Pocket WiFi in the UK: MiFi Devices, Plans and Honest Alternatives

For trips abroad, a HelloRoam Europe eSIM can do the same job without a second gadget to charge, putting data on your phone that its hotspot can share with a laptop or tablet.

MiFi, mobile WiFi and portable WiFi are three names for one device

The name changes with the shop. Three says MiFi, mobile Wi-Fi and portable Wi-Fi are all different names for mobile broadband. Vodafone sells its versions as Mobile Hotspots, EE as 4G WiFi and 5G WiFi, and O2's guide uses the name Pocket Hotspot.

Each one takes a SIM card, picks up a mobile signal and broadcasts its own WiFi network. How many gadgets can join, and for how long, depends on the model. These are the networks' and makers' own figures:

Your phone can do a smaller version of the same job. Apple's Personal Hotspot uses an iPhone's mobile data to create a temporary WiFi network. Apple says how many devices can join depends on your network and iPhone model. A separate pocket WiFi has its own battery and its own SIM, so your phone stays free for maps, photos and calls.

EE, Three, Vodafone and O2 all sell pocket WiFi plans

Every price in this guide comes from the network's or seller's own page, read on 13 October 2026. Prices change often, so check again before you order.

EE quotes average speeds of 40Mbps on a 4G plan and 146Mbps on a 5G plan. But every plan EE lists for its 5G WiFi has a top speed of 100Mbps. The £21 5G WiFi plan rises to £22.50 a month from 31 March 2027 and £24 from 31 March 2028. EE says monthly prices for its WiFi plans go up £1.50 on 31 March each year.

Vodafone prints its rises too: the 4G Mobile Hotspot goes to £22.50 on 1 April 2027 and £25 on 1 April 2028. Start that plan at £20 in November 2026 and the 24 months come to about £545: five months at £20, twelve at £22.50 and seven at £25.

O2 sells mobile broadband too, and its shop has a dongles and mobile WiFi section. O2's portable WiFi guide says the TCL Linkzone MW63 pocket WiFi in its range connects up to 32 devices. O2 data SIMs come on 24-month, 12-month or 30-day Pay Monthly plans, or on Pay As You Go.

Pay as you go pocket WiFi runs on a data-only SIM

You do not need a contract. Three says a mobile broadband hub needs a Pay As You Go Data Only SIM rather than a phone SIM, and these are its data-only packs:

• 10GB that lasts 1 month, with 1GB usable abroad: £10
• 15GB that lasts 3 months, with 3GB usable abroad: £20
• 120GB that lasts 12 months, with 24GB usable abroad: £40
• 50GB that lasts 12 months, all usable abroad at up to 12GB a month: £60

Three's data-only packs top out at 120GB, and its unlimited mobile broadband is a Pay Monthly plan. EE offers pay-as-you-go 4G WiFi too: you top up credit, then use it to buy a data add-on.

A pay-as-you-go SIM needs a device that will take it. Netgear says its Nighthawk 5G hotspots are unlocked. A network's own device can be tied to its SIMs: Vodafone says you need a Vodafone SIM to use its Mobile Broadband devices. Ofcom has banned networks from selling locked handsets since 17 December 2021. Its announcement talks only about handsets, so ask the network before you buy its MiFi to use with other SIMs.

If you plan to fit a local SIM abroad, check the device's 4G bands against that country's networks. TP-Link, for example, lists the bands its M7350 supports on the product's specification page.

Unlimited data plans still have limits abroad

If you stream or work online all day, unlimited data is the plan to look at. Vodafone lists both of its Mobile Hotspots with unlimited data, from £20 a month for the 4G model. Three offers unlimited data on one Pay Monthly mobile broadband plan and says its unlimited plans have no data caps and no fair usage policy. EE's £19 price for its 4G WiFi is a 5GB plan on a one-month term. Unlimited data on the same device costs £35 a month over 24 months.

Unlimited at home does not mean unlimited abroad. Three caps Pay Monthly use in its Go Roam destinations at 12GB, except in the Republic of Ireland. Vodafone's roaming fair use limit is 25GB, and O2's no-extra-charge roaming in its Europe Zone covers up to 25GB.

Pocket WiFi abroad follows your network's roaming rules

A UK pocket WiFi roams like a phone. Ofcom says mobile companies must publish their roaming charges on their websites, and these are the Europe terms each network lists:

These are each network's general roaming terms, so check that your mobile broadband plan is included before you travel. Three asks MiFi customers to set up roaming in My3 first, and Vodafone points its Mobile Broadband customers to its roaming charges. Turkey is outside the Europe zones of EE, O2, Vodafone and Three, as our guide to roaming prices in Turkey shows.

On EE's published EU rates, a week in Spain costs £19.04 at the daily charge or £16.50 with the 7-day pass. Outside Europe, EE sells passes by zone, as our guide to EE roaming charges shows. At sea it can cost more. Ofcom warns that a device may connect to a ship's satellite network instead of a land network, and that this can be dearer than normal roaming.

For one or two travellers, a travel eSIM on your phone is the lighter option. HelloRoam sells eSIMs by country and region, and its plans let you share data through your phone's hotspot. Apple lists the iPhone XS, XS Max, XR and later for eSIM, so check if your phone supports eSIM and estimate your trip's data needs before you buy.

Then install the eSIM before you fly. Apple's Dual SIM lets you add a local data plan while your UK number still takes calls and texts.

Compare eSIM plans by destination before you travel.

Pocket WiFi is worth buying when several devices share one connection

Buy one if you often connect gadgets that have no SIM of their own, such as a laptop or a WiFi-only tablet. It also suits sharing a connection with family or colleagues, or keeping your phone's battery for the day. O2 also suggests one if you are moving house and will be without broadband for a while.

Skip it if you only connect a laptop now and then. Your phone's hotspot covers that, and Three, for one, lets customers on unlimited data use their phone as a personal hotspot.

Signal decides the rest. Ofcom's Connected Nations 2025 report, published on 19 November 2025, puts 4G from at least one network across 96% of the UK's landmass and outside more than 99% of premises. Rural areas fare worse: outdoor 4G from all four networks reaches 94% of rural premises, against 99% UK-wide. Scotland has the lowest geographic coverage of the four nations, and 76% of Wales has 4G from all networks. For 5G, Ofcom puts BT/EE ahead outside premises at more than 89% at its High Confidence level.

Check the places you will use it on Ofcom's Map Your Mobile checker before you sign a contract.