Most UK mobile networks now offer an unlimited data plan, allowing you to download as much as you like. We compare unlimited data plans in the UK.

Whether you’re a heavy smartphone user or whether you just want the reassurance of never running out of data, most UK mobile networks now offer an unlimited data plan.

At present, it’s possible to get an unlimited data plan from fourteen UK mobile networks: BT Mobile, EE, giffgaff, iD Mobile, Lebara Mobile, Lycamobile, O2, SMARTY, Superdrug Mobile, Tesco Mobile, Three, Virgin Mobile, Vodafone and VOXI. On all of these plans, you can stop worrying about how many gigabytes you’re using as you’ll never run out of data again in the middle of the month.

As a cheaper alternative to unlimited data plans, you can also consider a zero-rated data plan that gives you unlimited data for use on certain services. These are available in the form of EE’s Smart Benefits, Three’s Go Binge, Virgin Mobile’s Data-Free Messaging and VOXI’s Endless Passes.

In this article, we’ll review and compare your options for an unlimited mobile data plan in the UK.

Overview of Unlimited Data Plans

Unlimited Data Plans

In the UK, there are currently fourteen mobile networks offering an unlimited data plan:

Mobile Network Monthly Price Unlimited Data Plan Limitations & Restrictions
BT Mobile £20/month No Limits Only available if you have Halo (BT’s flagship fibre broadband plan). 50GB data roaming limit.
EE £37/month Unlimited Data A fair usage policy of 600GB per month applies. Maximum of 12 devices using tethering & personal hotspot. 50GB data roaming limit.
giffgaff £25/month Always-On Data 4G speeds are only available on the first 80GB per month. After this, speeds are restricted to 384kbit/s between 8am-midnight. 20GB data roaming limit.
iD Mobile £18/month Unlimited Data No fair usage policy, but for personal use only.
Lebara Mobile £35/month Unlimited Data No fair usage policy, but for personal use only. Data roaming limit of 16.6GB in Europe and 10GB in India.
Lycamobile £25/month Unlimited Data & Forever Data No tethering and personal hotspot usage. Speed limit of 128kbps after 9GB usage on Forever Data.
O2 £33/month Limitless Data A fair usage policy of 650GB per month applies. Maximum of 12 devices using tethering & personal hotspot. 20GB roaming data limit. Usage is only permitted in a battery-operated mobile device.
SMARTY £20/month Unlimited Data A fair usage policy of 1000GB per month applies. 20GB roaming data limit.
Superdrug Mobile £20/month Unlimited Data No fair usage policy, but for personal use only.
Tesco Mobile £28/month Unlimited Data No fair usage policy, but for personal use only.
Three £18/month All-You-Can-Eat Data No fair usage policy, but commercial usage isn’t permitted. Roaming data limit of 20GB in Europe and 12GB in the rest of the world.
Virgin Mobile £27/month Unlimited Data Only available to Virgin Media TV and Broadband customers. Roaming data limit of 14.95GB to 16.61GB.
Vodafone £22/month Unlimited Data Speed restrictions apply to the Unlimited Lite (2Mbps) and Unlimited (10Mbps) plans. Unlimited Max has uncapped speeds. 25GB roaming data limit.
VOXI £35/month Endless Data “Excessive usage” or commercial usage of endless data is not permitted. 25GB roaming data limit.

It’s possible to get unlimited data with 5G coverage on BT Mobile, EE, O2, Tesco Mobile, Three, Vodafone and VOXI. The other seven mobile networks offer 3G and 4G coverage (giffgaff and Lycamobile using coverage from O2, iD Mobile, SMARTY and Superdrug using coverage from Three, Lebara Mobile using coverage from Vodafone and Virgin Mobile using coverage from EE).

Normally, Three has the cheapest available unlimited data SIM cards in the UK. They currently charge £18/month for a SIM card with unlimited data and offer 99.8% population coverage on 4G. Customers with a compatible 5G smartphone can access 5G coverage in 66 UK towns and cities.

In the following table, we’ve compared the cheapest available unlimited data plan on each UK mobile network. To see a full list of all unlimited data plans, tap the link at the bottom of the table.

