BT broadband vs EE broadband

BT is the UK's best-known broadband provider, offering premium plans with full fibre available to more than 60% of homes.

EE, also owned by BT Group and now positioned as the main brand of the two, has similar - yet sometimes lower - pricing than BT, plus more up-to-date hardware. Both providers offer the same TV product.

The two providers remain closely comparable overall, but the gap between them is widening in EE's favour.

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At a glance: BT vs EE

Top picks: BT and EE broadband deals

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Price

Winner: EE edges it on price. Plans are closely matched at entry level, but EE is consistently cheaper at higher speeds.

BT and EE are both owned by BT Group, with EE now positioned as the main consumer broadband brand of the two. Pricing is closely matched at entry level, but EE has a consistent advantage at higher tiers - worth bearing in mind if you're looking at 300Mb or above.

Both providers currently start at £24.99 per month for full fibre broadband:

Neither provider includes a home phone line as standard, but one can be added at £5 per month with both BT and EE. Unlimited anytime calls are also priced the same at £18 per month.

The picture changes at higher speeds. At 500Mb, EE is notably cheaper than BT, and this gap is consistent across the faster full fibre tiers:

Setup is currently free with both providers. For new customers signing up now, prices are fixed until March 2027, when both BT and EE will increase broadband bills by £4 per month. See our guide to mid-contract price rises for full details.

Overall, BT and EE are closely matched at entry level, but EE has a clear price advantage at higher speeds - particularly at 300Mb and above.

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Broadband packages

Winner: EE offers a broader range of packages, including the UK's fastest widely-available broadband speeds, plus a few extras not available with BT.

EE and BT both exclusively provide broadband using the Openreach network, meaning full fibre availability is identical between the two. Openreach's full fibre network now passes more than 20 million premises - over 60% of UK homes.

Here's a quick summary of what sets the two providers apart:

What EE has that BT doesn't:

• WiFi 7 router as standard (Smart Hub 7 Plus) - BT still ships the 2018 Smart Hub 2 (WiFi 5)
• 1.6Gbps multi-gigabit broadband - BT tops out at 900Mbps
• Apple TV 4K option - available as an alternative to the EE TV Box Pro when taking EE TV
• 6 months free Apple TV+ - included as a current promotional offer

What BT has that EE doesn't:

• BT Virus Protect included free - powered by Norton, covering at least two devices at no extra cost. EE's equivalent cyber security is a paid add-on.

For most households, the decision will come down to one of the standard full fibre plans. At entry level, both providers are currently priced the same - so if you're looking at 150Mbps, the choice comes down to features rather than cost.

As the table shows, pricing diverges as speeds increase. From 300Mbps upwards, EE is consistently cheaper than BT - typically by £2 per month. That gap may not sound significant, but over a 24-month contract it adds up to £48.

At these mid and higher tiers, EE's lower price combined with its newer WiFi 7 router makes it the stronger proposition. BT's main counterargument is its inclusion of free virus protection, which EE charges extra for - although free alternatives are available for most devices.

Multi-gigabit broadband

Both providers also offer Openreach's top-tier multi-gigabit speeds - but only through EE. BT currently tops out at 900Mbps, making EE the only option if you're looking for the fastest speeds available on the Openreach network.

It's worth being realistic about whether multi-gigabit speeds are actually necessary. For most households - even busy ones with multiple people streaming, gaming and working from home simultaneously - a 500Mbps or 900Mbps connection is more than sufficient.

Where 1.6Gbps starts to make sense is in larger households with many heavy users, home offices handling large file transfers, or for those who simply want future-proofed speeds for the length of a 24-month contract. It's also worth noting that to get close to those speeds over WiFi, you'll need devices that support WiFi 7 - which, while increasingly common, still isn't universal.

Part-fibre broadband

For homes not yet reached by full fibre, both BT and EE offer part-fibre plans. These use Openreach's older FTTC network, which delivers fibre to the street cabinet and then copper wire to the home - resulting in slower and less consistent speeds than full fibre.

Part-fibre plans typically top out at around 67Mbps download, which is adequate for most everyday use but a significant step down from even entry-level full fibre. The technology is also increasingly being phased out as full fibre rollout continues.

