5 Best MiFi Deals UK | Mobile Wi-Fi Devices | 4G & 5G

Looking to get online using a mobile Wi-Fi (MiFi) device?

In this article, we’ve reviewed the 5 best MiFi deals in the UK in 2024.

We’ve also explained how these mobile broadband devices work, and how to find the right MiFi plan for your specific needs.

Best MiFi deals

Below, we’ve tested and reviewed 5 of the best MiFi deals you can buy in the UK right now.

1. Three TCL MiFi Device

If you’re looking for a MiFi plan, it’s hard to go past Three at the moment.

They have the best prices of any of the major networks right now. You can get their TCL mobile broadband router with unlimited data for a reasonable price, and 10GB/40GB plans are also available if you don’t need unlimited usage.

From our testing, this device offers download speeds of about 40 Mbps, which is quite good for a 4G internet connection. Plus, you have the choice of a 1 month, 12 month, or 24 month contract. If you choose a 24 month contract, Three will often waive the upfront cost, which is nice.

The Wi-Fi signal strength is also solid, and the battery lasts for about seven hours of concurrent usage, which is plenty. You can also choose to keep it plugged in all the time, if you’d prefer.

Given what it costs, it’s hard to go past Three’s MiFi device. The only downside is there aren’t many data plans to choose from. It would be good to see a tariff with a 50-100GB monthly data limit, in case you don’t quite need unlimited data.

Read our full review of Three MiFi to learn more. It’s also worth mentioning that Three also sells a 4G Hub router for a similar price, which isn’t as portable, but comes with unlimited data, and offers better Wi-Fi signal.

Overall value
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Price
Check on Three

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Pros

• Great value.
• Good speeds and Wi-Fi signal.
• Solid battery life given its size.
• Good choice of contract lengths.

Cons

• Would be good to have more data plans available.

2. Vodafone R228t MiFi Device

If the Vodafone network has good signal where you live, you might also like to consider their R228t MiFi device.

The advantage of the R228t over Three’s MiFi device is its battery lasts longer. We were able to get 12 hours of usage out of it, in our testing.

You can also connect up to 32 devices to the hotspot at once, although your speeds will begin to go down when multiple people connect to the internet at the same time. If you want to get online on more than 5-10 devices at once, we recommend looking at a plug-in router instead.

When we used this MiFi device, we were able to get quite good speeds – about the same as what Three offers. Which provider is fastest will depend on which has the best signal where you live.

Vodafone’s prices are generally very competitive, especially in terms of their monthly costs. However, their upfront fees are a little high on their pay as you go plans.

Read our full review of Vodafone 4G MiFi to learn more.

Overall value
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Price
Check on Vodafone

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Pros

• Fast download speeds.
• Great battery life.
• Can connect up to 32 devices to Wi-Fi at once.
• Low monthly fees.

Cons

• Upfront costs are a little high.

3. Vodafone 5G Mobile Hotspot

Unlike most other MiFi devices on the market, this hotspot connects to 5G rather than 4G, giving you much faster download and upload speeds.

Using 5G mobile broadband with Vodafone, you can typically get download speeds of at least 100 Mbps, and often up to 300 Mbps or even greater.

Plus, this MiFi device supports WiFi 6, giving you better signal and speeds, and you can get online with up to 32 devices at once. Most other MiFi routers, like Three’s, only support 10 concurrent connections to the hotspot.

The downside is Vodafone’s 5G MiFi deals are very expensive, purely because the device itself is so costly.

They have a good range of plans to choose from, including unlimited data options. However, if you choose a pay as you go tariff, the upfront cost will be extremely high.

Overall value
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Price
Check on Vodafone

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Pros

• Ultrafast download speeds.
• Good range of tariffs to choose from.
• Supports WiFi 6.

Cons

• Expensive.

4. EE 4G WiFi

EE’s biggest strength when it comes to MiFi is its 4G network.

They have the best 4G coverage and speeds of any of the big four mobile carriers. This makes them a great choice when travelling to rural areas where other networks might not offer strong 4G signal.

Also, EE’s 4G WiFi device is quite a good bit of kit. It has a very good Wi-Fi range for a MiFi device, and offers fast download and upload speeds.

However, there is a big issue with EE MiFi – it’s very expensive. You’ll pay a lot more for the same amount of data with EE compared to Three or Vodafone.

Also, there aren’t many contract lengths to choose from. You only have the choice of a 1 month or 24 month contract. The range of data plans is quite good though – you can choose between 5GB, 25GB, 125GB, or unlimited monthly data.

Read our full review of EE MiFi to learn more.

