What is Vodafone?

Launched back in 1984, Vodafone is the oldest mobile network in the UK and the carrier has a presence in 25 countries. Vodafone makes use of 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G spectrums to provide top-notch network coverage to its customers. The network also offers the widest range of SIM and device plans out of the operators in the UK.

Vodafone customers get many unique benefits and extras, the network also proposes features comparable with other network.Vodafone is a network that seems to offer the best of all departments. It keeps prices affordable, even when you venture into big data plans.Vodafone covers a lot of different data caps,goes easily from 1GB through to unlimited with a lot of choice in the middle. Vodafone deals may come with a high price point, but one thing for sure is that they deliver value.

When you sign up to Vodafone, you get access to the network's app with the ability to manage data caps, add advanced security features (for an extra cost), keep an eye on how much data you have left and make use of the VeryMe feature.

VeryMe is Vodafone's secret weapon. It aims to match O2's Priority rewards scheme by offering free coffees, competitions, discount codes, data boosts and a whole lot more. Vodafone has even introduced a special offer every Friday, frequently collaborating with a big name company to bring you big discounts.

Vodafone Pros and Cons

Vodafone is best for:

• People who want a well-rounded package of data, price and benefits
  

• Those looking for a strong reward scheme, competitions and more

• Anyone who likes EE...but not the price tags it carries

What is EE Mobile?

EE is the UK’s largest mobile network operator and it provides the best network coverage and fastest data speeds for both 4G and 5G. EE’s retail presence exceeds more than 600 shops across the UK.The network was formed back in 2010 as a joint venture between T-Mobile & Orange and back then it was called Everything Everywhere. The carrier was also the very first network to establish a 4G service in the UK. The network was bought by BT in January 2016 and has been operating as a separate provider within the BT Group.

Its phone contract prices can be a tad pricey, but for sheer confidence in coverage (and a big brand name to boot) it’s a solid choice.In fact, EE is the most expensive of the four main networks. Despite its higher cost, EE is, and has been for a long time, the most popular of these four networks.

EE throws in a number of additional incentives to increase its value.When you sign up for an EE SIM only deal, you'll get access to a number of free subscriptions to BT Sport, Apple Music, BritBox and more, all totalling £220 worth of subscriptions.EE also rewards families who sign up together, allowing you to share data between your different devices and an additional 10% off for every device you add. EE will be the absolute perfect choice for people who don't mind paying a bit more money for reliability from their network. 

EE Pros and Cons

EE is best for:

• Those who want the fastest speeds available.

• Anyone looking to bag a load of free subscriptions.

• People who don't mind paying a bit more for more features.

What is O2?

O2 UK is a British telecommunications services provider, headquartered in Slough, England which operates under the O₂ brand. It is owned by Virgin Media O2, a 50:50 joint venture between Telefónica and Liberty Global. O2 has 31.8 million subscribers as of September 2021.

It has 48 million UK connections across broadband, mobile, TV and home phone. Their fixed network currently passes 15.6 million premises alongside a mobile network that covers 99% of the nation’s population with 4G, and more than 300 towns and cities with 5G services.

Also like Vodafone, O2's Priority scheme is an excellent reward system giving plenty of free gifts throughout your contract - especially for music fans. O2 then has a big advantage thanks to its wide collection of Wi-Fi spots scattered across the UK.O2 has over 15,000 Wi-Fi points to use in cafes, shops, restaurants and more. This means that even if you don't have a great data plan with O2, you're always able to connect when you're out and about.It doesn't go quite as cheap as Three, nor is it as market-leading for speeds and features as EE but it takes the best of both worlds for a well-rounded package.

O2 Pros and Cons

O2 is best for:

• Fans of live music looking to score tickets.

• Those who need to connect to Wi-Fi when they're out and about.

• Anyone looking for a well-rounded plan with an affordable price.

What is Three?

Three launched in 2003 as the UK’s first 3G only network, laying its foundations as the network that was born to be different.Today Three is a connectivity company that connects people to people, people to things and things to things and has 9.5 million customers.An average Three customer uses 3.5 times more mobile data than the industry average and its network today covers 99% of the UK population.

