SD-WAN Costs UK 2026: Pricing Guide for Businesses Quick answer
SD-WAN costs in the UK usually depend on the number of sites, connectivity type, bandwidth, SD-WAN licences, hardware, managed support, security features and whether you need leased lines, broadband, FTTP, MPLS or 4G/5G backup.
As a simple guide:
SD-WAN cost item Typical UK cost guide What it covers
Basic SD-WAN licence
£20-£150+ per site/month
Software, routing and policy control
SD-WAN appliance
£0-£1,000+ per site
Router, firewall or SD-WAN edge device
Managed SD-WAN service
£50-£300+ per site/month
Monitoring, support, updates and changes
Basic managed SD-WAN package
£150-£300+ per site/month
Simple managed overlay and support
Secure SD-WAN / SASE package
£250-£800+ per site/month
SD-WAN plus firewall, ZTNA, SWG or cloud security
Business broadband / FTTP underlay
£30-£150+ per site/month
Lower-cost access connection
Leased line / DIA underlay
£150-£800+ per site/month
Dedicated connectivity with stronger SLA
4G/5G backup
£10-£100+ per site/month
Mobile failover connection
Installation and setup
£0-£1,000+ per site
Site setup, configuration and rollout
Enterprise SD-WAN
Bespoke pricing
Complex, multi-site, global or high-security networks
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Compare SD-WAN pricing in the UK Use this guide if you are comparing:
SD-WAN costs UK
SD-WAN cost
SD-WAN pricing
SD-WAN price per site
managed SD-WAN costs
SD-WAN licence costs
SD-WAN appliance costs
secure SD-WAN costs
SASE costs
SD-WAN vs MPLS cost
SD-WAN provider costs
SD-WAN for multi-site businesses
SD-WAN for retail costs
SD-WAN for hospitality costs
SD-WAN for care homes
business WAN costs
managed WAN pricing
multi-site connectivity costs
SD-WAN quote comparison
How do we work?
Transparent, impartial, and data‑driven reviews made by a team of expert humans, never AI generated – here’s exactly how Compare Your Business Costs helps you find the best deals from trusted UK providers: click here
Authored by: Ally Cox (Business Technology & B2B Services Specialist 10+ Years’ Experience)
Reviewed by: James Ward (Telecoms Specialist, 12+ Years Experience)
Last Updated: August 2026
Your estimated WAN / SD-WAN costs
SD-WAN licence£0 per month
Managed service£0 per month
Connectivity£0 per month
Backup connectivity£0 per month
Security£0 per month
Estimated monthly SD-WAN cost£0 estimated recurring cost
Estimated cost per site£0 per month
Annual recurring cost£0 per year
One-off setup / hardware£0 estimated one-off cost
Estimated first-year cost£0 including setup
Total contract cost£0 over 36 months
Potential monthly saving£0 vs current spend
Your estimate will appear here.
Your recommended network setup will appear here.
This calculator provides an estimate only. Actual SD-WAN and WAN costs vary by provider, location, site count, bandwidth, connectivity availability, leased line pricing, licence tier, hardware, security, managed support, mobile backup, installation, contract length and network complexity.
Key takeaways
SD-WAN is usually priced per site, per appliance or per licence.
The access connection underneath SD-WAN often has the biggest impact on total cost.
A site using FTTP or business broadband will usually cost less than a site using a leased line.
Managed SD-WAN costs more than self-managed SD-WAN, but reduces internal IT workload.
Secure SD-WAN or SASE can add security costs, but may reduce the need for separate tools.
4G or 5G failover can increase cost but improve resilience.
SD-WAN can reduce reliance on MPLS, but it does not automatically remove all private circuit costs.
The cheapest SD-WAN quote is not always best if support, failover, security or underlay connectivity are weak.
Compare total per-site cost, not just the SD-WAN licence.
Ask providers to show licence, hardware, support, connectivity and security costs separately.
What does SD-WAN pricing include? SD-WAN pricing is rarely a single line item, and your quote will likely include:
SD-WAN software licence
router or edge appliance
firewall licence
security subscription
managed service support
broadband, FTTP, DIA or leased line
MPLS retainment
4G/5G backup
SIM and mobile data
cloud gateway
SASE or SSE security tools
installation
project management
configuration
monitoring
reporting
change requests
hardware replacement
support desk
SLA
contract term
This is why two SD-WAN quotes can look completely different – one provider may quote only the SD-WAN overlay.