Overall value
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Price
Check on EE

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Pros

• Great 4G coverage.
• Good Wi-Fi signal strength.
• Fast download speeds.

Cons

• Expensive.

5. O2 Alcatel Pocket Hotspot 4G

O2 sells an Alcatel MiFi device that performs similarly to the TCL hotspot offered by Three.

It has an eight-hour battery life, or up to 300 hours on standby, which is great, and it offers average download speeds of around 30 Mbps on the O2 network.

One thing that O2 does differently though is they include benefits for new 4G broadband customers. You can get free Apple Music for example if you buy a pay monthly contract. Plus, you’ll get double data on your MiFi deal if you’re an existing Virgin Media Broadband customer, as well as a speed boost on your broadband plan.

Also, O2 gives you the ability to build your own data plan. You can choose exactly how long you’d like the contract to be, how much you’d like to pay upfront, and how much monthly data you need.

This flexibility can be quite good to have, especially if you’re not sure about committing for 24 months.

However, unfortunately there are no 1 month pay as you go packages available with this MiFi device.

Overall value
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Price
Check on O2

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Pros

• Very flexible plans.
• Comes with benefits for new customers.
• Excellent battery life.

Cons

• No 30-day contracts available.

What you need to know

In this part, we’ve explained what you need to know when shopping for a mobile Wi-Fi plan to buy.

How MiFi devices work

MiFi devices connect to the internet using 4G or 5G, just like your mobile phone.

They are battery-powered, and take a SIM card, allowing them to wirelessly access the internet from anywhere with a mobile network signal.

Once your hotspot device arrives in the mail, you’ll need to set it up before getting online. Fortunately, this is very easy to do. All you need to do is insert the SIM card and the battery, turn it on, and connect to Wi-Fi.

How MiFi devices are sold

MiFi deals are currently sold by each of the four major British mobile networks.

Normally, the router itself is bundled with a SIM card attached to a data plan, which you will need to get online.

When you buy a MiFi deal, you’ll have to choose:

1. How much monthly data you want. Most providers have plans with a data limit of around 5GB, 50GB, or 100GB, as well as an unlimited data option.
2. Whether you want a pay monthly or a pay as you go contract. Unlike with traditional fibre broadband, MiFi contracts are very flexible, and you don’t need to commit for a long time, if you don’t want to.
3. How long you want to commit for, if you choose a pay monthly contract. Normally, 12 month, 18 month, and 24 month contracts are available. On the other hand, pay as you go contracts always renew on a monthly basis.

4G vs 5G mobile broadband

While most mobile hotspot devices can only pick up a 4G signal, some MiFi routers are 5G compatible.

5G MiFi is significantly faster, but the devices are much more expensive. This means that when you buy a 5G MiFi deal, you can expect to pay a very high upfront cost, most of the time.

Using 4G, you can expect a download speed of about 30-40 Mbps on average. On the other hand, with 5G, you might be able to get download speeds of 300 Mbps or more, if you have good 5G signal.

If you have a 5G-compatible device but go somewhere that 5G isn’t available, your router will connect to 4G instead.

Most of the time, 4G MiFi is a better choice than 5G. 4G Mobile Wi-Fi devices are much cheaper, and they still offer plenty of speed for downloading files, streaming HD movies and TV, and using social media.

Remember, before buying a MiFi device, it’s important to ensure that you have good 4G or 5G coverage at your address. You can check this by using a network coverage map. Here is Three’s, as an example.

What speeds will I get with MiFi?

While the numbers we mentioned above are a good rule of thumb, it can be hard to know exactly what download and upload speeds you’ll get with a mobile Wi-Fi device before buying.

A good way to find out is to do a speed test on your phone, if you’re on the same network you’re considering joining. You might also like to borrow a friend’s phone, if you’re not using the right network, and you know someone who is.

Also, if you want to test your 4G speeds, make sure to turn off 5G on your phone before doing a speed test.

How to save money on MiFi

If you’re on a budget, here are some ways to save money on your mobile Wi-Fi plan:

• If possible, choose a longer-term pay monthly contract. In general, the longer you commit for, the lower your monthly and upfront costs will be.
• Buy a 4G mobile broadband deal, rather than a 5G-compatible device.
• Use the Three network – they are almost always the cheapest option.
• Only buy a plan with the data limit you really need. If MiFi isn’t going to be your main way of getting online at home, you probably don’t need to pay more for unlimited data.

Using some of these money-saving measures, you should be able to get a MiFi plan for about £20-£25 per month.

But if you need unlimited monthly data or 5G download speeds, or choose a more expensive network, you can expect to pay £30-£50 per month or more.