NetworkMinutesTextsDataMonthly
Cost
ThreeUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£18.00
12 months
iD MobileUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£18.00
1 month
SmartyUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£20.00
1 month
Superdrug MobileUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£20.00
1 month
ThreeUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£22.00
24 months
VodafoneUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited
2Mbps max		£22.00
24 months
ThreeUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£24.00
1 month
VodafoneUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited
2Mbps max		£24.00
12 months
giffgaffUnlimitedUnlimitedAlways-On£25.00
1 month
ThreeUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£26.00
1 month
ThreeUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£26.00
12 months
VodafoneUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited
10Mbps max		£26.00
24 months
Virgin MobileUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£27.00
24 months
VodafoneUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited
10Mbps max		£28.00
12 months
Tesco Mobile5,0005,000Unlimited£28.00
18 months
Virgin MobileUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£30.00
12 months
VodafoneUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£30.00
24 months
Tesco Mobile5,0005,000Unlimited£30.00
12 months
Tesco Mobile5,0005,000Unlimited£30.00
12 months
VodafoneUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited
2Mbps max		£32.00
1 month
VodafoneUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£33.00
12 months
O2UnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£33.00
18 months
O2UnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£35.00
12 months
VOXIUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£35.00
1 month
Lebara MobileUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£35.00
1 month
VodafoneUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited
10Mbps max		£36.00
1 month
EEUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£37.00
24 months
VodafoneUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£41.00
1 month
EEUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£41.00
24 months
To show you the most relevant plans, 17 similar but more expensive plans have been hidden. .

Zero-Rated Data Plans

As an alternative to the unlimited data plans above, you can also choose a zero-rated data plan. This gives you unlimited data, but only for use on certain selected services:

Mobile Network Zero-Rated Data Plan Services Included
EE Swappable Benefits Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, MTV Play, TV Player and BT Sport (Video Data Pass).
Three Go Binge Netflix, Snapchat, Apple Music, TV Player, Deezer and Soundcloud.
Virgin Mobile Data-Free Messaging WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Twitter.
VOXI VOXI Endless Passes Snapchat, Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook Messenger. Video and music providers available at extra cost.

In the rest of this article, we’ll review each of the unlimited data plans and zero-rated data plans in more detail.

Unlimited Data Plans

At present, you can get an unlimited data plan from 14 UK mobile networks (BT Mobile, EE, giffgaff, iD Mobile, Lebara Mobile, Lycamobile, O2, SMARTY, Superdrug Mobile, Tesco Mobile, Three, Virgin Mobile, Vodafone and VOXI):

BT Mobile

On BT Mobile, you can get a No Limits SIM card for £20/month if you have BT Halo, BT’s flagship fibre broadband package.

Halo is available from an extra £3/month above the cost of your normal BT Broadband plan and gives you access to tech support at home along with an upgraded BT Smart Hub 2 router and BT’s Keep Connected promise. You’ll also unlock the ability to buy the following “No Limits” SIM card with unlimited data and access to 5G:

NetworkMinutesTextsDataMonthly
Cost
BT MobileUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£20.00
18 months
BT MobileUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£25.00
12 months

If you’re not currently a BT Halo customer, you’ll need to sign up for Halo at the same time as ordering your BT Mobile No Limits SIM card. A 12 or 18 month contract applies on your BT Mobile SIM card whereas a longer 24-month contract may apply to the broadband service.

On BT Mobile’s No Limits SIM card, there is no fair usage limit for the service. This is confirmed in BT’s help centre:

Is there a fair usage policy for BT Mobile?
There’s no fair usage policy. So when we say “unlimited”, it truly is unlimited.

The only exception to this is if you’re travelling abroad to another European country that’s part of BT’s Roam Like Home offer. In these 47 European Roam Like Home destinations, you’ll only be able to use 50GB of data abroad at no extra cost.

Source: BT Website: No Limits on Halo
Tariff Information: BT Mobile Website

EE

On EE, a SIM card with unlimited data and 5G speeds is currently available for £37/month.

