Whether you’re making a sale in your office, checking in with your team on a jobsite, or chasing a late invoice while enjoying a coffee, mobile phones have made doing business possible from almost anywhere.
Which is why we’ve rounded up some of the best business mobile deals – so you can stay connected no matter where you are. Keep reading to learn the benefits and find a business mobile plan for you.
Why choose a business mobile phone plan?
But why should you take out a business mobile plan if you already have a personal phone? For starters, having some separation between your personal and work lives can be good for your work life balance. By turning your phone off at the end of the workday, you can reduce stress and focus on other things that are important to you.
However, the main benefit of getting a business mobile phone plan is that business phone plans can be claimed as a business expense on your tax return. So while it’s an additional upfront expense, it can be a good financial investment in the long run.
Business mobile phone deals
| Network | Vodafone | EE | O2 | Three | Tesco Mobile |
| Contract length | From 12 months | From 24 months | From 30 day rolling, from 12 months fixed | From one month | From 12 months |
| SIM only plan? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Data only plan? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Ookla speedtest score | 133.01 | 98.19 | 70.12 | 224.60 | 70.12 (as part of O2) |
| Trustpilot score | 4.5 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 4.6 |
Now that you know why you should consider getting a business mobile phone plan, it’s time to choose a network. Below we’ve covered some of the top contenders for business mobile phone plans with unlimited data. Our table has a quick overview or keep reading to learn more about each individual network.
Vodafone business mobile
If customer satisfaction is important to you, then you may be drawn to a Vodafone business mobile plan, thanks to its 4.5 score on Trustpilot. Vodafone helpfully categorises its plans by your needs – when visiting their site, you’ll be able to choose whether you’re a sole trader or run a limited company (more on why that’s important later).
As well as this, you can also find a mobile plan based on the size of your company, which are split into the following categories:
- 1-9 employees
- 10-49 employees
- 50-249 employees
- 250+ employees
Unlimited data can be a major help when running your business, and Vodafone has unlimited plans starting at £25 a month (at the time of publishing). You can get plans from 12 months, meaning you don’t have to commit to longer contracts.
And depending on your needs, you can choose SIM only or data only plans – or purchase a phone itself by paying monthly.
EE business mobile
Contracts with EE are available on 24 and 36 month plans and you should be able to find a plan that matches your business’s needs.
EE business mobile plans are designed for small businesses with 10 to 50 employees across the following plans:
- Teams Plan
- Individual Plan
- Shared Plan
And if you want additional perks alongside your business phone plan, EE business mobile could be what you’re looking for. The network’s All Rounder and Full Works plans offer a range of extra features including:
- Microsoft 365 subscription
- Apple services subscriptions
- free international calling
Whereas if you’re only interested in the phone plan itself, their Essential plan will suit you fine.
EE provides coverage for 99 per cent of the population – however, reviews on Trustpilot frequently mention poor customer service.
Regardless of plan, you can choose SIM only, data only, or pay monthly handset options.
O2 business mobile
If flexibility is what’s important to you, O2 business mobile can be a great choice. Rolling monthly contracts are available so you’re never tied into a long contract, while free EU data roaming is perfect if you do business with the EU.
There are specialist business mobile deals if your business has under 10 employees, as well as enterprise plans for those with more employees.
O2 is also known for its customer perks, such as priority concert tickets, which can be a nice added benefit to taking out a business mobile plan with them. However, reviews on Trustpilot call out poor customer service – so do your own research and think about what’s most important to you in a phone network.
Depending on your needs, you can choose a SIM only plan or choose to pay for a handset monthly.
Three business mobile
Three is another good option for those seeking flexibility in their business mobile plan. As well as rolling contracts from just one month, there are also a range of buying options depending on your business needs.
If you’re choosing a SIM only mobile plan, Three has a selection of plans that get cheaper the more SIM cards you buy. You can buy these at two separate price points: two to nine SIM cards and over 10 SIM cards. You can also buy a single SIM only plan on Three if you’re a sole trader.
Unlimited data is available, as is no roaming charges on certain plans. Three was also awarded the title of fastest 5G network in the UK by Ookla – making it a great choice for those who need to be constantly connected.
You can find business mobile deals with Three on SIM only, data only, and with phones included.
Tesco business mobile
Tesco Mobile uses the same network as O2, which came last in Ookla’s speedtest report. However, it has significantly higher Trustpilot reviews than O2, with most reviews calling out great customer service and support.
You can choose to go SIM only or get a business mobile plan that includes a pay monthly handset.
Who has the best business mobile deals?
The best business mobile deal will depend on your specific business and what features are important to you, so make sure to shop around before you make a decision.
However, our research shows that Vodafone has both the second highest customer satisfaction score on Trustpilot and speed score by Ookla. While other network providers score higher in one area, they’re significantly lower in the other. This makes Vodafone the most consistently high-performing business mobile plan we found.
SIM only, data only, or handset plan?
If you’ve decided on a network provider, your next step is to decide what type of phone plan you want to be on. This will differ depending on what you need, so here’s a quick summary:
- handset plan: the traditional phone contract plan, you’ll pay more each month in order to pay off the phone you receive as part of the contract. This could be a great option if you already have a personal phone and want to keep your business separate, or if you offer company phones to employees
- SIM only: if you already have a device to use, or are looking for a way to cut costs, a SIM only plan means you don’t get a phone as part of your contract. Some mobiles are dual SIM phones, meaning you can have both your personal and work SIMs in the same phone
- data only: with the rise of apps like WhatsApp or Messenger, there are new ways to call someone other than by traditional phone call. A data only SIM comes up with a large amount of data, but no minutes or texts. While you’ll receive a phone number on a data only plan, you won’t be able to make or receive calls. However, your phone number means you can sign up to things like WhatsApp, so you can still make and receive business calls there. If you don’t often do business over the phone, this could be a great option for you
Business mobile deals for sole traders and limited companies
If you’re a sole trader, you’ll likely only need to purchase one business mobile plan for yourself. However, if you run a limited company or are in a limited partnership, you might want to buy multiple business mobile plans for each of your employees.
Having all your employees’ work phones be on the same phone plan can help with collaboration and communication, even when you’re all out on different jobs.
Certain providers may be better suited for this than others, so make sure you shop around and take bulk buying mobile plans into account when you make your decision.
Do you use a separate phone for your business dealings? Let us know your tips and tricks for finding the right business mobile deal in the comments below.
More technology guides for the self-employed
Ready to set up your cover?
As one of the UK’s biggest business insurance providers, we specialise in public liability insurance and protect more trades than anybody else. Why not take a look now and build a quick, tailored quote?
Photo: Photo: (JLco) Julia Amaral/stock.adobe.com
