BT vs Virgin Media: Best UK Broadband Provider 2025
TL;DR
BT and Virgin Media are two of the best known and biggest broadband providers in the UK. They both have a wide range of broadband packages to choose from, with a variety of speeds, connection types and price points. BT has a high level of coverage via the Openreach network and a variety of affordable packages. Virgin Media offers fast connection speeds and has the option of Sky TV bundles. To choose between the two, you’ll need to decide whether cost, entertainment or speed is the primary factor for your household.
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Is BT or Virgin Media Better?
If you’re shopping around for the best broadband provider in 2025, you may find it hard to choose between BT and Virgin Media. Each has a wide choice of packages, so both will likely have an option which meets the needs of your household.
Choosing the best ISP for your needs calls for a closer look. Let’s compare connection speeds, performance, pricing and coverage to help you make your decision.
What Are The Key Differences?
Virgin Media broadband is delivered via its own HFC network and the Nexfibre FTTP network, for speeds of up to 2 Gbps. BT uses its own Openreach network.
Virgin Media’s network offers ultra-fast connection speeds, and customers have the option to bundle in Sky TV channels for convenience.
BT has a much wider coverage area and is available to almost every household on the mainland. Its TV options are based around streaming providers such as NOW TV, rather than Sky.
Another notable difference is in contract length. BT broadband packages span 12–24-month contracts, while Virgin Media broadband packages are usually set for a period of 18 months.
Why Choose BT Broadband?
BT broadband is fast, cheap and readily available with speeds ranging from 36 Mbps to 900 Mbps. This range means it’s suitable for a wide range of users, from those who go online for casual browsing to larger households with heavy streaming needs. BT’s wide choice of speeds and monthly costs means it’s easy to find a deal that suits your connectivity needs and your budget. Plus, it offers customers a personal speed guarantee.
Why Choose Virgin Media?
Virgin Media offers fast speeds of up to 1,130 Mbps, making it suitable for households with multiple simultaneous connections and heavy usage. Thanks to its dedicated cable infrastructure, performance is consistent even during peak hours, and it offers a minimum speed guarantee. If you’re already a Virgin Media mobile customer, you may be eligible for a promotional deal, which could make your preferred connection even better value. Entertainment fans can also bundle Sky TV channels with their broadband for convenience. What’s more, if BT’s Full Fibre broadband hasn’t yet been installed in your area, Virgin Media could be the only option available if you’re keen to have gigabit-capable connectivity.
Speed and Performance
Speed is an important consideration when selecting a broadband deal, especially if you’re a household of streamers, gamers or work from home.
Speed
BT broadband speeds: 36 Mbps, 50 Mbps, 67 Mbps, 145 Mbps, 300 Mbps, 500 Mbps, 900 Mbps.
Virgin Media broadband speeds: 132 Mbps, 264 Mbps, 362 Mbps, 516 Mbps, 1,130 Mbps, 2,000 Mbps.
Keep in mind that coverage is also a factor and not all households will have access to the fastest speeds. Check broadband coverage in your area to determine the fastest speed possible for your home. If you aren’t sure how what’s on offer compares with your present ISP speed, it’s easy to check your current connection speed online. Use this as a guide to decide whether your new broadband package needs to offer similar or faster speeds.
Reliability and Uptime
BT and Virgin Media are both established broadband providers. Each delivers broadband via its own network, so they retain full control over their technology and its performance. As a result, both offer similar reliability and uptime. What’s more, both offer a minimum speed guarantee for your home, so you can be sure of what to expect during peak periods.
The Winner
Virgin Media offers the fastest broadband package in the UK, with speeds of up to 2,000Mbps, giving it the edge over BT in this regard. You can check the BT and Virgin Media deals available in your area here.
Pricing and Value
How much you’ll pay throughout the duration of your contract is an important consideration, especially if you’re on a tight budget. When searching for a new broadband deal, keep in mind that there may be additional installation or equipment costs to factor in, over and above the stated monthly fee.
Monthly costs installation fees, and equipment costs
Both BT and Virgin Media have affordable broadband options.
BT has multiple packages to choose from. Their cheapest package is BT Fibre 100, which comes with no installation costs and a monthly fee of £29.99. You’ll also get a £50 reward card for switching to BT. This is based on a 24-month contract.
Virgin Media also provides ample choice. Its cheapest package is a no-frills 54Mbps. For Fibre Broadband, the cheapest option is £26 per month for a 132 Mbps speed and 18-month contract.
Installation Fees and Equipment Costs
Both BT and Virgin Media offer contracts with no installation fees and no equipment fees. However, some packages will be subject to price increases during the contract, so you should always check the small print as mid-contract price rises will need to be factored into your budget.
Cheapest Packages
BT’s lowest-cost offer is BT Fibre 2 for £25.99 per month, based on a 24-month contract.
Virgin Media’s cheapest package is Virgin Media Essential Broadband at £20 per month with a rolling one-month contract.
Contract Options and Lengths
You should find that you have a range of contract lengths to choose from, but the specific durations will depend on where you live and the broadband coverage in your area. Check broadband coverage in your area.
The Winner
For no-frills connectivity and no long-term contract, Virgin Media’s basic Essential Broadband package is a flexible option but only offers 54 Mbps connection speeds. For just £22.99 per month, Virgin Media also offers the faster M125 Fibre Broadband with a 132 Mbps connection speed, based on an 18-month contract.
Coverage and Availability
As each maintains its own network, BT and Virgin Media claim some of the best coverage percentages in the UK, but there is a fairly big discrepancy between the two. Both are investing in network upgrades, with a focus on full-fibre technology.
