Cheap Broadband Deals in 2023

You can compare special discounts and offers quickly and easily in our cheap broadband comparison in order to make the right choice for you. Some cheap broadband deals come in at less than £20 a month and in other cases even cheaper.

Using our tool, you could sign up to a cheap broadband deal today. Before this, though, we’re going to go through some important questions that will help you decide which broadband deals are worth the money.

What is ADSL broadband?

ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) broadband is the most basic type of broadband still available, and is therefore often the cheapest. It is often referred to as standard broadband and connects users to the internet using copper telephone wires. For this reason, it is often part of a package which includes line rental.

ADSL broadband offers average download speeds of up to 11Mbps and, unlike fibre broadband, is available even in some of the most rural areas in the UK. It may be cheap broadband, but 11Mbps is only enough to browse and do a bit of online shopping. For streaming videos, working from home with a reliable connection or online gaming, you’ll need something more advanced.

What is fibre broadband?

Fibre broadband uses fibre-optic cables to connect users to the internet, allowing them to reach download speeds at least three times faster than standard broadband. How fast a fibre broadband deal is will depend on the proportion of fibre-optic cables running to your home.

The most common fibre deal is called fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC), often advertised as ‘superfast’ broadband, where fibre-optic cables are used to carry data to the green cabinet on your street and copper phone lines take it the rest of the way to your home. This means line rental is also necessary as part of an FTTC deal. FTTC is still three times faster than standard broadband on average and, if your house is close to the cabinet, it can be even faster. If you’re looking for cheap broadband offering high average speeds, this could be the right deal for you.

Another type of fibre broadband is fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP), often referred to as ‘hyperfast’, ‘ultrafast’, or ‘gigabit’ broadband, where fibre is used all the way from the exchange to your home. This type of deal is not available to everyone, as fibre optic cables need to be laid all the way to your home, but, if you can get it, you could enjoy speeds of up to 1Gbps. Many broadband providers, including Virgin Media, offer this service without line rental.

Fibre broadband would be better for you if:

• You work online from home and need a fast, reliable connection.
• You play games online with friends and family.
• You stream videos using digital streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime or Disney+.
• You’re a large household with heavy internet usage.

All major internet service providers (ISPs) in the UK have cheap internet deals for standard broadband, often available for a monthly cost of less than £20. Major broadband providers such as Virgin, TalkTalk and Plusnet offer good customer service in addition to some of the cheapest deals in the country.

Some providers run promotions throughout the year with great cashback rewards and vouchers for new customers. However, if you want a faster broadband speed, you may opt for a fibre broadband deal, which is available from all providers at a slightly higher monthly cost.

Is it a good idea to get cheap internet?

The cheapest broadband deal could be ideal for you if:

• You want the lowest possible monthly cost.
• You aren’t worried about average download speeds.
• You don’t use the internet at peak times or for heavy-use activities like streaming, gaming or working from home.

There are some great home broadband deals available in the UK and, if you know your requirements and the various internet offers on the market, it’s not difficult to find one that suits your needs for a good price. Cheap broadband can help you save money and are the perfect option for light internet users and those who live alone.

If you only use the internet for light browsing, online shopping, and a bit of social media, then the standard broadband is suitable for your needs. However, if you’re looking for something to support regular streaming and downloading large files, then you’ll need a fibre connection, which may not always be much more expensive than cheap internet which uses ADSL. There are also other consideration to take into account, such as bundles:

• Want broadband that lets you access the latest TV shows and digital streaming? Consider broadband and TV bundles.
• Want the fastest possible connection for the best price? Then compare fibre broadband deals. 
• Use your landline a lot and want a deal that includes line rental and a calls package? You should compare broadband and phone deals.

These options will not be as cheap as a broadband-only deal but may save you money on your overall monthly outgoings. Bear in mind that some providers, like Virgin Media and Sky, allow you to bundle three or four services into one package, which could work out cheaper than paying for each service separately. It’s also important to factor in setup costs and activation fees and whether your cheap internet deal includes unlimited broadband.

In this section, we’ll taker you through some of the best-known broadband providers offering cheap internet.

