giffgaff vs EE, O2, Vodafone and Three: plans from £6 and no mid-contract rises

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Vodafone's cheapest SIM only plan is £16 for 1GB, and it goes up by £2.50 every April. At giffgaff, £6 a month gets you 2GB on a rolling plan, and its 18-month contracts bought before the end of 2026 come with a promise of no mid-contract price rises. giffgaff launched online in November 2009, is owned by Virgin Media O2 and runs on the O2 network, so the signal you get is O2's.

We've compared giffgaff with the four big UK networks, EE, O2, Vodafone and Three, on the things that make a real difference to your bill: monthly price, price rises, flexibility, roaming and phones. Plan details come from each network's own website.

Low monthly prices, and no mid-contract rises

Every giffgaff plan includes unlimited UK calls and texts, and 5G at no extra cost on 5G phones in 5G areas.

• Monthly rolling, no contract: 2GB for £6, 20GB for £10, 100GB for £20.
• 18-month contracts: 50GB for £12, 100GB for £15, 200GB for £20 and unlimited data for £25 a month.

Two contracts come with boosted data right now. The £10 plan gives you 80GB instead of 25GB if you activate it by 30 October, and the £8 plan gives you 40GB instead of 6GB if you activate it by 4 December. The extra data lasts for all 18 months.

The bigger difference is what happens next. giffgaff promises no mid-contract price rises on 18-month contracts bought before the end of 2026. The big networks build yearly rises into their prices:

• Vodafone: SIM only plans start at £16 for 1GB and rise by £2.50 each April, so that plan becomes £18.50 in April 2027 and £21 in April 2028.
• Three: its unlimited data SIM is £23 a month, rising to £25.30 in April 2027 and £27.60 in April 2028.
• EE: SIM only plans taken out since 31 July 2025 have a set rise of £2.50 a year, and prices rise again every year after the minimum term ends.
• O2: its advertised phone plan prices also show set rises each April.

So even where a big network looks close on day one, the gap widens with each April rise.

Flexibility that big contracts don't give you

giffgaff gives you three ways to pay: pay as you go, monthly rolling plans with no contract, and 18-month contracts. On every one you can switch your plan up or down each month, even mid-contract, so you're not paying for 200GB in a month you barely leave the house.

The 18-month contracts don't need a credit check either. EE, by contrast, says it will run a credit check and ask about your employment status when you take a pay monthly SIM, and its plans run for 24 months or 30 days. Plenty of people pass a credit check easily, but if you're new to the UK, rebuilding your credit or simply want to keep things simple, giffgaff's approach is a real plus.

Joining is straightforward. The SIM is free and usually arrives in 1-2 business days, and if you change your mind there's no need to send it back.

Roaming in Europe at no extra cost

On giffgaff you can call and text as you would at home in 37 EU Zone destinations, and use up to 5GB of your plan's data, all at no extra cost. Travel data add-ons for 61 countries further afield start at £4 and are bought in the app.

That's a useful saving next to networks that charge to roam. Three charges £2.75 a day in Europe to customers who joined or upgraded since 18 December 2025 and don't have roaming built into their plan. Vodafone includes European roaming on selected plans and sells European Roaming Passes from £16 for eight days on others.

New and refurbished phones, sold separately

giffgaff sells new and refurbished phones, all unlocked, with free next working day delivery to most of mainland UK. Refurbished phones are professionally data-wiped, get a 30-point health check, come with at least 80% battery health and carry a minimum 12-month warranty. A refurbished iPhone 12 starts at £169 and an iPhone 13 at £209.

You get 21 days to return new and refurbished phones if you change your mind, longer than the standard 14-day legal right to cancel. Because the phone and the plan are separate, you can buy a handset outright and keep a cheap SIM only plan, rather than paying off the phone inside a long airtime contract.

Small perks that add up

• Payback: £5 every time you bring a friend to giffgaff, and more for helping other members in the community.
• Loyalty data: once you've bought your third plan, giffgaff adds 1GB to your data whenever you buy a £10, £12, £15, £20 or £35 plan.
• Tethering: allowed on all plans.
• B Corp: giffgaff is a certified B Corp, if that matters to you.

Where the others have the edge

giffgaff isn't the right fit for everyone, and the big networks do some things better:

• Shops: EE, O2, Vodafone and Three all have high street stores. giffgaff is online only, with help through its Help hub, a chat service with agents, and the member community.
• Bigger roaming allowance: O2 includes up to 25GB of data roaming in its Europe Zone of 40+ destinations, compared with giffgaff's 5GB.
• Entertainment extras: EE lets you pick Inclusive Extras such as Apple Music, Netflix and TNT Sports on selected plans.
• Lower unlimited price, for now: Three's unlimited SIM at £23 a month starts below giffgaff's £25, though Three's price rises to £25.30 in April 2027.

Who giffgaff suits best

giffgaff is a strong choice if you already own your phone, want a low bill on the O2 network and like being able to change your plan whenever you need to. It suits students, people who'd rather avoid a credit check, families giving a child their first SIM, and anyone tired of a price rise every April. If you want a new handset, price up a refurbished phone plus a SIM only plan against a long phone contract before you commit.

Your questions answered

Does giffgaff use the O2 network?

Yes. giffgaff runs on O2's mobile network, including 4G and 5G, so you can check your coverage on giffgaff's coverage checker before you switch.

Can I leave giffgaff whenever I want?

On pay as you go and monthly rolling plans, yes, as there's no contract. On an 18-month contract you can change plan each month, but you may have to pay an early termination charge if you leave before the end.

Can I keep my number?

Yes. Text PAC to 65075 from your old network and you'll get a code in about a minute. Activate your giffgaff SIM, then transfer your number across.

Ways to save at giffgaff

Compare giffgaff's SIM only plans, look at its refurbished phones, and check the student offer if you have a .ac.uk email address. We've picked out giffgaff's six best deals this week, and you'll find every current offer on our giffgaff voucher codes page.

Sources: giffgaff SIM only plans, giffgaff promotions terms, giffgaff roaming, Why giffgaff, giffgaff shipping and returns, About giffgaff, Vodafone SIM only, Three, Three Go Roam, EE SIM only, EE annual price changes, O2 using your phone abroad, Wikipedia

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