You can get an unlimited data plan from £12.50/month in the UK, allowing you to download as much as you like. Compare the best unlimited data SIM cards.
Whether you’re a heavy smartphone user or whether you just want the reassurance you’ll never run out of data, most UK mobile networks now offer an unlimited data plan so you can download as much as you like.
In total, there are currently 14 mobile networks that offer an unlimited data plan in the UK. Most of them now also include 5G coverage at no extra cost. The cheapest unlimited data plans start from £12.50/month.
In this article, we’ll compare the best value unlimited data plans in the UK. We’ll start with an overview of mobile networks with unlimited data. We’ll then look at the unlimited data plans on each mobile network in more detail, including any fair usage limits and restrictions that apply.
| Unlimited Data Plans: | From £12.50/month |
|---|---|
| With EE Coverage: |
|
| With O2 Coverage: |
|
| With Three Coverage: |
|
| With Vodafone Coverage: |
|
| Exclusive Offer: | £12.50/month for unlimited 5G data on Lebara (use the KEN3 voucher code to get 3 months half price, reverts to £25/month) |
| Unlimited Data No Contract: |
|
Overview of Unlimited Data Plans
Best Unlimited Data Plans
In the UK, there are currently fourteen mobile networks that offer an unlimited data plan.
The following table shows the cheapest unlimited data plans that are currently available on each network:
| Network | Minutes | Texts | Data | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | £16.00 1 month |
 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | £16.00 1 month |
 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | £18.00 24 months |
 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited 2Mbps max | £20.00 1 month |
 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | £22.50 12 months |
 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | £22.50 3 months half price 12 months |
 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | £25.00 24 months |
 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited 2Mbps max | £26.00 24 months |
 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | £27.00 24 months |
 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | £30.00 1 month |
 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | £30.00 24 months |
 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | £35.00 1 month |
 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | £35.00 1 month |
Coverage, Speeds & Limitations
When choosing an unlimited data SIM card, it’s important to consider the coverage you’ll get on it, along with any fair usage limits or restrictions.
The following table shows a summary of this information for each UK network:
| Mobile Network | Coverage Provider | Speed | Key Limits & Restrictions |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASDA Mobile | Vodafone | 5G |
|
| EE | EE | 5G |
|
| giffgaff | O2 | 5G |
|
| Honest Mobile | Three | 5G |
|
| iD Mobile | Three | 5G | |
| Lebara Mobile | Vodafone | 5G | |
| Lycamobile | O2 | 5G |
|
| O2 | O2 | 5G |
|
| SMARTY | Three | 5G | |
| Tesco Mobile | O2 | 5G |
|
| Three | Three | 5G | |
| Virgin Mobile | O2 | 5G |
|
| Vodafone | Vodafone | 5G |
|
| VOXI | Vodafone | 5G |
For further information about the unlimited data plans on each network, read on to learn more about unlimited data on each network.
Contents
Unlimited Data Plans: By Mobile Network
At present, you can get an unlimited data plan from 14 UK mobile networks. In the following section, we’ll look at the unlimited data plans on each mobile network in more detail:
|
ASDA Mobile
You can choose from three different unlimited data plans, each of which has a different maximum possible download speed:
ASDA Mobile’s unlimited data plans are shown in the following table:
There’s no contract and no credit check required when you order an unlimited data plan from ASDA Mobile.
For more information, see our ASDA Mobile unlimited data review. Source: ASDA Mobile Unlimited Data Plan |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
EE
If you choose unlimited data on EE, you currently have a choice of the following plans:
The following table shows EE’s unlimited data SIM cards:
There are three key restrictions worth being aware on EE’s unlimited data plans:
If you’re using the Data Gifting feature on an EE Family account, you’ll be able to gift up to 100GB of data to other users on your plan (or 120GB if you’re on a 5G handset plan with unlimited data).
