Lebara or giffgaff: which cheap SIM is better? It depends on the network you need, and on whether you want a 30-day rolling plan or an 18-month one. Lebara runs on Vodafone. giffgaff runs on O2. On price, Lebara’s partner 30GB plan is £3.20 a month for the first six months, then £8 a month, on a rolling contract for new customers (the first six months cost £19.20). Lebara’s partner terms say the offer runs until 11:59am on 11 December 2026. These £3.20 and £2.80 prices are Lebara partner-exclusive offers on a Lebara page you reach through our link. They are not on Lebara’s main SIM-only page, where 30GB is £10 a month on a 30-day plan and there is no 15GB plan (checked 11 November 2026). giffgaff’s 40GB plan is £8 a month on an 18-month contract, checked on giffgaff.com on 11 November 2026, with 6GB plus 34GB extra if you sign up before 4 December 2026 (£144 over 18 months). Opensignal’s January 2026 UK report, using data from 1 October to 29 December 2025, put Vodafone’s overall download speed experience at 37.5 Mbps and O2’s at 32.8 Mbps, while O2 led overall coverage. Which?’s January 2026 survey scored giffgaff at 79%, joint third of 15 providers; this guide does not have a matching Which? score for Lebara in that same table.
Last updated: 11 November 2026. Lebara partner plan details from Lebara’s exclusive plan pages, checked 11 November 2026. giffgaff prices and promotional dates from giffgaff.com and giffgaff.com/terms/promotions, checked 11 November 2026. Opensignal data covers 1 October to 29 December 2025. Check the plan page before you pay, because allowances and intro prices can change.
We may earn a commission if you buy through the deal buttons on this page. It does not change the price you pay. The first and last buttons go to Lebara partner plans; the middle button goes to giffgaff’s 40GB plan. Confirm the price and terms on the plan page before you switch.
Lebara 30GB — £3.20/mo for 6 months, then £8 · rolling
- 30GB of 4G and 5G data, unlimited UK calls and texts, and 100 international minutes from the UK to more than 50 countries, checked 11 November 2026 on Lebara’s 30GB exclusive plan page
- £3.20 a month for the first six months (£19.20), then £8 a month, on a rolling plan with no credit check, for new customers. Lebara’s partner terms say the offer runs until 11:59am on 11 December 2026
- Main limitation: this is a partner-exclusive price reached through our link, not Lebara’s main site, where 30GB is £10 a month. After six months the price is £8.
Lebara vs giffgaff at a glance
Lebara | giffgaff | |
|---|---|---|
Host network | Vodafone | O2 |
Contract | 30-day rolling on the partner plans in this guide | 18-month plans, monthly rolling plans, and pay-as-you-go goodybags |
Entry offer (checked 11 November 2026) | 15GB at £2.80 a month for six months, then £7, or 30GB at £3.20 a month for six months, then £8, new customers. Lebara’s partner terms say the offer runs until 11:59am on 11 December 2026 | 40GB for £8 a month on 18 months (6GB plus 34GB extra), for sign-ups before 4 December 2026 |
Bigger data | On Lebara’s main site: 50GB £15, 100GB £20, Unlimited £25 a month, 30-day (checked 11 November 2026) | 100GB for £15 a month on 18 months (£270 over 18 months); Black Friday 200GB at £12 a month on 18 months (activate by 7 December 2026), both checked 11 November 2026 on giffgaff.com |
Unlimited | Unlimited data at £25 a month, 30-day, on Lebara’s main site (checked 11 November 2026) | £25 a month on an 18-month plan, checked 11 November 2026 |
Which? customer score (January 2026) | No matching score from that 15-provider table is cited in this guide | 79%, joint third of 15 |
International calls | 100 international minutes from the UK to more than 50 countries, on both exclusive plan pages checked 11 November 2026 | UK calls are unlimited on the plans below; international calling is a separate add-on, so check giffgaff.com if you call abroad from the UK often |
EU roaming | Use your plan allowance in the EU or India at no extra cost, up to 30GB (Lebara’s plan page, checked 11 November 2026) | Up to 5GB of EU roaming data in 37 destinations on every plan (giffgaff.com, checked 11 November 2026) |
Our Lebara review, Lebara Black Friday SIM deal guide and giffgaff review set out the wider plan ranges. For a Vodafone-network alternative that is not Lebara, see the VOXI vs giffgaff guide. You can also browse SIM only deals, Lebara SIM only deals and giffgaff SIM only deals.
