Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

Pozidriv vs Phillips screwdriver

Updated: October 2026

You are holding a UK socket faceplate, the screw looks like a cross, and the listing you nearly ordered only says Phillips or cross-head. If the screw has extra radial ticks, use Pozidriv. If the listing only says Phillips or cross-head, assume Pozidriv is missing until the size line names PZ. Which of the twelve print PZ is on the [VDE screwdriver comparison](/hub/hand-tools/vde-screwdriver). The other buying checks are in the [buying guide](/hub/hand-tools/vde-screwdriver/sub/vde-screwdriver-buying-guide). Products Compared compared these amazon.co.uk listings on 16 October 2026. There is no laboratory test of tip fit. If you buy through our links, a qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are holding a UK socket faceplate, the screw looks like a cross, and the listing you nearly ordered only says Phillips or cross-head. If the screw has extra radial ticks, use Pozidriv.

Our top picks

Wera Wera 6-piece Phillips and slotted

Best overall

Wera Wera 6-piece Phillips and slotted
8.9/10about £26.98
View offer
Wera Wera 6-piece Pozidriv and slotted

Alternative

Wera Wera 6-piece Pozidriv and slotted
7.8/10about £25.94
View offer
ArmaKit ArmaKit AKVDE-7 7-piece set

Preis-Tipp

ArmaKit ArmaKit AKVDE-7 7-piece set
8.1/10about £9.95
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.How the two tips differ
  2. 2.Slotted screws are still in the same job
  3. 3.Which sets in this comparison list Pozidriv
  4. 4.Plus-minus is a third tip

How the two tips differ

Phillips and Pozidriv are both crosses, and they are not the same recess. A Phillips screw is a plain cross with tapered flanks, so the driver is designed to cam out. A Pozidriv screw adds short radial lines between the arms, and a Pozidriv tip has parallel flanks, so it stays down. A Phillips driver is a poor fit in Pozidriv, and a Pozidriv driver does not belong in a Phillips screw. Each way round damages the head. Using a PH2 lightly on a small Pozidriv faceplate is still that damage. BLOSTM's head line says cross-head, and that is not a PZ size. Until a components list prints PZ0, PZ1, or PZ2, treat cross-head as unspecified.

Slotted screws are still in the same job

Many faceplate screws are slotted, so a Pozidriv-only argument still leaves you short. There is no single official blade width. On DIYnot, one size people cite is about 5.5 mm by 1.0 mm, and a 4 mm blade is criticised because it is thin and rocks. Match the blade to the slot. A flat that is too wide marks the plastic. A blade that is too thin twists. A consumer-unit terminal is often a combined tip rather than a plain slot.
Wera Wera 6-piece Phillips and slotted

Testsieger

Wera Wera 6-piece Phillips and slotted
8.9/10about £26.98
View offer

Which sets in this comparison list Pozidriv

Four listings name Pozidriv, and each has a limit. Gunpla at £15.98 prints PZ0, PZ1 and PZ2, and its reviews dispute the VDE marks. Anesty at £16.90 lists two Pozidriv bits, at 4.7 from 10 reviews, which is too few to treat as settled. Wera 05051576001 at £25.94 lists PZ1 by 80 mm and PZ2 by 100 mm. Reviews report those tips snapped. The BILITOOLS nine-piece at £23.99 lists PZ0 and PZ1, not PZ2. Afeld, ArmaKit, BLOSTM, the WEDO PH3, Wera 05051575001, and the BILITOOLS pliers kit do not list Pozidriv. If the cross is plain Phillips, 05051575001 is the Wera set for that recess. Bahco's bullets do not name the seven tips. The slim Wera's PZ/S sizes appear in a review, not in the specification. Picks with those limits are on the best VDE screwdriver page.

Plus-minus is a third tip

Many consumer-unit terminals use a combined slot and cross, sold as plus-minus or modulo, rather than a plain PZ2. A plain Pozidriv or a plain flat can damage those screws. CK's note is that a small driver in a large combi screw loads the ends of the slot until they break. None of the twelve specification tables prints a modulo or PZ/S size. Those letters appear in one review of the slim Wera, which is not the spec. If the screw is on a breaker or an RCBO, read the consumer unit page. For the plate on the wall, use Pozidriv when the extra ticks are there, and Phillips when the cross is plain.

Common questions

How do I tell Pozidriv from Phillips on the screw?
Pozidriv has extra short lines between the arms of the cross. Phillips is a plain cross, tapered so the driver can cam out. If you can see the ticks, use a PZ tip. If the cross is plain, use Phillips. The lines are on the screw, not in the colour of the handle.
Can I use the PH2 from the set on a UK socket?
Only if that screw is a Phillips cross. If it has the Pozidriv ticks, a PH2 will cam out and ruin the recess. That remains a damage risk on a small screw. Afeld, ArmaKit, and the Phillips Wera list PH and do not list PZ. They match a plain Phillips cross. They do not match a ticked faceplate.
What slotted size fits a faceplate?
There is no single official width. DIYnot cites about 5.5 mm by 1.0 mm as one working size, and also 4 mm, which some people find rocks because it is thin. Match the blade to the slot. A set that prints slotted millimetres lets you do that. A set that only says flat makes you guess.
Is cross-head on a listing Phillips or Pozidriv?
It is unspecified. BLOSTM's head line says cross-head and does not name PZ sizes, so you cannot treat it as Pozidriv. Listings that print PH0, PH1, or PH2 are Phillips. Pozidriv listings print PZ. If the size line is silent, assume the Pozidriv recess is not included.
What is a plus-minus or modulo tip?
It is a combined slot and cross used on many consumer-unit terminals, including RCD and RCBO screws. A plain PZ or a plain flat can damage them, and a small driver on a large combi screw can break the slot ends. It is not the same choice as Pozidriv versus Phillips on a faceplate. That job sits on the consumer-unit page.
Why do PZ tips snap in reviews?
Reviews of the Wera Pozidriv six-piece at £25.94 report PZ1 and PZ2 heads snapped after limited use. That is a complaint about those tips, not a failure rate for every Pozidriv driver. Check the tips on arrival, and do not keep a tip that has already chipped. A snapped PZ2 does not make a PH2 a substitute.

Related pages

VDE screwdrivers 2026

Best VDE screwdriver: faceplate, reach or first set

VDE screwdriver buying guide: marks, tips and tester

Insulated screwdriver for a consumer unit: the limits

How to use a VDE screwdriver: prove the circuit dead

Sources

Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings in this comparison. Listings captured 15 October 2026. Page updated October 2026.

  1. Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, regulation 14 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  2. HSE HSG85 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  3. HSE GS38 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  4. BSI, BS EN IEC 60900:2018 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  5. Professional Electrician on insulated tools (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  6. GOV.UK competent person schemes (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  7. IET consumer-unit FAQ (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  8. BAuA GS mark FAQ (retrieved 15 October 2026)