You’ll get a Smart Benefit included with your plan such as Apple Music, BT Sport Ultimate, Amazon Prime Video, BritBox or the Roam Further Pass. This Smart Benefit lasts for the full length of your contract.

NetworkMinutesTextsDataMonthly
Cost
EEUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£37.00
24 months
EEUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£41.00
24 months

There are three key restrictions on EE’s unlimited data plans. Firstly, there’s a fair usage limit of 600GB per month, above which EE reserves the right to “apply traffic management controls to deprioritise your mobile traffic during busy periods or to move you to a business plan” (this fair usage limit was 1,000GB for customers who signed up before the 1st September 2020). Secondly, tethering and personal hotspot usage is limited to a maximum of 12 devices. Thirdly, a data roaming limit of 50GB per month applies when you’re travelling abroad outside the UK.

If you’re using the Data Gifting feature on an EE Family account, you’ll be able to gift 100GB of data to other users on your plan (or 120GB if you’re on a 5G handset plan with unlimited data). See our full guide to EE’s unlimited data plans for more detail.

Source: EE Website
Tariff Information: EE Website

giffgaff

giffgaff is a low-cost sub-brand of O2 offering 3G and 4G coverage from the O2 network. Unlimited data is available on giffgaff’s £25 goodybag which comes with unlimited minutes, unlimited texts and Always-On data:

NetworkMinutesTextsDataMonthly
Cost
giffgaffUnlimitedUnlimitedAlways-On£25.00
1 month

With Always-On data, you’ll get 4G download speeds on the first 80GB of data usage each month. After this, your speeds will drop down to a maximum of 384kbps between 8am and midnight each day. This is a little bit slower than 0.4Mbit/s and is equivalent to a basic 3G connection. The download speed reduction may stop you from steaming online video but shouldn’t prevent you from browsing the internet or using instant messaging services.

Because of the large speed reduction after the first 80GB per month, giffgaff’s Always-On data isn’t that suitable for very heavy data users. It is, however, a good option if you’re mainly looking for peace of mind about never running out of data in the middle of the month. It’s also available on a one-month rolling basis with no credit check required. Prior to the 26th February 2020, only the first 40GB of data each month was at full-speed 4G.

Customers travelling abroad to another European country can use up to 20GB of their Always-On data allowance each month. Beyond this, a surcharge of 0.36p/MB will be charged against your Pay As You Go balance on giffgaff.

For more information and for a full in-depth review, see our guide to Always On data and giffgaff’s £25 goodybag.

Source: giffgaff Website
Tariff Information: giffgaff Website

iD Mobile

iD Mobile is the own-brand mobile network from the Carphone Warehouse. Offering 3G & 4G coverage from Three, iD Mobile offers the following unlimited data plan for £18/month:

NetworkMinutesTextsDataMonthly
Cost
iD MobileUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£18.00
1 month

iD Mobile haven’t published a fair usage policy for their unlimited data plan, but their terms and conditions state the plan is for “personal use only”. You’ll need to undergo a credit check when joining the iD Mobile network.

Source: iD Mobile Terms and Conditions
Tariff Information: iD Mobile Website

Lebara Mobile

For £35/month, Lebara Mobile currently offers a SIM card with unlimited data, unlimited minutes to the UK and 41 other countries, and unlimited UK texts.

You’ll get access to 4G coverage from the Vodafone network on a Lebara Mobile SIM card.

NetworkMinutesTextsDataMonthly
Cost
Lebara MobileUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£35.00
1 month

There are no credit checks required to join Lebara Mobile and the plan is available on a one-month rolling basis. According to Lebara Mobile, there are no usage caps on this service, with exceptions for fraudulent usage and their general terms and conditions:

Where Unlimited data is included in a plan allowance, there is no data cap, subject to fraud exceptions. All general T&C will apply.

If you’re using your Lebara Mobile SIM card abroad, it’s possible to use up to 16.6GB of data at no extra charge in Europe. You can also use up to 10GB of data in India at no extra cost.