Another might quote you a fully managed service including connectivity, hardware, firewall, failover and support.
SD-WAN cost breakdown
Cost component Typical UK cost guide
SD-WAN licence £20-£150+ per site/month
Vendor, bandwidth, features and term
Hardware or edge appliance
£0-£1,000+ per site
Performance, throughput, firewall and support
Managed service
£50-£300+ per site/month
Monitoring, support, reporting and changes
Broadband or FTTP
£30-£150+ per site/month
Speed, postcode and provider
Leased line or DIA
£150-£800+ per site/month
Speed, postcode, SLA and installation
MPLS circuit
Quote-based
Bandwidth, distance, provider and contract
4G/5G backup
£10-£100+ per site/month
Data allowance, router and SIM plan
Firewall/security
£50-£300+ per site/month
Firewall, filtering, threat protection and policies
SASE/SSE
£50-£300+ per user or site/month
ZTNA, SWG, CASB, FWaaS and cloud security
Cloud gateway
Quote-based
AWS, Azure, Google Cloud or data centre access
Installation
£0-£1,000+ per site
Site complexity and engineer work
Professional services
Quote-based
Design, rollout, migration and project management
SD-WAN cost by number of sites
Number of sites Typical SD-WAN setup Cost considerations
1 site
Usually not SD-WAN unless cloud/security use case is strong
FTTP, leased line or firewall may be better
2-5 sites
Basic managed SD-WAN over FTTP or broadband
Lower setup complexity
5-20 sites
Managed SD-WAN with backup and central policies
Support and rollout matter
20-100 sites
Managed SD-WAN with security and reporting
Per-site pricing becomes critical
100+ sites
Enterprise SD-WAN or SASE
Bespoke pricing, rollout and governance
Multi-country
Global SD-WAN or SASE
International connectivity and compliance matter
SD-WAN cost examples Example 1: Small multi-site business
Business type: small professional services firm
Possible cost pattern:
Cost item
SD-WAN licence and management
Connectivity
Total per site
Total for 3 sites
Best for: businesses that need simple multi-site connectivity, cloud access and central management.
Example 2: Retail group with failover
Business type: retail group
Possible cost pattern:
Cost item
SD-WAN licence and management
Connectivity
4G/5G failover
Security add-on
Total per site
Total for 10 sites
Example 3: Care home group
Business type: care home group
Possible cost pattern:
Cost item
Managed SD-WAN
Connectivity
Security
Backup
Total per site
Total for 8 sites
Example 4: Enterprise SD-WAN
Business type: larger multi-site organisation
Possible cost pattern:
Cost item
SD-WAN licence
Managed service
Connectivity
Security and SASE
Project rollout
What affects SD-WAN costs? SD-WAN costs are usually
number of sites
number of users
bandwidth per site
access circuit type
existing contracts
current MPLS usage
leased line requirements
FTTP availability
broadband quality
4G/5G failover requirements
application priority rules
cloud application usage
Microsoft 365 usage
VoIP requirements
payment system resilience
security requirements
firewall features
SASE requirements
hardware performance
managed support level
support hours
contract length
project complexity
rollout timetable
reporting needs
change request frequency
data centre connectivity
public cloud connectivity
The biggest cost driver is often not the SD-WAN licence – it’s the connectivity and support model around it.
SD-WAN licence costs SD-WAN licences are usually priced by site, bandwidth, feature tier or device.
A basic licence may include routing, traffic steering and central management, but more advanced licences also often include:
firewall features
application awareness
cloud optimisation
analytics
segmentation
advanced routing
SASE integration
threat protection
high availability
higher throughput
support entitlement
SD-WAN appliance costs Some SD-WAN services need a physical or virtual edge device at each site, which could be:
included in the monthly service
rented monthly
purchased upfront
bundled with firewall hardware
replaced as part of a managed contract
Appliance cost depends on:
throughput
number of users
number of WAN links
firewall performance
VPN performance
high availability needs
rack-mounted vs desktop hardware
LTE/5G support
vendor
warranty and support
Do not assume every site needs the same hardware.
