Vodafone Red Pay Monthly plans offer up to 200GB data per month with uncapped 4G or 5G download speeds & inclusive roaming in 51 destinations.
In the UK, you can currently get a Vodafone Red Pay Monthly plan from £14/month (or from £18/month if you’d like access to 5G). The Vodafone Red plans come with up to 200GB of data per month and have uncapped download speeds. You’ve also got the ability to use your mobile phone abroad, with inclusive roaming in 51 destinations on plans with 4 Xtra Benefits.
In this article, we’ll look at the Vodafone Red price plans in the UK, including the different data allowances available and the speeds you can expect on the plan. We’ll also look at the coverage you can access on the service and how you can keep an existing phone number when moving to Vodafone.
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Vodafone Red Plans
In the UK, Vodafone offers three types of Pay Monthly price plan: Vodafone Basics (SIM-only plans with download speeds of up to 10Mbps), Vodafone Red (4G & 5G plans with uncapped download speeds) and Vodafone Unlimited (unlimited data plans with a range of different speeds).
In this article, we’ll look at the Vodafone Red plans in more detail.
Vodafone Red Data Plans
For customers wanting a Pay Monthly price plan from Vodafone, it’s currently possible to get a Vodafone Red Pay Monthly plan from £14/month.
The Red Pay Monthly plans come with a range of different download limits, ranging from 1GB to 200GB per month. Most commonly, you’ll be able to choose a SIM-only data allowance between 1GB, 5GB and 20GB per month. For handsets, you’ll normally be able to choose between 2GB, 6GB and 24GB per month. Through special offers, other data allowances are also sometimes available.
The following table shows a list of the Vodafone Red SIM-only plans that are currently available:
| Network | Minutes | Texts | Data | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Unlimited | Unlimited | 2GB | £14.00 24 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 2GB | £15.00 12 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 6GB | £18.00 24 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 6GB | £19.00 12 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 3GB | £22.00 12 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 150GB | £23.00 6 months half price 24 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 80GB | £23.00 24 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 20GB | £24.00 12 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 8GB | £25.00 24 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 2GB | £25.00 1 month |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 200GB | £26.00 24 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 8GB | £26.00 12 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 6GB | £29.00 1 month |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 150GB | £30.00 6 months half price 24 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 100GB | £30.00 24 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 25GB | £31.00 12 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | 20GB | £34.00 1 month |
| To show you the most relevant plans, 7 similar but more expensive plans have been hidden. Tap here to show them. | ||||
All of the Vodafone Red plans give you access to uncapped download speeds, with 5G coverage available on price plans with at least 5GB of data per month. You’ll also get access to Wi-Fi Calling and 4G Calling on compatible devices. On Vodafone Red plans with 4 Xtra Benefits, you’ll get inclusive roaming in 51 destinations as part of Vodafone Global Roaming.
To see how the Vodafone Red price plans compare to Vodafone Basics and Unlimited, please see our in-depth comparison of Vodafone’s Pay Monthly plans.
Entertainment
You can add an entertainment package for an additional £7/month to the Vodafone Red 20GB SIM-only plan, the Vodafone Red 6GB mobile phone plan or the Vodafone Red 24GB mobile phone plan. This gives you an inclusive entertainment subscription for the length of your plan, which can be chosen from one of the following five options:
- YouTube Premium: Watch all of your videos on YouTube ad-free and keep them playing when the screen is off. This also includes YouTube Music Premium where you can play millions of songs ad-free and on-demand.
- Amazon Prime: Get unlimited one-day delivery on millions of items from Amazon, and watch thousands of popular TV shows and movies on-demand including The Grand Tour and Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan. The Amazon Prime Video website has a list of available TV shows and movies.
- Spotify Premium: Get unlimited streaming of millions of tracks on-demand, without any adverts. You can build your own custom playlists and download your songs for listening offline without an internet connection.
- NOW TV Entertainment Pass: Watch live entertainment from channels like Sky Atlantic, Sky One, Sky Witness, Sky Crime, Comedy Central, Syfy, Fox, Discovery, MTV and more. You can also watch over 300 box-sets on-demand.
- Sky Sports Mobile TV: Get access to the Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Sports Action, Sky Sports Arena, Sky Sports News and Sky News channels on your mobile phone.