UK coverage percentages
BT’s Openreach network is the largest in the UK and is available to 99% of the population. While it covers every home on the mainland, those in rural areas such as the Scottish Highlands, Welsh Valleys and some of the islands might find they have limited connection options. BT’s full-fibre (FTTP) network covers 17 million premises as of January 2025.
Virgin Media’s network is currently available to around 60% of households, which represents 18.25 million premises. Around 6.4 million of those homes have broadband connectivity via full-fibre FTTP lines.
Future rollout plans
Both BT and Virgin Media make regular investments in their networks, including expanding coverage options. BT’s Openreach network is currently working to roll out full fibre broadband to 25 million properties by 2026. It hopes to expand that number to 30 million properties by 2030.
Virgin Media is also investing in expanding its network in partnership with Nexfibre, with around £2 billion invested each year. It aims to make its full-fibre network available to 7 million additional homes by 2028, taking its total coverage to 23 million premises. 5 million premises are expected to be connected by 2026. This expansion focuses on areas not currently served by its existing infrastructure and represents a significant annual investment.
The Winner
BT is the clear winner here, with a much larger coverage area. If you live in a rural area, it’s more likely that you’ll have BT broadband coverage than from other suppliers, given its country-wide availability. You can easily check which ISP offers coverage in your area here.
Customer Satisfaction and Support
BT and Virgin Media are familiar names for UK consumers, but neither is able to consistently meet consumer expectations when it comes to customer satisfaction and support.
Trustpilot ratings and Ofcom complaints data (complaints per 100,000 subscribers)
BT has a poor customer service rating on Trustpilot with an average of just 1.3 stars. The majority of reviews cite issues such as missed connection dates, lengthy waits for repairs and ongoing connectivity issues.
The latest Ofcom data shows that BT is performing around the expected industry average, with around 10 complaints per 100,000 subscribers.
Virgin Media has a higher number of Ofcom complaints at 12 customer complaints per 100,000 subscribers. It has a marginally better Trustpilot rating with 1.4 stars. Issues such as slow installation and inconsistent service are frequently mentioned.
Customer service options
Both providers offer a choice of customer service channels including phone, online chat, social media, and email. However, existing customers do often complain of long response times and subpar problem resolution.
The winner
Neither BT nor Virgin Media cover themselves in glory when it comes to customer service and there’s truthfully not much to choose between them. Virgin Media has a slightly better Trustpilot rating, but BT fares better in Ofcom data.
Additional Features
When selecting a new ISP, you may need more than broadband access alone. If technology is important to you, the Wi-Fi router may be a factor, while TV and phone options could also be a factor in your decision.
You’ll receive a router whether you opt for BT or Virgin Media and both claim to be technologically advanced.
BT router is the Smart Hub 2 which uses Smart Wi-Fi technology to optimise your connection, built-in security features to protect your home network and multiple antennas for better coverage.
You’ll also receive two free licenses for BT Virus Protect with each of its broadband packages. Powered by computer security firm Norton, it protects your devices from viruses and unsecure networks.
If you’re looking to bundle your broadband deal with an entertainment package, BT offers NOW TV streaming. If you’re often on the go, BT Broadband has more than five million WiFi hotspots available for use around the UK, reducing reliance on mobile data.
Virgin Media has a number of routers and the router you’ll receive will depend on your exact package. They range from WiFi Hub 3 to WiFi Hub 5x. WiFi Hub 5 and 5X support Wi-Fi 6 technology and provide superior performance if your home has lots of connected devices. Routers also include multiple antennas for better coverage.
Virgin Media offers a premium security service called Advanced Security, which offers online protection for all your devices, but it does come at an extra cost. If you decide not to go for that, it does provide basic security measures as standard. For film and TV lovers, Virgin Media broadband packages can be bundled with Sky TV, giving you access to popular movie channels and entertainment.
You can expect more perks if you’re also an O2 customer. If you have Virgin Media broadband and an O2 mobile, you’ll get a free upgrade to a faster broadband speed and double the mobile data. Wi-Fi pods are also available to boost coverage within your property and you’ll get access to exclusive events, deals and early ticket sales via O2 Priority perks. es via O2 Priority perks.
The Winner
If you’re looking for a complete entertainment solution, Virgin Media may be the more convenient choice as you can add a Sky TV bundle with your broadband package. If value for money and a higher level of security are a priority, BT could be the better choice.
Our Verdict
You’ll find both ISPs have a range of packages, reliable services and a choice of monthly fees, but your specific needs will influence which one is the best choice for your home.
BT has a wider coverage network so you might find that you can’t access Virgin Media deals just yet. For standard usage, BT is a popular choice. It has a flexible one-month contract if you aren’t quite ready to commit and it’s also cost-effective.
Virgin Media meanwhile, is the clear winner if speed is important and it comes with the option of having Sky TV access included, too, giving a full entertainment solution with one easy monthly payment. For households with multiple connected devices or those with heavy download needs (such as gamers), Virgin Media may be more appropriate.
Frequently asked questions
How can I check which broadband provider is available in my area?
You can use our postcode checker tool to see which broadband providers currently serve your area.
Is it difficult to switch from my current ISP to a new broadband provider?
It shouldn’t be hard to swap from your current provider. BT and Virgin Media both offer dedicated support to help manage the switch. New initiatives like one-touch switching make the process much easier than you may have experienced previously. In some cases, you won’t need to do anything.
How long does it take to swap?
You should expect to wait around two to three weeks on average to swap from one ISP to your new broadband provider. Keep in mind this timeframe may vary depending on your circumstances.
What should I do if I experience a problem during the switch?
If you run into problems, contact your new broadband provider as soon as possible for assistance.
Are there any fees or contract terms to be aware of before switching?
BT broadband will generally require you to sign a 24-month contract. Virgin Media broadband is usually based on an 18-month contract but you should always check the duration of the contract and check what is being offered before signing.