Plusnet Broadband Review 2024
Speed Satisfaction | 3.4/5 |
Customer Service | 3.5/5 |
Value for Money | 4.4/5 |
Reliability | 4.5/5 |
Router | 3.5/5 |
Overall score | 3.9/5 |
If you’re searching for a ‘broadband only’ service and have no need or interest in bundling in extra TV services, Plusnet could be the perfect option for you.
Operating on the Openreach network means its entry-level packages have excellent availability across the UK. However, as Openreach’s full fibre rollout is currently only at around 39%, if you’re interested in signing up, you may be limited to its superfast, Fibre Broadband package (40-54Mb).
Prices for Plusnet’s products are fair, with deals starting at under £25 per month, and it’s proven itself to have a good reputation for customer service.
Broadband Genie’s Editor has been a long-term Plusnet broadband customer over the course of three contracts. In this review, we’ll be finding out her first-hand experiences of dealing with this provider.
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All about Emma, our Plusnet reviewer
Our Genie reviewer here is Broadband Genie’s own Editor, Emma.
Here's a bit of information about her home broadband set-up:
“I’ve been signed up to Plusnet for over eight years under several contract terms.
I live in a single-storey bungalow and there are two of us at home. We both work remotely and require uninterrupted online access throughout the day. The internet is regularly used for general browsing, emails and more data intensive tasks such as streaming, but it’s also not unusual for us both to be conducting meetings over video calls at the same time. There’s currently no Openreach full fibre network access at my address. Nor do I have any faster altnet options.
Virgin Media Gig1 (gigabit broadband) is available, although I have actively chosen not to use a home phone for years due to excessive spam calls. I’m happy with my TV selection through Freeview. Additional subscriptions are accessed using a Google Chromecast.
The fastest package available on the Openreach network at my address comes with an average download speed of 67Mb. I’m signed up to Plusnet Fibre Broadband (50Mb) and pay £23.99 per month on a 24-month contract. This is set to rise to £30.99 per month at the contract end.”
We like | We don't like |
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How fast is Plusnet broadband?
Plusnet offers a choice of speeds across its range, though, as we’ve mentioned, the availability of these will depend on whether customers have access to Openreach’s full fibre network.
Download Speeds (Average) | 10Mb / 50Mb / 74Mb / 145Mb / 300Mb / 500Mb / 910Mb |
Upload Speeds (Average) | 1Mb / 9Mb / 20Mb / 30Mb / 50Mb / 75Mb / 110Mb |
Data Usage Limit | Truly unlimited |
Type of Broadband | Fibre and Full Fibre (ADSL available to limited customers) |
Home Phone Line? | Digital calls |
Inclusive phone calls? | Optional |
Bundled Wi-Fi Router? | Plusnet Hub Two |
Here’s a summary of the current options:
Plusnet Fibre
- Download speed: 50Mb
- Upload speed: 9Mb
What’s this broadband speed good for? A household of 2-4 people, average online users who are happy to stream in standard HD, rather than Ultra HD.
Plusnet Full Fibre
- Download speed: 74Mb, 145Mb, 300Mb, 500Mb, 900Mb
- Upload speed: 20Mb, 30Mb, 50Mb, 75Mb, 110Mb
What’s this broadband speed good for? Homes of 5+ people or heavy users and streamers who play online games, stream music or download large amounts of files.
Genie's tip...
A Plusnet ADSL deal is available to customers who are unable to get connected to a fibre service only.
How well does Plusnet perform when it comes to speeds?
User reviews gathered in our home broadband survey indicate that customers are fairly happy with the performance of their Plusnet Broadband service. In our 2023 Broadband Awards, survey respondents gave it a speed satisfaction score of 68.4% (3.2/5).
Plusnet’s advertised download speeds are typical for providers on the Openreach network.
In the latest Ofcom speedtest data, it delivered an impressive 97%+ of its advertised download rate.
Our Genie says...
“In a spot speed test, carried out on a weekday afternoon, I recorded a download speed of 42Mb, and an upload speed of 10Mb. As a reminder, I’m on a 50Mb package. Considering two of us were online at the time, I’m happy with this result.”
Does Plusnet offer good customer service?
Plusnet is known for its good customer service, and going by customer feedback, that reputation has been earned. Our customer service user review score of 3.5 ranks above the average of 3.3.
You’d be hard-pushed to not be put off if you only went by Plusnet’s Trustpilot score, though. It has an abysmal 2.3 score. It’s odd that this page doesn’t seem to be managed by a Plusnet representative at all.
Our Genie says...
“From personal experience, I’ve had very little reason to speak to Plusnet during my time as a broadband customer and no bad encounters. When I was told that my line would be changed to SoGEA, I had a query over line rental that needed clearing up. I also took the opportunity to speak to an advisor to see if there was any wiggle room in price if I renewed my contract to a new 24-month agreement.
