Updated September 30, 2026 · TariffCue Editorial Team
HoT Hofer Telekom Austria vs Lidl Connect
What sets them apart
| Compare |  HoT Hofer Telekom Austria |  Lidl Connect |
|---|---|---|
| Host network | T-Mobile Austria | Vodafone |
| Price from | €1.90Lower | €4.99 |
| Reference plan prices | HoT fix MEGA: EUR 17.90 per 30 days, 150000 MB, no contract; HoT internet: EUR 19.90 per 30 days, unlimited, no contract; HoT smart MINI: EUR 1.90 per 30 days, 550 MB, no contract | SMART XS: 4.99 per 4 weeks, 2 GB, no minimum term; SMART M: 13.99 per 4 weeks, 50 GB, no minimum term; Unlimited on Demand S: 9.99 per 4 weeks, 25 GB + unlimited 1GB top-ups, no minimum term |
| Unlimited plan price | €19.90 | €9.99Lower |
| EU roaming | Fair use | Included |
| Markets | AT | DE |
| eSIM | Yes | Not confirmed |
| Wi-Fi calling | Yes | Not confirmed |
| Mid-contract price rises | No annual price rise - tariffs stay stable | Not confirmed |
Same on both: Seller type (Mvno), SIM-only (Yes), 5G (Yes).
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Key differences
- Price from is lower at HoT Hofer Telekom Austria: €1.90 vs €4.99.
- Unlimited plan price is lower at Lidl Connect: €9.99 vs €19.90.
- Contract length: only HoT Hofer Telekom Austria offers 12.
- Markets: only HoT Hofer Telekom Austria offers AT.
- Markets: only Lidl Connect offers DE.
Our verdict on each
HoT Hofer Telekom Austria
HoT Hofer Telekom Austria is a prepaid mvno for people in Austria who want a very low entry price and no annual increase. Plans start at €1.90, unmetered data costs €19.90, and 5G, eSIM and WiFi calling all come with the tariff.
Lidl Connect
Lidl Connect is a prepaid virtual operator on the Vodafone network, and it suits people in Germany who want a small bill with no minimum term. It is not a fit for anyone who needs service in more than a single market.
Score breakdown
| Area | HoT Hofer Telekom Austria | Lidl Connect |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.5Entry price of €1.90 is well under the €9.30 site median, and €19.90 is under the €23.19 unlimited median. | 9.5Entry at €4.99 and unlimited at €9.99 sit below the category medians €9.30 and €23.19. |
| Offer | 9.0Billing is prepaid, terms run 1 and 12 months, No annual price rise - tariffs stay stable, and 5G and eSIM sit on T-Mobile Austria. | 9.05G, EU roaming that is included, and the help centre in phone, email and help centre cover what most cheap plans omit. |
Also worth a look
NRJ Mobile has price from at €1.49, against €1.90 for HoT Hofer Telekom Austria and €4.99 for Lidl Connect.
NRJ Mobile reviewHow they place
| Ranking | HoT Hofer Telekom Austria | Lidl Connect |
|---|---|---|
| SIM-only deals | 82 of 416 | 88 of 416 |
| Cheap cell phone plans (MVNOs) | 47 of 137 | 51 of 137 |
| Prepaid phone plans | 77 of 367 | 83 of 367 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | HoT Hofer Telekom Austria | Lidl Connect |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | Prepaid | Prepaid |
| Contract length | 1, 12Covers more | 1 |
| Legal entity | HoT Telekom und Service GmbH | Lidl Digital Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG |
| Headquarters | Austria | Germany |
| Support channels | Email, Phone, Help centre | Phone, Email, Help centre |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | HoT Hofer Telekom Austria | Lidl Connect | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price from | €1.90lowest quarter | €4.99below the median | €5 |
| Unlimited plan price | €19.90below the median | €9.99lowest quarter | €19.99 |
Median across 117 listed providers.
Pros and cons
HoT Hofer Telekom Austria
Pros
- Entry pricing of €1.90 sits well below the €9.30 site median for starting price.
