Specsavers or Vision Express? UK 2026 Cost and Service Comparison
Specsavers vs Vision Express compared on what each publishes: eye test and OCT scan prices, entry glasses, second-pair offers and NHS tests, read from both retailers' own pages.
Quick answer
Private healthcare cost guides should be read as point-in-time price ranges. The useful next step is to compare what is included, whether an assessment is required and how prices vary by provider.
- Compare total treatment cost rather than the lowest headline fee.
- Check consultation, diagnostics, aftercare and revision policies.
- Use provider comparison pages where current prices are available.
Specsavers and Vision Express are two of the UK's largest high-street optician chains. Both provide free NHS-funded eye tests for those who qualify. Every price below was read from the retailers' own pages on 14 October 2026, and each page is linked in the sources.
10-second answer
Quick comparison
| Specsavers | Vision Express | |
|---|---|---|
| Private eye test | £25 (£20–£25 by store) | £30, Advanced Eye Test |
| OCT scan | Up to +£10 in most stores | Included in the £30 |
| Eye test with OCT | Up to £35 | £30 |
| NHS-funded eye test | Free if eligible | Free if eligible; upgrade to Advanced from £6 |
| Private home eye test | £60 | Not read |
| Entry glasses | Complete glasses from £15 | A £25 glasses range |
| Second-pair offer | 2 for 1 from the £70 range | 50% off the cheaper pair |
| Varifocals | Standard varifocal lenses free with glasses from the £70 range | Not read |
| Owned by | Privately owned | EssilorLuxottica |
Offers change, and Specsavers was running a limited-time £10 eye test when we read its offers page. Confirm the price with the store before you book.
Compare UK eye-test and glasses prices
Eye test prices
A private Vision Express Advanced Eye Test costs £30, and Vision Express says it is provided in all its stores. It includes an OCT 3D scan, a UV protection assessment and a dry eye assessment. If you qualify for an NHS-funded test it is free, and upgrading it to the Advanced checks costs £6 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland or £10 in Scotland and Jersey.
A private Specsavers eye test costs £25; Specsavers' own page gives the range as £20–£25 depending on store. An OCT scan costs up to £10 extra in most stores, and Specsavers says some Scottish stores differ. A private home eye test is £60.
So the comparison turns on the scan. Without one, Specsavers is £5 lower. With one, Vision Express's £30 is up to £5 lower than Specsavers' £25 plus the scan.
Glasses and offers
Specsavers advertises complete glasses from £15, designer frames from £100 and premium designer frames from £130. Its 2 for 1 applies to glasses from the £70 range, with single vision lenses to the same prescription, and it fits standard varifocal lenses free with glasses from the same range.
Vision Express runs 50% off the cheaper of two pairs. Its terms say the offer cannot be used on its £25 glasses, children's glasses online, AI glasses or contact lenses as both purchases.
The two offers are not the same thing: a free second pair against half off the cheaper one. Which works out lower depends on the frames you choose.
How to compare them
- Decide whether you want an OCT scan. It reverses which eye test is lower.
- Compare the same lens type. Entry prices are for basic single vision lenses; thinner, coated or varifocal lenses change the total.
- Read the offer terms. Both second-pair offers exclude some ranges.
- Ask for your prescription. You are entitled to a copy after any eye test and can buy glasses anywhere.
If your visit is prompted by hearing as well as vision, compare hearing aid prices and aftercare before accepting a private quote.
Eye-test fees published by Specsavers, Vision Express, Boots and other UK opticians, side by side.
Compare all UK opticians pricesCompare UK eye-test and glasses prices
Important context
Provider and clinic profiles may combine public datasets, provider-published information and TreatCompare analysis. Registration status, services, prices and contact details can change. Verify directly with the provider before making treatment, commercial or legal decisions.
- Source type
- Named public and provider sources
- Primary source
- Specsavers — How much is an eye test?
- Reporting period
- 2026-10-14
- Last updated
- 2026-10-14
- Figure type
- Mixed sources
- Use
- Research and comparison only
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If you believe information on this page is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete or presented without necessary context, contact us with the page URL and supporting evidence. We review correction requests promptly, but they are not automatically accepted.
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Frequently asked questions
How do Specsavers and Vision Express compare?
It depends on whether you want a retinal scan. Specsavers' standard private eye test is £25 (it says £20–£25 depending on store), with an OCT scan up to £10 extra in most stores. Vision Express's private Advanced Eye Test is £30 and includes an OCT scan. On glasses, Specsavers advertises complete glasses from £15 and runs 2 for 1 from its £70 range; Vision Express runs 50% off a second pair. Both provide free NHS-funded eye tests if you qualify.
Which is lower-cost for an eye test, Specsavers or Vision Express?
Without a scan, Specsavers: £25 against £30. With a scan the order reverses: the Vision Express £30 includes OCT, while Specsavers adds up to £10 in most stores, so up to £35. Specsavers was also advertising a £10 eye test for a limited time when we read its offers page on 2026-10-14.
How do Specsavers and Vision Express glasses prices compare?
Specsavers advertises complete glasses from £15. Vision Express's offer terms refer to a £25 glasses range. Beyond the entry tier, prices depend on the frame and the lens options, so compare a written quote for the same lens type at each.
Are eye tests free at Specsavers and Vision Express?
Both provide NHS-funded eye tests if you qualify, for example if you are under 16, 16 to 18 in full-time education, over 60, or qualify for free healthcare. At Vision Express an NHS-funded customer can pay to upgrade to the Advanced checks, including OCT: £6 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, £10 in Scotland and Jersey.
Do both offer 2-for-1 glasses deals?
No. Specsavers runs 2 for 1 on glasses from its £70 range, with single vision lenses to the same prescription. Vision Express runs 50% off the cheaper of two pairs, which its terms say cannot be used on its £25 glasses. Both offers have exclusions, so read the terms before you buy.
Do Specsavers and Vision Express do home eye tests?
Specsavers publishes a private home eye test price of £60. We have not read a Vision Express home-visit price. An NHS-funded home eye test is free if you are eligible and cannot leave home unaccompanied.
Who owns Specsavers and Vision Express?
Specsavers is privately owned. Vision Express is part of EssilorLuxottica, which also owns the lens maker Essilor.
Sources & further reading
- Specsavers — How much is an eye test? — Eye test, OCT and home visit prices, read 2026-10-14
- Specsavers — Offers — Complete glasses from £15, 2 for 1 from the £70 range, free standard varifocals from the £70 range, read 2026-10-14
- Vision Express — Advanced Eye Test — £30 Advanced Eye Test including OCT, NHS upgrade prices, read 2026-10-14
- Vision Express — 50% off a 2nd pair — Second-pair offer and its exclusions, read 2026-10-14
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