Compare SIM Only Deals Ireland | Best Plans from €10

Phone bills in Ireland have long been a punchline — and a genuine budget strain. But the SIM-only market has shifted dramatically: you can now grab unlimited 5G data for under €15 a month, often with no contract strings attached. If you’ve been overpaying for a handset bundle you don’t need, the math is worth running. This guide cuts through the noise with verified prices from Ireland’s official comparator and the aggregators doing the real comparison work.

Cheapest SIM Only from: €10 (Lycamobile) ·
Unlimited 5G from: €12.99 (48 Mobile, Clear Mobile) ·
5G Leader: eir (99% population coverage) ·
Official Comparator: ComReg.ie ·
MVNOs active: 7 networks on 3 main carriers

Here’s how the major providers stack up on price, data, and roaming at a glance:

Which SIM is best in Ireland?

Ireland’s mobile landscape runs on three main carriers — eir, Three, and Vodafone — with seven MVNOs piggybacking their networks. “Best” depends on your priorities: eir leads on 5G coverage (99% population, per its official site), while Three and its MVNOs tend to offer the most aggressive pricing. ComReg.ie hosts the government’s own plan matcher, which is the most impartial starting point before you dig into any aggregator.

Top providers like eir and Tesco Mobile

eir stands apart with its 99% 5G coverage claim — the highest among Irish MNOs. For broadband customers, the €9.99/month promotional rate (for 12 months, then €19.99) makes it the cheapest way to get unlimited 5G for the first year. Tesco Mobile, running on Three’s network, offers a €10/month SIM-only plan that beats most competitors on pure cost for light users.

5G network coverage factors

5G roll-out in Ireland is uneven outside urban centres. eir’s coverage claim covers 99% of the population — but population coverage and geographic coverage aren’t the same thing. If you live rurally, check your address on ComReg’s coverage map before committing to any 5G plan.

Who has the best SIM-only plans?

“Best” is a moving target — but two platforms track it most rigorously. SmartSaver.ie updates 33 plans daily at 9am (April 2026 data). Switcher.ie runs its own curated deals with promos that can shave €3/month off the going rate. Bonkers.ie is a solid alternative comparator for the full market view. The headline finding: unlimited 5G is available from €12.99/month on no-contract plans.

Switcher.ie top deals

Switcher.ie listed a €12.99 prepay plan with unlimited 5G data, 5,000 texts/minutes, and 20GB EU roaming on the Three network as of April 2026. An introductory top-up at €9.99 applies for the first six months. The platform also runs a switcher promo ending 31/05/2026 — if you order a SIM by then and activate your first plan by 21/06/2026, you qualify for its current offer terms.

Bonkers.ie featured offers

Bonkers.ie aggregates across providers and is useful for comparing apples-to-apples on extras like roaming and international minutes. Their Irish mobile section covers the same 11 providers as SmartSaver but presents them in a decision-tree format for buyers who want to filter by contract type, data limit, and price ceiling.

What is the cheapest SIM in Ireland?

Two plans compete for the “cheapest” crown depending on how you define the deal. Lycamobile Unlimited Plus at €10/month offers unlimited 5G with EU roaming included — a figure confirmed by SmartSaver.ie and corroborated by deal trackers. eir offers a lower headline (€9.99/month) but only for existing broadband customers, for 12 months, then it jumps to €19.99.

Tesco Mobile €10 plan

Tesco Mobile’s basic €10/month SIM gives you unlimited calls and texts on Three’s network — though the data tier here isn’t unlimited. For €20/month, Tesco offers unlimited 5G with no contract and 36.95GB EU roaming. The €10 plan is the cheapest entry point, but it doesn’t compete on data volume.

eir €14.99 from

Without a broadband bundle, eir’s Connect 30-day plan is €14.99/month for 12 months — then rises to €29.99/month. This is eir’s standard SIM-only anchor for non-broadband customers. An €9.99 activation fee applies on all eir SIM plans.

Which SIM-only plan is the cheapest?

The honest answer depends on contract structure. Rolling 30-day plans have no exit fees — you’re never locked in. 12-month contracts typically offer a small discount but come with cancellation penalties. The pricing difference between the two structures is often just €1–€3/month, so the real cost is what you might pay if you need to leave early.

Monthly rolling vs contracts

48 Mobile and Clear Mobile both offer unlimited 5G at €12.99/month with no contract — the data is identical (32GB and 23GB EU roaming respectively), but 48 uses Three’s network and Clear uses Vodafone’s. Sky Mobile and Virgin Media require 12-month commitments at the same €12.99–€15 price points but include EU roaming.

Data allowances compared

Unlimited data is now standard above €10/month — but “unlimited” can mean throttling after a certain threshold. Most providers don’t publish this threshold. An Post Mobile’s €12.99 plan offers 50GB on 4G with EU roaming — less data but at a comparable price to unlimited plans, which may suit light users.

What is the cheapest but good phone plan?

A good plan doesn’t have to mean the most expensive one. For under €15/month you can get unlimited 5G, EU roaming, and no contract — a combination that would have cost €30+ just three years ago. The challenge is not finding a decent plan; it’s knowing which promos are genuine and which will revert to a higher rate after the introductory period.

Value with unlimited data

GoMo (running on eir’s network) offers unlimited 5G at €14.99/month with 23GB EU roaming and no contract. It’s €2 more than the cheapest options but comes with the reliability of a major MNO’s infrastructure. For broadband customers, eir at €9.99/month for 12 months remains the best value deal in the market — but only for that first year.

Networks like Vodafone and Eir

Vodafone Ireland’s Red Unlimited SIM Only 15 costs €15/month on a 12-month contract with unlimited 5G and EU roaming included. Clear Mobile, on the same Vodafone network, charges €12.99/month for the same data but with less EU roaming (23GB). The €2 difference buys you peace of mind on roaming — or a month of Netflix, depending on how you frame it.

Here’s how the leading unlimited 5G plans compare across providers:

The pattern across providers is clear: most unlimited plans cluster around €12.99–€15/month, with the real differentiator being roaming data and contract flexibility rather than headline price.

Key specifications to know before you compare:

What this means: the €10–€15 range now delivers features that commanded €30+ just a few years ago, but the real savings require reading the fine print on roaming and reversionary pricing.

All eir broadband customers can get SIM only from just €9.99 a month for 12 months.

— eir.ie (Official Provider)

No price rises, ever. That’s right — this SIM Deal is For Life!

— Virgin Media (Official Provider, per VirginMedia.ie)

Lyca Mobile now offers 5G and is technically Ireland’s cheapest mobile plan at just €10 per month.

— Goosed.ie (Tech News, March 2026)

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Vodafone Ireland’s €20 four-week plan faces stiff competition from 48 Mobile at €12.99 monthly, as detailed in Vodafone Irelands cheap SIM deals their latest comparison.

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