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Internet box without commitment: the comparison of boxes in 2021

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Internet box without commitment: the comparison of boxes in 2021
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For a long time, telecom operators have capitalized on internet boxes with a commitment period. This is still the case today with the most traditional players: Orange, SFR or Bouygues Telecom require their customers to subscribe to a box for at least 12 months. However, this rigidity has tended to fade over the years.

As you will see below in the comparison of the best internet boxes without commitment, several players stand out. Since the early 2010s and the arrival of Free, we have seen the emergence of dematerialized players with more flexible offers. In addition to Free and its excellent Freebox Pop (and Delta), there are also non-binding offers to grab at RED by SFR or Sosh.

If you are looking for a no-commitment internet box, you have several options. But above all, you will first need to find out about your eligibility for fiber (or ADSL). Then, the parameters to be taken into account are always the same: quality of speeds, telephony and TV. These three points are very important to judge the value for money of such a product. These are the ones that we will analyze to justify our comparator.

Comparison of non-binding boxes

Below, we have created a comparison table with all non-binding internet boxes. You can filter them according to certain criteria which are essential when choosing an internet box. By default, we have listed them in our order of preference. As you can see, Free has always held a strong position since its launch.

4 offers found

Freebox Pop

Downstream speed 5 Gb/s

Unlimited Fixed & mobiles

220 TV channels included

€29.99

For 12 months

instead of 39.99 €

See the offer Details Unlimited calls to landlines in more than 110 destinations and mobiles in France No commitment Freebox Pop Option(s): included: My Canal, Netflix, Prime Video SEE MORE +1

Red Box Fiber

Downstream speed 1 Gb/s

Unlimited Fixed & mobiles

No TV

€23

instead of €35

See the offer Details Unlimited calls to landlines in France and more than 100 destinations No commitment RED Box Fiber THD Option(s): TV 100 channels: €3 SEE MORE +2

Freebox Delta

Downstream speed 8 Gb/s

Unlimited Fixed & mobiles

280 TV channels included

€39.99

For 12 months

instead of 49.99 €

See the offer Details Unlimited calls to landlines in more than 110 destinations and mobiles in France No commitment Freebox Delta Option(s): included: My Canal, Netflix, Prime Video SEE MORE +3

La Boite Sosh

Downstream speed 300 Mb/s

Unlimited fixed

72 TV channels included

€19.99

for 12 months

instead of €29.99

See the offer Detail Unlimited calls to landlines Without commitment Livebox 4 SEE +4

As you can see, Free still occupies a dominant place in the comparison of boxes without commitment. If you have had the opportunity to read our comparison of all Freeboxes, you have seen that the ISP offers a very wide range. That said, the Freebox Delta released in 2019 and the Freebox Pop released in 2020 are the two references.

Faced with Free, competition has been organised. RED by SFR, which dominates the niche of the non-binding package, is also in force on the box. While the majority of MVNOs have thrown in the towel on the box, only Sosh remains who also competes in this segment. That said, its internet box is very limited, it will be obsolete fairly quickly if you are looking for good speeds.

Free and its Freebox Pop

In 2020, Free announced a major update to its range of internet boxes. While it has long capitalized on its Freebox Crystal, mini 4K and Revolution, the emblematic ISP has released two new offers: the Freebox Pop and Freebox Delta. The latter two are intended to replace the older generation. They are more efficient and their value for money is even more competitive.

While Free saw players like RED by SFR or Sosh coming back in its rear-view mirror, it wanted to strike a blow with these two new products. If the Freebox Delta is really very premium, the general public will be satisfied with the Freebox Pop. It is the best-selling product today, and it is also very probably the best internet box without commitment on the market.

Discover the Freebox Pop

In addition to its attractive design, the Freebox Pop is a very complete internet box without commitment. It comes with a very powerful Wi-Fi that goes up to 5 Gb / s in shared speeds. You can thus have 2.5 Gb/s on an Ethernet port, 1 Gb/s on 2 Ethernet ports and 0.5 Gb/s in Wi-Fi). Free has long relied solely on its internet box before switching to the mobile plan, it has universally recognized know-how.

