30-day SIM only plans compared: the best deals in October
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We explain how 30-day rolling contracts work on SIM only and help you compare prices on the UK mobile networks that offer them.
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Thanks, we'll send that out now. Please check your inbox for our email.How rolling SIM only contracts work
What do 1-month rolling contracts mean?
✔ Automatic contract renewal each month
When we talk about monthly “rolling” contracts we mean a type of regular pay monthly SIM only contract where you’re only tied into it for 1 month rather than the usual 12 to 24 months.
These will renew themselves automatically every month, so there’s nothing to do manually if you want to stay on your network. It will keep renewing itself until you cancel it. That’s what “rolling” means.
To leave your contract you have to give either 30 days’ or a 1-month notice beforehand. However, some networks let you cancel it sooner if you wish and we’ve highlighted those networks further down the page.
How long the notice period is depends on your network. Some say “30 days” while others will say “1-month” - but it works essentially the same way in any case.
Useful link: Read all their advantages and disadvantages
How rolling contracts and monthly bundles are different
✔ You just need a UK bank account to join
It’s important to know the difference between 30-day SIM only contracts (pay monthly) and monthly bundles (basically pay as you go). The difference is in how you pay for either type of deal:
When you take a SIM contract, you’re setting up a direct debit to pay for your monthly plan and any extras not included in your allowance. The cost of these comes out of your bank account each month.
Monthly SIM only bundles are paid for up front (a bit like traditional Pay As You Go) with a debit or credit card or via Paypal. You buy your month’s allowance of mins, texts and data before using them.
And if you want to spend money on anything that’s not included in your basic bundle, you’ll usually have to top up with credit and pay out of that.
Contracts are typically a bit cheaper per GB, but you need to pass a credit check to join one. Monthly bundles don’t require credit checks as you’re paying up front, but they can be pricier per GB on many networks.
Useful link: See rolling SIMs with no credit check in our dedicated guide.
Positive: You can leave once you’ve given 30 day’s notice
✔ Leave when you like with 1-month’s notice
The main reason you’d join a 30-day contract is that you don’t want to be tied down on a long-term contract.
If you want to leave your network you only have to give them 30 days’ notice beforehand. If you do that then you won’t be charged for leaving early (this is what will happen if you leave early on a long contract).
You might find that the network you’ve joined just isn’t for you. Or a better deal comes along. If you’re on a longer contract then you’re out of luck, and you’ll be stuck on that network till your contract is over.
If you want to test a network before joining on a long contract then it can be a good idea to join on a 1-month contract first. If you don’t like them you can then just leave almost immediately, no questions asked.
Useful link: Compare 1-month SIM only plans
Positive: Change plans to suit your usage needs
✔ Switch up or down to suit your needs
The amount of minutes, texts and data you need can change from month to month. That’s why being stuck on a 12-month or more contract with no way to change your plan could be an issue.
If you’re on a plan that doesn’t give you enough mins, texts or GB of data to suit your needs you could end up paying extra charges. Or you might be spending a lot on a large plan you don’t actually need.
But you don’t have to worry about that on a rolling 30-day contract. It means you can switch to any monthly deal your network offers - which also means you can change to a cheaper offer when they appear!
It’s simple to change deals. Just take a new plan on the networks’ website or call up your networks’ customer service if you’d rather do it like that (but some networks don’t offer over-the-phone service).
Useful link: Find a 30-day rolling SIM now
Negative: 1-month contracts can be pricier than longer ones
✔ Shorter contracts tend to be pricier
Networks that have both 1-month contracts and 12-month (or longer) contracts usually offer their longer contracts at better per GB. So the flexibility you get with 1-month contracts can come at a cost.
1-month plans tend to be anywhere between £3 to £5 pricier per month than a network’s longer contracts. And quite a few networks just don’t offer any 30-day contracts whatsoever.
If being on a longer contract isn’t an issue for you, then you might like being on a cheaper long-term contract rather than on a pricer 30-day contract.
But if you’d rather stay flexible, then the added cost of a 1-month deal might be a worthwhile trade-off. Or you can choose a network that offer 30-day contracts at no extra cost vs a 12-month contract.
Useful link: Compare 12-month and 30-day rolling contract prices
Best networks for 30-day SIM only plans
Ranking the networks on their 1-month deals
Which networks offer the most flexible and best value 1-month deals?
Joint 1st: Talkmobile offer excellent value 1-month deals
Talkmobile are another network that piggyback off Vodafone, getting you the same speeds and signal coverage as their hosts (including 5G). You also get flexible spending limits and WiFi/4G calling.
They offer 30-day rolling contracts and 12-month contracts. Their 30-day deals don’t require you to pass a credit check (just enter some personal details). And they often have hidden 1-month plans that are better value!