Managed SD-WAN service costs Managed service fees pay for the provider to run and support the SD-WAN environment, which can include:
initial network design
configuration
monitoring
software updates
reporting
incident management
troubleshooting
change requests
service reviews
security policy management
supplier coordination
replacement hardware
support desk
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Connectivity and underlay costs SD-WAN still needs physical connections underneath it.
This is called the underlay .
Common underlay options include:
Underlay option Typical UK cost guide Best for
Business broadband
£30-£100+ per site/month
Lower-cost branch connectivity
FTTP business broadband
£40-£150+ per site/month
Many SME sites where available
Leased line / DIA
£150-£800+ per site/month
Critical sites needing SLA-backed dedicated bandwidth
4G/5G backup
£10-£100+ per site/month
Failover and resilience
MPLS
Quote-based
Legacy private networks or critical traffic
Secondary circuit
Quote-based
High-availability sites
Diverse leased line
Quote-based
Mission-critical locations
Secure SD-WAN and SASE costs Secure SD-WAN combines network routing with security features.
SASE, or Secure Access Service Edge, usually goes further by combining networking and cloud-delivered security, and your security costs will often include:
firewall-as-a-service
secure web gateway
cloud access security broker
zero trust network access
intrusion prevention
malware protection
web filtering
user identity controls
branch segmentation
guest Wi-Fi separation
reporting
security monitoring
policy management
SD-WAN vs MPLS cost
Cost factor SD-WAN MPLS
Access circuits
Can use broadband, FTTP, leased line, 4G/5G and MPLS
Usually private MPLS circuits
Pricing flexibility
Higher
Lower
Cloud connectivity
Usually more flexible
Can require backhauling or extra design
Site rollout
Can be faster if using available broadband/FTTP
Security
Must be designed correctly
Private but still needs security controls
Managed support
Optional or bundled
Best for
Cloud-first, multi-site and hybrid networks
Traditional private WAN and strict QoS use cases
Cost risk
Hidden add-ons, licences and weak underlay
Higher private circuit costs
SD-WAN vs leased line cost
Feature SD-WAN Leased line
What it is
Network overlay and management technology
Dedicated internet connection
Typical pricing
Licence, appliance, managed service and security
Monthly circuit rental and installation
Use case
Multi-site routing, failover and application control
Dedicated, SLA-backed connectivity
Can use broadband?
Yes
No
Can use leased lines?
Yes
It is a leased line
Best for
Multi-site control and resilience
Critical sites needing dedicated bandwidth
Cost risk
Add-ons and management fees
ECCs, installation and contract value
Is SD-WAN cheaper than MPLS? SD-WAN can be cheaper than an MPLS-heavy WAN if it allows your business to replace some private circuits with lower-cost broadband, FTTP or DIA links.
However, savings are not guaranteed and your costs can rise if you add:
managed service support
secure SD-WAN
SASE
new hardware
dual circuits
leased line upgrades
professional services
monitoring
4G/5G failover
cloud gateway access
SD-WAN should be compared on value, not just cost – the main value could come from:
better resilience
improved cloud performance
easier site rollout
lower MPLS dependency
centralised management
better visibility
reduced internal IT workload
stronger branch security
SD-WAN pricing by sector
Sector
Retail
Store count, payment traffic, guest Wi-Fi, 4G/5G backup and support
Hospitality
Booking systems, EPOS, guest Wi-Fi, payment resilience and peak usage
Care homes
Secure access, uptime, remote management, cloud systems and support
Franchise networks
Standardised branch setup, central policies and rollout support
Manufacturing
Operational systems, site resilience, cloud/ERP access and backup links
Logistics
Depot connectivity, mobile backup, tracking systems and distributed sites
Professional services
Microsoft 365, VoIP, hosted desktops and secure remote access
Call centres
QoS, low latency, dual circuits and monitoring
Education
Secure filtering, site connectivity, cloud learning tools and resilience
Healthcare
Secure access, uptime, compliance and data protection requirements
SD-WAN ROI: when is it worth the cost? SD-WAN is worth comparing when the business value is greater than the extra monthly service cost.
