UK Business Mobile Providers Compared (2026)
Every major UK business mobile provider compared on what actually matters — pricing, network, data pooling, contract flexibility, and those hidden annual price hikes nobody tells you about.
The Short Version
UK business mobile looks simple on the surface — pick a network, choose a plan. But the real differences are in the details: annual price hikes, data pooling, contract lock-ins, and management tools vary dramatically between providers.
The biggest hidden cost is annual price increases. Over a 24-month contract, Vodafone's £2.08/month annual hike adds nearly £25 per SIM to your total cost. O2 is even steeper at £2.50/month. IQ Mobile doesn't apply annual price increases — the price you sign up at is the price you pay.
IQ Mobile runs on the EE network (the UK's largest), starts from £7/month, includes pooled data and a management portal, and offers flexible contracts. It's also the only provider on this list that offers FMC SIMs alongside standard business mobile.
3 Key Takeaways
Annual Price Hikes Add Up
Over 24 months, Vodafone's £2.08/month hike adds ~£25 per SIM. O2 adds ~£30. EE/BT add ~£18. IQ Mobile: zero. For a fleet of 50 SIMs, that's thousands in hidden costs.
Pooled Data Saves Money
Without pooled data, low-usage SIMs waste their allowance while high-usage SIMs incur overages. Pooled data balances this automatically. Only IQ Mobile, EE, and BT offer it as standard.
Contract Lock-in Is Real
Most providers lock you into 24-month contracts with early termination fees. If your business needs change, you're stuck paying for SIMs you don't need. Flexible contracts reduce this risk.
UK Business Mobile: Side-by-Side Comparison
How the major UK business mobile providers compare on key factors
| Feature | IQ Mobile | EE Business | Vodafone Business | O2 / Daisy | Three Business | BT Business | Gamma Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Network | EE | EE | Vodafone | O2 | Three | EE | Three |
| Starting Price | From £7/mo | From £12/mo | From £15/mo | From £9/mo | From £7.50/mo | From £10/mo | ~£10/mo |
| Pooled Data | |||||||
| Management Portal | Limited | Via partner | |||||
| Contract | Flexible | 24-month | 24-month | 24 / 30-day | 24-month | 24-month | Via partner |
| Annual Price Hike | None | £1.50/mo | £2.08/mo | £2.50/mo | CPI-linked | £1.50/mo | N/A |
| FMC Available | |||||||
| Partner/Reseller Model | Via Daisy |
The Hidden Cost: Annual Price Increases
Every major UK mobile provider increases prices annually. Here's what that looks like over a typical 24-month business contract for a single SIM:
IQ Mobile
£0
No annual increase
EE / BT
~£18
£1.50/mo increase applied annually
Vodafone
~£25
£2.08/mo CPI-linked increase
O2
~£30
£2.50/mo increase applied annually
For a business with 50 SIMs, the difference between IQ Mobile (£0 increase) and O2 (£2.50/mo per SIM) is £1,500 over 24 months in hidden costs alone.
Provider Breakdown
IQ Mobile
IQ Mobile provides business SIM-only plans on the EE network from £7/month. Plans include pooled data, a full management portal, and flexible contract terms without 24-month lock-ins. No annual price increases are applied.
The key differentiator beyond pricing is versatility: IQ Mobile is the only provider on this list that also offers FMC SIMs, SIM for Teams, IoT SIMs, and a partner/reseller model with white-label SIM printing. It's a one-stop shop for business connectivity rather than just a mobile provider.
EE Business
EE is the UK's largest mobile network and offers dedicated business plans from £12/month. Plans include pooled data options, a business management portal, and priority support. EE's 5G rollout is the most advanced in the UK, giving early access to next-generation speeds.
The trade-offs: pricing is higher than alternatives on the same network (IQ Mobile runs on EE from £7/month), 24-month contracts are standard, and annual price increases of £1.50/month are applied. EE Business doesn't offer FMC SIMs or a reseller/partner model.
Vodafone Business
Vodafone Business offers mobile plans from £15/month with a comprehensive management portal and enterprise-grade support. The Vodafone network has strong urban coverage and an expanding 5G footprint. Vodafone also offers One Net FMC for businesses needing unified communications.
The main concerns: pricing starts higher than competitors, data isn't pooled as standard, 24-month contracts are typical, and the annual price hike of £2.08/month (CPI-linked) is among the highest in the market. Post-merger price adjustments may also affect future pricing.
O2 Business / Daisy
O2 Business (now commonly sold through Daisy as a channel partner) offers plans from £9/month on the O2 network. O2 provides a solid management portal and offers both 24-month and 30-day rolling contract options, giving some flexibility for smaller businesses.
The concern is the annual price increase — at £2.50/month, O2 has the highest annual hike of any major provider. Over 24 months, that adds approximately £30 per SIM to your total cost. Data pooling is not offered as standard.
Three Business
Three Business offers competitive entry-level pricing from £7.50/month, making it one of the cheapest options for basic business SIMs. Three has been investing heavily in 5G and offers unlimited data plans at higher tiers.
The limitations: Three has the smallest 4G coverage footprint of the four major UK networks (which matters for rural workers), the management portal has limited functionality compared to EE or Vodafone, data pooling isn't available, and 24-month contracts are standard. Annual price increases are CPI-linked.
BT Business Mobile
BT Business Mobile runs on the EE network (BT owns EE), so coverage is identical to EE Business. Plans start from £10/month with pooled data options and a management portal. BT's enterprise support and billing integration with other BT services (broadband, landlines) can be convenient for existing BT customers.
Annual price increases match EE at £1.50/month, and 24-month contracts are standard. BT also offers One Phone FMC for businesses needing converged communications, though this is a separate (and significantly more expensive) product.
Gamma Mobile
Gamma Mobile is positioned as a channel-only product — it's sold through telecoms resellers rather than direct to businesses. Running on the Three network, it typically costs around £10/month per SIM. Management is handled through the partner's own portal and billing systems.
This model works well if you already have a Gamma reseller you trust, as they handle support and billing. The limitations are Three's smaller network coverage, no direct management portal for end customers, and no pooled data. Gamma also offers the Connect FMC add-on, but only for Horizon PBX users.
Why IQ Mobile?
From £7/month on EE
Same EE network as BT and EE Business — better price
No annual price hikes
The price you sign up at is the price you pay
Pooled data included
Share data across your SIM estate efficiently
Flexible contracts
No 24-month lock-ins — scale as your business grows
Full management portal
View usage, manage SIMs, set limits — all in one place
FMC, Teams, IoT — all available
Grow into advanced products as your needs evolve
Business Mobile Comparison: FAQ
Common questions about choosing a UK business mobile provider