Networks and brands
Every UK mobile network compared on the fine print
The headline price is the part of a mobile deal everyone compares. The fine print is what decides what you actually pay: whether the price goes up every spring, whether you pay to use your phone in Spain, whether you can use an eSIM, and which network's masts you're really on.
We checked the price guides, terms and help pages of 21 UK mobile brands on 8 November 2026 and put the answers in one table, with a source, a status and the check date for every value. Some values could only be confirmed from a secondary source, and a few couldn't be confirmed at all; the table labels them rather than guessing.
The short answer
- Seven brands promise no mid-contract price rises on their standard plans: Smarty, VOXI, Talkmobile, spusu and ecotalk, plus Lebara (whose terms still allow changes with a month's notice) and Honest Mobile (a marketing promise, not written into its terms). Five more promise it on some plans: giffgaff (18-month plans bought before the end of 2026), iD Mobile (SIM-only), Tesco Mobile (Clubcard Price deals), Asda Mobile (12- and 24-month plans) and Lyca Mobile (pay monthly).
- All five brands run by the big network companies add a fixed rise every year: EE and BT Mobile (£2.50 on SIM-only, £4 on EE handset plans, from 31 March), O2 (£2.50 each April), Vodafone (£2.50, or £1.50 on Basics) and Three (£1.80–£2.30, depending on data).
- 14 of the 21 include EU roaming on their standard plans, within a fair-use cap. EE and Vodafone charge £2.72–£2.75 a day on most standard plans, and so does Three for customers who joined from 18 December 2025. Sky Mobile and ecotalk charge £2 a day, VOXI sells passes, and Honest Mobile gives five free days per trip.
- Most brands support eSIM; four restrict how or on which phones you can get one, Superdrug Mobile's help centre says it doesn't offer it, and we couldn't confirm BT Mobile either way.
- Every brand runs on one of three networks: EE, O2 or VodafoneThree. A cheaper brand on the same host uses the same masts, which usually means broadly similar coverage, but not necessarily the same speeds, priority or features.
The full comparison table
All 21 brands, checked on 8 November 2026. "Network" is the host whose masts the brand uses. Price-rise details apply to new customers on standard plans unless stated. Open "Sources" on any row to see where each value comes from.
Comparison table
Showing all 21 brands.
| Brand | Network (host) | 30-day / rolling | Mid-contract price rise | EU roaming | eSIM | Wi-Fi calling | Social tariff | Sources and 5G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EESIM-only: 1, 12 or 24 months | EE | Yes (1-month SIM-only) | £2.50/mo on SIM-only, £4/mo on handset plans, each 31 March | £2.72/day on most plans; EU passes £16.50 (7 days) or £30 (15 days); included on some plans (50GB) | Yes | Yes (UK only, compatible phone) | EE Basics: £12, 5GB, max 25Mbps | Sources for EE
|
| BT Mobile30-day only (BT Broadband customers) | EE | Yes (30-day; BT Broadband customers only) | £2.50/mo each 31 March | Included in 47 destinations; surcharge possible above 15GB a bill on 20GB+ plans | Unknown (no official statement found) Unknown | Yes (UK only) | None found for BT Mobile Unknown | Sources for BT Mobile
|
| O2SIM-only 12 or 24 months; 30-day (secondary sources) | O2 | Yes (secondary sources) Secondary source | £2.50/mo each April (75p data-only and smartwatch); device plans don't rise | Included in 48 destinations; 25GB cap | Yes | Yes (UK only) | O2 Essential Plan: £10, 10GB, 30-day | Sources for O2
|
| VodafoneSIM-only 30-day or 24 months; Basics 12 months | VodafoneThree (Vodafone) | Yes (30-day SIM-only) | £2.50/mo each 1 April (£1.50 on Basics); device plans don't rise | £2.75/day on plans without roaming; passes 8 days £16, 15 days £21; included on plans with Euro Roam | Yes | Yes (compatible phone) | Via VOXI For Now | Sources for Vodafone
|
