Short answer: M350 is the best all-round Virgin Media tier for many households, but M500 or Gig1 can be better value when the postcode-specific price gap is small. M125 and M250 suit lighter users, while Gig2 is a specialist option for homes with multi-gigabit equipment and unusually heavy usage. Prices and availability vary by address and customer status. The figures below were observed on 18 August 2026.
Virgin’s advertised prices are promotional, generally for new customers on 24-month terms. Check the postcode result and basket before signing up.
Virgin Media packages at a glance
| Package | Advertised average download | Observed new-customer price | Standard price shown afterwards | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M125 | 132Mbps | £23.99/month for 24 months | £62/month | One or two light users |
| M250 | 264Mbps | £25.99/month for 24 months | £68/month | Small households wanting extra headroom |
| M250 Volt | 264Mbps | £28.99/month for 24 months | £67/month shown | Users who genuinely need the O2 SIM and Volt benefits |
| M350 | 362Mbps | £28.99/month for 24 months | £74/month | Most busy family homes |
| M500 | 516Mbps | £27.99/month for 24 months | £80/month | Many simultaneous users; eligible Netflix benefit |
| Gig1 | 1,136Mbps shown | £29.99/month for 24 months | £86/month | Heavy users and large downloads |
| Gig2 Full Fibre | 2,000Mbps shown | £49.99/month for 24 months | £92/month | Specialist multi-gigabit households |
Virgin’s pages sometimes show Gig1 as about 1,130Mbps and Gig2 as about 2,130Mbps. These are advertised averages, not independent tests. Exact offers, speeds and prices depend on postcode, campaign and eligibility. Check Virgin Media’s broadband page and the package page.
Which deal is best for your household?
One or two light users: M125 or M250
M125 handles browsing, ordinary streaming and video calls for a small household. M250 was only £2 more per month in the observed offer and doubled the advertised speed, making it the stronger choice where that difference remains small.
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#1 Best Overall
- DUAL-BAND WIFI 6 ROUTER: Wi-Fi 6(802.11ax) technology achieves faster speeds, greater capacity and reduced network congestion compared to the previous gen. All WiFi routers require a separate modem. Dual-Band WiFi routers do not support the 6 GHz band.
- AX1800: Enjoy smoother and more stable streaming, gaming, downloading with 1.8 Gbps total bandwidth (up to 1200 Mbps on 5 GHz and up to 574 Mbps on 2.4 GHz). Performance varies by conditions, distance to devices, and obstacles such as walls.
- CONNECT MORE DEVICES: Wi-Fi 6 technology communicates more data to more devices simultaneously using revolutionary OFDMA technology
- EXTENSIVE COVERAGE: Achieve the strong, reliable WiFi coverage with Archer AX1800 as it focuses signal strength to your devices far away using Beamforming technology, 4 high-gain antennas and an advanced front-end module (FEM) chipset
- OUR CYBERSECURITY COMMITMENT: TP-Link is a signatory of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) Secure-by-Design pledge. This device is designed, built, and maintained, with advanced security as a core requirement.
Couples working from home: M250 or M350
Two people on video calls while streaming and using cloud services will usually have more comfortable headroom on M250 or M350. Choose M350 when the postcode price is close to M250.
Families with streaming and gaming: M350 or M500
M350 is the likely all-rounder for several simultaneous streams, consoles and remote workers. M500 becomes attractive when it costs little more, especially if the household values the included Netflix Standard with Ads benefit on eligible broadband-only offers.
Large households and heavy downloaders: Gig1
Gig1 was only £1 more than M350 and £2 more than M500 in the observed prices. It can therefore be the best high-speed value for many users, provided the home network can exploit it.
Rank #2
- OneMesh Compatible Router - Form a seamless WiFi when work with TP-Link OneMesh WiFi Extenders
- Next-Gen Wi-Fi 6 Technology – The Archer AX10 leverages advanced Wi-Fi 6 features like OFDMA and 1024-QAM to deliver improved efficiency across your entire network. Perfect for high-bandwidth activities like streaming, gaming, and smart home connectivity.
