Coverage: check the network behind each offer
Lyca Mobile and giffgaff are mobile providers, not owners of nationwide mast networks. The host network behind an offer matters: two SIMs on different host networks can behave differently in your home, workplace or regular travel areas, even in the same phone. The live cards show the network recorded for each offer, so use that instead of assuming all low-cost SIMs share the same coverage.
Start with Ofcom's mobile coverage checker and compare predicted indoor and outdoor reception at the postcodes that matter. If reception is important, test the new SIM before you move your main number. Predictions cannot guarantee indoor signal or speeds, and a shared host network does not guarantee identical service features.
If a network suits you but the bundle does not, compare other UK SIM-only deals by network instead of choosing a brand just because it appears here.
International calls: the strongest reason to compare these two
Calling a foreign number while you are in the UK is international calling, not roaming. What matters is whether the exact number you dial is eligible, how many voice minutes you need and the total cost of those calls plus your UK data.
Lyca Mobile: start with the international allowance, if any, attached to the SIM bundle. Lyca also advertises specialist calling products for selected destinations. They can make sense for frequent calls, but a country package is not automatically included in the ordinary Lyca data SIM shown above. Confirm the destination, mobile or landline eligibility, allowance validity and renewal terms in Lyca's international plan information.
giffgaff: for international calls that are not part of a plan, compare the current destination charge and the account credit needed. That can be reasonable for an occasional short call. Check the rate for the number you dial in giffgaff's international calling information, then add it to the price of the UK plan.
| Your calling habit | First check | What could change the answer |
|---|
| Calling relatives abroad most evenings | A Lyca included-minute or specialist product | Your mobile number is excluded, or the combined package costs more |
|---|
| A brief international call now and then | giffgaff's destination rate against Lyca's bundle cost | A Lyca offer happens to include the calls at a better total price |
|---|
| Calls to several countries | Both operators' eligible destinations and call charges | Different number types or destinations are priced differently |
|---|
| WhatsApp or FaceTime Audio | Data, Wi-Fi and reception, not international minutes | Your calls are ordinary dialled calls, not internet-app calls |
|---|
Example, not a quoted tariff: if you make 80 minutes of overseas calls and a provider charges an illustrative 15p a minute, the calls alone cost £12. An included-minute bundle might beat that, but only after you add its full SIM price and confirm that all 80 minutes qualify. A different destination rate changes the sum entirely.
Wi-Fi Calling is not the same as WhatsApp or FaceTime Audio. A normal international phone call placed over the operator's Wi-Fi Calling can still be billed as an international voice call. For options beyond these two brands, see our guide to SIMs for international calls from the UK.
What does the SIM cost over a year?
A low opening payment only helps if the offer stays good value for the period you need. Compare both providers over the same start and end dates, with the UK data you will actually use. Add any introductory payments, later renewals, upfront charges and minimum commitment. Do not set one discounted payment against a rival's ordinary renewal price.
A 30-day bundle is not a calendar month
Some products are sold in 30-day periods and others renew by calendar month. They are not interchangeable. Twelve 30-day periods cover 360 days, so uninterrupted service for 365 days generally needs a thirteenth 30-day purchase. Twelve calendar-month renewals ordinarily span a year. This is arithmetic, not a claim that every Lyca or giffgaff product uses one billing system.
Suppose two suitable plans each cost a hypothetical £10 per payment. Twelve payments total £120 and thirteen total £130. If one plan needs more renewals before your end date, that gap is real even when the displayed prices match. Promotions, contract terms and data allowances can reverse the result, so use the billing arrangement shown at checkout.
Watch for three traps: an introductory price that expires, a fixed-term commitment set against a cancel-anytime option, and a UK allowance bigger than you need. If you are in the UK for a short time, calculate to your departure date, not for twelve months. See Lyca's selected deals and giffgaff's selected deals for the prices and last-verified dates recorded by DealPriceCheck.
EU roaming: usable data and hotspot permission are separate questions
Roaming means using your UK SIM abroad. International calling allowances do not become roaming allowances, and a large UK data plan does not guarantee the same data outside the UK.
Take two travellers going to Spain. One uses maps, messaging and browsing on a phone. The other needs to connect a laptop through a phone hotspot. A larger roaming-data allowance does not help the second traveller if sharing that data is prohibited.
If a roaming laptop hotspot is essential, check giffgaff first. Its official tethering guide addresses using a hotspot while roaming, subject to the applicable fair-use and data rules. That is a practical advantage when its current conditions permit your intended use. Check Lyca's EU roaming policy separately: a Lyca offer might provide enough roaming data for phone use without permitting the hotspot you need. Neither provider's permission is guaranteed forever or across every destination. These policies can change independently of our catalogue, so the cards cannot prove tethering eligibility.