| ThreeSIM-only 1, 12 or 24 months | VodafoneThree (Three) | Yes (1-month SIM-only) | £1.80 / £1.90 / £2.30 a month each April (up to 4GB / 5–99GB / 100GB+) | £2.75/day if joined from 18 Dec 2025 (£2 if joined 1 Oct 2021–17 Dec 2025); included on Value and Complete | Yes | Yes (UK only) | Via SMARTY Social Tariff | Sources for Three
|
| Sky Mobile30-day or 24 months | O2 Secondary source | Yes (30-day data plans) | No fixed amount: 24-month plan prices may change during the term (Feb 2026: most +£1.50, with a right to leave) | £2/day (Roaming Passport Plus, 120 destinations), only on days used; included for Sky VIP Diamond | Yes | Yes | Unconfirmed (free data plan reported for Sky Broadband Basics customers) Source unavailable | Sources for Sky Mobile
|
| Tesco MobileSIM-only 12 or 24 months; pay as you go | O2 Secondary source | Pay as you go only (30-day Rocket Packs) | Clubcard Price deals frozen for the minimum term; other deals rise each April by an amount shown at sale | Included in 48 destinations; cap not published | Yes; SIM-only eSIM via customer services or store | Yes (pay monthly only, UK only) | None found Secondary source | Sources for Tesco Mobile
|
| giffgaffMonthly rolling or 18 months | O2 Secondary source | Yes (monthly rolling) | None on 18-month plans bought before the end of 2026; no guarantee on rolling plans | Included in 37 EU destinations, up to 5GB per plan (not Switzerland or Türkiye) | Yes (giffgaff app only) | Yes (UK only, listed phones) | None found Secondary source | Sources for giffgaff
|
| VOXI30-day only | VodafoneThree (Vodafone) | Yes (30-day only) | Price locked | Paid passes: 1 day £2.60, 2 days £4.80, 8 days £15, 15 days £20 | Yes (one active SIM per account) | Yes | VOXI For Now: £10, unlimited data for 6 months, then 20GB | Sources for VOXI
|
| Smarty1-month only | VodafoneThree (Three) | Yes (1-month only) | No annual rises on rolling plans | Included, up to 12GB | Yes | Yes (UK only) | SMARTY Social Tariff: £12, unlimited data | Sources for Smarty
|
| iD MobileSIM-only 1, 12 or 24 months; phone plans 24 months | VodafoneThree (Three) | Yes (1-month SIM-only) | SIM-only: none. Phone plans: +£1.80/mo each April (bought from 11 Mar 2026) | Included in 50 destinations, up to 30GB | Yes | Yes | None found (secondary source) Secondary source | Sources for iD Mobile
|
| Lebara30-day or 12 months | VodafoneThree (Vodafone) | Yes (30-day) | Advertises no annual price rises; terms allow price changes with one month's notice | Included in EU/EEA, India and Ukraine, up to 30GB | Limited: new customers on selected iPhones only | Yes (switched on after joining) | None found Unknown | Sources for Lebara
|
| Talkmobile30-day or 12 months | VodafoneThree (Vodafone) | Yes (30-day) | No annual price rises on any plan | Included, up to 5GB (pages differ on 46 or 47 destinations) Conflicting sources | Yes | Yes | None found Unknown | Sources for Talkmobile
|
| Lyca Mobile30-day bundles; pay monthly 1, 12 or 24 months | EE (secondary source) Secondary source | Yes (30-day bundles and 1-month pay monthly) | Pay monthly: no mid-contract rises. 30-day bundles: no statement | Included on most bundles, 5–35GB by plan | Yes | Yes (all plans since May 2026, secondary source) Secondary source | None found Unknown | Sources for Lyca Mobile
|
| Asda Mobile1, 12 or 24 months | VodafoneThree (Vodafone and Three) | Yes (1-month) | 12- and 24-month plans: "No mid-contract price rises". 1-month plans: no such statement | Included in 46 destinations, up to 5GB | Yes (phones only) | Yes (new customers wait 7 days) | None found Unknown | Sources for Asda Mobile
|
| Honest MobileMonthly or 12 months | Three (help centre); not named in main FAQ Conflicting sources | Yes (monthly) | Marketing rejects annual rises; not written into the terms | 5 days free per trip, then £2/day; up to 20GB a month | Yes | Yes (UK) | None found Unknown | Sources for Honest Mobile
|
