You can get an unlimited data plan from £9.99/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 £9.99/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 £9.99/month |
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With EE Coverage: |
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With O2 Coverage: | |
With Three Coverage: |
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With Vodafone Coverage: |
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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: |
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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 |
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![]() | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | £16.00 1 month |
![]() | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | £16.00 1 month |
![]() | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | £16.00 24 months |
![]() | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | £18.00 £14.40 for 12 months 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 | £25.00 £9.99 for 6 months 1 month |
![]() | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | £30.00 1 month |
![]() | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | £30.00 24 months |
![]() | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited 10Mbps max | £30.00 24 months |
![]() | 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 |
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ASDA Mobile | Vodafone | 5G |
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EE | EE | 5G |
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giffgaff | O2 | 5G |
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Honest Mobile | Three | 5G |
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iD Mobile | Three | 5G | |
Lebara Mobile | Vodafone | 5G | |
Lyca Mobile | EE | 5G |
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O2 | O2 | 5G |
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SMARTY | Three | 5G | |
Talkmobile | Vodafone | 5G | |
Tesco Mobile | O2 | 5G |
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Three | Three | 5G | |
Vodafone | Vodafone | 5G |
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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:
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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 |
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EE
The cheapest way to get unlimited data on EE is to get one of their No Frills unlimited data plans from £27 per month. This will have a maximum download speed of 25Mbps. This is roughly equivalent to 4G speeds:
For download speeds of up to 100Mbps and the ability to gift up to 100GB spare data to another EE SIM card on your account, you can upgrade to an EE Essentials plan from £30 per month with unlimited data:
If you’re looking for uncapped download speeds and the ability to get Inclusive Extras, choose one of EE’s All Rounder or Full Works SIM cards. EE’s All Rounder plans come with one Inclusive Extra for the lifetime of your plan. Choose from Apple Music, Netflix, the Roam Abroad Pass, TNT Sports on discovery+, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or Microsoft 365 Personal:
Meanwhile, EE’s Full Works plans come with three Inclusive Extras such as Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, TNT Sports Ultimate on discovery+ and the Roam Abroad Pass:
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). This feature is not available on the No Frills plan.
For more information, read our EE unlimited data review. Source: EE Website |
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giffgaff
If you want unlimited data without speed restrictions, you’ll need to choose one of giffgaff’s £35 per month plans. This gives you unlimited minutes, unlimited texts and unlimited data. You’ll get access to uncapped download speeds on 5G.
On giffgaff’s unlimited data plans, 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’ll get a full-speed data allowance. Depending on the plan you choose, this full-speed allowance will be either 120GB, 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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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Lebara Mobile
The most flexible option is Lebara’s £25 unlimited data SIM. This 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. There’s no contract, so you can change or cancel your plan at any time. As an exclusive offer for our readers in October 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 unlimited data 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 before, 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 |
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Lyca Mobile
Lyca Mobile’s unlimited data plan comes with no contract and no credit check. You’ll also get unlimited UK minutes, unlimited UK texts and 100 international minutes included with your plan each month.
There’s a fair use limit of 450GB per month in the UK, and 12GB per month when you’re travelling abroad in the EU. You’ll get access to 4G & 5G coverage from EE. On Lyca Mobile, the use of tethering and personal hotspot is not permitted. For more information, see our guide to unlimited data on Lycamobile.
Source: Lyca Mobile Website |
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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 from O2, you’ll get up to 6 months of Apple Music included, along with 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 |
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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 use 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 |
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TalkmobileTalkmobile is a low-cost sub-brand of Vodafone. At present, they’re offering unlimited 5G data for just £16 per month on a one-month rolling basis, with access to Vodafone’s 5G network and the fastest available speeds. This makes it one of the best value ways of getting unlimited data on the Vodafone network.
According to their terms and conditions, Talkmobile says the plan “is for personal use only and cannot be used for commercial or business purposes”. However, beyond that, there are no hidden limits on how much data you can use.
