By EE now offers cheaper No Frills mobile plans with a ‘basic’ download speed of up to 10Mbps.
If you’re looking for a cheaper way to get a mobile plan from EE, it’s now possible to get a ‘No Frills’ SIM-only deal from £18 per month. Some of the latest deals available include 2GB data for £18 per month and 125GB data for £24 per month.
You’ll get access to EE’s 4G and 5G network when you choose a No Frills plan. However, the maximum download speed available will be capped at 10Mbps. This should be enough for most things you’d need to do on your phone, although online video streaming will be limited to Full HD quality. The No Frills plans also exclude Data Gifting, Stay Connected Data and Inclusive Extras.
In this article, we’ll look at EE’s No Frills plans, including the latest deals available and how you can get them. We’ll also look at the key limitations and restrictions when you choose a No Frills plan and how you can keep your existing phone number when you move to EE.
| Plans From: | £18 per month |
|---|---|
| Best EE No Frills SIMs: | |
| Calls & Texts: | Unlimited UK minutes & texts |
| Download Speed: | Up to 10Mbps (equivalent to basic 4G speeds) |
| Coverage: | 4G & 5G coverage from EE (check postcode) |
Contents
EE No Frills Deals
In the UK, EE has introduced a new range of cheaper ‘No Frills’ plans. They’re available at a lower monthly price, compared to EE’s other SIM-only deals.
To give an example, you’ll currently pay £22 per month for EE's 5GB No Frills SIM card. This compares to £16 per month for an equivalent EE Essentials SIM card (with a maximum download speed of 100Mbps) or £33 per month for an equivalent All Rounder SIM card (with uncapped download speeds and one Inclusive Extra).
24 Month Plans
The following table shows EE’s best No Frills SIM-only deals, which are available on a 24-month contract:
| Tariff | Minutes | Texts | Data | Monthly Cost (may rise during contract) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No Frills | Unlimited | Unlimited | 2GB | £18.00 24 months |
| No Frills | Unlimited | Unlimited | 125GB | £24.00 24 months |
| No Frills | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | £27.00 24 months |
EE also offers a wide range of handsets on a ‘No Frills’ plan including the iPhone, Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel phones.
If you’re looking for faster download speeds or additional features, you can also consider EE’s other SIM-only plans.
12 Month Plans
If you’re looking for a bit more flexibility, there are 12-month No Frills SIM-only deals. These are currently available from £24 per month:
| Tariff | Minutes | Texts | Data | Monthly Cost (may rise during contract) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No Frills | Unlimited | Unlimited | 25GB | £24.00 12 months |
1 Month Rolling Plans
Finally, EE also offers their No Frills SIM cards on a one-month rolling basis. You can pay as little as £22 per month for a one-month No Frills SIM card on EE:
| Tariff | Minutes | Texts | Data | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No Frills | Unlimited | Unlimited | 5GB | £22.00 1 month |
It’s worth comparing this to the deals available on other mobile networks that use EE coverage. For instance, you can get a one-month rolling plan from 1pMobile or Lyca Mobile, often for a lower monthly price than you’d pay on EE. You’ll also get 4G & 5G coverage from EE, but you won’t get EE’s other customer benefits.
Limitations & Restrictions
As a customer on EE’s No Frills SIM-only plans, you’ll have access to the same 4G & 5G coverage as other Pay Monthly customers on EE. This makes it a great way of getting an EE-branded mobile service for a lower monthly cost than on their other SIM-only plans.
In terms of extras, you’ll get up to 6 months of inclusive Apple Music, along with EE’s Wi-Fi Coverage Boost feature and access to Wi-Fi on the London Underground. You’ll also get Wi-Fi Calling and 4G Calling.
Compared to EE’s other SIM-only plans, there are a couple of limitations worth being aware of:
There’s a maximum download speed of 10Mbps on EE’s No Frills plans. This is equivalent to basic 4G speeds. It’s still more than enough for most things that you’d want to do on your smartphone, including browsing the web, using apps on your phone, listening to music, and watching videos online (up to full HD quality). You’ll only really notice a difference in speeds when you’re downloading large files such as movies, apps and games. It can also have a noticeable impact if you’re tethering to multiple devices.- Data gifting is not available on EE’s No Frills plans. If you have multiple lines on your EE account, you’re normally able to gift spare data between them. However, this isn’t possible if you have a No Frills plan as it isn’t possible to gift spare data to or from a No Frills SIM card.
- You won’t get Stay Connected Data on EE’s No Frills plans. On EE’s other Pay Monthly SIM cards, you’ll get Stay Connected Data. This allows you to stay connected at speeds of up to 0.5Mbps, even when you’ve run out of data. This feature isn’t available when you choose a No Frills plan. Instead, you’ll need to buy a data add-on if you want to stay connected (prices start from £10.49 for an extra 1GB data that lasts until the end of your current billing cycle).
You won’t get Inclusive Extras on No Frills plans. Some of EE’s other Pay Monthly plans (specifically their All Rounder and Full Works plans) come with an Inclusive Extra such as Apple Music or Netflix for the entire length of your plan. This isn’t available when you choose a No Frills plan. However, you’ll still be able to get EE’s standard customer benefits such as up to 6 months of free Apple Music.- You won’t get inclusive roaming on No Frills plan. EE has removed inclusive European roaming from most of their plans since July 2021. This includes on all of their No Frills plans. You’ll need to pay an extra £2.47 per day to use your phone in Europe, unless you buy the £25 per month Roam Abroad Pass (this is included on some Full Works plans and is available as an Inclusive Extra on All Rounder plans).
- You’ll need to pass a credit check to get a No Frills plan. You’ll need to undergo a credit check before you’re able to get a No Frills plan from EE. This isn’t necessary if you get a Pay As You Go SIM card instead.
Keeping Your Phone Number
If you’re switching from another UK mobile network to one of EE’s No Frills plans, it’s a straightforward process keeping your current phone number.
Start by ordering your new No Frills plan from EE’s website. Once you’ve done that, you can request a PAC Code from your old network – either using their app or website, or by texting PAC to 65075.
Once you’ve activated your new EE SIM card, you’ll be able to submit the PAC Code through this online form. Once you’ve done that, your phone number transfer will then be scheduled by EE, normally for the next working day.
For a step-by-step guide on how to move your phone number to EE, please select your current mobile network from the drop down menu below:
More Information
For more information, see our guide to EE’s SIM-only deals. You can also read the No Frills price guide on EE’s website.
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