By opting for this internet box without commitment, you will also benefit from all unlimited calls to landlines in France and to more than 110 destinations. On calls to mobiles, all those to mainland France and the overseas departments are included. Some destinations such as the United States, China or Canada are also free.

© Free

The last point of this triple-play internet box is the TV part. You will receive a decoder that will allow you to access 220 TV channels. This decoder is compatible with 4K and Dolby Atmos sound for a very immersive experience. You can control the content from a remote control or through the voice assistant Google Assistant.

To conclude on this best internet box without commitment, we must mention the price. It is 29.99 euros per month for the first year, before going to 39.99 euros per month. That said, even for the first 12 months, you are not committed. You can therefore very well stop during this period. Free leaves the same flexibility it has always offered on its fixed and mobile products.

Internet box without commitment: the comparison of box in 2021

If you have had the opportunity to consult our comparison of all internet boxes, you have seen that the Freebox Pop is also among the most popular on the French market. Beyond the fact that it is non-binding, the quality is impeccable and its price is very correct. In the end, from a value for money point of view, Free really stands out from all the traditional players.

To make the most of the speeds of the Freebox Pop, you must be eligible for fiber. If this is not your case, an ADSL version of this internet box without commitment is also available. In terms of downlink speed, the ADSL box will not allow you to go beyond 20 Mb/s. In the end, the interest of the Freebox Pop will therefore be much less relevant.

Summary of the Freebox Pop:

To discover the Freebox Pop, it’s here:

See the Freebox offer

The RED Box as an alternative

RED by SFR is a brand of the Altice group which was created to respond to the arrival of Free on the package market. Very quickly, it positioned itself on two products: the mobile plan and the internet box without commitment. While its rival B&You (from Bouygues Telecom) has always remained exclusively mobile, its other competitor Sosh (Orange) has diversified with a box.

That said, of all these new players, RED by SFR remains the most competitive on the internet box. Beyond the fact that it is non-binding, this internet box has strong arguments. First of all, we can mention the speeds: at the moment, you can take advantage of the Speed ​​Plus option (1 Gb/s download and 500 Mb/s upload) to surf at the speed of light. Since May 2021, an option allows you to take advantage of Wi-Fi 6 and ultimate speed (2 Gb/s download) for an additional €7 per month.

See the RED by SFR offer

As with the Freebox Pop, you will also have unlimited calls to landlines in France and more than 100 destinations. On the other hand, only calls to mobiles in mainland France and the overseas departments will be free. Outside these regions, calls to mobiles will be charged. Our test and our opinion on RED by SFR will tell you more about it.

Finally, today we can no longer talk about an internet box without commitment without mentioning the TV part. But unlike Free, it is not included by default in the RED Box offer. If all customers access 35 TV channels from the mobile application (via smartphone, tablet, computer), you will have to pay for a TV decoder (19€) to enjoy the channels on a television. An option to have 100 TV channels is available for an additional €4 per month.

As you can see, RED by SFR's non-binding internet box has drawers. From the interface on the official website, you can use the simulator to customize the box according to your real needs. In this way, you will not pay for a service that you do not use. In terms of price, it will take at least €25 per month for the fiber version. The ADSL box is available from €16 per month.

RED by SFR often organizes promotional operations on its package and its internet box. Whether it's the Big RED or the Best-Of RED, these are deals that take place 3 or 4 times a year and that allow you to make real savings. On the internet box, this allows you to sometimes have up to 2 months free. In the end, it is therefore about 50 euros in savings that you can make if you subscribe at this time.

As with all operators, RED by SFR covers up to €100 in cancellation fees. If you start from the competition to choose your internet box without obligation, you can therefore make a transition at no cost. On average, the termination costs amount to around €50, so the ISP will bear all the costs related to this migration.

Summary of the RED by SFR internet box:

To discover this internet box, it’s here:

See the RED by SFR offer

The Freebox Delta, the must

In terms of performance, the best internet box without commitment is undoubtedly that of Free: the Freebox Delta. The latter was presented in 2019 and it is ultra-complete. It is so complete that some detractors have claimed that too many services are useless. You are free to make up your own mind, but it is an excellent product.