If you want to leave your 1-month plan you’ll have to give 30 days notice before doing so. Talkmobile tend to specialise in small data plans, so users looking for larger or unlimited data plans might prefer another network.
There are usually some better deals that they share exclusively with comparison websites like us and aren’t advertised on their website directly (compare these hidden deals against Talkmobile’s regular range here).
Useful link: Our full review of Talkmobile
Joint 1st: SMARTY offer great value on 30- day deals
SMARTY are actually owned by Three but are a separate provider, offering lower costs and more flexible plans than Three. They also get full access to Three’s whole network.
They offer all their SIM only plans on 1-month deal,s with typically some of the best value prices of all UK networks. You pay for everything up front with them, so there’s no need to pass a credit check.
You can change plans month to month or just make sure your plan doesn’t renew itself so you can buy a new plan each month. They’re one of the best networks for flexibility and sheer value.
Useful link: Visit SMARTY's official site
Joint 2nd: Plusnet’s 1-month deals are always decent value
Plusnet Mobile offer access to EE’s 4G network on their low-cost, flexible 1-month contracts. With these you can change plans each month and leave whenever you like (with 30-days notice).
On top of brilliant flexibility, their plans are very cheap. They’re the cheapest way onto the EE network, but this does come at the cost of benefits. For the most part you don’t get anything extra on their plans.
They do include EU roaming on all plans at no extra cost and have flexible spending limits (£1 increments) to help avoid overspending on extras. But they don’t offer anything like data rollover.
And you can get an extra 2GB data boost on top of their plans if you have Plusnet broadband at home. The mix of low prices with great flexibility is why Plusnet are so high in our rankings.
Useful link: Compare SIM only contracts
Joint 2nd: iD are a good value choice on Three’s network
iD piggyback off Three’s network to provide signal to their customers and were set up by Carphone Warehouse. Across all networks, iD usually work out as one of the cheapest.
You can take a 30-day plan or a longer 12-month or 24-month contract with them. Their 12-month contracts are similar value to their 1-month plans, but you’ll get the best value out of their 24-month contracts.
If you use our SIM comparison tool you’ll see that iD Mobile’s 1-month deals are usually lower cost than most networks’ 12-month and even some 24-month contracts. iD offer both flexibility and low costs.
iD Mobile also offer some monthly bundles which aren’t as great value as their pay monthly contracts, but won’t require you to to pass a credit check to join (see current costs here).
Useful link: See all iD Mobile's 30-day rolling contracts
Joint 3rd: Virgin’s plans all on good value 1-month deals
Virgin now use O2’s network for call (2G/3G) and data (3G/4G/5G) signal and offer all their plans on 1-month deals. Despite being a larger provider, their 1-month deals are very competitive in terms of value.
When they switched to offering 1-month plans instead of longer contracts, Virgin didn’t raise the costs. That means you get both the flexibility of a 1-month plan and the value of a longer contract.
Virgin still offer data rollover on all deals, letting you hold onto your unused data from one month to use in your next. And using these social media messaging apps, your usage won’t come out of your allowance.
You used to be able to switch plans month-to-month anyway, so this change just means that you can leave Virgin earlier than you used to be able to.
Useful link: Compare Virgin's deals against all networks
Joint 3nd: VOXI offer handy benefits on 30-day SIMs
VOXI offer all their SIM only plans on 30-day deals that you pay for up front without a contract. If you want to leave, just make sure your plan doesn’t renew itself and then let your plan run out.
You get unlimited calls and texts and unlimited data to use these social media apps on all their plans. And you get identical 3G/4G/5G coverage and speeds as on Vodafone directly.
On top of their Unlimited Social Media data benefit, VOXI’s larger plans give you their Unlimited Video benefit. This lets you stream these apps without eating your data. This can save you loads of data each month.
And every VOXI plan gets you access to Vodafone’s rapidly expanding 5G network if you’re on a 5G-ready phone. So there’s a lot to love with VOXI.
Useful link: Compare VOXI's deals to other networks
Joint 3rd: 1pMobile offer good value and good flexibility
We rate 1pMobile highly for offering the cheapest pay as you go rates of all UK networks (1p per min, text and MB of data) but they also offer a few good value 1-month plans without contracts.
They don’t offer the very cheapest SIM only deals on EE’s network, but they offer much better value than EE directly, while still giving you access to their entire network including their superfast and widespread 5G.
Since you’re paying for everything up front there is no way to accidentally overspend. If you want to use any extras you’ll have to top up and pay as you go at these rates.
If you want to switch networks then turn off auto-renew and let your plan run out without taking a new one. You don’t need to give any notice, you can just up and leave when you like.
Useful link: Our full 1pMobile review
Joint 3rd: ASDA offer low costs and great flexibility
ASDA Mobile are a smaller provider that piggyback off Vodafone’s network. They’re typically one of the cheaper networks, and all of their great value plans are offered as 1-month deals.