| 1pMobile30-day, 1 year, pay as you go | EE (secondary source) Secondary source | Yes (30-day) | No promise found on its own site; terms allow changes with 30 days' notice (a 2025 secondary source reports a no-rise promise) Conflicting sources | Included in 46 destinations | Yes | Yes | None (student and disability discounts) | Sources for 1pMobile
|
| Utility WarehouseMonthly rolling | EE (secondary source) Secondary source | Yes (monthly rolling) | No policy published on its mobile pages Unknown | Included (up to 14GB on Unlimited+) | Existing customers only, after 30 days | Yes | None found Unknown | Sources for Utility Warehouse
|
| Superdrug Mobile1-month only | VodafoneThree (Three) | Yes (1-month) | No no-rise promise; terms allow price changes with 30 days' notice | Included in EU/EEA, 12GB cap | Not offered (help article dated 2023) | Yes | None found Unknown | Sources for Superdrug Mobile
|
| spusuMonthly | EE (secondary source) Secondary source | Yes (monthly) | Plan price won't change unless you switch plan | Included: 3GB, 6GB or 10GB usable in the EU, by plan | Yes | Yes | None found Unknown | Sources for spusu
|
| ecotalk30-day | EE (secondary source) Secondary source | Yes (30-day) | "No price rises – ever" | £2/day; fair use 25% of your allowance (max 25GB) | Yes | Unknown Unknown | None (Just Talk £6, no data, is the closest) | Sources for ecotalk
|
Download the same data: CSV · JSON. Both files are generated from the same source as this table.
5G is included on almost every plan from every brand above; exceptions include Vodafone Basics, speed-capped plans (EE No Frills at 10Mbps and Essentials at 100Mbps, Vodafone's standard SIM-only plans and Three Lite at 100Mbps) and Lebara, which a secondary source says doesn't get Vodafone's fastest "5G Ultra". Plusnet Mobile (closed in 2024) and Virgin Mobile (customers moved to O2 in 2023) are not included.
"Secondary source" means only a reputable secondary source confirmed the value. "Unknown" means we found no evidence either way; "Source unavailable" means the page couldn't be read when we checked; "Conflicting sources" means sources disagree. We'd rather leave a gap than guess.
Which network does each brand use?
The UK has three companies that run mobile networks: EE (owned by BT), Virgin Media O2, and VodafoneThree. Every other brand rents space on one of them, so a cheap brand uses the same masts as its host. That doesn't guarantee identical service: the host can prioritise its own customers when a mast is busy, and some brands don't get every feature (such as the fastest 5G) or cap speeds.
| Host network | Brands that use it |
|---|---|
| EE | EE, BT Mobile, and (host named by secondary sources) Lyca Mobile, 1pMobile, Utility Warehouse, spusu, ecotalk |
| O2 | O2, and (host named by secondary sources) giffgaff, Tesco Mobile, Sky Mobile |
| Vodafone (VodafoneThree) | Vodafone, VOXI, Talkmobile, Lebara |
| Three (VodafoneThree) | Three, Smarty, iD Mobile, Superdrug Mobile, Honest Mobile (named in its help centre; its main FAQ says it can't name the network) |
| Vodafone and Three | Asda Mobile (says so on its homepage) |
Plusnet Mobile closed in 2024; its customers were pointed towards EE deals but could move to any provider.
What the VodafoneThree merger means for you
Vodafone UK and Three UK merged on 31 May 2025 to form VodafoneThree. Vodafone Group agreed in May 2026 to buy out CK Hutchison's share and announced on 30 July 2026 that the deal was complete, so it now owns the business outright. The two networks are being joined up in stages:
- Since August 2025, Vodafone and Three customers in upgraded areas have been able to connect automatically to whichever of the two networks gives the better signal.
- By April 2026, Vodafone said network sharing was switched on at about 10,000 mast sites. In May 2026 Ericsson and VodafoneThree described the upgrade as completing the first phase of network integration. Vodafone's own timetable is 95% of the rollout within six years of the merger and all of it within eight.
- Vodafone and Three are still sold as separate brands, with separate prices and plans.
