Updated October 17, 2026 · TariffCue Editorial Team
Top mobile networks compared
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| # | Provider | Score | Key facts | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 191 |  Fastweb Fastweb offers fibre and ADSL internet, fixed and mobile telephony, and energy in Italy. | 8.0/10 |
| ReviewCompareVisit |
| 192 |  Scarlet Scarlet is a Belgian telecom operator offering internet, TV, mobile and all-in-one packs. | 8.0/10 |
| ReviewCompareVisit |
| 193 | Telus Telus offers phones, internet and TV in Canada. | 8.0/10 |
| ReviewCompareVisit |
| 194 | 3 Macau | Not rated |
| ReviewCompareSee alternatives |
| 195 |  A1 Bulgaria | Not rated |
| ReviewCompareSee alternatives |
| 196 |  A1 Macedonia | Not rated |
| ReviewCompareSee alternatives |
| 197 |  A1 Serbia Half-price eSIM online: 50% off, 300 RSD | Not rated |
| ReviewCompareSee alternatives |
| 198 | Airtel Nigeria | Not rated |
| ReviewCompareSee alternatives |
| 199 | Airtel Zambia | Not rated |
| ReviewCompareSee alternatives |
| 200 |  ALIV | Not rated |
| ReviewCompareSee alternatives |
About Top mobile networks compared
Mobile networks decide where most of a household budget goes each month, so this ranking starts with the price of joining and then asks what the money actually buys. The list covers 304 brands, and every one of them runs its own radio rather than reselling someone else's, so each tariff comes with the network standing behind it. The central trade-off is between the figure on the first bill and the terms that follow: a monthly contract can hold a rate down but ties a household in for the whole period, while a prepaid or rolling plan keeps the option open at the cost of a higher monthly figure. Allowances sit alongside the price, so data limits, rollover, hotspot sharing, 5G, eSIM and roaming treatment all come into the comparison. Coverage is a filter rather than a bonus, and every brand here serves a single home market, so readers in the region served can move on to the tariffs and readers elsewhere can stop reading.
How we picked
Each network is scored on three things with weights set in advance. Cost carries 40% of the score, the offer itself carries 40%, and trust carries 20%. Cost covers the entry price of the cheapest listed tariff, the price of the unlimited option where one exists, and the contract length attached to a monthly rate, so a cheap join that locks a household in scores below a slightly dearer rolling plan. Offer covers data allowances, rollover, hotspot sharing, 5G, eSIM and the treatment of roaming. Trust covers the operator behind the tariff, meaning the legal entity, the market it serves and the support channels that answer when something breaks. Plan prices, allowances and contract terms come from each operator's own published tariff and product pages, roaming destinations from its roaming pages, and company details from its imprint and terms pages. The spread of prices comes from the site's record of listed tariffs across the category. Partner brands are listed first, ahead of scored entries, and a partner badge would sit beside the brand name. Networks account for 100% of this ranking and SIM only tariffs for 99.6%, so the list is made up of operators that sell their own network and let a household bring its own handset.
How we rankOur top picks
1. NRJ Mobile: best for NRJ MobileNRJ Mobile offers mobile plans without commitment on a 4G/5G network.
- Host network: Bouygues Telecom
- Price from: €1.49
- 5G: Yes
Pros
- NRJ Mobile lists mobile plans without a commitment and devices such as the Samsung Galaxy A17.
- The captured product page does not establish unlimited data or prices.
Cons
- Offers are aimed at customers in metropolitan France
- Travel benefits depend on a defined list of destinations
What to look for
- Entry price
- The first bill is the number most households react to. Across this ranking the median entry price is €6.99, the lower quartile is €3.19 and the upper quartile is €14. The lowest on record is €0 and the highest is €99.49, so the gap between a bare SIM and a generous plan is wide.
- Price at renewal
- The join price rarely tells the whole story, which is why the post contract price is tracked separately. Its median here is €44.63, the lower quartile is €39.07 and the upper quartile is €60.77. The lowest on record is €29.05 and the highest is €80.