Vodafone 

Vodafone offers great value fibre packages at exclusive prices when combined with mobile plans such as pay-monthly, pay-as-you-go or SIM-only deals. Vodafone broadband deals come with line rental in their standard pricing and you can add home phone add-ons for an extra cost.

Compare Vodafone broadband deals

Plusnet 

Plusnet offers some of the best-value broadband packages with great customer service and add-ons such as BT Sport and Plusnet Pro, which prioritises key activities like VPN access (ideal for working from home) or video calls, so your download speeds don’t dip when you need it most. Line rental is included in the price of Plusnet broadband and you can add home phone packages to your deal for an extra cost.

Compare Plusnet broadband deals

Shell Energy 

Shell Energy offers some of the cheapest broadband deals in the UK. Their packages are great for users looking for a reasonable monthly cost on anything from standard broadband to full fibre.

NOW Broadband 

NOW Broadband offers a broadband and TV no-contract combo that provides users with Hello TV, a smart box, and unlimited cheap broadband with no contract.

Compare NOW Broadband and TV deals

TalkTalk 

TalkTalk promises to maintain prices during the broadband contract period and offers good TV packages. Its deals include line rental, giving you the option to add phone add-ons to your package.

Compare TalkTalk broadband deals

Cheap broadband deals by provider

Here we’ve summarised the best value broadband deals on the market by provider, so you have an idea of the speeds available at the best price in the UK.

The above deals all include line rental as standard, though Virgin Media offers an equivalent deal to the one listed above without line rental. Other broadband providers use the Openreach network to connect you to the internet, so whether you want a UK landline or not, you’ll need line rental as part of your deal. Virgin Media’s own cable network means it doesn’t need this to get you connected.

Here are some important things to consider when looking for the best internet offer:

Broadband speed 

First, you must determine your actual internet usage. If you’re a light internet user, a standard broadband package with average download speeds of 10-11 Mbps may be enough. However, for those who intend to be doing more than just browsing social media, streaming TV shows or playing bandwidth-heavy internet games, faster average speeds will be necessary. Faster download speeds tend to be more expensive but are worth it if you use the internet for long stretches at a time, work from home, or stream video and music content frequently.

Upload speed, the average speed at which you can upload data to the internet, is also important for those working from home or who create content on YouTube or Soundcloud in their spare time. It usually won’t be as fast as your download speed, but as a rule faster broadband speeds mean quicker downloads and uploads.

Be aware that connecting to the internet via WiFi may result in slow average speeds and interruptions to your broadband service. To get the most out of your package, avoid WiFi where possible and instead connect devices to your router using an ethernet cable.

Unlimited broadband 

Nowadays, most packages offer unlimited broadband, but do make sure there are no limits on downloads on any deal you sign up to. Some ISPs may also restrict your broadband speeds during peak hours due to traffic management policies.

Although these issues may not be any trouble to light internet users, it’s important to be aware of them before you opt for cheap internet. Unlimited broadband is now common, but you may still be caught out if you sign up for cheap internet without paying proper attention.

Extra costs 

While looking at the cost of your broadband deal, don’t forget to take into account any one-off fees such as delivery charges, setup costs, installation fees, activation fees, and so on. It might be the case that a deal represents a slightly higher monthly cost but is cheaper overall as it comes with no setup costs or no extra expenses for a fancy router, for example.

Contract length / minimum term

Before you sign up for a cheap broadband deal, be sure to compare contract lengths, check for guarantees of no price rises during the minimum term agreed and up any additional charges in the contract terms. A shorter contract may seem better, but when checking the terms and conditions you may find additional costs and a significantly increased bill once your minimum term is over.

Benefits and perks

Look out for the benefits offered by many broadband providers, such as gift cards, vouchers or inclusive access to streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. These perks can help to cut your monthly costs and make your broadband deal more budget-friendly. Many are available only to new customers, so it’s worth looking into switching provider.

The fastest and easiest way to find cheap broadband deals is to use our comparison tool. Enter your postcode to find broadband deals available in your area and you can compare the cost of broadband, to get the cheapest deal. You could also save money with bundles: look for a home broadband, TV, and phone bundle, such as those offered by Virgin Media, or Sky, that provides all these services for a combined monthly cost to see if it works out cheaper.