The best SIM-only plans for kids in the UK

When a child gets their first phone, there are some safeguards you’ll need to put in place.

Firstly, consider a budget or mid-range phone rather than a flagship, which will make life easier if it gets lost or damaged. Refurbished phones are also worth considering.

Then, install some form of parental control software to allow you to limit usage and keep an eye on the content they’re viewing. Most phones also offer the ability to track your child’s location when out and about.

You’ll also want to avoid them racking up a huge bill when using mobile data. The easiest way to do that is to get a SIM-only contract, which provides an allocation of calls, texts (both usually unlimited) and data for a small monthly fee.

There are loads of options available, regardless of which network you’d like to go with. Here are the ones we recommend for children and their parents/carers.

You might also like our guide on the back-to-school tech tips you don’t know.

Best cheap SIM plans for kids with data

If you’re looking for low-budget, low-data SIM deals, consider carriers such as Tesco Mobile (O2), Sky Mobile (O2) and Asda Mobile (Vodafone), all of which offer competitive data plans for under £10. However, the following are our favourites:

iD Mobile uses the Three network and is currently offering 80GB of data for just £10 per month on a monthly rolling contract. If you’d like something a bit longer term, the operator also has unlimited data for just £15 per month on a 24-month contract. All plans include data rollover, meaning any unused data carries over into the next month.

Giffgaff, which uses the O2 network, is another provider that offers low-cost data plans.

20GB of data costs £10 per month on a monthly rolling contract, or there’s currently 60GB for £10 per month if you’re willing to commit to 18 months.

Smarty, which also uses Three, is another provider to consider. You can currently get 180GB of data for £15 or 5GB for £5.

Various other plans are also available, including ones where you get paid back for any data you don’t use each month (known as ‘Data Discount plans’). All SIM-only deals from Smarty are monthly rolling plans, so you can cancel at any time.

Best kids SIM-only plan for streaming and social media

There’s no doubt your child will want to watch content while on their phones – a lot of it. Thankfully, some network providers bundle streaming services and social channels with their contract plans.

Most O2 plans include several months of a streaming service of your choice (Disney+, Amazon Prime, Amazon Music Unlimited, Audible, McAfee or Cafeyn) for free, which is sure to keep your child happy. The highlight is 30GB for £14.99 per month on a 24-month plan, plus six months of one of the subscriptions above for free

For a lower data limit, there’s Vodafone-based Voxi’s 20GB plan for £10 per month. This includes unlimited access to a range of social media apps, none of which will count towards your data allowance.

Alternatively, you can add music streaming services (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, Tidal, Napster and Primedia) and video streaming services (YouTube Premium, TikTok, Netflix, Prime Video and My5) to a 75GB plan for £12 per month or 300GB plan for £20 per month. Again, all the Voxi plans are on a 30-day rolling contract.

Best cashback SIM deal – Cheap data plans with a high data allowance

If you don’t mind cashback, the best SIM deal for over 100GB of data right now is with Vodafone’s 200GB plan for £6.50 per month (via Mobiles.co.uk). However, to avoid paying the usual £16 per month, you’ll need to claim the cashback every few months by sending your bill to Mobiles.co.uk. Here’s how:

Family SIM plans and discounts

If you’re already on O2, you qualify for its multi-save discount while also consolidating your and your child’s bill into one. You can add up to 20 connections on a Family plan with O2 and get up to 20% off the airtime plan (calls, texts and data) for each.

In fact, most major providers offer family plans to existing customers, so it’s worth checking if your current provider has any family SIM deal programs in place.

Vodafone has up to 15% off for existing customers, while EE offers up to £12 off every additional line.

At Three, you’ll get 20% off each additional one, while Smarty (which uses the Three network) offers 10% off each one.

Parental controls on SIM

All the major phone networks in the UK – EE, O2, Three and Vodafone – automatically block 18+ content – though this is via a mobile data connection and not Wi-Fi. 

If your child primarily uses Wi-Fi, you may need other parental controls in place. Parental controls are one of the ways to limit kids’ screen time.

Additionally, software such as Qustodio and Net Nanny are among the best parental control software options for filtering out inappropriate content to keep your kids safe online, while also offering tools to monitor and limit your children’s device and internet usage. 

Data capping or not?

Most often SIM plans will automatically stop service once you’ve reached the limit, or text you when you’ve used up a sizeable portion.

Parents, however, might still want to consider data or usage capping features when buying a SIM for a child. You might be prompted to sign up for this option when you buy the SIM from the network provider. This helps limit charges that are out of contract, such as picture messaging, long-distance calls or additional data usage.

You can choose to set a £0 cap, which means your child won’t be allowed any additional spending outside the plan’s limits. Alternatively, you can set a budget beyond the base value of the plan if you want flexibility. This might be a helpful safety net for your child if they need additional minutes or texts to reach you. O2, for instance, allows a spending cap of up to £200.

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