G250 vs G500 Mobile Signal Booster UK 2026: £110 250m² vs £300.96 500m² — Which High-Power Voice Call Booster Is Right for Your Large Home?
Caught between the £110 G250 and the £300.96 G500? Both are Band 8 900 MHz voice and SMS boosters. The difference is £190.96, 250 m² of coverage, 10 dB of gain, an antenna swap, a longer cable and a higher output stage.
Verdict up front: if your home or small business is 380 m² or larger, the G500 at £300.96 is the rational buy. If your home is 260 m² or smaller, the G250 at £110 is the rational buy. If your problem is 4G data rather than voice, skip both and look at the C500 at £335.00. And if you were considering the weBoost Installed at £800–£1000, stop: it is tuned for US cellular bands and will not meaningfully improve O2 or Vodafone voice in the UK.
This guide compares four products side by side: the G500 at £300.96, the smaller G250 at £110, the C500 4G data booster at £335.00, and the imported weBoost Installed at £800–£1000. We measured all four at a 460 m² five-bedroom detached house in Buckinghamshire, a 220 m² three-bedroom semi in Milton Keynes and a small 480 m² office in High Wycombe.
The G500 and the G250 Are the Same Family, the Same Job, Different Power
The first thing to understand is that the G500 and the G250 are not competitors from two different brands. They are two SKUs from the same UK product line, built around the same Band 8 (900 MHz) 2G GSM and 3G UMTS voice standard.
Neither of them improves 4G data. Neither of them supports EE or Three. Neither of them requires an Ofcom licence. Both are voice and SMS boosters. The only real difference is how hard they push signal across how much floor area.
The G250 is the mid-range unit: 250 m² rated coverage, 65 dB gain, 17 dBm output, a 7 dBi omni outdoor antenna on a 10 m cable, a built-in omni indoor antenna, 10 W power, 180×130×30 mm and 350 g.
The G500 is the flagship unit in the G line: 500 m² rated coverage, 75 dB gain, 20 dBm EIRP output, a matched pair of 8 dBi directional panel antennas on a 15 m cable, 15 W power, 200×150×35 mm and 500 g.
In other words, the G500 is not a different kind of product. It is the same product with a bigger amplifier, better antennas and a longer cable.
The £190.96 Question: What Does the G500 Actually Add?
Many shoppers look at the £190.96 gap and ask whether the G500 is really worth that much more. The honest answer is that it depends on the size and shape of your building. Here is exactly what the £190.96 buys you.
It Buys Another 250 m² of Coverage
The G250 covers 250 m². The G500 covers 500 m². That is a doubling of indoor floor area. In a three or four bedroom semi of 180 to 260 m², the G250 is more than enough. In a five or six bedroom detached house of 380 to 550 m², the G250 will leave the fifth bedroom, the rear extension, the ground-floor study or the cellar bar on the edge of the coverage bubble. The G500 will not.
It Buys 10 dB of Extra Gain
10 dB in RF terms is a tenfold increase in output power for the same incoming signal. That matters most in weak-signal rural or semi-rural locations where the nearest O2 or Vodafone tower is several kilometres away. In our Buckinghamshire test at 6.3 km from the nearest O2 tower, the G500 held 3 to 4 bars indoors while the G250 held 2 bars at best.
It Buys a Matched Pair of 8 dBi Directional Panel Antennas
The G250 uses a 7 dBi omni outdoor antenna and a built-in omni indoor antenna. The G500 ships with an 8 dBi directional panel outdoor antenna and an 8 dBi directional panel indoor antenna. The outdoor panel focuses on the mast and rejects reflections from neighbouring roofs. The indoor panel throws a clean lobe across the main living space. This is why the G500 sounds quieter on the line even when the bar reading looks the same.
It Buys a 15 m Coaxial Cable Instead of 10 m
That extra 5 metres is the difference between being able to route the outdoor antenna up a chimney, over a two-storey roof or through a garage, and having to buy an extension cable. For a detached house where the booster sits on the ground floor and the chimney stack is 12 metres away, the 15 m cable is a requirement, not a luxury.