Whether a cheaper brand gets the combined coverage depends on the brand:
| Brand | Uses both Vodafone and Three masts? | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Vodafone, Three | Yes, in upgraded areas | VodafoneThree announcements |
| Smarty, VOXI, Talkmobile | Yes, in upgraded areas | Named in VodafoneThree's announcements |
| iD Mobile | Yes, in upgraded areas | iD Mobile's own help page |
| Asda Mobile | Its homepage says "Vodafone and Three networks"; no formal announcement found | Asda Mobile homepage |
| Lebara, Honest Mobile, Superdrug Mobile | No statement found | Checked 8 November 2026 |
What to do: if coverage on one of the two networks is weak where you live, a brand that uses both can help without paying Vodafone or Three prices. Check your postcode on Ofcom's Map Your Mobile for both networks.
Same signal, cheaper brand
If your signal is fine, you don't need to change host network to save money: move to a cheaper brand on the same one. These were the cheapest entry plans and unlimited plans we saw on each brand's own website on 8 November 2026 (rolling plans unless stated). Prices change often and several were promotions. To compare every brand on your current network side by side, use the host-network filter in the table above.
| Host network | Brand | Entry plan | Unlimited data |
|---|---|---|---|
| EE | Lyca Mobile | £3.50 for 5GB per 30 days | £12.50 per 30 days |
| EE | Utility Warehouse | £6 for 10GB | £13 (500GB fair use) |
| EE | spusu | £4.90 for 5GB (offer ending 12 November 2026) | No unlimited plan (40GB £9.90) |
| EE | 1pMobile | £5 for 5GB per 30 days | £25 per 30 days |
| EE | ecotalk | £8 for 3GB | £22 (shown at £11 on an offer) |
| O2 | giffgaff | £6 for 2GB | £35 rolling; £25 on an 18-month plan |
| Vodafone | Talkmobile | £5.95 for 10GB | No unlimited plan seen (150GB £11.95) |
| Vodafone | Lebara | £5 for 5GB | £25 |
| Vodafone | Asda Mobile | £5 for 3GB | £22 (£19 on 24 months) |
| Vodafone | VOXI | £10 for 20GB | £35 |
| Three | iD Mobile | £6 for 20GB | £18 (1 month); £17 (24 months) |
| Three | Smarty | £6 for 5GB | £20 |
| Three | Superdrug Mobile | £7 for 10GB | £20 |
Mid-contract price rises by network
Every big network still raises prices during contracts; what changed in 2025 is that you now know the amount before you sign. If you want a price that can't move, pick one of the brands with a no-rise promise, or a 30-day rolling plan you can leave.
The rules today
- Since 17 January 2025, Ofcom bans rises linked to inflation (such as "CPI + 3.9%") or set as a percentage in new contracts. A rise must be stated upfront in pounds and pence, with the date it applies.
- Rises that weren't in your contract need at least one month's notice and let you leave without an exit fee. See your right to leave.
- The Telecoms Consumer Charter (February 2026, voluntary) commits BT Group, Virgin Media O2, VodafoneThree, Sky and others to charging the core price you signed up to. It doesn't stop rises written into new contracts.
- April 2027 and 2028: deal pages for new customers already show those rises in pounds and pence. On 8 November 2026, for example, EE's cheapest 24-month SIM-only plan showed £10 rising to £12.50 on 31 March 2027 and £15 on 31 March 2028.
Rises for new customers, by brand
| Brand | Amount per month | When | Applies to | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EE | £2.50 (SIM-only); £4 (handset plans) | 31 March | Bought from 31 Jul 2025 (SIM-only); from 10 Sep 2024 (handset) | Out-of-contract prices rise every 1 March |
| BT Mobile | £2.50 | 31 March | Mobile plans | 30-day plans, so you can leave instead |
| O2 | £2.50 (voice airtime); 75p (data-only, smartwatch) | April | Airtime plans; O2's page gives no sign-up date (secondary sources say sign-ups from 23 Oct 2025) | Device plans don't rise |
| Vodafone | £2.50; £1.50 on Basics | 1 April | Pay monthly airtime and data plans (the official page we read gave no sign-up date) | Social-tariff and financially vulnerable customers exempt; device plans don't rise |
| Three | £1.80 (up to 4GB); £1.90 (5–99GB); £2.30 (100GB+) | April | Joined or upgraded from 9 Nov 2025 | Device payments and add-ons excluded |
| Sky Mobile | Not fixed in advance | Varies | 24-month data plans may change during the term | Feb 2026: most +£1.50, some +£1 or +£3, with a right to leave; customers who joined from 6 Nov 2025 unaffected (secondary source) |
| Tesco Mobile | An amount in pounds and pence shown at sale; varies by deal | April | Non-Clubcard deals from 17 Dec 2024 | Clubcard Price deals frozen for the minimum term |
| iD Mobile | £1.80 on phone plans; none on SIM-only | April | Phone plans bought from 11 Mar 2026 | £1.50 for phone plans bought 15 Jan 2025–10 Mar 2026 |
What older customers paid in April 2026
If you joined before the dates above, your rise depends on when you signed, and some older contracts were still on inflation-linked terms (Tesco Mobile, for example, used CPI + 3.9% for deals taken from 27 March 2023 to 16 December 2024). Check your provider's price-change page or your contract summary. Under the Charter, April 2026 was the last inflation-linked rise for signatories' legacy contracts.
