Comparison: what is the best Freebox? (ADSL or fiber)

Comparison: what is the best Freebox? (ADSL or fiber)

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It is sometimes difficult to find your way among all the Freeboxes, there are so many of them. This is exactly the reason why we imagined this comparison: to guide you in your choice. Before detailing the devices in question, let's start by looking at the case of Free. What is behind the name of this company, actually?

The Freebox manufacturer is a subsidiary of the Iliad group. Listed on Euronext, it is run by French entrepreneur Xavier Niel. Also behind the investment fund Kima Ventures, he is renowned for having disrupted the market not only for mobile telephony – but also for the Internet box. Because you will see it: the best Freebox, there is not just one!

Introduction and comparison of Freeboxes

For a long time, Free capitalized on its Freebox Revolution and Freebox Mini 4K. These two models have since seen their succession arrive brilliantly: the Freebox Delta and Freebox Pop better meet the expectations of the public today – whether in terms of internet connection speed or the TV offer.

The best-selling of all Free internet boxes is the Freebox Pop. Belonging to the latest generation, it is positioned with the best value for money in the ISP range (and the best value for money on the market). Its big sister, the Freebox Delta, is much more powerful and efficient. That said, the latter is also more expensive.

If you are looking for the perfect compromise, the Freebox Pop will be the best choice in our comparison. Below, we'll go into detail on each one to help you find the one that best suits your needs.

Freebox Pop

Downstream rate

5 Gbps

Unlimited

fixed & mobile

220

TV channels included

29.99 €

For 12 months

instead of 39.99 €

See the offer

Retail

Unlimited calls to landlines in more than 110 destinations and mobiles in France

Without engagement

Freebox Pop

Option(s): included: My Canal, Netflix, Prime Video

SEE MORE

1

Freebox Revolution

Downstream rate

1 Gbps

Unlimited

fixed & mobile

280

TV channels included

19.99 €

For 12 months

instead of 44.99 €

See the offer

Retail

Unlimited calls to landlines in more than 110 destinations and mobiles in France

With commitment

Freebox Revolution

Option(s): included: My Canal, Netflix, Prime Video

SEE MORE

2

Freebox Delta

Downstream rate

8 Gbps

Unlimited

fixed & mobile

280

TV channels included

39.99 €

For 12 months

instead of 49.99 €

See the offer

Retail

Unlimited calls to landlines in more than 110 destinations and mobiles in France

Without engagement

Freebox Delta

Option(s): included: My Canal, Netflix, Prime Video

SEE MORE

3

Ranking of the best Freeboxes in 2021:

Freebox Pop

Freebox Delta (with Devialet speaker)

Freebox Revolution

Freebox Mini 4K

Freebox Delta with Devialet speaker © Free

Summary

Introduction and comparison of Freeboxes

Freebox Delta: the most premium

Freebox Pop: the best value for money

The legendary Freebox Revolution

The Freebox mini 4K

Opt for the Free 4G+ Box

What about companies?

A tip to save: Freebox + mobile

How to choose the best Freebox?

Our opinion on the Freebox network

Comparison: and the best Freebox is...

Freebox Delta

Editor's note

Freebox Delta: the most premium

To begin this comparison of the best Freebox, let's look at the case of the Delta model. Many say that it is the best on the market. And for good reason, it is the one that offers the most interesting value proposition at the moment.

Its fiber technology is announced by Free as being the fastest: it is capable of reaching a theoretical speed of the order of a gigabyte per second. More concretely, the manufacturer indicates that its Freebox can reach 8 Gbit per second in downlink speed, against 700 Mbit per second in uplink speed.

With the Freebox Delta, you can both download and stream movies and series without having to wait for the video to load. The reading will be immediate. This is not necessarily the case for all the other Freeboxes in the comparison. What makes the Freebox Delta a high-performance product is not just that. Indeed, it has the advantage of having the right to 2 players: users thus have the choice between the Pop player (we will come back to this below) or the Devialet player.

