Best SIM-only deals under £10 in the UK

The sub-£10 market runs from low-data plans for light users to much larger 5G allowances for people who stream, tether and use mobile data every day. A bigger allowance is not automatically better if the network is weak where you live, the price is introductory, or the plan does not travel well.

For this guide, “under £10” means a monthly budget of £10 or less. Use the live results below for exact, current prices and terms.

Pick your SIM in 30 seconds

I just want the cheapest sensible plan

Start with the lowest monthly-price cards. That can be enough for messaging, maps, email, occasional browsing and people who spend most of the day on Wi-Fi. If your phone normally uses only a few GB, paying for a huge allowance does not improve the service.

I use mobile data every day

Compare the larger data allowances close to £10, but check the minimum term first. The cheapest GB-per-pound deal can be less useful than a rolling plan if you expect to switch again soon.

I hate contracts

Look for 30-day, one-month, rolling or cancel-anytime terms. A large allowance is less attractive if it locks you in when you wanted flexibility.

I travel in Europe

Check roaming before headline UK data. A very large UK allowance may have a much smaller roaming fair-use limit, while a different provider may include a stronger travel benefit.

Read the EU roaming guide →

I need eSIM

Do not infer eSIM support from the underlying network. Use the eSIM filter and the provider’s final ordering journey to confirm that the exact plan and your handset are supported.

What is an eSIM? →

£5 vs £8 vs £10: what changes?

Around £5–£6

This range can work well for light use, a spare phone, a child’s phone or a low-use work number. Check the included data, rolling versus fixed term, roaming, 5G and the cost of any extra data. If you regularly need add-ons, moving up a tier can cost less overall.

Around £7–£8

This is often the value-heavy part of the market: enough data for regular social media, music, navigation, browsing and some video away from Wi-Fi. It is a sensible starting point for people who use roughly 10–30GB a month.

Around £9–£10

Providers compete hardest here, but the offers can mean very different things: more data on a fixed term, less data with rolling flexibility, social-media perks, stronger roaming or a temporary data boost. GB per pound is useful, but it is not the whole comparison.

Five things that can matter more than another 20GB

1. Coverage where you actually use the phone

Check home, work, your commute and regular weekend locations. National coverage percentages cannot tell you whether your kitchen or office is a weak spot. Ofcom’s postcode-level coverage checker is a useful independent starting point.

Vodafone network guide · EE network guide · O2 network guide · Three network guide

2. Rolling plan or long commitment

A longer contract can offer far more data at the same monthly price, but only if you are comfortable keeping the plan. Ask whether you would still choose the same network if a better offer appeared in three months.

3. Roaming allowance

Cheap UK SIMs vary sharply. Some providers include EU roaming from the normal allowance, some set a smaller fair-use cap and others require a separate roaming pass. If you travel several times a year, this can be worth more than saving £1 a month.

4. Introductory prices and promotions

Look at what happens after a headline offer ends. A cheap SIM might be a normal rolling price, a fixed-price contract, a temporary discount or a temporary data boost. Where a provider supplies the information, DealPriceCheck keeps introductory and ongoing pricing separate rather than treating a promotion as permanent.

5. Features you would actually notice

eSIM, Wi-Fi Calling, data rollover, international minutes, tethering and no annual price rises can be worth more than unused data. Choose the plan that fits your actual use, not only the largest number on a card.

Cheap-SIM traps worth checking

• Intro price shown as permanent: check the price and allowance after the offer period.
• Giant promotional data allowance: verify what happens when the boost expires.
• Paying for unused data: check the last two or three months in your phone settings.
• Ignoring the network: a reliable lower-data SIM can be better value than a larger allowance with poor local signal.
• Treating every “no contract” label as identical: read the actual minimum term and cancellation rules.

Providers worth checking below £10

Talkmobile

Talkmobile is worth comparing for aggressive 30-day data pricing, 4G and 5G, Wi-Fi Calling, eSIM, stated no annual price rises and European roaming terms. Check the current plan card because some longer offers use introductory discounts before an ongoing price applies.

Compare Talkmobile deals →

iD Mobile

iD is particularly relevant for rolling-plan value, eSIM, no annual SIM-only price rises, inclusive roaming and one-month data rollover. It also offers handset plans, which can matter if you expect to replace a phone later.

Compare iD Mobile deals →

SMARTY

SMARTY is a useful reference point for simple rolling plans, eSIM, 5G, EU roaming and VodafoneThree network sharing where deployed. Compare the normal allowance with any time-limited data boost before deciding.

Compare SMARTY deals →

Lebara

Lebara is particularly relevant when international calls or roaming matter, thanks to its 30-day plan style, international minutes and EU/India roaming terms on eligible plans.

Compare Lebara deals →

giffgaff and VOXI

giffgaff is a useful flexibility-versus-contract comparison. VOXI can suit social-media users, but roaming and promotional data terms deserve close attention. Neither should be judged from the headline data figure alone.

Compare giffgaff deals → · Compare VOXI deals →

When spending more than £10 makes sense

A hard £10 ceiling is not always the cheapest decision overall. Spending more can make sense when you genuinely need more data, an unlimited plan replaces another connectivity cost, the dearer plan includes roaming you would otherwise pay for, or a slightly higher price buys the flexibility you need.

How DealPriceCheck ranks cheap SIM deals

Qualifying plans must cost £10 or less. We then compare ongoing monthly price, data allowance, minimum term, confirmed network access, 5G, roaming, eSIM / Wi-Fi Calling / rollover, price-rise policy and the checked date. Affiliate or commercial relationships do not make a weaker deal rank above a stronger one. DealPriceCheck compares selected providers and is not a whole-of-market service.

How to switch without losing your number

You can normally keep your UK mobile number. Text PAC to 65075 from the number you want to keep. Your current provider sends a Porting Authorisation Code; give that code to the new provider to arrange the transfer. Ofcom says a PAC is valid for 30 days and a normal switch should complete within one working day after the new provider receives it.

Before moving, check local coverage, any early termination charge, whether the old contract has ended and handset compatibility.

Frequently asked questions

Sources and methodology

The live modules use manually validated normalized offer records. Editorial network, roaming and switching information is based on the relevant provider pages and Ofcom guidance checked for this guide.

• Talkmobile SIM-only and Talkmobile.
• iD Mobile SIM-only deals.
• SMARTY and SMARTY plans.
• Lebara SIM-only and Lebara price-rise information.
• giffgaff rolling plans and giffgaff roaming.
• VOXI SIM-only plans and VOXI terms.
• Ofcom mobile switching and Ofcom mobile coverage checker.

Explore all guides → · Compare all SIM-only deals →