Potential ROI comes from:
lower reliance on MPLS
reduced downtime
better payment-system resilience
improved VoIP quality
faster cloud application performance
less time troubleshooting branch issues
easier new-site rollout
centralised policy management
reduced supplier complexity
stronger security posture
better use of broadband and leased line links
fewer manual network changes
Hidden SD-WAN costs to check Before signing, ask about:
appliance costs
licence tiers
managed service fees
firewall licences
SASE add-ons
security subscriptions
installation charges
site survey costs
professional services
cloud gateway fees
4G/5G routers
SIM and data plans
broadband upgrades
leased line costs
MPLS retainment
failover circuits
change request fees
reporting add-ons
out-of-hours support
hardware replacement
site move fees
early termination fees
renewal increases
minimum contract terms
What to ask before accepting an SD-WAN quote Ask providers:
is this managed or self-managed?
how many sites are included?
what is the per-site monthly cost?
what licence tier is included?
is hardware included?
is firewall included?
is SASE included or separate?
is 4G/5G backup included?
what connectivity is included at each site?
which sites need leased lines?
which sites can use FTTP or broadband?
does the price include installation?
does the price include project management?
are cloud gateways included?
is monitoring included?
what reports are included?
are change requests included?
is out-of-hours support included?
what SLA applies?
what contract length applies?
what exit fees apply?
what happens if we add or close sites?
can we keep existing circuits?
can we migrate away from MPLS gradually?
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How to reduce SD-WAN costs You might just be able to reduce SD-WAN costs by:
comparing providers before renewing WAN contracts
using FTTP where leased lines are not required
keeping leased lines only at critical sites
using 4G/5G backup instead of a second fixed circuit at lower-risk sites
removing unused MPLS circuits gradually
standardising branch hardware
choosing the right licence tier
avoiding unnecessary SASE add-ons
bundling connectivity and managed service where it improves value
negotiating based on site count
piloting before full rollout
staggering rollout around contract end dates
reviewing cloud routing requirements
avoiding over-specifying every branch
comparing 24, 36 and 60-month contract terms
When SD-WAN could be too expensive SD-WAN may not be worth the cost if:
you have only one small site
you do not use cloud applications heavily
your broadband is already stable
downtime does not materially affect your business
you do not need failover
you do not need central branch management
you have no remote or multi-site complexity
you only need a basic VPN
you cannot justify managed service fees
you would be better served by FTTP, a leased line or mobile backup
Common SD-WAN cost mistakes Avoid these mistakes:
comparing only licence price
ignoring underlay connectivity
choosing broadband where a site needs a leased line
choosing leased lines for every site when FTTP would be enough
ignoring security add-ons
assuming SASE is included
not checking appliance costs
not checking support hours
not checking change request charges
not checking data charges on 4G/5G backup
not checking cloud gateway costs
not testing failover
keeping expensive MPLS circuits unnecessarily
removing MPLS too quickly without testing
not comparing total per-site cost
ignoring contract exit fees
overbuilding small branches
Final verdict SD-WAN costs in the UK vary widely because SD-WAN is not just one product as it can include software, hardware, managed service support, broadband, leased lines, 4G/5G backup, security, SASE, cloud routing and project rollout.
Our best approach is to compare SD-WAN quotes based on:
number of sites
bandwidth
current connectivity
leased line vs FTTP vs broadband underlay
4G/5G backup
licence tier
appliance cost
managed service support
security features
SASE requirements
cloud routing
contract length
total per-site cost
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FAQs: SD-WAN costs UK
How much does SD-WAN cost in the UK?
SD-WAN costs vary widely, but a managed SD-WAN service may cost from around £150-£300+ per site/month for simpler setups, with secure or enterprise SD-WAN costing more.
What is included in SD-WAN pricing?
SD-WAN pricing may include software licences, hardware, managed support, connectivity, security, 4G/5G backup, cloud gateways, setup and reporting.
Is SD-WAN priced per user or per site?
SD-WAN is usually priced per site, per appliance, per licence tier or by bandwidth. SASE or security tools may also include user-based pricing.
What affects SD-WAN cost?
Costs are affected by site count, bandwidth, underlay connectivity, hardware, licence tier, security, managed support, cloud access, failover and contract length.
