What is the cheapest Wi-Fi in the UK?

The cheapest broadband types are copper ADSL and superfast fibre connections. Over the last year or so, fibre broadband has largely become as cheap, and sometimes even cheaper, than a much slower ADSL deal. Some providers now sell fibre deals for as little as £18 per month, which is roughly the same price as where ADSL deals start. See our lowest-priced internet deals to find out for yourself.

What is the cheapest type of broadband?

ADSL broadband, also known as standard broadband, is the cheapest type of broadband available in the UK. This offers average speeds of around 11Mbps - enough for basic web browsing and occasional streaming - though this may vary considerably depending on factors such as where your home is located.

What speed can I get with a low-cost broadband offer?

You can still expect to get superfast fibre broadband speeds with low-cost broadband deals. While the very cheapest offers usually come with 10Mbps average speeds, you only need to spend a couple of pounds more per month to get 30-70Mbps speeds. These are much more suited to the needs of households today, especially if you live with three or more people.

Is it less expensive to get Wi-Fi without a landline?

In most cases, no. Almost all of the cheapest broadband connections need a landline in order to connect to your home, and it's only faster connections that use different cables that don't require copper phone lines to work.

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Author: Max Beckett | Last updated: 17th March 2023

What do I get with a cheap broadband deal?

Despite their lower monthly price, cheap broadband deals can still give you a strong, robust broadband connection. They just tend to leave out all the extra services and premium features that some more expensive deals come with.

And while they might not offer the fastest internet speeds available, they still usually provide plenty of bandwidth for the average household. You should still be able to stream, game and scroll to your heart's content if you're a casual internet user.

The cheapest broadband deals tend to vary from week to week, as providers update their latest offers with different promotions and prices throughout the year. But you shouldn't necessarily choose a cheap deal just because of its low price - your priority should still be to find a deal that's right for your needs.

After all, it's all well and good choosing a very cheap offer, but if it's for a slower internet speed than what you require, you might struggle to do all you enjoy doing online.

The best way to find cheap broadband on Uswitch is by putting in your postcode and address, then sorting the results above by cost (low to high).

How to find a good cheap broadband offer

Cheap deals don't necessarily mean ones with the lowest monthly price. The cheapest deal for you may be one that lets you continue doing everything you want to online, but for the lowest overall cost.

There are lots of things you should look out for in a broadband deal if you're looking to reduce your monthly bills. These include:

Extras and bill credits

It's important to look beyond monthly prices. Many providers will often throw in extras, such as vouchers, gift cards and bill credits that can bring the overall cost of your package down.

For example, a cheap broadband deal could cost £20 a month for a 12-month contract, but it could come with a £50 voucher or reward card to spend as well. This effectively works out to £15.83 a month, which is quite a saving.

Bundle offers

If you already pay separate providers for other services like TV or your mobile phone, you could look into bundling them all with the same provider for a single monthly fee.

This way, you may find that the total amount costs you less than all of your separate bills put together. So make sure to look out for providers that offer all of these services. They won't be cheap deals, but you may end up paying less overall.

Contract terms

Remember to check contract lengths when you compare deals.

A shorter contract is often more convenient (especially for renters), but they can sometimes come with higher prices.

And make sure you're aware of a provider's price increases before you buy too. Some have higher mid-contract price rises than others, and some might put your monthly rate up significantly once your initial contract term is over.

This is why it pays to thoroughly compare low-cost broadband deals to see what the total cost will be. But it also means you should keep track of when your contract ends, so you can switch away from any big price hikes.

If you receive Universal Credit or another type of government-funded financial support, you will likely qualify for a broadband social tariff.

These are affordable Wi-Fi deals that offer the same speeds as normal broadband connections, but from a much lower monthly rate of just £12 per month.

You also won't be charged any annual price hikes if you're subscribed to one of these deals, so you can be confident your price will stay the same until you decide to change your tariff.

Take a look at our guide on broadband deals for low income families to see if you're eligible for one.