The inclusive entertainment subscription works in the exact same way as if you were buying it directly from the provider. This means, for instance, you can use it on multiple devices including your smart TV, laptop and tablet. The only exception is Sky Sports Mobile TV which is a mobile application that can only be used on your smartphone.
The entertainment subscription doesn’t cover your mobile data usage. For this reason, it will still count towards your Vodafone Red download limit if you’re consuming the entertainment content using your mobile data connection.
In addition to the inclusive entertainment for the length of your plan, you’ll also get 100 international minutes for calling other EU countries each month.
Red Extra
In the past, Vodafone offered a separate line-up of Red Extra and Red Entertainment plans. Both of these were withdrawn from sale in July 2019, but some existing Vodafone customers may still be using them.
The new Vodafone Red price plans replace the old Red Extra plans. You’ll get all of the same features including access to Vodafone’s Global Roaming service as well as Wi-Fi Calling and 4G Calling on compatible devices. Whereas the old Red Extra price plans were limited to 4G download speeds, you’ll get access to 5G coverage when upgrading to a new Vodafone Red plan with more than 5GB of data.
The Red Entertainment plans previously offered by Vodafone included an entertainment subscription and access to Vodafone Global Roaming Plus. Since July 2019, the entertainment subscription has become an add-on for the Vodafone Red 20GB, Unlimited and Unlimited Max plans.
Vodafone Red Speeds
On Vodafone Red, you’ll have access to the fastest available download speeds on the Vodafone network.
On Red price plans with more than 5GB of data per month, this includes 5G speeds if you have a 5G-ready phone. In theory, download speeds can go all the way up to 1,000Mbps on 5G, though typical download speeds will more commonly be in the region of 150-200Mbps.
Everyone else will have access to the fastest available 4G speeds on Vodafone. It’s possible to get up to Category 9 LTE download speeds (up to 450Mbps), with average speeds normally being in the region of 23-35Mbps.
| Vodafone Red Price Plan | Coverage Types | Typical Speed | Maximum Speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 5GB data | 4G | 23-35Mbps | Up to 450Mbps |
| 5GB data or more | 4G & 5G | 150-200Mbps* | Up to 1000Mbps* |
* You’ll need a 5G phone and 5G coverage to get these speeds. If you have a 4G phone or are in an area with just 4G coverage, you’ll only be able to get up to 4G download speeds.
You’ll also get the fastest available speeds when using an Unlimited Max price plan on Vodafone. The Vodafone Basics and Unlimited plans are restricted to 10Mbps. Meanwhile, the Vodafone Unlimited Lite plan is restricted to 2Mbps.
To get a personalised estimate of the speeds available in your area, enter your postcode on Vodafone’s online coverage map. You can then tap on the “Data speed info” button to see a range of expected speeds when using 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G coverage.
Coverage
2G, 3G & 4G Coverage
Customers on Vodafone Red have access to 99% population coverage from Vodafone’s 2G, 3G and 4G networks in the UK.
Before signing up to a new contract from Vodafone, it’s worth double-checking to make sure there’s coverage where you live. You can do this by entering your postcode on Vodafone’s online coverage map:
Check Vodafone Coverage (vodafone.co.uk) →
For more information, see our in-depth guide to the network coverage on Vodafone.
5G Coverage
On Vodafone Red price plans, you can access Vodafone’s 5G network providing you have a 5G-ready phone and providing your plan has at least 5GB of data per month. You’ll also need to be in a Vodafone 5G coverage area.