- Next-gen Dual Band router - 300 Mbps on 2. 4 GHz (802. 11n) plus 1201 Mbps on 5 GHz (802. 11ax)
- Connect more devices than ever before - Wi-Fi 6 technology simultaneously communicates more data to more devices using OFDMA and MU-MIMO while reducing lag dramatically
- Powerful Dual-Core 900MHz Processor – Handles multiple data streams simultaneously for reliable performance across your devices. Ensures smooth streaming, online gaming, and video conferencing without buffering or lag.
Serious gamers, creators and upload-heavy users
Do not select a tier on download speed alone. Check the checkout’s upload speed and connection type. Gaming depends heavily on latency, jitter, stability and Ethernet; Gig2 does not automatically mean lower ping. Large file uploads, livestreaming and cloud backups make verified upload performance more important.
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A faster line will not fix a dead zone. Router position, walls, interference, device capability and mesh equipment can matter more than moving from M350 to Gig1.
Is Gig2 worth paying for?
Gig2 Full Fibre is available only in selected areas. At the observed £49.99 monthly price, it cost substantially more than the mainstream tiers. It makes sense where a household has several heavy users, multi-gigabit Ethernet or Wi-Fi 6E/Wi-Fi 7 equipment, and a genuine need for maximum downstream capacity. A single older laptop, phone or Wi-Fi client may not use 2Gbps, and the remote server or home switch can be the bottleneck.
Rank #3
- NIGHTHAWK WIFI 6 ROUTER FOR YOUR WHOLE HOME: Delivers fast, reliable WiFi across every room of your apartment or small home for streaming, gaming, video calls, and smart home devices, all running at the same time without slowing each other down.
- WORKS WITH YOUR EXISTING INTERNET SERVICE: Pairs with your existing modem or gateway via ethernet. Compatible with most cable, fiber, DSL, and satellite providers. Some gateways and modem router combos may require bridge mode. No coax needed.
- SET UP AND MANAGE YOUR NETWORK WITH THE NIGHTHAWK APP: Download the free Nighthawk app on iOS or Android for guided setup. Manage WiFi, run speed tests, pause devices, and set up guest networks from anywhere. Active internet required.
- READY FOR THE DEVICES YOU ALREADY OWN: Your phones, laptops, and TVs work right out of the box. WiFi 6 delivers speeds up to 1.8 Gbps across 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. Backward compatible with WiFi 5 and earlier.
- COVERAGE IN EVERY ROOM: Covers up to 1,500 sq. ft. for up to 20 connected devices. Walls, floors, and interference can reduce range. Larger or multi-story homes may benefit from a NETGEAR Orbi mesh WiFi system.
Broadband-only, Volt, phone and TV bundles
Volt and an O2 SIM
The observed M250 Volt offer was £28.99 per month versus £25.99 for M250 broadband-only and included an O2 SIM. Virgin says customers can add up to three O2 SIMs and that Volt can include speed boosts and other benefits. Compare the complete cost with separate broadband and mobile service, check O2 coverage and data terms, and confirm what happens if you downgrade one component.
Phone bundles
Observed examples were M250 plus Virgin Phone at £33.99, M350 at £36.99, M500 at £37.99 and Gig1 at £39.99 per month for 24 months. The cited descriptions include £19 per month line rental. A landline bundle is poor value if nobody uses it; compare like-for-like with broadband-only pricing. See Virgin’s broadband-and-phone page.
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Virgin displayed examples including Entertainment with M500 at £32.99, Entertainment Volt with Gig1 at £38.99, Cinema with M500 at £42.99 and Sport with M500 at £52.99 per month for 24 months. These are worthwhile only if you would otherwise buy the channels or services. Do not count duplicated subscriptions as savings.
Rank #4
- Next-Gen Gigabit Wi-Fi 6 Speeds: 2402 Mbps on 5 GHz and 574 Mbps on 2.4 GHz bands ensure smoother streaming and faster downloads; support VPN server and VPN client¹
- A More Responsive Experience: Enjoy smooth gaming, video streaming, and live feeds simultaneously. OFDMA makes your Wi-Fi stronger by allowing multiple clients to share one band at the same time, cutting latency and jitter.²
- Expanded Wi-Fi Coverage: 4 high-gain external antennas and Beamforming technology combine to extend strong, reliable, Wi-Fi throughout your home.
- Improved Battery Life: Target Wake Time helps your devices to communicate efficiently while consuming less power.
- Improved Cooling Design: No heat ups, no throttles. A larger heat sink and redefined case design cools the WiFi 6 system and enables your network to stay at top speeds in more versatile environments.