Is managed SD-WAN more expensive?
Managed SD-WAN usually costs more than self-managed SD-WAN, but it includes provider support, monitoring, troubleshooting and service management.
Is SD-WAN cheaper than MPLS?
SD-WAN can be cheaper than MPLS if it lets you replace some private circuits with broadband, FTTP or DIA. Savings are not guaranteed because security, support and hardware add cost.
Does SD-WAN replace leased lines?
No. SD-WAN does not replace leased lines directly. It can use leased lines, broadband, FTTP, MPLS and 4G/5G as access connections.
Do I still need a leased line with SD-WAN?
Critical sites may still need leased lines. Lower-risk branches may be able to use FTTP, broadband or mobile backup depending on business needs.
How much does secure SD-WAN cost?
Secure SD-WAN costs more than basic SD-WAN because it may include firewall, web filtering, threat protection, segmentation, zero trust access or SASE features.
What is the cheapest SD-WAN option?
The cheapest SD-WAN option is usually a basic overlay using existing broadband or FTTP, but it may not include managed support, security or resilience.
What is the most expensive part of SD-WAN?
The most expensive part is often connectivity, managed support or security rather than the SD-WAN licence itself.
How many sites do I need for SD-WAN?
SD-WAN is usually most useful for businesses with two or more sites, although single-site businesses may use SD-WAN-style security or failover in some cases.
Is SD-WAN worth it for small businesses?
SD-WAN can be worth it for small businesses with multiple sites or critical cloud applications. For a single simple site, it may be overkill.
How can I reduce SD-WAN costs?
Use the right connection type per site, compare managed providers, avoid over-specifying small branches, remove unnecessary MPLS gradually and check all licence/security add-ons.
Should I choose SD-WAN or SASE?
Choose SD-WAN if your main need is network performance and multi-site control. Compare SASE if you also need cloud-delivered security, zero trust access and secure web access.
Are SD-WAN costs tax deductible?
SD-WAN service costs are usually business expenses, but check treatment with your accountant for your specific situation.
How do I compare SD-WAN quotes?
Compare per-site cost, connectivity, licences, appliances, support, monitoring, security, failover, contract length, installation and total monthly cost.
Related SD-WAN and WAN guides
SD-WAN Managed SD-WAN Services https://compareyourbusinesscosts.co.uk/managed-wan-services
SD-WAN Costs UK https://compareyourbusinesscosts.co.uk/sd-wan-costs
SD-WAN vs MPLS https://compareyourbusinesscosts.co.uk/sd-wan-vs-mpls
SD-WAN Solutions https://compareyourbusinesscosts.co.uk/sd-wan-solutions
What is SD-WAN? https://compareyourbusinesscosts.co.uk/what-is-sd-wan
WAN and multi-site connectivity WAN Providers UK https://compareyourbusinesscosts.co.uk/wan-providers-uk
Managed WAN Services https://compareyourbusinesscosts.co.uk/managed-wan-services
Business Connectivity Solutions https://compareyourbusinesscosts.co.uk/business-connectivity-solutions
Multi-Site Connectivity https://compareyourbusinesscosts.co.uk/multi-site-connectivity
Cloud Connectivity https://compareyourbusinesscosts.co.uk/cloud-connectivity
Connectivity and alternatives Leased Line Costs UK https://compareyourbusinesscosts.co.uk/leased-line-costs
Leased Line Providers UK https://compareyourbusinesscosts.co.uk/leased-line-providers
Dedicated Internet Access https://compareyourbusinesscosts.co.uk/dedicated-internet-access
MPLS Networks Explained https://compareyourbusinesscosts.co.uk/mpls
Business Internet Security https://compareyourbusinesscosts.co.uk/business-internet-security
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Hi, I’m Ally Cox , a senior copywriter and blogger at CompareYourBusinessCosts.co.uk, the UK’s trusted platform for comparing business services.over a decade of experience in the B2B sector, I specialise in simplifying complex topics like leased lines, VoIP, business energy, HR and payroll solutions, accounting software, and EPOS systems .HR, copywriting, and business operations- from clocking-in systems to card machines and office technology .informed, confident decisions when choosing products and services that improve efficiency and save money.