The best mobile networks in the UK for 2026, from our annual customer survey

• We surveyed 1,500 UK adults to find out how they felt about their mobile network’s customer service, value for money, perks, roaming, speed and much more
• We combined this data with annual speed, coverage and complaints data from Ofcom and Rootmetrics to cherry-pick the best mobile networks in the UK
• Giffgaff is the overall winner of this year’s Expert Reviews Mobile Network Awards, picking up high scores in value, customer service and likelihood to recommend
• Lebara and SMARTY are great choices for tighter budgets, while Tesco Mobile picked up wins for customer support and family plans

The results of our annual Mobile Network Awards survey are in: Giffgaff is the best mobile network in the UK. Tesco Mobile ranked highly for customer service, while Lebara and Smarty earned good scores for value for money.

As you can tell, our most recent survey saw a substantial shift away from the big networks – Three/Vodafone, Virgin Media/O2 and EE – towards the smaller virtual networks (MVNOs). It’s easy to see why: for value, customer service and perks, these smaller brands tend to beat the industry heavyweights every time. The only area where The Big Three still hold any sway is speed – but it’s clear this is no longer a priority. 

The best and worst thing about this changing of the guard is that it gives you more choice than ever before. There are some 20 smaller networks, and a big handful of those claimed a win in our survey – which is why I’m here to help connect you with the best mobile network for your needs and budget. 

I’ve combined our survey results with my own research and that of industry bodies Ofcom and Rootmetrics to pull together the definitive guide to the best mobile networks in the UK. From plans, pricing and features to speed, reliability and customer service, I’ve considered every possible angle to create this list.

Best mobile network: At a glance

• Giffgaff: Best overall | View deals
• Lebara: Best for value and sim-only deals | View deals
• Tesco Mobile: Best for service and support | View deals
• Sky Mobile: Best for perks | View deals
• EE: Best for performance | View deals
• Smarty: Best for budget plans | View deals

Read on to find out why I’ve chosen these networks, and what each has to offer new subscribers. Scroll further down to find a comprehensive buying guide that covers everything you need to think about before you sign up for a new smartphone or SIM-only deal.

How we test mobile networks

We base our in-depth reviews on research conducted specifically for our annual Expert Reviews Mobile Network Awards, and on published customer service, coverage and performance research from Ofcom and RootMetrics. We weigh up all of the above when picking out the best networks based on speed, coverage, value, customer satisfaction, features and price.

Expert Reviews Mobile Network Awards

This year’s survey questioned over 1,500 UK residents on their provider and their service, covering everything from the reliability of their connection to the value of their package and how well their network handled any issues or complaints.  We asked whether users would recommend their network to others, or warn them to look elsewhere, and found out how their network measured up on roaming, perks and multi-user or family packages. The results informed our latest round of reviews, and decided who won each of our 2025 awards.

Ofcom

Ofcom’s Comparing Customer Service: Mobile, home broadband and landline report provides a detailed indication of customer satisfaction with service, value and support for each network, including data on how many complaints are made and how they’re handled. We use the report as an additional source of data on how networks are performing, and how their customers rate them.

RootMetrics

RootMetrics runs in-depth performance tests across the length and breadth of the UK to capture figures for 4G and 5G performance and coverage. It also runs detailed 4G and 5G performance tests across 16 of the UK’s largest towns and cities. The results are updated twice a year.

The best mobile networks in the UK in 2025

1. Giffgaff: Best mobile network overall

Price when reviewed: From £6/mth (SIM-only) | View deals at Giffgaff

best buy

What we like

The original no-frills network did well in this year’s Mobile Network Awards, taking away the prize for Best overall mobile provider and the award for Best Mobile Network for Speed as well. It also achieved top three rankings in the Value, Most Recommended, Customer Service and Sim-Only Contracts categories. 59% of its customers would recommend it and only 9% would discourage others from signing up – only Lebara had more promoters and fewer detractors. Customer satisfaction scores above the board are high.

Giffgaff offers some great deals on its commitment-free monthly plans, while throwing in more data if you’re happy to sign up for 18 months. It’s also competitive on Pay Monthly phone plans. Free EU roaming is about the only perk, but getting the basics right while keeping costs low looks like a winning strategy for Giffgaff.

What we don’t like

Giffgaff runs on Virgin Media O2’s host network – the UK’s slowest, according to RootMetrics – so users aren’t often getting the fastest possible 4G or 5G performance. All the same, customers seem satisfied with the speed and reliability of their connection, as shown by it winning this year’s Speed award. There are no multi-user or family plans.

2. Lebara: Best mobile network for value

Price when reviewed: From £4.50/mth (SIM-only) | View deals at Lebara

recommended

What we like

Lebara still offers low-cost, no-frills plans with an international calling twist, but it’s become one of the best options if you want plenty of data at a budget price. You can have 30GB or 50GB without it costing more than £15, and you won’t have any mid-term price rises to worry about on its annual plans. Lebara still allows free EU roaming, with a generous 30GB fair use cap, and you can use your allowance free in India as well. Every package comes with either 100 or 500 minutes of international call-time, or even unlimited international calls.