Netflix
Virgin says eligible TV and broadband packages, including M500 and Gig1 broadband-only deals, can include Netflix Standard with Ads. It is an ad-supported tier, not automatically an ad-free subscription. Activating it may not reduce the bill, and downgrading can remove eligibility.
Wi-Fi Guarantee and WiFi Max
Virgin says WiFi Guarantee is available in eligible Virgin Fibre areas, applies to M50 or faster subject to exclusions, and costs £8 per month where sold as an add-on. It is included with Gig1, Gig2 and Volt. The promise is at least 30Mbps in every room, or a one-off £100 credit, with up to three WiFi Pods if required. It is not a promise that every room will receive the package’s advertised maximum speed. Read the Wi-Fi legal terms before relying on it.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the contract really costs
Using the observed introductory prices for all 24 months, before fees, credits or valuing extras, the approximate totals were:
Best Value
- 𝐆𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐖𝐢𝐅𝐢 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟖𝐊 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 – Up to 5400 Mbps WiFi for faster browsing, streaming, gaming and downloading, all at the same time. Performance varies by conditions, distance to devices, & obstacles such as walls.
- 𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐖𝐢𝐅𝐢 𝟔 𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 – Equipped with 4T4R and HE160 technologies on the 5 GHz band to enable max 4.8 Gbps ultra-fast connections.Power:12 V 2.5 A
- 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 – Supports MU-MIMO and OFDMA to reduce congestion and 4X the average throughput
- 𝐄𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 - Covers up to 2,000 sq. ft. High-Power FEM, 6× Antennas, Beamforming, and 4T4R structures combine to adapt WiFi coverage to perfectly fit your home and concentrate signal strength towards your devices.
- 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐕𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐭 – Improved vented areas help unleash the full power of the router
| Package | 24-month arithmetic total |
|---|---|
| M125 | £575.76 |
| M250 | £623.76 |
| M250 Volt | £695.76 |
| M350 | £695.76 |
| M500 | £671.76 |
| Gig1 | £719.76 |
| Gig2 | £1,199.76 |
These are calculations, not Virgin quotations. Use this formula:
Effective monthly cost = (all minimum-term payments + setup fees − guaranteed credits) ÷ minimum-term months.
Ofcom advises checking whether the price is fixed or rises on a specified date. Compare the introductory payment, scheduled increases, month-25 price, activation or setup charge, equipment and the value of extras you would otherwise purchase. See Ofcom’s contract checklist.
How to check the real deal at your address
- Open Virgin Media’s broadband deals page and enter your full postcode.
- Record the exact package, advertised speed and whether it is cable or full fibre.
- Continue to the basket and note the promotional price, contract length, standard price, scheduled rises, setup fees and credits.
- Check included Netflix, O2, phone, TV and Wi-Fi benefits and whether they can be removed.
- Compare the full two-year cost with at least one BT/EE, Sky, Vodafone, TalkTalk, Plusnet, Zen or local full-fibre offer at the same address.
Existing customers: renewal is a separate calculation
The public prices above are generally marked “new customers only”. An existing customer should check the minimum-term end date, current out-of-contract price and early-disconnection charge, then ask Virgin for its best renewal offer. Compare leaving costs, installation and any overlap with the total cost of switching. Ofcom research finds that switching or renegotiating at contract end can usually save money, although results vary by bundle; see Ofcom’s 2025 pricing and consumer engagement report. Do not assume a new-customer deal is available to you.
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Virgin says social-tariff broadband-only deals start from £12.50 per month for people receiving Universal Credit and certain other government benefits. Eligibility rules apply, so check Virgin’s current criteria rather than treating it as a general discount.
Quick Recap
Final decision guide
- Best overall: M350, unless M500 or Gig1 is only marginally dearer at your postcode.
- Best budget: M125 for light use; M250 when the small price premium buys useful headroom.
- Best high-speed value: Gig1 when its price is close to M500 and your network supports gigabit speeds.
- Best for heavy households: Gig1.
- Best specialist option: Gig2 only with availability, compatible equipment and a real multi-gigabit need.
- Best bundle: Volt only when its O2 service and other benefits replace services you would otherwise buy.
- Best affordability option: the social tariff if you meet the eligibility rules.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