There was little trouble getting through, and my questions were answered respectfully and in good humour. I had come prepared with alternative broadband providers and packages I would have been willing to transfer to if I didn’t get a good deal on the spot. The advisor was able to confirm these as being valid alternatives and I feel gave a very fair renewal price.”
Does Plusnet offer good value for money?
Plusnet ranked as the best value for money provider in our 2023 Broadband Awards.
It offers some good deals for those on a tight budget. Impressively, it does so without cutting back in crucial areas. You get unlimited data, optional digital call plans, plus UK-based customer service.
In general, its packages are reasonably priced, especially now there’s no line rental fee to pay, even on a part-fibre product (FTTC).
Plusnet Rewards
It can be tricky to get gift vouchers for new Plusnet customer sign-ups. Although, when this is available, it’s normally in the form of a Plusnet Reward Card.
Our Genie says...
“In October 2023, I was moved onto a SoGEA package with little fuss. Without any intervention, my contract would have carried on as normal and I wouldn’t have been re-contracted. However, this happened to tie in nicely with the end of my contract term.
The price of the package was due to be reduced by this move, as there would be no longer any need to pay extra line rental per month. Armed with example packages and prices from broadband competitors found using Broadband Genie’s comparison tables, I was able to get a reduction on the monthly price.
With just a bit of simple haggling and a legitimate second choice if things didn’t go to plan, I got my Fibre Broadband Package down to a very reasonable £23.99 per month.”
Does Plusnet offer a social tariff?
Plusnet doesn’t have its own packages for those receiving benefits. However, if you're receiving Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, Jobseekers' Allowance or Income Support, you may be able to move over to BT Home Essentials for no extra charge.
For more information and to check your eligibility, you can speak to an advisor on 0800 432 0200.
Does Plusnet increase prices mid-contract?
Plusnet customers were affected by a mid-contract price increase in 2023 (14.4%), with another rise due in 2024 (this is estimated to be the CPI rate + 3.9% from 31st March). Although this is not ideal at all, and a rise that other providers (including those also on the Openreach network) managed not to apply, it matched competitors including BT, EE and Vodafone.
Our Genie says...
“In my case, I was able to combat the effects of 2023’s prike hike by renewing my contract, switching to a longer contract length of 24 months and haggling down my monthly price. Add to the fact I no longer have to pay line rental since being moved onto a SoGEA line, and I’m paying significantly less than I was in 2022.
I’m aware that this was a mixture of good timing and proactive hustling. It’s likely my monthly price will rise in Spring 2024, and I’ll need to be on the ball when my contract expires in October 2025. I’ve already set a reminder in my calendar to look for the best broadband options going at that time.”
Does Plusnet offer a reliable internet service?
Plusnet is signed up to Ofcom's voluntary Broadband Speed Code of Conduct. This means if report you're having problems with your internet, but it can't be fixed within 30 days, you must be able to leave your contract without paying an early exit fee.
It’s worth noting, unlike some broadband providers, there’s no service status on the Plusnet website.
Our Genie says...
“As a long-term Plusnet customer, I can vouch that I’ve not experienced any memorable troubling outages that have affected my working day. In the week I wrote this, there was issue with Plusnet’s DNS server. However, I wasn’t affected by this as I choose to use Google’s Public DNS.”
Does Plusnet come with a good router?
Plusnet offers the Plusnet Hub Two to new fibre broadband customers. For a more detailed look at this advice, you can read our Plusnet router round-up.
The Plusnet Hub Two is identical to the BT Smart Hub 2. However, unlike BT, Plusnet doesn’t advertise a Wi-Fi guarantee.
Our Genie says...
"I do have some issue with Wi-Fi coverage, despite living in a small, single floor bungalow, although my home does have thick, 1920s stone walls. The internet connection can be patchy in certain parts of my home. As there’s no booster easily available through Plusnet, I have easily solved this problem using a couple of Google Mesh Wi-Fi routers strategically placed around the house."
You can read up more about the difference between Mesh Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Boosters and Powerline Adapters and how they work, in our guide: ‘What is mesh Wi-Fi?’
Router installation
Setting up your Plusnet router shouldn't be difficult and, unless you need to have a line installed, you'll be able to do this yourself. However, if you do need more help, you can make calls to Plusnet's technical support line between 8am-8pm every day. There are clear video instructions to help you along the way.
Are there any other perks with Plusnet?
All Plusnet customers are able to make use of a "Perks" loyalty-reward programme if they log into their accounts. Offers here include discounts on free trials on products and brand partnerships include Gousto, Jimmy's Ice Coffee and The Body Shop.
Our Genie says...
"Despite regularly checking, I’ve not been able to make any of these rewards deals add up. For example, at the time of writing, there was a 35% off deal for Pooch and Mutt dog food, which seemed like a good offer. However, as the free delivery minimum didn’t take this offer into account, the total added up to the same amount it would be to walk around the corner and pick up the food from a local pet shop.
Many of these offers are fairly common to find, aren't exclusive to Plusnet, and don’t offer great value."