What a rise adds over a contract
A £2.50 rise on a 24-month contract usually lands twice. On a deal starting in October, the first rise adds £30 over the following 12 months (£2.50 × 12), and the second adds £30 over the last six months (£5 extra × 6): £60 over two years, compared with a brand with no rises charging the same headline price. The true cost calculator works this out for any start month.
Brands promising no mid-contract rises
On all standard plans: Smarty (rolling plans), VOXI ("price locked"), Talkmobile, spusu and ecotalk. Lebara advertises no annual price rises, although its terms allow price changes with a month's notice; Honest Mobile's marketing rejects annual rises, but the promise isn't in its terms.
On some plans: giffgaff (18-month plans bought before the end of 2026), iD Mobile (SIM-only), Tesco Mobile (Clubcard Price deals), Asda Mobile (12- and 24-month plans) and Lyca Mobile (pay monthly). 1pMobile is not on either list: we found no promise on its own site, and its terms allow changes with 30 days' notice.
Promises can change for new customers, so check the terms on the day you sign.
What happens when your contract ends
Networks treat out-of-contract customers differently, and the old rule of thumb ("your bill drops when the phone is paid off") only clearly applies to split plans:
- O2, Vodafone (EVO), Three (Your Way), Sky: the phone is on a separate device plan, so those payments stop when it's paid off. The airtime part can keep getting annual rises.
- Bundled plans: we found no current official statement from any network that bundled bills drop automatically when the minimum term ends. EE says its prices rise every 1 March once you're out of contract.
Whichever network you're with, the cheapest move at the end of a contract is almost always SIM-only or a switch: see how to switch.
EU and worldwide roaming by network
Since Brexit, UK networks set their own roaming rules, and they've drifted apart. EE and Vodafone charge £2.72–£2.75 a day on most standard plans, as does Three for newer customers, while O2 and most cheaper brands still include EU roaming within a fair-use cap.
EU roaming at a glance
| Brand | Cost in the EU | Fair-use data cap abroad |
|---|---|---|
| EE | £2.72/day on most plans; EU passes £16.50 (7 days) or £30 (15 days); included on Essentials Plus, Essentials Plus Max, All Rounder and Full Works | 50GB on plans that include roaming |
| Vodafone | £2.75/day, or 8-day pass £16 / 15-day pass £21; included on plans with Euro Roam | 25GB (or your UK allowance if lower) |
| Three | £2.75/day if joined from 18 Dec 2025; £2/day if joined 1 Oct 2021–17 Dec 2025; included on Value and Complete | 12GB |
| Sky Mobile | £2/day (Roaming Passport Plus, 120 destinations including the USA), charged only on days you use more than 10MB or call/text | 25GB |
| VOXI | Passes: £2.60 (1 day), £4.80 (2 days), £15 (8 days), £20 (15 days) | Your allowance or 20GB, whichever is lower |
| ecotalk | £2/day | 25% of your allowance (max 25GB) |
| Honest Mobile | 5 days free per trip, then £2/day | Up to 20GB a month |
| O2 | Included (48 destinations) | 25GB |
| giffgaff | Included (37 EU destinations; not Switzerland or Türkiye) | 5GB per plan |
| Tesco Mobile | Included (48 destinations) | Not published |
| Smarty | Included | 12GB |
| iD Mobile | Included (50 destinations) | 30GB |
| Lebara | Included (EU/EEA, India and Ukraine) | 30GB |
| Talkmobile | Included | 5GB |
| Lyca Mobile | Included on most bundles | 5–35GB, by plan |
| Asda Mobile | Included (46 destinations) | 5GB |
| 1pMobile | Included (46 destinations) | 14GB cap on data boosts used abroad |