You don’t need to pass a credit check as you pay for your plan up front. And you can top up and pay as you go with credit if you prefer. ASDA have the second cheapest PAYG tariffs of all UK networks.
Only plans over £10 get you access to 5G. And there are some unlimited plans that are speed capped (see different plans here). Other than that, you get the same speeds and signal as being on Vodafone directly.
You can change to a new plan whenever you like. If you want to leave ASDA then set auto-renew off and let your plan run out. But we think ASDA’s mix of great prices and flexibility will appeal to lots of people.
Useful link: Our guide to ASDA Mobile’s SIM only plans
Joint 3rd: giffgaff offer nice value on 1-month deals
giffgaff were actually the first network to offer 30-day rolling contracts that work similarly to pay as you go, as there’s technically no contract to sign up to. Here’s how their plans work:
First, take a free SIM card from giffgaff’s website after setting up your account. Once it arrives you can top it up with credit and pay out of that or take one of their pay monthly plans (called “goodybags”).
You can set your plan to automatically renew itself by registering your bank details on giffgaff if you want to remove the hassle of manually buying a new plan each month.
It’s easy enough to switch plans to suit your needs. And if you want to leave, turn off auto-renew and don’t take out a new plan. Then you can switch networks, simple as.
We’ve partnered with giffgaff so that if you sign up to them via the link below you’ll get £5 free credit when topping up with £10 or taking a bundle worth £10 or more for the first time.
Useful link: See our giffgaff £5 free credit offer
4th: Lebara’s SIM only deals are all paid for up front
Lebara have the cheapest international minutes of all networks, but also offer good value on their 1-month SIM only plans. They piggyback off Vodafone and get the same coverage and speeds as them.
All their deals are on 1-month rolling plans. You won’t need to pass a credit check and if you find they’re not for you, just turn off auto-renew and let your plan run out.
They don’t offer the cheapest deals of all networks, but all of them include a different number of inclusive international minutes (some include international mins). And they include roaming in India and the EU.
Overall, we’d say there are better options for 1-month plans. But if you often need to call abroad, then Lebara might just be the network for you.
Useful link: Lebara Mobile’s SIM only deals
Joint 5th: Three offer 1-month contracts and bundles
Three usually offer a small range of 1-month contracts alongside their longer pay monthly contracts. These SIMs get you the same benefits as being on a long-term contract.
But it’s definitely the case that that extra flexibility on Three comes at a cost. Their 1-month contracts are usually considerably more expensive than their 12 or 24-month equivalents.
You can also take a 30-day pay as you go bundle of minutes, texts and data that are typically a similar cost to their 1-month contracts.
We think their 30-day deals are a good way to test Three’s network and speeds, but you’d get better value in the long term on a 12 or 24-month contract.
Useful link: Three's SIM only plans
Joint 5th: O2 offer flexible 30-day plans at a hefty cost
O2 offer some of the highest prices of all networks on their 12-month contracts. However, their 1-month contracts are even more expensive. The added flexibility comes at an extra cost on O2.
Comparing their 1-month SIM only contracts to their longer 12 and 24-month contracts you’ll see they can be between £3 and £11 more expensive. And they’re missing some of the benefits of O2’s longer contracts.
O2 offer a good range of different data amounts on 1-month contracts, from small amounts to unlimited data. But even the smallest of these plans are very expensive.
Oddly, their 30-day pay as you go “Big Bundles” are usually better value than their 1-month contracts (and you get data rollover on these too). That’s something to think about when taking a shorter plan.
Useful link: See all O2's SIM card types
Joint 5th: Tesco offer some decent value monthly bundles
There’s a lot of benefits to joining Tesco Mobile, from their Capped Contracts to their Family Perks to their Clubcard Point scheme. But most of their plans are on 12 or 24-month contracts.
They don’t offer regular 1-month rolling SIM only contracts, but they do have some monthly bundles of mins, texts and data. These tend to be worse value, but get you the same benefits as their pay monthly contracts.
You used to get extra data the longer you stayed on the same “Rocket Pack”, but not any more. But if you’re a Clubcard holder (it’s free to get one) there are usually some better value packs available.
We rate Tesco Mobile highly in our review of them for having excellent coverage via the O2 network, a great mix of network features and extra benefits. We definitely think they’re worth a look.
Useful link: Compare all rolling SIMs now
6th: Honest Mobile’s 1-month contracts aren’t great value
Honest Mobile let you join on either a 1-month rolling contract or a 12-month contract without having to pass a credit check. They piggyback off Three’s network, giving the same speeds and coverage (even on 5G).
You get better value on their longer 12-month contracts per month (usually £2.50 cheaper), but with their 1-month contracts you get the added flexibility to change plans or leave whenever you like.
