Best Sim deals for students

Students looking for a phone plan to stay connected on and off campus will want enough data at an affordable price. Well, you'll be pleased to hear that plenty of UK network providers have exclusive offers available to students.

We've spotted discounts that knock a tidy sum off monthly and Sim-only plans, plus schemes that let you carry over data you might not use. It's not just Sim plans you could save on, either – some networks serve up deals on cinema tickets or meals out. 

Below, our experts run through the latest student-friendly Sim offers. Keep scrolling for tempting discounts from big-name brands including EE, Vodafone and O2.

Our guide to the best mobile phone deals is a one-stop shop for handset and Sim bargains.

Great value Sim-only deals

If you're happy with your handset, make sure your Sim is prepared for the rigours of university life as well. That means enough data to get you through the day and not paying more than you need to. These Sim deals could tick the boxes.

For those after a new phone on contract, check below for more student-friendly discounts.

Sky Mobile

For students that don't get through lots of data every month, Sky Mobile's Piggybank scheme is worth a look. Unused data at the end of the month is rolled over to be used when you need it, and can be kept for up to three years. Plus, that data can be shared with up to seven Sims on a single account.

If you're not fussed about having loads of data, Sky Mobile's 4GB, 12-month plan will cost you £8 a month. Alternatively, for an extra £2 a month, you can bump up your allowance to 20GB.

Use Which? Compare to browse even more Sky Mobile deals, or see our Sky Mobile review.

Smarty

There are plenty of student Sim plans to pick from on Smarty's website, with prices starting from just £6 per month for 4GB of data.

The network provider has a 'cancel anytime' policy and all of its plans include unlimited calls and texts. 5G data is available with enabled devices and no credit check is required to place an order. Plus you get free EU roaming.

Here's a look at Smarty's Sim-only plans:

• 4GB of data at £6 per month
• 8GB of data at £7 per month
• 12GB of data at £8 per month
• 30GB of data at £10 per month
• 100GB of data at £12 per month
• 200GB of data at £17 per month
• Unlimited data at £18 per month

Use Which? Compare to browse all Smarty deals, or see our Smarty mobile review.

Giffgaff

The network provider has a student exclusive offer on its website that gives you 40GB of data for £10 per month, compared to the 'regular' plan that costs £10 per month for 20GB of data. Unlimited UK calls and texts are included in the monthly rolling plan.

To apply for the offer, you'll need an email address ending ac.uk – just make sure you register with that school-assigned email address when you fill out the form. This particular offer needs to be activated before 30 November.

If you think 40GB of data is overkill, you might find one of these Sim deals more appealing:

• 2GB of data at £6 per month
• 6GB of data at £8 per month

Use Which? Compare to browse all Giffgaff deals, or see our Giffgaff review.

Lebara

Promising to keep students on a tight budget connected with friends and family, Lebara offers 50% off Sim-only deals with a voucher. You won't be tied to a long contract as these are 30-day rolling plans.

To apply the discount, you'll need to use the promo code STUDENT22 when you get to checkout. The network's highlighted deals (all of which include 100 international minutes) are:

• 3GB of data at £5 per month (1,000 UK minutes and texts)
• 15GB of data at £10 per month (unlimited UK minutes and texts)
• 30GB of data at £15 per month (unlimited UK minutes and texts)
• Unlimited data at £25 per month (unlimited UK minutes and texts)

Use Which? Compare to browse all Lebara deals, or see our Lebara Mobile review.

Sims with student discounts on contract phones

If you're looking to pick up a handset on a contract, some of the biggest providers offer student discounts that could tempt you in. Contracts might not always be the cheapest option though – use our mobile phone contract calculator to find out.

And if you see a discount below that you like, check our contract phone deals to make sure you're really getting the best price for your handset.

EE (20% off select monthly and Sim-only plans)

Students can take advantage of a 20% discount code on pay monthly or Sim-only plans. Note that this is for new customers only, so annual upgrade plans aren't available with this offer.

To claim the offer, you'll need to sign up with Student Beans – it's a student discount site that, aside from phone offers, also shares coupons covering fashion, food and beauty products.

Once you've created your account, you'll be given a student discount code to enter at checkout when you buy a new phone or Sim plan. Discount codes will only work once per customer, so if you’ve already used your code you won’t be able to use it again. At the end of your plan’s minimum term, the discount will be automatically removed.

