In this section, we highlight & compare the UK’s best mobile deals. You can find the cheapest network for your handset or the best value SIM only deal.

Here in the UK, there’s thousands of handsets available and more than a million mobile phone tariffs to choose from across the networks. Regardless of if you’re looking for a new smartphone or simply a brand new SIM card, this section of the website aims to help you find the best deal. Which tariff is most suitable for your needs? What’s the best value option for your usage? We’ll aim to answer these questions here.

Please select the type of tariff you’re currently interested in:

Compare SIM Only Deals: Best Value Mobile SIM Cards In The UK

SIM-only deals can save you money on your phone bill every month. Compare the UK's best value SIM-only deals.

Pay As You Go: The Best SIM Cards, Prices & Monthly Bundles

With Pay As You Go, there's no need to sign any contracts. Find out how to get a free SIM card and which PAYG networks offer the lowest prices.

Best Value SIM Cards: By Network Coverage Provider

In the UK, there are only four coverage providers: EE, O2, Three and Vodafone. All other mobile networks piggyback on one of these coverage providers.

Unlimited Data Plans on UK Networks: Best Unlimited Data SIMs

You can get an unlimited data plan from £9.99/month, allowing you to download as much as you like. Compare the UK's best unlimited data SIM cards.

Using Your Mobile Phone Abroad: Save Money & Best Value SIM Cards

Find out how much it'll cost to use your mobile phone abroad and the various ways to save money on international roaming.

Your Comments 11 so far

We'd love to hear your thoughts and any questions you may have. So far, we've received 11 comments from readers. You can add your own comment here.

  • Hi Peter,

    My wife and I will be visiting London UK this summer for a month. Can you please suggest which Pay as you go plan is better and also we want to do tethering as well which will enable to connect to our laptop.

  • Hi Ken

    I use my phone very little and want a new PAYG SIM

    I don’t want my credit to die after a month, I want it to carry, I’ve paid for it. Is there a PAYG option to do that?

    I do use the internet but I would say 95% wireless (at home or pubs, shops trains etc) so don’t need a whopping Gb allowance – again don’t want it to dissapear if I don’t use it.

    I might sent 2 or 3 texts a month max 6 so that is not a problem I guess

    Am I wishing for too much?

      • Thank for this Ken

        I will have a look at them

        Today (Sun) went in CPWarehouse and picked up a PAYG ID Sim

        It cost me £5 so I’m not going to get burnt too badly

        What attracted me to it was;

        I can top up for a fiver

        I think it may rollover (but that may be just for the bundles – not sure)

        And there isn’t an allowance split (Calls / Texts / Data)
        So I can use the full £5 on each individually or in a mix

        I’ll give it a go anyway, thanks for the advice

        Peter

  • Hi Ken

    I have just acquired an I-pad mini and cant find a genuine PAYG sim data deal.

    So we have an emergency mobile on Giffgaff PAYG and it stays loaded until the money is used. With the tablet SIMS all providers appear to lock you into a pay your money ; convert to data and loose it at end of month type deal

    I only want to use the mobile network on the tablet in an emergency not on a regular basis .
    Any enlightened providers out there??

    Thanks Nigel

    • Hi Nigel,
      Many thanks for your comment. There are a bunch of mobile networks that will allow you to do this, but normally the cost will be fairly prohibitive. For instance, you could use giffgaff PAYG inside a tablet (no need to buy a goodybag or gigabag). The cost is 5p/MB so just 200MB of usage would deplete your £10 of credit.
      Probably the best solution I’m aware of is Three’s Data Reward SIM card. With Data Reward, you’ll get 200MB of free internet every month. After that, it’s just 1p/MB. If your usage never goes over 200MB per month, it’s possible you’ll never actually need to pay for any usage! If you go over the 200MB per month mark, your £10 top-up will give you 1GB of data. Once again, no need to convert your credit into a monthly bundle – just make sure to use the SIM card at least once every 6 months to keep it active.
      Hope this helps,
      Ken

  • Fiona Duckworth said:

    Hi Ken

    I will be in UK for 6 weeks and will buy a UK SIM (as will my husband). We are high data users and also will wish to tether. I’ve been reading your website (which I also used to guide my purchase of Spanish SIM card – thanks!), and from your reviews it seem that a two month SIM contract with Three would be the way to go (for one of us maybe). Except that we will be walking the long distance Coast to Coast walk (roughly a line from Whitehaven in the West to Whitby in the East (thru Kirkby Stephen, Richmond etc). And using your link, I checked Three’s data coverage across the route. It seems there are huge areas where they do not have coverage. An option could be that one of us purchases SIM of different company that does have data coverage in the middle of island.

    Do you have advice on:
    – buying a SIM for only 6 weeks but with plenty of data eg 4 GB (happy to pay for it)
    – coverage across the north of England (eg Lakes District to North Yorkshire and area in between).
    – [we have 4G capable phones but would be OK with 3G, we are fine with swapping SIMs in our phones].

    We are used to using local SIM plans in New Zealand, Thailand, Turkey and Pakistan. But last time we were in UK (2014) we really struggled with UK mobile/SIM options – seemed very restrictive plan with lots of complications and with unexpected limitations like no tethering etc etc. Hence seeking advice.

    Many thanks, Fiona

    • Hi Fiona,
      Thanks for your comment – glad the article on Spanish SIM cards was useful and hope you’ll enjoy your trip to the UK! Sounds like a lovely walk you have planned for your trip (super jealous!).
      1) As a short term visitor to the UK, you’ll only be able to access Pay As You Go deals. I’ve reviewed all of the possible options here (though be aware, some of networks are online-only and you’ll need a UK address to get the SIM card sent to you). As you mention in your message, Three is a good option for heavy data users (though coverage is lacking in some more rural areas). For better coverage, consider getting a SIM card from giffgaff: they use the O2 network which is sometimes better in rural areas.
      2) The best thing to do is to have a read of my article on UK mobile coverage. You can follow the links there to check the coverage on each network.
      3) If tethering is important to you for your trip, have a look at the article here for a list of restrictions on each network 🙂
      Hope this helps,
      Ken

  • I have searched all available info,and not being very successful. I only use my mobile 2 or 3 times per week and then only for phone calls! what pay as you go can you recommend.allowing to save minutes already on sim card and not losing them every month

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