A 500MB data plan will allow you to browse the internet for about 5 hours, stream 250 songs, or watch 40 minutes of standard-definition video.
Nowadays, the main distinction between mobile phone plans is how many gigabytes of data it comes with.
With 500MB of data, you'll be able to browse the internet for approximately 5 hours per month, to stream 250 songs online, or to watch 40 minutes of online video in standard definition.
In this article, we'll discuss what you can do with 500MB of data and how long you can expect your 500MB allowance to last for. We'll also discuss 500MB data plans, where you can find one in the UK and how much you can expect to pay.
Alternatives to 500MB Data
There are currently no plans available in the UK with 500MB data.
Instead of choosing a 500MB data plan, it may sometimes make sense to choose a plan with more data. This is especially the case when special offers and promotion are available: you might be able to get a larger allowance of data for the same or for a very similar price:
| Amount of Data | Pay Monthly | Pay As You Go |
|---|---|---|
| 250MB Data | - | - |
| 500MB Data | - | - |
| 1GB Data | £2.90 £3 more | £6.00 £6 more |
| 2GB Data | £6.00 £6 more | £6.00 £6 more |
| 3GB Data | £5.00 £5 more | £5.00 £5 more |
| 4GB Data | £5.00 £5 more | £7.50 £7.5 more |
| 5GB Data | £4.25 £4.5 more | £5.00 £5 more |
| 6GB Data | £6.00 £6 more | £9.90 £10 more |
| 8GB Data | £5.95 £6 more | £10.00 £10 more |
| 10GB Data | £5.50 £5.5 more | £8.00 £8 more |
| 12GB Data | £6.00 £6 more | £10.00 £10 more |
| 20GB Data | £6.90 £7 more | £10.00 £10 more |
| 30GB Data | £7.00 £7 more | £15.00 £15 more |
| 40GB Data | £8.00 £8 more | £13.50 £13.5 more |
| 50GB Data | £7.95 £8 more | £12.50 £12.5 more |
| 100GB Data | £9.95 £10 more | £15.00 £15 more |
| Unlimited Data | £15.00 £15 more | £20.00 £20 more |
Some plans include a 'data rollover' feature that gives you a second opportunity to use your data allowance. Alternatively, an unlimited data plan could also be worth considering if you'd like a worry-free plan where you'll never run out of data.
How Long Does 500MB Of Data Last?
When figuring out how much data you need, it's important to think about your own individual usage requirements.
If you choose a plan with too much data, you could be overpaying for lots of data that you don't actually use. On the other hand, choosing a plan with too little data could mean being cut-off from the internet in the middle of the month.
The following table gives you an approximate guide to what you can do with 500MB of data:
| 500MB data is equal to... | |
|---|---|
| 40 minutes of SD video streaming (1 minute per day on YouTube, Netflix or TikTok) | |
| 10 minutes of HD-quality video (0 minutes per day streaming HD video e.g. from Netflix) | |
| 40 minutes of video calling (1 minute per day on Zoom or Teams) | |
| 1 hour of social media scrolling (2 minutes per day on Facebook, Instagram or X) | |
| 5 hours of web browsing (10 minutes per day of browsing, approx 250 web pages) | |
| 13 hours of music streaming (25 minutes per day on online radio & streaming apps like Spotify) | |
| Other Activities | |
| 3 mobile app downloads (standard app installs & updates, games may use more data) | |
| 165 photos uploaded or shared (on WhatsApp, or uploaded to the cloud e.g. iCloud & Google Photos) | |
| 175,000 text messages & emails (plain text messages, without attachments) | |
If you'd like to understand how different apps and activities contribute to your mobile data usage, see our guide to working out how much data you need.
As of 2024, the average UK mobile user consumes about 10GB of mobile data each month. This has grown fairly rapidly over the last few years (e.g. it was just 5.6GB per month in 2022, and 8.0GB per month in 2023). As of today, this means a 500MB data allowance is a little smaller than average. However, if you find yourself mainly using Wi-Fi when you're at home or at work, it's possible that you won't need as much data as the average consumer.
Data use calculations for 500MB data, by app & activity:
- SD Video Streaming (40 minutes): We’ve used a figure of 800MB per hour for a standard-quality video stream. This is based on testing of the following apps: TikTok (800MB per hour), BBC iPlayer (800MB per hour), and Netflix (700MB per hour for medium quality video). Therefore, a 500MB data allowance will allow you to stream SD video for 40 minutes in total, which is equivalent to 1 minute per day.
- HD Video Streaming (10 minutes): According to Netflix, you’ll need 3GB data per hour for a HD-quality video stream. Therefore, 500MB of data will allow you to stream 10 minutes of HD-quality shows and movies, which is equivalent to 0 minutes per day.
