Updated September 30, 2026 · TariffCue Editorial Team
1pMobile vs TextNow
1pMobile vs TextNow: the differences
| Compare |  1pMobile |  TextNow |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | £5 | $0 |
| Reference plan prices | 5GB 30-day: GBP 5 per month, 5GB, 30-day rolling; Unlimited 30-day: GBP 25 per month, unlimited data, 30-day rolling; 1-year 50GB: GBP 110 per year, 50GB per 30 days, 12-month | Free: $0 per month, unlimited talk and text, rolling; Plus Monthly: $18.99 per month, 20GB data, rolling; Unlimited Monthly: $35.99 per month, 20GB data plus unlimited 2G, rolling |
| Unlimited plan price | £25 | $35.99 |
| Markets | GB | US, CA |
| EU roaming | Fair use | Not confirmed |
| Roaming countries | 46 | Not confirmed |
| Hotspot sharing | Yes | Not confirmed |
| Mid-contract price rises | Any contractual changes not to your benefit notified with at least 30-days notice with right to leave without charge | Not confirmed |
| Multi-line discount | Yes | Not confirmed |
Same on both: Seller type (Mvno), SIM-only (Yes), 5G (Yes), eSIM (Yes), Wi-Fi calling (Yes), Credit check required (No).
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Key differences
- Support channels: only 1pMobile offers Phone, Email.
- Contract length: only 1pMobile offers 12.
- Markets: only 1pMobile offers GB.
- Markets: only TextNow offers US, CA.
Our verdict on each
1pMobile
1pMobile suits adults in the UK who want a cheap Sim only line, an eSIM, no credit check and a rolling monthly option they can leave quickly. It scores 9 overall, with plans starting at £5 a month, and the unlimited tier landing mid table on our price comparison.
TextNow
TextNow suits anyone who wants a second line or a spare handset for talk and text without paying a monthly bill, since the Free plan sits at $0 and runs rolling. It is a weaker fit for heavy data users or for anyone who wants support by phone.
Score breakdown
| Area | 1pMobile | TextNow |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 8.9Entry at £5 a month ranks 111 of 258, and unlimited at £25 sits lower down. | 9.3HigherEntry price is $0 and TextNow ranks 1 of 258 on that figure. |
| Offer | 9.0HigherSim only with eSIM, 5G and WiFi calling, support on phone, email and chat and no credit check. | 8.8Sim only, eSIM and wifi calling are offered, and the unlimited plan costs $35.99. |
| Trust | Not confirmed | 8.6The legal entity is TextNow Inc. in CA, with support on help centre and chat. |
Licences and countries
| Country | 1pMobile | TextNow |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | United Kingdom | Canada |
Where these facts come from
1pMobile
- 1pmobile.com: 20 facts, checked September 30, 2026
TextNow
- textnow.com: 16 facts, checked September 30, 2026
How they place
| Ranking | 1pMobile | TextNow |
|---|---|---|
| SIM-only deals | 17 of 416 | 189 of 416 |
| Cheap cell phone plans (MVNOs) | 9 of 137 | 89 of 137 |
| Prepaid phone plans | 13 of 367 | 164 of 367 |
| Phone plans with eSIM | 29 of 389 | 190 of 389 |
| Phone plans without a credit check | 2 of 26 | 13 of 26 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | 1pMobile | TextNow |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | Rolling, Prepaid | Rolling, Prepaid |
| Contract length | 1, 12Covers more | 1 |
| Legal entity | Telecommunications Management Limited | TextNow Inc. |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom | Canada |
| Founded | Not confirmed | 2009 |
| Support channels | Phone, Email, Chat, Help centreCovers more | Help centre, Chat |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | 1pMobile | TextNow | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roaming countries | 46below the median | Not confirmed | 100 |
Median across 176 listed providers.
Pros and cons
1pMobile
Pros
- Plans start at £5 a month, and billing runs rolling and prepaid with terms of 1 and 12 months, so a reader can start small.
- No credit check is required and an eSIM is available, which means a new number can be live without a handset.
- 5G, WiFi calling and hotspot sharing are all included, and a multi line discount applies to households.
Cons
- EU roaming is fair use rather than included, and roaming overall reaches 46 countries.
- Terms run 1 and 12 months, so the rolling option is the pick for anyone who might move, and the annual plan only makes sense for readers already settled.
- 1pMobile is an mvno, while GETESA, Lonestar Cell MTN and yesss! all sell as network providers, so a reader who wants the operator itself is looking at a different kind of seller.
TextNow
Pros
- The Free plan costs $0 and still includes unlimited talk and text, so a spare line costs nothing to run.
- No credit check is required to sign up, which the free tier shares with the paid plans.
- Sim only plans run on rolling and prepaid billing, with a plan term of 1 month, so there is no long lock-in.
Cons
- The Unlimited Monthly plan, which adds unlimited data on older network generations, costs $35.99 a month, so heavy data users pay well above the free tier.
- Support runs on help centre and chat only, so there is no phone line listed.
- TextNow is a virtual network operator serving US and CA, so it does not reach readers who would pick a network such as GETESA.
Who each suits
1pMobile
Who it suits
- Adults in the UK who want a Sim only line at the cheap end of the price range and can set up an eSIM themselves.
- Households adding a second line, where a multi line discount applies.
- Readers who want a rolling monthly line they can end quickly, with no credit check at signup.
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone who wants to buy from the network operator rather than an mvno: GETESA and yesss! sell as network and network providers.
- Heavy data users on a tight budget, since the unlimited plan costs £25 a month, with the network sellers GETESA, yesss! and Lonestar Cell MTN the ones to price against.
TextNow
Who it suits
- People in the US or Canada who want a second number for messages and calls and will not stream much video.
- Households keeping an old handset on a cheap line purely for talk and text.
- Readers who want an eSIM line and prefer paying monthly with no fixed term.
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone outside the US and Canada, who should look at GETESA, yesss! or Lonestar Cell MTN instead.
- People who stream and tether regularly, since the paid data allowance is modest next to what network sellers offer.
- Readers who need phone support, because the listed channels are a help centre and chat.
Current offers
1pMobile
Current offer
Discount code
PAYG SIM with GBP 10 credit for GBP 5: GBP 5 off starter
SIM loaded with GBP 10 of credit; 14-day money back guarantee
Source, checked September 30, 2026
Country by country
| Country | 1pMobile | TextNow |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | No | Yes |
| United States | No | Yes |
Questions about each
1pMobile
What does 1pMobile cost to join?+
Plans start at £5 a month, and that figure belongs to the smallest data allowance in the range. A heavy user should budget on the unlimited plan rather than the entry number. The entry figure is a month to month spend, not an introductory deal that resets later.
How much is the unlimited data plan?+
The Unlimited plan is listed at £25 a month. It is the price to hold in mind for anyone who regularly uses more data than a capped allowance allows, and it is the figure that pushes 1pMobile further back in our price comparison than its entry plan does. Readers who stay well inside a small allowance pay far less.
TextNow
What is the cheapest TextNow plan?+
The Free plan is the cheapest, priced from $0 a month. It includes unlimited talk and text on a rolling basis, with a plan term of 1 month. It is a sim only plan, so you use a handset you already own.
What does the unlimited plan cost?+
The Unlimited Monthly plan costs $35.99 a month. It pairs a set data allowance with unlimited data on older network generations, plus unlimited talk and text. The Plus Monthly tier carries the same data allowance, so the difference is the older-generation data on top.
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