This is for information only. Pricing is correct as of 1st May 2026. Please see network provider websites for the latest prices, connection types, fees and detailed terms and conditions.
I’ve stood back and looked at the Irish SIM-only market over the past few years and the gloves have come off. First of all, Eir’s GOMO network really kicked things off with their Ryanair-style approach to SIM-only plans. Three’s 48 was next in line while Vodafone recently launched Clear Mobile to take the two on. So, if you’re in the market right now for a new SIM-only plan, which network should you go with? I’m going to show you the best value on the market today and a little further down the page, I’ll tell you why these SIM-only plans can probably save you money.
Every month, we rank Ireland’s main SIM-only plans by what they actually cost you over 12 months, not just the headline monthly figure you see advertised. A €10 per month plan with a connection fee and a price hike after six months is not the same as a €12.99 plan that stays flat forever. The 12-month total is the fairest way to compare.
All plans below include unlimited calls and texts within Ireland. Fair usage policies apply, but they are generous enough that most people will never come close to the limit.
Annual cost comparison — year 1 vs year 2
Updated May 2025. Prices correct at time of publication.
This month’s top pick: Lyca Mobile
Lyca Mobile takes the top spot this month on the strength of its introductory pricing. At €11 per month with no activation fee, the 12-month total comes to €132, which is the cheapest annual figure in the market right now, and it includes 5G.
The catch is worth being upfront about. That €11 price is a promotional rate for your first 12 months only. After that, the standard price of €20 per month kicks in, pushing year two to €240. That is a significant jump, making Lyca more expensive in year two than every other plan on this list. Set a calendar reminder now to reassess at the 11-month mark.
You also need to activate automatic renewal to qualify for the promotional rate, and if a payment fails you lose the offer. Go in with your eyes open and it is a genuinely strong deal. The plan includes 5G, unlimited calls and texts, and a bundle of international minutes, which is useful if you regularly call abroad. Lyca also supports eSIM if you want to skip the physical SIM entirely.
This is for: Anyone after the lowest possible year-one cost, people who make international calls, and anyone looking for a cheap second number. Not for people who forget to switch networks, because year two will cost you.
48
48 is Three’s value brand and has been the benchmark for cheap Irish mobile for a few years now. It misses the top spot this month purely because Lyca’s year-one price is lower, but for long-term value 48 is still the stronger choice for most people.
The key advantage is that €12.99 is the price for life. Once you pay the one-off connection fee, you know exactly what you are paying every year with no promotional cliffs to fall off. Year one works out at €150.87, and year two drops to €155.88 where it stays indefinitely.
On that plan you get 200GB of data per month, all calls and texts, and 5G at speeds of up to 100Mbps. EU roaming includes 14GB, taken from your monthly allowance. You can also save, share or donate unused data, including a 50c per 1GB donation to charity. The free trial SIM with 1GB of data lets you test Three’s network before committing, which is worth doing given coverage varies outside major cities.
This is for: People who want reliable long-term value and will not remember to switch again in 12 months. The free trial SIM makes it genuinely low-risk.
Clear Mobile
Clear Mobile is Vodafone’s value sub-brand, and the network is its biggest selling point. If Three’s coverage does not work where you live, work or commute, Clear Mobile gets you onto Vodafone’s infrastructure at the same headline price as 48.
Year one works out at €168.87, higher than 48’s equivalent, but from year two onwards the annual cost drops to €155.88, matching 48’s long-term figure exactly. The trade-off is data speeds. Clear Mobile caps 5G at 25Mbps, which is adequate for most everyday tasks including streaming, but can feel limiting for anyone doing heavy uploading or video calls regularly on mobile data.
This is for: Anyone who knows Three’s coverage is unreliable for them and wants a low-cost Vodafone alternative. Not ideal if you rely heavily on fast mobile data away from WiFi.
Virgin Media
Virgin Media keeps things simple with no activation fee and no promotional pricing. What you see is what you pay, €180 per year, every year. The plan includes unlimited calls, texts and data, and runs on the Three network.
The catch is that it is 4G only, which at €15 per month puts it at a noticeable disadvantage to both 48 and Lyca, both of which offer 5G at a lower price. Where it makes more sense is if you are already a Virgin Media broadband or TV customer, where bundling can simplify your bills and multi-line discounts are available.
This is for: Existing Virgin Media customers who want to consolidate their bills. For everyone else, 4G only at this price is hard to justify.
Sky Mobile
Sky Mobile launched in Ireland in September 2024, making it the newest entrant on this list. It runs on the Vodafone network, which makes it more useful than Virgin Media for anyone with Three coverage issues, and unlike Clear Mobile there is no 25Mbps speed restriction on offer.