Is Lebara cheaper than giffgaff?
For the first six months, yes, if you only need 15GB or 30GB and you can use the partner plans. Six months of Lebara’s 30GB offer costs £19.20 at £3.20 a month, checked on Lebara’s 30GB exclusive plan page on 11 November 2026. Six months of giffgaff’s 40GB plan at £8 a month costs £48. After those six months, Lebara’s 30GB plan goes to £8 a month, which is the same monthly price as giffgaff’s 40GB plan, but with 10GB less data and no 18-month lock-in. If you stay a year on Lebara’s 30GB partner plan, the cash is £19.20 plus six months at £8, which is £67.20, provided the intro price still applies when you join and the plan stays at £8 afterwards.
giffgaff is cheaper per gigabyte if you want 40GB for a longer stretch and you are happy to commit. The 40GB plan is £144 over 18 months when you sign up before 4 December 2026, based on the £8 monthly price on giffgaff.com, checked 11 November 2026. That is the same £8 a month as Lebara’s 30GB plan after the intro period, but with 10GB more data. giffgaff also shows a Black Friday 200GB plan at £12 a month on 18 months, to activate by 7 December 2026, which is a lot of data if you will use it. The button after the comparison table is the 40GB £8 plan, not the 200GB plan.
The fair comparison is not only pence per month. Lebara’s featured plans are rolling, so you can leave after a month once the intro period is no longer the reason you stay. giffgaff’s £8 40GB deal is an 18-month plan. If you might move network in a few months, the rolling Lebara offer can still be the cheaper way to test Vodafone coverage, even if an 18-month giffgaff plan would win on a full-term spreadsheet.
Does Lebara use Vodafone?
Yes. Lebara is a virtual operator on Vodafone’s radio network. Speed and indoor coverage follow Vodafone, not a separate Lebara mast network. Opensignal’s January 2026 UK Mobile Network Experience report gave Vodafone an overall download speed experience of 37.5 Mbps and O2 32.8 Mbps. On 5G downloads, Vodafone averaged 130.9 Mbps and O2 89.9 Mbps. EE led overall download speed, at 53.2 Mbps, and Three led 5G download speed, at 187 Mbps. O2 retained the coverage experience award. Those figures are national averages from 1 October to 29 December 2025, not a promise about your kitchen or your commute.
If Vodafone is the network that already works indoors where you live, Lebara is the more logical of these two. If O2 is the only network that works at home, giffgaff will be the more reliable choice, even if Vodafone looks faster on a national chart. Check your postcodes on Vodafone’s network checker, on O2’s coverage checker and on Ofcom’s mobile and broadband checker.
Does giffgaff have a credit check?
giffgaff says its SIM plans do not need a credit check. Lebara’s plan pages say its plans are 30-day rolling with no credit checks. That is useful if you want to avoid a 24-month phone contract, but it is not the same as “no commitment at all” on every plan. giffgaff’s £8 40GB deal still runs for 18 months. You can change plan during that term, according to giffgaff’s plan page, but you should read what happens if you leave the network early.
Both brands sell online. You will not get a high-street assistant to talk you through the catch. Read the intro period, the date you must sign up or activate by, and whether the plan is rolling or 18 months, before you pay.
