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:
Ash said:
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.
Ken replied:
Hi Ash,
Many thanks for your comment. It really depends on how much data you think you’d like to use (and be sure to choose a mobile network that allows you to tether as well). If you’re able to manage with one of giffgaff’s goodybag allowances (up to 9GB per month), this tends to be a good option for customers who are new to the UK. Alternatively, you can choose a bundle elsewhere with more data (e.g. 30GB on Three for £25/month).
Hope this helps,
Ken
Peter said:
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?
Ken replied:
Hi Peter,
Absolutely! You just need to go for a traditional Pay As You Go tariff (stay clear of Pay As You Go bundles as they’ll give you only a one-month allowance). Depending on your usage level, the best mobile network will differ but it’s worth exploring ASDA Mobile, Three and 1p Mobile.
Hope this helps,
Ken
Peter replied:
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
Nigel Broom said:
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
Ken replied:
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
Ken replied:
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
Alan Peacock said:
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
Ken replied:
Hi Alan,
I have two articles which hopefully might be helpful:
1) A comparison of the Pay As You Go rates on each UK network.
2) A list of the best Free SIM card offers and what you’re able to do with your top-up.
For super-cheap phone calls, my recommendation would be probably to go with Three (they only charge 3p/minute). For slightly better coverage, there’s a bunch of MVNOs charging 8p/minute (e.g. ASDA Mobile, Mobile By Sainsbury’s, etc).
Hope this helps,
Ken