Source: Talkmobile: Terms and Conditions |
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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 |
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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. Most customers will choose one of Three’s Lite plans as this will give you unlimited data for the lowest possible price. For an extra £5 per month, you can upgrade to an Unlimited Value plan which gives you Paramount+ for the first half of your plan, and 14 daily Go Roam passes each year. The Unlimited Complete plan costs £10 per month extra. It comes with Paramount+ for the entire duration of your plan, plus 28 daily Go Roam passes per year. 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? |
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Vodafone
When choosing a Vodafone unlimited data plan, you’ll need to choose between three different download speeds. The Unlimited Lite plan only gives you download speeds of up to 2Mbps. Meanwhile, the Unlimited plan is capped at 10Mbps download speeds and the 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 |
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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”.
Source: VOXI: Terms and Conditions |
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 very large data allowance instead (e.g. 100GB data per month, or more). The following networks do not currently offer an unlimited data plan:
- 1pMobile offers 30-day boosts with up to 200GB data. Although this is sometimes advertised as “virtually unlimited”, there is a hard monthly limit of 200GB data. Further usage beyond the 200GB limit will incur additional charges.
- Sky Mobile offers up to 150GB data per month. Sky haven’t yet announced whether unlimited data will become available on their network in the future.
- Talk Home Mobile offers plans with up to 200GB data per month.
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 8GB of data per month.
If you mainly want the reassurance that you’ll never run out of data, consider something like SMARTY's 40GB 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 |
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![]() | Unlimited | Unlimited | 40GB | £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), unlimited music (from £12/month), or 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 music includes: Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, TIDAL, Deezer, Napster & Primordial Radio
- Unlimited video includes: TikTok, YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video & My5
Network | Minutes | Texts | Data | Monthly Cost |
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![]() | Unlimited | Unlimited | 30GB Unlimited Social | £10.00 1 month |
![]() | Unlimited | Unlimited | 20GB Unlimited Social Unlimited Music | £12.00 1 month |
![]() | Unlimited | Unlimited | 90GB Unlimited Social Unlimited Music Unlimited Video | £15.00 1 month |
![]() | Unlimited | Unlimited | 100GB Unlimited Social Unlimited Music Unlimited 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:
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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? | Yes. All of the unlimited data plans listed on this page will give you access to 5G coverage if you’re using a compatible 5G-ready phone. However, some plans come with a maximum download speed so it’s worth double checking this before you buy. |
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, Lyca Mobile, O2, SMARTY, Three and Vodafone.
If you’re looking for a wider range of deals, compare SIM-only plans including those without an unlimited data allowance.
sly said:
How do carriers enforce this 12 device limit? I run proxmox which currently has 3 VMs up taking local addresses with another 3 inactive and potential for dozens more. I consider this one device.
I’m already at dot 45 for local addresses, and was at dot twenty something before Proxmox. How long before devices are forgotten? Do they mean 12 devices *simultaneously*?
sly
Thais said:
Hi Ken, thanks for the post. When I click the link for Lyca, it offers me 30 days at 10£. I am not sure if no longer valid. I have tested the Lebara and your code is good to go.
You have noted that Lyca does not allow hotspot and tethering, do you know if it is the same for Lebara?
I am currently moving from Asda to another network that is not Vodafone. Asda was great until recently, the past months had been really difficult, and the network became poor. I have had the same issue with Three before. I don’t have the same issue when roaming and directly connected to Vodafone, it is only when piggybacking.
I saw that Superdrug has one now, do you know anything about it?
I have used: Smarty, Three and ID in the past, and it just didn’t work.
Kind regards,
Ken replied:
Hi Thais,
Thanks for your comment. You can get unlimited data for £9.99 per month on Lyca Mobile following the link here 🙂
With regards to Lebara, there are no restrictions on tethering or personal hotspot usage. Strictly speaking, I don’t think Lyca are supposed to have restrictions on this either due to net neutrality regulations. However, just to be safe, I’d probably go with Lebara if that’s a feature that you really care about.
With regards to your other questions, I’m not 100% sure. Are you having problems with the coverage from a certain provider? If so, I’d recommend testing out a couple of SIM cards from different coverage providers to see which one works best where you are.
Hope this helps,
Ken
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 !!