Answer up front: if your office, hotel, warehouse, retail unit or farm estate runs O2 or Vodafone SIMs and needs 4G data plus boosted 2G voice calls across a 1000m² footprint for up to 100 simultaneous users, the CG1000 at £685.00 is the pick; it pairs Band 20 at 800 MHz data with Band 8 at 900 MHz calls, cleans the donor at ≥70 dB uplink and ≥75 dB downlink gain (ten dB, roughly ten times the CG500's ≥60/65 dB amplification), holds ≥20 dBm output, feeds up to 4 indoor antennas, and includes the high-gain Yagi in the full kit. If you only need a 500m² home or small venue for 50 users and can save £200.00, the CG500 at £485.00 carries the same Band 20+8 stack at ≥60/65 dB with 3 antennas. If your business SIMs are EE-led and you want EE data plus EE calls rather than O2/Vodafone voice, the CD1000 at £685.00 swaps Band 8 for Band 3 at the same gain, size, output, Yagi and 4 antennas.

The £200.00 CG1000-vs-CG500 gap (685.00 minus 485.00) buys +500m² (doubling the footprint), +50 users (doubling the count), +10 dB gain (≥70/75 vs ≥60/65, ≈10x amplification of the cleaned signal), and +1 indoor antenna (4 versus 3), while output stays ≥20 dBm and the bands stay Band 20+8. The £0.00 CG1000-vs-CD1000 gap buys different operators rather than more machine: same 1000m², same 100 users, same ≥70/75 dB, same ≥20 dBm, same Yagi, same 4 antennas, but the CD1000's Band 3 at 1800 MHz serves EE voice while the CG1000's Band 8 at 900 MHz serves O2/Vodafone voice. No single unit boosts EE calls and O2/Vodafone calls together, because those two call layers live on different bands this chassis family does not combine.

This page compares the three Boost4U chassis side by side rather than in a roundup: the CG1000, the CG500 and the CD1000. It separates the data layer on Band 20 (shared by all three) from the voice layer (Band 8 on the two CG units, Band 3 on the CD unit), sizes the gain, footprint, user and antenna difference between CG1000 and CG500, and gives a five-branch decision tree so the choice follows which SIMs you hold, how big the site is, how many devices attach, whether the Yagi matters, and whether budget or coverage decides.

All three are UKCA and CE certified, Ofcom licence-exempt, ship free within the UK on 1 to 2 day handling plus 10 to 15 day transit, and carry a 365-day mail return window. None carries 3G Band 1 at 2100 MHz or 5G; all run from an AC 100–240V to DC 5V UK 3-pin adapter. The rest of this page numbers every gap in pounds, dB, square metres, users and antennas before you order.

Before the tables, three rules keep the comparison honest. First, Band 20 at 800 MHz (uplink 832–862 MHz, downlink 791–821 MHz) is shared by all three and carries O2, Vodafone and Three 4G data, so data capability is not the deciding factor; the deciding factor is which voice band the chassis amplifies. Second, the CG1000 and CG500 share Band 8 at 900 MHz (uplink 890–915 MHz, downlink 935–960 MHz) for O2/Vodafone 2G calls and SMS; the CD1000 instead tunes Band 3 at 1800 MHz for EE 2G calls. Third, between the two CG units, output power matches at ≥20 dBm and only gain, area, users and antenna count differ, so the CG500 question is purely "do I need 1000m², 100 users, ≥70/75 dB and 4 antennas today or later?"

Gain matters more than sticker price for a weak or obstructed commercial donor. The CG1000's ≥70/75 dB pulls a usable signal from a −97 to −105 dBm rural or metal-clad donor and distributes it across 1000m² and 4 whips, while the CG500's ≥60/65 dB holds a 500m² cell for 50 users; the +10 dB gap is roughly ten times the amplification factor, not a louder tone but a reachable signal through masonry, metal and concrete to more antennas and zones. Output power matches at ≥20 dBm, so raising gain rather than output is the engineering choice for doubled spread and a weaker donor.

Coverage figures assume reasonable donor signal outside and 10m vertical separation between the outdoor omni/Yagi and indoor whip; a weak rural or warehouse donor at −97 to −105 dBm uses the CG1000's included Yagi aimed at the nearest mast, while the CG500 also includes its own Yagi; a strong donor at −70 to −90 dBm lets both units add extra indoor antennas via splitter and extra cable, up to 4 on the CG1000 and 3 on the CG500. The tables below compare specs, price gaps and day-one versus five-year cost before the decision tree.

Read the voice rows before the price rows: both CG units boost O2/Vodafone calls, only CD1000 boosts EE calls, and all three boost O2/Vodafone/Three 4G data on the shared Band 20; then read gain, coverage, users and antennas, where CG1000 and CD1000 share ≥70/75 dB, 1000m², 100 users and 4 antennas, and CG500 sits at ≥60/65 dB, 500m², 50 users and 3 antennas.

