Talkmobile vs ASDA: which budget network's better?

✔ Both networks provide identical 4G/call signal

Both Talkmobile and ASDA Mobile use Vodafone’s network to provide signal. We’ve tested both and found they provide identical coverage to their hosts.

That means you get access to the joint-largest network for call signal. They provide coverage for calls in 99% of the UK’s landmass and indoor call signal tends to be a strength with them.

4G data signal is also identical between them. So you get access to the second largest 4G network on both providers at typically much lower costs than joining their hosts directly.

Best current SIM only deals on Talkmobile and ASDA

In all, both providers offer an excellent mix of call and data signal and there are no differences between them in terms of coverage. It’s worth using both providers' coverage maps here before joining either.

Useful link: Talkmobile’s signal map | ASDA’s signal map

✔ 5G is identical, but ASDA don’t offer it on all plans

Like with call and 4G data signal, both networks get full access to their hosts’ 5G network. But while Talkmobile offer it on all plans, ASDA Mobile don’t include 5G access on their lower end deals.

Best current value 5G SIM only plans on Talkmobile and ASDA

On plans that include 5G access, you’ll get 5G in these 160+ UK towns and cities on both networks. They have the smallest number of locations, but that says nothing about how good coverage is in those locations.

You’ll get typically strong 5G coverage in populated areas, such as high streets, stadiums, transport hubs and so on. But outside of that, 5G coverage tends to be weaker than on other networks.

So you’re less likely to get 5G near you and less likely to stay on 5G as you move around compared to other networks. But it’s worth using their coverage maps here to see what 5G signal will look like in your area.

Useful link: Our guide to the best 5G networks

✔ 4G speeds are identical, but ASDA have some speed caps

There are no built in speed limits on any of Talkmobile’s plans and most of ASDA’s deals. However, ASDA’s unlimited data deals do have speed caps built in depending on which plan you take.

Best Talkmobile and ASDA SIM only deals without speed caps

Outside of that, you’ll typically get 4G data speeds of 27.9 Mbps according to Opensignal’s latest report on both networks. That puts them in third place for 4G speeds, but that doesn’t tell the whole story.

In real life, we got speeds as high as 110+ Mbps on Talkmobile and ASDA’s hosts in the city centre. But in rural areas speeds went as low as 5 Mbps, so we can see how it all averages out.

If you want to take an unlimited data plan, Talkmobile will be the better choice as they have no limits on data usage or speeds. ASDA’s speed limits mean their unlimited plans aren’t really “unlimited”.

Useful link: See ASDA’s speed limits on their unlimited plans

✔ 5G data speeds are also identical on most plans

ASDA’s speed caps on their unlimited data plans also applies to 5G. But on ASDA’s other plans you’ll get the same superfast 5G data speeds that you would on any of Talkmobile’s plans.

According to Opensignal and Speedtest by Ookla, typical 5G data speeds on Talkmobile and ASDA’s hosts sit between 114.3 Mbps - 146.19 Mbps with healthy peak speeds of 315.35 Mbps.

That means they’re on the second fastest network for 5G speeds, making them an excellent choice if you’re a mobile gamer, file sharer or any other type of user who needs super fast data speeds.

But, again, we have to give the win to Talkmobile here as they’re the only one between them to offer full speed 5G on all their plans and let you get the most out of their unlimited data plans.

Useful link: Read about Talkmobile’s network upgrades

✔ ASDA have the better WiFi calling scheme

While indoor call signal is generally a strength on Talkmobile and ASDA, you can still run into indoor blackspots. This is where WiFi/4G calling come in handy, letting you connect to calls with WiFi/4G signal.

Both networks let you text over WiFi/4G. But Talkmobile don’t let you transfer from a WiFi call to a 4G call without it dropping, unlike ASDA. And ASDA have a longer list of supported devices than Talkmobile.

This means you’re more likely to get WiFi calling to work on ASDA than on Talkmobile, especially if you’re on an older Android device. But you do have to wait a week before WiFi calling can be used on ASDA.

Outside of that, Talkmobile offer call forwarding to let you divert incoming calls to another number. But otherwise neither network offers many extra features. That’s one of the trade-offs of joining a budget network.