Three launched 5G in August 2019 and also has the UK’s leading 5G spectrum holdings with more than the rest of the industry combined. Three is the only operator able to meet the International Telecoms Union (ITU) 2020 standard for full 5G services.

Three is the official shirt sponsor of Chelsea FC men’s and women’s teams.Three was voted the Best Network for Data at the Mobile Choice Consumer Awards, as well as Best Network for Roaming by uSwitch, and the Best High Street Retailer at the Mobile Industry Awards.

Three offers reasonably priced ‘all-you-can-eat’ data bundles. That’s right, unlimited data. If you can afford it, you can get the best handsets in the land with unlimited internet access.Three is going to be best for those who aren't worried about getting the fastest speeds or all of the flashy incentives. Instead, Three is there to provide the most amount of data for the lowest price possible.

Three Pros and Cons

Three id best for:

• Those who need a lot of data.

• Anyone who doesn't want to pay a lot.

• Anyone who finds themselves travelling a lot.

The latest piece of research found EE, more than any of its rivals, offered the highest 5G availability as well as the fastest 5G median downloads.

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Vodafone vs. EE vs. O2 vs. Three: Comparison Side by Side

1. Coverage

In terms of population coverage, all the UK networks boast that they have over 99% coverage, but this certainly doesn’t mean their geographical coverage is the same.

Vodafone coverage

Vodafone has its own network and offers 2G, 3G, 4G and, more recently, 5G coverage. As one of the mobile big hitters, you’d expect Vodafone’s network coverage to be excellent - and it is! With 99 per cent 4G, 3G and 2G population coverage in the UK, it’s second only to EE.

Vodafone’s 5G coverage isn’t the best in the UK but it’s continuously improving. At the time of writing there are 100 cities and towns in the UK that have Vodafone 5G. However, Vodafone also offers 5G Coverage in 193 more places across Germany, Spain, Italy and Ireland. To enjoy Vodafone’s 5G, you need to be on either a ‘RED’ plan, an ‘Unlimited’ plan, or a PAYG plan which offers 5G. You will also need a 5G-ready phone and be in an area with 5G coverage.

For network coverage Vodafone may not be the top dog (EE claims that title), but you’re still pretty much guaranteed a superb service wherever you are in the UK.

Before you order it’s important to check you can get a signal in your home area using Vodafone’s coverage checker - as well as areas you are likely to frequent, such as your place of work and route to work.

Vodafone network status checker

EE coverage

EE is racing ahead when it comes to UK coverage – it beats not just Vodafone, but all the other providers with the best 4G and 5G network of any UK mobile operator. Its basic LTE service is available to more than 99% of the UK population, while double speed 4G is largely limited to urban areas and ‘4G+’ is restricted to certain parts of major cities.

EE claim to have 5G live in 160+ UK towns and cities.EE tend to be the best for covering their locations, as they only declare a location once 5G is available in 50% of the area.EE is the undisputed leader when it comes to 4G and 5G network coverage & data speeds.

But there are still parts of the country where you'll get no signal at all, so make sure you use EE's coverage checker to see if you can connect in areas you regularly visit.

EE network status checker

O2 coverage

O2 has done a lot of work during the past few years to improve its 4G coverage, and it now covers over 99% of the UK population.Its 5G network is also expanding.O2’s 5G service has launched in 21 towns and cities in the UK, including, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle,, Nottingham, Sheffield, Slough and more.In terms of call signal (3G/2G) O2 are the stronger network. They also broadcast their signal on frequencies that are good for getting indoors and cover more of the UK’s landmass for calls/texts.

O2 are also good at covering their locations, but their speeds can really suffer on the edges of their signal. If you live in a rural area, chances are your signal will be lower than in a built-up area. 

Get a good idea of O2's service in your area by inputting your postcode into O2's coverage checker.

O2 network status checker

Three Coverage

Unlike the other UK networks Three doesn't offer 2G, but instead only offers 3G, 4G and 5G services, with 3G coverage reaching 98.7% of the population, 4G coverage available to 99.8% of the population and 5G available in 154 locations across the UK at the time of writing. Although its lack of a 2G network means that if there's no 3G signal, then calls will drop out (this isn't the case for EE, O2 or Vodafone). 

