Sky broadband vs EE broadband

Sky broadband offers competitive pricing, an excellent customer service record, and a home phone line included on all plans.

EE is generally more expensive, but offers WiFi 7 as standard across all full fibre plans and multi-gigabit speeds up to 1.6Gbps on Openreach's network.

Sky also offers multi-gigabit plans - up to 5Gbps - on CityFibre, with WiFi 7 included, though availability is more limited than Openreach.

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At a glance: Sky vs EE

Top picks: Sky and EE broadband deals

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Price

Winner: Sky. Prices are closely matched at higher speeds, but Sky is cheaper at entry level and includes a home phone line that EE charges extra for.

Sky and EE have moved closer together on price over the past 12 months. At entry level, Sky is notably cheaper - £24 per month for Full Fibre 150, compared to £26.99 with EE.

That's a saving of £2.99 per month with Sky, or around £72 over a 24-month contract. Sky also charges a £5 refundable setup fee, while EE's setup is free - worth factoring in, though the monthly saving more than covers it over the length of the deal.

At gigabit speeds the picture changes considerably. The gap has almost closed entirely - Sky's Gigafast plan comes in at £33 per month, while EE's Full Fibre 900 is £32.99. Effectively the same price, and at this tier EE's inclusion of a WiFi 7 router as standard makes it the stronger hardware proposition.

On extras, Sky has the clearer advantage. A home phone line is included with all Sky plans at no extra cost; EE charges £5 per month. Unlimited anytime UK calls are similar - £17 per month with Sky, £18 with EE. Sky's WiFi guarantee is also significantly cheaper at £4 per month, compared to £10 with EE.

On annual price rises, EE will increase bills by £4 per month from March 2027 for new customers signing up now. Sky broadband prices are rising by £3 per month in April 2026, and their policy states that "prices may rise" in subsequent years too.

Overall, Sky is the cheaper option for most customers - particularly at entry level and when a home phone is needed. At gigabit speeds the gap has largely closed, and EE's WiFi 7 router adds value that partly offsets any remaining price difference.

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Broadband packages

Winner: Sky and EE offer a similar range of packages and extras, but Sky usually works out cheaper - and now offers faster top-end speeds on CityFibre too.

Sky and EE both offer part fibre and full fibre broadband over the Openreach network, meaning availability is identical between the two for standard plans. Sky has also expanded onto CityFibre, opening up faster multi-gigabit speeds in areas where that network has rolled out - though that's still a minority of UK homes.

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

What Sky has that EE doesn't:

• Home phone line included on all plans
• WiFi guarantee from just £4 per month (vs £10 with EE)
• Multi-gigabit speeds up to 5Gbps on CityFibre
• Advanced security included with WiFi Max add-on

What EE has that Sky doesn't:

• WiFi 7 router as standard on all full fibre plans
• 1.6Gbps multi-gigabit plan on Openreach - available to more homes than CityFibre
• Apple TV 4K option when taking EE TV
• 6 months free Apple TV+ on current plans

For most customers, the decision will come down to one of the standard full fibre plans. Sky is cheaper across most speed tiers - though at 900Mbps the two providers are essentially identically priced, with EE coming in just a penny cheaper.

The table tells an interesting story. At 150Mbps, Sky is meaningfully cheaper - but by the time you reach gigabit speeds, the two providers are almost identically priced.

At that point, the hardware difference starts to matter more than the price. EE includes a WiFi 7 router as standard on all full fibre plans, while Sky's gigabit plans still come with a WiFi 6 router. For anyone considering a 900Mbps plan, that's worth factoring into the decision.

Multi-gigabit broadband

For those wanting the fastest speeds available, both providers now have multi-gigabit options - but on different networks. EE offers 1.6Gbps on Openreach, which reaches over 60% of UK homes.

Sky goes faster still on CityFibre, with plans up to 5Gbps - though CityFibre's footprint is considerably smaller than Openreach's. If CityFibre is available at your address and raw speed is the priority, Sky wins at the top end. For most people, EE's 1.6Gbps Openreach plan will be the more accessible choice.

As the table shows, EE's 1.6Gbps plan is the more widely available option, reaching any home on the Openreach network. Sky's CityFibre plans go faster - up to 5Gbps - but availability is limited to specific towns and cities where CityFibre has rolled out. If you're in a CityFibre area and want the absolute fastest speeds, Sky wins. For everyone else, EE is the only multi-gigabit option.

