on O2Tesco Mobilevson O2giffgaff
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We compared every Tesco Mobile and giffgaff plan by what it costs per month across the whole contract, not the price in the advert.
Both run on O2's network, so coverage and signal should be the same wherever you are.
The verdictWhich is cheaper?
Light use (5GB+)
giffgaff
Tesco Mobile: 24m 12GB
giffgaff: 18m 6GB
£24.00 a year less with giffgaff
Everyday (30GB+)
giffgaff
Tesco Mobile: 24m 30GB
giffgaff: 18m 50GB
£15.12 a year less with giffgaff
But with a free Clubcard: Tesco Mobile 24m 45GB is £11.00/month, £12.00 a year less than giffgaff.
Heavy use (100GB+)
giffgaff
Tesco Mobile: 24m 100GB
giffgaff: 18m 100GB
£30.00 a year less with giffgaff
But with a free Clubcard: Tesco Mobile 24m 100GB is £14.00/month, £12.00 a year less than giffgaff.
Unlimited data
Tesco Mobile
Tesco Mobile: 24m Unlimited
giffgaff: Rolling Unlimited
£120.00 a year less with Tesco Mobile
With a free Clubcard: Tesco Mobile 24m Unlimited is £20.00/month, £180.00 a year less than giffgaff.
giffgaff is cheaper for 3 of 4 uses at the price everyone pays. With a free Clubcard, Tesco Mobile is cheaper for 3 of 4 uses.
Side by sideAt a glance
| Tesco Mobile | giffgaff | |
|---|---|---|
| Network it runs on | O2 | O2 |
| Contracts | 12 months, 24 months | rolling, 18 months |
| Price rises | Stated annual rises, e.g. £20.00 → £21.20 on 1 April 2027 | Locked on some plans; not stated on others |
| EU roaming | Included (allowance not stated) | Included, 5GB |
| Cheapest plan | £7.95/mo · 2GB | £6.00/mo · 2GB |
| Cheapest unlimited | £25.00/mo · 24 months | £35.00/mo · rolling monthly |
| 5G | Included | Included |
Monthly vs contractThe cost of not being tied in
- Tesco Mobile: 30GB+ only comes on contracts (from £13.26/month).
- giffgaff: rolling from £15.00/month vs £12.00 on a 18-month contract. Not being tied in costs about £36.00 a year.
Read before you switchCatches worth knowing
- Better plan, same network. 8 of these 39 plans are beaten by another plan from the same network: more data for the same or less money. They carry a green tag below.
- Clubcard prices. Some Tesco Mobile plans are cheaper with a Clubcard, which is free to join. We rank the price everyone pays, and each verdict says when a Clubcard changes the answer.
giffgaff: pay as you go vs monthly rollingTesco Mobile price rises, in poundsEU roaming compared, including VOXI's pass
18 plansEvery Tesco Mobile plan, by real monthly cost
What the columns mean
- Plan
- The network's own name for the plan. The coloured tags under it are the catches: intro prices, bonus data that ends, Clubcard-only prices, price rises and roaming limits.
- Data
- Your monthly UK data once any bonus data has ended. "Unlimited" is subject to the network's fair-use policy.
- Contract
- Rolling: a monthly plan you can leave any month. Its price is not fixed unless the network says so. 12m / 18m / 24m: a fixed-term contract for that many months, usually cheaper per month but you are tied in, and leaving early normally costs a fee. We have not collected exit fees, so check the network's terms.
- Real cost / month
- The average of every monthly payment across the whole contract (24 months for rolling plans), including intro prices ending and stated price rises. This is the number plans are ranked by, not the advertised price.
- Price over time
- Each block is a run of months at one price. Green is an intro price, grey the normal price, red the price after a stated rise. Taller means dearer.
- Total
- Everything you would pay across the contract (24 months for rolling plans).
- £/GB
- Real cost per month divided by the monthly data. Lower is better value. Not shown for unlimited plans.
- EU roaming
- Whether you can use your allowance in the EU at no extra cost, and any data cap while you are there.