It says a lot that over two thirds of users would actively recommend Lebara, while only 10% would discourage others from signing up. Lebara also had decent scores for reliability and speed. Most of all, customers are delighted with the value of their package, with two thirds very satisfied and 0% dissatisfied. All this helped Lebara pick up our Best Value Mobile Network and Most Recommended awards, plus a runner-up position overall.

What we don’t like

Lebara doesn’t score quite as highly on customer service; Smarty and Giffgaff seem to be more efficient at resolving customer complaints. There aren’t really any perks if you’re not interested in international calls.

3. Tesco Mobile: Best mobile network for service and support

Price when reviewed: From £7.50/mth (SIM-only) | View deals at Tesco Mobile

recommended

What we like

The UK’s biggest supermarket chain also has the UK’s biggest mobile virtual network, in a partnership with Virgin Media O2. That’s not just because of a presence in Tesco’s stores, but also because it’s built a solid reputation for good customer service and value. This year, Tesco Mobile wins awards for Customer Service, Reliability, Roaming and Multi-user plans, while coming second in the Best for Handset Contracts category and third in the SIM-only contracts category. It also ranked third as Best Overall Mobile Network.

There are definitely some bargains both on phones and on SIM-only deals, with additional discounts for Tesco Clubcard holders. Its scores for customer service and support are exemplary, both in our Mobile Network Awards survey and in Ofcom’s latest research. Tesco Mobile hasn’t dropped free EU roaming, either, and there are some useful Family Perks if you take out more than one plan on an account.

Tesco Mobile has some appealing deals and discounts, especially for families and Tesco Clubcard holders. All plans include free EU roaming until 2025.

What we don’t like

Tesco Mobile relies on Virgin Media O2’s core network, so you won’t get the best speeds or coverage, particularly for 5G connections. 14% of the customers we surveyed wouldn’t recommend it to others, which put the network out of contention for the Most Recommended prize.

4. Sky Mobile: Best mobile network for perks

Price when reviewed: From £5/mth (SIM-only) | View deals at Sky

recommended

What we like

Sky Mobile is consistently strong in its results across our Mobile Network Awards survey, winning in the Best for Handset Contracts and Best for Perks categories, while appearing in the top three networks for almost everything else. It has some fantastic SIM-only deals, not to mention some bargains on Pay Monthly phone contracts, with the bonus of a Piggybank feature that saves unused data to be used another month, and the ability to stream video through Sky’s own Sky Go, Sky Sports and Sky News apps, without touching your monthly allowance.

While Sky Mobile doesn’t include free EU roaming, its reasonably-priced Roaming Passport add-ons helped it come second in the Best for Roaming category. Users are also happy with the network’s reliability and speeds. Meanwhile, it doesn’t come far behind Tesco Mobile and Giffgaff for customer service, and nearly half of the users surveyed said they would recommend Sky Mobile to others. It’s one of the best networks for multi-user plans.

What we don’t like

Sadly, 11% of users surveyed would actively recommend against it, and Sky Mobile can be expensive if you’re travelling outside of Europe, so check before you fly. Sky Mobile’s handset plans are fantastically flexible, but also fairly complex, so make sure you work out exactly what you’ll be spending over a two-year or a three-year plan if you’re trying to make meaningful comparisons. Its reliance on the Virgin Media O2 network means you may not get the best 5G performance where you live.

5. EE: Best mobile network for speed

Price when reviewed: From £18/mth (SIM-only) | View deals at EE

What we like

With prices starting at £18 per month, SIM-only, EE is rarely the cheapest option. Where it wins, though, is on performance. While our survey shows that not every user is satisfied with EE’s speeds, it reliably wins more awards than any other network in RootMetrics’ UK-wide speed tests. It has the UK’s fastest median download speed (110.8Mbps) and also the fastest 5G median download speed (241.2Mbps). Three can go even faster in places, but EE’s luckiest customers in terms of 5G connection speeds are getting download rates of over 730Mbps.

EE and Vodafone pull ahead of the other two major networks when it comes to customer service, according to our survey, and EE has also had positive results in this year’s Ofcom’s research. There are also some great perks on EE’s premium plans, with bundled subscriptions a speciality, and some useful features for families, including the ability to gift spare data to other users on the same account.

What we don’t like

Value for money has long been EE’s weakness. Its plans tend to be expensive, and it’s not often the cheapest network for new phones. Its results aren’t bad in this category, but rival networks do significantly better. EE’s customer satisfaction scores aren’t always where you’d hoped they would be, either. 41% of users told us they would recommend EE to others, but 13% would discourage them from signing up. Finally, only some of EE’s more expensive plans include free EU roaming.

