Cheap Broadband Compare and get online from £9/mth

How broadband works

Where it's available, broadband has now all but replaced dial-up web access. Most people use an upgraded home phone line called ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line).

As well as being much faster than dial-up (if you've already got it, you can test HOW fast with a free broadband speed test), broadband offers other key benefits. It's always connected, so you needn't wait to get online each time, and it allows you to make and receive phone calls on the same line while it's being used.

New to broadband?

If you're new to broadband, your provider will need to set up your phone line before you can get online. This usually takes a week, and shouldn't affect calls.

You'll get a broadband modem, which allows your computer to use the signal, and a couple of "microfilters" which help your modem get a cleaner signal through the line. These make quite a difference (you may even get no access without them), so it's important to use them wherever possible.

Of course, all this equipment costs the service provider money, so most will lock you into a minimum 12-month contract to recoup costs.

Superfast fibre broadband

Fibre broadband is faster, and more reliable, so it's ideal for online gaming and streaming. As more providers enter the superfast market, the cost of upgrading to fibre is dropping. It's still pricier than ADSL, but if you really want/need it, read the dropdowns below for a bit more info:

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Switching broadband provider

Switching broadband provider is, in essence, quite simple. Until recently it was made much more difficult by uncooperative companies. Thankfully this is gradually changing as the regulator, Ofcom, is coming down hard on them.

If you are switching provider, there are a couple of checks to make:


If you don't want to switch, try haggling with your existing provider. It's possible it'll drop the package price if you ask nicely. Go armed with details of the current best buys for new customers as a benchmark. For more details, read the How To Haggle Successfully guide.

Choosing and comparing broadband packages

There are a range of variables to take into account when choosing a broadband package:

Want BT Sport? You'll need BT broadband...

If you're thinking about switching broadband provider soon, but want to get the new BT Sport channels (full info in the BT Sport MSE News story), it's worth bearing in mind that the channels are only available if you take BT broadband.

As BT broadband is not the cheapest offer on the market, weigh up the options carefully.

The BT Sport channels will be available from 1 Aug, in time for the new Premier League season. They will show 38 live games, however Sky Sports will still broadcast the majority of matches. Consider whether you really want BT Sport before switching broadband provider.

Best buys: Cheap broadband

Below are our top picks after comparing 50+ broadband products. It's purely price-focused, as broadband customer service tends to have a huge "luck of the draw" element, with every provider having its disgusted of Dorset and delighted of Devon.

Some providers quote prices without VAT, here we always include it. Also it's important to note that once you've chosen your top provider, you may be able to considerably reduce the effective price by getting extra cashback on these deals.

Here are the cheapest broadband deals for people that live in "local loop unbundled" or LLU areas (about 70% of the population). If your local exchange isn't unbundled, you'll pay more. If you want to know exactly what providers and potential speeds your local exchange can handle, use SamKnows' exchange mapping tool.

Warning! Even if you're mid-contract, providers can change the prices below at any time. Read the latest MSE broadband news for details on all the price hikes.

Narrow it down!Cheap Broadband Finder Tool
Personalise your best buys

To narrow down your search, enter your postcode or phone number below, and we'll show you what's available in your area!

Broadband location data kindly supplied by Sam Knows

We do not store your number or postcode, it is purely for this tool

Checking data...

Provider Download
limit &
'up to' speed
Overall cost
(Avg/month
incl fees)
Full info Visit
provider
Standalone broadband
Plusnet 10GB
up to 16Mb
(What does this mean?)
Broadband, home phone & line rental
TalkTalk Package Unlimited
up to 14Mb
(What does this mean?)
Plusnet 10GB
up to 16Mb
(What does this mean?)
Primus Unlimited
up to 14Mb
(What does this mean?)
BT 10GB
up to 16Mb
(What does this mean?)
Superfast broadband
Virgin Media Unlimited
up to 30Mb
(What does this mean?)
Visit
Virgin Media*
Plusnet Unlimited
up to 76Mb
(What does this mean?)
BT Unlimited
up to 76Mb
(What does this mean?)
Deals for existing customers
EE Unlimited
up to 14Mb

(What does this mean?)
Sky Unlimited
up to 14Mb

(What does this mean?)
(1) - average price

If you've found a cheaper package available to you which doesn't appear, let us know.

Provider Download
limit
Overall cost
(Avg/month
inc. fees)
Full info Visit
provider
Plusnet
Virgin Media
Bundled broadband & home phone line rental
Primus & Plusnet bundle
Primus Package
Deals for existing customers
O2
Sky
(i) - average price

Daily-updated comparison services

This guide is updated monthly. However, you may want to check the daily updated best buy tables from a couple of external sources, as listed below.

WARNING! Always check the providers listed in this article first. The comparison links below don't cover anywhere near as many products, but as they're updated daily, they may provide better buys if they're brand new.

Broadbandchoices*, Homephonechoices*, SimplifyDigital*, uSwitch*, MoneySupermarket*

Can you grab cashback on top?

It's often possible to grab extra cashback on top when you sign up for a broadband package. Yet it isn't done direct.

To get it you need to sign up via specialist cashback websites. These use affiliate links to generate revenue. If they get paid when you sign up, they'll give some or all of it to you.

Always check first that it's an identical product, clear any cookies if you've already clicked through, and remember as the cashback isn't coming from the product provider, it's never 100% guaranteed.

Sometimes special promotions and cashback can't be combined. You're playing the system to an extent, and there can be problems.

Therefore it's generally best to pick the right product first and view the cashback as an added extra. For more information, pros and cons, and to find which cashback providers pay most for any product, see the Top Cashback Sites guide.

Plus sometimes there are special higher rates negotiated for the short term. These tend to have a higher payout reliability. When they happen we'll list them below and include info in the weekly email.

Current cashback deals

  • Up to £101 cashback with EE broadband (formerly Orange)

    You can get up to £70 cashback with EE broadband via Quidco* or up to £101 cashback via Topcashback*.
  • Up to £163.11 cashback with Virgin Media

    You can get up to £76 cashback with Quidco* or £163.11 cashback on cable packages via Topcashback*.
  • Up to £120 cashback with BT

    You can get up to £10.10 cashback on BT broadband through Topcashback* or up to £120 cashback via Quidco*.
  • Up to £90 cashback with Plusnet

    Go via Topcashback* and get up to £38.38 cashback, or via Quidco* for up to £90 cashback.

Glossary

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Cheap Broadband

What the * means above

If a link has a * by it, that means it is an affiliated link and therefore it helps MoneySavingExpert stay free to use, as it is tracked to us. If you go through it, it can sometimes result in a payment to the site. It's worth noting this means the third party used may be named on any credit agreements.

You shouldn’t notice any difference and the link will never negatively impact the product. Plus the editorial line (the things we write) is NEVER impacted by these links. We aim to look at all available products. If it isn't possible to get an affiliate link for the top deal, it is still included in exactly the same way, just with a non-paying link. For more details, read How This Site Is Financed.

Duplicate links of the * links above for the sake of transparency, but this version doesn't help MoneySavingExpert.com: Broadbandchoices, BT, Homephonechoices, MoneySupermarket, O2, Orange, Plusnet, Quidco, Simplify Digital, Sky, TalkTalk, Tesco, TopCashback, uSwitch, Virgin Media

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