Cheapest broadband plans on Uswitch.com in April 2023

Package	Broadband speed	Contract length
Community Fibre 50Mbps Fibre Broadband	50Mb average*	24 months
Hyperoptic 150Mb Fibre Broadband - 12 Months	158Mb average*	12 months
Gigaclear Ultrafast 300 Broadband	300Mb average*	18 months
Community Fibre 150Mbps Fibre Broadband - 12 Months	150Mb average*	12 months
Three: 5G BB Unlimited	150Mb average*	24 months
Community Fibre 150Mbps Fibre Broadband	150Mb average*	24 months
Hyperoptic 150Mb Fibre Broadband	158Mb average*	24 months
NOW Broadband: Super Fibre	63Mb average*	12 months
Shell Energy Superfast Fibre Plus Broadband	67Mb average*	18 months
Hyperoptic 50Mb Fibre Broadband - 12 Months	57Mb average*	12 months

More broadband deals

Trustpilot has given Uswitch a 4.7 out of 5 rating, based on around 22,000 customer reviews as of December 2022.

Which are the cheapest internet providers?

Many of the major broadband providers in the UK have relatively cheap Wi-Fi deals on offer. In most cases, this is for their copper ADSL or part-fibre broadband deals, which provide you with basic internet access for prices as low as £18 or £19 per month.

Providers that offer low-cost broadband plans include the following.

Plusnet

Plusnet often features some of the lowest-price internet deals on the market, and it's well-known for offering excellent customer service.

The provider is part of BT Group, which includes other telecoms brands BT and EE. All three companies have annual price increases baked into their terms and conditions, which is worth keeping in mind before you sign up.

However, most broadband providers with low monthly costs also include some form of annual price hike, so this shouldn't necessarily be a reason to avoid Plusnet alone.

TalkTalk

Another popular low-cost broadband provider is TalkTalk.

Just like Plusnet, TalkTalk keeps its monthly prices low and focuses on delivering good service, with technical and financial support where needed. It's one of the 'big four' broadband providers in terms of the number of customers, alongside BT, Sky and Virgin Media.

TalkTalk also offers broadband, TV and home phone bundles for a single monthly fee. So if you watch a lot of television and still use your landline, a 'triple-play' provider like TalkTalk will likely keep your bills down by providing all three services at once.

Vodafone

Mobile network Vodafone is fairly new to the broadband market, but it has entered it with full force thanks to its very cheap broadband deals and comprehensive telecoms packages.

Vodafone often sells its superfast 67Mbps broadband deal for the same price as other providers' slowest deals — and sometimes even throws in gift cards worth dozens of pounds for signing up. That is a lot of money saved compared to other providers on the market, some of whom sell deals at a similar speed for several pounds per month more than Vodafone.

Hyperoptic is a full fibre-only provider that mainly supplies broadband to flats and new build houses. It's not a very widely-available provider, but it makes up for that by offering ultrafast and gigabit broadband speeds for surprisingly low prices.

With Hyperoptic, you'll get access to 150Mbps, 500Mbps and even 1Gb fibre internet, at prices that the major broadband providers don't even sink to for their slowest deals. It also doesn't include any mid-contract price increases for the entirety of your initial term.

So if you can access Hyperoptic's network, you'll be able to get incredibly fast speeds for a very low monthly rate.

You could save £162 if you switch broadband with Uswitch, according to our broadband sales data from August 2022. Find out how we calculated this savings figure.

What's the cheapest BT deal on Uswitch?

The cheapest broadband deal on offer from BT is BT Fibre Essential, which provides superfast 36Mbps average internet speeds.

At just below £30 per month, there are many cheaper options available from other providers for the same (and faster) speeds as this, so you won't find BT on our cheap broadband page as a result.

However, the provider is considered to offer a more comprehensive service than many other brands, so it tends to charge more because it usually gives customers a more premium experience.

Compare our BT broadband deals on Uswitch.

Pros and cons of cheap broadband deals

There are many obvious benefits to choosing a cheap broadband package, especially while the cost of living remains so high. But as with most products, you get what you pay for and you need to make sure you choose a service that meets your needs.

Pros

Low monthly prices
You can still get superfast part-fibre speeds
Simple, straightforward broadband with no unnecessary bells and whistles

Cons

Usually offered by smaller providers with fewer services
Not a good option if your household needs broadband speeds above 100Mbps
They don't usually include other services like TV

How to compare cheap broadband deals

Comparing deals and switching your broadband is a lot simpler than you might think. Here are our tips for finding the right well-priced broadband offer for you.

