Short-term and no contract broadband deals

Discover no contract broadband

If you need internet access but can’t commit to a long contract, a short-term or no contract broadband deal could be the answer. Compare these more flexible options with us.

Key points

• Most broadband contracts run for a minimum of 12 months, so if you can’t commit for that long you’ll need an alternative: either a short-term broadband contract or a no contract deal
• Short-term and no contract deals tend to be more expensive per month, but it’s usually still cheaper than having a contract that’s too long for you
• Only a small number of providers offer short-term or no contract broadband, so your options are limited - but it’s always worth comparing

What are short-term and no contract broadband deals?

• No contract broadband deals allow you to pay for a month’s internet at a time, with no obligation to keep renewing
• Short-term broadband deals typically involve a six-month contract

“No-contract” doesn’t really mean there’s no contract…

The “no-contract” label can be confusing, because this type of broadband deal usually does involve a contract - it’s just much more flexible than normal. How it usually works is that at the end of each 30-day period, your provider renews the contract for another 30 days. That means you only have to give 30 days’ notice and you’re free to leave without paying any exit fees.

Some providers call it “rolling contract broadband”, which is a more accurate description.

The only type of broadband deal that really doesn’t involve a contract is pay-as-you-go, but only a tiny minority of deals work this way.

Advantages of short-term and no contract broadband

There are several benefits to short-term and no contract broadband deals:

Flexibility

Short-term and no contract broadband deals are a good option for uncertain or short-term living arrangements - for example, if you’re a student or in temporary accommodation. You’ll value this flexibility if:

• You don’t know or haven’t decided how long you’ll be living somewhere; and/or
• You already know you’re going to be less than a year

Time to compare

If you’ve had a bad experience with one broadband provider, maybe you’re wary of committing to a full contract with the next one. A short-term broadband deal lets you test things out and then switch providers if you’re not happy.

Competitive features

Choosing a more flexible tariff doesn’t mean lower quality broadband. The speeds available are comparable with those on longer tariffs. Typically they range from about 50Mbps to 1000Mbps (which qualifies as gigabit broadband).

Cheaper cancellation

With no contract broadband, you just have to give a month’s notice to cancel without any exit fees.

With six-month broadband contracts, there may be a fee for cancelling before the six months is up. But you’ll probably pay less than you would have paid to cancel a longer contract, because providers usually calculate leaving penalties based on how many months you have left.

Disadvantages of short-term and no contract broadband

There are, however, some disadvantages to short-term and no contract broadband:

Higher monthly bills

You’ll usually pay more per month than with a longer contract. It’s the price you pay for that extra flexibility.

Limited choice

Only a small number of providers offer no contract or short-term broadband deals, and even those don’t offer them in every part of the UK. There won’t be much to choose from, but our quick postcode search shows you what’s available at a glance.

Setup fees

Many short-term or no contract deals charge a setup fee to start supplying you with broadband. This is a one-off but makes your first monthly payment much higher.

Equipment expenses

You might also have to pay for your router, which isn’t the norm with longer contracts. It’s rare to have to pay this and a separate setup fee, though. The costs are usually rolled in together.

Can I get short-term or no contract broadband in my area?

Use our postcode checker to find out if any of Go.Compare’s trusted partners offer this kind of deal for your part of the UK.

Can I get a 6 month broadband contract?

Six-month contracts are harder to find than contracts for a year or more. Whether you can get one depends on:

• Where you live (so use our postcode checker)
• What’s currently happening in the broadband market
• Whether you pass their credit check and can afford any setup fees

What’s the shortest broadband contract I can get?

The shortest possible broadband contract is for one month. These are usually structured as rolling contracts that keep renewing unless you cancel.

Why choose no contract broadband?

• Flexibility if your plans change
• Works for temporary living arrangements
• No credit check (usually)
• Lets you test a provider’s service without committing
• No leaving fees

Compare the best short-term and no contract broadband deals

Only a small number of providers offer these low-commitment deals, so Go.Compare has chosen just a few trusted partners for our panel. These are:

• Hyperoptic
• 4th Utility
• BeFibre

Wireless options for short-term and no contract broadband

You might get a better range of short term broadband deals if you go wireless. Wireless broadband uses the 4G or 5G phone networks to create a WiFi signal. It usually has a bigger range of no-contract plans available.

• Mobile broadband is perfect if you’re moving around a lot - the router has its own power supply and is small enough to come with you
• 4G or 5G home broadband has a bigger router that usually needs plugging into a power socket, so it’s less portable but often better quality

Some mobile broadband deals are pay-as-you-go, which is even less commitment than a no-contract deal.

It’s also possible to get an internet connection by using your mobile phone as a WiFi hotspot. But this isn’t a good option for long periods because it burns through even generous data plans and works out more expensive than other types of wireless broadband.

FAQs

Are there hidden costs with no contract broadband?

There may be an extra payment when you first start a no contract broadband deal, as we’ve explained above. It might be described as:

• Upfront cost
• Set-up fee
• Payment for the router

After that one-off payment, there shouldn’t be any extra charges on your bill.

Your monthly payments will probably increase at some point, but your provider will let you know about this in advance. So there should be no hidden costs with your no contract deal.

Can I get broadband for 1 month?

Yes, no contract deals let you get broadband for a month and then cancel with no penalties.

Is there a pay as you go internet?

Yes, some providers offer mobile broadband on a pay-as-you-go basis.

What speeds are available with no contract broadband?

In theory, no contract and short-term deals offer the same range of speeds as deals with longer contracts. There’s no technical reason why you can’t get gigabit-compatible broadband (over 1000Mbps) on a no contract deal. In practice, there usually aren’t so many broadband deals with this kind of low-commitment contract. So the speeds available to you will be limited by what’s on offer at the time. The Go.Compare search lets you quickly sort the results by speed.

Mobile broadband doesn’t achieve the very top speeds but it will still be comfortably into the “superfast” category (over 30Mbps). Use our bandwidth calculator to find out what broadband speed you actually need .

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Last updated: 4 February 2025

[1] As of 11th March 2026, there are active broadband providers on the panel at Go.Compare