Hunting down the cheapest broadband offers in the UK
We find and compare the lowest price internet deals in the UK so you don’t have to.
With our cheap broadband deals you’ll get a free wireless router, which beams WiFi throughout your home. That means everyone can get online on smartphones, tablets, laptops, computers or other internet-connected devices.
Cheap broadband deals often include some kind of antivirus software for your home PC, laptop or Mac, for example Sky Broadband Shield, or Post Office Safeguard.
Finding your perfect deal is as simple as popping your postcode in the search box.
Just because you’re paying less than £20 a month for broadband doesn’t mean you should be stuck with installation delays, missed appointments or overseas call centres who can’t help you with any broadband problems.
Choosing an affordable broadband supplier doesn’t mean you should accept a lower quality of service. Even the cheapest internet can be better for your wallet and better for your state of mind.
If you need to save money fast, switching to a cheaper broadband deal is a great place to start.
What kinds of broadband are most affordable?
While you won’t see this on your bill, the cheapest broadband in the UK is normally delivered using the oldest kind of technology available, called ADSL.
ADSL broadband is the oldest kind of technology still on sale on the UK market.
These cheap and cheerful broadband lines can reach a maximum download speed of 17Mbps.
If all you do online is read your emails and browse Facebook or other social media, then this cheapest type of broadband will probably be fine.
Often users won’t be able to get 17Mbps because of a host of reasons. The biggest factor is the distance from the nearest telephone exchange – closer usually means you’ll get faster broadband.
The number of people trying to get online nearby, and the time of day, will also have an impact. Usually broadband is slower during peak times -before 10.30am and after 5pm.
Once you start watching Youtube or BBC iPlayer online, or streaming TV on Netflix, then the ADSL broadband might be less suitable and could struggle to keep up.
Still, low cost broadband doesn’t have to be low quality or low performance. You can get cheap broadband deals for under £20 a month, especially if you don’t need calls or TV bundled in.
Who is the cheapest broadband provider?
These companies usually offer internet access in the cheaper range of prices. We know them as budget broadband providers.
There are fewer bells and whistles but they do offer reasonable value for money. These are nationwide operations, with decent quality customer service as rated by Ofcom, the telecoms regulator. Trustpilot, the crowdsourced reviews website also provide reliable customer ratings.
These usually include:
- DirectSave Telecom, who regularly drop prices under £20 a month for broadband only deals
- Plusnet, who offer reasonably-priced standard speed and fibre broadband and are well-rated for customer service
- TalkTalk, who focus on budget deals but don’t have the same reputation for customer service
- the Post Office, people are surprised that the Post Office offer cheap home broadband deals but you can usually find sub-£20 a month deals on show
- Onestream, an independent telecoms company that offers some of the cheapest broadband packages on the market
- Sky Broadband, while they focus on premium services and pay TV, affordable Sky broadband deals are more common than you might think
Will budget broadband be fast enough?
It depends on what you use the internet for. If you’re just browsing websites, checking email or social media without uploading pictures or videos, standard ADSL broadband at up to 17Mbps is likely to be plenty for what you need.
Cheap broadband comes in many forms. Sometimes even Fibre-to-the-Cabinet broadband – one step up from standard speed – can come in at less than £25 a month.
This type of Fibre broadband is sold as ‘up to 38Mbps’ and ‘up to 76Mbps’. Sometimes even the cheapest full-fibre broadband can be suitable for you too, though this is less widely available.
Will cheap broadband work for me?
It depends on how many people in your household use the internet at one time, and what you use the internet for.
No-frills ADSL broadband usually works best for people who:
- Have two or fewer people using the internet or using WiFi at once
- Don’t go online every day
- Only use the internet to read news websites, check emails and check their social media accounts
Cheap ADSL broadband is usually not suitable for people who:
- Have more than two people trying to get online or use WiFi at the same time
- Want to use their broadband to stream TV, BBC iPlayer or Netflix, or want to stream Spotify or other music platforms
- Often use the internet for online games, or to make video calls using Skype or Facetime.
- Need to download music, films, TV or games quickly
Can you get free gifts with a cheap broadband package?
Sure! Even the cheapest broadband suppliers want new customers and need your business, and they’re willing to offer you sweeteners to sign up with them rather than with their rivals.
Reward Cards
The most common kind of offer with cheap broadband deals are Reward Cards.
These are prepaid Mastercards loaded with a certain amount of cash, ranging from £50 to £175, that you can spend online or in high street stores.
Usually broadband providers run these Reward Cards through separate companies. You sign up to a new cheap broadband deal, then once your service is switched on, and up and running, you apply to get the Reward Card.
