More data.
Less money.
No contract.
The best SIM only deals for UK students. Big data allowances at prices that actually make sense on a student budget.
The standout student SIM is VOXI's 60GB plan at £10 per month: social media apps do not count against your data, and it rolls monthly with no contract. For the cheapest big allowance, Talkmobile's 80GB at £8.95 per month leads, and for unlimited data with no credit check, useful when you have no credit history yet, Chattr's plan is £15 per month with no price rises.
Best student SIM deals right now
VOXI 60GB (30 day)
Talkmobile 80GB (30 day)
iD Mobile 110GB (12 month)
giffgaff Unlimited (18 month)
Chattr Freedom One (Unlimited)
Talkmobile 15GB (30 day)
Prices checked August 2026 and may change. Click through to see current offers and confirm availability.
How much data do you actually need?
Most students who think they need unlimited data actually do not. iD Mobile's 110GB at £10 per month covers almost everyone comfortably, and VOXI's endless social media stretches a 60GB allowance much further than the number suggests. The only time unlimited genuinely makes sense is if you are regularly tethering your laptop to your phone as your main internet connection, and even then, giffgaff's £14 unlimited is the cheapest route we track.
30-day or 12-month plan?
The old rule was that locking in for 12 months always saved money. In the current market that is no longer true: Talkmobile's 80GB 30-day plan at £8.95 actually undercuts iD Mobile's 110GB 12-month plan at £10. When rolling plans are this cheap, the decision is less about price and more about what suits your year.
Pick a 30-day plan if you move between home and uni, go abroad for the summer, or just want the option to switch. Pick a longer plan for price certainty: giffgaff's £14 unlimited has its price agreed for the full 18-month term, which protects you from mid-year rises while you are living on a fixed budget.
Do student discounts actually save you money?
Honestly, less often than you would expect. Some networks offer verified student discounts through UNiDAYS or Student Beans, but the discounted price is often still higher than what the budget networks on this page charge everyone by default. Always compare the discounted price against the open market before assuming the student deal is the best one.
Questions people ask
VOXI's 60GB plan at £10 per month stands out for students because social media apps do not count against the allowance, with no contract. Talkmobile's 80GB at £8.95 is the cheapest big-data plan we track, and Chattr's unlimited at £15 has no credit check, which suits students with no credit history yet.
Some networks offer student discounts via UNiDAYS or Student Beans, but the discounted prices are often still higher than what budget networks charge everyone by default. Always compare the student deal against the open market. The plans on this page are available to everyone and beat most student-specific offers on price.
Most students use between 15 and 40GB per month. If you are on campus WiFi during the day, 30 to 50GB is usually plenty. If you use your phone as a hotspot for your laptop or stream a lot of video without WiFi, 100GB gives you room to breathe without worrying.
The old rule that 12-month plans are always cheaper no longer holds: Talkmobile's 80GB 30-day plan at £8.95 undercuts iD's 110GB 12-month plan at £10. Choose 30-day for flexibility between home, uni, and summers away. Choose a longer term for price certainty, like giffgaff's £14 unlimited with the price agreed for 18 months.
It depends on the network and plan. Some providers include roaming in European countries as standard, others charge extra. iD Mobile includes EU roaming on its plans, which suits a term abroad or summer travelling. Check the roaming terms before you sign up if travelling is likely.
Related deals and guides
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