At present, Vodafone offers 5G coverage in the following UK towns and cities:
| Now Live | 100 towns and cities are live on Vodafone 5G (November 2023) Aberdeen, Alexandria, Ambleside, Aughton, Basingstoke, Bebington, Belfast, Birkenhead, Birmingham, Bishopbriggs, Blaydon, Bolton, Bootle, Bournemouth, Bradford, Bristol, Cardiff, Cheadle, Cheltenham, Chesterfield, Clydebank, Crawley, Crosby, Dewsbury, Dinas Powys, Droylsden, Dudley, Dundee, Eccles, Edinburgh, Eston and South Bank, Felling, Gateshead, Glasgow, Gloucester, Gosforth, Guildford, Hebburn, Helensburgh, Horwich, Huddersfield, Hull, Huyton-with-Roby, Isle of Scilly, Jarrow, Killingworth, Kingswood, Lancaster, Leeds, Lisburn, Liverpool, Llandudno, London, Longbenton, Manchester, Mangotsfield, Middlesbrough, Morley, Mosborough, Newbury, Newcastle, Newtownabbey, North Shields, Oldbury, Paisley, Penarth, Pendlebury, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Prescot, Prestwich, Pudsey, Rawmarsh, Reading, Rochdale, Rotherham, Salford, Sheffield, Shipley, Solihull, South Shields, Southampton, Stockport, Stockton-on-Tees, Stoke-on-Trent, Stranraer, Stretford, Sunderland, Sutton Coldfield, Swansea, Swinton, Tynemouth, Urmston, Wallasey, Wallsend, Warrington, Washington, Whitley Bay, Wolverhampton, York |
Check 5G Coverage on Vodafone →
The average download speeds on Vodafone’s 5G network are normally in the region of 150-200Mbps. You can get a personalised estimate for your area by entering your postcode on the Vodafone website. Once you’ve done this, you’ll need to tap on the “Data speed info” button.
For more information, see our guide to 5G network coverage in the UK.
Tethering & Personal Hotspot
Tethering or personal hotspot refers to the process of sharing your smartphone’s internet connection with another device (e.g. with your laptop or tablet). It’s often used as a convenient way of getting access to mobile broadband without you needing to buy a separate device for this.
The use of tethering and personal hotspot is permitted on all Vodafone Red plans, meaning it’s possible to share your data allowance with other devices. If you’re likely to use this feature fairly regularly, we’d recommend choosing a plan with larger allowances (e.g. the 20GB per month plan).
International Coverage
You can use your Vodafone Red price plan when travelling abroad through Vodafone’s Global Roaming service.
If you’re using a Vodafone Red plan with 4 Xtra Benefits, you’ll be able to use your normal UK allowances at no extra cost in 51 European destinations. In another 104 Roam-further destinations, you can pay £6/day to use your normal UK allowances.
If you’re using a Vodafone Red plan without 4 Xtra Benefits, you’ll pay £2/day to use your mobile phone in Europe and £6/day to use your mobile phone outside Europe.
According to Vodafone, you’ll get “full speed roaming” with no restrictions on download speed and access to 4G networks abroad in 137 destinations. In selected European destinations, it’s also possible to get 5G coverage abroad.
For more information, see our guide to Vodafone Global Roaming or see Vodafone’s official website.
Keeping Your Phone Number
If you’re changing from another network to Vodafone, it’s easy keeping your current phone number.
To do so, start by requesting a PAC Code from your old network. You can get one through your mobile network’s website or app, or by texting PAC to 65075.
Once you’ve gotten the PAC Code from your old network, order your new phone or SIM card from Vodafone’s website. When it arrives, you can go to Vodafone’s online form to enter your PAC Code and to have your phone number transfer scheduled for the next working day.
For a step-by-step guide on how to move your phone number to Vodafone, please select your current mobile network from the drop-down menu below:
Frequently Asked Questions
| What is Vodafone Red? | Vodafone Red is a Pay Monthly price plan from Vodafone, offering a data allowance between 1GB and 200GB per month. The plans currently start in price from £14/month, or from £18/month if you’d like access to 5G coverage. You can either get it on a SIM-only basis or with a new handset on a 24-month contract. |
|---|---|
| What speeds can I get on a Vodafone Red price plan? | You’ll get uncapped download speeds on Vodafone Red so speeds are only limited by what your handset and coverage can support. On Red plans with more than 5GB data, you can access 5G speeds averaging 150-200Mbps. The average speed when using 4G is 23-35Mbps. You can get a personalised estimate for your area using Vodafone’s online coverage map (tap on the “Data speed info” button after entering your postcode). |
| How does Vodafone Red compare to Vodafone Basics and Vodafone Unlimited? |
|
| What entertainment can I add to a Vodafone Red plan? | For an extra £7/month, you can add one of the following inclusive entertainment options to selected Vodafone Red price plans:
You’ll also get 100 international minutes for calling other EU countries. |
| What coverage will I get on Vodafone Red? | You’ll get access to 99% population coverage on Vodafone’s 2G, 3G and 4G networks in the UK. In addition, you’ll also have access to 5G coverage if you use a 5G-ready phone and choose a Vodafone Red plan with at least 5GB of data per month. You can use Vodafone’s online coverage map to see what is available in your area. |
| Can I keep my current phone number? | Yes. It’s easy to keep your current phone number when moving to Vodafone. Start by asking your current mobile network to give you a PAC Code. You can get one through their website or app, or by texting PAC to 65075. You should then provide this to Vodafone after you sign up. |
More Information
For more information about Vodafone Red price plans, please see the official Vodafone website.
