giff gaff vs EE – Which is the better mobile network

There are many mobile network operators in the Uk that you can choose from. giffgaff and EE are some of the best and offer great mobile network services across the country.

When to use giffgaff

giffgaff runs on O2’s network and offers decent phones with flexible payment options. It’s ideal for people looking for low-cost calls, data, and texts with the option to roll-over allowances one month to another. You also earn payback points when you participate in forums.

When to use EE

EE is the largest mobile network operator in the UK with coverage across the country. If you’re looking for speed and don’t mind paying more for it, then EE is the mobile network. Therefore, subscribing to EE will guarantee you value for money.

giffgaffvs EE Feature comparison

 

Features	giffgaff	EE
Type	MVNO	Mobile network
Network	O2	EE
Average download speed	18.2Mbps	35.9 Mbps
WiFi calling/4G calling	No	Yes
WiFi hotspots	Yes	No
Roaming	41 destinations	47 destinations
Credit checks	No	yes
Price	£6 – £35/month	£16 – £33.30/month

 

How to evaluate giffgaff and EE

 

There are a few factors that we look at to give you a proper evaluation of giffgaff and EE. These include:

 

• Network coverage
• Download speed
• Plans
• Prices
• Benefits & extras

 

giffgaff and EE overview

 

Giffgaff Overview

 

Giffgaff is a virtual operator powered by O2 network in the UK. The mobile network offers various plans ranging from a 500 MB data plan to unlimited plans. The mobile operator is flexible and easy to switch between its SIM-Only plans. You can also go with a PAYG option which you can get without undergoing the many credit checks. Giffgaff has flexible goodybags which lets you use more than one plan in a month with no contracts.

 

Tariff	Data	Monthly Price	Details
GiffgaffGoodybag	500 MB	£6	View plan
GiffgaffGoodybag	2 GB	£8	View plan
GiffgaffGoodybag	6 GB	£10	View plan
GiffgaffGoodybag	10 GB	£12	View plan
GiffgaffGoodybag	15 GB	£15	View plan
GiffgaffGoodybag	80 GB	£20	View plan
GiffgaffGoodybag	Unlimited with reduced speeds	£25	View plan
Giffgaff golden goodybag	Unlimited	£35	View plan

 

Giffgaff’s pricing is relatively low for most plans and the SIM cards can stay active for up to 6 months even without top-ups or chargeable activity. When you buy one of the £10 to £20 goodybags, you get a 1 GB data boost which is automatically added to your account when you use the network consecutively for 3 months. Giffgaff rewards its customers using its payback time reward programme. Customers earn Payback Points when they bring their family or friends to join the network or when they actively participate in the giffgaff forum. When it comes to customer support, the network operator has an active online community open to all.

 

Pros

 

• Flexible network operator
• Wide variety of plans to choose from
• Short or no contracts with no credit checks
• Low-cost data, calls & texts
• Unlimited data plans
• Active online community
• Payback points

 

Cons

 

• Limited roaming destinations compared to other MVNOs like VOXI
• 4G data speeds capped at the 80 GB limit
• Not the best 4G network coverage or speeds compared to other MVNOs
• No customer service
• No inclusive roaming beyond the EU

 

EE Overview

 

EE is the most popular network in the UK with the most users. Its network coverage is high across the UK on all the networks (2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G) and was the first network to install 5G. It offers the fastest 4G speeds with big data options and free subscriptions.

 

Tariff	Data	Monthly price	Details
4G plan	1 GB	£16	View plan
4G plan	3 GB	£19	View plan
4G plan	20 GB	£22	View plan
4G plan	40 GB	£25	View plan
4G plan	120 GB	£20	View plan
5G Essential plan	120 GB	£18	View plan
5G Smart plan	200 GB	£22.50	View plan
5G Smart plan	Unlimited	£33.30	View plan

 

EE plans are expensive but worth it considering the network’s speed and reliability making it great for willing to pay more for these features & benefits. To justify the high prices, EE offers additional incentives to its plans. For example, when you sign up for a SIM Only plan, you get access to various subscriptions for free including BT Sport, BritBox, Apple Music, and others. These subscriptions in total are worth around £220. Also EE rewards families that sign up together. It allows them to share data between different devices and 10% off for every added device.

 

Pros

 

• Reliable and has a wide network coverage
• Fastest speeds across the UK
• Additional free subscriptions with EE sign up
• International roaming beyond the EU on some plans

 

Cons

 

• Expensive
• No data rollover except on PAYG bundle

 

How does giffgaff and EE compare?

 

Network coverage

 

giffgaff is powered by O2 network which is reliable and its 4G network covers most of the UK. However, EE has the best network compared to not only giffgaff and O2, but the rest of the mobile service providers in the UK.

 

Download speed

 

Speeds are definitely a factor we all consider before choosing a mobile network. Here, EE has the fastest download speed across the UK. The mobile network has an average download speed of around 35.9 Mbps compared to giffgaff’s 18.2 Mbps. This has given the network the most number of users in the country.

 

Plans

 

Both mobile networks offer a variety of plans including unlimited data plans. giffgaff offers flexible plans called goodybags that allow users to use more than one plan in a month without contracts. Its plans run for 30 days and one can cancel anytime. In this comparison, EE has the best plans compared to giffgaff. This is because some EE plans are 5G and cheaper than giffgaff.

 

Prices

 

We all want to get the best services at a reasonable price depending on our needs. In this comparison, giffgaffoffers cheaper plans than EE. This is it’s an MVNO that runs on another provider’s network.

 

Benefits & extras

 

giffgaff offers its customers an extra 1 GB automatically when they use the network consecutively for 3 months. It has a reward scheme that rewards customers with Payback Points when they invite others to join the network. Here, EE offers better and more benefits compared to giffgaff. You get various subscriptions for free such as BT Sport, Apple Music, and others. EE also allows families that sing up together to share data between devices and offer 10% off for every added device. You also get WiFi and 4G calling which aren’t available on giffgaff.

 

Conclusion

 

giffgaff is a reliable MVNO and one of the best in the country. However, the overall winner is EE compared to giffgaff. This is because EE has a superior network compared to O2 and offers more benefits than giffgaff.

 

FAQs

 

Does giffgaff offer 5G?

 

Yes, giffgaff rolled out its 5G network in 2020 and is powered by O2.

 

Are there any MVNOs running on the EE network?

 

Yes. EE currently has 4 MVNOs using its network. They include BT Mobile, Asda Mobile, Plusnet Mobile, and Virgin Mobile.