Plans and prices compared
Plan | Data | Monthly price | Contract | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Lebara 30GB partner plan | 30GB, plus 100 international minutes from the UK to more than 50 countries | £3.20 for six months, then £8 | Rolling, new customers. Lebara’s partner terms say the offer runs until 11:59am on 11 December 2026 | Vodafone (Lebara) |
Lebara 15GB partner plan | 15GB, plus 100 international minutes from the UK to more than 50 countries | £2.80 for six months, then £7 | Rolling, new customers. Lebara’s partner terms say the offer runs until 11:59am on 11 December 2026 | Vodafone (Lebara) |
giffgaff 40GB | 40GB (6GB plus 34GB extra for 18 months) | £8 | 18 months, sign-ups before 4 December 2026 | O2 (giffgaff) |
giffgaff 100GB | 100GB | £15 | 18 months | O2 (giffgaff) |
giffgaff 200GB Black Friday | 200GB (50GB plus 150GB extra) | £12 | 18 months, activate by 7 December 2026 | O2 (giffgaff) |
giffgaff unlimited | Unlimited | £25 | 18 months | O2 (giffgaff) |
giffgaff 15GB pay as you go | 15GB | £10 | One-month top-up | O2 (giffgaff) |
These £3.20 and £2.80 prices are Lebara partner-exclusive offers on a Lebara page you reach through our link. They are not on Lebara’s main SIM-only page, where 30GB is £10 a month on a 30-day plan and there is no 15GB plan (checked 11 November 2026).
Lebara prices in the table are partner-exclusive prices, checked on 11 November 2026 on Lebara’s exclusive plan pages, which show £2.80 and £3.20 a month for six months for new customers, then £7 and £8. giffgaff prices were checked on giffgaff.com on 11 November 2026. Promotional end dates for the 40GB and 200GB plans come from giffgaff’s plan pages and giffgaff’s promotions terms. The 40GB plan is 6GB with 34GB extra for the 18-month term when you sign up before 4 December 2026, so read what happens if you stay after that term.
giffgaff 40GB — £8/mo · 18-month plan
- 40GB of 5G data, unlimited UK calls and texts, £8 a month on giffgaff.com, checked 11 November 2026, with 6GB plus 34GB extra if you sign up before 4 December 2026
- 18-month plan on O2’s network (giffgaff), with no credit check. £144 over 18 months at the £8 monthly price
- Main limitation: giffgaff also shows a Black Friday 200GB plan at £12 a month, to activate by 7 December 2026. The button below is the 40GB £8 plan, not the 200GB plan
Who should pick Lebara, and who should pick giffgaff?
If you… | Better pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
Need a signal on Vodafone at home | Lebara | It uses Vodafone’s masts. giffgaff runs on O2, so it will not help if only Vodafone works where you live. |
Need a signal on O2 | giffgaff | Same radio network as O2, without an O2-brand contract |
Want 30GB on a rolling plan at a low intro price | Lebara 30GB at £3.20 for six months, then £8 | First six months cost £19.20, checked 11 November 2026, for new customers. Lebara’s partner terms say the offer runs until 11:59am on 11 December 2026 |
Want 15GB on a rolling plan | Lebara 15GB at £2.80 for six months, then £7 | First six months cost £16.80. Only worth it if 15GB is actually enough |
Want 40GB at a low monthly price and can commit | giffgaff 40GB at £8 | £144 over 18 months, checked 11 November 2026 on giffgaff.com, if you sign up before 4 December 2026 |
Want a lot of data on O2 | Compare giffgaff’s 200GB Black Friday plan at £12, to activate by 7 December 2026, with the 100GB plan at £15 | Both were on giffgaff.com on 11 November 2026. The button in this guide is the 40GB plan |
Call abroad from the UK a lot | Start with Lebara’s 100 international minutes, then read the country list on the plan page | giffgaff’s unlimited UK calls do not automatically mean cheap international calls |
Roam often in Europe | Lebara | You can use your full 15GB or 30GB in the EU, against up to 5GB in 37 destinations on giffgaff (both checked 11 November 2026) |
How to switch between Lebara and giffgaff
Check coverage at the postcodes you actually use, not just a national average.
If you are still in a minimum term with another network, ask about an exit fee. Rolling plans do not have one. An 18-month giffgaff plan is a longer commitment.
To keep your number, ask your current provider for a PAC code (text PAC to 65075). A STAC code cancels your old contract without moving the number. Codes are usually issued quickly.
Order the new SIM or eSIM and enter the code when the new provider asks for it.