6. Smarty: Best budget mobile network

Price when reviewed: From £6/mth (SIM-only) | View deals at Smarty

What we like

Smarty may be the best of the no-frills networks if you’re looking for a bargain basement deal. You’ll struggle to get 5GB for £6 with most rival networks, or 100GB to 150GB for under £15. What’s more, it sometimes throws in bonus data on a special offer, giving you even more GBs for your buck. 

All Smarty plans include free EU roaming, subject to a 12GB fair use limit, and offers discounts if a bunch of you sign up for a group plan. It was the runner-up in the Best Network for Speed category, and came third in the Most Recommended rankings, just behind Giffgaff and Lebara. With all plans running on a 30-day rolling contract, you have the flexibility to upgrade, downgrade or cancel at any time.

What we don’t like

Smarty seems to be having some problems with customer service, where it lags behind the leaders in our survey and leaves a few too many customers unsatisfied. Roaming outside of the EU can also be expensive, and it’s not the network to go for if you’re after perks.

How to choose the best mobile network for you

What is a mobile network virtual operator (MVNO)?

Many of the networks on the list above are MVNOs, which simply means that they run on one of the three major UK networks: Vodafone EE, Three or Virgin Media O2. As such, they share the coverage and average download speeds of their host networks but have the freedom to set lower prices.

How much data do you need?

You can easily find 2GB to 5GB packages for around £6/mth nowadays. However, we’d suggest looking at 10GB to 20GB contracts as the minimum, as social media services and Web pages keep using more video, and it’s getting easier to work through a 2GB allowance, even without using streaming services or online gaming. Some of the best value packages now come with 20GB to 100GB or more, and you don’t need to spend more than £10 to £15 per month to get them. If you plan to use your mobile as a Wi-Fi hotspot or use game streaming services while mobile, you might want to go even further. Unlimited data deals are no longer the expensive luxury they once were, either.

What’s the coverage like in your area?

There’s one other crucial thing you should check before you sign up: 4G and 5G coverage. If your network is weak in your area, it won’t matter how fast or how good it is elsewhere.

All mobile networks offer an online coverage checker, so you can enter your postcode and find out what services are available where you are. Ofcom also has a coverage checker that can tell you which of the four networks will give you data and enhanced data services.

How long should your contract be?

Most SIM-only contracts generally last a year, but some networks are now offering compelling deals that sign you up for 18 months or two years. If you’re happy to make that commitment, you can save a few pounds per month or bag some extra data. Pay monthly phone contracts tend to last two years, sometimes three.

Pay monthly phone contracts tend to last two years, with the cheapest deals now often on a three-year contract. There’s nothing wrong with spreading the cost, especially now that a new smartphone should be able to go that distance without looking outdated, and with longer-term support from manufacturers. All the same, check the total cost of ownership from network to network before signing up to any deal.

You’ll also see SIM-only deals that work on a rolling monthly basis, which gives you the flexibility to buy lots of data when you need it, and then switch down to a cheaper plan when you don’t. Smarty, Giffgaff, Voxi, Lebara and iD Mobile all offer great-value options here.

These rolling, 30-day plans also let you avoid mid-contract price hikes, which are increasingly common on longer-term contracts and usually involve the monthly cost rising by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rate of inflation plus an additional 3.9% every spring.

Do you need a family plan or a spending cap?

A few virtual networks allow you to take multiple SIMs on a single contract, and even share data between them. This may work out cheaper than taking out separate contracts, or net you useful perks or bonus data as a reward. What’s more, it gives you more control over spending, as you can decide which plan different family members need. Some plans even allow you to share unused allowances or a rollover pot.

Another way to keep costs under control is by setting spending caps. Most providers now support these, and they help ensure that, should you (or your offspring) burn through the allowance, you won’t get a horrific shock when you open the next bill.

Are you planning to roam abroad?

All UK networks used to allow you to use your call, text and data allowances while travelling within the EU, while a few allowed you to use them in other popular destinations, such as the US and Australia.

Sadly, this is no longer the case. Vodafone, EE and Three now charge customers for inclusive EU roaming, and some of the virtual network operators have followed them. What’s more, most operators have a data cap in place to stop you streaming or posting like crazy while abroad. Check these out if you’re a frequent traveller. They can vary from 5GB to 50GB, and costs can rise dramatically once you’ve broken through the cap.

Written By

Stuart Andrews

Stuart Andrews has been writing about technology and computing for over 25 years and has written for nearly every major UK PC and tech outlet, including PC Pro and the Sunday Times. He still writes about PCs, laptops and enterprise computing, plus PC and console gaming, but he also likes to get his hands dirty with the latest gardening tools and chill out with his favourite movies. He loves to test things and will benchmark anything and everything that comes his way.

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