Compare broadband deals

The best broadband deal won’t be the same for everyone. Rather than looking for the fastest speed or the cheapest price, look for the deal that will work best for your household. 

We surveyed over 2,000 broadband customers* in the UK to better understand what’s valued in a broadband deal. We’ve used these insights to help inform our advice, helping you find the best deal. 

Here are some important factors to consider when comparing broadband packages.

Check availability in your area

Depending on where you live, you won’t have access to every broadband provider or connection type. Our postcode checker is the best way to see what deals are available in your area.

Look for the best value for money  

Choose a broadband deal within your budget, considering both monthly costs and any upfront fees or price increases.

Based on our survey, Three was rated highly by customers for providing good/excellent value, while Sky received the lowest rating in that area.

Packages tend to cost more than broadband-only deals, but combining services like your broadband, phone and TV can save you money overall. Our survey respondents found broadband-only and broadband, phone, TV and SIM deals to be the best value for money. 

Find the right speeds for your usage

Finding the right speed comes down to how many people live in your household and what your internet habits are. Running a broadband speed test is critical when comparing deals, as you can determine if you are receiving your advertised speeds and whether you need to upgrade. 

Download speeds are usually more important, but you should check what upload speeds you will receive in case you need to upload large files or documents to the web. Some deals offer symmetrical speeds, which means both speeds are similar or equal. 

Pick the right contract length for your needs

Most broadband contracts last for 12, 18 or 24 months. If providers offer both 12 and 24-month contracts, the monthly price is usually lower on the longer contract. 

If you are renting or will be moving home, no-contract broadband packages are a great solution. Rolling monthly contracts are best for flexibility and can be terminated within 30 days without any cancellation fees, which are standard in longer contracts. The downside is these deals are usually more expensive on a monthly basis and can come with costly upfront fees. 

Look for quality customer service 

Effective customer service is paramount when comparing broadband providers. Trusting that your provider will resolve any issues in a timely and professional manner offers peace of mind. 

Respondents to our survey ranked Three and EE as the best providers for customer service, with 74 and 73 per cent rating them “Good” or “Excellent” respectively. Virgin Media and TalkTalk had the fewest positive responses, and Virgin Media received the most “Very Poor” and “Poor” responses (11 per cent).

If you want to save money on your next broadband deal, consider going for slower speeds. Standard broadband is generally more affordable than fibre broadband, but you should always compare different providers to see which offers the best price for the highest speed. 

To make finding the cheapest broadband deals easier, we catalogued some of the most affordable deals available from a range of trusted providers.

Set up and installation costs

You should consider the potential upfront costs that come with new broadband deals. These costs will vary by provider, package type and time of year, with some providers offering free installation and delivery during promotional periods. 

We looked at several broadband providers and found upfront costs can vary from £0, which is the case for all Virgin Media deals, to £31.99 for the BT Full Fibre 900 package. While some fees can be high, they only apply to your first payment, and will not affect your monthly costs thereafter

Broadband is a high-speed internet connection that allows you to browse the web, stream content and game online, among other things. Broadband replaced dial-up internet and is generally more reliable and much faster. 

There are different types of broadband connections available, although your access to them will depend on where you live. A reliable connection is paramount, as you don’t want to worry about slow loading times or frequent disconnections. 

Using our postcode checker is the best way to understand what broadband connections are available in your area. Here are some of the most common broadband types in the UK and a summary of their main pros and cons.

Do I need fibre?

Fibre broadband is much faster and more reliable than standard broadband. It uses fibre optic cables, which are more efficient and allow for faster speeds than the copper cables used for a standard connection. 

Full fibre or fibre broadband is optimal for households with multiple people who frequently engage in online activities. Generally, the heavier your internet usage, the more beneficial fibre will be. 

We asked our survey respondents about their internet habits; 57 per cent of heavy internet users opted for full fibre, the highest of any group. Basic broadband was most popular with light broadband usage households, at 15 per cent. Assess your internet habits and budget to determine if fibre or full fibre will be beneficial for your household.

Why does broadband speed matter?

Broadband speed is very important as it affects the types of activities you can perform online. 

Slow speeds can result in slow loading times, periods of buffering and juddering video playback. While some households may manage slower speeds, others need faster packages for a seamless connection, which is especially important if you work from home.

What speed do I need?

You can explore what broadband speeds will be best for your household below. 

Broadband speeds vary considerably between regions, and urban areas generally have access to higher speeds than rural areas. 

The latest Ofcom report[3] revealed that 59 per cent of urban households have access to full fibre compared to 42 per cent of rural properties. Gigabit-capable broadband (broadband of 1,000Mbps or above) is available to 83 per cent of urban residential properties but just 45 per cent of rural ones.  

These discrepancies are due to a lack of infrastructure in certain parts of the country. To alleviate this, Openreach[4] is working alongside the government to deliver gigabit broadband to 85 per cent of the UK by 2025. 

Below you can see the actual and advertised speed of each region of the UK to help you better understand the broadband speed patterns in your area.