Updated September 30, 2026 · TariffCue Editorial Team
Lycamobile vs Visible
Where Lycamobile and Visible differ
| Compare |  Lycamobile |  Visible |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | £3.50 | $25 |
| Reference plan prices | National Plus: GBP 5 per month, 30 GB, 30 days; UK Plan Unlimited: GBP 12.5 per month, Unlimited, 30 days; UK Plan Smart: GBP 3.5 per month, 5 GB, 30 days | Visible: $25/mo, unlimited data, monthly; Visible: $275/year, unlimited data, annual; Visible+: $35/mo, unlimited data, monthly |
| Unlimited plan price | £12.50 | $25 |
| EU roaming | Fair use | Paid |
| Markets | GB | US |
| Host network | Not confirmed | Verizon |
| Wi-Fi calling | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Roaming countries | Not confirmed | 140 |
| Hotspot sharing | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Mid-contract price rises | Not confirmed | The rate you see is the rate you pay |
| Credit check required | No | Not confirmed |
Same on both: Seller type (Mvno), SIM-only (Yes), 5G (Yes), eSIM (Yes).
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Key differences
- Lycamobile scores higher overall: 9.2 vs 8.8.
- Contract length: only Lycamobile offers 24.
- Markets: only Lycamobile offers GB.
- Markets: only Visible offers US.
Our verdict on each
Lycamobile
Lycamobile suits UK readers who want a prepaid sim only line, 5G and an eSIM without a credit check or a long handset contract. It scores 9.2 overall, and entry pricing starts at £3.50 a month on a rolling monthly basis.
Visible
Visible is a prepaid MVNO running on Verizon, and it suits anyone who wants unlimited data in the US without a long contract or a price that rises after the first bill. The Visible plan starts at $25 on terms of 1 and 12 months.
Score breakdown
| Area | Lycamobile | Visible |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.4HigherEntry pricing of £3.50 a month and unlimited data at £12.50 a month back a strong cost score. | 8.6The Visible plan starts at $25 and that figure already includes unlimited data, so entry price and unlimited price match. |
| Offer | 8.9Sim only plans, 5G, an eSIM, prepaid and rolling billing and terms of 1, 12 and 24 make for a flexible, low commitment lineup. | 9.1HigherSim only, an eSIM, 5G, wifi calling and hotspot sharing are included, with roaming across 140 countries charged as paid. |
How they place
| Ranking | Lycamobile | Visible |
|---|---|---|
| SIM-only deals | 6 of 416 | 27 of 416 |
| Cheap cell phone plans (MVNOs) | 3 of 137 | 15 of 137 |
| Prepaid phone plans | 5 of 367 | 20 of 367 |
| Phone plans with eSIM | 20 of 389 | 38 of 389 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Lycamobile | Visible |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | Prepaid, Rolling | Rolling, Prepaid |
| Contract length | 1, 12, 24Covers more | 1, 12 |
| Legal entity | Not confirmed | Verizon Value, Inc. |
| Support channels | Not confirmed | Chat, Help centre, Community |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Lycamobile | Visible | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roaming countries | Not confirmed | 140above the median | 100 |
Median across 176 listed providers.
Pros and cons
Lycamobile
Pros
- Entry pricing of £3.50 a month and unlimited data at £12.50 a month place it near the top of our price-from and unlimited tables.
- A credit check is not required, which is a shorter route to a live line than a provider that scores applicants first.
- Billing runs on prepaid and rolling terms and plan terms come in 1, 12 and 24, so a reader can start short and stay flexible.
Cons
- Roaming in Europe runs on fair use terms rather than being included, so regular travel calls for another plan.
- Lycamobile is an MVNO by mvno, where GETESA, Lonestar Cell MTN and yesss! are listed as networks, so readers set on a network seller should compare those instead.
- The entry price ranks 79 of 258 on our price-from list, so the lowest starting price in the comparison sits elsewhere.
Visible
Pros
- The Visible plan starts at $25 and already includes unlimited data, so the entry price and the unlimited price are one and the same line.
- Billing runs on rolling and prepaid and terms run 1 and 12 months, so there is no long lock in and leaving is straightforward.
- Visible states that the rate you are shown is the rate you pay, so the price does not step up after the first bill.
Cons
- Roaming is paid rather than part of the plan, though it does reach 140 countries.
- Support runs on chat, help centre and community, and no phone line sits among them.
- The service is offered in the United States, so it is not sold outside the US.
Who each suits
Lycamobile
Who it suits
- UK readers wanting a cheap prepaid data line: sim only plans from £3.50 a month, sold in the United Kingdom, with no credit check.
- Readers who want 5G or an eSIM but not a handset bundle, and who can live with plan terms of 1, 12 and 24.
- Holders of a spare phone or tablet who can manage fair use roaming and a set data allowance.
Who should look elsewhere
- Readers who want European roaming included in the price: Lycamobile runs roaming on fair use terms, and GETESA, Lonestar Cell MTN and yesss! are the alternatives to weigh instead.
- Anyone who insists on buying from a network rather than an MVNO, since GETESA (network), Lonestar Cell MTN (network) and yesss! (network) all sell as networks while Lycamobile is an MVNO by mvno.
Visible
Who it suits
- You want unlimited data on a Verizon line in the US and would rather bring your own handset, since the plan is sim only.
- You want a short commitment, because billing runs on rolling and prepaid and terms run 1 and 12 months.
- You travel across 140 countries and are happy to pay for roaming, since it is paid rather than included.
Who should look elsewhere
- GETESA, which is a network seller, so the line would come from the network operator rather than an MVNO on Verizon
- yesss!, also a network seller, if a network's own plan suits you better than a virtual operator's
- Lonestar Cell MTN, another network seller, for the same reason: the plan comes from the network itself rather than an MVNO
Current offers
Visible
Current offer
Country by country
| Country | Lycamobile | Visible |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Yes | No |
| United States | No | Yes |
Questions about each
Lycamobile
What is the cheapest Lycamobile plan?+
UK Plan Smart is the entry plan, priced at £3.50 a month for a set data allowance. It is a sim only offer, so no handset is needed, and a credit check is not required. National Plus costs more for a larger allowance, while UK Plan Unlimited is the option for a reader who would rather not watch data.
How much does the unlimited plan cost?+
UK Plan Unlimited is quoted at £12.50 a month. On our unlimited price list Lycamobile ranks 44 of 173, so unlimited data is priced below the middle of the field. The figure is the same throughout, with no promotional opening rate listed for the plan.
Visible
What does Visible cost, and is the cheapest plan the unlimited one?+
Yes on both counts. The Visible plan starts at $25 and that entry plan already includes unlimited data, so you do not have to move up a tier for it. Unlimited data is listed at $25, the same figure, and billing runs on rolling and prepaid terms.
Does my bill go up after the first month?+
No step up is planned. Visible states that the rate you are shown is the rate you pay, so the headline figure is what you keep paying rather than an introductory offer. If you would rather commit, terms run 1 and 12 months, which covers both the rolling line and an annual option with unlimited data.
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