Jon said:
I recently added some information on another thread about my 5G experiences, namely that I could get intermittent 5G performance from Smarty despite not being in a Three 5G zone, and I could not get anything on Vodafone despite being inside a Vodafone 5G zone.
I have since had a chat conversation with Vodafone, and they were surprised that I wasn’t able to pick up 5G, especially with a good-quality antenna. They mentioned something I didn’t know – I can ring up customer services and ask for the signal to be amplified for me. I have never heard of this before. Is this an advance in technology, such as the use of beamforming, such that signals can be directed or boosted on a per device basis?
I will be trying this on a new SIM. If 5G does not work out of the box, I will go through their customer services process, and will report back. I am most interested in what adjustments can be made to signal strength these days.
Ken replied:
Hi Jon,
Thanks for sharing your further thoughts on this matter. I’m also not aware of anything specific they’re able to do with regards to boosting the 5G signal specifically to your device. It’s possible they might have got confused with something like the Vodafone Sure Signal that they used to offer to boost the 3G signal inside your home (or I suppose the Wi-Fi Calling capabilities they also offer on some phones). Do let me know if you discover anything exciting with regards to the 5G signal from Vodafone (I’d be amazed if this was something they were able to do!).
Thanks,
Ken
Jon replied:
No worries Ken, and thank you for your reply.
In a strange fashion, I was hoping my new SIM would not work on 5G out of the box, merely so I could find out what power adjustments could be made by remote control! Unfortunately, the 5G signal was detected immediately, and it works perfectly :=(
Speed-wise I have been getting up to around 200mbps, which is perfectly acceptable. I was rather hoping to beat my (intermittent) max score of 310mbps from Smarty, but I’ve not come close yet. However, the latency performance is much better than 4G; I am getting unloaded ping times in the order of 30ms, and loaded in the order of 60ms. I tend to think that anything under 100ms makes the line suitable for real-time video, such as Zoom, and during the pandemic I suspect I will have a greater need for it.
On a related subject, I tend to push most of my internet traffic via a VPN, perhaps with the exception of Netflix. The speeds above were without a VPN, since VPN servers tend to be contended among many customers. Interestingly, if I connect to a VPN and do a speed test, I get in the order of 50mbps, but the loaded ping times actually improve, by around 20-30ms! So, oddly if one has problems with image/audio dropout in Zoom/WhatsApp, the solution might be to connect to a VPN, even though this gives the data much further to travel.
Roger Harding said:
Hi Ken. A great website full of easy to understand info. But What does it cost if you go over your monthly data allowance?
I’m trying to get 4G Home Broadband as where I am In Dorset we just have ADSL and 4 Mbs. I bought a 4G router (Huawei 535) through your website, from Three but it came with no antennas. The best I can get is 3 bars signal and 2Mbs. The signal chart shows ok coverage.
My friend had previously brought his Vfone router round and we got 10Mbs on the front doorstep and 20Mbs upstairs. (With 2 small antennas) I really liked the Three plan £20/m unlimited for 24 months no speed restriction. I would like to get the same or similar deal from Vfone but I am worried about the data not being unlimited. I don’t know how much data we use but it could increase once we start streaming tv or uploading photo collections etc. Any advice please. Thanks Roger.
Ken replied:
Hi Roger,
Thanks for your comment. If you’re using a Vodafone Red SIM card, you’ll need to buy one of their extras when you run out of data. It’s currently £10 for an extra 2GB of data, so going over your allowance certainly isn’t cheap! Have you considered getting an Unlimited Max SIM card instead? You can get one for £30/month with no limits on how much you can download and with no speed restrictions either. Obviously, this is a little bit more expensive than £20/month and doesn’t include a device, so you’ll need to supply one yourself (e.g. an unlocked 4G router).
Ken