For more information, read our in-depth guide to unlimited data on EE. Source: EE Website |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
giffgaff
If you want unlimited data without speed restrictions, you’ll need to choose the £35 golden goodybag on giffgaff. This gives you unlimited minutes, unlimited texts and unlimited data. You’ll get access to uncapped download speeds on 5G.
On the £35 golden goodybag, there’s a fair usage policy of 650GB per month. In addition, giffgaff says you shouldn’t tether your phone to more than 12 devices at the same time on this plan.
With Always-On data, you get a full-speed data allowance (either 100GB or 80GB per month). After the full-speed data allowance is used up, your download speeds will reduce to a maximum of 384kbps between 8am and midnight each day (about 0.4Mbps). This is roughly equivalent to the speed of a basic 3G connection. It won’t stop you from browsing the internet or sending messages through your phone but things like online video streaming are unlikely to work at this reduced speed. Customers travelling abroad to another European country can use up to 5GB of data abroad each month. Beyond this, a surcharge of 10p/MB will be charged against your Pay As You Go balance on giffgaff.
For more information, see our guide to unlimited data on giffgaff. Source: giffgaff Website |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Honest MobileIf you’re looking for unlimited data on an “ethical mobile network”, Honest Mobile offers unlimited data plans from £22.50/month. According to Honest, they’ll also remove twice the carbon footprint of your smartphone, making it a carbon negative mobile network. Honest Mobile offers 4G & 5G coverage from Three on the following unlimited data plans:
There’s a 650GB per month fair usage policy, above which the speed of your service will be “limited to 3G speeds”. However, Honest says that “less than 0.2% of members use this much data”.
For more information, you can read our Honest Mobile review. Source: Honest Mobile Plan Terms |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
iD MobileiD Mobile is the own-brand mobile network from the Carphone Warehouse. They offer 4G & 5G coverage from Three. At present, iD Mobile offers the following unlimited data plans from £16/month:
iD Mobile haven’t published a fair usage policy for their unlimited data plan, but their terms and conditions say the plan is for “personal use only”. You’ll undergo a credit check when joining the iD Mobile network.
Source: iD Mobile Terms and Conditions |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Lebara Mobile
Most customers will choose Lebara’s £25 unlimited data SIM which comes on a one-month rolling basis with no contract and no credit check. You’ll also get unlimited UK minutes, unlimited UK texts and 100 international minutes to 42 countries. As there’s no contract for this SIM card, you can change or cancel your plan at any time. As an exclusive offer for our readers in May 2023, you can get 3 months half price when you order through this link, entering KEN3 as your voucher code at checkout. This allows you to get the £25 SIM for only £12.50 per month for 3 months.
For even bigger savings, you can sign up on a 12-month plan. This will give you a further 10% discount, bringing the price down to as little as £11.25 per month for 3 months (then £22.50 per month thereafter).
As above, you’ll need to enter KEN3 as your voucher code at checkout to get 3 months half price on this plan. According to Lebara Mobile, there are no usage caps on their unlimited data service, with exceptions for fraudulent usage and their general terms and conditions:
If you’re using your Lebara Mobile SIM card abroad in Europe, you can use up to 30GB of data per month at no extra cost. After the first 30GB of usage, you can choose to renew your plan early to get a fresh 30GB allowance. Alternatively, you can buy a 5GB roaming bolt-on for £10. If you’re travelling abroad to India, you can use up to 10GB data per month at no extra cost. You’ll also get 200 minutes and 200 texts to use in India each month.
For more information, see our Lebara Mobile unlimited data review. Source: Lebara Mobile Terms and Conditions |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
LycamobileOn Lycamobile, you can currently get an unlimited data plan from £25/month. This plan also comes with unlimited UK minutes, unlimited UK texts and 100 international minutes.
There’s a fair use limit of 650GB per month in the UK, and 10.5GB per month when you’re travelling abroad in the EU. You’ll get access to 4G & 5G coverage from O2. On Lycamobile, the use of tethering and personal hotspot is not permitted. For more information, see our Lycamobile review.