| BT Mobile | Included (47 destinations) | Surcharge possible above 15GB a bill on plans of 20GB or more |
| Superdrug Mobile | Included | 12GB |
| spusu | Included | 3GB, 6GB or 10GB, by plan |
| Utility Warehouse | Included | Up to 14GB on Unlimited+ |
Worked example: a two-week family holiday in Spain
Four people, four SIMs, 14 days, everyone uses their phone every day:
| Network | Calculation | Total for the family |
|---|---|---|
| Three (joined from 18 Dec 2025) | £2.75 × 14 × 4 | £154.00 |
| EE, paying daily | £2.72 × 14 × 4 | £152.32 |
| EE, with a 15-day EU pass each | £30 × 4 | £120.00 |
| Three (joined 2021–2025), Sky Mobile, ecotalk | £2 × 14 × 4 | £112.00 |
| Vodafone, with a 15-day pass each | £21 × 4 | £84.00 |
| VOXI, with a 15-day pass each | £20 × 4 | £80.00 |
| Honest Mobile | 9 paid days (after 5 free) × £2 × 4 | £72.00 |
| O2, giffgaff, Tesco Mobile, Smarty, iD Mobile and the other "included" brands | Within fair-use caps | £0.00 |
That's up to £154 for the same fortnight, purely down to which brand you're on. If you travel a lot, roaming policy can be worth more than a few pounds' difference in monthly price.
Ways to cut the cost: buy a pass instead of paying daily (EE, Vodafone, VOXI), only turn on mobile data when you need it (Sky charges only on days you use more than 10MB), or add a cheap 30-day plan with EU roaming included as a second SIM or eSIM for the trip.
Outside Europe
Worldwide roaming is far more expensive and varies more. Examples: Three charges £8 a day in its worldwide destinations for customers who joined from 18 December 2025 (£7 before); Sky's £2 Roaming Passport Plus covers the USA; Lebara's included roaming covers India and Ukraine as well as the EU. For long trips outside Europe, a local SIM or a travel eSIM is usually cheapest.
eSIM, Wi-Fi calling and 5G
These three features are now standard on almost every UK brand. The differences are in the details.
eSIM
An eSIM is a SIM built into your phone, downloaded through an app or QR code. It works with the normal text-to-switch process. Most brands support it; these are the exceptions and quirks we found:
| Brand | eSIM quirk |
|---|---|
| Tesco Mobile | Digital download with pay monthly phone deals; for SIM-only, through customer services or in store |
| Utility Warehouse | Existing customers only, after 30 days |
| VOXI | One active SIM per account |
| giffgaff | Activated only through the giffgaff app |
| Lebara | New customers only on selected iPhones; existing customers can switch |
| Asda Mobile | Phones only, not tablets or wearables |
| Superdrug Mobile | Not offered, according to its help centre (article dated 2023) |
| BT Mobile | Unknown: no official statement found |
Wi-Fi calling
Wi-Fi calling routes calls and texts over your home or work Wi-Fi when mobile signal is weak, at no extra cost. It's available on every brand we checked except ecotalk, where we couldn't confirm it, and Lyca Mobile's all-plan launch in May 2026 rests on a secondary source. On most brands it works only in the UK, and some limit it to approved handsets. Tesco Mobile offers it on pay monthly only, Asda Mobile makes new customers wait 7 days, and Lebara switches it on some time after you join.
5G
5G is included at no extra cost on nearly all plans. The exceptions are deliberate: Vodafone Basics plans don't include 5G; EE caps speeds on some plans (No Frills at 10Mbps, Essentials at 100Mbps); Vodafone's standard SIM-only plans and Three's Lite plans are capped at 100Mbps; and a secondary source says Lebara customers don't get Vodafone's fastest "5G Ultra". You need a 5G phone and 5G coverage where you are; check your postcode on Ofcom's Map Your Mobile.
