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Deals last updated: 23rd November 2024
Unlike other broadband deals, no-contract broadband offers more flexibility and requires minimal commitment thanks to the absence of cancellation fees.
In this guide, our experts explain everything you need to know about no-contract broadband so you can decide whether it’s the right choice for your household.
No-contract broadband deals operate on a rolling 30-day basis. With 30 days’ notice, you can cancel without any cancellation fees or additional charges, making them an ideal broadband solution for students, renters or those frequently on the move.
No-contract broadband is a good option if you live in short-term accommodation or are moving home or renting, since these deals offer more flexibility than long-term contracts.
If you intend to live in the same place for 12 months or more, getting a traditional contract is advisable. Longer contracts tend to have reduced monthly prices, lower upfront costs and possible incentives and discounts when you sign up.
Our postcode checker will reveal if you can access rolling contract broadband in seconds; simply enter your postcode and toggle the “No contract (monthly contract)” filter. If this filter is greyed out, you are not eligible for no-contract broadband in your area.
If that’s the case, consider choosing a mobile broadband or wireless broadband package; these deals are usually available on a no-contract basis, making them a great alternative to traditional broadband offers.
In our survey of over 2,000* participants, 94 per cent claimed the price was an important factor in choosing a new broadband deal.
Rolling contract broadband prices can range from £18 to £49 per month, depending on available providers and desired speed. The best way to find the best no-contract broadband in your area is to use our postcode checker and filter by contract length, price and speed to find the package that best suits your household.
Few broadband providers offer no-contract broadband packages, making them less accessible than longer-term deals.
To ease the process of finding a new provider, we’ve listed some of the most popular rolling contract broadband providers below.
We also ranked eligible providers using our Independent Advisor rating. This rating was derived from our expert’s vast knowledge of broadband as well as data from our survey of over 2,000* broadband customers in the UK.
| Broadband provider | Independent Advisor rating | Fastest speed available | Minimum cost per month* | Upfront costs |
| Hyperoptic | ★★★★ | 1,000Mbps | £30 | £29/£39 |
| Virgin Media | ★★★ | 362Mbps | £48 | £35 |
| G.Network | N/A | 1,000Mbps | £29 | £29 |
| 4th Utility | N/A | 900Mbps | £18 | £0 |
| WightFibre | N/A | 900Mbps | £19.95 | £0 |
Like all broadband contracts, no-contract packages vary between providers.
Using our comparison journey, we calculated the average price for no-contract*, 12-, 18- and 24-month broadband contacts. Rolling contracts were the most expensive, with 24-month contracts being the most affordable.
You must also consider the upfront costs of no-contract broadband packages. The average upfront cost for rolling contract broadband is £20.68. All other contracts had upfront costs averaging less than £6, since they are more uncommon in long-term contracts.
Almost every type of broadband connection is available on a no-contract basis. Most providers offer standard, fibre and full fibre broadband, as well as mobile and wireless broadband packages.
Although rolling contract broadband appears to come without a contract, this isn’t strictly true. In practice, it’s a monthly rolling contract, which means you must still give notice. Usually, providers require customers to give 30 days’ notice before terminating their no-contract plans. You should check the exact timeframe with the provider, as it can vary.
You will likely incur a higher setup fee with a no-contract broadband deal, but this shouldn’t be a hidden cost. Usually, providers will advertise the setup or installation fee and any extra fees before you sign the contract.
The most common way to get short-term broadband service is to sign up for a rolling contract broadband package. Some broadband providers offer six-month deals, but these are rare.
Most broadband contacts are 12, 18 or 24 months long. Generally, 12-month broadband packages are cheaper than longer contracts. The pricing of your deal depends on several factors, including your choice of provider, the type of broadband connection and the number of extras, if any.
*Based on a survey of broadband customers aged between 24 and 64 conducted on Censuswide on 11-14 March 2024. Survey sample: 2,003 respondents, totalling Sky (489), BT Broadband (412), Virgin Media (396), EE (134), Vodafone (124), Other (102), Plusnet (66), NOW Broadband (45), Three (31), Hyperoptic (14), Community Fibre (8) and Unsure (7). Respondents were asked to rate each category on a five-point scale, from “Very Poor” to “Excellent” or “Never” to “Always,” with the option to select “Don’t Know” for all questions. For the third question (“What issues, if any, have you experienced with your current broadband provider?”), respondents could select from the following: “Price Hikes,” “Slow Speeds,” “High Prices,” “Frequent Disconnections,” “Poor Customer Service,” “Billing Issues,” “Other” and “N/A.” The questions used to calculate our score were: “How often, if at all, do you feel the actual speed of your broadband service matches the advertised speed?” “How would you rate your experience with customer service and support from your broadband provider?” “What issues, if any, have you experienced with your current broadband provider? (Select all that apply),” “How easy or difficult is it/would it be to reach your provider using your preferred method?” “How do you rate the value for money of your broadband service?” and “How would you rate the transparency of pricing and additional fees in your broadband service?”
Our Independent Advisor rating combines our home tech team’s expertise (60 per cent) with the data collated from our survey (40 per cent).
**Average cost was taken from our comparison journey. Broadband and TV, broadband, TV and phone and business broadband deals were excluded. Prices are accurate from 12 August 2024.
Explore our picks of the best no-contract broadband deals in November
Deals checked by Gemma Ryles, our broadband expert
With her expert advice and knowledge, you can trust Gemma to guide you to the best broadband deal for your needs.