The downside is the mandatory 12-month contract, which is unusual when most plans here roll monthly. Sky’s more interesting angle is for people thinking about a new handset in the coming months. Their financing model keeps airtime and device contracts separate, with 0% APR over 24 or 36 months. Worth running through our bill pay versus prepay calculator before committing though.
This is for: People who need Vodafone coverage without Clear Mobile’s speed restrictions, and anyone who might want a handset in the near future.
GOMO
GOMO was the catalyst for the value price war in Ireland and deserves credit for that, but it now sits at the bottom of this list on year-one cost. At €194.87 for the first 12 months, it is the most expensive option here. From year two it settles to €179.88, which is more competitive, but by then you could have switched to something cheaper.
Where GOMO holds its own is on data. You get 120GB per month at genuine 4G speeds with no throttling, which makes it a better choice than Clear Mobile for heavy users who find 25Mbps limiting. GOMO runs on the Eir network, which has the widest geographic coverage in Ireland, particularly in rural areas where Three and Vodafone can be patchy.
This is for: Heavy data users in rural areas who need Eir’s network coverage. For everyone else, the year-one cost is difficult to recommend.
Ireland SIM-only plans compared
| Provider | Monthly | Network | Promo | Year 1 | Year 2 | Data | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lyca Mobile | €11* | Three | 50% off, 12m | €132 | €240 | 60GB | 100Mbps |
| 48 | €12.99 | Three | None | €150.87 | €155.88 | 200GB | 100Mbps |
| Clear Mobile | €12.99 | Vodafone | 1st month free | €168.87 | €155.88 | Unlimited | 25Mbps |
| Virgin Media | €15 | Three | None | €180 | €180 | Unlimited | 100Mbps |
| Sky Mobile | €15 | Vodafone | None | €180 | €180 | Unlimited | 100Mbps |
| GOMO | €14.99 | Eir | 1st month free | €194.87 | €179.88 | 120GB | 100Mbps |
*Lyca Mobile’s introductory price for the first 12 months. Standard monthly rate is €20. All plans include unlimited calls and texts within Ireland. Fair usage policies apply. EU roaming included on all plans with varying data allowances. Prices correct at time of publication, May 2025.
Why Choose SIM-only?
There are loads of reasons why people end up buying SIM-only plans. Most of the time, it’s because you’ve been given a phone from someone else or bought an unlocked phone directly from a shop or manufacturer like Apple and just need a SIM card. You should always do the maths before you commit to a contract. Irish networks will offer you phones, sometimes without charging upfront, to get you into a 24-month contract. It’s often cheaper to buy the phone outright yourself from somewhere like Apple and grab a SIM-only connection.
Ireland’s Cheapest SIM-Only Plans: Frequently Asked Questions
We’re often asked questions about picking plans on our Twitter or other social pages. Here are some of the most asked questions we’ve come across when it comes to picking your new network.
The “home networks” like Eir, Three or Vodafone might suit better if you are looking for some of the frills with a network. This might include your need for a new phone to be paid off over the duration of a contract, access to 5G mobile internet or special offer bundles like home TV and Broadband. Another example is loyalty programmes are often reserved for the main network.
Technically, GOMO 4G and Eir 4G should be as fast as each other. Some things like the number of people using the network in an area might influence this. One big difference is that Eir also offers 5G, so if you have a 5G phone and are in a 5G area, you will be able to enjoy very fast mobile internet. But 4G is more than enough for most.
No. This is where Clear Mobile is very different to the other discount networks. 48 and GOMO offer 4G internet without a speed restriction. Clear Mobile does limit your speed to 5Mbps which is slower than the Vodafone network and the other discount networks. Remember though, speed always depends on where you are and 5Mbps is still fast enough to watch Netflix.
Like GOMO and Eir, there’s no real technical reason for there to be any difference between the 48 and Three network. Again, one exception is that Three does offer the option of 5G which means very fast mobile internet.
If you already have a phone and just need a connection, then SIM-only offers a great bit of value. Even if you need a new phone, check out how much you would spend over 24 months getting a network contract versus buying the phone outright and getting a SIM-only deal.
48, Virgin Mobile, Lyca Mobile and Tesco Mobile all use the Three network. GOMO uses Eir while Clear Mobile runs on the Vodafone network.
Right now, Virgin Media offers Ireland’s cheapest plan for the best value. It’s €10 per month which is €120 per year. But that’s just the first year. Remember the plan does increase to €25 per month in year two.
Connection fees are an initial charge from some networks for you to join their network. It’s usually the same fee as one month’s rental. So if your plan is €14.99 the network will likely charge you a €14.99 fee, making the total cost of joining €29.98.
These plans are really cheap in a competitive market. By adding connection fees, networks are trying to discourage you from changing networks regularly.
From time to time Lyca Mobile may actually be the cheapest network to avail of in Ireland. They also offer eSIM. They are hard to get in touch with if something goes wrong though, so we generally don’t recommend them on that basis.