EE's list of student offers includes:

• Up to £624 off handsets for back to school (+20% student discount)
• Sim-only offers from £14 per month (+20% student discount)

If you're thinking of joining EE for the first time, check in with our EE mobile review.

O2 (20% off on airtime and more)

If you're shopping for a new phone or tablet, note that students get 20% off Airtime Plans through O2. Accessories are also eligible for the same discount, although there are a couple of excluded products including AirPods, Apple Watch models and Fitbit wearables.

Taking out a plan with O2 also means you get access to Priority, which offers gig tickets to customers before public release – good news if you want to escape the library and let off some steam.

To claim the student-only offer, you'll need to sign in to UNiDAYS or Totum for a unique checkout code. Then, browse through O2's phone offers and apply the code.

Among O2's latest student deals are the following:

• iPhone 13 – £36.30 per month, £30 upfront, 5GB of data
• Google Pixel 7 – £33.41 per month, £30 upfront, 5GB of data
• Samsung Galaxy A54 5G – £23.40 per month, £10 upfront, 5GB of data

Use Which? Compare to browse all O2 deals, or have a read of our in-depth O2 mobile review.

Vodafone (10% off selected monthly plans)

For students that don't fancy spending big on their tech each month, Vodafone offers a selection of discounted plans. Select airtime plans, pay monthly tablets and Sim-only plans are eligible for a 10% discount. Choose from the following:

• 10% off all Xtra Plans taken out alongside a Phone Plan
• 10% off selected 24-month tablet plans
• 10% off 12 or 24-month SIM only Xtra Plans

To get started, you'll need to visit the student discount page and make sure your university is mentioned as a partner.

Purchase a monthly plan and then fill out Vodafone's student discount form with your student ID number, university name, university email address and phone number. You'll also need to mention when you took out your plan – you can only claim your discount if this date is less than 60 days ago.

If you're eligible, Vodafone will get in touch and let you know when the discount has been applied to your account.

Vodafone customers also get free access to VeryMe Rewards, a loyalty scheme with weekly offers and discounts on products and days out. 

Use Which? Compare to browse all Vodafone deals, or see our Vodafone mobile review.

iD Mobile (£20 off)

iD Mobile is currently offering £20 off the upfront cost when you purchase any iD Mobile phone contract.

The provider also has a student-exclusive Sim deal that costs £15 a month – that gets you unlimited 5G data, minutes and texts. If you're regularly streaming Netflix shows outside of class and campus wifi isn't reliable, that data will come in handy.

For access to all of iD's student discounts, you'll need to sign up with UNiDAYS and verify your student status.

On the iD Mobile website, featured phone deals include the following:

• iPhone 14 – from £35.99 per month, £69 upfront
• Samsung Galaxy S23 – from £27.99 per month, £59 upfront
• iPhone 11 – from £23.99 per month, £0 upfront
• Google Pixel 7a – from £21.99 per month, £0 upfront

If it's just the Sim you're after, you can currently grab a 12-month plan costing £6 per month that offers 8GB of data, plus unlimited minutes and texts.

Use Which? Compare to browse all iD Mobile deals, or explore our iD Mobile review.

O2, EE, Three and Vodafone customers can also make savings on streaming TV, music and eating out - read our guide to mobile provider perks for more.

Sims for social media and streaming

Voxi

If you spend more time writing status updates than you do writing essays, look for a Sim plan that covers social media use.

Alongside big four providers that offer a range of perks, including streaming services, UK network provider Voxi lets students use social media apps without eating into their data allowance. The list of services includes Snapchat, Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook Messenger.

We've spotted a couple of plans under £20 with a decent amount of data:

• 15GB of data at £10 per month
• 30GB of data at £15 per month
• 60GB of data at £12 per month

Use Which? Compare to browse all Voxi deals, or see our Voxi mobile review.

Fancy swapping to a better network without fuss? We've put together a guide on how to switch mobile provider.

Sims with cheap or free roaming

When you want to swap a seat in the lecture hall for a seat by the pool, having a Sim with free roaming is ideal. As you shop for Sim plans, make a note of the data roaming allowance.

If you're not tied to a contract, the cheapest way to go about it could be to switch to a cheap Sim-only provider that offers free roaming.

Big four customers should know that three of the main network providers now charge to roam in Europe. When charged 'per day', this can be either 24 hours from first use, or until 11.59pm (UK time) from when you start using your minutes or data, depending on the provider.

Make sure you don't get hit with a nasty bill on your return – read our guide on how to save money on mobile roaming.