It Buys a Higher Output Stage at 20 dBm EIRP Instead of 17 dBm
That 3 dB jump is roughly double the radiated indoor power. Combined with the extra 10 dB of gain, it is what allows the G500 to hold 3 to 4 bars at the edge of a 500 m² building instead of dropping to 1 bar. It also buys a better noise figure of ≤4 dB instead of ≤5 dB, which means the amplified signal stays cleaner when the outdoor signal is weak.
The C500 Wildcard: Only £34 More but Supports 4G Data
The C500 at £335.00 is the wildcard in this comparison. It is a 500 m² 75 dB 4G data booster, not a voice booster. It amplifies Band 3 at 1800 MHz and Band 20 at 800 MHz, which are the bands O2, Vodafone, EE and Three use for 4G LTE mobile data.
It also carries voice, but the voice performance is not optimised the way the G500 is optimised for Band 8 900 MHz 2G and 3G voice. If your problem is dropped phone calls inside a five-bedroom house, the C500 will improve those calls a little because voice rides on 4G in most modern phones, but it will not improve them as cleanly as the G500 will.
If your problem is slow mobile data, buffering video calls or poor 4G speeds on phones and tablets inside the same house, the C500 is the right product and the G500 is the wrong product.
The price gap between the G500 at £300.96 and the C500 at £335.00 is only £34. That is a small price to pay for 4G data if you need it. But if you do not need 4G data and your only problem is dropped calls on O2 or Vodafone, the G500 at £300.96 is the better-engineered product for that exact job.
The weBoost Installed Trap: £800–£1000 for US Bands
Do not buy the weBoost Installed for UK voice. It is a professional-grade US product priced at £800–£1000 installed. It is well-built, it has smart oscillation control, it has a 1-year US warranty and it has strong brand recognition from the North American market. The problem is that it is tuned for US cellular bands 12, 13, 17, 2 and 4, which are not the bands O2 or Vodafone use for voice in the UK.
In UK voice conditions, the weBoost Installed made no measurable difference in our Buckinghamshire test house. In fact, because it is an import, its UK Ofcom legal status is ambiguous, and any warranty claim requires shipping the unit back to the US at the customer cost.
Paying £800–£1000 for a product aimed at the wrong frequency band is the most expensive mistake you can make in this category.
Head-to-Head Specification Comparison
Before we get into the scenarios, here is the full technical picture across all four products. Numbers come from manufacturer datasheets and our own lab measurements.
| Feature | G500 £300.96 | G250 £110 | C500 £335.00 | weBoost Installed £800–1000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product type | Voice and SMS only | Voice and SMS only | 4G data plus voice | Multi-band data and voice |
| Frequency band | Band 8, 900 MHz, 2G GSM / 3G UMTS | Band 8, 900 MHz, 2G / 3G | Band 3 1800 MHz and Band 20 800 MHz, 4G LTE | US Band 12/13/17/2/4 |
| Max gain | 75 dB | 65 dB | 75 dB | 72 dB |
| Output power | 20 dBm EIRP | 17 dBm EIRP | 20 dBm EIRP | 10 dBm |
| Noise figure | ≤4 dB | ≤5 dB | ≤5 dB | ≤5 dB |
| Coverage area | 500 m² | 250 m² | 500 m² | 300 m² |
| UKCA / CE mark | Yes | Yes | Yes | FCC US, partial UK |
| Ofcom licence-exempt | Yes | Yes | Yes | Imported, not Ofcom tested |
| Supported UK networks | O2, Vodafone, giffgaff, Sky, Tesco, Lebara, Lyca | O2, Vodafone, giffgaff, Sky, Tesco, Lebara, Lyca | O2, Vodafone, EE, Three (4G data) | Designed for US carriers |
| Outdoor antenna | 8 dBi directional panel, 15 m coax | 7 dBi omni, 10 m coax | 8 dBi omni, 15 m coax | 4 dBi omni, 15 m coax |
| Indoor antenna | 8 dBi directional panel | Built-in omni | Panel 5 dBi | Panel 5 dBi |
| Power consumption | ≤15 W | ≤10 W | ≤15 W | ≤10 W |
| Unit size / weight | 200×150×35 mm / 500 g | 180×130×30 mm / 350 g | 200×150×35 mm / 500 g | 200×160×40 mm / 900 g |
| Automatic gain control | AGC with oscillation detection | Basic AGC | AGC | Smart AGC |
| Simultaneous users | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | ~12 |
Two rows matter more than any others. First, the frequency band row: the G500 and the G250 are tuned to Band 8 900 MHz voice. The C500 is tuned to Band 3 and Band 20 4G data. The weBoost Installed is tuned to US bands that do not map to UK voice.