To start with the speeds, there is fiber up to 8 Gb/s for download with Wi-Fi 6, and a Wi-Fi repeater included. For upload speed, the Freebox Delta allows you to go up to 700 Mb/s, which is the fastest speed on the market. On speeds, no rival does as well, even if you opt for the most premium boxes. It is still necessary to find servers that are capable on the other side of ensuring such fast flows.

In terms of telephony, the Freebox Delta is similar to the Freebox Pop. In other words, you have unlimited calls to landlines (France + 110 destinations) and mobiles (France + a few countries).

© Free

Where the Freebox Delta differs from the other internet box without ISP commitment, it is also on the TV part. In this case, you will have up to 280 TV channels included with this offer. To this, you will also have TV by Canal, Netflix, Prime Video free (no need to take out subscriptions to these three services). As a bonus, Canal+Séries is offered for 12 months. In any case, the Ligue 1 Uber Eats application is also free.

Because Free wanted to hit really hard, it also added a home automation pack (for security) as well as various bonuses such as access to Cafeyn (a bookstore with thousands of French press titles). It also includes the Prime Music service (Amazon) in its offer.

In the end, if we count all these services included, the price of the Freebox Delta is very correct: it takes €39.99 per month for the first year, then €49.99 per month beyond that. In any case, it is a non-binding internet box. You can therefore cancel even in the first year. The ISP doesn't ask you to sign up for a commitment, which is really nice.

Summary of the Freebox Delta:

To discover the Freebox Delta, it’s here:

See the Freebox offer

Sosh, another no-commitment internet box

Sosh is the low-cost brand of the Orange telecom group. It is also positioned with a non-binding internet box called “La Boite Sosh” which contrasts with the premium Livebox Orange offer (which requires a commitment). All management is done online, from the subscription of the contract until the termination. In terms of price, the Sosh box is one of the cheapest on the market, but it is also one of the least complete.

At the beginning, you will benefit from a stream of up to 300 Mb/s for downloading and sending. This is less than the Freebox Pop and RED Box. If you are a limited number of people on your Wi-Fi, it will pass without a problem. On the other hand, if you are a large family on the same router, this risks penalizing the quality of the connection.

See the Sosh offer

As far as calls are concerned, only those to landlines are unlimited (France + 100 destinations). On the other hand, calls to mobiles in France and abroad are not unlimited. It is therefore necessary to remain very vigilant so as not to be billed outside the flat rate on this part. But in the end, the usefulness of the telephone part is quite limited today, mobile uses tend to develop strongly.

What about the TV part? As with RED by SFR, Sosh offers a free offer by default exclusively on digital media. The Orange TV application provides access to up to 72 TV channels from your mobile, computer or tablet. On the other hand, if you want these channels on your television, you will have to add 5€ per month. You will even have the right to 140 channels on your television set, including 70 in HD.

As always, to judge whether this is the best internet box without commitment on the market, you have to look at the price. And from this point of view, Sosh does not disappoint. In the first year, this Sosh Box is priced at €19.99 per month (whether you take the fiber or ADSL offer). It is non-binding, but the price still goes up after the first year. It will then be necessary to count € 29.99 per month for this same subscription – which is much less convincing.

Here too, you can benefit from a refund of up to €100 on the cancellation fees of your former operator. It has become a standard in the market and it should only continue to grow. With the rise of internet boxes without commitment, customers want to be able to change as quickly as possible and at no cost. It's contract fulfilled at Sosh!

Summary of Sosh's internet box:

To discover this offer, it’s here:

See the Sosh offer

Why a no-commitment internet box?

As its name suggests, the first advantage of a no-commitment internet box is that it is… without commitment. You can therefore cancel at any time, even during the first year. Sometimes customers experience connection difficulties because fiber or ADSL are unstable in their building. If by default, all customers have 14 days to change their mind, they are sometimes then blocked by the operator.

By opting for a Freebox Pop, a RED Box or a Boite Sosh, you have the freedom to cancel at any time. For students who need an internet connection for a few months in their student accommodation, this is a very good choice. In addition, all these players allow you to have the termination costs (of your former operator) reimbursed up to €100.

