (typically £2–4/month less). More importantly, Plusnet’s customer service record is dramatically better: TalkTalk has historically attracted much higher complaint rates with Ofcom, relies on offshore call centres, and has faced data breach issues in recent years. If you’re choosing between TalkTalk and Plusnet, Plusnet wins on almost every measure. Our TalkTalk broadband review covers its current packages if you want a direct comparison.

Plusnet vs EE

EE is the premium Openreach option — typically £5–8/month more expensive than Plusnet for equivalent speeds, but with a Wi-Fi 7 router, more polish to the app and experience, and features like Connected Device Guarantee. EE has moved upmarket while Plusnet has stayed firmly budget-focused. If price is your priority, Plusnet wins. If you want the best router and the most modern tech experience on the Openreach network, EE is worth considering. See our EE broadband review for the full breakdown.

Plusnet vs Vodafone

Vodafone’s pricing has become more competitive recently, and in some postcodes it undercuts Plusnet — particularly on full-fibre packages where Vodafone sometimes runs aggressive introductory offers. Vodafone also uses CityFibre in some areas (a separate network to Openreach), which can offer different speeds. On customer service, Plusnet leads Vodafone in Ofcom data. If Vodafone comes up cheaper in your area, it’s a viable alternative — but Plusnet’s service record gives it an edge for those who value reliability over initial price.

Who Should Choose Plusnet Broadband?

Plusnet is a great fit if you…

Want the cheapest full-fibre broadband from a major, established provider. Plusnet consistently ranks among the most affordable FTTP options in the UK, and it’s backed by BT Group so you’re not taking a risk on an unknown operator. If you’re tired of paying over £35/month to a provider who keeps raising prices and can’t answer the phone, Plusnet is worth a hard look.

Care about customer service. The Ofcom data is clear: Plusnet generates fewer complaints per customer than any other major provider. That record is built on UK-based support, sensible processes, and years of earned trust. For a budget provider, this is genuinely unusual.

Live in a small or medium-sized home where a single router does the job. The Hub Two handles typical UK home sizes well. If your broadband socket is centrally located — hallway, living room — you’ll likely get solid Wi-Fi throughout a two or three-bedroom property without any extras.

Plusnet probably isn’t right if you…

Need a phone line. Plusnet no longer sells phone services to new customers. If you need a landline — whether for work, an alarm system, or an elderly relative — you’ll need to look at BT, EE, TalkTalk, or Vodafone, all of which still offer voice services alongside broadband.

Want a TV or entertainment bundle. Plusnet is broadband-only. There’s no Sky Sports bolt-on, no BT Sport, no streaming service included. If you want bundled TV with your broadband, look at Sky (which now includes Sky Stream), BT (which includes EE TV options), or Virgin Media.

Have a large home or poor Wi-Fi coverage. The Hub Two is a single router with no mesh expansion included. If you’ve struggled with weak Wi-Fi in bedrooms, garages, or outbuildings, Plusnet won’t solve that problem without you buying third-party mesh kit separately. Sky and Vodafone have better options here.

Want the shortest possible contract. Plusnet only offers 24-month terms. If you’re in rented accommodation or might need to move, that’s a risk — exit fees can apply. Providers like NOW Broadband offer 30-day rolling contracts (at higher monthly prices), which suit renters or those in uncertain living situations. For a wider picture of what’s available, our guide to the best UK broadband providers compares all the major options side by side.

How to Switch to Plusnet: Step by Step

Switching broadband in the UK is easier than it used to be — the One Touch Switch process (introduced by Ofcom) means you don’t need to contact your current provider first. Here’s how to do it.

1. Check availability. Go to plus.net and enter your postcode. This shows which packages are available at your address — standard fibre, full fibre, or both.
2. Pick your package. Choose the speed tier that matches your household. For most families, Full Fibre 145 or Full Fibre 300 is the right call. If FTTP isn’t available yet, the standard Fibre (66Mbps) package is still a solid choice.
3. Sign up online. Complete the order on Plusnet’s website. You’ll provide your name, address, bank details for direct debit, and choose a go-live date (usually 10–14 days ahead).
4. Receive your router. The Hub Two arrives by post a few days before your go-live date. Don’t plug it in until the switch day — plugging in early can trigger the line before the switch is complete.
5. Switch day. If you’re staying with a standard fibre (FTTC) connection and just changing provider, the switch usually happens with no engineer visit and minimal downtime (typically a few hours in the morning). Full fibre (FTTP) installations require an Openreach engineer visit and can take up to half a day.
6. Confirm everything works. Check speeds using a wired connection on speedtest.net. If speeds are significantly below your package’s advertised rate after 24 hours, contact Plusnet — you’re entitled to a speed guarantee on all packages.