Source: Lycamobile Website |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
O2
At present, you can get an unlimited data SIM card from £30/month, with the lowest prices being available when you choose a 24-month plan:
You’ll get up to 3 months Apple Music included, along with 3 months of a different O2 Extra of your choice (such as Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, or Amazon Music). If you upgrade to the more expensive ‘Unlimited Plus’ plan, you’ll get up to 6 months of Apple Music and 6 months of another O2 Extra. You’ll also get the O2 Travel Inclusive Zone Bolt-On included when you choose an Unlimited Plus plan. On O2’s unlimited data plan, there are several fair usage limits worth being aware of. The most important is their 650GB per month fair usage limit. In addition, the use of tethering and personal hotspot is limited to a maximum of 12 devices. If you exceed these limits twice in any six-month period, O2 says they “reserve the right to transfer you to a more suitable plan”. O2’s terms and conditions also require you to use their unlimited data SIM card inside a battery-powered mobile device. This is intended to prevent you from using the SIM card for 4G home broadband or 5G home broadband:
If you’re travelling abroad to another European country, you can use up to 25GB of data abroad in O2 Europe Zone countries. In addition, if you’re a Virgin Media customer or if you choose an Unlimited Plus plan, you’ll be able to use your SIM card abroad in a further 27 O2 Travel Inclusive Zone countries at no extra cost (subject to speed restrictions after the first 150MB of general data usage each day, or after the first 50MB of streaming data usage each day).
For more information, read our guide to O2’s unlimited data plans. Source: O2 Website: Unlimited Plan Terms |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
SMARTY
On SMARTY, you’ll get unlimited minutes, unlimited texts and unlimited 5G data. You can also use the unlimited data SIM card in other devices like your tablet, dongle or mobile broadband router. According to SMARTY, tethering and personal hotspot usage are included in the plan and there are no speed restrictions for using too much data. There is, however, a fair usage limit of 12GB per month when you’re using your SMARTY SIM card abroad in Europe. SMARTY offers 99% population coverage, using 4G and 5G coverage from Three.
The following table shows a summary of the key things to know about unlimited data on SMARTY:
For more information, see our SMARTY unlimited data review. Source: SMARTY Website: Unlimited Plan |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Tesco Mobile
The following table shows Tesco Mobile’s unlimited data SIM cards:
Tesco hasn’t set a fair usage limit for their unlimited data plan. Instead, their terms and conditions simply state that you’re unable to use the service for commercial purposes, or for usage that adversely impacts other customers on Tesco Mobile. Tesco says on their website that you can use the unlimited data SIM card for personal use in mobile devices, but not in 4G home broadband routers.
For more information, see our guide to Tesco Mobile unlimited data plans. Source: Tesco Mobile Terms and Conditions |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Three
On Three, there are no fair usage limits for unlimited data inside the UK. You’ll also get 5G coverage with no speed restrictions. However, commercial usage of the service is not permitted:
The following table shows the best SIM-only plans from Three with unlimited data:
The cheapest way to get unlimited data on Three is through their £18 unlimited data SIM card deal. This is available exclusively when you order through this link. It’s a hidden deal so you won’t find it if you look directly on Three’s website. If you’re looking for additional features like a Paramount+ subscription and inclusive roaming abroad, you can upgrade to an Unlimited Plus or Unlimited Premium plan from Three. You’ll pay an extra £5/month for Unlimited Plus and an extra £10/month for Unlimited Premium. As well as getting an unlimited data SIM card, you can also buy a smartphone from Three with unlimited data on a contract. Three also offers unlimited 4G home broadband and unlimited 5G home broadband.
Prior to September 2019, Three had a fair usage policy of 1,000GB per month (1TB) on their unlimited data plans. They’ve confirmed that this fair usage policy no longer applies on their plans:
For more information, see our guide to unlimited data on Three. Source: Three Help: What is unlimited data? |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Virgin Mobile
The following table shows the unlimited data plans available from Virgin Mobile:
According to Virgin, there are no restrictions on “tethering, throttling, speed restrictions or caps”. However, their acceptable use policy does say that it needs to be for your own personal usage – business or commercial usage is not permitted. In addition, the SIM card isn’t intended to be used inside a 4G router but you can use it inside a “personal mobile or mobile broadband device”. If you’re using your Virgin Mobile unlimited data SIM card in Europe, a fair usage limit will apply. The data roaming limit is 16.03GB per month on Virgin Mobile’s £30 unlimited plan.
