Hyperoptic vs Zen:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Hyperoptic had more branded searches than Zen among broadband providers in the United Kingdom. Hyperoptic had about 135,000 branded searches, while Zen had 33,100. Hyperoptic made up 5.5% of all broadband provider searches we track, and Zen accounted for 1.4%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about broadband providers, Zen appeared in all five answers and Hyperoptic in three. Zen was mentioned before Hyperoptic in four out of five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Hyperoptic, about 4 searches for every 1 for Zen
Who does AI mention more?
Zen, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Zen, named ahead of Hyperoptic in 4 of 5 answers
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Top broadband providers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Zen appeared in all five answers. Hyperoptic was mentioned in three out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Zen was listed before Hyperoptic in four out of five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Zen1st
EE2nd
Vodafone3rd
Plusnet4th
Virgin Media5th- Hyperoptic6th
Community Fibre7th
YouFibre8th
BT9th
TalkTalk10th- +1 more
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- EE5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Zen5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Plusnet4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Vodafone4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Virgin Media3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Hyperoptic3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- TalkTalk2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- BT2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Community Fibre2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Sky1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about broadband providers
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which broadband provider should I switch to in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best broadband providers in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best full fibre broadband provider in the UK for working from home?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“broadband deals”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best broadband provider”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United Kingdom on October 22, 2026.
Is Hyperoptic or Zen more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Hyperoptic and Zen by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 11 broadband providers we track, month by month, from searches in United Kingdom.
Share of searches by month for Hyperoptic, Zen. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Virgin Media | TalkTalk | EE | Hyperoptic | Sky | BT | Plusnet | Community Fibre | Vodafone | YouFibre | Zen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 50.2% | 12.3% | 5.5% | 3.7% | 5.5% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 6.7% | 2.5% | 0.91% |
| Nov 2025 | 47.9% | 14.4% | 5.3% | 3.6% | 6.5% | 5.3% | 5.3% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 1.1% |
| Dec 2025 | 54.6% | 13.5% | 4.9% | 3.3% | 4.9% | 4.1% | 4.9% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 0.99% |
| Jan 2026 | 48.6% | 14.7% | 5.4% | 4.4% | 5.4% | 4.4% | 6.6% | 3.6% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 1.1% |
| Feb 2026 | 51.3% | 12.7% | 5.7% | 3.8% | 5.7% | 4.6% | 5.7% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 2.5% | 1.1% |
| Mar 2026 | 53.5% | 13.1% | 4.8% | 3.9% | 4.8% | 3.9% | 4.8% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 1.4% |
| Apr 2026 | 50.5% | 12.5% | 5.6% | 3.7% | 5.6% | 4.6% | 5.6% | 3.7% | 3.1% | 3.7% | 1.4% |
| May 2026 | 52.3% | 10.6% | 5.8% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 5.8% | 3.9% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 1.2% |
| Jun 2026 | 51.5% | 10.4% | 7% | 4.6% | 4.6% | 4.6% | 5.7% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 1.4% |
| Jul 2026 | 52.2% | 10.5% | 5.8% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 5.8% | 3.9% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 1.4% |
| Aug 2026 | 51.8% | 10.4% | 5.7% | 4.7% | 5.7% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 1.4% |
| Sep 2026 | 50.1% | 12.4% | 5.5% | 5.5% | 5.5% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 3% | 1.4% |
How has the Hyperoptic and Zen comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Hyperoptic was ahead of Zen in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hyperoptic’s share of searches among broadband providers in the United Kingdom moved from 3.7% to 5.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 110K to 135K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Zen’s share of searches among broadband providers in the United Kingdom moved from 0.91% to 1.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 27.1K to 33.1K.
How did search popularity change for United Kingdom broadband providers in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Hyperoptic overtook Sky and BT to rank 4th among broadband providers in the United Kingdom, with 5.5% of the searches.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Zen in the United Kingdom rose 22.1% over 12 measured months, from 27.1K to 33.1K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Hyperoptic’s and Zen’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Hyperoptic
1 branded search term
- hyperoptic
Zen
1 branded search term
- zen internet
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