If you're looking for a new network or just want a better tariff, use this guide to choose the best deal for you.
You could save even without moving to a different network!
Our sim card and mobile phone tariff guides
We've already produced a handful of guides to help you to:
- Change your network
- Keep and move your mobile number with a PAC code
- Activate your sim card with a new mobile number
The guides tell you all you need to know about moving to a different mobile network, how to keep the same mobile number when you move, and how to activate a new sim card with a new number.
Happy? Good. Now we'll show you the latest plans and tariffs from no less than 7 UK networks. These are all Pay As You Go plans, so there are no contracts to worry about.
All the tariffs below show what you'll get for a £10 monthly top up.
Our current network of choice is O2, as they currently offer 20GB of data for a 3 month period (add first top up by 28/12/2022 to qualify) - almost three times the usual 7GB. O2 also offer unused data rollover, 10% back of your top ups every 3 months with O2 Rewards and opt in to O2 Priority Moments for exclusive bonuses, such as cinema tickets, early access to concert tickets and free treats as well as award winning customer service.
Like O2, Vodafone also offer 7GB of data each month. They're the only network who offer total rollover of unused minutes, texts and data. Vodafone also have a rewards programme. VeryMe treats and rewards are tailored around what you like the most, and you can control your account from the MyVodafone app.
EE are owned and operated by BT, so you're assured of quality and most of their advertising likes to emphasise that they're the best network for quality and speed. Unfortunately they're not the most generous, and the only network in this list that only offer 500 minutes (not Unlimited), and only 5GB of data, though we expect this to improve soon. you do get 10% off if you pay by Direct Debit, the EE Up rewards programme and an extra 500MB free data boost every month for a full year.
Three were originally known as the best alternative network but are now very much on a par with the top networks in terms of coverage. You also get a very generous data allowance and free EU roaming in 70 countries, so they're the ones to go for if you travel a lot. They also operate a rewards loyalty programme.
GiffGaff are an alternative no-frills network running on O2, so you get great coverage and plenty of data. You'll even get an extra 3GB if you opt to pay monthly by debit card, but there's no contract so you can cancel any time. Benefit from flexible plans and a well-established online community support team.
Voxi are Vodafone's alternative to GiffGaff, and are currently offering a very generous amount of data with "endless" social media, meaning that if you use your sim to surf social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram and more, you can do so without using any of your data allowance.
Smarty, operated by the 3 Network, took the country by storm when they first arrived on the scene. Using mostly Wi-fi calling as well as the Three network, they offer a huge 30GB of data with up to 12GB of EU data roaming, unrestricted tethering and no speed throttling. Data-only plans are now also available.
ALL of the above networks offer even more generous allowances if you spend a little more, usually from £15 a month. for the purposes of top-up, most networks consider a month to be 30 days, and your tariff expires at midnight on the 30th day after you top up.
These may seem similar to a contract sim but they differ in that you can cancel at any time, but you won't be able to make outgoing calls or texts or use data until you have topped up for the following month.
You will still be able to receive incoming calls for a while, but if you do not top up within a few weeks your number will be disconnected.
If you're looking for the old style standard Pay As You Go tariff, where you simply pay for each call and text as you use it and do not need to top up each month, we recommend the GiffGaff sim. Full details of how to activate on Standard Pay As You Go are included with the sim.
More details: GiffGaff sim card
We hope this guide has been helpful to you and we'll happily answer any questions you may have. o you, but for further advice please contact your network directly. If you think any of the information provided is incorrect or out of date please let us know. There is a "Contact us" form link at the foot of the page.