Useful link: Our guide to the best WiFi calling networks

✔ Talkmobile’s EU roaming is a bit better than ASDA’s

Both Talkmobile and ASDA let you use any of their plans in the EU at no added cost. You can see Talkmobile’s list of EU destinations here and ASDA’s list here, but there’s generally a lot of overlap between them.

While abroad you can use your UK mins and texts and up to 5GB of data on both. That’s a flexible amount that most users won’t get through on a short trip, but may feel restrictive for heavy data users.

The main difference is that Talkmobile have roaming turned on by default, while ASDA don’t. That means you have to turn on roaming manually before going abroad on ASDA or you could be stuck without signal.

That can be annoying if you didn’t know beforehand. Also neither network include any roaming destinations beyond the EU, which is what we’d expect from budget networks. Talkmobile just slightly take this one.

Useful link: Our guide to the best EU roaming networks

✔ ASDA offer a bit more flexibility on their plans

ASDA Mobile offer all their SIM only plans on 1-month deals where you pay for your mins, texts and data up front each month rather than joining on a contract. This has a few benefits.

As you’re not tied to a contract, you can switch your plan or leave ASDA altogether whenever you want. So if you’re spending too much on your plan or extra data you can change to a plan that better suits your needs.

Talkmobile also offer 1-month contracts, but you have to give 30 days notice to leave. And these are sold at a slightly higher monthly cost than their less flexible 12-month contracts.

You also won’t get any nasty surprises on your ASDA bill as you have to top up with credit to use any extras outside your plan. So you can’t accidentally overspend that way on ASDA, while you can on Talkmobile.

Useful link: Our 30-day rolling plan guide

✔ ASDA’s data add-ons are better value and more flexible

Your data usage will change from month to month, so you might end up going over your data allowance unless you’re on an unlimited data plan. In that case, you’ll like ASDA’s data add-ons.

They’re pretty good value, with their smallest being 1GB for £2 and their larger ones being even better value per GB. These last 30 days, so you’ve got a whole month to use what you’ve paid for.

It is a shame they don’t last a bit longer. But Talkmobile’s data add-ons only last seven days and tend to be more expensive per GB, starting at 500MB for £3. You get a lot more time to use your add-ons on ASDA.

Still, it’s best to join on a plan that suits your needs rather than signing up to a huge plan because you’re worried about going over your allowance. But ASDA’s data add-ons are a nice safety net if you do.

Useful link: Our guide to the best data add-ons of all networks

✔ Talkmobile’s customer service is a bit better

Lots of smaller networks are able to keep their costs low by not paying for call centres. However, both Talkmobile and ASDA Mobile let you phone them up to get help. So what are the differences between them?

Well, Talkmobile have an online chat on their website, while ASDA don’t. This is really handy for people who’d rather not call and has been a quick and efficient way of getting help whenever we’ve tried.

And Talkmobile keep their call centres open for longer hours than ASDA, letting you call them up from 8am - 10pm on weekdays while ASDA let you call them between 8am - 8pm. But their hours on weekends are the same.

So it’s easier to get help if you’re on a tight work schedule or if you’d rather just chat rather than call on Talkmobile. Their customer is genuinely excellent for such a low-cost network.

Useful link: Our guide to the best customer service networks

✔ Only ASDA let you join a phone deal directly between them

Between the two networks, only ASDA Mobile let you join on a phone contract directly. On Talkmobile you have to first join on a SIM only plan and wait until they say you can upgrade to a phone contract.

On ASDA, you can take these phones on a credit agreement (essentially a loan) via PayPal credit. The cost of your phone is separate from your usage plan (mins, texts, data) and these make up your monthly payment.

They sell their phones on 24-month contracts, but you can pay off your loan at any point if you want to upgrade early. But there’s no way to stretch it out over a longer period to lower your monthly payment.

You can get a Talkmobile phone deal directly from a third party reseller like Fonehouse, and they usually tend to offer better costs for their phones but on much less flexible contracts. In all, ASDA take this one.

Useful link: ASDA Mobile’s full range of phone deals