For more information, see our Virgin Mobile unlimited data review. Source: Virgin Media Website |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Vodafone
When choosing a Vodafone unlimited data plan, you’ll need to choose between three different download speeds. The £26/month Unlimited Lite plan only gives you download speeds of up to 2Mbps. Meanwhile, the £30/month Unlimited plan is capped at 10Mbps download speeds and the £33/month Unlimited Max plan has uncapped 4G & 5G speeds. There’s no fair usage policy on Vodafone’s unlimited data allowance, except that it needs to be “for your personal and non-commercial use”. If you have an unlimited data plan with 4 Xtra benefits, you’ll also be able to use up to 25GB of data per month when travelling abroad as part of Vodafone Global Roaming.
Vodafone’s unlimited data plans are also available on a 12-month contract or on a 30-day rolling contract.
For more information, read our Vodafone unlimited data review. Source: Vodafone Website |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
VOXI
On VOXI’s unlimited data plan, you’ll get access to 5G coverage from Vodafone. This gives you average download speeds of 150-200Mbps on 5G, or average download speeds of 23-35Mbps on 4G. You’ll also get unlimited minutes and unlimited texts included on your plan.
According to their terms and conditions, VOXI says they “reserve the right to suspend or throttle the service if we have reason to believe that the SIM card is being used for commercial purposes, fraudulently or is having an adverse impact / damaging our network in any way”. There’s no need to undergo a credit check when you join VOXI. The unlimited data plan works on a one-month rolling basis so you can change it or cancel it at any time.
Source: VOXI: Terms and Conditions |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
On EE, you can get an unlimited data plan with 5G speeds from 
giffgaff is a 
For a lower-cost alternative, giffgaff also offers a choice of two £25 goodybags with Always-On data. There’s the 
On 
O2 offers unlimited data on a range of 
On Tesco Mobile, it’s currently possible to 
On Three, you can get 
On Virgin Mobile, it’s currently possible to get unlimited data from £30/month. You’ll be able to get this on a one-month rolling plan, with 4G & 5G coverage provided by the O2 network.
Vodafone offers a selection of 
Other Mobile Networks
If you’re unable to get an unlimited data plan from your network, it’s possible you might be able to choose a large data allowance instead (e.g. 100GB of data per month). The following networks do not currently offer an unlimited data plan:
- Sky Mobile offers up to 70GB of data per month. Sky haven’t yet announced whether unlimited data will become available on their network in the future.
- Talkmobile offers up to 120GB of data. As a low-cost sub-brand of Vodafone, it’s unlikely we’ll see unlimited data from Talkmobile any time soon. Instead, you can get unlimited data from ASDA Mobile, Lebara Mobile, Vodafone or VOXI.
Alternatives to Unlimited Data
In some cases, it might not actually be necessary to choose a plan with unlimited data. This is because the average UK mobile user only consumes around 6GB of data per month.
If you mainly want the reassurance that you’ll never run out of data, consider something like SMARTY's 60GB plan. This will cost you £10 per month with no contract and no credit check. It already has more than enough data for the average user.
| Network | Minutes | Texts | Data | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 60GB | £10.00 1 month |
Alternatively, if you just want unlimited data for use on certain apps, consider VOXI’s unlimited social media (from £10/month) and VOXI’s unlimited video (from £15/month). This will give you unlimited data for use in the following applications:
- Unlimited social media includes: Facebook, WhatsApp, Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, Pinterest
- Unlimited video includes: TikTok, YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, My5, TVPlayer, UKTV Play, Twisted Mirror TV
| Network | Minutes | Texts | Data | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 15GB & unlimited social | £10.00 1 month |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 40GB & unlimited social | £12.00 1 month |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 60GB & unlimited social + video | £15.00 1 month |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 200GB & unlimited social + video | £20.00 1 month |
For more information, see our comparison of the best SIM-only deals in the UK.