It is the latter that makes the Freebox Delta the most efficient model on the market. And for good reason, it is neither more nor less than a Devialet loudspeaker coupled to a TV decoder. To afford it, you have to pay the tidy sum of 480 euros, which is - it must be said - not given to everyone.

The good news, however, is that if you want to opt for this Freebox but you do not necessarily have the means to choose this Devialet player, then Free also offers a payment spread over several months. Price of the Freebox Delta: 39.99 euros per month for one year then 49.99 euros per month beyond.

Freebox Pop: the best value for money

The Freebox that we place in second position in our comparison is called the Freebox Pop. Unveiled in 2020, this is the best value for money you can find at Free. It is she who represents a majority of the ISP's sales. While the Freebox Delta is considered by some to be too expensive and too complete, the Freebox Pop is the perfect answer.

As we saw above, its player is also available for the Freebox Delta. One of its main advantages is that it is a Freebox under Android TV. This TV operating system created by Google provides access to thousands of apps from the Play Store, making the entertainment possibilities simply endless for viewers.

Freebox Pop © Free

Sold for 29.99 euros per month for the first year, the Freebox Pop will then go to 39.99 euros per month. It will be recalled that this is non-binding: you can therefore terminate whenever you want.

In its Pop version, Free has integrated fiber and it reaches up to 5 Gbit per second shared in downlink speed for 700 Mbit per second in uplink speed. According to Free, it would even be “more than 100 times faster than ADSL”. Ideal for those who work at home, but also for the whole family if you want to put the children in front of the TV to occupy them.

Another reason that allows us to rank the Freebox Pop as one of the best Freeboxes: its flashcode. Visible on the top of the Freebox Pop, this allows you to connect to it in a few seconds. All you have to do is approach it with the camera application on your smartphone to pair up on the Wi-Fi network. So practical in everyday life, but also when you have friends over!

Comparison of the 2 Freebox © Free

The legendary Freebox Revolution

For a long time, the Freebox Revolution was the best Freebox in the range. Launched in 2010, the Freebox Revolution now costs 19.99 euros per month. After twelve months, it will cost 44.99 euros per month to subscribe to it.

Is this a good plan? In reality, since the release of the Freebox Pop, it is much less popular. Its value for money has clearly deteriorated since the arrival of Pop. This is normal: beyond the first year, it costs more than the Freebox Pop, but its speeds are much less efficient: 1 Gb/s download and 600 Mb/send.

The only advantage of this Freebox Revolution is that it includes a Blu-Ray player, which is not the case with the other Freeboxes in our comparison. Another point that sets it apart: it was designed by Philippe Starck, a French artist of international stature.

The Freebox mini 4K

The fourth box in our Freebox comparison is the Freebox Mini 4K. This is the cheapest Freebox in this comparison, but it is also the least powerful. If we look at its base price, which is 15.99 euros per month. Because once again, this is only available for one year, after which the price of the Freebox mini 4K actually goes to 34.99 euros per month (which is therefore a little more expensive than the Freebox Pop in the beginning).

The Freebox mini 4K is also equipped with an Android TV player, giving access to all the apps from the Play Store. Enough to seriously compete with the Apple TV!

The Freebox mini 4K is compatible with fiber, which can reach a speed of 1 GB/s in downlink speed against 600 Mbit per second in uplink speed. But what if your home is not eligible for fibre? It's rare, but it happens unfortunately, even in certain areas of big cities. In this case, then the Freebox mini 4K could still be the best Freebox for you. Indeed, it is also compatible with ADSL 2+ or VDSL2. A very good point of this comparison for those who live in rural areas.