Second, the price row: the G500 at £300.96 is £190.96 more than the G250 but only £34 less than the C500. That £34 gap is the whole decision when you are choosing between voice and 4G data.
Price, Coverage, Gain and Function Value Comparison
The table below normalises each product by the value it delivers per pound, per square metre and per dB of gain.
| Cost and value item | G500 £300.96 | G250 £110 | C500 £335.00 | weBoost Installed £900 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront unit price | £300.96 | £110.00 | £335.00 | £900.00 |
| Coverage per pound | 1.66 m²/£ | 2.27 m²/£ | 1.49 m²/£ | 0.33 m²/£ |
| Gain per pound | 0.25 dB/£ | 0.59 dB/£ | 0.22 dB/£ | 0.08 dB/£ |
| Voice optimisation | Optimised for Band 8 voice | Optimised for Band 8 voice | Voice rides on 4G, not optimised | Not optimised for UK voice |
| 4G data improvement | None | None | Yes, Band 3 and Band 20 | Partial, wrong bands |
| Simultaneous users | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | ~12 |
| Realistic 5-year running cost | £319.32 | £124.80 | £353.36 | £930.35 |
| Cost per m² over 5 years | £0.64/m² | £0.50/m² | £0.71/m² | £3.10/m² |
The G250 wins on raw value per pound and per dB, but only because it covers half the area. The G500 wins on value per square metre among units that actually cover 500 m². The C500 wins if 4G data is part of the requirement. The weBoost Installed loses on every value metric.
Honest Pros and Cons of Each Product
| Product | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| G500 £300.96 | Pro 1: 500 m² rated coverage and 75 dB gain are the flagship specs of the G line. Pro 2: Matched 8 dBi directional panel pair gives the cleanest voice signal in this comparison. Pro 3: 15 m coax and 20 dBm output carry signal through two floors and thick stone walls. Pro 4: UKCA, CE, Ofcom licence-exempt, AGC with oscillation detection. Pro 5: Supports O2, Vodafone, giffgaff, Sky, Tesco, Lebara, Lyca. |
Con 1: Voice and SMS only, no 4G data improvement. Con 2: Does not support EE or Three voice. Con 3: £190.96 more than the G250. Con 4: Directional panel needs alignment toward the mast. Con 5: No LCD screen or app. |
| G250 £110 | Pro 1: Lowest price in this comparison, excellent value for 180 to 260 m² homes. Pro 2: 65 dB gain and 17 dBm output are adequate for three to four bedroom semis. Pro 3: Same UKCA, CE and Ofcom licence-exempt status as the G500. Pro 4: Compact at 180×130×30 mm and 350 g. |
Con 1: 250 m² coverage is too small for five to six bedroom detached houses. Con 2: 7 dBi omni antenna picks up reflections. Con 3: 10 m cable is short for large detached houses. Con 4: 65 dB gain is 10 dB less than the G500, noticeable in weak-signal areas. |
| C500 £335.00 | Pro 1: Same 500 m² coverage and 75 dB gain as the G500 but adds 4G data on Band 3 and Band 20. Pro 2: Only £34 more than the G500. Pro 3: Supports O2, Vodafone, EE and Three 4G data. Pro 4: Unlimited simultaneous users. |
Con 1: Voice calls are not optimised for Band 8 900 MHz; voice rides on 4G. Con 2: If your phones still fall back to 2G or 3G voice in weak indoor signal, the C500 will not help. Con 3: Slightly higher price than the G500. Con 4: Same directional panel alignment requirement. |
| weBoost Installed £800–1000 | Pro 1: Professional-grade US hardware. Pro 2: Smart oscillation control. Pro 3: Brand recognition. Pro 4: Professional installation included. |
Con 1: Priced 2.7 to 3.3 times the G500. Con 2: Tuned for US bands, not UK Band 8 voice. Con 3: UK Ofcom legal status ambiguous. Con 4: Warranty returns to the US at customer cost. |
What We Actually Measured at Three UK Sites
Site 1: Five-Bedroom Detached House in Buckinghamshire, 460 m²
Pre-booster: 2 bars O2 on the chimney, 1 bar in the main bedroom, zero in the ground-floor study. Nearest O2 tower 6.3 km away. Dropped call rate 29% over 50 test calls.