Source: Lebara Mobile Terms and Conditions
Tariff Information: Lebara Mobile Website

Lycamobile

On Lycamobile, you can buy the UK Plan Unlimited bundle which costs £25 for 30 days of usage. This gives you unlimited UK minutes, unlimited UK texts and unlimited UK data, with 99% population coverage from O2’s 4G network. You can benefit from an introductory price of £19/month for the first 3 months when you order your bundle online. Alternatively, the bundle will cost you £30/month when you buy it elsewhere (e.g. by phone, by text message or in-store).

As a cheaper alternative, there’s also a £20 Forever Data plan on Lycamobile. This gives you unlimited UK minutes, unlimited UK texts and Forever UK Data. On this plan, however, 4G speeds are only available on the first 9GB per month. Your download speeds will then be reduced to 128kbps for the remainder of the month (this is around 0.1Mbps, which is roughly the speed of a 2G connection).

On Lycamobile, the use of tethering and personal hotspot is not permitted. There’s more information in our Lycamobile review.

Source: Lycamobile Website
Tariff Information: Lycamobile Website

O2

O2 offers unlimited data, or what they call limitless data, on a range of Pay Monthly handsets and SIM cards. You can get an unlimited data SIM card from £33/month with the lowest prices being available on an 18-month contract:

NetworkMinutesTextsDataMonthly
Cost
O2UnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£33.00
18 months
O2UnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£35.00
12 months

This comes with 6 months of free Disney+ or another O2 Extra like Amazon Prime Video. You’ll also get access to discounts and offers through the O2 Priority app.

There are several fair usage limits worth being aware when getting unlimited data from O2. The most important is their 650GB per month fair usage limit. In addition, the use of tethering and personal hotspot is limited to 12 devices. If you exceed these limits twice in a six-month period, O2 says they “reserve the right to transfer you to a more suitable plan”.

O2’s terms and conditions also require the unlimited data SIM card to be used in a battery-operated mobile device. This is intended to prevent the SIM card from being used in a 4G or 5G home broadband router:

3.3 Unlimited UK Data sold on handset or SIMO contracts must only be used in mobile devices that do not require to be plugged in order to work. Any O2 mobile broadband Unlimited UK Data tariffs must only be used with the devices that they are sold with. Where other devices are used that do not comply with these terms, we reserve the right to transfer you to a more suitable plan.

If you’re travelling outside the UK to another European country, you can use up to 20GB of data abroad in O2 Europe Zone countries.

For more information, please see our full review of O2’s unlimited data plans.

Source: O2 Website: Unlimited Plan Terms
Tariff Information: O2 Website

SMARTY

SMARTY is a low cost sub-brand of Three, offering SIM-only deals on a one-month rolling basis. For £20/month, SMARTY’s unlimited plan comes with unlimited minutes, unlimited texts and unlimited data.

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 usage cap of 1,000GB per month. There’s also a fair usage limit of 20GB per month when you’re using your mobile phone abroad in Europe:

Our Unlimited plan is the only 1-month tariff available that’s open to everyone and has no speed restrictions (unlike another plan out there). Tethering and personal hotspot use is also included as standard on the plan.

We have set a usage cap at 1,000GB. When tested, using a mobile for every minute of every day only used around 1,000GB in a month. Setting this cap helps us to identify any commercial use of our services, which is not permitted by our terms and conditions.

SMARTY offers 99% population coverage, using 3G and 4G coverage from Three.

NetworkMinutesTextsDataMonthly
Cost
SmartyUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£20.00
1 month

Source: SMARTY Blog Post
Tariff Information: SMARTY Website

Superdrug Mobile

On Superdrug Mobile, unlimited data is available for £20/month.

The network, which offers 3G & 4G coverage from Three, also gives you £20 back in Superdrug Health & Beautycard points. This £20 sign-up bonus essentially makes your first month free as you’ll get the £20 back to spend on a future visit to Superdrug.

NetworkMinutesTextsDataMonthly
Cost
Superdrug MobileUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£20.00
1 month

As a customer of Superdrug Mobile, you’ll also earn double Health & Beautycard points on all of your spending at Superdrug.