Three 5G is now available in at least 300 places. Three is offering 5G at no extra cost on all Pay Monthly contracts, SIM Only and Pay As You Go plans, although you will need a 5G ready device to access the service.

However, Three’s 5G coverage is still very patchy and it’s definitely worth using the provider’s coverage checker to see what it’s like in your area before you get your hopes up.

Three network status checker

2. Plans & Pricing

Vodafone plans & pricing

SIM only plan

When it comes to its SIM-only plans, Vodafone can be pricey. aLL plans include unlimited calls and unlimited texts, and you can choose between a 30-day,12-month contract or 24-month contract.Maybe you already have your own phone and simply need a SIM deal. 

Vodafone now offers a selection of Xtra packages, giving you bonus features such as a device care insurance package or inclusive roaming. However, watch out for Vodafone’s unlimited 4G and 5G plans. While the basic Lite and Unlimited packages look like they’re great value, they come with speed restrictions that make 5G not really worth having. >>Click here to view more plan details

Pay as you go

On Vodafone’s Pay As You Go 1 price plan, there are no regular monthly charges. You’ll only pay on the days that you actually use your mobile phone for calling, texting or mobile data on Vodafone’s 3G and 4G network.

The daily charge of £1 gives you unlimited UK minutes, unlimited UK texts and 50MB of mobile data for the rest of the day. It doesn’t include things like special rate calling (e.g. to an 084 or 087 number) or international phone calls which continue to be charged for separately.

Vodafone also offers a number of Big Value Pay As You Go Bundles. These are 30-day plans giving you an allowance of minutes, texts and data to use at any time over the 30-day period. It will typically work out to be better value buying a bundle if you use your phone for more than 10 days per month.

>>Click here to view more details

EE plans & pricing

SIM only plan

As you'd expect, EE is all over SIM-only plans. There's a good number available, starting at 250MB data (only really appropriate for light browsing and checking email) and going up to a substantial 200GB - well suited for anyone who wants to, say, watch Netflix on the daily commute. EE also provides unlimited data plan.Plans come with unlimited calls and texts too - in short, they're pretty good.

You will find that getting a SIM plan is always going to be a more affordable option than mobile phone deals. By buying a phone SIM-free and getting a SIM to go with it, you will usually save a couple of hundred pounds over the two year length a contract would be.>>Click here to view more plan details

Pay as you go

In the UK, EE offers a Pay As You Go mobile service with no need for a contract or credit check. Starting from £10 per month, the Pay As You Go bundles give you a one-month allowance of minutes, texts and 4G data. You can also benefit from data rollover, free data boosts and a 10% discount when you pay directly from your card.

On EE’s £10 Pay As You Go pack, you’ll get 500 minutes, unlimited texts and 5GB of data or £10 per month.  For heavy data users, there’s 15GB data for £15, 30GB data for £20 or 100GB data for £30.

>>Click here to view more details

 O2 plans & pricing

Sim only plans

Pay monthly SIMs are available on 30-day, 12-month and 24-month contracts and are aimed at users happy with their handset and just needing to pay for their data, calls and texts. O2 offers a wide range of data allowances from 1GB to Unlimited, all with unlimited texts and calls. Data allowances and the corresponding prices vary depending on the length of contract.All sim only plans are set up for 5G.

>>Click here to view more details

Pay as you go

If you use your mobile device intensively but, for whatever reason, don’t want to sign up to a lengthy phone contract, O2 Pay As You Go bundles, to give them their marketed name - give you the benefits of a Pay Monthly plan without the commitment.

All of PAYG sim cards have unlimited calls and text.These Pay As You Go data only sim cards range from 7GB to 100GB each month.

>>Click here to view details

Three plans & pricing

SIM only plan

If you’re joining Three from another network you can keep your number and pick from a 1, 12, or 24-month plan. You’ll be free to use your allowance in over 70 destinations around the world for a low daily charge, with Go Roam.Plans include unlimited calls and texts and are packaged as either Essential or Advanced plans, which come with different benefits. Advanced plans come with Go Binge (unlimited data for music and video streaming) and extensive roaming benefits.

