eir review
Updated September 30, 2026 · TariffCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 30, 2026
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Our verdict
eir suits Irish households that want unlimited data at the entry tier from a home network, and it carries an overall score of 8.8 in our data. Shoppers who fix only on the lowest starting price in the list will find cheaper listings elsewhere.
Key facts
- Best for
- Irish households wanting unlimited data at the entry price from a home network.
- Seller type
- Network (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- SIM-only
- Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Price from
- €14.99 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Reference plan prices
- Connect Plan: EUR 14.99/month, unlimited 5G data, 12-month; Complete Plan: EUR 24.99/month, unlimited 5G data, 12-month; Essential Plan: EUR 44.99/month, unlimited 5G data, 24-month (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Unlimited plan price
- €14.99 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- 5G
- Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- eSIM
- Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- EU roaming
- Fair use (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Legal entity
- eircom Limited (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Headquarters
- Ireland (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Support channels
- Help-centre (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Billing
- Contract, Prepaid
- Contract length
- 12, 24
- Official website
- eir.ie
Apps and profiles
- Get the app
- App StoreGoogle Play
Pros and cons
Pros
- Unlimited data sits at the entry figure of €14.99, so the lowest priced plan is also the unlimited one.
- Ranks 48 of 173 on unlimited price, far stronger than its entry price ranking.
- Sim only is available and Esim is supported, so the network can be taken without a new handset.
- Sells as a network from IE, so pricing and the radio network come from the same operator.
- Terms run 12 and 24 months, so a shorter and a longer commitment are both listed.
Cons
- Support runs on help centre only, so there is no listed phone line or live chat for questions.
- Entry price of €14.99 sits above the €6.99 median for SIM only listings, so it is not among the cheapest starters.
- EU roaming is fair use, a fair use arrangement rather than roaming folded into the monthly price.
- Billing covers contract and prepaid only, so no rolling monthly option appears in the range.
Who it suits
- Irish households that want unlimited data on a home network without paying for a new handset.
- People who want prepaid and contract billing from one seller, since billing covers contract and prepaid.
- Travellers who would rather activate an eSIM on a network they can pick up in Ireland.
Who should look elsewhere
- Lonestar Cell MTN, whose entry price of $0.20 is the cheapest starting point on our list.
- Buyers who want a rolling monthly bill, since yesss! bills on contract, rolling and prepaid while eir lists contract and prepaid.
How it compares on our data
eir enters our listing well down the field on price from. The starting figure ranks 215 of 258 brands we hold, so plenty of cheaper entry points sit below it. The unlimited price tells the other story: 48 of 173 places eir in the better part of that ranking. Readers who stop at the first column of a comparison table will read a middling result and miss the stronger one further along. Treat the entry column as the cautious number, then check the unlimited column before deciding, since the two rankings point in opposite directions here.
Core features
The three headline features are all present. Sim only is available, so you can take the network without a bundled handset and pay only for the plan. Esim support is listed as yes, so a plan can be activated on an eSIM profile, which suits short stays abroad and newer handsets. 5G is offered on the plans shown, so access to the newest radio generation is not held back to a premium tier. Taken together, the feature set is broad rather than trimmed, and it lines up with what most sellers in this category present to readers. Nothing in the core set is gated behind the more expensive plans.
Plans and prices
Two numbers matter here: what the entry tier costs, and what unlimited data costs. On our data both come out at €14.99, so the price quoted to first time buyers is the price for unlimited data too. That removes the usual step up for heavy users, since the cheapest plan is already the unlimited one rather than a stripped down starter. The flip side is worth stating plainly: because the two figures coincide, a reader comparing only the starting number is looking at the same plan they would settle on anyway. Check the plan name next to the figure before you sign, and read it again when the term ends, since the monthly figure is what carries over.