On Superdrug Mobile, there are no fair usage limits or speed restrictions for unlimited data. However, they say commercial use isn’t permitted with them reserving the right to monitor your usage of the service:

6.29 If you have unlimited data as part of your Plan, there are no hidden caps or limits when using your device within the UK. Unlimited data should give you all the access to the internet you would normally need, without worrying, so you can use our service to your heart’s content. Use of the Services for commercial, resale or fraudulent purposes isn’t allowed under this Agreement, so we do reserve the right to monitor any unusual activity that may indicate that this is happening to identify and prevent such non-permitted use.

For more information, see our Superdrug Mobile review.

Source: Superdrug Mobile Terms and Conditions
Tariff Information: Superdrug Mobile Website

Tesco Mobile

On Tesco Mobile, it’s currently possible to get an unlimited data SIM card for £28/month. This comes with coverage from the O2 network (including 5G if you choose the 5G-ready SIM card). You can also get 6 months of free Clubcard Plus (worth £7.99/month).

Tesco hasn’t set a fair usage limit on their unlimited data tariff. Instead, their terms and conditions simply state that you’re unable to use the service for commercial purposes, or for usage that adversely impacts the service of other customers or the Tesco Mobile network.

NetworkMinutesTextsDataMonthly
Cost
Tesco Mobile5,0005,000Unlimited£28.00
18 months
Tesco Mobile5,0005,000Unlimited£30.00
12 months

Source: Tesco Mobile Terms and Conditions
Tariff Information: Tesco Mobile Website

Three

On Three, numerous 5G-ready unlimited data plans are available (sometimes also referred to as all-you-can-eat data plans). The unlimited data plans currently start from £18/month with prices varying based on the contract length you choose.

On Three, there are no fair usage limits for unlimited data usage in the UK. However, it’s important to know that commercial usage of the service is not permitted:

Use of our services for commercial, resale or fraudulent purposes isn’t allowed under our Terms for Three Services, so we do reserve the right to monitor any unusual activity that may indicate that this is happening to identify and prevent such non-permitted use.

A fair usage limit does apply when you’re using your mobile phone abroad in a Go Roam country. You can use up to 20GB of data abroad in other European countries and up to 12GB of data abroad outside of Europe.

The following table shows SIM-only plans with unlimited data from Three:

NetworkMinutesTextsDataMonthly
Cost
ThreeUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£18.00
12 months
ThreeUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£22.00
24 months
ThreeUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£24.00
1 month

As well as getting an unlimited data SIM card, you can also buy a smartphone from Three with unlimited data on a 24-month contract. Three also offers a 4G home broadband service with unlimited data.

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:

If you have Unlimited Data as part of your package or with an Add-on, there are no hidden caps or limits when using your device within the UK. Unlimited Data lets you use the internet to your heart’s content, without worrying about hefty bills.

Use of our services for commercial, resale or fraudulent purposes isn’t allowed under our Terms for Three Services, so we do reserve the right to monitor any unusual activity that may indicate that this is happening to identify and prevent such non-permitted use.

Prior to October 2018, Three’s unlimited data plans also had a restriction on tethering. During the time period when this restriction was in place, it was only possible to use up to 30GB of data through tethering each month. This restriction has now been removed for all new and existing customers as a result of Ofcom’s net neutrality rules.

Source: Three Help: What is unlimited data?
Tariff Information: Three Website

Virgin Mobile

On Virgin Mobile, an unlimited data plan is available but this is exclusive to customers who have Virgin TV or home broadband. Prices start from £27/month for a plan with unlimited minutes, unlimited texts and unlimited 4G data:

NetworkMinutesTextsDataMonthly
Cost
Virgin MobileUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£27.00
24 months
Virgin MobileUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£30.00
12 months

According to Virgin, there are no restrictions on “tethering, throttling, speed restrictions or caps”.

Download speeds of up to 85Mbps are available on Virgin Mobile, currently using 4G coverage from the EE network. In May 2020, Virgin Media announced their intention to merge with O2. Following the merger which is expected to complete in 2021, Virgin Mobile is expected to migrate their mobile service to use coverage from O2.

If you’re using your Virgin Mobile unlimited data SIM card in Europe, a fair usage limit currently applies. This limit is 14.95GB per month on the 24-month plan and 16.61GB per month on the 12-month plan.