1. Find the right broadband speed

Low-cost broadband plans are best suited for those on a tight budget or living in a small household. These could be students, or they could be those who don't use the internet very much. Plus, many people living in one or two person properties wouldn't need a high-speed deal. This is why it's important to consider what you intend to use your broadband for.

The least expensive broadband deals will have relatively slow speeds, averaging around 10-11Mbps depending on your location.

If you're only planning to use your internet for browsing the web, checking emails and social media, or doing some online shopping, you should look for deals that offer these average speeds.

However, if you'll be downloading large files, streaming lots of TV, playing internet-hungry online games — or if you live in a household of more than two people — you may need a faster connection.

They're usually a little more expensive but are often worth the money for what you can do with the jump in speed.

Get more advice from Uswitch on finding the right broadband speed for your household.

2. Watch out for download limits

You should also be aware of any limits on what you can download. These days, almost every package will offer unlimited usage, but some providers may have certain traffic management policies that restrict the speeds you can get at certain times, such as a Fair Usage Policy.

These shouldn't be an issue for most light users, but it's worth checking if you expect to be downloading large files or TV episodes at peak times (usually between 8-10pm), or use services like peer-to-peer file sharing.

3. Keep extra costs in mind

Finally, don't forget to see if there are any extra expenses, such as setup fees, line installation, delivery charges or the need to buy a router that will add to the upfront cost of the service.

It may be the case that a certain deal is a little extra per month than you wanted, but it could work out cheaper if it has free setup and no other additional charges.

Learn more about how to switch broadband providers

How to stay on top of your broadband bills

There are a lot of things you can do to enjoy the full potential of your internet, for the price you want it.

Our broadband guides have lots of useful information for both choosing the right deal, and for getting what you need from your current service.

Find out more ways you can save money on your broadband bill
See how you can get broadband without a credit check
Stay up to date with the latest broadband price rises from the likes of BT and Virgin Media
Learn what broadband speed you can get in your area

Cheap broadband FAQs

While copper ADSL broadband is usually the lowest-priced broadband type on the market, you can still get a comparably low-cost fibre broadband deal without paying too much more. But with some providers, it's actually sometimes cheaper to go for a faster fibre deal.

Most of the lowest-price broadband suppliers offer fibre broadband deals with superfast internet speeds from around £20 a month. That's only around £2 per month more than the least-expensive ADSL deals, which are much slower broadband speeds than fibre.

It's also worth remembering that more affordable broadband plans still jump up in price after your initial fixed-term contract ends. This means that if you're currently outside your fixed-term contract and still on an ADSL connection, you may even be able to get a lower-cost deal on a new fibre broadband package.

If you only want internet access, a cheap broadband-only deal is likely to work out less expensive than a bundle deal.

But if regularly use landline, pay-TV or mobile phone network services, it normally pays to compare broadband bundle deals from a single provider to see if it works out less pricey.

For instance, if you opt for an inexpensive broadband-only deal that comes with phone calls on a pay-as-you-go basis, you'll need to think about how often you actually use the phone.

But if you're frequently chatting with friends and family, a bundle deal that gives you unlimited calls for a fixed price may work out more fairly priced in the long run, even if the headline cost per month is more expensive.

It's easier than you might think to find more afforable fibre broadband deals.

Our Uswitch deals tables regularly show fibre broadband deals for just £20-£25 a month, often with vouchers or cashback rewards for new customers. But with so many offers and discounts available, it's sensible to check what deals are available at the moment.

Many providers offer time-limited discounts, so comparing low-cost broadband deals is a must.

It depends on how much demand your household will have for broadband. If you only use the internet to browse social media, shop online or watch the odd YouTube video, you could get by with standard speeds of around 10-11Mbps. However if you enjoy regularly streaming TV, playing high-quality online games, downloading large files or living in a household of more than two people, a fibre connection would be best.

The good news is, the cheapest fibre deals are often a very similar price to standard broadband, so you won't be paying much more at all for a faster service.