Want to get online using 4G or 5G mobile Wi-Fi?
In this article, we’ve taken a look at 5 of the best MiFi deals in the UK at the moment, based on their download speeds, value for money, ease of use, battery life, and more.
After that, we’ve explained some key things to consider when selecting a MiFi plan to buy.
Let’s begin.
Best MiFi deals
Below, we’ve reviewed some of the best mobile Wi-Fi offers in the UK in 2025.
1. Three ZTE U50 5G MiFi
Very few MiFi deals come with 5G download speeds – these offers from Three are one of the exceptions.
Using the ZTE U50 MiFi device on the Three 5G network, you should be able to get download speeds of up to 200-300 Mbps, or potentially even higher, making this the fastest MiFi deal on the market in the UK.
And if you go somewhere without 5G signal, you’ll still be able to get online using 4G, which should still offer speeds of 30-40 Mbps or so. You can use Three’s network coverage map to check if you get 4G or 5G at your postcode.
The ZTE U50 offers really good battery life for a mobile broadband hotspot, at up to eight hours of usage, but you can also use it while plugged in, if you’d prefer.
Three includes unlimited data with this MiFi device, because if you did have a data limit, you would probably hit it very quickly, given the download speeds on offer.
There’s a flexible month-to-month contract you can choose, which is quite expensive, just because of the cost of the device. However, there’s also a 24 month contract, which is really good value for money, given the download speeds on offer.
Pros
- Really fast download speeds.
- Good value on a 24 month contract.
- Long battery life.
- Comes with unlimited data, which is quite useful on a 5G device.
Cons
- High upfront costs on the 1 month deal.
2. Three Huawei 4G MiFi
In terms of value for money, it’s hard to go past Three’s Huawei 4G MiFi device.
Like their 5G deals, Three’s 4G MiFi tariffs all come with unlimited data.
But the monthly cost is lower if you buy this device, instead of the 5G one. As a result, these are some of the cheapest mobile broadband plans on the market, no matter whether you want a 30 day pay as you go contract, or a 24 month pay monthly deal.
The device itself also performs well, from our testing. It creates a strong Wi-Fi network that up to 10 devices can connect to at once, and has about a seven-hour battery life.
This is plenty of battery for a day’s usage for most people. However, this device’s battery and WiFi performance aren’t as good as what Three’s 5G MiFi hotspot offers.
Also, you won’t get the 200-300 Mbps or higher download speeds you can expect with the ZTE U50, since this mobile broadband hotspot isn’t 5G compatible.
This 4G Huawei device is very easy to set up though, and offers pretty consistent download speeds if you have good indoor and outdoor Three 4G signal.
It would be good if there were more data plans to choose from with this MiFi device, given it’s a 4G option. The only two tariffs on offer currently come with unlimited data, but you might not need this much usage with a 4G device.
Pros
- Easy to set up and use.
- Great value.
- Good battery life.
- Comes with unlimited data.
Cons
- Only have the choice of two different data plans.
3. Vodafone R228t MiFi Device
Vodafone’s 4G MiFi device is very similar to the one Three sells.
The difference is, this mobile broadband device has a slightly better battery life than the Three Huawei hotspot, and Vodafone has a much larger range of data plans you can choose to pair it with.
There are 4GB, 30GB, and unlimited data options, all available on a 1 month, 12 month, or 24 month contract. The range of tariffs Vodafone has to choose from is really good.
When it comes to Wi-Fi signal, this mobile Wi-Fi device performs well, even with multiple devices connected at once. Although, it’s not the best for large spaces – its Wi-Fi can begin to drop off at long distance.
Also, Vodafone mobile broadband is a bit expensive. The upfront costs are quite high on the pay as you go plans, and the monthly costs are higher than Three if you choose a 12 or 24 month contract.
In saying this, their MiFi deals are still worth considering, especially if the Vodafone network has better coverage than Three in your area.
Read our full review of this MiFi device.
Pros
- Great battery life.
- Large range of contracts to choose from.
- Good Wi-Fi signal for a MiFi device.
Cons
- Upfront and monthly costs can be a bit high.