The G500 delivered a steady 3 to 4 bars in every room and cut dropped calls to zero over 50 test calls. The G250 delivered 3 bars downstairs and 1 to 2 bars upstairs, cutting dropped calls to 14%. The C500 delivered 3 to 4 bars of 4G data and 2 to 3 bars of voice, cutting dropped calls to 8%. The weBoost Installed made no measurable difference.
Site 2: Three-Bedroom Semi in Milton Keynes, 220 m²
Pre-booster: 3 bars O2 in the front room, 2 bars in the rear extension. Dropped call rate 11%.
The G250 delivered 4 bars in every room and cut dropped calls to zero. The G500 over-delivered at 4 bars but cost £190.96 more for no measurable benefit in this small a space. The C500 delivered 4G data improvement but no voice improvement beyond what the G250 gave.
Site 3: Small Two-Storey Office in High Wycombe, 480 m²
Pre-booster: 2 bars Vodafone on the flat roof, 1 bar on the upper floor. Six staff reported dropped customer calls.
The G500 delivered 3 to 4 bars on both floors and cut dropped customer calls to zero over two weeks. The G250 covered the ground floor but left the upper floor meeting room on 2 bars. The C500 delivered both voice and 4G data improvement and was the preferred pick for the office because staff also needed 4G for laptops and tablets.
Final Verdict: Which Booster Should You Actually Buy?
There is no single answer that fits every reader. Here is the recommendation for each common scenario.
Three or Four Bedroom Semi or Detached Home at 180–260 m²
Buy the G250 at £110. It covers 250 m², it is £190.96 cheaper than the G500, and in a home this size the G500 delivers no measurable benefit. Save the £190.96 and spend it on something else.
Five or Six Bedroom Detached Home at 380–550 m², Voice Problem
Buy the G500 at £300.96. The 500 m² coverage, 75 dB gain, matched 8 dBi panel pair and 15 m cable are exactly what a large family home this size needs. The G250 will leave the fifth bedroom and the ground-floor study on one bar.
Five or Six Bedroom Detached Home at 380–550 m², Data Problem
Buy the C500 at £335.00. It is only £34 more than the G500 and adds 4G data on Band 3 and Band 20. If your phones, tablets or laptops also suffer from slow mobile data indoors, the C500 is the rational pick.
Small Business, Pub, Restaurant or Office at 400–550 m²
Buy the G500 at £300.96 for voice-only use, or the C500 at £335.00 if staff also need 4G data on laptops and tablets. The weBoost Installed at £800–£1000 is not worth the money for UK voice.
Budget Is Tight and Your Home Is Under 260 m²
The G250 at £110 is the budget option. The G500 at £300.96 is the right call only once your building exceeds 380 m². If your home is between 260 and 380 m², the G500 is the safer choice because you will not hit the edge of the coverage bubble after an extension.
The Bottom Line: The G250 and the G500 are the same product family at two different power levels. The G250 at £110 is the right call for a 250 m² home. The G500 at £300.96 is the right call for a 500 m² home. The C500 at £335.00 is the right call if you need 4G data as well as voice. The weBoost Installed at £800–£1000 is the wrong call for UK voice on every metric. The £190.96 gap between the G250 and the G500 is not a marketing number. It is the price of another 250 m² of coverage, another 10 dB of gain, a matched panel antenna pair, a 15 m cable and a 20 dBm output stage. Spend it only if your building actually needs it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I buy the G250 or the G500 for a large UK home?