- Video Calls (40 minutes): You’ll need about 800MB data per hour for video calls on Zoom or Microsoft Team. Therefore, a 500MB data allowance will allow you to video call for 40 minutes in total, which is equivalent to 1 minute per day.
- Social Media (1 hour): Our testing found that social media apps (e.g. Facebook & Instagram) used about 40MB of data during a 5-minute session. Therefore, a 500MB data allowance will allow you to scroll through social media for 1 hour in total, which is equivalent to 2 minutes per day.
- Web Browsing (5 hours, or 250 web pages): As of 2024, the average size of a mobile web page is 2.4MB. Therefore, you’d be able to open 250 web pages with 500MB of data. Assuming you browse continuously and open 40 web pages per hour, you’d be able to browse for 5 hours in total, which is equivalent to 10 minutes per day.
- Music Streaming & Radio (13 hours, or 250 songs): At a typical bitrate of 96kbps, you’d be able to use your 500MB data allowance to listen to music or online radio for 13 hours in total (roughly 250 songs). This is equivalent to 25 minutes per day.
- Photo Uploads (165 photos): Assuming you have a 12-megapixel photo with a file size of around 3MB, you’d be able to share or upload 165 photos using 500MB of data.
- Mobile Apps (3 app downloads): Assuming you have a typical iOS or Android mobile application with a download size of 200MB, you’d be able to download 3 apps using 500MB of data. Do note, however, that many mobile games will use more data (up to 3GB per game). For this reason, it’s best to install and update on your apps on Wi-Fi where possible.
- Text Messages & Emails (175,000 messages): Text-only messages (e.g. WhatsApp and plain-text emails) use very little data. In fact, you can send or receive 175,000 text-only messages with 500MB of data.
More Information
Our full guide to mobile download limits has more information, including how to work out how much data you need.
Once you've decided how much data you need, we've summarised the best Pay Monthly and Pay As You Go SIM cards across a variety of price points in the UK.
Mark said:
I enjoy the no worry of unlimited. I can easily read articles like this and get lost following all the branch off topics and then have no time left.
I would really be in a pinch if I used up all my data without concern, reading about duck wing feather mites in birds of the pine forested area of Kanuckistan or somewhere, and have no time left to read a bus schedule the next day.
The extra cost is worth it to me. Hell, I used 2gb just trying to read the comparison chart for 2gb.
Dre replied:
😂 😂
Angela said:
I just bought Pay As You Go card (it said £15 25GB on it, but I paid £1 for the card).
I then bought £10 top-up for it and put it on…… I was lazy and couldn’t be bothered to go downstairs to see what the internet code was and so went on to mobile data.
17 minutes later my £10 was used up.
This was my first experience with my new Smart Phone. I will be going back to my Samsung Flip phone which DOES only cost me £10 per month for unlimited calls and texts. I do NOT need internet and photos and all this malarkey – I was getting on just fine (Amazon is useful but if I remember to check when they will arrive I do not really need them).
This is daylight robbery by 3 (and no doubt other companies are similar). I am utterly shocked!
I don’t know what I did wrong, but I expect other people will have as well – what if I had been lost in a forest – 17 mins for £10 wouldn’t have been very long to get unlost and I may have been eaten by a wolf…….
Back to my happy-clappy phone!
Angela
Angela replied:
Another point from me – Angela – I only went on to Google and TESCO website to see if I could log on to the internet – don’t recall anything else, and I updated some settings on my new phone….. I didn’t upload or download anything or add any Word or Excel docs; I looked up the word ‘squirrel’ and I don’t think much else….
I am off to the 3G phone shop tomorrow, but for me – this was a bit like a horror movie!!
I am off to use my laptop now – modern technology I understand!
Angela (again). 🙂
Soundharrajan k replied:
Please refresh.my one GB plans
David Edwards said:
Why am I paying £16 for 12 GB by Three if I can get 30GB for roughly the same by Three. I want to listen to Audable books att night to help me sleep. I’ll be phoning them Monday to change my data allowance. I don’t have WiFi though so hope that’s not an issue as many talk as if we all have WiFi we all do not.
Thank you for your wise words.
Anthony replied:
I’ve been looking through the providers plans and some are shocking. EE charge £19 for 8GB yet Smarty charge about £6for 8GB. I had Voxi, £10.00 a month for 30GB but I just read they are now charging £2.00 a day for EU roaming, so I’ve just cancelled them and joined Smarty on their £12.00 a month for 100GB plan with free EU roaming, Smarty also do a good £10.00 a month deal. 100GB a month works out at 3.2GB per day, which is 6 hours of movies worth everyday, more than enough for me. I also have WiFi at home, so I’m going to just use mobile data exclusively for the next month and see exactly how much data I use and then choose a plan from there, I may only need 10GB along with my WiFi. We’ll see.