Plusnet Broadband Review: Our Verdict

Plusnet does exactly what it promises. It won’t wow you with a flagship router, a built-in TV service, or the latest Wi-Fi 6 hardware. But it will give you fast, reliable broadband on one of the UK’s most established networks, at a price that undercuts most of its competitors, backed by customer service that genuinely outperforms the industry by measurable margins.

For budget-conscious households who want broadband and nothing else — no bundled TV, no phone line needed — Plusnet is one of the smartest choices in 2026. The Full Fibre 145 plan at around £22.99/month is exceptional value, particularly when paired with the reward cards currently on offer. The annual price rises are worth factoring in, but they’re the norm across the industry now rather than a Plusnet-specific gotcha.

Where Plusnet falls short is in the extras: no phone, no TV, a dated router, and 24-month commitments with no flexibility. If those matter to you, BT, EE, or Sky will serve you better — at a higher monthly cost. But if your goal is reliable full-fibre broadband at the lowest reasonable price from a provider with an excellent service record, Plusnet deserves serious consideration.

Plusnet rating: 8/10 — Outstanding value for broadband-only households. Loses points for the ageing router and lack of a phone line option.

Frequently Asked Questions About Plusnet Broadband

Is Plusnet any good in 2026?

Yes — particularly for budget broadband. Plusnet has the lowest complaint rate of any major UK broadband provider according to Ofcom’s 2025 data (4 per 100,000 customers, vs an industry average of 8). It offers competitive full-fibre prices, UK-based customer service, and runs on the reliable Openreach network. The main limitations are no phone line for new customers, a Wi-Fi 5 router rather than Wi-Fi 6, and 24-month contracts only.

Is Plusnet cheaper than BT?

Yes, in most cases Plusnet is £3–5/month cheaper than BT for equivalent speeds. Both providers run on the Openreach network and Plusnet is owned by BT Group, so the underlying infrastructure is identical. BT charges more for its branding, its Wi-Fi 6 router, and additional services like phone and TV bundles. If you don’t need those extras, Plusnet is the more cost-effective option.

Does Plusnet offer full fibre broadband?

Yes. Plusnet offers full-fibre (FTTP) packages at speeds of 74Mbps, 145Mbps, 300Mbps, 500Mbps, and 900Mbps. However, availability depends on whether Openreach has completed its full-fibre rollout in your area. In areas where full fibre isn’t yet available, Plusnet offers a standard fibre (FTTC) package at up to 66Mbps. Use the postcode checker at plus.net to see which options are available at your address.

Can you get a phone line with Plusnet broadband?

No — Plusnet no longer offers home phone services to new customers. If you need a landline alongside your broadband, you’ll need to look at BT, EE, TalkTalk, or Vodafone, all of which offer voice services. Some people use VoIP services (like Vonage or a mobile contract) as an alternative, but these are separate from Plusnet’s offering.

What router does Plusnet provide?

All Plusnet packages include the Plusnet Hub Two — a dual-band Wi-Fi 5 router with 7 internal antennas and 4 Gigabit Ethernet ports. It’s the same hardware as BT’s Smart Hub 2 running Plusnet firmware. It works well for small to medium homes but doesn’t support Wi-Fi 6. If you have a large home or thick walls, you may need to add third-party mesh Wi-Fi hardware, as Plusnet doesn’t include mesh pods in any package.

Is Plusnet owned by BT?

Yes. BT Group acquired Plusnet in 2007 and it has operated as a subsidiary ever since. Plusnet runs on BT’s Openreach network and shares some infrastructure, but operates independently with its own brand, pricing, and customer service team. Being owned by BT Group provides financial stability — Plusnet isn’t going anywhere — while the separate brand identity allows it to target the budget market with lower prices than BT itself.

Will Plusnet increase its prices during my contract?

Yes. Plusnet’s contracts include an annual price rise of £4/month every 31 March for the duration of your 24-month deal. This is now standard practice across the UK broadband industry — BT, EE, Sky, and Vodafone all apply similar or higher increases. On a deal signed in July 2026, you’d see one price rise in March 2027 before your contract ends. Plusnet is legally required to notify you 30 days before any price increase, and you have the right to leave without penalty if the rise falls outside the terms agreed at signup.

Prices shown are approximate and were correct as of July 2026. Broadband pricing changes frequently — always check plus.net for the current price before signing up. TheTechVector earns a commission if you sign up via links on this page. Learn more.