Freebox Revolution © Free

Opt for the Free 4G+ Box

To finish with the comparison of the best Freeboxes for individuals, let's also take a look at Free's 4G+ Box. It costs 29.99 euros per month, without obligation. The operator also specifies that buyers are “satisfied or reimbursed”, which means that if you are not delighted with your experience then you can simply return the Freebox free of charge. As its name suggests, the Freebox 4G+ has the advantage of not working using fiber or ADSL but instead connecting to 4G antennas in your city.

Downstream rate

TV channels

Price

Without engagement

With commitment

Free

DSL

Fiber

Unlimited fixed & mobile

3 offers found

Freebox Pop

Downstream rate

5 Gbps

Unlimited

fixed & mobile

220

TV channels included

29.99 €

For 12 months

instead of 39.99 €

See the offer

Retail

Unlimited calls to landlines in more than 110 destinations and mobiles in France

Without engagement

Freebox Pop

Option(s): included: My Canal, Netflix, Prime Video

SEE MORE

1

Freebox Revolution

Downstream rate

1 Gbps

Unlimited

fixed & mobile

280

TV channels included

19.99 €

For 12 months

instead of 44.99 €

See the offer

Retail

Unlimited calls to landlines in more than 110 destinations and mobiles in France

With commitment

Freebox Revolution

Option(s): included: My Canal, Netflix, Prime Video

SEE MORE

2

Freebox Delta

Downstream rate

8 Gbps

Unlimited

fixed & mobile

280

TV channels included

39.99 €

For 12 months

instead of 49.99 €

See the offer

Retail

Unlimited calls to landlines in more than 110 destinations and mobiles in France

Without engagement

Freebox Delta

Option(s): included: My Canal, Netflix, Prime Video

SEE MORE

3

However, there is a limitation with the Freebox 4G+, which means that we only rank it last in our best Freebox comparison. This is the amount of mobile data provided. It is thus limited to 250 GB per month only. What you have to understand here is that it's not the best Freebox for fans of binge-watching in Ultra HD. Those will thus prefer the Freebox mini 4K, logically.

However, the Freebox 4G+ still achieves a download speed of up to 320 Mbit per second. Free explains on its official site that it is fifteen times faster than ADSL. Enough to offer a relatively stable Wi-Fi connection and for several people. We can even receive and transfer fairly large files without worrying too much about the speed of sending.

What about companies?

Now that you know which is the best Freebox for your home, how about looking into the best Freebox for your professional activity? There is one, and it is simply called Freebox Pro. Its black design looks quite upscale, and quickly reminds us of the mood we are in if you decide to install it in your office.

This Freebox costs 39.99 euros per month, for another year. Then the price increases to 49.99 euros per month. Note, however, that this is only a price excluding tax. Which means that you will have to add twenty percent VAT in France: the bill will therefore be a little higher than the price displayed. A common business practice, as many companies get VAT refunded.

If the Freebox Pro is the best Freebox for companies in this comparison, it is also because it has benefits specially designed for this type of activity. First of all, it is thus announced as “ultra fast”: up to 7 Gbit per second in reception, 1 Gbit per second in transmission, and all with EPON 10G technology.

It is therefore a Freebox that you can plug into a coworking space in order to serve several workstations at the same time, without having to fear a potential slowdown in your installation. It's also the best Freebox in our comparison for group video calls that many now consider essential at a time when remote has become everyone's business.

Freebox Pro © Free

A tip to save: Freebox + mobile

Free offers a service that provides access to both its mobile telephony offers, direct competitors of the packages marketed by Sosh, and its offers that make up our Freebox comparison. We are therefore going to present them to you now. First of all, there is the bundled offer which gives access to the best Freebox of the 2010s (the Freebox Revolution) and to the €2 mobile plan which has made Free mobile plans famous. The latter is also offered in the subscription: you therefore only pay the price of the Freebox Revolution which is one of the cheapest as we saw a little earlier in this comparison. 19.99 euros monthly, therefore, then 44.99 euros per month after one year.

