How Broadband Compare Ranks Broadband Plans
There isn't one “best” broadband plan
We often get asked: “What is the best broadband plan in New Zealand?”
The honest answer is: there isn't one.
The right broadband plan depends on what you need from your connection, where you live and what matters most to you. A family streaming, gaming and working from home will have very different requirements from someone who mainly uses the internet for email and browsing.
That's why Broadband Compare doesn't simply pick one provider or plan and call it “the best”. We match broadband plans to your individual requirements and rank them based on the value they offer for those requirements.
How our rating works
Every broadband plan receives a Broadband Compare score from 0–100. This score is calculated using our comparison algorithm, which assesses the features and characteristics of the plan.
The algorithm considers factors that we believe can benefit consumers.
For example:
- Open-term contracts can score better than long-term contracts with early termination fees.
- Plans with no connection or setup fee can score better than plans that charge a setup fee.
- Plans offering useful features or value adds can score better than plans without them.
- The suitability of the plan's speed, data allowance and other features is assessed against the requirements you provide.
- Customer reviews and experience also form part of the assessment.
The aim is to reward plans that provide genuine value and flexibility, rather than simply rewarding the lowest headline price.
Then we look at the price
The plan's feature score is then considered alongside its price to determine its overall ranking.
This is important because the plan with the most features isn't necessarily the best value.
For example, if two plans have exactly the same features, customer reviews and other relevant characteristics, the cheaper plan will rank higher.
Equally, a slightly more expensive plan may rank higher if it provides significantly better features or is more suitable for your particular needs.
Why the cheapest plan isn't always number one
Imagine two plans:
Plan A: $65 per month, 100Mbps, open term
Plan B: $95 per month, 950Mbps, open term
If you mainly browse the web and stream occasionally, Plan A may offer better value.
If you have a busy household with multiple people gaming, streaming 4K video and working from home, the additional performance offered by Plan B may make it the better choice for you.
Our ranking is designed to reflect value and suitability - not just price.
Your address matters
Your address is an important part of the comparison.
Not every broadband technology or plan is available everywhere in New Zealand. Depending on where you live, you may have access to fibre, VDSL, 4G or 5G wireless broadband or other connection options.
When you provide your address, Broadband Compare can take the available connection types into account when determining which plans are suitable for you.
Your requirements can also include things such as:
- number of people and devices;
- expected data usage;
- broadband speed;
- contract preferences;
- price;
- router requirements;
- promotions or additional value.
That's why two households next door to each other can receive different recommendations if their needs are different.
What happens if you don't enter your address?
You can browse Broadband Compare without entering an address or applying personal requirements.
In this case, you'll see more general rankings based on the information available about the plans themselves.
These rankings are useful for exploring the market, but they don't represent a personalised recommendation because we don't yet know which connection technology is available at your property or what you need from your broadband connection.
Why we don't just tell you which provider is “the best”
Broadband providers offer different plans and strengths, and a provider that is ideal for one household may not be right for another.
Our job isn't to tell everyone to choose the same provider.
Our job is to help you find the plan that offers the best combination of features, price and value for your particular requirements.
The higher a plan's Broadband Compare rating, the more closely we believe it matches the requirements you've provided.
Don't overlook bundled plans
Some broadband providers offer discounts when you combine your broadband with power, mobile or other services. These deals can look particularly attractive because the broadband price may be heavily discounted or even appear to be exceptionally cheap.
But a cheap broadband price doesn't necessarily mean the overall bundle is the best value.
When comparing a bundle, it's important to look at the cost and value of every service you're signing up for. For example, a provider might offer $10 or $20 off your broadband if you move your power to them, but if their electricity rates are higher than another power provider, you could end up paying more overall. The same principle applies to mobile plans.
In other words, one part of a bundle can effectively be used as a loss leader to attract you to the other services. The discount on broadband might look impressive, but it doesn't tell you whether the combined cost of broadband + power or broadband + mobile represents good value.
That's why, when considering a bundle, you should ask:
- What will I pay for all the services combined?
- Is the discount permanent or only for a limited period?
- What will I pay when the promotional period ends?
- Are there contract terms or early termination fees?
- Is the broadband itself competitive with standalone broadband plans?
- Is the power or mobile service competitive with standalone alternatives?
- Are there joining credits or other benefits that affect the overall value?
But convenience has value too
That doesn't mean bundles are a bad idea.
Having one provider, one account and one bill can make life considerably easier. Some people will quite reasonably decide that this convenience is worth paying a little more for.
The important thing is to understand how much you're actually saving - or paying - for that convenience and decide whether it's worth it to you.
Our comparison tools take the relevant features and value of plans into account, but when considering a multi-service bundle, we encourage you to look beyond the headline broadband price and consider the total cost and value of the complete package.
The cheapest broadband in a bundle isn't necessarily the cheapest overall household solution. And the best bundle isn't necessarily the one with the biggest advertised discount - it's the one that delivers the combination of services, price, flexibility and convenience that's right for you.
