The Broadband Compare rating is a star rating from 0-100 which is calculated by a complex mathematical algorithm that calculates the best value broadband for your particular broadband requirements.
We are often asked 'what is the best broadband plan in NZ' or ‘who is the best broadband provider in NZ?’ and there is no clear winner as this varies according to the user and their requirements. Remember, everyone has a different number of devices and appliances connected to the internet, different online activities, and different internet options. For example, some rural homes don't have access to fibre.
It is possible to view our 'default' rankings for the best fibre broadband plans, the best VDSL broadband plans and the cheapest broadband plans from across all of the New Zealand broadband providers by searching with no address in the address input field and no filters applied to the Broadband Compare tool.
Performing this action will showcase the default rankings based on the core broadband plan details without overlaying the individual householder requirements or connection type. Querying the Broadband Compare database in this way will compare all the broadband plans across New Zealand whether they are available at your address or not. For example, you can query all plans with a free router or all no contract broadband plans but we will not know the available connection type at your property and so this ranking will order results based on the best plan for a particular set of requirements whether they are available to you or not.
The Broadband Compare rating is designed to be bespoke for each New Zealand address and set of user requirements and without this information we are not able to accurately recommend the broadband plan we believe is the best broadband plan for you. The Broadband Compare technology matches your broadband usage requirements and determines the suitability of different broadband plans based on a range of factors that you set. These include the available connection types (Fibre, VDSL, 4G/5G wireless), anticipated data usage, broadband speed requirements, contract length, price, landline requirements, modem needs and any special promotions or value adds.
As a simple summary, the higher the Broadband Compare rating the better suited we think that plan is to your needs. This means your top rated recommendation won't always be the cheapest plan available. For example, if you are a keen online gamer, you need fast speeds with a high upload speed and unlimited data. Your next door neighbour might only use the internet for social media and checking email so their requirements are completely different and as such the Broadband Compare website will recommend different plans for the two of you.
It's always a good idea to have an understanding of the different speeds on the market and use our broadband speed calculator to know what speed is best for you. This will help ensure you make a fully informed choice, and find the best plan for your needs, without compromising speed, or paying for more than you need.
All in all there are over 2 million different permutations that are queried each time a user sits down and types their requirements into the Broadband Compare website.