1pMobile vs Mozillion: which EE based provider's best?

We’d join 1pMobile over Mozillion

From a network perspective there’s little to split 1pMobile and Mozillion. They both just use all EE’s functionality straight off the shelf. So our overall decision comes down to the rest of the experience.

And despite their cheap and cheerful appearance, it’s much better being on 1pMobile. The Mozillion customer experience is very barebones. If you want anything other than just a renewing monthly plan, you’re snookered.

Compare current SIM only deals on both

1pMobile on the other hand offer crystal clear online billing, let you manage your plan and spending and use your phone for extras like premium numbers, international calls and roaming outside the EU.

Yes, when Mozillion are pushing hard promotions you can get a better basic price. But until they develop their customer experience more, we’d say any small premium for joining 1p is worth it for an easy life.

Useful link: Read full differences between the two

✔ There’s no difference in network coverage

Both 1pMobile and Mozillion use EE’s network for signal, with no differences in coverage between them. You’ll get identical 4G/5G data and 2G call signal on both providers.

That’s excellent as they’re on the most widespread network for 4G data coverage. You’ll stay on 4G basically everywhere in places people live and in some surprisingly rural areas.

You’ll also get 5G in these 1000+ locations. And EE only claim these once they cover 50% of their area, so there are more areas than actually listed. And coverage within 5G-listed location is always comprehensive.

Current offers on SIM only plans

Both also get access to EE’s’ 2G call signal. But this is being removed to expand 4G. Thankfully both providers offer 4G calling, but you might be unable to connect to calls if your phone isn’t supported.

Useful link: Check Mozillion’s coverage | Check 1p’s coverage

✔ Data speeds also work out the same

Our own testing has found no inbuilt speed differences on Mozillion SIMs vs 1pMobile ones. Both providers claim no speed caps vs being on EE direct. Our tests gave no reason to doubt that.

We got 4G speeds as high as 130+ Mbps in the city and as low as 5 Mbps in the countryside. But more often speeds sat between 30-40 Mbps, which is backed up by Opensignal’s result of 45.9 Mbps.

For 5G, Opensignal expect typical speeds of 96.8 Mbps while Speedtest put it at 114.39 Mbps with peak speeds of 324.42 Mbps. That’s third place across all UK networks for 5G.

It’s great that both give you access to the fastest UK 4G speeds and good 5G speeds at a fraction of the cost of joining EE.

Useful link: Read more about data speeds in Mozillion’s guide

✔ WiFi calling is the same, but Mozillion offer a bit more

Both providers offer WiFi calling and 4G calling, which are features that let you connect to calls and texts using WiFi/4G signal instead of conventional call signal. Which is great as their hosts are removing 2G.

We’re sure both have taken their features off-the-shelf from EE. So it’ll work on the same devices and will let you transfer calls from WiFi to 4G without them dropping. It’s one of the best schemes out there.

But one thing Mozillion have over 1p is that they let you join on an eSIM. That can be handy, especially if you want a second SIM for your phone. It takes a few hours to work, but it’s still nice they have it.

Join instantly on any Mozillion SIM only plan

Mozillion also support call forwarding, letting you divert incoming calls to another number. That’s something else 1p don’t offer, so Mozillion come out ahead when it comes to network features.

Useful link: Read 1p’s guide to their WiFi calling

✔ Roaming is better on 1pMobile

Both 1p and Mozillion include EU roaming with all their plans. It means you can use your phone there, without it costing extra (see 1pMobile’s roaming page here and Mozillion’s information here).

The main difference is how much data each provider let you use while abroad. 1p let you use up to 14GB of your data allowance in the EU on all of their plans. Mozillion generally only give you 25% of your plan’s data.

1pMobile’s best SIM only plans

So people on smaller data plans will find 1p a lot more generous. You can travel outside of Europe on 1p and pay as you go at these rates, which can actually be quite reasonable.

On Mozillion, you literally can’t roam outside of Europe. They don’t have arrangements in place with non-EU networks and your SIM will not work. This is pretty poor, even if most people won’t be affected.

Useful link: Read Mozillion’s guide to their EU roaming

✔ You can join Mozillion on a longer, cheaper deal

The main benefit Mozillion have over 1pMobile is their options for longer deals that come in cheaper than their 1-month plans.

If you’re willing to commit to 12 or 24 months, you can typically save £1 - £2 a month vs the equivalent 1-month SIM.

Best SIM only contracts on Mozillion

Mozillion are practically unique in offering long-term pre-loaded SIMs. With these, you pay for 12 or 24 months up front and then don’t pay again. It’s a lot to pay up front but they work out cheaply, spread over the months.

You can also get a good value phone contract with Mozillion, which is something 1p don’t offer at all. They’re very competitive on price, so they’re a great alternative to joining EE directly.

Useful link: See Mozillion’s best long-term SIM only contracts

✔ 1pMobile’s customer experience is a lot better

Despite cheap appearances, 1pMobile are a lot slicker than Mozillion once you’re a customer. You can manage a lot more online and their telephone customer service is good.

1p also let you top up to use extras like international calls, which is something you can’t do on Mozillion. 1p offer cheap data add-ons to tide you over if you run out of data which you can buy online.

Best current SIM only plans on 1pMobile

We also like that you get rewards for referring friends or family members to 1p. They’ll give you and the person you referred £5 free credit each.

Useful link: Read more about 1pMobile’s refer-a-friend scheme