As you have seen in this comparison of the best internet boxes without commitment, it is mainly virtual operators who position themselves in the niche. These are also known for their low prices. Indeed, by disregarding physical structures (shops) and by betting on a relationship that is dematerialized, prices are logically cheaper over time.

While traditional ISPs are sometimes more competitive in the first year (call price), they all increase their prices quite drastically beyond that. If you want to register for the long term with a non-binding internet box, it is therefore better to opt for one of the players above. You have a very simple and transparent relationship, it is ideal.

Traditional ISPs, however, try to justify their prices with various arguments (which the players above do not necessarily have). First of all, there is customer support, which can be provided from one of the physical stores in their French network. Then there are small advantages (such as Cafeyn, various bonuses or even a free plan in some cases) which are not negligible. That said, these advantages tend to increase the opacity around the offers to justify a price that is higher.

Conclusion: which non-binding box to choose?

Now is the time to conclude our page on non-binding internet boxes. Of all the ones we have mentioned, which one is the best? It is quite difficult to provide an answer to this question as the uses and needs of the French public are so different. For someone who wants a super fast connection and a great TV experience, the Freebox Delta will be the best option.

However, the Freebox Delta is also very expensive. It is for this reason that for the general public, we will tend to recommend the Freebox Pop. Free has been very competitive on the non-binding internet box since its inception. The Freebox Pop which was released in 2020 overshadowed all its predecessors. Between the quality of the speeds, the flexibility of the calls and the 220 TV channels for less than 30€ per month, it is a nugget.

Discover the Freebox Pop

Among the outsiders, we can also mention RED by SFR and, to a lesser extent, Sosh. The latter is a little limited, it turns out to be a little obsolete in relation to evolving uses (in particular the consumption of streaming video services). On the other hand, RED by SFR is doing well with an offer that provides good speed (even with a Speed++ and Wi-Fi 6 option) and a fair price.

Freebox Pop

Downstream speed 5 Gb/s

Unlimited Fixed & mobiles

220 TV channels included

€29.99

For 12 months

instead of 39.99 €

See the offer Details Unlimited calls to landlines in more than 110 destinations and mobiles in France No commitment Freebox Pop Option(s): included: My Canal, Netflix, Prime Video SEE MORE +1

Red Box Fiber

Downstream speed 1 Gb/s

Unlimited Fixed & mobiles

No TV

€23

instead of €35

See the offer Details Unlimited calls to landlines in France and more than 100 destinations No commitment RED Box Fiber THD Option(s): TV 100 channels: €3 SEE MORE +2

Freebox Delta

Downstream speed 8 Gb/s

Unlimited Fixed & mobiles

280 TV channels included

€39.99

For 12 months

instead of 49.99 €

See the offer Details Unlimited calls to landlines in more than 110 destinations and mobiles in France No commitment Freebox Delta Option(s): included: My Canal, Netflix, Prime Video SEE +3

FAQ on boxes< /h2>

Do you still have questions about non-binding internet boxes? We have prepared a FAQ that answers the main questions of the public. It will be expanded over the weeks according to the questions submitted to us. Do not hesitate to contact the ISPs directly to find out more about their offers.

Are there non-binding internet boxes?

Since the beginning of the 2010s, non-binding internet boxes have been developing more and more. Free initiated the process and other players followed. Among them, there is RED by SFR or Sosh. Traditional ISPs have always refused to offer a box without commitment.

What is the best box without commitment?

The best internet box without commitment necessarily depends on your use. If you are a heavy bandwidth user or a very occasional user, your needs are not the same. Generally speaking, Free stands out. But the competition is fierce, especially on certain profiles.

How much does a box cancellation cost?

Whether for boxes with or without commitment, there are often cancellation fees. These vary between 50 and 100€ depending on the ISP. Fortunately, ISPs allow you to offset termination fees if you come to them. Your new ISP will reimburse up to €100.

Which non-binding internet box is the cheapest?

Sosh is the non-binding internet box which is also the cheapest. That said, it is also the least complete and it will not meet all uses. If you share your Wi-Fi, it will quickly be limited. Consult our comparison of non-binding boxes to find out more.