Want to sort by price?
If price is your most important consideration, you don't have to use the Broadband Compare rating to order your results.
Simply change the “Sort by” option to Price and we'll show the plans from the lowest advertised price upwards.
However, the cheapest monthly price isn't always the cheapest option overall, so it's worth looking beyond the headline price before signing up.
Pay particular attention to:
- Promotional periods - a plan might be heavily discounted for the first 3, 6 or 12 months before reverting to a higher price.
- Contract length - cheaper plans may require you to commit to a fixed-term contract, sometimes with an early termination fee.
- Data limits - a cheaper plan may have a data allowance rather than unlimited data, which could mean additional costs if you exceed it.
- Connection or setup fees - check whether there is an upfront cost that isn't included in the monthly price.
- Modem or router costs - some plans include equipment while others may charge for it separately.
- Bundle requirements - a particularly cheap broadband price may only be available if you also take power, mobile or another service from the same provider.
Sorting by price gives you a different way to explore the market, but it's still important to check what you're getting for that price.
Our rating is designed to consider the overall value and suitability of a plan, whereas sorting by price simply answers a different question: “Which plans cost the least?”
Ultimately, the choice is yours. You can use our rating to find the plans we think offer the best overall fit for your requirements, or sort by price if getting the lowest monthly broadband cost is your priority.
How we recommend you use our site in simple terms
- Tell us what you need - enter your address and apply relevant filters
- We assess the available plans
- We score their features and value
- We compare that against price
- We rank the options for you.
Our technology can assess tens of thousands of potential combinations of consumer requirements and broadband plans, helping us provide a more personalised comparison rather than a one-size-fits-all “best broadband” list.
And because our comparison is designed around your requirements, the plan at the top of your results isn't necessarily the cheapest plan available. It will be the plan we believe offers the best overall fit and value for what you've told us you need.
How Power Compare Rankings Work
Choosing an electricity plan can be surprisingly complicated. Prices vary depending on where you live, how much electricity you use, the type of meter you have and even when you use your electricity.
Our aim at Power Compare is to make this easier by estimating the cost of different plans for your household and helping you identify potentially good-value options.
Price is the main factor
Power Compare rankings are based primarily on price.
We estimate the cost of each available electricity plan for your circumstances and use that estimated cost as the main factor in determining the ranking.
However, electricity pricing isn't as simple as comparing the advertised daily charge or cents-per-kWh rate. There are a number of factors that need to be taken into account before we can make a meaningful comparison.
Your address matters
We need your address or ICP (Installation Control Point) to identify which electricity network, also known as the distribution network or lines company, supplies your property.
There are 29 electricity distribution networks across New Zealand, and the network charges that apply can vary between locations.
These network costs form part of your electricity bill, so using the correct network is important when estimating the cost of a plan.
How much electricity do you use?
We also need to know whether your household is a low user or standard user, because electricity pricing can differ depending on your usage category.
If you provide actual usage information from your power bill, we can use that to make a more personalised estimate.
If you don't provide your actual usage, we'll estimate your electricity consumption based on the information available to us and typical usage patterns.
The more accurate the information you provide, the more useful the comparison is likely to be.
Prices include GST
The prices shown by Power Compare are intended for consumers, so our displayed price estimates include GST.
This means the figures are designed to give you an indication of what you might actually pay rather than presenting prices excluding GST.
Time-of-use and free power offers
Some electricity plans have more complicated pricing structures.
For example, a provider might offer:
- cheaper electricity at certain times of the day;
- free power for a number of hours each day;
- a free day each month;
- different rates for different periods; or
- other time-of-use pricing.
To compare these plans, we need to estimate how much of your electricity you are likely to use during the different pricing periods.
Where you haven't provided detailed usage information, we may apply estimates based on usage data and patterns from other customers.
This allows us to make a useful comparison, but it is still an estimate.
Your actual bill may be different
Power Compare price estimates are always approximate.
The estimate is calculated using the information you provide, together with available pricing information and assumptions where necessary. Your actual bill may be higher or lower depending on your real electricity consumption and how and when you use power.
For this reason, you should always check the provider's current pricing and terms before switching.
You can find further information about our estimates and assumptions in our Terms & Conditions.
Welcome and sign-up bonuses
Some electricity providers offer welcome credits, sign-up bonuses or other incentives to new customers.
These bonuses are not included in the estimated monthly price displayed in our comparison.
However, where applicable, they are taken into account when determining the ranking order.
This can sometimes produce a result that looks unusual, for example, a plan with an estimated monthly price of $180 may rank above a plan estimated at $175.
This is because the $180 plan may have a significant welcome bonus that, once taken into account, could make the overall cost to a new customer lower.
We believe it is useful to show the underlying estimated price separately while also recognising the value of significant promotional offers in our rankings.
Electricity pricing is complicated
Electricity pricing in New Zealand is incredibly complex.