Their marketing is based around them being the only carbon negative UK network. But their plans are typically pricier than Three’s (except Three’s 1-month contracts) so bear that in mind before you buy.
If you stay on Honest for a long time then your plan will get discounted, which might make them more appealing for some. Otherwise you get free EU roaming on all plans, which is something their hosts don’t offer.
In all, the main benefit of being on a 1-month contract on Honest is the flexibility you get. While you might pay a premium price, that doesn’t necessarily mean you get a premium experience.
Useful link: Our full Honest Mobile network review
Joint 7th: Co-op Mobile offer all plans as 1-month contracts
✔ Their larger deals are a bit better value than their smaller onesSee all Co-op Mobile deals
at broadband.yourcoop.coop
(opens in new window)
Co-op Mobile offer every plan on a 1-month rolling contract which you’ll have to pass a credit check to join. They use EE’s network to provide signal, but their network experience isn’t quite the same as being on their hosts.
Their deals are fairly pricey considering the lack of real benefits that you get with your plan. Their larger data plans tend to give you better value per GB than their smaller ones, but either way there are better value networks above.
They do offer the best EU roaming scheme out of all networks, letting you use your entire allowance in these EU countries. And they do a fair amount to offset the negative environmental impact of running their network.
But the lack of WiFi calling, 5G and any other benefits makes Co-op Mobile a pretty underwhelming network in terms of value for money.
Joint 7th: EE offer 1-month bundles and contracts
EE offer both 1-month contracts and Pay As You Go monthly bundles. Both of these kinds of plans are much more expensive than EE’s already high-end 12 and 24-month contracts.
The difference between their 1-month contracts and 12-month contracts with the same data amount is typically around £5. The value per GB you get on their 1-month contracts isn’t great overall.
But these let you change your plan month to month and leave when you want. And if you’ve failed a credit check before, you’ll like the fact that you can join an EE monthly bundle without having to pass one.
Their monthly bundles include data rollover, letting you use any leftover data in your next month, but come at a higher cost per GB vs their 1-month contracts. You get access to EE’s 5G on both types of plan.
Useful link: Our full review of EE Flex Plans
8th: Vodafone’s 1-month contracts and bundles are expensive
Vodafone are similar to the other main UK networks when it comes to their SIM only contracts. Their longer contracts offer better value per GB while their shorter ones are less appealing on price:
These 30-day contracts are typically between £5 and £12 more expensive than the same plans on 12-month contracts. And there are no Entertainment plans or deals with any Xtras on 1-month contracts.
All these 1-month plans require you to pass a credit check:
We can’t really see why anyone would join on a 1-month contract on Vodafone considering there are a few providers offering better value plans. There’s no particular benefits to Vodafone’s contracts.
Vodafone do offer some 30-day pay as you go SIM only bundles that get you data rollover, letting you keep the minutes, texts and data you bought for another month if you don’t get through them.
Useful link: Compare Vodafone's SIMs vs the competition
9th: Sky Mobile’s longer contracts are somewhat flexible
While Sky Mobile don’t offer any 1-month contracts, their 12-month contracts offer a great deal of flexibility when compared to other networks:
Sky let you switch your plan up or down each month, a bit like how it works on a 1-month contract (read their guide). If you need more data you can switch up to a larger plan, or you can switch down to save money.
This means you can safely join a longer contract without being stuck on a plan that’s too small or too big. And your data needs can change, so the extra flexibility means you can always take the right plan for you.
Add to that all the benefits of joining Sky, like their brilliant “Piggybank” benefit. This lets you keep any data you haven’t got through in a month for up to 3 years and withdraw it at any time.
Useful link: How Sky's deals compare with other providers
FAQs about 30-day rolling SIM contracts
Yes. If you can either get a rolling 1-month contract SIM like the ones on this page, which will renew every month. Or if you literally only want a single month, take a look at our no contract SIM page.
Your contract will automatically renew and you'll get your new minutes, texts and data for the month. If you ever want to stop, you'll have to contact your network to cancel and give 30 days' notice.
No. Most networks let you cancel at any point during the month and will issue a partial bill for any days outside your normally monthly billing period.
Yes they can but they will have to give you at least one month's notice. You can cancel if you're not happy with the price rise, or switch to a cheaper new customer deal with the same network.
The only difference is the name. Some networks call it one, others call it the other. Either way, they are all still rolling contracts that let you cancel with 30 days' notice.
Yes for most rolling SIM only contracts, you do have to pass a credit check because you're setting up a direct debit and paying for usage at the end of the month. We have a separate page for no credit check SIMs.
Yes. With rolling contracts, you're free to change to a longer contract SIM only deal if your network offers them. We can't think of any good reasons why a network would stop you doing this.
It's certainly possible to upgrade from a SIM only deal to a phone contract with your network. It's not necessarily an automatic right though. You will still need to pass a further credit check by your mobile provider to get a phone.