Before you buy, confirm the destination, the plan's allowance, hotspot permission, charges after the allowance and rules for longer stays. If neither plan fits your trip, use our EU roaming SIM comparison.
eSIM, Wi-Fi Calling and keeping your number
An eSIM badge or a 5G badge needs context. The specific offer, your handset, its software and the activation method decide whether a feature works. If you rely on Wi-Fi Calling because your indoor signal is poor, check the operator's supported-device rules before you move your number. If you need to activate an eSIM quickly, confirm eligibility and activation steps on the final product page. For broader choices, see UK eSIM SIM-only deals.
You can normally keep a UK mobile number when you change provider. Ask your current provider for a Porting Authorisation Code (PAC) and give it to the new one, and do not cancel the old service first. Check for any exit charge or unused prepaid credit. Our number-switching guide explains the process, and Ofcom's guidance covers the current rules.
Which should you choose?
Choose Lyca Mobile first when international calls are a significant part of your mobile spending and a Lyca product covers your exact numbers. It can also be the better UK data deal when its bundle gives adequate coverage at a lower full-period cost. A country-focused calling product is not included in the ordinary SIM-only cards.
Choose giffgaff first when its payment and cancellation terms fit your routine, when paying separately for occasional overseas calls makes more sense than an included allowance, or when its network and confirmed roaming and hotspot terms suit you better. A contract plan can offer different value from a rolling one, so compare the total commitment, not the monthly label.
Choose neither by default if the network is poor where you live, the roaming rules block something essential or another SIM is better value for the same usage. The live comparison near the top is the direct route to selected offers. View Deal continues to the provider's purchase process, and Full plan details shows what our catalogue records about an offer.
Frequently asked questions
Is Lyca Mobile better than giffgaff?
It depends. Lyca is worth considering for an eligible international-calling bundle. giffgaff may suit someone who pays separately for occasional overseas calls or prefers the terms of a selected plan. For ordinary UK data, compare coverage and full-period cost instead of naming a permanent winner.
Which is cheaper, Lyca Mobile or giffgaff?
Neither is always cheapest. Compare live offers, count promotional and later payments, and allow for different billing periods and any minimum commitment. One introductory price does not show the cheapest annual plan.
Do Lyca Mobile and giffgaff use the same network?
Check the host-network labels on the current offer cards and compare the underlying networks at your postcode. Assignments can change, and shared infrastructure does not guarantee identical speed or features.
Does giffgaff include international calls?
Do not assume ordinary UK call allowances cover overseas numbers. Check the plan and giffgaff's current destination rates, including any account-credit requirement. Lyca's included minutes also depend on destination and number type.
Is Lyca Mobile or giffgaff better for calling abroad?
Lyca is the one to check first for regular overseas calls, because it offers international bundles and separate country packages. giffgaff can cost less for a few calls a month. The answer depends on the exact number you call.
Can I use a laptop hotspot while roaming in Europe?
Only if the plan and the provider's current roaming terms allow tethering at your destination. Check this separately from the roaming data amount, because domestic hotspot permission does not settle roaming eligibility.
Are eSIM and Wi-Fi Calling available on both?
Check the exact plan and handset instead of relying on provider-wide claims. eSIM activation, 5G and Wi-Fi Calling can each have their own compatibility and account requirements.
Can I keep my number when switching?
Normally yes. Arrange a PAC transfer through the new provider before ending your existing service, and check any outstanding commitment or prepaid credit.
How we compared Lyca Mobile and giffgaff
We compared the decisions most likely to change the result: international-call eligibility against per-destination charges, total price over equivalent periods, host-network coverage, roaming and hotspot permissions, and activation and handset compatibility. Our source material is the providers' official plan, credit, calling and roaming guidance and Ofcom's coverage information, linked in the sections above. We have not run our own indoor-coverage, speed, roaming or customer-service tests.
DealPriceCheck compares selected UK SIM-only offers, not the whole market. Prices, promotional and later charges, recorded network and feature fields and each offer's last-verified date come from the site's shared catalogue. International calling eligibility, account-credit requirements, handset restrictions and roaming tethering permission are not guaranteed to be represented on a SIM-only card. The page's publication date does not mean the offers were verified on that date, so confirm the final product conditions with the operator.
We may receive commission when readers buy through some links, but affiliate arrangements do not determine the order of our comparison results.