- Unlimited data at €19.90 is under the €23.19 site median for unmetered plans.
- No annual increase: No annual price rise - tariffs stay stable, so the monthly figure is the same at renewal.
Cons
- Plans are sold in AT only, which rules the brand out for anyone shopping across markets.
- As an mvno on T-Mobile Austria, coverage relies on a host arrangement, while GETESA (network), Lonestar Cell MTN (network) and yesss! (network) each sell as networks.
- EU roaming runs on fair use terms, so data abroad is shaped by fair-use rules rather than an allowance folded into the monthly price.
Lidl Connect
Pros
- Billing is prepaid, and the reference plans carry no minimum term, so there is no long lock in to plan around.
- EU roaming is included, and only 36.1% of the plans in this category include it, so it sets this brand apart.
- 5G is supported, which matches 95.2% of the plans ranked here and keeps the tariff current.
Cons
- It sells in a single market, so anyone who wants one brand to cover more than one country should look elsewhere.
- Support runs on phone, email and help centre only, with no live chat or community forum listed.
- Lidl Connect has seller type mvno, while GETESA, Lonestar Cell MTN and yesss! are all listed as seller type network, so you deal with a virtual operator rather than the network.
Who each suits
HoT Hofer Telekom Austria
Who it suits
- People in Austria who want a prepaid plan starting at €1.90 with no annual increase.
- Heavy data users happy to pay €19.90 for unmetered data instead of tracking a capped allowance.
- Travellers who want an eSIM and WiFi calling on the same prepaid tariff, with EU roaming on fair use terms.
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone who wants to buy from a network rather than an mvno, since GETESA (network), Lonestar Cell MTN (network) and yesss! (network) all sell as networks.
- Travellers who need EU roaming folded into the monthly price, since roaming here runs on fair use terms; yesss! (network) is worth a side-by-side look.
- Contract seekers, because billing is prepaid and contract lengths are 1 and 12 months, where a network seller such as GETESA (network) is a different kind of provider.
Lidl Connect
Who it suits
- People in Germany who want EU roaming built into the tariff rather than added at the checkout.
- Light data users who want a small recurring bill and nothing to lock them in.
- Buyers who prefer prepaid top ups they can stop at any billing period, since billing is prepaid.
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone who wants to buy from the network itself: GETESA is listed as seller type network, while Lidl Connect has seller type mvno.
- Buyers who prefer a network seller to weigh against a virtual operator: yesss! is also listed as seller type network.
- Shoppers who want a second network option before deciding: Lonestar Cell MTN is listed as seller type network, so both network sellers can be set against this virtual operator.
Current offers
Lidl Connect
Current offer
Bonus
Double start credit for new customers: 20 EUR
New customers, starter pack purchase
Source, checked September 30, 2026
Country by country
| Country | HoT Hofer Telekom Austria | Lidl Connect |
|---|---|---|
| Austria | Yes | No |
| Germany | No | Yes |
Questions about each
HoT Hofer Telekom Austria
How much does the cheapest HoT plan cost?+
The cheapest way in is the HoT smart MINI plan at €1.90. Billing is prepaid and plan contract lengths are 1 and 12 months, so the plan rolls instead of tying you in. That entry price sits below the €9.30 site median for starting price.
What does unlimited data cost?+
Unlimited data comes on the HoT internet plan at €19.90, with no contract attached. That is below the €23.19 site median for unmetered plans, although cheaper unmetered tariffs do sit further up the table.
Lidl Connect
What does Lidl Connect cost to start with?+
The entry plan, SMART XS, is €4.99. That is the floor for the whole range and it suits light data use each billing period. The Unlimited on Demand S plan is €9.99, which is the figure to budget if you want data without a ceiling. Both sit on prepaid billing, so nothing here is tied to a long contract.
Is there an unlimited data plan, and what does it include?+
Yes. The reference range runs from a small starter plan through a larger data plan to the Unlimited on Demand S plan, which comes with extra data top ups. Every one of them is billed on a repeating cycle with no minimum term, so you are not tied to a fixed end date. The unlimited plan is €9.99.