Plusnet Broadband Review (Updated March 2026)
Does "Good Honest Broadband" Still Exist?
Plusnet still sells itself as the no-nonsense option from Yorkshire. It sits inside BT Group, runs on the Openreach network, and now leans hard into broadband-only packages. With Full Fibre now stretching from 36Mb to 900Mb, and current deals still very price-led, the real question is simple: is Plusnet still the best budget pick if you want decent support and minimal faff?
Pros and Cons
What It Nails
-
UK-based Support Plusnet still leans heavily on UK-based customer service, with phone support open 8am to 8pm, Monday to Sunday.
-
Great Value On current live offers, Plusnet is still aggressively priced, with Full Fibre deals starting low and reward cards on selected packages.
-
Solid Hardware The Hub Two is still a strong included router for the money, and Plusnet is currently highlighting it as Which? endorsed for a third straight year.
-
Reliable Openreach Base If you are on Plusnet Fibre or Full Fibre, the underlying Openreach infrastructure is the same broad network foundation used by many big-name rivals.
The Drawbacks
-
Broadband-only Direction New Plusnet packages are broadband only. If you still want a home phone, you will usually need a separate VoIP setup or a different provider.
-
Price Rules Can Be Messy Current offers say no price rise in 2026, but older or earlier recontracted customers may still be on fixed annual rises or older CPI-linked terms. You need to check the contract summary, not guess.
-
Basic Extras There is no Wi-Fi guarantee, no mesh kit in the box, and no real premium smart-home flourish. This is still a fairly stripped-back service.
-
No TV Service Plusnet no longer offers TV, and its old YouView service has been gone for years, so anyone wanting TV bundles needs to look elsewhere.
The Infrastructure
Powered by Openreach
Plusnet does not lay its own cables. Like BT, Sky and plenty of other mainstream providers, it sells services over the Openreach network. That is a plus, not a compromise, because Openreach still gives Plusnet broad UK coverage and a familiar install path.
If your address can get Full Fibre, Plusnet now offers tiers from 36Mb up to 900Mb. If your area has not gone fully fibre yet, the standard Fibre package uses FTTC and delivers average speeds of up to 66Mb.
Hardware: The Hub Two
Reliable and Simple
All new Fibre and Full Fibre customers get the Hub Two. It is basically Plusnet's own version of the BT Smart Hub 2, which is good news because it is a dependable bit of kit.
It is not cutting-edge and it does not bring Wi-Fi 6, but for most homes it is still more than good enough. Good range, simple setup, and far less flimsy than the bargain-basement routers some cheaper rivals still hand out.
Support & Service
Still One of the Main Reasons to Pick It
Plusnet's support is still one of its biggest selling points. Officially, the company says support is UK based and available 8am to 8pm every day, which is better than a lot of bargain providers manage.
That does not mean every call will be magic, but it does mean you are dealing with a provider that still makes service part of the pitch, rather than treating support like an awkward afterthought.
If you are the sort of person who wants the cheapest line possible and never plans to speak to anyone, there are lower-cost rivals. If you want a bit of backup when things go wrong, Plusnet still earns its keep here.
The Packages
Plusnet still keeps things fairly simple, but there is now a clearer spread of Full Fibre speed tiers than before.
Fibre & Full Fibre
Fibre (part-fibre / FTTC): average speeds up to 66Mb, depending on your line.
Full Fibre (FTTP): currently available in 36, 74, 145, 300, 500 and 900Mb tiers, depending on what your address can get.
Full Fibre 900: still the flagship package, aimed at heavy-use households where loads of people are streaming, gaming, working and backing up files at the same time.
Upload Speeds
Plusnet's Full Fibre remains asymmetric, so uploads are nowhere near the download figure. That is normal on Openreach-based consumer broadband. It is absolutely fine for Zoom, Teams, cloud backup and gaming, but it is not the right choice if you want near-equal upload and download speeds.
Performance & Speed
By The Numbers
Wired speeds are where Plusnet looks best. Over Ethernet, Full Fibre does exactly what you would expect from an Openreach FTTP service. Over Wi-Fi, the Hub Two is perfectly decent, but you will not see those headline numbers everywhere in the house on every device. That is normal, not a Plusnet-only issue.
Top Alternatives
If Plusnet does not quite fit, these are still the main types of rival worth looking at.
The Extras
Plusnet is still pretty stripped back, but there are a few genuinely useful extras worth knowing about.
-
SafeGuard & Protect: Plusnet still includes SafeGuard for network-level parental controls, and it also pushes Plusnet Protect powered by Norton as a device-security extra.
-
Reward Cards: Selected packages still come with a Plusnet Reward Card. At the time of writing, the top reward on the live site is £80, and the offer dates change often.
-
Perks & EE SIM deals: Plusnet Mobile is closed, but broadband customers can still get access to EE SIM-only deals and other discounts through Plusnet Perks.
One more useful change: Plusnet now supports Ofcom's One Touch Switching process, so if you are moving from another provider, the switch is far easier than the old cancel-and-pray routine.
The Trade-Offs
Before you sign up, there are two things worth checking properly.
Price rises: This is the bit that needs more care now. Plusnet's live deals page is currently advertising no price rise in 2026 on current offers, with the first displayed increase showing on 31 March 2027. But Plusnet's annual price change policy still says some earlier recontracted customers can be on a fixed +£3 or +£4 yearly rise, while customers who never moved onto a newer contract can still be on the old CPI + 3.9% model. In plain English, not every Plusnet customer is on the same pricing rule, so always check the checkout and contract summary.
Broadband-only future: Plusnet is clearly moving away from traditional phone bundles. Its older landline-based packages will not be supported from 2027, so if you still want a home phone you will probably need a separate VoIP service or a provider that bundles digital calling.
Ownership & Structure
Part of BT Group
Plusnet is still part of BT Group, alongside BT, EE and Openreach. In practice, that leaves Plusnet as the simpler value brand in the family. You get the wide reach of Openreach infrastructure, but fewer premium extras than the pricier siblings.
FAQs
Does Plusnet use the BT network?
Plusnet is part of BT Group and sells broadband over the Openreach network. That means the underlying line network is the same one used by many major UK providers, though your router, support and contract terms can still make the overall experience different.
Is the router any good?
The Plusnet Hub Two is effectively Plusnet's version of the BT Smart Hub 2. It is a capable dual-band router with good range for most homes, although it is not a Wi-Fi 6 model.
Is customer support really UK based?
Yes. Plusnet says its support is UK based and available seven days a week, with phone support open 8am to 8pm.
Does Plusnet offer landlines or Digital Voice?
New Plusnet packages are broadband only. Older landline-based services will not be supported from 2027, so if you still need a home phone you will usually need a separate VoIP service or another provider that includes digital calling.
How We Rated Plusnet
To keep things fair, we use a standardised weighting system across all our ISP reviews. Here is exactly how the 8.5/10 score for Plusnet was calculated:
This approach lets us judge the best deal for each customer without bias. Commission, CPA and margins are not used in the scoring model.
HASNAAT MAHMOOD
Broadband & Technology Expert
"Plusnet is a rare thing in the broadband world. It does not try to wow you with loads of premium extras. Instead, it sticks to the things most people actually care about: a connection that works, a fair price, and someone sensible to talk to when it does not. For the money, it is still very hard to beat."