Keep the old SIM until the number has moved and you have a signal on the new one.
eSIM availability depends on your handset and on the brand, so check during the order. 5G needs a 5G phone and coverage in that spot. If you are using a Lebara partner plan, confirm you are a new customer and that the intro price is still on the page when you join.
Lebara 15GB — £2.80/mo for 6 months, then £7 · rolling
- 15GB of 4G and 5G data, unlimited UK calls and texts, and 100 international minutes from the UK to more than 50 countries, checked 11 November 2026 on Lebara’s 15GB exclusive plan page
- £2.80 a month for the first six months (£16.80), then £7 a month, on a rolling plan with no credit check, for new customers. Lebara’s partner terms say the offer runs until 11:59am on 11 December 2026
- Main limitation: 15GB is tight if you stream a lot, and this partner-exclusive price is reached through our link; Lebara’s main site has no 15GB plan.
FAQ
Is Lebara cheaper than giffgaff?
For the first six months, Lebara’s partner 15GB and 30GB plans are cheaper than giffgaff’s £8 40GB plan if those allowances are enough. Six months of the 30GB offer costs £19.20; six months of giffgaff 40GB at £8 costs £48. After six months, Lebara’s 30GB plan is £8 a month, the same monthly price as giffgaff’s 40GB plan but with less data. If you want 40GB for 18 months, giffgaff’s £8 plan, checked on 11 November 2026, is the stronger cash rate, at £144 over the term if you sign up before 4 December 2026.
Does Lebara use Vodafone?
Yes. Lebara is a virtual brand on Vodafone’s network, so coverage and speed follow Vodafone’s masts. Opensignal’s January 2026 report put Vodafone ahead of O2 on overall download speed (37.5 Mbps against 32.8 Mbps) and on 5G downloads, while O2 led overall coverage. Check your own postcodes before you treat those averages as a reason to switch.
Does giffgaff have a credit check?
giffgaff says its SIM plans do not need a credit check. Lebara’s plan pages say its plans are 30-day rolling with no credit checks. You still need to pay on time. An 18-month giffgaff plan is a commitment even without a credit search.
Which is better for international calls, Lebara or giffgaff?
Lebara’s exclusive 15GB and 30GB plan pages, checked on 11 November 2026, include 100 international minutes from the UK to more than 50 countries, as well as unlimited UK calls and texts. That is the clearer UK-to-abroad calling extra of the two on the pages checked for this guide. giffgaff gives unlimited UK calls on the plans above; if you call abroad from the UK, check the international add-on on giffgaff.com rather than assuming it is included.
Does giffgaff include EU roaming?
Yes. giffgaff.com, checked on 11 November 2026, says every plan includes up to 5GB of roaming data in 37 EU destinations. Lebara’s plan pages say you can use your plan in the EU or India at no extra cost, up to 30GB, so on the plans in this guide Lebara gives you more roaming data.
Can I keep my number if I switch?
Yes. To keep your number, ask your current provider for a PAC code (text PAC to 65075) and give it to the new one. A STAC code cancels your old contract without moving the number. The number usually moves in one working day once the new SIM is active, though some customers report delays. Keep the old SIM until you have a signal on the new plan.
When do these Black Friday SIM offers end?
Lebara’s partner 15GB and 30GB intro prices are for new customers. Lebara’s partner terms say the offer runs until 11:59am on 11 December 2026, with the discounted monthly price lasting six months. giffgaff’s 40GB for £8 extra-data offer is for sign-ups before 4 December 2026, and its 200GB for £12 Black Friday plan must be activated by 7 December 2026, both according to giffgaff’s pages and promotions terms checked on 11 November 2026. Always confirm the date on the plan page before you pay.
Sources: Lebara 30GB Exclusive Monthly Plan page, Lebara 15GB Exclusive Monthly Plan page and Lebara’s main SIM-only page (checked 11 November 2026); giffgaff SIM only deals, giffgaff 40GB for £8 plan page and giffgaff promotions terms (checked 11 November 2026); Opensignal’s January 2026 UK Mobile Network Experience report (data collected 1 October to 29 December 2025); ISPreview’s write-up of the Which? 2026 mobile results; our Lebara review, Lebara Black Friday SIM deal guide and giffgaff review.
