Is 200 Mbps enough speed for me?
200 Mbps is a good amount of speed for most small to medium-sized households of 2-3 people online on a regular basis.
It’s enough to do things such as stream 4K video on multiple devices at once, and allows you to download large files fairly quickly (about 40 seconds per gigabyte, assuming you’re getting the full speed on offer).
We would just recommend potentially getting slightly faster speeds if you often need to download or upload large files.
For uploads in particular, the upload speeds on offer on some 200 Mbps broadband plans can be a bit on the slow side, compared to 300 or 500 Mbps deals. But this isn’t a problem for most people, since most of us download a lot more data than we upload, and it isn’t a problem with some smaller altnet providers such as YouFibre or Zzoomm.
To get a more precise idea of how much speed you should be looking for, given how you use the internet, check out our bandwidth needs calculator.
How much does a 200 Mbps broadband plan typically cost?
200 Mbps broadband deals typically cost around £20-£25 per month before adding on extras such as landline calling plans and TV add-ons, though 5G internet plans can be a fair bit cheaper than this.
Is it worth paying more for 300 or 500 Mbps?
There are a few situations where it can be worth paying more for a 300 or 500 Mbps broadband deal, compared to 200 Mbps:
- You often download large files, and want to make the process more efficient.
- You often have 3-4 people (or devices) online and requesting large amounts of bandwidth at once.
- You want a faster upload speed than the 15-20 Mbps most of these types of broadband deals come with (though 15-20 Mbps is plenty for most households).
- You have a larger house and know you won’t always get perfect WiFi, so you want a bit more bandwidth to ensure you get at least 100-200 Mbps throughout the house.
It’s also the case that a lot of the time, the extra cost of a 300 Mbps plan compared to a 200 Mbps tariff is not that significant, so the upgrade can often be worth making.
Which broadband providers offer 200 Mbps plans?
A lot of broadband providers don’t actually offer 200 Mbps plans. 150 and 300 Mbps tariffs are more common to see.
In the 150-250 range, providers that offer these sorts of speeds include:
- BT
- Sky
- Virgin Media
- Plusnet
- Three (5G Broadband)
- Vodafone
- YouFibre
- Zzoomm
- Trooli
- Community Fibre
What to look for in a 200 Mbps broadband deal
When comparing broadband deals in this speed range, consider:
- The upload speed – as we mentioned earlier on, it can be a bit restricted on these sorts of slower 100-200 Mbps fibre broadband deals. Try to find a provider that offers symmetrical downloads and uploads, if there are any that service your address.
- What router the deal comes with – this is important for ensuring you get good speeds throughout the house on a 200 Mbps connection, especially if you have a larger property.
- Whether 5G broadband makes the most sense for you – often, you can get a 200-300 Mbps download speed for much cheaper using wireless broadband compared to fibre.
- Whether any altnets are available – these types of smaller providers tend to offer the cheapest prices on 200 Mbps broadband, and sometimes give you symmetric download and upload speeds as well. Put in your postcode at the top of this page to see if you can access any of these smaller providers at your address at the moment.