Source: Virgin Media Website
Tariff Information: Virgin Media Website

Vodafone

Vodafone offers a selection of unlimited data plans from £22/month with access to 5G coverage in areas that support it.

When choosing an unlimited data plan from Vodafone, you’ll need to decide on the maximum download speed of your plan. The cheapest £22/month Unlimited Lite price plan gives you download speeds of up to 2Mbit/s. Meanwhile, the £26/month Unlimited plan is capped at 10Mbit/s download speeds and the £30/month Unlimited Max plan has uncapped 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”. You can use up to 25GB of data each month when travelling abroad as part of Vodafone Global Roaming.

NetworkMinutesTextsDataMonthly
Cost
VodafoneUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited
2Mbps max		£22.00
24 months
VodafoneUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited
2Mbps max		£24.00
12 months
VodafoneUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited
10Mbps max		£26.00
24 months
VodafoneUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited
10Mbps max		£28.00
12 months
VodafoneUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£30.00
24 months
VodafoneUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited
2Mbps max		£32.00
1 month
VodafoneUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£33.00
12 months
VodafoneUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited
10Mbps max		£36.00
1 month
VodafoneUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£41.00
1 month
To show you the most relevant plans, 6 similar but more expensive plans have been hidden. .

Vodafone’s unlimited data plans are also available on a 12-month contract or on a 30-day rolling contract. You can read our in-depth review of Vodafone’s unlimited data plans for more information.

Source: Vodafone Website
Tariff Information: Vodafone Website

VOXI

VOXI is the low-cost sub-brand of Vodafone, offering endless data for £35/month.

On VOXI’s endless data plan, you’ll get unlimited data with up to 5G download speeds. You’ll also get unlimited minutes and unlimited texts included:

NetworkMinutesTextsDataMonthly
Cost
VOXIUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited£35.00
1 month

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”. The amount of data you can use abroad at no extra charge is also limited to 25GB per month.

There’s no need to undergo a credit check when joining VOXI. The endless data plan works on a one-month rolling prepaid basis.

Source: VOXI: Terms and Conditions
Tariff Information: VOXI Website

Other UK mobile networks don’t currently offer an unlimited data plan. However, you might be able to get a very large data allowance (for instance, up to 100GB of data per month on some networks).

Zero-Rated Data Plans

Zero-rated data plans give you unlimited data, but only for use on selected apps and services. This can make them a cheaper alternative to unlimited data plans:

EE Smart Benefits

Customers choosing an EE Smart Pay Monthly plan will receive a smart benefit included in their plan.

You can choose from a range of different Smart Benefits, with the Video Data Pass giving you unlimited zero-rated data for use on Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, BritBox, BT Sport, MTV Play, Netflix, TV Player and YouTube.

You’ll also get Reserve Data on EE Smart Plans which essentially gives you unlimited data at download speeds of up to 2Mbps. On older EE Smart plans, it’s also possible to choose a Music Data Pass or Gamer’s Data Pass as your swappable benefit.

Source: EE: Swappable Benefits for EE Smart
Tariff Information: EE Website

Three Go Binge

Three offers an inclusive service called Go Binge to all customers with a Pay Monthly plan with at least 12GB of data per month. This gives you unlimited data for use on six applications: Netflix, TV Player, Snapchat, Soundcloud, Deezer and Apple Music. Usage of these six services is “zero-rated” so doesn’t count towards your normal download allowance.

At present, it’s possible to get Go Binge on a SIM card from Three for as little as £10/month:

NetworkMinutesTextsDataMonthly
Cost
ThreeUnlimitedUnlimited12GB£10.00
12 months
ThreeUnlimitedUnlimited30GB£15.00
12 months
ThreeUnlimitedUnlimited100GB£18.00
24 months

For more information, please read our full review of the Go Binge service.

Source: Three Website: About Go Binge
Tariff Information: Three Website

Virgin Mobile Data-Free Messaging

On Virgin Mobile, data-free messaging is available to all customers with a 4G Pay Monthly plan. Usage of WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Twitter are zero-rated so you can message as much as you like without worrying about how much data you’re using.