| PlanThe network's own name for the plan. The coloured tags under it are the catches: intro prices, bonus data that ends, Clubcard-only prices, price rises and roaming limits. | DataYour monthly UK data once any bonus data has ended. "Unlimited" is subject to the network's fair-use policy. | ContractRolling: a monthly plan you can leave any month. Its price is not fixed unless the network says so. 12m / 18m / 24m: a fixed-term contract for that many months, usually cheaper per month but you are tied in, and leaving early normally costs a fee. We have not collected exit fees, so check the network's terms. | Real cost / monthThe average of every monthly payment across the whole contract (24 months for rolling plans), including intro prices ending and stated price rises. This is the number plans are ranked by, not the advertised price. | Price over timeEach block is a run of months at one price. Green is an intro price, grey the normal price, red the price after a stated rise. Taller means dearer. | TotalEverything you would pay across the contract (24 months for rolling plans). | £/GBReal cost per month divided by the monthly data. Lower is better value. Not shown for unlimited plans. | EU roamingWhether you can use your allowance in the EU at no extra cost, and any data cap while you are there. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
24m 2GB2GB · 24 months
| 2GB | 24m | £7.95advert £7.50 | £190.92 24 months | £3.98 | included (48 Home from Home destinations) | Tesco Mobile | |
12m 2GB2GB · 12 months
| 2GB | 12m | £8.24advert £8.00 | £98.88 12 months | £4.12 | included (48 Home from Home destinations) | Tesco Mobile | |
24m 12GB12GB · 24 months
| 12GB | 24m | £10.00£9.00 with Clubcard | £240.00 24 months | £0.83 | included (48 Home from Home destinations) | Tesco Mobile | |
12m 12GB12GB · 12 months
| 12GB | 12m | £11.33advert £11.00 | £135.96 12 months | £0.94 | included (48 Home from Home destinations) | Tesco Mobile | |
24m 30GB30GB · 24 months
| 30GB | 24m | £13.26advert £12.50 | £318.24 24 months | £0.44 | included (48 Home from Home destinations) | Tesco Mobile | |
24m 45GB45GB · 24 months
| 45GB | 24m | £13.75£11.00 with Clubcard | £330.00 24 months | £0.31 | included (48 Home from Home destinations) | Tesco Mobile | |
12m 30GB30GB · 12 months
| 30GB | 12m | £15.45advert £15.00 | £185.40 12 months | £0.52 | included (48 Home from Home destinations) | Tesco Mobile | |
24m 60GB60GB · 24 months
| 60GB | 24m | £15.91advert £15.00 | £381.90 24 months | £0.27 | included (48 Home from Home destinations) | Tesco Mobile | |
12m 45GB45GB · 12 months
| 45GB | 12m | £16.73advert £16.25 | £200.82 12 months | £0.37 | included (48 Home from Home destinations) | Tesco Mobile | |
24m 75GB75GB · 24 months
| 75GB | 24m | £17.23advert £16.25 | £413.64 24 months | £0.23 | included (48 Home from Home destinations) | Tesco Mobile | |
24m 100GB100GB · 24 months
| 100GB | 24m | £17.50£14.00 with Clubcard | £420.00 24 months | £0.17 | included (48 Home from Home destinations) | Tesco Mobile | |
12m 60GB60GB · 12 months
| 60GB | 12m | £18.03advert £17.50 | £216.30 12 months | £0.30 | included (48 Home from Home destinations) | Tesco Mobile | |
12m 75GB75GB · 12 months
| 75GB | 12m | £19.31advert £18.75 | £231.72 12 months | £0.26 | included (48 Home from Home destinations) | Tesco Mobile | |
12m 100GB100GB · 12 months
| 100GB | 12m | £20.60advert £20.00 | £247.20 12 months | £0.21 | included (48 Home from Home destinations) | Tesco Mobile | |
24m 250GB250GB · 24 months
| 250GB | 24m | £23.87advert £22.50 | £572.88 24 months | £0.10 | included (48 Home from Home destinations) | Tesco Mobile | |
24m UnlimitedUnlimited · 24 months
| Unlimited | 24m | £25.00£20.00 with Clubcard | £600.00 24 months | — | included (48 Home from Home destinations) | Tesco Mobile | |
12m 250GB250GB · 12 months
| 250GB | 12m | £25.75advert £25.00 | £309.00 12 months | £0.10 | included (48 Home from Home destinations) | Tesco Mobile | |
12m UnlimitedUnlimited · 12 months
| Unlimited | 12m | £30.90advert £30.00 | £370.80 12 months | — | included (48 Home from Home destinations) | Tesco Mobile |
21 plansEvery giffgaff plan, by real monthly cost