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Other Plusnet broadband extras
Plusnet ProtectThis Plusnet-branded Norton security tool will help protect PCs, Macs, mobile phones and tablets against viruses. Its Safe Search features identifies suspicious sites to help you keep personal data safe when you're online. There's also a password manager and extra security encryption for online banking.
This comes as standard for most Plusnet broadband packages, though you'll have to add it as an extra for Unlimited Fibre and Full Fibre 36 packages.
It’s welcome as a free extra, but there’s no good reason to pay for this otherwise. There are plenty of free anti-virus tools out there. And even the antivirus built into Windows will do what the average user needs it to.
Plusnet SafeguardAvailable with all deals, Plusnet SafeGuard is a parental control feature that allows you to block adult content, gambling, social media and violent images. You can also use it to set browsing time limits, or create a safe list of sites you're happy for your whole family to see.
Do we recommend Plusnet?
Plusnet offers excellent value for money. Despite being at the budget end of the broadband market, its service is well-regarded. It offers decent customer support, good performance, cheap installation, and a variety of flexible plans.
It also provides features for more technical users, such as optional static IP and the ability to use your own Wi-Fi broadband router.
There aren’t too many downsides. It does now offer ultrafast FTTP broadband, though upload speeds aren't great in comparison to download performance. We'd also like to see a better router made available to Full Fibre customers.
The defunct Plusnet TV service might also be missed by some, but there are so many options for TV now that we don't consider this a major drawback. From my own perspective, the simplicity of its broadband only packages is part of its appeal.
Plusnet user reviews summary
Here’s a few other current customer reviews that stood out to us from our survey. As with all providers, there’s a mixed bag, although ratings are positive overall:
“I have been with Plusnet broadband for several years and never had any problems with their service. Today I spoke to customer advisor, Luke in Sheffield. After answering my call almost immediately, he went above and beyond to help me with my query in a manner that I could fully understand. Excellent customer service.”
Madeline, Lancashire - December 2023
“The broadband side of things is fine, but just don't waste your time with their webmail. Utterly hopeless, and whilst you might get in very early in the morning, from then on, it's unlikely to connect until late evening. If e-mail is important to you, choose another Provider, as Plusnet is useless.”
Richard, Norfolk - July 2023
“I've been with Plusnet for 5 years now, and I've only ever had one issue which was resolved within a few days. They have always had the cheapest deals (if you’re willing to haggle). I pay for ‘up to 74Mb’ and I get a pretty constant 72Mb with hardly any slowdown at all. I'm about to upgrade to a full fibre (FTTP) contract, so hopefully I'll continue to experience great service.”
Steve, St Helens - November 2022
Broadband Genie Award Winner:
'Best Provider 2023' & 'Best Value for Money 2023'
For more on this popular provider, including its latest deals, check out our Plusnet broadband page.
Switching broadband providers
Interesting in signing up to Plusnet? You can easily check which packages are available in your area by popping your postcode into this checker.
Don't forget to use our filters, so you can sort by price, speed or contract length. Our tables will also show you if there are any great reward offers available, too. You'll be able to see how much money these can save you in the long-run with our clear 'Effective Monthly Price' summary.
If you’re out of contract, switching between any provider is easy. You shouldn’t even need to speak to your current provider - your new one should do all the admin for you. Check out our guide on ‘how to switch broadband and get an amazing deal’ for more hints and tricks, learn how to save money and upgrade your home's internet connection with little fuss.
More broadband reviews
We review every provider we list on Broadband Genie. Check out the following reviews for our thoughts on other ISPs:
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Broadband Genie’s review policy
When you’re looking to switch broadband, we know how important unbiased, balanced, expert reviews can be. As a dedicated broadband comparison and switching site, we are in a unique position to give you expert insight into whether or not we think a provider is worth your money. Read on to find out a little more about our broadband provider review process.
Expert user reviews
As the UK's broadband comparison experts, we've asked our team of Genies to provide a detailed review of using their broadband provider. While everyone has different packages and different requirements, we've asked our Genie reviewers to tell us how the package has lived up to their expectations.
User reviews
We ask users to review providers on our site, as part of our ongoing Home Broadband Survey project. We gather these reviews by promoting our survey to a broad swathe of customers. In doing so, we aim to get the most accurate and balanced customer feedback as possible. We believe this is preferable to advertising ourselves as a review service, which tends to attract a higher number of frustrated customers, skewing the results.
We use these scores, in combination with other factors such as Ofcom research to inform our overall ratings (more on this below).
You can leave your own review on our broadband survey, which also includes a monthly £100 prize draw.
Overall ratingsOur overall provider rating is decided upon by our editors, informed by the user feedback we have received, we will also take into account wider market research such as Ofcom’s speed and customer service research, along with other trusted review platforms such as Trustpilot, where appropriate.
This allows us to create an informed, well-balanced review of a provider that’s ultimately the most useful way to determine whether or not a provider is right for you.