Phone contracts: check the full cost, then compare
A phone contract spreads the cost of the handset over the contract. To compare it with buying the phone and adding a SIM only deal, add up the full cost of each over the same number of months.
Since 17 January 2025, any price rise in a new contract must be set out in pounds and pence.
Source: Ofcom ban on inflation-linked mid-contract price rises, in force from 17 January 2025
Work out the total cost
Phone on contract
- Upfront
- Monthly payments
Buy the phone, add SIM only
- Phone
- SIM only payments
The SIM only route assumes you keep the same SIM only price for the whole period.
See phone contract deals
Deals from our partners are further down this page. Free, with no obligation to buy.
Compare phone dealsWhat goes into the total
Upfront cost
Some contracts ask for a payment at the start. It counts towards the total.
Monthly price and contract length
The monthly price times the number of months is usually the largest part of the total.
SIM only vs phone contract: which costs less?
It depends on the phone and the deal, so neither is always cheaper. To compare them fairly, add up each one over the same number of months:
- Phone contract: any upfront cost, plus the monthly price for every month, plus any yearly price rises.
- Buying the phone and adding SIM only: the phone's price, plus the SIM only monthly price for every month, plus any yearly price rises.
Either way you keep the phone at the end. The calculator above does the sums for you.
A SIM only deal also leaves you free to change plan more easily, especially on a 30-day rolling plan. SIM only plans made up half of UK pay-monthly mobile subscriptions in June 2025.
Source: Ofcom, Pricing and consumer engagement: Trends in the UK communications sector, published 26 February 2026
How price rises add up
If the contract includes a yearly rise, each rise applies to every month after it. Any price rise in a new contract must be set out in pounds and pence.
Source: Ofcom ban on inflation-linked mid-contract price rises, in force from 17 January 2025
Compare phone deals
Deals come from our comparison partners.
Some providers pay for higher placement in the Featured order.
Free gifts and upgrades
Some phone deals come with a gift, such as headphones or a smartwatch, and your network may offer you an upgrade as your contract nears its end. Both change the total cost, so count them the same way.
What to check
- What is the upfront cost, if any?
- Does the contract include a yearly price rise, and how much is it in pounds and pence?
- How long is the contract?
- What does the same phone cost to buy outright?
- How much data do you use each month?
Sources and dates
- Ofcom, Ofcom bans mid-contract price rises linked to inflation (in force from 17 January 2025)Published 19 July 2024Price rises in new contracts must be set out in pounds and pence.
- BillsSorted price snapshotAs of October 2026Typical SIM only prices, from providers' own websites.
- Ofcom, Pricing and consumer engagement: Trends in the UK communications sectorPublished 26 February 20262026 price rises on new mobile contracts, and the share of pay-monthly subscriptions that are SIM only.
Figures on this page are a guide, not advice. They show typical prices for new deals, not what is right for you. Prices and rules change often, so check the details with the provider before you decide. Typical prices are taken from providers' own websites, collected on 18 October 2026. Prices change often, so use the comparison to see the latest deals.