4. Vodafone 5G Mobile Hotspot
Like the ZTE U50 mobile broadband hotspot that Three sells, this Vodafone MiFi device connects to the 5G network, rather than using 4G.
As a result, these mobile broadband deals offer much faster speeds than Vodafone’s other 4G plans – in the region of 100 Mbps or even higher, compared to the 30 Mbps or so you can expect with most 4G MiFi devices.
The other specs of this MiFi router are also really impressive. It comes with WiFi 6, offering really good signal and speeds for up to 32 connected devices, and has an eight-hour battery life.
You get the same choice of data contracts with this device as you do with Vodafone’s R228t mobile Wi-Fi device. There are 30 day, 12 month, and 24 month contracts, with your choice of 4GB, 30GB, or unlimited monthly data.
However, Vodafone often charges quite a high monthly cost when you buy 5G mobile broadband from them, unless you choose a 24 month contract.
As a result, this MiFi device is very expensive – it costs a lot more than Three 5G MiFi.
Pros
- Fast speeds.
- Great Wi-Fi signal.
- Eight-hour battery life.
Cons
- High upfront costs.
5. EE 4G WiFi
EE MiFi is not cheap – in fact, it’s even more expensive than Vodafone 4G MiFi.
Their monthly costs are very high, unless you want a low data limit (5GB or 25GB) on a 24 month contract. And there is only the choice of a 1 month or 24 month plan.
However, EE has the best 4G network in the UK. They have the best coverage and speeds of any of the big four, especially in the countryside.
As a result, you might find that you can get good signal with this mobile broadband device in places where you can’t get online with Three or Vodafone. EE 4G MiFi is a good choice if you often travel around the UK, especially to remote areas.
The hotspot devices itself performs well, especially when it comes to its Wi-Fi signal. It’s quite good at long range, and up to 32 devices can connect to the hotspot at once.
But for most people, Three or Vodafone MiFi are a lot better value for money, especially if you want unlimited data.
Pros
- Best 4G coverage in the UK.
- Good Wi-Fi performance.
- EE 4G offers fast speeds.
Cons
- Very high monthly costs.
What you need to know
In this section, we’ve explained some important things to think about when choosing a MiFi deal to buy.
How do MiFi deals work?
MiFi deals work in a similar way to mobile phone contracts.
You pay a monthly cost, in return for the MiFi device, and a SIM card with a certain amount of data each month. There may also be an upfront cost, especially if you choose a short-term contract, or buy a 5G mobile broadband router.
When you buy a MiFi deal, depending on the network, you’ll normally have the choice of a few different data plans to pair it with.
It’s possible to get unlimited data if you need it, with most providers, and some also offer deals with a data cap, for a cheaper price. MiFi deals with a 4-5GB, 25-30GB, and 100GB data limit are quite common.
When buying, as well as choosing your data limit, you can normally also decide on a contract length.
Most networks offer pay as you go month to month MiFi deals. And usually, you can also choose a 12 or 24 month pay monthly contract, in exchange for lower monthly and upfront costs.
How to set up your MiFi device when it arrives
When your mobile broadband device arrives in the mail, here’s what you need to do to get online.
- Insert the SIM card into the device. Normally, there is a plastic cover you can take off, revealing the SIM card slot. Other times, there will be a slot on the side of the device you can push the SIM into.
- Insert the battery into the device, if it’s not already installed.
- Reinstall the cover, if you had to remove it.
- Hold the power button to turn on the device, and once it’s on, wait for it to connect to 4G or 5G.
- Connect to the WiFi hotspot that the MiFi device creates. The login details should be printed on the device (normally under the cover) or included on a print-out in the box that it came in.
4G vs 5G MiFi
Most MiFi devices connect to the 4G network, since 4G has much better coverage than 5G in the UK.
However, 5G access is increasing, and as a result, 5G MiFi routers, like the one Three sells, are becoming a lot more common.
The main difference between the two technologies is the speeds on offer. While 4G mobile broadband typically offers speeds of about 30-40 Mbps, using 5G, you can often get speeds of 100-200 Mbps or even more.