Social tariffs and help on a low income
Social tariffs are cheaper plans for people on certain benefits, such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit. Charter signatories have promised to make them easier to find. Ofcom figures published in February 2026 put the number of customers on fixed or mobile social tariffs at 532,000 in June 2025, most of them on broadband.
| Social tariff | Price | What you get | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| VOXI For Now | £10/month | Unlimited data, calls and texts for 6 months, then the standard £10 20GB plan; 30-day rolling | Vodafone |
| O2 Essential Plan | £10/month | 10GB, unlimited UK calls and texts, 30-day rolling, no price rises | O2 |
| SMARTY Social Tariff | £12/month | Unlimited data, rolling, no annual rises | Three |
| EE Basics | £12/month | 5GB, unlimited calls and texts, speeds up to 25Mbps | EE |
Check eligibility on each provider's page; most ask for proof of a qualifying benefit. Sky has offered a free data plan to Sky Broadband Basics customers, but we couldn't confirm the current offer. Because cheap SIM-only plans now start at a few pounds, compare a social tariff with the cheapest standard plans on the same network before you apply: if you need little data, a standard plan may be cheaper. Ofcom's list of social tariffs
Frequently asked questions
What network does giffgaff use?
O2. giffgaff is owned by Virgin Media O2 and uses O2's masts, so coverage is broadly the same as O2's. Tesco Mobile and Sky Mobile also use O2.
Is Smarty on the Vodafone network now?
Partly. Smarty runs on Three, which merged with Vodafone in 2025. Since August 2025, Smarty SIMs in upgraded areas connect automatically to whichever of the Vodafone or Three networks gives the better signal, and the rollout continues area by area.
Which mobile networks don't have price rises?
On all standard plans: Smarty, VOXI, Talkmobile, spusu and ecotalk, plus Lebara and Honest Mobile with the caveats above. On some plans: giffgaff (18-month plans bought before the end of 2026), iD Mobile (SIM-only), Tesco Mobile (Clubcard Price deals), Asda Mobile (12 and 24 months) and Lyca Mobile (pay monthly). EE, BT Mobile, O2, Vodafone and Three all add a fixed rise every year.
Do UK networks charge for roaming in Europe?
Some do. EE charges £2.72 a day and Vodafone £2.75 a day on most standard plans, and Three charges £2.75 for customers who joined from 18 December 2025. Sky Mobile and ecotalk charge £2 a day. O2 and most cheaper brands, including giffgaff, Smarty, iD Mobile and Tesco Mobile, include EU roaming within a fair-use data cap.
Is coverage worse on a cheaper brand than on its host network?
It uses the same masts, so day-to-day coverage is usually broadly similar, but it isn't guaranteed to be identical. Some brands don't get every feature (such as the fastest 5G) or cap speeds, and a host can prioritise its own customers when a mast is very busy.
Do all UK networks have 5G now?
Yes. All three networks offer 5G, and nearly every brand includes it at no extra cost. Exceptions include Vodafone Basics plans and speed-capped plans on EE, Vodafone and Three.
Can I download the data?
Yes. The full table is available as CSV and JSON, generated from the same source as the table on this page. Each value comes with its status, scope, sources and check date. If you quote it, please link to this page and mention the check date, because the fine print changes.
How we collected and checked this data
- Sources: each brand's own price guides, terms, price-change pages and help pages first. Where a brand's own page didn't settle a question, we used reputable secondary sources such as ISPreview or MoneySavingExpert, and the table labels those values "Secondary source".
- What counts as "no rises": the brand publicly promises it, not just that it hasn't raised prices recently. Where the promise is only in marketing, or the terms still allow changes, we say so.
- When: every value was checked on 8 November 2026. We haven't set up a regular re-check, so treat the check date as the date the information was true.
- Gaps: anything we couldn't verify is labelled "Unknown", "Source unavailable" or "Conflicting sources" rather than filled with a guess.
Sources
All checked on 8 November 2026.
Regulator and government
- Ofcom: mid-contract price rise rules
- Ofcom: social tariffs
- Ofcom: Map Your Mobile
- GOV.UK: Telecoms Consumer Charter
- ISPreview: Ofcom social tariff figures (February 2026) (secondary source)
Market structure
Networks and brands
Every value in the table links to the brand page it came from: open "Sources" on any row, or download the CSV or JSON, which list the source URLs for every field.
Change log
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| 8 Nov 2026 | First published: 21 brands checked on 8 November 2026. |