Frequently Asked Questions
| Which mobile networks offer unlimited data in the UK? | The following mobile networks currently offer unlimited data in the UK:
|
|---|---|
| What’s the best value unlimited data deal? | We’d currently recommend SMARTY's £16/month unlimited data SIM card on SMARTY. You’ll get unlimited data with no contract, no credit check and access to 5G in more than 500 UK towns and cities. You’ll also get 99.8% population coverage on 4G. There are no fair usage limits on SMARTY’s unlimited data plan. |
| Will I get 5G coverage with unlimited data? | The following mobile networks offer unlimited data with 5G coverage:
|
| Is there a fair usage policy on unlimited data? | It depends on the mobile network. Normally, it’s stated that unlimited data is for your personal use only. In addition, there are sometimes further limitations and restrictions which are detailed within this table. If you’re travelling abroad to another European country, there is normally also a limit on how much data you can use. |
More Information
For more information about a specific unlimited data plan, please see the details on your mobile network’s website. We’ve also got in-depth guides to unlimited data on ASDA Mobile, EE, giffgaff, iD Mobile, Lebara Mobile, O2, SMARTY, Three, Virgin Mobile and Vodafone.
If you’re looking for a wider range of deals, compare SIM-only plans including those without an unlimited data allowance.
Craig said:
Hi Ken,
I see the virgin unlimited data sim for phones doesn’t allow 4g routers, but do the smaller 35 +100 gb plans allow them?
Thanks
Ken replied:
Hi Craig,
Thanks for your comment. The exact wording of their T&Cs suggests that all Virgin Mobile plan are not intended to be used in a 4G router (see clause 3.7). However, they do not actually prohibit the usage and suggest they might move you to a limited data plan if you’re found to be using a 4G router. I therefore suspect you’ll probably be fine doing this, albeit, it isn’t how Virgin say they intend their service to be used:
Hope this helps,
Ken
Craig Nicolson replied:
Thanks for that Ken,
Might give your Lebara SIM offer a bash 1st. I don’t want to be limited to 2Mbps !!
jak said:
12 devices is a twice the number I have on my network so that would not be a significant problem. I am unsure how the system would function as my aim would be to use two different sims one an EE 5G and the other ano 4G depending on who has best coverage and ideally the sims would function to supplement the landline feed. I understand this would be feasible but have not investigated potential routers and suspect it would not necessarily be the Hauwei buut more likely a Cisco or Teltonika. Unfortunately the 5G signal currently looks of dubious quality in that EE show the site falling between two small rather isolated 5G zones and until I get access to a EE 5g sim I cannot investigate the signal strength.
All rather iffy particularly as I am so used to having 150MBs unlimited feed. My other option would be to lease a dedicated line but then your talking of big bucks in my world £200+ and 3 year contracts don’t have a huge appeal.
So much for the Tory speal of spreading ultrafast broadband nationwide. They can’t even manage densely populated urban areas and seem more than happy to see Joe Public continue to be ripped off with pathetic feeds that are hardly better than the old dialup system achieved.
I am being asked to undertake engineering consultancy work which I can easily achieve using VM’s residential package but beyond that the so called business packages are abysymal – 1 5 MBs upload!! Its a joke. No wonder the UK is what it is. I used to travel long term in Europe and inevitably found broadband access much better than the UK not to mention mobile.
jak said:
So has anyone atempted to use one of these sims in this manner. I am moving from glorious Virginmedia to an effectively unserviced UK location where I should apparently feel privileged to be able if lucky to get 18MBs!!!! I was getting that from VM 15 years ago now on near to 200MBs and unlimited.
It looks as if I fall just between two EE 5G zones so thought I would give a Huawei dual sim router a wirl with external aerials too backup supplement the landline EE option.