Plusnet broadband review 2025: Is it any good?

Dan Howdle • July 28th, 2025

Yorkshire-based Plusnet is constantly nipping at the heels of its better known rivals, with decent broadband speeds, great customer service and – most importantly – budget-friendly provision.

Our review of Plusnet broadband

Plusnet was bought by BT in 2007, but it operates as a separate business, so its broadband deals are often quite different from those of its parent company.

This page will tell you everything you need to know about Plusnet broadband, including what deals are on offer, what to expect in terms of equipment, installation, customer service and special offers, and whether the provider is right for you.

Plusnet offers many benefits, including consistently great customer service, competitive average download and upload speeds and quick installation that’s also free of charge. The brand doesn’t charge any additional upfront fees for getting your broadband up and running and won't conduct a credit check when you sign up, making it friendly to those of us with a spotty credit history. However, they do insist on payment of the first month's fee when ordering, which is slightly unusual.

Plusnet offers Full Fibre packages whose download and upload speeds are now in line with the competition, with a downloads up to 910Mbps. That's comparable to any provider other than Virgin Media and EE Broadband that offer 1130Mbps and 1600Mbps respectively. However, you'll need to be aware that Full Fibre (required for speeds over 66Mbps) is only available to around two thirds of households, and much higher in cities. Plusnet uses the Openreach network for its Full Fibre offering, and while the rollout is accelerating, there are still considerably more places you can't get it than those where you can. Use our Plusnet postcode checker to be sure.

Plusnet is known for its affordability, and can be a great option if you’re on a budget and don’t necessarily need an ultrafast connection. However, you should be aware of Plusnet's comparatively long contracts, since currently they tie you in for two whole years.

As with all broadband providers, there are some negative aspects with Plusnet. The brand is pretty ‘no-frills’ in terms of its routers and technology. However you will occasionally see a Reward Card, cashback or an Amazon gift card on offer, but it is relatively rare compared to the likes of BT and Sky.

In short, if you don’t mind dispensing with the bells and whistles and don't need a landline, you don't mind the long contracts, and you're reassured by what should be outstanding customer service from Plusnet, it may well be the provider for you.

Key features

Here’s a quick look at what you can expect to find in a Plusnet broadband deal. Note, that where you see 'FF' denotes 'full fibre', which is not yet widely available.

Download speeds	66Mbps (Standard Fibre), 74Mbps (Full Fibre), 145Mbps (FF), 300Mbps (FF), 500Mbps (FF), 910Mbps (FF)
Upload speeds	9.5Mbps, 18Mbps, 20Mbps, 30Mbps, 50Mbps, 75Mbps, 110Mbps
Broadband	Standard Fibre, Full Fibre
Home Phone	No, but can be added
Freebies to look for	Reward cards, free activation, cashback
Packages available	Broadband only
Router	Hub Two
Contract lengths	Universally 24 months
Prices from	£24.99 per month

Broadband speeds

Plusnet offers broadband with a choice of six speeds:

Fibre Broadband: The brand’s entry-level fibre offer has average download speeds of 66Mbps. The package is ideal for multitasking across multiple devices in an average sized household, where people stream content or play games online regularly. If you can't get Full Fibre, this will be the fastest speed you'll be able to get (unless you can get Virgin Media or some other smaller, local network). Happily, it's fast enough for most households for now, but it is starting to be somewhat limiting for households full of gamers, streamers and downloaders.

Full Fibre: These are connections where the cabling is 100% fibre, from the exchange all the way to your home. This means they can offer faster speeds. Current speed offerings for Plusnet Full Fibre are 74Mbps, 145Mbps, 300Mbps, 500Mbps and 910Mbps. If you live in an Openreach Full Fibre connected area, you have your choice of these speeds.

Not sure which package to pick? Our guide to deciding what broadband speed you need has all the answers.

Upload speeds

Upload speeds indicate how fast you can copy or send data from your devices to the internet, cloud storage, or other devices. For most of us, upload speed is less important than download speed, as we stream more data than we send.

Those of us who work from home may take more of an interest in upload speeds, perhaps if you regularly store or share large documents online or participate in video meetings.