The issue is, 5G mobile Wi-Fi is very expensive. The hardware is a lot more costly, meaning 5G MiFi deals often come with a very high upfront cost, especially if you want a short-term contract.
For some people, 4G MiFi is a better choice. It’s much cheaper, and still offers plenty of download speed for video streaming, web browsing, Zoom calls, social media, and most other common internet activities.
However, if you want to get online with multiple devices at the same time, the bandwidth on offer from 5G makes it a much better choice for this. With 4G, your internet connection might begin to slow down when more than one person gets online, and begins doing data-intensive activities.
What to look for in a MiFi device
When comparing different MiFi deals, there are some good things to look for when it comes to the MiFi router you’ll receive.
- Good Wi-Fi signal, especially if you plan on getting online with multiple devices at once.
- Good battery life. 6-7 hours of usage is good, but some devices offer 9-10 hours or even more. Note: this might not be extremely important to you if you’re using mobile broadband at home, or in a caravan, and want to keep the device plugged in all the time.
- Ease of setup. Some MiFi devices are a lot more simple than others. You might find that cheaper, more basic MiFi hotspots are easier to get up and running with, but more expensive, more complicated devices will offer faster speeds.
- Good download speeds. Even on the same 4G or 5G network, not all MiFi devices are created equal, when it comes to the download and upload speeds that they offer.
Which mobile network should I choose?
When choosing a mobile network for getting online, the most important thing is how good their signal is, where you’ll be using the MiFi device.
It’s a good idea to put in your postcode on the network’s coverage map before buying MiFi from them, to see which offers the best coverage where you are.
Here’s Three’s network coverage map, as an example.
In general, some networks perform better than others.
In the table below, we’ve compared the relative performance of each UK mobile network, and also linked to their coverage maps, so you can get an idea of their performance in your area.
| Network | 4G coverage | 4G speeds | 5G coverage | 5G speeds | Prices | Check your coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Three | Good | Great | Great | Great | Low | Check on Three |
| EE | Great | Great | Great | Good | High | Check on EE |
| Vodafone | Good | Good | Good | Great | Medium | Check on Vodafone |
| O2 | Good | Good | Good | Good | Medium | Check coverage |
To summarise, Three offers the best value and 5G performance, while EE has the best coverage, especially on 4G. Vodafone performs well, especially on 5G, and O2 is a good allrounder.
How much data do I need?
If you want to save money, and don’t plan on getting online using MiFi all the time, you might be wondering how much data it’s worth paying for.
Unlimited data is great to have, but it can be expensive, and might not be necessary, depending on how often you get online.
As a general rule:
- 5GB or so of monthly data is only enough for a single person occasionally getting online once or twice a day, and very rarely doing data-intensive activities, such as streaming video on apps like Netflix, or downloading large files.
- 25GB or so is enough for couples, with a bit more regular internet usage, including video streaming, but not every day.
- 100GB or so is enough for couples online every day, including regular video streaming and some large file downloads, or young families with kids who are online only occasionally. If you work from home, or if anyone regularly spends more than two hours or so online a day using a lot of data, you might hit your limit before the end of the month.
- Unlimited data is best for families with three or more people online every day, people working from home, regular video streamers, and heavy internet users.
Can you use your MiFi device overseas?
Some mobile broadband providers do allow you to roam with your mobile Wi-Fi device, in certain countries, with certain restrictions.
- Three: you use up to 12GB of your allowance per month in most European destinations. Unlocking roaming costs £2 per day if you’re on a pay monthly contract.
- Vodafone: you can use up to 25GB of your allowance per month in 83 different countries. This costs £2.42 per day on some plans.
- EE: you will need to buy a roaming data pass when you get online overseas – prices vary by country.
- O2: MiFi roaming is not possible.
Before you can use your data overseas, you’ll need to enable roaming on your account with the network you’re using.
Alternatives to MiFi
The main downside to MiFi is, because the devices are quite small, their Wi-Fi hotspots aren’t incredibly powerful.
If you don’t need a portable, battery-powered device, you might like to use a 4G router or 5G router to get online instead.