There can be different rates for different usage levels, meter configurations, locations, times of day, customer types and promotional periods. Pricing can also change over time.
As a result, we can't guarantee that the price shown by Power Compare will exactly match the bill you eventually receive.
Our comparisons are made on a best-efforts basis using the pricing information available to us.
If you spot something that looks incorrect - such as an outdated price, incorrect plan information or an unexpected difference between our estimate and a provider's current pricing - please let us know so we can investigate and update our information where appropriate.
Use Power Compare as a guide
We want Power Compare to make the process of comparing electricity plans easier, but we don't want you to blindly rely on an estimated figure.
We recommend using Power Compare to identify plans that could offer good value, then double-check the provider's current pricing, terms, promotions and any assumptions that apply to your household before switching.
How we recommend you use our site in simple terms
- Tell us where you live
- Tell us how much power you use
- We estimate the cost of available plans
- We take relevant features and promotions into account
- We rank the options primarily by estimated value.
The result is a useful comparison designed to help you narrow down your options, but your actual electricity bill will always depend on your individual circumstances and usage.
How Mobile Compare Rankings Work
There isn't one “best” mobile plan
Just like broadband, there is no single mobile plan that is best for everyone.
Different people use their mobile differently. Some people mainly make calls and send messages, while others stream video, use social media, work from their phone, travel frequently or use their phone as a hotspot.
That's why Mobile Compare doesn't simply pick one plan and call it the best mobile plan in New Zealand.
Instead, our comparison tools use the requirements and preferences you provide to help identify plans that may be a good fit for you.
Change your requirements or apply different filters and your recommended plans may change.
How our rankings work
Mobile Compare looks at the features and characteristics that matter to you when choosing a mobile plan and uses the information you provide to narrow down and rank the available options.
Depending on your requirements, this can include things such as:
- monthly price;
- data allowance;
- data speed;
- calls and texts;
- hotspot/tethering allowances;
- contract terms;
- promotional pricing;
- additional features and benefits; and
- other plan-specific conditions.
The result is designed to help you find plans that match what you are looking for, rather than simply showing the cheapest plan.
For example, someone who uses very little mobile data might get a very different recommendation from someone who streams video every day.
“Endless” data doesn't necessarily mean unlimited full-speed data
This is one of the most important things to understand when comparing mobile plans.
Mobile providers use different terminology for their high-data plans, and “endless data” and “unlimited data” don't necessarily mean the same thing.
An “endless data” plan may provide a certain amount of data at full speed, for example, 20GB, 40GB or 60GB, once you have used that allowance they then reduce your connection speed, even though you can continue to use data, it will be at a much slower speed.
That may be perfectly adequate for basic activities such as messaging, email or light web browsing, but it may make activities such as:
- streaming high-quality video;
- video calling;
- gaming;
- downloading large files; or
- using your phone as a hotspot
…much more difficult.
This means two plans advertised as providing “endless” data can offer very different experiences.
When comparing plans, don't just look at the headline data description. Check how much data you get at full speed and what happens when you reach that limit.
Hotspotting can make a big difference
If you use your phone to connect a laptop, tablet or other device to the internet, you'll also want to check whether hotspotting or tethering is included.
Some plans may allow hotspotting as part of your data allowance, while others may restrict it, limit the amount you can use or have specific conditions attached.
A plan that looks excellent for using your phone normally may therefore be less suitable if you regularly use it as a replacement for broadband or another internet connection.
Promotional pricing
Mobile providers may offer introductory discounts, bonus data or other incentives to new customers.
When comparing plans, make sure you understand:
- how long a promotional price lasts;
- what the price becomes afterwards;
- whether there is a minimum term;
- what happens if you cancel;
- whether bonus data is temporary; and
- any other conditions attached to the offer.
A plan that looks cheap today may not remain the cheapest option over the longer term.
Your requirements determine the result
The filters and requirements you choose can have a significant impact on your results. For example:
Light user: You prioritise a low monthly cost and only need a small amount of full-speed data.
Heavy data user: You need a large full-speed allowance or genuinely unlimited full-speed data.
Hotspot user: You care more about tethering allowances and if your data can be shared with other devices.
There isn't necessarily a right answer, there's the right answer for you.
Use Mobile Compare as a starting point
We see our job as aggregating and showcasing the options available in the market and making them easier to compare.
Our rankings and recommendations are intended to help you narrow down your choices, but they shouldn't be the only thing you consider before signing up.
Once you've identified a plan you're interested in, we recommend checking the provider's current pricing, terms and conditions and paying particular attention to things like full-speed data allowances, speed caps, hotspotting, promotional periods and any contract conditions.
How we recommend you use our site in simple terms
- Tell us what you need
- Use the filters to narrow the market
- Compare the plans that match your requirements
- Check the important details
- Then make your own decision.
Mobile Compare is there to make the comparison easier.
We help you find the options. The final decision is yours.