>>Click here to view more details

Pay as you go

Data packs are available in 10GB, 25GB, 50GB and Unlimited and offer extremely good value for money for PAYG customers. You can either buy adata pack when you need it or set it up to renew every month.If you don’t want to order a data pack, Three also offers an array of Add-ons which enable you to bolt on extra minutes, texts or data via the Three App.

>>Click here to view more details

3.International Roaming

Vodafone roaming

Like EE, Vodafone is reintroducing roaming charges for Europe, with a charge of up to £2 a day for using your inclusive minutes, texts and data while abroad. However, some plans include inclusive roaming as an additional benefit, and both the EU and other destinations are covered by EE’s Global Roaming scheme.

Vodafone has the edge here. Its plans are slightly better for travellers, and you get more for your money.Vodafone offers multiple roaming alternatives and offers the most roaming destinations with their ‘Global Roaming Plus’ perk. Plus in some EU countries you still get 5G at no extra cost if your regular plan has 5G coverage. If you have the ‘Unlimited Max’ plan Vodafone gives you the ‘Global Roaming Plus’ perk, which will allow you to roam like at home in 81 countries. This is by far the highest number offered by any mobile network in the UK in terms of roaming abroad. However, the network’s unlimited data plans are subject to a roaming cap of 25GB a month. Vodafone is also the only network proposing 5G coverage outside the UK.

If you travel a lot for work or you’re planning to holiday abroad, you may want to consider one of Vodafone's Xtra plans with 4 Xtra benefits.Depending on the plan and benefits you choose, these will allow you to use your UK allowances for no extra charge in up to 83 locations worldwide.

EE roaming

EE are one of the networks that have changed their EU roaming policy recently. While you’re in their EU destinations you’ll have to pay a fixed daily charge of £2 a day. Even though you’re paying to access your allowance, you’ll also be limited to 50GB while abroad.

EE doesn’t offer anything special when it comes to roaming abroad. 

You can get around this by taking the Roam Abroad benefit or paying £10 for it as a 30-day add-on, and this also gives you roaming in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand. EE also has a separate option, the Travel Data Pass, which gives you 150 to 500GB of data while abroad for a daily charge of between £5 and £6.27.

Outside of these programmes, roaming soon gets expensive. Calls are up to £1.88 to make or receive in some regions, while data costs from £5.22 for 50MB.

O2 roaming

While the other three major UK networks (EE, Three and Vodafone) have pulled their free inclusive EU roaming, O2 have kept their roaming scheme in place.

In these EU destinations you’ll be able to access your regular UK allowance of minutes, texts and data, but you’ll be limited to 25GB if your allowance is over that amount. That’s more than enough for a short trip though.

But with some of their pricier plans you can also roam in their Travel Inclusive Zone which covers 27 extra worldwide destinations, with popular ones like the United States and Australia included.

With this extra you get 120 minutes, 120 texts and 150MB of full-speed data to use in their worldwide destinations. Once you’ve used that data up you actually get unlimited data, but severely speed capped.

In the end, O2 are a decent choice for worldwide roaming and a perfectly fine choice for trips to the continent. Long haulers might want to look at Vodafone’s Global Roaming on their Xtras plans as they offer the most worldwide destinations.

Three roaming

Three used to be a good option for frequent international travellers, but in the fallout of Brexit, the mobile network has since announced that it will soon be bringing back roaming charges. Once a big selling point, Three's 'Go Roam' features used to give you inclusive calls, texts and data in more places than other networks, with a 71-strong list including Australia, Brazil, Hong Kong, Israel, Macau, the US and Vietnam. 

Sadly, that's all due to change. Three will charge £2 a day to use your data, text and calls allowance in EU countries and £5 per day in other locations such as the US and Japan. This move comes into effect from 23 May 2024, although anyone who signed up to a contract before 1 October 2021 supposedly won't be affected by this change, at least before their contract expires.