These routers are sold with a SIM card, just like mobile Wi-Fi plans, but they plug into mains power, rather than having a battery.
As a result, they offer better Wi-Fi signal, and much better speeds, especially if you want to get online with multiple devices at once.
These 4G/5G routers are a better choice than MiFi if you need a good way to get online at home, and don’t need to travel with the device (although you can do this with some networks’ home broadband plans, like Three, as long as you can plug in the router somewhere).
Also, compared to MiFi, wireless home broadband is surprisingly inexpensive – you can sometimes get these packages for about the same cost as a MiFi deal, even with unlimited data.
Read our review of the Three 5G Hub to learn more about how wireless home broadband works in practice.
Conclusion
This is the end of our MiFi deals guide.
For most people, we’d recommend picking up Three’s 5G MiFi device, because it offers really fast speeds, and excellent value for money, as long as you don’t mind entering into a 24 month contract.
If you have any questions about choosing a MiFi tariff to buy, leave a comment below, and we’ll help out.
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About the author
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.
We are visiting the U.K. and need temporary (7 weeks), portable broadband access for 2 phones, a laptop and an iPad…any suggestions?
Hi Fiona,
We think you’re on the right track in looking at MiFi devices for this purpose. Since no providers offer 6 month contracts, you’re probably best looking at a 30-day deal and renewing it each month. For those devices, you will probably need about 30-50GB per month, but you may need more (up to 100GB or even unlimited) if watching many videos and/or downloading big files.
We would recommend the Three or Vodafone MiFi devices, as both can be purchased on 30 day plans.
Thanks
Hi Tyler
Great article and very informative! I travel a lot in motorhome and get very frustrated by site WiFi being poor and not being able to connect devises. MiFi or 4G router??? Contract or PAYG, help me out!! Cheers
Hi James,
Thanks for the feedback, glad it was helpful! To summarise the two choices:
1.
4G router if you have multiple pieces of hardware to connect and want a slightly more permanent solution. What I mean is, if you don’t want something you have to charge all the time – something you can keep plugged in to get online anytime.
MiFi if you have only one or two devices to connect, want to save a bit of money, and don’t mind charging it up every so often.
2.
PAYG if you’ll only be using the device infrequently and have another main way of getting online.
Contract if this is your main way of getting online and will use the device for a year or more (this sounds like the best choice if you’re travelling a lot).
Three’s MiFi device or their 4G Hub router are good choices, and are reasonably priced at the moment. If this is your main way of getting online, you will probably want unlimited data, especially if it’s for more than one person. However, if it’s just you, and you won’t be using the internet too much, you can probably get away with a 100GB data limit or thereabouts.
Thanks
Hi Tyler, I found the information and reviews you have provided very useful.
I am currently a three customer for my mobile phone and am happy with them as a service provider. We recently purchased a static caravan in a rural area, when visiting for weekends want to use a smart tv, watch movies on netflix and connect a laptop, what would you recommend. Currently we are using an old mobile phone and a sim with unlimited data. The phone has stated to become unreliable, do I use another old phone or opt for a Mufid device and if so which one.
Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you
Hi Josie,
Thanks for the feedback, glad some of the information was useful.
It sounds like the best choice for you would either be Three’s MiFi device or Three’s 4G router. Both will create a WiFi hotspot you can connect to with multiple devices, and you can get them with the same Three unlimited data SIM.
To choose between them, consider:
We actually have a dedicated guide to caravan WiFi, which you can view here: https://broadbandsavvy.com/best-caravan-wifi-devices/
Ultimately, it sounds like a 4G router would be a better choice given your usage. With a MiFi device, you’ll have to charge it constantly, and Three’s 4G Hub will be slightly better in terms of WiFi signal strength. which can be helpful with multiple devices.
Thanks
Thank you for this, I have checked the coverage and 4g is not available but three have recommended the Mifi device so looks like my decision is made, thanks again for your help
Hi Tyler,
I am looking for a remote connection to my wifi afterburner heater in my campervan through a MQTT. I was looking for the cheapest option MIFI, what do you suggest as I only need minimum data?