You’ll see these results listed in our comparison tables and they’ll show up as a green, red or black pointer
New tech, tablets and more
Occasionally ISPs will try to grease the wheels with a fancy new piece of tech to entice you into signing up for a cheap broadband deal. These can range from tablets, speakers and headphones to wireless cameras, apps or even the new breed of digital assistants like Amazon’s Echo, Echo Dot, or Google Home.
How could switching to a cheaper broadband deal help?
The biggest barrier to making the switch to cheaper broadband is usually a fear of being offline for extended periods, or not knowing enough about the ISP they’re switching to.
Most people stay with their broadband provider far beyond the initial 12 or 18 months. Prices often go up after this time.
People don’t like switching broadband and see it as a major hassle – like switching energy providers.
But there’s no loyalty bonus available for most of us. In fact, the longer you stay with one broadband provider, the more likely your monthly bills are to go up, rather than down.
If you’ve stuck with your broadband provider for more than 12 months, you’re likely to be missing out on the cheapest broadband deals available.
If you’re prepared to shop around, compare prices and providers and really think hard about what you need and what you want, there’s no reason why you can’t find cheap broadband near you.
It’s easier than you think to make savings without sacrificing on quality. There are better deals out there if you are willing to look, as you can see from our broadband price comparison tables.
Frequently asked questions
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Are there any hidden costs?▲
Some providers charge a fee for hardware, activation, or postage and packaging when sending you a router – but we include all these charges in ‘Setup Costs’ so you can see them upfront. Line rental is also included in the monthly costs.
If you don’t have an existing line, some providers will charge for installation as this requires an engineer to visit. We’re working on including this in our listings – for now please check the provider’s website.
We don’t include any out-of-bundle charges such as calls, because they depend on how much you use the phone. It might be worth getting a calls package if you use the landline a lot.
Some ISPs will charge admin fees if you’re not able to pay by direct debit.
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Why is my broadband so slow?▼
There are many reasons why your broadband could be slow.
In general, the further away your home is from a green street cabinet, the slower your type of broadband connection will be.
The more people that use the same WiFi, the slower it will be. This applies both to the people inside your house, and to your neighbours.
Electrical interference or poor weather conditions can also disrupt broadband speeds.
There may also be a problem with your ISP or the company that supplies your broadband.
If you are using wireless internet at home you may find it slower or less reliable than a wired connection.
If you do have trouble connecting in this case, try plugging your device into the router and you’ll probably notice a difference. As wireless connections rely on a frequency, they can be susceptible to interference – from neighbour’s WiFi for example.
If making a wired connection isn’t possible, you can also try moving your device closer to the router or investing in a better quality aerial or signal booster, to better move the data around.
Always keep in mind, the more users on a network, the more demand for data and the slower it will be.
If you’re in a busy environment with several devices connected at once, you may want to check your speed when there are fewer people around.
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Will broadband give me free WiFi at home?▼
The short answer is yes.
Nowadays, almost all routers can emit a WiFi signal. So when your new router is plugged in and turned on at home, you will be able to get free WiFi that you can access on a laptop, smartphone or tablet.
Using your own WiFi is completely free, but if you don’t have unlimited data as part of your broadband deal, connecting to the WiFi will use up your data allowance.
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How long does it take to get broadband installed?▼
Typically 1-2 weeks. Your provider will send you a new router, let your old provider know, and get everything set up ready to go live as soon as possible. Normally setup is as simple as plugging the new router into your phone line, but if there are issues you may need a appointment with an engineer which can take a bit longer.
If you don’t have an existing landline, or you’re moving to Virgin Media or one of the new FTTP providers, they will need to run a new cable from the street to your property.
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How fast is standard broadband?▼
Standard broadband is also known as ADSL broadband. The speed you will see listed for standard broadband is ‘up to 17Mbps’, although you are very unlikely to get anything close to that speed in reality.
Watch out for how ISPs sell standard broadband as sometimes they don’t make it obvious exactly what type of broadband you’re buying. You may find that providers sell this slower type of connection as simply ‘Broadband’, while more expensive deals are specifically noted as ‘Fibre Broadband’.
Standard broadband uses copper telephone lines to make a connection to your home. Not only are copper lines slower than fibre optic ones, they are also weaker for interference.
Electrical interference is caused by many different things but the biggest offender is actually other users trying to access the internet through the same telephone cable.
Living in a crowded area, or being really far away from the telephone exchange, will massively increase the odds of frequent interference and your internet speed will suffer.
Fibre or cable broadband doesn’t suffer from interference and so delivers a far more reliable connection.