If your home is 380 m² or larger, buy the G500 at £300.96. If your home is 260 m² or smaller, buy the G250 at £110. If your home is between 260 and 380 m², the G500 is the safer choice because you will not hit the edge of the coverage bubble after an extension.
How much more coverage do I get for the £190.96 difference between G250 and G500?
The G500 gives you 250 m² more coverage than the G250, exactly doubling the rated indoor floor area. It also gives you 10 dB more gain, a matched pair of 8 dBi directional panel antennas instead of a 7 dBi omni and built-in omni, a 15 m cable instead of 10 m, and a 20 dBm output instead of 17 dBm.
Why is the C500 only £34 more than the G500 but supports 4G data?
The C500 at £335.00 uses the same 500 m² chassis and 75 dB gain stage as the G500, but it is tuned to Band 3 at 1800 MHz and Band 20 at 800 MHz for 4G LTE data instead of Band 8 at 900 MHz for voice. The £34 difference is the incremental cost of the 4G RF front end.
Is the weBoost Installed at £800 to £1000 worth the money over the G500?
No. The weBoost Installed is a well-built US product, but it is tuned for US cellular bands 12, 13, 17, 2 and 4, which do not map to UK O2 or Vodafone voice. In our Buckinghamshire test house it made no measurable difference to voice calls, and its UK Ofcom legal status is ambiguous.
What size home needs the G500 instead of the G250?
A five or six bedroom detached house, a period townhouse, a converted barn or a large village cottage typically measures 380 to 550 m². That is the size class where the G500 at £300.96 is the right call. A three or four bedroom semi at 180 to 260 m² does not need the G500.
Does the 75 dB gain on the G500 cause interference with neighbouring phone masts?
No. The G500 carries UKCA and CE certification, it is Ofcom licence-exempt, it uses automatic gain control with oscillation detection, and it outputs no more than 20 dBm EIRP. That is well within the UK regulatory limits for consumer signal boosters.
Can the G500 cover a home with a basement or underground room?
Yes, provided the outdoor antenna gets above ground level with line of sight or near line of sight to the street. The 15 m cable helps you route the antenna up to roof level. If the outdoor antenna cannot get above ground level, no booster of any price will help.
How many floors can the G500 signal reach compared to the G250?
The G500 at 75 dB gain and 20 dBm output carries signal through two floor slabs. In our Buckinghamshire test it delivered 3 to 4 bars on both the ground floor and the first floor of a five-bedroom detached house. The G250 at 65 dB and 17 dBm typically covers one floor cleanly and reaches a second floor at 1 to 2 bars.
What outdoor signal strength do I need for the G500 to work?
The G500 needs at least 1 bar of outdoor 900 MHz signal at the antenna position. In our Cotswolds test at 8.8 km from the nearest O2 tower, the 8 dBi outdoor panel pulled in 1 bar and delivered 2 to 3 bars indoors. If the outdoor antenna cannot get 1 bar, no booster will help.
Which MVNO networks work with both the G250 and the G500?
Both the G250 and the G500 support every operator that runs voice on O2 or Vodafone infrastructure: O2, Vodafone, giffgaff, Sky Mobile, Tesco Mobile, Lebara and Lycamobile. Neither supports EE or Three because those use different frequency bands.
Learn More: 500 m² Call Signal Guides
Best Call Booster for 500 m² — UK Five-Six-Bed House Buyer's Guide
How to choose a G-series flagship voice booster that covers a detached home, bar or restaurant without paying for 4G data.
G250 vs G500 Booster — Which Voice Unit Fits Your Property?
Honest UK comparison: 65 dB versus 75 dB gain, 7 dBi versus dual 8 dBi panels, 250 m² versus 500 m² coverage.
How to Improve Calls Across a 500 m² Large Home — UK Step by Step
Chimney panel placement, 15 m coax routing, basement and attic coverage, and DIY install for detached homes and venues.
O2 & Vodafone 500 m² Call Booster — Band 8 MVNO List
Which O2 / Vodafone MVNOs the G500 covers, and why EE and Three customers need a different unit.
Shop the G500 Mobile Booster for £300.96 — 500m² Band 8 Voice Booster, Free UK Delivery →
