The quick answer
Most people need 10–30GB a month. Light users who are mostly on Wi-Fi can manage on 5GB. Heavy streamers, hotspot users and people without home broadband should look at 100GB or unlimited.
How much data everyday things use
| Activity | Roughly per hour |
|---|---|
| Messaging (WhatsApp, iMessage text) | Under 0.01GB |
| Music streaming | About 0.1GB |
| Browsing and social media | About 0.2–0.4GB |
| Video calls | About 0.5–1GB |
| Streaming video (YouTube, Netflix) | About 1–3GB, depending on quality |
These are rough guides. Apps and quality settings vary.
Find your own number in 30 seconds
- iPhone: Settings → Mobile Data → scroll to "Current Period".
- Android: Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → App data usage.
- Or check last month's bill in your network's app.
Take your typical month and add about 20% headroom.
Which plan size suits you?
| You use | Choose | From |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5GB | 5GB plan | £5/mo |
| 5–15GB | 15GB plan | £10/mo |
| 15–50GB | 50GB plan | £10/mo |
| 50–200GB | 100–200GB plan | £15–£20/mo |
| Heavy use or hotspot | Unlimited | £15/mo |
Try the data calculator
Our SIM finder has a built-in calculator. Tell it how long you spend on social media, video, music and calls each day, and it shows plans that fit.