4. Speeds

4G coverage is excellent, EE leads the way on 5G availability, and its UK-wide median download speed of 58.8Mbits/sec is over double that of its nearest competitor, Vodafone, with 25.2Mbits/sec. EE is ranked number one across every category, except Accessibility, though it shares the position with Vodafone on Reliability and Call and Text performance. It’s the top performer at both the national level and the city-focused metro level, posting high median download speeds in every UK city and an impressive 104.2Mbits/sec in Birmingham, with 5G median download speeds of 162.9Mbits/sec. 

But Three and Vodafone are faster than EE in London, and there are other cities where Three, O2 or Vodafone has the edge, including Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield. If you’re after the highest 5G performance in your location, EE isn’t necessarily the best there is.

5. Wi-Fi hotspots

Vodafone and EE customers have Wi-Fi access on London Underground Stations, but this offer isn’t a unique offer as O2 & Three customers benefit from the very same service provided by Virgin Media.

EE customers with an eligible plan can benefit from some BT Wi-Fi hotspots as well, but there’s a 3GB data limit. Thankfully it resets monthly. Vodafone customers used to have the same access, but as of 30 April 2020 this offer doesn’t exist.

6.Wi-Fi Calling

EE, Vodafone, O2 and Three each offer Wi-Fi Calling in some form, as do some MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators), but some offer more options or make it available to more phones than others.Regardless of your network choice, you’ll need a compatible device for either one of these features to work.

Vodafone Wi-Fi calling 

To get Wi-Fi calling with Vodafone, you’ll need to be a pay-monthly customer on either its Red Entertainment plan, or Red Extra Plans.Vodafone’s Wi-Fi Calling service is similar to most others, in that it works seamlessly without the need for a separate app. You simply need to have a compatible handset and eligible plan (which most plans are) and then to enable Wi-Fi Calling in the phone’s settings. Once that’s done, you’ll be able to make and receive calls as normal, but over Wi-Fi when available.

EE Wi-Fi calling

EE offers true Wi-Fi Calling, which is to say there aren’t any separate apps or accounts involved, instead calls and texts will come through via your standard dialler and SMS apps, they’ll just use Wi-Fi to do so if you’re connected to a Wi-Fi network.

That makes it a seamless experience, which is a big bonus, and calls and texts will come out of your normal monthly allowance. Note however that EE’s Wi-Fi Calling doesn’t work on Pay As You Go.

O2 Wi-Fi calling 

O2 was the last major network to launch a Wi-Fi Calling service, and it’s currently not available on all handsets, but does work on the likes of the iPhone 12 range, iPhone 11 range, Samsung Galaxy S21 range, Galaxy S20 range, Sony Xperia 5 II, Google Pixel 5, and various other phones.

If you have a supported handset with the latest software then Wi-Fi Calling will be a toggle that you can enable on your phone’s settings screen. 

O2’s WiFi calling didn’t “kick in” right away (but that might be because their call signal coverage is better overall) and you can’t send/receive texts over WiFi (you can on EE).Note also that some Android devices need to be using O2 firmware in order for Wi-Fi Calling to work.

Three Wi-Fi calling 

Three also offers true, app-free Wi-Fi Calling for calls and texts.On Android as well as iOS 11.2 and later it works automatically, while those on iOS devices below iOS 11.2 will need to activate Wi-Fi Calling in their phone’s settings screen. Currently it’s available for all iPhones running iOS 10.2 or later, plus the Samsung Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10 Plus, Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9 Plus, Galaxy S8, S8 Plus, Note 9, Note 8, S7, S7 Edge, LG G6 and LG G5 when purchased from Three.

There are also a number of other Android handsets that it will likely work on even if you didn’t get them from Three, as long as you bought them from Europe.

Conclusion

If you want fast speeds and almost-perfect coverage, then EE is the standout winner. Its network is simply faster than the rest, and has the best coverage. Speed freaks will find it’s a step ahead of the competition. EE also offers a plethora of choices when it comes to handsets, pay monthly plans, SIM-only deals and pay-as-you-go options.  Vodafone isn’t far behind though, and both providers are generally faster than Three and O2.If you want a greater choice of plans at smaller price points, Vodafone are well worth a look.

Coverage-wise, the best network for you greatly depends on the coverage in your area.Those in rural areas may find a better connection offered by Vodafone indoors, although EE have wider geographical coverage. 

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