Which international prepaid mobile plan is best for you?
Prepaid mobile plans can be the perfect solution if you’re living abroad or when you’re travelling a lot. You want to call your friends and family back home, without paying too much.
But which international prepaid mobile plan should you choose? There’s no single answer other than: it depends. Some offer the best coverage, others are the cheapest or easy to top up from abroad. To know which prepaid plan you can best choose, you need to know how you’ll use it and what’s important to you.
The guide below will help you choose with tips and tricks for finding the best prepaid plan. You’ll also find some of Ireland’s best prepaid plans compared, with all their benefits and downsides laid out.
Finding the best prepaid plan: Things to consider
- Worldwide vs. local coverage – if you’re living the digital nomad lifestyle, you want a prepaid plan that works wherever you are. If you travel around a lot from country to country, you need a provider with worldwide coverage. On the other hand, if you’re staying in Ireland and calling abroad, it’s sufficient to choose a provider with good coverage within Ireland.
- Topping up from abroad – Some providers make it easy to top up your Irish prepaid plan easily from abroad. This is important if you travel a lot, less so if you stay in Ireland.
Our top 3 International prepaid mobile plans Compared
So which prepaid mobile plan in Ireland is best for you? Check the benefits and downsides of these plans below.
#1: Eir prepaid plan
Ireland’s foremost provider. Eir is a great choice if you’re using call credit and data to call abroad from Ireland.
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Benefits: 99% coverage for both calling and internet in Ireland. Both 4G and 5G networks available. Low roaming costs in Europe.
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Downsides: Harder to top up from abroad than the other 2 options.
#2: Vodafone prepaid plan
A worldwide brand with worldwide coverage. Great for those who are always on the go.
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Benefits: Worldwide service. Easy to top up from abroad with the Vodafone app or the Recharge.com app.
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Downsides: More expensive than the other 2 providers compared here.
#3: Three prepaid plan
Staying in Ireland, but calling your friends and family elsewhere? Three mobile is perfect if you call abroad a lot.
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Benefits: Low costs when calling abroad to over 50 countries. Easy to top up wherever you are with your my3 account or via the Recharge.com app.
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Downsides: Due to roaming costs, more expensive to use while travelling abroad, rather than when calling abroad from Ireland.