Updated September 30, 2026 · TariffCue Editorial Team
SMARTY vs Youfone
Where SMARTY and Youfone differ
| Compare |  SMARTY |  Youfone |
|---|---|---|
| Host network | Three | KPN |
| Price from | £5 | €1 |
| Reference plan prices | 40GB: GBP 10 per month, 40GB, 1-month rolling | Unlimited: GBP 20 per month, unlimited, 1-month rolling | 2GB Data Only: GBP 5 per month, 2GB, 1-month rolling | Magic Deal 40GB: EUR 1 per month, 40GB, 24 months | Magic Deal 30GB: EUR 1 per month, 30GB, 24 months | Magic Deal 10GB: EUR 2 per month, 10GB, 24 months |
| EU roaming | Fair use | Included |
| Unlimited plan price | £20 | Not confirmed |
| Hotspot sharing | Yes | Not confirmed |
| Mid-contract price rises | No annual price rises on rolling one-month plans | Not confirmed |
| Multi-line discount | Yes | Not confirmed |
| Markets | GB | 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
- Youfone scores higher overall: 9.2 vs 9.0.
- Billing: only Youfone offers Contract.
- Contract length: only Youfone offers 12, 24.
Our verdict on each
SMARTY
SMARTY suits anyone after a rolling monthly SIM, a low entry price and the usual extras with no credit check, and it stays cheap at renewal because annual price rises do not apply to its rolling plans. Its unlimited plan ranks 89 of 173 on price, where heavy users get their value.
Youfone
Youfone suits Dutch readers who want a cheap sim only line with a large data bundle and no credit check at all. Magic Deal plans start at €1 a month, well under the site wide median of €9.30, and the service runs on KPN.
Score breakdown
| Area | SMARTY | Youfone |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.1Entry plan from £5 a month, unlimited at £20, rolling billing with no annual rises. | 9.9HigherMagic Deal plans start at €1 a month, well under the site wide median of €9.30. |
| Offer | 8.9Sim only on Three with eSIM, wifi calling, hotspot sharing, a multi line discount and no credit check. | 8.9eSIM, 5G and wifi calling are all present, EU roaming is included, and terms run 1, 12 and 24 months. |
| Trust | Not confirmed | 8.7Trading since 2008 on KPN, no credit check needed, billing across contract and rolling. |
What we checked
SMARTY
- smarty.co.uk: 20 facts, checked September 30, 2026
Youfone
- youfone.nl: 13 facts, checked September 30, 2026
How they place
| Ranking | SMARTY | Youfone |
|---|---|---|
| SIM-only deals | 184 of 416 | 127 of 416 |
| Cheap cell phone plans (MVNOs) | 85 of 137 | 63 of 137 |
| Phone plans with eSIM | 186 of 389 | 137 of 389 |
| Phone plans without a credit check | 11 of 26 | 7 of 26 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | SMARTY | Youfone |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | Rolling | Contract, RollingCovers more |
| Contract length | 1 | 1, 12, 24Covers more |
| Legal entity | Hutchison 3G UK Limited | Not confirmed |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom | Not confirmed |
| Founded | Not confirmed | 2008 |
| Support channels | Help centre, Community | Not confirmed |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | SMARTY | Youfone | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unlimited plan price | £20below the median | Not confirmed | £22 |
Median across 19 listed providers.
Pros and cons
SMARTY
Pros
- The entry plan is priced from £5 a month and bills on rolling terms.
- No annual price rises on the rolling monthly plans, so what you start on is what you renew on.
- An eSIM, 5G, wifi calling and hotspot sharing are all included.
Cons
- Support runs on help centre and community only, with no phone line for problems that need a voice.
- EU roaming works on a fair use basis, so a month abroad is not the same as a month at home.
- Coverage is fixed to Three because SMARTY is a virtual network operator, so there is no second host network to weigh.
Youfone
Pros
- Magic Deal plans start at €1 a month, well under the site wide entry price median of €9.30.
- A credit check is not required, while 58.7% of the listings on the site do run one.
- Roaming in the EU is included, while the wider market sits mostly on fair use (32.5%) or paid (31.4%) terms.
Cons
- The Magic Deal bundles behind the €1 headline price are sold on the longest of its 1, 12 and 24 month terms, so the cheapest price carries the longest commitment.
- Billing covers contract and rolling only, so there is no prepaid top up option in the range.
- On entry price Youfone ranks 19 of 258 brands, so cheaper entry points exist further down the list.
Who each suits
SMARTY
Who it suits
- People in GB who want to leave any month on a 1 month rolling term.
- Heavy data users who will pay £20 a month for the unlimited plan instead of watching a cap.
- Households running several lines, since a multi line discount is available.
Who should look elsewhere
- Buyers who would rather buy from the network's own brand: GETESA, Lonestar Cell MTN and yesss! are all network sellers, while SMARTY is a virtual network operator on Three.
- Frequent travellers who want roaming included, since fair use is the basis here and 48.2% of cheap plan listings include it outright.
- Anyone who needs a human voice on day one, since support runs on help centre and community only.
Youfone
Who it suits
- Readers in the Netherlands who want a sim only line with a large data bundle at €1 a month.
- Readers with a thin credit file or no credit history, since a credit check is not required.
- Travellers who cross EU borders, since roaming is included.
Who should look elsewhere
- Prepaid shoppers who top up as they go, since Youfone's billing covers contract and rolling and the priced bundles are all fixed term.
- Buyers who would rather buy from the operator itself, since GETESA is a network with its own infrastructure.
- Readers outside the Netherlands, since the service runs on KPN while Lonestar Cell MTN is a network for a different market.
Country by country
| Country | SMARTY | Youfone |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Yes | No |
Questions about each
SMARTY
How much is the cheapest SMARTY plan?+
SMARTY's entry plan starts at £5 a month and bills rolling, so there is no annual term to fund first. That figure is the monthly price from the start, not a headline rate that needs a discount code. Bigger allowances and unlimited data cost more.
How much is unlimited data at SMARTY?+
The unlimited plan costs £20 a month on rolling terms, and on the price lists it places 89 of 173 tracked brands, a stronger showing than its entry price. Heavy users get more here than the entry figure suggests.
Youfone
How much does a Youfone sim only plan cost at the start?+
Prices start at €1 a month on the Magic Deal plans, which pair a large data bundle with a multi year term. That sits below the site wide entry price median of €9.30, and Youfone ranks 19 of 258 brands on entry price, so it is cheap without sitting at the top of the cheap list.
How long is the contract and can I leave early?+
Youfone sells over contract terms of 1, 12 and 24 months, and billing runs on contract and rolling terms. The Magic Deal bundles that carry the lowest monthly cost are each priced for a multi year term, so the cheapest headline price is tied to a longer commitment rather than a rolling one.