Part fibre broadband

For homes not yet reached by full fibre, both Sky and EE offer part fibre plans as an alternative.

Speeds top out at around 67Mbps - adequate for most everyday use, but a significant step down from full fibre in both speed and reliability.

It's always worth checking whether full fibre has reached your address before signing up. Where full fibre is available, Sky and EE will offer that as the connection type - part fibre won't be presented as an option.

Both providers offer the same part fibre speeds and similar pricing, with Sky typically coming in slightly cheaper. If part fibre is your only option, either provider will deliver a comparable service.

Where Sky pulls clearly ahead is on add-ons. Sky's WiFi Max package costs just £4 per month and bundles together a lot - up to three Plume WiFi boosters, a whole-home WiFi guarantee, advanced security and parental controls, all in one.

EE's WiFi guarantee alone costs £10 per month. Security is a separate paid add-on at £6 per month on top of that. EE's Cyber Security is more thorough than Sky's router-level protection - covering up to 15 devices individually - but customers are paying considerably more for it when Sky bundles comparable protection into its £4 per month WiFi Max package.

On phone lines, Sky includes one on all plans at no extra cost. EE charges £5 per month. If you need a landline, that gap adds up to £120 over a 24-month contract.

Unlimited anytime UK calls are similar - £17 per month with Sky, £18 with EE.

Overall, Sky offers better value for most customers. EE's WiFi 7 router and broader multi-gigabit availability on Openreach are genuine advantages - but not ones that always justify the higher price.

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Broadband speed

Winner: EE. It offers multi-gigabit speeds up to 1.6Gbps on Openreach, and stronger minimum speed guarantees - though Sky now goes faster still on CityFibre.

EE is one of only a handful of providers currently offering Openreach's multi-gigabit full fibre connection, with average download speeds of 1.6Gbps. Vodafone and Zen Internet also offer it on Openreach - though notably, neither Sky nor BT currently do so on that network.

Sky offers speeds up to 900Mbps on Openreach, but has since launched plans on CityFibre reaching up to 5Gbps - with symmetrical upload speeds and a WiFi 7 router included on those plans. CityFibre is available to around 4.7 million homes, considerably fewer than Openreach's 20 million plus.

EE's full fibre speed options are as follows:

Sky's 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.

Comparing the two tables, EE and Sky are closely matched from 150Mbps up to 900Mbps. One notable difference is upload speeds - EE's are consistently faster than Sky's across Openreach plans. Sky's CityFibre plans, however, offer fully symmetrical speeds, meaning upload and download are identical. For heavy uploaders, the Full Fibre 2.5 Gigafast+ and Full Fibre 5 Gigafast+ plans are worth considering - if CityFibre is available at your address.

Minimum speed guarantees

Beyond advertised speeds, both Sky and EE are signatories of Ofcom's code of practice on broadband speeds, meaning both offer minimum guaranteed download speeds. If speeds fall below the guaranteed minimum for three consecutive days, customers can request their provider resolves the issue - and exit their contract penalty-free if it isn't fixed within 30 days.

We tested a location with Openreach full fibre coverage and were provided with the following minimum speed guarantees:

At 150Mbps, both providers offer the same minimum guarantee of 100Mb. The gap opens up at higher speeds - EE guarantees 425Mb on its 500Mbps plan, compared to 400Mb with Sky. At gigabit speeds, EE's 700Mb floor is stronger than Sky's 600Mb. Sky's CityFibre plans offer the strongest guarantees of all - 1,250Mb on the 2.5Gbps plan and 2,500Mb on the 5Gbps plan - though these are only available to around 4.7 million homes.

Overall, EE has the edge on speed for most customers. Its 1.6Gbps plan is available to far more homes than Sky's CityFibre multi-gigabit plans, upload speeds are faster across Openreach plans, and minimum speed guarantees are stronger at higher tiers. Sky's CityFibre plans are faster in absolute terms and offer symmetrical uploads - but only for the minority of customers in areas where CityFibre has rolled out.

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Router

Winner: EE. It now offers WiFi 7 as standard across all full fibre plans, while Sky's Openreach plans still come with a WiFi 6 router.