The second bundled offer still brings together the Freebox Revolution and another package, but this time using the network... 5G! Yes, Free is one of those operators who were the first to use this new standard, which is clearly the fastest at the moment. This offer is therefore the best for nomads who are looking to move around without always having to search for a powerful hotspot nearby.

© Free

To go further: what is the best mobile plan from the Free operator?

How to choose the best Freebox?

Depending on your needs, the best Freebox will not necessarily be the same. In this comparison, we thought of writing you a short guide of the key factors to take into account when choosing your Freebox. The crucial point is obviously the flow rates, which can vary significantly from one formula to another.

They are distinguished by two speeds: the downflow and the uphill start. What hides behind the first term is the speed at which you can download documents, view streaming feature films or even read e-mails. Upload rate is the speed at which you send files.

Second factor that we advise you to take into account when choosing your best Freebox: the TV player. Already, you should know that not all Freeboxes have one! Indeed, this is not the case with the Freebox Pro. In addition, not all decoders have the right to Android TV. However, this OS is one of the most complete to date, just like tvOS at Apple.

It is therefore possible that a Freebox does not offer the games you want if it does not have a player powered by Alphabet software. Consider if you have kids already playing on your TV or want to stream music with your favorite streaming service.

And besides, last crucial point to choose the best Freebox: the sound. Because if the Freebox Revolution with its Blue-Ray player and the Freebox mini 4K are perhaps the imaging pros, it is indeed the loudspeaker from the French brand Devialet that offers the best audio. Thus, the Freebox Delta is clearly the best Freebox in this comparison for technophiles and other four-stroke waltz enthusiasts.

Our opinion on the Freebox network

Before moving on to the conclusion of this comparison of the best Freebox, let's finally see the performance of the Free network. What you need to know is that here, we are in fact straddling the antennas of Free and those of Orange. However, Orange is quite simply the operator that covers most of the French territory. Choosing a Freebox therefore means betting on both the know-how of its manufacturer but also that of France's number one operator.

Comparison: and the best Freebox is...

In our opinion, the best Freebox is the Freebox Pop. It is she who meets the needs of the majority of French households. It is very complete, one of the most powerful on the market and it is at a very correct price. This is less the case with the Freebox Delta which is much more expensive – but which is even more complete. She will be oversized in many ways. Moreover, it met with mixed success when it was released, which is why Free then presented the Pop version a few months later.

The old Freebox Revolution and Mini 4K are two models that are losing momentum. Their price (especially after the first year) is not consistent with the prices of Freebox Pop and Delta. They find it difficult to compete with the other two. Today, they represent a minority of the internet service provider's sales.

Downstream rate

TV channels

Price

Without engagement

With commitment

Free

DSL

Fiber

Unlimited fixed & mobile

3 offers found

Freebox Pop

Downstream rate

5 Gbps

Unlimited

fixed & mobile

220

TV channels included

29.99 €

For 12 months

instead of 39.99 €

See the offer

Retail

Unlimited calls to landlines in more than 110 destinations and mobiles in France

Without engagement

Freebox Pop

Option(s): included: My Canal, Netflix, Prime Video

SEE MORE

1

Freebox Revolution

Downstream rate

1 Gbps

Unlimited

fixed & mobile

280

TV channels included

19.99 €

For 12 months

instead of 44.99 €

See the offer

Retail

Unlimited calls to landlines in more than 110 destinations and mobiles in France

With commitment

Freebox Revolution

Option(s): included: My Canal, Netflix, Prime Video

SEE MORE

2

Freebox Delta

Downstream rate

8 Gbps

Unlimited

fixed & mobile

280

TV channels included

39.99 €

For 12 months

instead of 49.99 €

See the offer

Retail

Unlimited calls to landlines in more than 110 destinations and mobiles in France

Without engagement

Freebox Delta

Option(s): included: My Canal, Netflix, Prime Video

SEE MORE

3

Freebox Delta

9.5

Editor's note

9.5/10