Mobile · Head to head
EE vs O2 SIM-only: which costs less?
On 25 Oct 2026, EE's best-value deal is 50GB SIM at £15.50 a month real cost and O2's is 100GB Classic Plan at £22.50. EE is cheaper by £7.00 a month on its best-value deal, with fees and stated price rises counted.
Best value of the two
EE 50GB SIM
50GB data · EE network · 24 months · £15.50 a month real cost
The lowest real cost here from a national provider on 25 Oct 2026, with fees and stated price rises counted.
Every deal from both, best value first
Checked 25 Oct 2026| Provider and package | Data | Contract | Monthly price | Real cost | Deal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EE 50GB SIM Gift data to your family · Flash sale price, ends 5 November 2026 | Data50GBEE network · 5G | Contract24 monthsEU roaming extra | Monthly price£13.00£15.50 from 31 Mar 2027, then £18.00 | Real cost£15.50 /mo£372.00 over 24 months | See deal at EE (opens in a new tab) |
EE 100GB SIM Gift data to your family · Flash sale price, ends 5 November 2026 | Data100GBEE network · 5G | Contract24 monthsEU roaming extra | Monthly price£17.00£19.50 from 31 Mar 2027, then £22.00 | Real cost£19.50 /mo£468.00 over 24 months | See deal at EE (opens in a new tab) |
O2 100GB Classic Plan Offer price ends 4 November 2026 | Data100GBO2 network · 5G | Contract24 monthsEU roaming included | Monthly price£20.00£22.50 from 1 Apr 2027, then £25.00 | Real cost£22.50 /mo£540.00 over 24 months | See deal at O2 (opens in a new tab) |
O2 Unlimited Classic Plan Offer price ends 4 November 2026 | DataUnlimitedO2 network · 5G | Contract24 monthsEU roaming included | Monthly price£23.00£25.50 from 1 Apr 2027, then £28.00 | Real cost£25.50 /mo£612.00 over 24 months | See deal at O2 (opens in a new tab) |
EE Unlimited Essentials Plus Max Gift data to your family · Unlimited data for your watch | DataUnlimitedEE network · 5G | Contract24 monthsEU roaming included | Monthly price£26.00£28.50 from 31 Mar 2027, then £31.00 | Real cost£28.50 /mo£684.00 over 24 months | See deal at EE (opens in a new tab) |
O2 100GB Ultimate Plan Ultimate plan with 8 benefits | Data100GBO2 network · 5G | Contract24 monthsEU roaming included | Monthly price£26.99£29.49 from 1 Apr 2027, then £31.99 | Real cost£29.49 /mo£707.76 over 24 months | See deal at O2 (opens in a new tab) |
O2 Unlimited Ultimate Plan Ultimate plan with 7 benefits | DataUnlimitedO2 network · 5G | Contract24 monthsEU roaming included | Monthly price£29.99£32.49 from 1 Apr 2027, then £34.99 | Real cost£32.49 /mo£779.76 over 24 months | See deal at O2 (opens in a new tab) |
EE Unlimited All Rounder Gift data to your family · 5G+ up to 45% faster than 5G | DataUnlimitedEE network · 5G | Contract24 monthsEU roaming included | Monthly price£33.00£35.50 from 31 Mar 2027, then £38.00 | Real cost£35.50 /mo£852.00 over 24 months | See deal at EE (opens in a new tab) |
EE Unlimited Full Works Gift data to your family · 5G+ up to 45% faster than 5G | DataUnlimitedEE network · 5G | Contract24 monthsEU roaming included | Monthly price£43.00£45.50 from 31 Mar 2027, then £48.00 | Real cost£45.50 /mo£1,092.00 over 24 months | See deal at EE (opens in a new tab) |
Ranked by real cost; commission never changes the order. Prices checked on each provider's own site on 25 Oct 2026.
The big difference
The main differences are data range, ownership and plan count. EE's SIM-only plans in our table run from 50GB to unlimited data, and there are five of them. O2's run from 100GB to unlimited, and there are four.
EE is owned by BT Group. O2 is owned by Virgin Media O2, a joint venture of Liberty Global and Telefonica. Both plans last 24 months in our table.
Both include EU roaming, so the choice comes down to the data you need and the real cost. Check how much data you use each month. Then sort the cheapest SIM-only deals by real cost to see which plan costs less.
Choose EE if
Choose EE if you want a network that BT Group owns and EE runs itself.
- You share data with family. EE lists gift data to your family as an extra.
- You travel in Europe. EU roaming is included on EE plans in our table, and EE lists 50GB of EU roaming data as an extra.
- You want extra perks. EE lists 1 Inclusive Extra and 1 premium Inclusive Extra. See every EE SIM-only plan and compare them.
Choose O2 if
Choose O2 if large data allowances matter most to you.
- Lots of data: O2 plans in our table run from 100GB up to unlimited data, so heavy users have room to spare.
- EU roaming: EU roaming is included on O2 plans in our table, which all run for 24 months.
- 5G included: Every O2 plan in our table includes 5G, and the plans run on O2's own network. See all O2 SIM-only plans.
Straight answers
Questions people ask
- Is EE cheaper than O2?
- EE isn't a fixed winner, so the cheaper option depends on the plan and data you pick. Compare the two on the same allowance to see which costs less. We rank every deal by real cost: your monthly price, every stated price rise, and any setup fee, averaged over the contract. Compare the live prices with our compare SIM-only deals table.
- Which has better coverage, EE or O2?
- Neither network comes out ahead on coverage. EE and O2 each run their own 4G and 5G network, and we do not rank one above the other. Every UK SIM-only brand runs on one of four networks: EE, O2, Vodafone or Three. Brands on the same network share that network's coverage, so the network you pick matters more than the brand name.
- Can I switch from O2 to EE and keep my number?
- Yes, you can keep your number when you switch from O2 to EE. Text PAC to 65075 to get your PAC code, then give that code to EE. Your number moves in one working day. EE SIM-only plans run on the EE network. See EE SIM-only plans.