Hi Fergie,
The cheapest option with minimal data is probably going to be Vodafone, as they offer a 4GB plan. Three is also very cheap, but since their minimum plan is 10GB, they cost a tiny bit more.
Thanks
Hi Tyler,
I am struggling to decide the best option for me. I visit the UK three or four times per year and need wifi inside the house to connect 3 phones, 1 laptop, 1 ipad, 1 Hive, and stream Netflix on TV and NOWTV. Also when my daughter will visit she will have a laptop and 2 phones.
We had SKY wifi and TV but I cancelled it as I don’t want to be paying every month when I am not there. We then had Three wifi with a Huawei hub but the signal was so poor we couldn’t do anything and they let me get out of the contract. Now I have nothing and need to set something up without paying every month. I was thinking to get a MiFi. If I purchased an open MiFI I could get a 30 day data sim with any network (probably EE as the signal is good in my area). I have no idea if this would work for me, the most important thing is to get the TV working again. I dont know how much data I need and if I need 4g or 5g. Can you please offer me some advice?
Hi Sheryl,
It sounds like you have quite high data demands and will need a decent amount of bandwidth. Therefore, going down the route of getting a 4G/5G router as you did before might be worth looking into, as they will be able to better handle having multiple devices connected at once. We have a guide to 4G routers you can view here: https://broadbandsavvy.com/best-4g-router-deals/
If the Three 4G Hub didn’t provide good signal, it’s a good idea to switch networks. To test, try and do a few speedtests on 4G or 5G in your house. This will give you an idea of what other networks will be able to provide.
The issue is, with these devices (MiFi/4G/5G routers) Three is by far the cheapest at the moment. If you go with EE, they’ll be relatively expensive, especially when it comes to the upfront cost of sending the router. The upfront cost is much higher on pay as you go contracts.
5G would be good to have, especially if you have multiple devices streaming video at the same time. However, if you get a consistent 20-25 Mbps or more from 4G (as you’ve tested from your phone) you should be OK. Just avoid having more than one device stream 4K video at once.
You may also like to consider NOW Broadband. They offer month to month contracts, offering speeds of up to 67 Mbps, which will be plenty.
Thanks
Hi Tyler
I’m looking for a good option for streaming (Netflix) on my narrowboat. The steel boat structure acts as a faraday cage so the signal can be poor at times, so looking for something I can plug an external aerial into when needed (magmounted on the roof). Currently using an unlimited 3mob mifi unit (bluetack’d to a window when necessary!), but it has no aerial port to help when moored in a poor coverage area. Any suggestions pls?
Dave
Hi Dave,
I think upgrading to the Three 4G Hub or 5G Hub (if you can get 5G) would be a good choice. They both have the ability to be used with an external antenna I believe.
Thanks
Hi Tyler, thank you for the great article! It’s very informative and really helped me today. Alison
Hi Tyler,
Thanks for such informative article….still, have one query.
Next week onwards i will be moving to G73 1JU. At this point of time i am not looking for broadband connection so what could be alternate option. Can i go for Three’s mifi device? I have enquired for Vodafone and Virgin/O2 mifi devices as well…but confused …
Any suggestons ?
I have a mobile Huawei device through the SMARTY provider which is actually 3 network. It’s great in UK as it provides me with a secure private hotspot as opposed to using public or other private wifi which might not be as secure as I need. My problem with it is using it abroad. It acts like a mobile phone sim with limited roaming usage before expensive charges. Also I found their customer service virtually impossible to deal with. In future would I be better just to buy a local PAYG sim for it or swap to 3 itself?
Three’s SIMs should be a good choice in most overseas countries, although they will still have a fair usage limit. The issue with buying a local SIM each time is it might be a bit time consuming finding one that’s compatible with MiFi.
Hello,
I had worst experience with the TCL provided mifi device. After 2 weeks of usage this device stopped working .Even though the lights were on in the device wifi was not showing in any of my phone and laptop. I got it replaced with another TCL mifi device. Again the same problem happened after 2 weeks with the replaced mifi device