If you're currently considering a part-fibre plan, it's worth checking whether full fibre has reached your address first - entry-level full fibre pricing is now comparable, and the speed and reliability improvement is considerable. Both BT and EE offer the same part-fibre speeds, though EE tends to be slightly cheaper here too.

Package extras

Both providers offer a range of add-ons to customise a package, from home phone lines to WiFi boosters. The options are broadly similar across the two brands, with a few differences worth noting - particularly around security and TV.

Both providers have a minimum contract term of 24 months.

Overall, EE has the edge on packages - more speed options at the top end, a more up-to-date router as standard, and a handful of extras BT can't match. BT's inclusion of free virus protection is a meaningful counterpoint, particularly for families or less tech-savvy households who might not think to add security software separately.

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Broadband speed

Winner: EE offers Openreach's top-tier 1.6Gbps full fibre plan, while BT's fastest option remains 900Mbps.

EE and BT offer broadly the same full fibre speeds across most of their lineup - but EE pulls ahead at the top end. Openreach's 1.6Gbps plan has been available since early 2024, but BT has yet to offer it. EE, Vodafone and Zen Internet currently offer it, though it remains unavailable from several major providers - including Sky.

For the majority of customers comparing the two providers on speed, there is little practical difference - the plans mirror each other closely from 150Mbps up to 900Mbps. Where you are on the speed ladder matters more than which provider you choose.

EE's full fibre speed options are as follows:

BT's full fibre speed options are:

Advertised average download speeds must be received by at least 50% of a provider's customers during peak hours of 8pm to 10pm. As such, they're a reliable measure of real-world performance.

Looking at the two tables side by side, speeds are near-identical across equivalent plans. One quirk worth noting: EE's 1.6Gbps download plan delivers only marginally faster upload speeds than the 900Mbps plans from either provider - just 5Mbps more. For most users this won't matter, but those specifically looking for faster uploads - for large file transfers or video production, for example - may find the jump to 1.6Gbps less impressive than the headline download figure suggests.

Minimum speed guarantees

Beyond advertised speeds, it's also worth looking at the minimum speed guarantees both providers offer. Introduced by Ofcom as a voluntary code of practice, these guarantees must be provided at the point of sign-up - and if speeds fall below the guaranteed minimum, customers are entitled to exit their contract penalty-free.

We tested one location with access to Openreach full fibre and were given the following minimum speed guarantees by BT and EE:

As the table shows, BT and EE offer identical minimum speed guarantees on every equivalent plan - right up to 900Mbps. There is no meaningful difference between the two providers on this measure.

Overall, BT and EE are closely matched on speed across most of their lineup. The only significant difference is EE's exclusive 1.6Gbps plan - a meaningful advantage for those who need it, though for most households the 900Mbps ceiling shared by both providers is more than sufficient.

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Router

Winner: EE now offers WiFi 7 as standard across all full fibre plans, while BT is still shipping the same router it launched in 2018.

The router gap between BT and EE has widened considerably. EE now supplies all full fibre customers with the Smart Hub 7 Plus as standard - a WiFi 7 router released in 2024. BT, meanwhile, continues to ship the Smart Hub 2, a router it first launched back in 2018, which supports only WiFi 5.

That's a meaningful difference. WiFi 7 offers faster speeds, lower latency and better performance in homes with many connected devices compared to WiFi 5. BT's Smart Hub 2 is not a bad router - it remains adequate for many households - but against EE's current standard offering, it is starting to look significantly dated.

EE also offers an upgraded router - the Smart Hub 7 Pro - included as standard on its 1.6Gbps plan, or available as an upgrade on other plans. Here's how the three routers compare:

The Smart Hub 7 Pro adds tri-band WiFi 7, a 6GHz band, 8 antennae and faster 2.5Gb Ethernet ports - a noticeable step up from the standard Smart Hub 7 Plus. That said, it's worth being realistic about whether most households will notice the difference in practice.

