Switchcraft is partnered with the majority of the biggest Internet Service Providers (ISPs). When comparing deals, you can filter results by Average speed, Contract length, Monthly cost, and Provider to help narrow down the deal that is best for your circumstances.

When looking at broadband deals, the cheapest deal isn’t necessarily the one most suited for you.

It’s important to understand how much speed and bandwidth you need, and this will largely depend on how many people are in your household sharing the same internet connection.

The following are some important things to consider when comparing broadband deals:

Whether you’re out of contract: If your contract has finished, it’s likely you’re paying a lot more each month than you need to. This also means you can switch to a new deal straight away, making it the perfect time to find a cheaper broadband deal.

Your budget: The best way to find a broadband deal that meets your budget is to compare. Sometimes a broadband provider will offer a deal to re-contract with them as part of its retention process. But this isn’t necessarily the best value-for-money deal, so it’s important to shop around.

Whether you use other telecommunications services (TV/landline): If you use other telecoms services such as a home phone or pay TV with Sky, BT, or Virgin Media, it might be cheaper to bundle these together with your broadband. If you’re paying for these services separately, it’s a good idea to add up the total monthly cost and compare it against the TV and broadband or TV, home phone, and broadband bundles on offer from those providers.

Whether customer service is a factor: Some providers have better customer service than others. And some will offer more ways to strengthen your broadband connection, either with whole home guarantees or Wi-Fi boosters. Make sure you check what each provider offers outside of the speed and price.

Whether you need a short-term contract:Whether you’re in short-term accommodation or simply prefer the freedom a 30-day rolling contract would bring, there are a number of broadband providers who offer monthly-rolling broadband.

Be aware however, that monthly-rolling broadband is generally more expensive than internet deals offered on 12, 18 and 24 month contracts.

Whether you need a provider that offers broadband without a credit check: Although most broadband providers will run a credit check, there are a few that won’t.

But credit checks for broadband are generally not as strict as those undertaken when applying for other financial products like loans and credit cards. So, even if the deal you’ve found is with a provider who performs credit checks and you’re worried about whether or not you’ll pass, it’s probably still worth applying.

It’s not uncommon for broadband providers to have mid-contract price rises baked into the terms and conditions of their contracts. Always make sure to read your contract carefully before signing.

Any provider your sign up with is legally obligated by communications watchdog Ofcom to send an end of contract notification. This should arrive at least one month before your contract is due to expire. If you stay with the same provider after your contract expires, your monthly bill could increase by 100% or more.

If you haven’t received a notification but think your contract may have expired, reach out to your provider or check the terms and conditions of your initial agreement, which should detail the start and end date of your deal.

In most cases, no. If you’re switching from one broadband provider to another on the Openreach network, both your new and current provider will communicate with one another to make your switch seamless.

However, if you’re switching to or from a provider independent of the Openreach network – such as Virgin Media, CommunityFibre, or Hyperoptic – you will need to stop your service with your soon-to-be old provider yourself.

Your old provider will confirm the ending of your contract, as well as explain any charges that may apply.

While completing the sign up process with Switchcraft, you will select the installation date of your new broadband service, so there is no need to contact your new provider.

Yes, we can help people living in Northern Ireland switch their broadband. Please run a quote or learn more about switching broadband in NI here.

Sometimes, broadband providers will offer deals that have no setup or installation fees. However, although these types of deals can sometimes seem like a great way to save, it could end up being more expensive in the long term.

This is because sometimes, providers offering no upfront cost broadband could be charging a higher monthly fee, while those that do have upfront costs might actually charge less per month overall.

At Switchcraft, our service will always be 100% free. When a customer switches to a new broadband provider, we receive a small commission from that provider.

Depending on where you live, the type of broadband available to you will differ. Below are the most common types of internet connection in the UK.

Fibre (or fibre to the cabinet): Accessible by more than 97% of the country. Speeds with fibre broadband will usually be between 32Mbps and 67Mbps. The connection uses a mixture of fibre optic and copper telephone cables.

Full Fibre (or fibre to the premises): This connection is all fibre from the exchange to your home. Speeds with full fibre fluctuate between 100Mbps, all the way up to 3Gbps (3,000Gbps). Through the UK government’s gigabit broadband initiative, all homes should have access to full fibre by the end of 2025.

Virgin Media broadband: The broadband connection from Virgin Media is different to others, as not only is it owned and maintained by Virgin Media, but the connection is also a mix of fibre cables and co-axial cables. This means that while download connections of 100Mbps and more are the standard, upload speeds will usually be the same as with a fibre connection.

ADSL: The oldest and slowest type of broadband in the country. Although it is available to 99% of the country, download speeds are only 10Mbps. ADSL is also due to be phased out by 2025 through the BT Openreach PSTN switch-off.

Mobile broadband: Often used as a backup, it can, in some instances where 5G is available, be used as a full replacement for home broadband. This can be a great option for those that don’t have access to fibre broadband.

Satellite broadband: Like mobile broadband, can be a good option for people who have no other options for home broadband. Elon Musk’s company, SpaceX has launched Starlink satellites throughout the country to help homes in more rural areas get fast and reliable broadband.