SMARTY Mobile review: is SMARTY any good?

Our SMARTY review in summary

SMARTY stands out with its affordable range of SIM-only plans, providing data at a lower price point than many other networks.

It may be a smaller company, but it’s part of parent company Three – meaning that you’ll benefit from Three’s widespread 3G and 4G coverage. All SIMs now come with superfast 5G at no extra cost, so you can access Three's expanding 5G network.

However, SMARTY lacks phone plans or long-term contracts – you’ll need to look elsewhere for that.

SMARTY SIM-only plans

While SMARTY solely offers SIM-only deals, it really shines in this area.

It has six plans, starting at 4GB for £6 a month to unlimited data for £18 (correct at the time of writing). All of which include unlimited calls and texts as standard, as well as unrestricted tethering in the UK and free EU roaming.

They’re all one-month rolling plans too, so you can cancel anytime you want. You also have the option to pause your account for up to six months.

One unique selling point of SMARTY is its data discount plans. If you choose these, you’ll get money back for any unused data at the end of the month.

SMARTY phone contract plans

SMARTY doesn’t offer phone contracts, just SIM-only plans.

But if you’re wanting to keep your device, or buy a new one outright, this may suit you more.

SMARTY coverage

SMARTY is powered by Three, so it offers a strong 4G network that covers 99.8% of the UK.

All SIMs are 5G ready too, so you can enjoy those top speeds. But it's best to first check if Three's 5G network covers your area, and which is the best 5G network for you.

Three now claims to cover 54% of the UK population when it comes to 5G, and it also claims to offer the fastest 5G speeds of any UK network.

SMARTY roaming

While some major networks are dialling back on inclusive mobile roaming, SMARTY still offers free EU roaming across all its plans.

So if you’re travelling in the EU, your SIM-only plan works as normal, at no extra cost. For mobile data, you’ll have a fair use limit of 12GB a month, but that should be more than enough to cover your holiday needs.

If you’re travelling outside the EU, you’ll need to buy an ‘out of plan’ add-on. The cost depends on the country you’re travelling to, so check before you go.

SMARTY customer service

SMARTY doesn’t currently provide a phone number you can call for customer service. But you can get in touch using the web chat – either with its SMARTY bot, available 24/7, or with the support team.

Or you can send an email, although it’s a bit slower than contacting the web chat team.

It’s worth noting that SMARTY has one of the highest TrustPilot ratings of any network. At the time of writing, it’s leagues ahead of a number of household-name networks when it comes to customer satisfaction.

SMARTY's deals and incentives

There’s a Group plan, where you can save 10% on up to eight SIMs – useful if you have multiple devices, or if you want to bring your family accounts together in one place.

Its ‘refer-a-friend’ system is also rather generous. For every friend that joins SMARTY thanks to you, both of you get a free month. So if you manage to refer twelve friends, you could get a whole year free.

Finally, if you sign up during promotional events, like Black Friday, you might be able to bag a discount on certain plans.

SMARTY pricing

SMARTY’s SIM-only plans are among some of the most competitive on the market. It offers more data at lower costs than the likes of giffgaff and VOXI, which are already some of the cheapest networks out there.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a more low-cost monthly plan without having to be tied to a contract.

Still, if you’re willing to commit to a 12-month or 24-month contract, you might be able to find even cheaper elsewhere – with major networks like Three and EE offering great value plans in the longer term.

Why is SMARTY so cheap?

Three manages to keep SMARTY cheap thanks to a number of key differences to its main network. First of all, everything is online, from customer services to sales, meaning lower overheads.

Then there’s the fact it only offers a basic array of SIM-only plans. With no handset deals or lengthy contacts, the cost of running the network is far lower than if it was a fully fledged provider.

Also, it doesn’t offer perks and rewards such as the Three+ app, once again allowing it to keep things nice and simple.

Pros and cons of choosing SMARTY mobile

Pros

• Low cost
• Flexible and free to cancel anytime
• Unlimited tethering
• 5G coverage at no extra cost
• Roaming still free in Europe
• Group plans – useful for families or multiple devices

Cons

• SIM-only – no phone contract plans
• No major incentives, such as free streaming service subscriptions

Who is SMARTY for?

SMARTY is built for customers who are happy with their current handset, or willing to pay outright for a new one that they can then pair with a SIM-only deal.

It’s also aimed at those not interested in perks and extras, but rather those who want a simple service that does the basics well, while being happy to compromise on the fact there is no direct customer service line.

How does SMARTY compare against other networks?

Like giffgaff and VOXI, SMARTY is characterised by a no-frills, no-fuss approach.

Its affordable and flexible SIM-only plans are some of the cheapest out there, and will suit many.

With inclusive EU roaming becoming increasingly scarce among the big networks, it’s good to see that SMARTY offers it at no extra charge.

There aren’t too many fancy extras or customer perks, but there is a good referral scheme and a discounted group plan.

And unlike major networks, SMARTY doesn’t offer phone contract plans, nor 12-month or 24-month deals.

See our reviews of other mobile networks: 

• Asda Mobile review
• VOXI review
• EE review
• giffgaff review
• iD Mobile review
• Lebara review
• O2 review
• Tesco Mobile review
• Three review
• Virgin Mobile review
• Vodafone review

What are the alternatives to SMARTY?

• VOXI
• iD Mobile
• Three
• giffgaff