The following table shows 4G price plans from Virgin Mobile with data-free messaging:

NetworkMinutesTextsDataMonthly
Cost
Virgin MobileUnlimitedUnlimited3GB£6.00
12 months
Virgin MobileUnlimitedUnlimited8GB£8.00
12 months
Virgin MobileUnlimitedUnlimited32GB£12.00
24 months
Virgin MobileUnlimitedUnlimited50GB£18.00
12 months
Virgin MobileUnlimitedUnlimited100GB£20.00
24 months

Source: Virgin Mobile: Data-Free Messaging
Tariff Information: Virgin Media Website

VOXI Endless Passes

VOXI is Vodafone’s low-cost sub-brand, offering 30-day rolling plans from £10/month. On all of VOXI’s price plans you’ll get endless social data included. This gives you zero-rated data for use on Snapchat, Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook Messenger.

You can add a VOXI Video Pass for £7/month, giving you zero-rated data for use on Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, DisneyLife, My5, TVPlayer and UKTV Play.

Alternatively, the VOXI Music Pass is available for £5/month, giving you zero-rated data for use on Spotify, Apple Music, TIDAL, Deezer, Amazon Music Unlimited, Amazon Prime Music, SoundCloud, Primordial Radio and Napster.

The following table shows 30-day rolling plans on VOXI with endless social data:

NetworkMinutesTextsDataMonthly
Cost
VOXIUnlimitedUnlimited12GB£10.00
1 month
VOXIUnlimitedUnlimited15GB£15.00
1 month
VOXIUnlimitedUnlimited45GB£20.00
1 month

Source: VOXI Plans
Tariff Information: VOXI Website

Occasionally, other mobile networks may choose to zero-rate selected apps and services on a promotional basis. For instance, EE offers zero-rated data for Apple Music during the six month free trial that’s available on all Pay Monthly plans.

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?
Normally, the best value unlimited data deals can be found on Three. They currently offer unlimited data for £18/month, though prices vary based on the contract length. On Three, you’ll get unlimited data with no fair usage limits. There’s 99.8% 4G population coverage and 5G coverage at no extra cost if it’s available in your area.
Will I get 5G coverage with unlimited data?
The following mobile networks offer unlimited data with 5G coverage:
  • BT Mobile (BT Halo broadband customers only)
  • EE (5G Smart plan required)
  • O2 (5G plan required)
  • Tesco Mobile (5G plan required)
  • Three
  • Vodafone (Speed restrictions apply on Unlimited Lite and Unlimited plans)
  • VOXI
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.
What’s the difference between unlimited data and zero-rated data?
An unlimited data plan can be used with any app or service, whereas a zero-rated data plan only works with a given list of services (e.g. certain instant messaging or video streaming apps).

More Information

For more information on specific unlimited data plans, please see the BT Mobile, EE, giffgaff, iD Mobile, Lebara Mobile, Lycamobile, O2, SMARTY, Superdrug Mobile, Tesco Mobile, Three, Virgin Mobile, Vodafone and VOXI websites.

For more information about zero-rated data offers, see the EE, Three, Virgin Mobile and VOXI websites.

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We'd love to hear your thoughts and any questions you may have. So far, we've received 63 comments from readers. You can add your own comment here.

  • Andy said:

    Just to add another of EE’s swappable benefits is the gamer pass, which adds unlimited data for the Twitch streaming site, which is of interest to some people. At present only the live streams seem to be free, not past broadcasts.

  • John said:

    I’m surprised that O2 state in their T+Cs that their unlimited data SIM can’t be used in a home 4G router. Wasn’t their some OFCOM ruling about this saying they have to allow it?

    • Ken replied:

      Hi John,
      Me too! Ofcom said that mobile service providers couldn’t discriminate based on “the terminal equipment used”. I believe O2’s argument is that a mains-powered 4G router isn’t really “terminal equipment”. I’m not certainly not a lawyer so I couldn’t comment on the legality of this & who is actually right. However, I imagine it will remain unchallenged unless Ofcom decide to investigate them for it.
      Ken

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