| PlanThe network's own name for the plan. The coloured tags under it are the catches: intro prices, bonus data that ends, Clubcard-only prices, price rises and roaming limits. | DataYour monthly UK data once any bonus data has ended. "Unlimited" is subject to the network's fair-use policy. | ContractRolling: a monthly plan you can leave any month. Its price is not fixed unless the network says so. 12m / 18m / 24m: a fixed-term contract for that many months, usually cheaper per month but you are tied in, and leaving early normally costs a fee. We have not collected exit fees, so check the network's terms. | Real cost / monthThe average of every monthly payment across the whole contract (24 months for rolling plans), including intro prices ending and stated price rises. This is the number plans are ranked by, not the advertised price. | Price over timeEach block is a run of months at one price. Green is an intro price, grey the normal price, red the price after a stated rise. Taller means dearer. | TotalEverything you would pay across the contract (24 months for rolling plans). | £/GBReal cost per month divided by the monthly data. Lower is better value. Not shown for unlimited plans. | EU roamingWhether you can use your allowance in the EU at no extra cost, and any data cap while you are there. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rolling 2GB2GB · Rolling monthly | 2GB | Rolling | £6.00 | £144.00 24 months | £3.00 | included (up to 5GB) | giffgaff | |
PAYG 1GB1GB · Rolling monthly
| 1GB | Rolling | £6.00 | £144.00 24 months | £6.00 | included (up to 5GB) | giffgaff | |
18m 6GB6GB · 18 months
| 6GB | 18m | £8.00 | £144.00 18 months | £1.33 | included (up to 5GB) | giffgaff | |
| Rolling 5GB5GB · Rolling monthly | 5GB | Rolling | £8.00 | £192.00 24 months | £1.60 | included (up to 5GB) | giffgaff | |
PAYG 4GB4GB · Rolling monthly
| 4GB | Rolling | £8.00 | £192.00 24 months | £2.00 | included (up to 5GB) | giffgaff | |
18m 25GB25GB · 18 months
| 25GB | 18m | £10.00 | £180.00 18 months | £0.40 | included (up to 5GB) | giffgaff | |
| Rolling 20GB20GB · Rolling monthly | 20GB | Rolling | £10.00 | £240.00 24 months | £0.50 | included (up to 5GB) | giffgaff | |
PAYG 15GB15GB · Rolling monthly
| 15GB | Rolling | £10.00 | £240.00 24 months | £0.67 | included (up to 5GB) | giffgaff | |
| 18m 50GB50GB · 18 months | 50GB | 18m | £12.00 | £216.00 18 months | £0.24 | included (up to 5GB) | giffgaff | |
| Rolling 26GB26GB · Rolling monthly | 26GB | Rolling | £12.00 | £288.00 24 months | £0.46 | included (up to 5GB) | giffgaff | |
PAYG 25GB25GB · Rolling monthly
| 25GB | Rolling | £12.00 | £288.00 24 months | £0.48 | included (up to 5GB) | giffgaff | |
| 18m 100GB100GB · 18 months | 100GB | 18m | £15.00 | £270.00 18 months | £0.15 | included (up to 5GB) | giffgaff | |
| Rolling 50GB50GB · Rolling monthly | 50GB | Rolling | £15.00 | £360.00 24 months | £0.30 | included (up to 5GB) | giffgaff | |
PAYG 30GB30GB · Rolling monthly
| 30GB | Rolling | £15.00 | £360.00 24 months | £0.50 | included (up to 5GB) | giffgaff | |
| 18m 200GB200GB · 18 months | 200GB | 18m | £20.00 | £360.00 18 months | £0.10 | included (up to 5GB) | giffgaff | |
| Rolling 100GB100GB · Rolling monthly | 100GB | Rolling | £20.00 | £480.00 24 months | £0.20 | included (up to 5GB) | giffgaff | |
PAYG 80GB80GB · Rolling monthly
| 80GB | Rolling | £20.00 | £480.00 24 months | £0.25 | included (up to 5GB) | giffgaff | |
| Rolling 200GB200GB · Rolling monthly | 200GB | Rolling | £25.00 | £600.00 24 months | £0.12 | included (up to 5GB) | giffgaff | |
PAYG 120GB120GB · Rolling monthly
| 120GB | Rolling | £25.00 | £600.00 24 months | £0.21 | included (up to 5GB) | giffgaff | |
Rolling UnlimitedUnlimited · Rolling monthly
| Unlimited | Rolling | £35.00 | £840.00 24 months | — | included (up to 5GB) | giffgaff | |
PAYG 200GB200GB · Rolling monthly
| 200GB | Rolling | £35.00 | £840.00 24 months | £0.17 | included (up to 5GB) | giffgaff |
The small print, in large printWhat these numbers don't tell you
- Real cost / month assumes you join on 2 October 2026 and stay for the whole contract. Rolling plans are costed over 24 months at today's price; a rolling plan's price is not fixed unless the network says so, but you can leave any month.
- Stated price rises are included where the network publishes them in pounds and pence. Where a network says nothing about rises, we assume none, which may flatter it.
- Not included yet: early exit fees on contracts, speed caps, fair-use limits on "unlimited" data, tethering limits and charges for going over your allowance. We have not collected these, so we make no claims about them.
- £/GB uses the ongoing allowance, not temporary bonus data.
- Price over time bars: green months are an intro price, grey the normal price, red months after a stated rise. Bar height is that month's price.
- Coverage depends on where you live. Check your postcode on Ofcom's coverage checker.