How much monthly data do I need?

If you are using mobile broadband as your main way of getting online throughout the month, you will most likely need unlimited data.

With the amount of TV streaming most households do, many of us use up quite a lot of data each month. Unless you only use the internet to view websites, read emails, and scroll social media, you might find yourself using a lot more than 100GB of data each month.

Fortunately, all of the major networks that sell MiFi plans offer packages with unlimited data, if you’re willing to pay more.

On the other hand, if MiFi will not be your main way of accessing the internet, or you don’t get online very often, you might be able to get a plan with a data limit.

• A 5-10GB monthly limit is enough for occasional usage every few days for a single person, with very limited file downloading or video streaming.
• A 20-50GB monthly limit is enough for daily usage for one to two people, with only very occasional video streaming.
• A 100GB monthly limit is enough for regular internet usage for one person who is only online for a few hours a day. It is enough to watch a bit of TV in the evenings on apps like Netflix. However, it’s not enough for most couples or families, unless you only spend a few hours online a day, and don’t watch many videos or use social media very often.

Which network should I choose?

Here is a table comparing the relative performance of each major British mobile network, when it comes to mobile broadband.

Essentially:

• Three is a great all-round choice, especially if you want to save money. They have good speeds and coverage on their 4G MiFi deals, and are the cheapest of the big four networks.
• EE is expensive, but has the best 4G signal in the country.
• Vodafone has good 5G speeds, if you want a 5G MiFi plan.
• O2’s network performance is about average – their main advantage is the flexibility of their plans.

Can you get online with MiFi when travelling, or when overseas?

Mobile Wi-Fi is a great choice if you’re looking for a way to get online when travelling around the UK, as long as the places you’re going to have good 4G signal.

You can also use MiFi to get online in foreign countries, however, you may face usage restrictions with certain providers – you will normally only be allowed to use a certain amount of your allowance, typically around 20-50GB per month.

Roaming is often free of charge inside Europe, with most carriers. However, outside of the EU, you will generally have to buy a roaming add-on before you can use your mobile internet overseas.

Alternatives to MiFi devices

Apart from MiFi, there are some other types of mobile broadband solutions that you might like to consider using as a flexible way to get online.

1. 4G and 5G routers are like MiFi devices, except they are bigger and less portable. They plug into a mains power outlet, and don’t have a battery, but still take a SIM card and connect to the mobile network. The advantage of these types of routers is they offer better speeds and Wi-Fi signal. They’re better suited to getting online on multiple devices at the same time, but aren’t a good choice when travelling, unless you’ll have consistent access to mains power.
2. Dongles are very similar to MiFi devices, except they plug into your computer’s USB port, rather than having a battery and creating a Wi-Fi network. This means that you can only get online on one device at once. While dongles are very easy to set up, their inability to create a Wi-Fi hotspot is a major drawback.
3. You might also like to get online using your phone hotspot in some cases. Nearly all smartphones can create a Wi-Fi hotspot, allowing you to share your mobile data with other devices. This isn’t a good way to get online in the long term though, because your speeds won’t be the best, and you will wear down your phone’s battery if you keep your hotspot switched on for extended periods on a regular basis.
4. Satellite broadband can be a good way to get online if you live in a static caravan, or in a remote area with no fibre broadband. However, it can be very expensive due to the cost of installing a satellite dish, and it also has quite a high latency, meaning it’s not a good choice for internet activities that are ping-sensitive, such as online gaming.

Conclusion

For most use cases, we recommend Three’s TCL MiFi device. It offers good speeds and signal, and is very reasonably priced, compared to most other networks’ deals.

Not sure which mobile broadband device to buy? Leave a comment below, and we’ll get back to you.

About the author

Tyler Bevan

Tyler is the co-founder of Broadband Savvy. He has been helping people improve their broadband connectivity since 2018 by writing about fibre broadband and mobile broadband providers, as well as creating tutorials to help people improve their broadband speeds and Wi-Fi signal.

Tyler is responsible for the majority of buyer’s guides and broadband reviews published on Broadband Savvy. He has a wealth of experience testing and reviewing different broadband tariffs, including fibre internet plans, as well as 4G and 5G broadband deals. He is responsible for testing and evaluating Wi-Fi routers, performing speed and latency tests, and comparing the value for money of different broadband providers on the market in the UK.

Before co-founding Broadband Savvy, Tyler had a long history of tinkering with computers. He built his first PC at the age of 12, and since then, he’s become obsessed with all things networking and internet-related. He’s a massive gamer, loves Rocket League, and also plays Sunday League football.