Best UK SIM-only deals April 2023

Lots of people get a new phone on contract these days, but if you can afford to pay for that phone up front (or if you’re out of contract on your phone), it’s much smarter to get a SIM-only rate. In fact, our round-up of the best SIM deals in the UK could save you a fortune in the long run.

A big concern for many is that you will lose your current phone number if you change. But that’s not true: you can transfer your current phone number to a new network and the whole process is simple if you use the text-to-switch service.

Here, we’ve selected the best SIM-only deals available right now.

The best SIM-only deals right now

Three The crazy unlimited SIM card offer is back. You can get the first six months for just £10 a month, which then doubles for the rest of the contract (which is 24 months in total). There’s also 100GB for £16 a month.

Smarty’s A plan of £10 per month is to be considered (the brand uses the network of Three). It offers a very generous 30GB of data, unlimited calls and texts (and tethering). Plus, you can roam within EU countries, meaning your calls, texts and data are out of your plan even when you’re on holiday in Europe (12GB limit).

O2 Currently has six months of Amazon Prime free if you’re a new customer or are upgrading – this offer is also available on Contract and Volt plans.

Another great deal this month comes from Voxi, which is powered by Vodafone. It is interesting because the use of social media is unlimited and will not eat your data. Voxi currently offers 100GB of data, unlimited social media, unlimited calls and texts and 5G, all for £20 a month on a monthly rolling contract.

It also offers 15GB of data, unlimited social media, unlimited calls and texts and 5G for just £10.

Both deals also surprisingly give you six months of free music streaming from your music app of choice, such as Spotify, Apple Music, and Deezer. After six months, unlimited music costs an additional £5 per month.

mobile id, which also uses Three, currently has a great unlimited data deal. You can get the iD Unlimited SIM for just £17 a month on a rolling monthly contract. iD will also roll over any unused data to the next month.

Also worth checking out 1pMobile. Although this is a Pay As You Go offer, it offers your usage at the following prices: 1 pence per minute on calls, 1 pence per SMS and 1 pence per MB of data used. If your usage is low, this might be a good option.

Read also : Best SIM deals for kids and best SIM deals for students

What SIM-only rate do you need?

Unlike smartphone contracts, which typically run for 24 months, SIM-only deals are much shorter. Most SIM-only deals come with 12-month contracts, but there are plenty of rolling monthly contracts – sometimes at the same price – which are ideal for visitors to the UK or anyone who doesn’t want to be tied down.

The price you pay per month will largely depend on how many minutes and text messages you need, as well as how much data you need.

Determining the best SIM contract is difficult solely because of the large number of combinations of minutes, SMS and data available. Some providers also offer offers with cashback exchange, which means that you will not be charged the advertised amount, but you can request your refund from the provider.

Most people will fall into one of the three camps we’ll focus on here: those who just want to make a call or text, and use their PC to get online; those who make calls and text, go online, check email, use apps and maybe watch videos from time to time; and those who are permanently glued to their smartphone.

Or, to put it more simply, light, moderate, and heavy users.

SIM offers for light use

There are plans available from not much more than £5 per month if you plan to use your SIM card for light use:

All Mobile IDs the contracts offer bill capping, data transfer and home-like roaming, making it an even more attractive option with no nasty surprises. You can get 60GB of data with unlimited minutes and texts for just £10 a month on a rolling month contract. See the offer here.

Lebara also offers some great lighting plans, such as the 3GB rolling plan for £5 a month. With this you also get 100 minutes to 41 international countries – ideal if you need to call family abroad. You also get 1000 UK minutes and 1000 SMS. See the offer here.

Giffgaff is currently offering more data on all of its goodybags, including the gold goodybag which is being upgraded from 10GB to 15GB for just £10 a month. This also includes unlimited texting and calling, as well as 5G connectivity. See the offer here.

SIM offers for moderate use

If you’re using 20GB or more, it’s worth considering a moderate-use SIM plan. Here are some of the most competitive at the moment:

You can also get a very cheap offer from Vodafone via Mobiles.co.uk, which includes 100GB of data, unlimited calls and texts and 5G, all for £8.50 a month on a 12 month contract. In addition, any unused data will roll over to the next month. See the offer here.

Mobiles.co.uk has a great offer with mobile id. You can grab 40GB of data, unlimited minutes and texts and 5G coverage for just £10 a month on a rolling contract. See the offer here.

SIM offers for intensive use

For anyone who wants the freedom to text and use the internet as much as they want, our favorite deal is Three’s unlimited SIM card for £11.50 for the first six months. However, there are other options to consider:

O2 offers benefits on some of its larger data plans. The 160GB for £20 a month on a 24-month plan includes six months of Apple Music, plus free minutes, texts and 5G. See the offer here.

Tesco-Mobile also has a decent offer for Clubcard members. Signing up for a Club Card is free, and you can also get discounts on your purchases and other benefits. Get unlimited data, unlimited minutes, texts and 5G, all for £17 for 24 months. See the offer here.

Superdrug also offers a great flexible option which includes unlimited data, unlimited minutes, unlimited texting, 4G and extra card points for Superdrug members. This all costs £20 per month and is available as a rolling monthly contract. See the offer here.

Tablet plans (data SIM)

If you’re looking for a SIM card for your tablet, you can’t just take the SIM card out of your phone and stick it in another device. You need to get a SIM card that uses a data-only plan (and remember, not all tablets offer SIM card slots, in which case you’ll only be able to connect to WiFi).

How much data you need will depend a lot on what activities you intend to do on your tablet, as well as whether you spend some of your time within range of a Wi-Fi hotspot. you want a SIM card just to cover you on the occasion when you use your tablet away from home and need to keep accessing your email, you certainly don’t need to pay extra for a 4G plan.

Some of the best SIM-only deals for tablets come from Three, which offers many plans including 15GB for £14 per month and 40GB for £18 per month. You can view these offers here.

Smarty, the sub-brand of Three, also has great data-only deals, such as 100GB data for £17 a month or unlimited data for £20 a month. The advantage with Smarty is that you pay in advance for 1 month and can cancel at any time. See these offers here.

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