To benefit fully from WiFi 7, connecting devices also need to support it. While WiFi 7 compatible devices are becoming more common - particularly newer laptops, phones and tablets - many household devices still don't support it. For most people, the Smart Hub 7 Plus included as standard will be more than sufficient.

Both EE and BT routers support mesh networking, and both providers offer a WiFi guarantee as an add-on - covering whole-home signal strength with a £100 money-back promise if a strong signal can't be delivered in every room.

Overall, EE wins the router category decisively. WiFi 7 as standard is a genuine advantage over BT's ageing hardware - and unlike before, there's no need to pay extra for it.

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Customer service

Winner: BT. EE was previously the stronger performer, but its complaint record has deteriorated significantly and it is now one of the most complained-about providers in the market.

BT and EE have diverged considerably on customer service in recent years, and the picture is now notably different from when this guide was last written.

Looking at the most recent Ofcom quarterly complaint data, in Q3 2025 EE recorded 10 complaints per 100,000 customers, while BT recorded 9 - both above the industry average of 8 for the period. On the surface that looks close, but the annual picture tells a more significant story.

Over the full year of 2024, EE recorded 53 complaints per 100,000 customers - up sharply from 32 in 2023 - while BT recorded 39, down from 47 the previous year. BT is moving in the right direction; EE is moving in the wrong one.

EE recorded the highest number of complaints across broadband, landline and pay-TV services in Ofcom's Q2 2025 report - the first time since late 2023 that a single provider topped all three categories simultaneously. That's a meaningful deterioration for a provider that previously had one of the better complaint records in the market.

The customer satisfaction data below is drawn from Ofcom's Comparing Customer Service report, published May 2025, covering 2024 data:

The updated figures show EE ahead of BT across most satisfaction measures - on overall service, speed, complaints handling and first contact resolution. Notably, EE now resolves half of all complaints on first contact (50% versus BT's 44%), which is a reversal from the previous report.

On call waiting times, both providers have slowed since the last report - BT customers now wait an average of 3 minutes 33 seconds, while EE customers wait 2 minutes 53 seconds. EE is still faster to answer, but neither figure is particularly impressive. Both EE and BT now exclusively use UK-based call centres.

It's worth noting that the satisfaction and complaints data tell somewhat different stories here. EE scores better than BT across most satisfaction measures, yet generates significantly more complaints to Ofcom. This may reflect EE's larger and faster-growing customer base, or suggest that while most EE customers are happy, those who do encounter problems are more likely to escalate them formally.

Overall, BT takes this category. Its complaint trajectory is improving while EE's has worsened considerably. EE still has marginally higher satisfaction scores in some areas, and answers the phone faster - but complaint volumes now clearly favour BT. See our full guide to broadband providers with the best customer service for the wider market picture.

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Verdict: BT broadband or EE broadband?

Overall winner: EE. It offers more up-to-date hardware, faster top-end speeds and is often cheaper at higher tiers - though BT has the edge on customer service and includes free virus protection.

EE is now firmly established as BT Group's main consumer broadband brand, and the gap between the two providers has widened in EE's favour since they were last compared in detail.

On price, the two are closely matched at entry level, but EE is consistently cheaper from 300Mbps upwards - a meaningful difference over the length of a 24-month contract. EE also offers Openreach's 1.6Gbps multi-gigabit plan, which BT has yet to make available.

The hardware difference is perhaps the most striking. EE now supplies WiFi 7 as standard across all full fibre plans, while BT is still shipping the Smart Hub 2 - a router it first released in 2018. That's a significant gap, and one that's only grown since EE made WiFi 7 its standard offering.

Where BT pushes back is on customer service. Its complaint trajectory is improving while EE's has worsened considerably - EE was the most complained-about provider across broadband, landline and pay-TV in Q2 2025, and remained among the highest in Q3. BT also includes free virus protection as standard, while EE charges extra for equivalent security software.

Ultimately, for most new customers EE is the stronger proposition - better hardware, competitive pricing and faster top-end speeds. But households that prioritise customer service, or who want free security software included, may find BT the more reassuring choice.

Read more about BT broadband, or see how EE broadband compares to Vodafone, or against BT's other brand, Plusnet.