The £200.00 CG500 saving buys smaller area, fewer users, lower gain and one fewer antenna, not a different network; the £0.00 CD1000 tie changes only the voice operator. Neither gap buys more data speed, because Band 20 data is identical across all three chassis.

The CG1000 and CG500 tune the identical two bands: Band 20 at 800 MHz for O2, Vodafone and Three 4G data, and Band 8 at 900 MHz for O2/Vodafone 2G voice calls and SMS, and they share the same ≥20 dBm output power and ≤5 dB noise figure. If both sit in a single broad room, they look the same because the shared donor, Band 20 data and Band 8 voice work on either chassis. The difference appears as the site doubles and the donor weakens: the CG1000 raises gain from ≥60/65 to ≥70/75 dB (+10 dB, roughly ten times the amplification factor), spreads the cleaned signal across 1000m² for 100 users through 4 indoor antennas, where the CG500 holds a 500m² cell for 50 users through 3 antennas.

The +£200.00 line item by line item

For £200.00 (685.00 minus 485.00), the CG1000 adds: +500m² of rated indoor area (1000 versus 500, exactly double); +50 simultaneous users (100 versus 50, exactly double); +10 dB gain (≥70/75 versus ≥60/65, ≈10x amplification of the cleaned donor); and +1 indoor antenna (4 versus 3). Output power, bands, noise figure, 3 dBi whip family, included Yagi, and the 10m outdoor plus 5m indoor cable stack are matched.

Where the CG500 still wins

The CG500 at £485.00 wins on entry price by £200.00 and is the honest choice for a detached house, a large flat, a medium office, a cafe floor or a small hotel where the boosted signal reaches 500m² and active devices stay at 50 or fewer. In that footprint the doubled 1000m², 100 users, ≥70/75 dB gain and fourth antenna are unused capacity, and the lower price plus the same Band 20+8 data-and-calls path makes the CG500 the value pick.

Where the CG1000 becomes unavoidable

Once the layout is a large open-plan office, a multi-floor SME, a hotel or resort floor, a warehouse or logistics centre, a large retail unit or supermarket, or a spread-out farm estate, the CG500's ≥60/65 dB gain, 500m² and 50-user rating thins beyond the third broad zone. The CG1000's ≥70/75 dB gain pulls a usable signal from a weak rural or metal-clad donor and the fourth antenna covers a separate floor or zone without buying a new box; the included Yagi handles a weak donor without a separate aerial purchase. Buying CG500 now and CG1000 later costs 485.00 plus 685.00 rather than choosing the CG1000 once for a 1000m² commercial layout.

The CG1000 and CD1000 are a £0.00 tie on upfront price, area (1000m²), users (100), gain (≥70/75 dB), output power (≥20 dBm), antenna count (4) and the included Yagi; even the 10m outdoor plus 5m indoor cable stack matches. The whole difference is the voice band the chassis amplifies, because both share Band 20 for O2/Vodafone/Three 4G data.

CG1000 Band 8: O2 and Vodafone calls

The CG1000 tunes Band 8 at 900 MHz (uplink 890–915 MHz, downlink 935–960 MHz). On O2 and Vodafone SIMs this boosts 2G voice calls and SMS indoors, and 900 MHz also reaches deeper through masonry, metal and concrete than higher bands. MVNOs on the O2 network (giffgaff, Sky Mobile, Talkmobile, Lycamobile, Tesco) and on Vodafone (Lebara 2G, TalkTalk 2G) ride this same call layer. EE receives Band 20 4G data only; the CG1000 does not tune EE's Band 3 voice.

CD1000 Band 3: EE data and calls

The CD1000 tunes Band 3 at 1800 MHz instead, which carries EE 4G data and EE 2G voice. An EE-led business gets boosted EE calls that the CG1000 cannot provide; in return, O2 and Vodafone SIMs receive Band 20 data only, with the call channel left native on 2G rather than boosted. The CD1000 cannot add Band 8 later, and the CG1000 cannot add Band 3 later; these are fixed voice layers, not switchable modules.

The £0.00 tie decides by SIM, not by spec

Because price, area, users, gain, output, antennas and the Yagi are identical, the CG1000-versus-CD1000 choice is a pure operator question: O2/Vodafone-led business with calls = CG1000; EE-led business with calls = CD1000; mixed where EE voice and O2/Vodafone voice both matter = no single chassis solves both, and a second band-specific unit or a larger multi-band distributed system is required rather than forcing one box.

Walk the branches top to bottom and stop at the first yes.

Branch 1 — Are your main business SIMs O2 or Vodafone (incl. giffgaff, Sky, Talkmobile, Lycamobile, Tesco, Lebara, TalkTalk) and do calls drop indoors?

Yes on both: the Band 8 call layer matters, so stay inside the CG family. Move to Branch 2 for size, gain and device count; do not pick the CD1000, which leaves these calls native.

