What a SIM-only deal actually gives you
A SIM-only deal sells network access for a SIM you already have, with no handset attached, so the whole decision rests on price, data, roaming and support. Every provider in this guide sells SIM-only service, which is why these four are worth weighing on the same terms.
Begin with the trade-off most households feel: a small monthly figure against the risk of paying extra when a handset breaks or a trip takes you abroad. Write down the price you would pay if you bought no add-ons at all, then check what that price actually includes.
The SIM-only deals rankings set the plans side by side, so you can read off the entry price of each before you dig into the fine print.
Entry price and what the monthly cost covers
GETESA's entry prepaid plan costs XAF 300 a month and bundles a modest data allowance with SMS. The same provider lists larger prepaid data plans on higher tiers, and its unlimited plan sits at XAF 33,000 a month on a prepaid monthly basis.
Lonestar Cell MTN sits lower still, with a prepaid social bundle at $0.20 where the price varies, and its data comes as short prepaid bundles for a day or a longer prepaid data bundle covering a month. The provider lists no unlimited plan and no long-term bundle, so heavy users pay more per gigabyte there.
yesss! has a different shape. Its pay-per-use option carries no commitment at €0 a month, while the yearly plan is a longer commitment built around a fixed, generous data allowance. Across the wider set of plans on file, entry prices run €0 to €43.85, which places these three near the cheaper end of the SIM-only market.
Contract length and billing type
Billing style decides what happens when you want to leave. GETESA offers prepaid and contract billing, so you can stay prepaid or take a contract, and Lonestar Cell MTN offers contract and prepaid billing with a similar choice.
yesss! lists contract, rolling and prepaid billing, the widest set of the four, and its listed contract terms are 1 and 12 months. Lonestar Cell MTN lists 1 months, so a short commitment is possible there too.
Astound lists rolling billing only, which means there is no contract term to serve out and no exit fee to plan around. Astound also runs a credit check, so allow for that step before an order goes through.
Data limits, rollover and what unlimited really means
Unlimited reads as equal across providers but is not. GETESA sells its unlimited plan at XAF 33,000 a month. yesss! does not list an unlimited mobile plan, so its largest 5G plan tops the range and the allowance is a large fixed bundle instead. Lonestar Cell MTN lists no unlimited plan either, with its longest prepaid data bundle as the closest equivalent.
Across the plans on file, unlimited pricing runs €0.88 to €100, so a provider quoting near the top of that range is charging a premium for the word.
Rollover matters as well. Astound does not roll data over, so unused data simply disappears when the billing period ends. If you regularly use less than you pay for, an allowance with room to spare is worth more than a tight one you always exhaust.
Roaming and travel
Roaming is the line item most likely to surprise a family budget. Lonestar Cell MTN treats EU roaming as paid and reaches 170 countries, which suits frequent travel. yesss! applies a fair use approach instead, so read the terms before assuming travel is included in the monthly price.
GETESA serves a single market, GQ, and the business has traded since 1984. If your household splits its year between more than one country, a single-market plan is the wrong shape, however good the headline price looks.
Support when something goes wrong
Support is where a cheap plan gets tested. GETESA offers phone, email and help centre. Lonestar Cell MTN offers email, chat and phone, and yesss! offers email, chat and phone. Where the channel list is identical, the written review carries the answer: GETESA, Lonestar Cell MTN and yesss!.
Check that help arrives in a language you use, on the channel you would actually reach, and whether you can walk into a store or must rely on remote support.
A short checklist before you order
Confirm the plan name and exactly what it includes, then confirm the price per month and the billing basis behind it. Next check the contract term, whether unused data rolls over, and what roaming costs you.
A few practical details finish the job. An eSIM saves a delivery wait if you expect to swap plans, and both Lonestar Cell MTN and yesss! offer it. Astound publishes a coverage checker, so you can confirm signal at your address before committing.
Then reread the Astound review alongside the SIM-only deals rankings, and pick the plan whose total monthly cost and limits match how your household genuinely uses data.