The company behind it
The provider behind the plans trades as eircom Limited and is based in Ireland. Selling as a network rather than a reseller means the company quoting the price is the operator carrying the traffic on its own infrastructure, so there is no third party layer between you and the network. Support is the thinner side of the operation: the listed channels are help centre, which leaves written self service material as the documented path rather than a phone line or live chat. For a long established home market operator that is workable, though anyone hoping to speak to a person will start by reading articles.
How eir compares
- 8.8 vs 8.5
- 8.8 vs 8.5
- 8.8 vs 8.5
- 8.8 vs 8.7
- 8.8 vs 8.6
- 8.8 vs 8.5
8.8 vs 8.8
8.8 vs 9.0
8.8 vs 8.5
8.8 vs 9.0
8.8 vs 9.1
8.8 vs 8.8- 8.8 vs 9.4
- 8.8 vs 9.4
8.8 vs 9.3
8.8 vs 9.2
8.8 vs 9.2- 8.8 vs 9.2
Budget Thuis Mobile
8.8 vs 9.1
8.8 vs 9.1
8.8 vs 9.1
8.8 vs 9.1
8.8 vs 9.1
8.8 vs 9.1
8.8 vs 9.0
8.8 vs 9.0
8.8 vs 9.0
8.8 vs 8.8- 8.8 vs 8.8
8.8 vs 8.7
8.8 vs 8.7
8.8 vs 8.7
8.8 vs 8.6- 8.8 vs 8.6
8.8 vs 8.6
8.8 vs 8.6
8.8 vs 8.5
8.8 vs 8.5
8.8 vs 8.5- 8.8 vs 8.5
- 8.8 vs 8.5
- 8.8 vs 8.5
- 8.8 vs 8.0
- 8.8 vs 8.0
- 8.8 vs 8.0
- 8.8 vs 8.0
Frequently asked questions
What does the cheapest eir plan cost each month?+
Plans start at €14.99 for the entry tier, and the unlimited price is quoted at €14.99 as well. That sits above the €6.99 median across SIM only listings we hold, so it is not a bottom of the market starting point, even though the unlimited plan costs the same.
What contract lengths do eir plans run for?+
Terms run 12 and 24 months across the range, so both a shorter and a longer commitment are offered rather than one fixed length. Billing covers contract and prepaid, which means prepaid and contract options sit side by side within the same range.
Is eir a network or a reseller?+
eir sells as a network, not a reseller, so the company taking the order is the operator running the service. Support is listed as help centre, which puts self service articles in front of most questions rather than a direct line.
Does eir support eSIM and 5G?+
Both are listed: eSIM support is available, and 5G is offered on the plans shown. That means the network can be activated without a physical SIM profile and reached on the newest radio generation, matching the feature pattern most sellers in this category list.
What happens to data when I travel in the EU?+
EU roaming on eir plans runs on fair use terms. That is a fair use arrangement rather than roaming folded into the monthly figure, so heavier use abroad can push the bill above what the plan costs at home. Worth checking before a long trip.
Where is eir based?+
The provider is based in Ireland and trades as eircom Limited. Buying from a home network means the coverage claims come from the same company that quotes the price, which is a different arrangement from buying through a reseller on someone else's network.
Can I get a SIM only plan from eir?+
Sim only is available, so you can take the network without a new handset. The entry tier pairs that with unlimited data at €14.99, which keeps things simple if you already own a phone you want to keep using. Terms run 12 and 24 months.
How does eir rank on price?+
On price from, eir sits at 215 of 258 brands on our data. On unlimited price it ranks 48 of 173, a much better placing, so the ranking you consult changes the answer depending on which column you read.
Sources
- eir.ie/shop/mobile checked September 30, 2026
Backs: EU roaming, 5G, Contract length, Price from, Reference plan prices, Seller type, SIM-only, Unlimited plan price
“45GB of data for EU usage”
- eir.ie/support checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Billing, ESIM, Headquarters, Legal entity, Support channels
“SIM only - Bill pay - Prepay”
Compiled from 2 source pages, checked September 30, 2026. We did not open an account.
eir
Irish households wanting unlimited data at the entry price from a home network.