Sky Mobile vs BT Mobile review: UK mobile providers compared

Sky and BT both want the same thing: to sign you up for a quartet of services, including broadband, home phone, TV and mobile. Both will sell you a phone or a SIM-only plan whether or not you’re an existing customer, but both offer their best deals to current subscribers – or to those prepared to make the switch.

The two offer very similar services, but both Sky Mobile and BT Mobile have their own distinctive style and features. Which should you go for, and does it all depend on where you have your existing TV and/or broadband deals? To find out, here’s a comparison of the two Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO) to help you make the right choice.

Sky Mobile vs BT Mobile review: Contract length and roll-over

One of the main reasons to consider Sky Mobile over other networks is its ‘Piggybank’ data rollover; any extra data you have remaining from the previous month will be added to this month’s allocation, so you get another chance to use the data that you’ve paid for – or you can cash in unused data for a range of other rewards, including money off devices and accessories in Sky’s own Sky shop. There are some limitations – your unused data enters the Piggybank at the end of every month and you can only roll it back into the next month in 1GB to 5GB batches – but otherwise it’s a very flexible system. Your Piggybank can store data for up to three years.

O2, Virgin Media and iD Mobile all offer similar rollover features, but Sky’s keeps your allowance for longer, rather than wiping the slate clean every month to hold back just the last month’s allowance. Sky’s Piggybank even works with multi-SIM contracts (you can have up to five on a single account), with each SIM adding to the same data pot. If one of you doesn’t use much data but another is a real data hog, you can use the Piggybank to share the allowance around.

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This isn’t the only example of Sky’s flexibility. Because Sky separates your phone payments from your plan payments (if you have a phone), you’re free to change your data plan at any point with just thirty days notice. You can also switch from the £10 calls and texts plan (free if you’re a Sky TV subscriber) to a Pay as You Use option. If you don’t use your phone for calls and texts you can save up to £10 a month. What’s more, Sky’s rollover carries on working when you increase or decrease your data allowance. Take out a 5GB plan for a couple of months, then switch to a 2GB plan, and you could still have 6GB or more sitting in the Piggybank waiting to be used.

As far as we’re aware, no other UK provider gives you this level of freedom within a fixed-term contract – and BT definitely doesn’t. Its all-in contracts don’t allow you to switch up and down so easily. However, if you’ve taken out the firm’s family SIM contract, you can add or remove family members from your primary 12-month contract package with 30-days’ notice and not have to worry about any penalty charges.

Winner: Sky Mobile

Sky Mobile vs BT Mobile review: Price and package deals

Both Sky and BT Mobile sit in the mid-range of the mobile network market, above the no-frills options but below the big-data, high-performance players. Here, pricing is absolutely crucial, and both have some strong SIM-only deals.

Sky Mobile keeps things simple with four different packages giving you 1GB for £6, 2GB for £12, 8GB for £15 and 15GB for £20. Remember that calls and texts aren’t necessarily included; they’re free for Sky TV customers, but £10 a month on top if you want Unlimited Calls or Texts – and pretty pricey at 10p per minute and 10p per text on Pay as You Use. Sky also now sells tablets with the same mobile plans, giving you mobile data with an iPad, iPad Pro or Galaxy Tab if you’d rather use a slate than a smartphone.

(Above: Sky Mobile’s mobile plans)

Where BT has its family plans (see below), Sky allows you to have up to five contracts attached to the same household account, but with no actual discount involved. You can share unused data in the Piggybank, but that’s as good as it gets.

Predictably, Sky surges ahead on integrated TV services. Sky Mobile now includes Sky Go Extra, allowing you to download movies and programmes to your phone or tablet for watching later.

BT can’t match Sky Mobile for eye-catching gimmicks, but it has a wider choice of plans, ranging from the £13/500MB Great Starter Plan through the £15/2GB Casual Usage plan to the £40/30GB Max Plan. Its plans seem a little more expensive than Sky’s for a given allowance, but BT includes calls and texts where Sky only gives you data (without a Sky TV account). What’s more, BT customers get a £5 discount on each plan, bringing the price down further.