EE now supplies all full fibre customers with the Smart Hub 7 Plus as standard - a WiFi 7 router - while Sky's Openreach full fibre plans still come with the Sky Max Hub, which supports WiFi 6.

Sky does offer a WiFi 7 router on its CityFibre plans - the Full Fibre 2.5 Gigafast+ and Full Fibre 5 Gigafast+ - but for the majority of Sky customers on Openreach, WiFi 6 remains the standard.

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 table shows a clear gap between Sky's standard offering and EE's. The Sky Max Hub is a capable router - WPA3 security, mesh support and eight antennae - but it's now a generation behind EE's standard hardware.

EE's Smart Hub 7 Plus brings WiFi 7 to all full fibre customers at no extra cost. For those on EE's 1.6Gbps plan, the tri-band Smart Hub 7 Pro is included as standard, adding a 6GHz band, 8 antennae and faster 2.5Gb Ethernet ports.

It's worth being realistic about WiFi 7's practical benefits for most households. To get the most from it, connected devices also need to support WiFi 7 - and while that's becoming more common in newer laptops, phones and tablets, many household devices still don't. That said, having WiFi 7 as standard future-proofs the connection for the length of a 24-month contract without any additional cost.

Both providers support mesh networking, and both offer whole-home WiFi guarantees as add-ons - Sky's WiFi Max at £4 per month, EE's at £10 per month.

Overall, EE wins this category. WiFi 7 as standard is a genuine hardware advantage, and the gap between the two providers' standard routers is now more pronounced than it has been. Sky's CityFibre customers are the exception - those plans include a WiFi 7 router - but for the majority of Sky customers on Openreach, the Sky Max Hub remains the standard offering.

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Call plans

Winner: Sky. A home phone line is included on all plans at no extra cost, call plans are cheaper, and out-of-allowance call charges are lower too.

All Sky broadband plans come with a home phone line included as standard, with calls available on a pay-as-you-go basis at no extra monthly cost. EE charges £5 per month just to add a phone line - meaning Sky customers are already £60 per year better off before making a single call.

Inclusive call plans are also cheaper with Sky. Unlimited anytime UK calls cost £17 per month, compared to £18 per month with EE. Sky also offers an evening and weekend calls option at £8 per month - EE has no equivalent.

For customers who don't take an inclusive call plan, out-of-allowance call charges are worth comparing too. Sky charges 25p connection fee and 27p per minute for UK landlines and mobiles. EE is more expensive, with a 33p connection fee and 22p per minute to landlines and mobiles.

For a fuller picture of call charges across all major providers, see our guide to cheapest home phone and landline calls.

Overall, Sky is the stronger choice for home phone users - cheaper line rental, cheaper call plans, and a more flexible range of calling options.

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TV

Winner: Sky. It offers a more comprehensive TV service than EE, with more channels, more streaming bundles included, and better value when bundled with broadband.

Sky now offers two base TV tiers - Essential and Ultimate - alongside optional add-ons for sports, cinema and kids. EE TV, meanwhile, is based around NOW memberships and the EE TV Box Pro, with the option to take an Apple TV 4K instead of the EE box.

Here's how the two providers' TV options compare at a glance:

The table illustrates Sky's key advantage - depth of content at a competitive price. Sky Essential TV starts at just £15 per month and already includes Netflix Standard with Ads and Discovery+ alongside Sky Atlantic. Sky Ultimate TV at £22 per month adds 35+ extra channels including Sky Max, Sky Comedy and National Geographic - and from 26 March 2026, Disney+, HBO Max and Hayu are being added to the bundle too.

EE TV is built around NOW memberships, which gives customers flexibility to change their plan month to month - useful if your viewing habits vary. From 26 March 2026, EE customers on the Entertainment TV tier will be automatically upgraded to the NOW Entertainment & HBO Max plan, bringing HBO Max into the fold. However, Disney+ and Hayu remain Sky Ultimate exclusives.

Where EE has something Sky doesn't is the Apple TV 4K option. Customers taking EE TV can choose an Apple TV 4K box instead of the EE TV Box Pro, and currently get six months of Apple TV+ free. That's a genuine differentiator for households already in the Apple ecosystem.