- Unlimited data price
- Unlimited plans carry their own price line, and that figure is often several times the entry price. The median unlimited price in this category is €24.30, the lower quartile is €14.99 and the upper quartile is €35.55. The lowest recorded is €0.88 and the highest is €100.
- Contract length
- Rolling and prepaid plans dominate the category: 77.4% of the tariffs here run month to month, against 25.9% on a yearly term and 38.7% on the longest terms. Longer commitments usually buy a lower monthly rate, so weigh the renewal step before signing one.
- Roaming treatment
- Roaming splits into a few models here. 38.5% of the tariffs send roaming traffic at a pay as you go rate, 33% cap it under a fair use policy, and 28.6% fold it into the monthly price. A single home market is the norm, so travel plans deserve a close read.
- Support channels
- A network is only as good as the help behind it. 87.9% of the listings here carry a self service help centre, 82.6% offer a phone line, 61.3% add live chat and 42.9% add email support. A brand listing fewer channels is worth a call before joining.
Frequently asked questions
Which network here is the cheapest to join?+
Price depends on the currency and the market, so the smallest headline figure is not always the smallest bill. GETESA's entry price is XAF 300 and its unlimited plan is listed at XAF 33,000. Lonestar Cell MTN starts at $0.20 and yesss! lists a pay-per-use tariff at €0. Compare like with like: check the currency, the data allowance and the contract term on each before drawing a conclusion.
Which of these networks sell unlimited data?+
GETESA lists an unlimited monthly plan at XAF 33,000, and Movistar El Salvador lists unlimited contract plans alongside a smaller data plan. Elsewhere the ladders stop short: yesss! caps its largest listed bundle well below an unlimited allowance, and Lonestar Cell MTN's bundles are fixed data volumes. Across the category the median unlimited price is €24.30, with the upper quartile at €35.55.
Do any of these networks require a long contract?+
Most do not, and that is the norm in this category. 77.4% of the tariffs here run month to month. Movistar El Salvador is the exception, with plan terms of 24 months on its contract plans. Bouygues Telecom offers a choice of 1 and 24 months, and yesss! covers 1 and 12 months, so a longer term is available where a household wants one.
Which of these run 5G?+
5G is listed for yesss!, Movistar El Salvador, Smart Axiata, Yas Tanzania and Bouygues Telecom. Alfa lists 5G as no, and across the category 92.7% of the listings include it. If the newest generation matters, check the entry that serves your area, since coverage outside a home city tends to follow the same pattern as the tariff page.
What does roaming cost across these networks?+
The treatment differs network by network. yesss! and Bouygues Telecom cap roaming under a fair use policy, while GETESA, Lonestar Cell MTN, Movistar El Salvador, Smart Axiata, Yas Tanzania and Alfa send roaming traffic at a paid rate. Destinations also differ: Orange Liberia lists 182 countries, Smart Axiata 143 countries, Lonestar Cell MTN 170 countries and Movistar El Salvador 72 countries.
Can I keep my own handset and switch provider easily?+
Every brand in this ranking offers a SIM only tariff, so an unlocked handset works, and 99.6% of the listings across the category work that way. eSIM is listed for yesss!, Movistar El Salvador, Smart Axiata, Alfa and Bouygues Telecom, so a new handset can skip the physical card. Contracts of a month or less are common, which keeps a move simple, though renewal terms differ, so read them before leaving.
Top mobile networks compared by country
The data behind this ranking
| Metric | Value | Sample |
|---|---|---|
| Seller type: network | 100 % | 304 |
| Seller type: mvno | 0 % | 304 |
| Seller type: reseller | 0 % | 304 |
| Sim only: true | 99.6 % | 269 |
| Sim only: false | 0.4 % | 269 |
| Billing: contract | 73.9 % | 287 |
| Billing: rolling | 28.2 % | 287 |
| Billing: prepaid | 92.3 % | 287 |
| Median price from | 6.99 EUR | 133 |
| Lower quartile price from | 3.19 EUR | 133 |