Branch 2 — Is the site 500m² or smaller (detached home, small office, cafe), active devices 50 or fewer, and budget the deciding factor?

Yes: CG500 at £485.00, Band 20+8, ≥60/65dB, 3 antennas, save £200.00. No (large office, multi-floor SME, hotel, warehouse, retail unit, farm estate, 51–100 active devices, four zones, or weak rural/metal-clad donor needing high gain and the fourth antenna): CG1000 at £685.00, 1000m², 100 users, ≥70/75dB, 4 antennas, Yagi included.

Branch 3 — Are the main business SIMs EE-led and does EE voice drop indoors while O2/Vodafone appear only as data?

Yes: CD1000 at £685.00, Band 20+3, EE data and calls across 1000m² for 100 users at ≥70/75dB with Yagi included and 4 antennas. Do not reach for the CG1000 because it never boosts EE Band 3 voice.

Branch 4 — Do you need both EE boosted calls AND O2/Vodafone boosted calls in one site?

Yes: none of the three chassis covers both voice layers; plan a band-specific second unit or a larger multi-band distributed system rather than overloading a single box. No: return to Branch 1 or 3.

Branch 5 — Is the site a high-rise tower, many floors beyond 4 antennas, 3G Band 1, or 5G?

Yes: a single 1000m² chassis is undersized or band-wrong; choose a larger multi-antenna or multi-band commercial system. No and the zone fits 1000m²: return to Branch 1, 2 or 3 and order the matched unit.

Day one, CG1000 and CD1000 tie at £685.00 and CG500 sits at £485.00. The five-year total separates them when a second purchase appears.

The CG500 buyer who expands later pays 485.00 plus a 1000m² chassis before the fourth antenna, splitter, cable run and install; the CD1000 buyer who later adds an O2/Vodafone call layer pays a Band 8 unit on top of the 685.00 already spent. Only the correctly matched single CG1000 or CD1000 closes the job day one at £685.00. The £200.00 CG500 saving evaporates when growth forces the second box.

The CG1000 box at £685.00 holds the ~450 g amplifier (170×110×30 mm, 3.0 kg shipping), the 5 dBi omni outdoor aerial, the included high-gain Yagi, the 3 dBi whip indoor antenna, the 10m outdoor low-loss coax, the separate 5m indoor coax, and the AC 100–240V 50/60Hz to DC 5V UK 3-pin adapter; there is no paid external-aerial variant because the Yagi already comes in the full kit. Optional: 20m (+£20), 30m (+£30), 40m (+£40), 50m (+£50) cable; protector (+£20); max optional combo £755.00. The CG500 box carries the same cable stack at ≥60/65dB with 3 antennas and an included Yagi; the CD1000 box matches the CG1000 cable stack, gain and included Yagi for its EE job.

Basic setup takes 10 to 15 minutes without tools: fix the omni or the aimed Yagi outside with a clear mast view, keep the indoor whip at least 10 m vertical below, run the outdoor and indoor coax, power from the UK 3-pin adapter, and read steady green before testing. Strong donor at −70 to −90 dBm permits up to 4 indoor antennas on the CG1000 (3 on the CG500) via a 3-way or 4-way splitter and extra cable; weak donor at −97 to −105 dBm uses the included Yagi aimed at the mast before any cable upgrade. The custom note reads "Expandable coverage by adding indoor antenna, splitter, cable if the outside signal is strong."

All three carry UKCA, CE and RoHS, are Ofcom licence-exempt, ship free within the UK (handling 1–2 days, transit 10–15 days), and carry a 365-day mail return window. The £685.00 CG1000 price is valid to 2027-10-18, InStock NewCondition, and ships to GB, DE, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, SE, DK, FI, IE, PT, PL and CZ; the CG500 at £485.00 and CD1000 at £685.00 follow the same shipping and return terms.

O2/Vodafone office, hotel, warehouse, retail or farm estate, 1000m², 100 devices, calls must hold, weak or metal-clad donor needs high gain and the fourth antenna: CG1000 at £685.00, Band 20+8, ≥70/75dB, 4 antennas, Yagi included, the only high-gain 1000m² box that boosts O2/Vodafone calls.

O2/Vodafone home or small venue, up to 500m², 50 devices, save £200.00: CG500 at £485.00, same bands, lower gain, 3 antennas, smaller footprint.

EE-led business, 1000m², EE calls matter: CD1000 at £685.00, Band 20+3, accept O2/Vodafone data-only.

Quick verdict: pay the £200.00 for CG1000 only when the site reaches 1000m², 100 users, ≥70/75dB gain and a fourth antenna; at the £0.00 tie, CG1000 serves O2/Vodafone calls and CD1000 serves EE calls, so match the voice band to your SIM and the gain to the donor rather than chasing the biggest spec sheet.