For those wanting to bundle TV with broadband, Sky offers discounts when combining the two. Here's how a comparable Sky and EE TV and broadband bundle compares in practice:

Sky's Full Fibre 150 and Ultimate TV bundle comes in at £39 per month, compared to £41.99 for an equivalent EE package - a saving of £2.99 per month, or just over £70 over a 24-month contract. Both bundles include Netflix and Discovery+ as standard.

The content gap between the two is also worth considering. Sky Ultimate TV includes Disney+, HBO Max and Hayu from 26 March - EE gets HBO Max through NOW, but not Disney+ or Hayu. For film fans specifically, Sky customers can upgrade to the full HBO Max catalogue for £1 extra per month. EE customers wanting equivalent new cinema release access would need to add NOW Cinema at £9.99 per month, or upgrade to NOW Big Entertainment at £14 per month - a considerably larger outlay.

Overall, Sky offers the stronger TV proposition for most customers - more content included as standard, clearer pricing tiers and better value when bundled with broadband. EE TV's flexibility and Apple TV 4K option make it worth considering for lighter TV viewers or Apple households, but for anyone who watches a lot of TV, Sky is the more complete package.

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Customer Service

Winner: Sky. It has maintained the lowest complaint levels of any major broadband provider, while EE's complaint record has deteriorated significantly since 2023.

Sky has held one of the strongest customer service records in the broadband market for several years running, and the latest data confirms that position. Ofcom's most recent quarterly figures, covering Q3 2025, show Sky recording just 6 complaints per 100,000 customers - below the industry average of 8.

EE recorded 10 complaints per 100,000 customers in the same period, above the industry average and among the highest of any major provider. That's a significant shift from just a couple of years ago, when EE had one of the better complaint records in the market.

The annual picture makes the divergence even clearer. Over the full year of 2024, Sky recorded 21 complaints per 100,000 customers - one of the lowest in the market. EE recorded 52, up sharply from 32 in 2023 and well above the industry average of 41. EE also holds the unwelcome distinction of being the most complained-about provider across broadband, landline and pay-TV simultaneously in Ofcom's Q2 2025 report.

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

The satisfaction scores are closer than the complaint volumes suggest. EE edges ahead of Sky on overall service, speed and complaints handling satisfaction - and first contact resolution is virtually identical at 49% and 50% respectively. Interestingly, Sky customers are slightly more likely to have a reason to complain than EE customers, despite Sky generating far fewer formal complaints to Ofcom.

Where Sky pulls well clear is on call waiting times and complaint volumes. Sky answers the phone in under a minute on average - just 46 seconds - compared to nearly three minutes with EE. And while EE recorded 52 complaints per 100,000 customers in 2024, Sky recorded just 21.

The picture here mirrors what we found in the BT vs EE comparison - EE scores well on satisfaction metrics, but its formal complaint volumes tell a more concerning story. It may reflect that EE's larger customer base generates more escalations, or simply that when things go wrong with EE they're more likely to result in a formal complaint.

Overall, Sky wins this category. Its complaint record is one of the best in the market, it answers the phone faster than almost any other major provider, and it has maintained that consistently over several years. EE's satisfaction scores are respectable - but complaint volumes at more than double Sky's rate are hard to overlook.

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Verdict: Sky or EE for broadband?

Overall winner: Sky offer cheaper broadband prices than EE does, they also match EE's premium service extras and have a better customer service history.

Sky and EE offer similar broadband package choices and extra add-ons, however, Sky tend to do it for less and customers will save more for a similar service with Sky.

Sky also outperform EE for customer service, with the lowest complaints records of all major broadband providers for the past two years.

While price will be an easy deciding factor for most, the choice between Sky and EE may well come down to customer preference, with EE also offering bundles with their mobile service, while Sky offer discounts for taking their TV plans.

We like Sky broadband because:

• More competitive pricing across all broadband plans
• Home phone included at no extra cost on all plans
• WiFi 6 router provided with all full fibre plans
• Substantial discounts available for those who bundle Sky broadband with Sky TV
• Excellent customer service record

However, EE also do well for:

• Including a WiFi 6 router on all plans
• Offering a multi-gigabit broadband plan with speeds up to 1.6Gbps
• Providing a range of premium upgrade options from WiFi boosters to a 4G back-up device and even a WiFi 7 router upgrade

Overall, we'd pick Sky over EE, they offer all the same features available with EE but at a better price and with less customer service complaints, especially recently.