Here's a quick overview of the upload speeds you'll get with each package:

Package	Download speed	Upload speed
Fibre Broadband	66Mbps	9.5Mbps
Full Fibre 74	74Mbps	20Mbps
Full Fibre 145	145Mbps	30Mbps
Full Fibre 300	300Mbps	50Mbps
Full Fibre 500	500Mbps	75Mbps
Full Fibre 900	910Mbps	110Mbps

Landline calling packages

This may be a sticking point for some. Plusnet not only won't supply you a landline as standard with any package, it simply doesn't offer them at all. This is at odds with most providers where, while the line may not come with the deal you can add one on if you wish. Plusnet does, however, allow you to keep your existing phone line if you already have one, which is all well and good, but your existing provider may very well not allow you to keep it if you switch your broadband.

This is the way things are going with landlines in the UK, and that's fair enough, but we do feel it's a bit too early to offer broadband with no line, and no means of getting one.

Routers and installation

All Plusnet broadband customers are sent a router that can be self-installed quickly and easily. The Hub Two comes with all its packages, no matter the speed.

Plusnet Hub Two specifications

• Full Fibre only – Supplied with Plusnet’s Full Fibre broadband packages
• Next generation wifi – Hub Two offers dual band wifi creating two discrete networks in your home. A 2.4Ghz and a 5Ghz network. The former uses the 802.11b, g, and n protocols, the latter the fastest 802.11ac format
• Smart channel selection – The Hub Two automatically connects your devices to the fastest wifi channel and frequency available
• Four gigabit ethernet ports – The Hub Two has three gigabit ethernet ports, so you can use a wired connection for up to three devices directly, or daisy chain devices from any or all of these ports to your heart’s content
• USB port – The useful addition of a USB Port allows users to connect shared hard drives, shared printers and even a 5G dongle if they want a back-up internet connection
• Smart power management – The Hub Two will power down when not in use

You can also always choose to use your own router, though Plusnet advises against this and won’t be able to help you with any technical issues if you’re using a model it hasn't supplied.

Installation

Plusnet customers usually aren't expected to pay an activation fee to get their broadband up and running, although they do require the first monthly payment upfront. Activation usually takes between 5-10 working days if you’re setting it up from scratch, and a minimum of 10 working days if you’re switching from another broadband provider.

In some cases, an engineer may need to install a new phone line at your property if you don’t already have one, or if you’re switching over from a cable service. Your broadband and phone should go live within five working days of the engineer’s appointment. Otherwise you will be sent a router close to your agreed activation date that can be easily self-installed.

Plusnet warns that you will probably see your broadband speed vary over the first 10 days as their system runs tests to find the best speed for your service. You may also experience sudden disconnections during this period. This is unfortunately to be expected and isn't unique to Plusnet.

To find out more about what to expect, read our guide on broadband installation.

Customer service

Plusnet consistently performs exceptionally well in customer service surveys and has earned numerous awards for its support. The brand’s UK-based contact centre is available via Live Chat or over the phone on 0330 1239 123, open from 8am to 8pm every day of the week, including weekends and public holidays. You can also contact Plusnet support through Twitter.

Calls to Plusnet customer services are free from most UK landlines and mobiles. However, many common queries can be resolved via the help sections on the Plusnet website without needing to make a call.

Our verdict: Very good

With affordable deals at competitive speeds, and great reputation for customer service, Plusnet is a broadband provider with many attractive qualities.

Though it’s not a great choice for TV lovers and doesn’t offer an exciting range of freebies like some brands, the Yorkshire-based provider is a solid choice for no-nonsense broadband provision that’s reliable and usually quite budget friendly. Add to that it's excellent customer service record and Plusnet is win if you're just after a fire-and-forget, value-for-money option that doesn't require a credit check.

We still say, though, that 24 months might be too long a contract compared to many competitors, plus insisting on the first month's payment upfront is also slightly unusual, so Plusnet does lose a few Brownie points because of those issues. ANd those who need a landline will flat-out have to look elsewhere.

Compare Plusnet broadband