Cheapest SIM Only Plans In Singapore 2020: Data vs Price Comparison

Tired of Lock-In Contracts? Want to Save Money? Find Out Which Is the Best SIM Only Plan in the Market!

Are you still in a 12 or 24-months contract mobile plan with Singtel, Starhub, or M1?

P.S. you do know that you’re just paying for your ‘discounted’ smartphone in monthly instalments spread over your 24-month contract right?

Want to save money, get more data and have the freedom to switch telcos whenever you want?

Then you might want to consider getting a SIM Only plan instead.

I mean, have you looked at what the various mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) popping up on the scene like redONE, VIVIFI, and Grid Mobile have to offer?

But how do you choose the best SIM only mobile plan in the market?

That’s where we can help!

TL;DR: 13 Cheapest SIM Only Mobile Plans In Singapore Under $30 (2020)

Note: information correct of 29 July 2020

To find the cheapest SIM Only mobile plan, we used the benchmark of 20GB data (at unmanaged speeds) across all 13 telcos.

Since that’s the plan which the majority of telcos have.

So which is the cheapest SIM only mobile plan in Singapore?

That accolade goes to TPG 50GB SIM Only Plan ($10).

But to be fair, they’re the new kids on the block so they’re definitely pricing themselves to be as competitive as possible.

If you wanna explore other options, your next best bet would be Grid Mobile 20GB SIM Only Mobile Plan ($17.90).

FYI: Grid Mobile is a joint venture between SingTel and ST Telemedia.

Find the Best SIM Only Mobile Plan With Seedly!

Lazy to compare?

Why not just use our FREE SIM Only Price Comparison Tool?

Compare & Switch Now!

It’ll take you less than 10 seconds to find out which SIM Only plan is the best for you.

What Is A SIM Only Plan?

SIM Only plans are postpaid plans which package data, talk time and SMSes at a fixed monthly cost.

This way, you can focus on what is most important to you — which is probably data.

They function pretty much like traditional mobile phone contracts BUT you’re not locked into any minimum contract period.

Which means that you are free to switch telcos or mobile plans anytime you like without incurring any penalties.

Why Are SIM Only Plans so Much Cheaper?

You’re probably wondering how are the telcos, who are offering SIM Only plans, keeping their prices so low.

Here’s why.

Singapore Telcos and the Network Which They Are On

There are 4 Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) in Singapore:

1. M1
2. Singtel
3. StarHub
4. TPG (newest kid on the block)

And these are the 9 Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO) aka virtual telcos in the market right now:

1. Circles.Life
2. CMLink
3. giga!
4. GOMO
5. Grid Mobile
6. MyRepublic
7. redONE
8. VIVIFI
9. Zero1

The reason why these virtual telcos can keep their SIM Only plan prices so low is because they

• Aren’t paying to maintain their own network and infrastructure (they’re renting from the MNOs and selling it to you)
• Don’t have physical stores (read: no need to pay rent)
• Spend less on marketing (when was the last time you saw a Singtel ad vs. a Zero1 advertisement?)

Needless to say, once the major MNOs wised up.

They started offering their own versions of SIM Only mobile plans back in 2019.

Which Is The Best SIM Only Plan in Singapore?

The best SIM Only plan really depends on how much data you’ll need.

To figure that out, just have a look at your latest telco bills or check how much data you’ve been using through your smartphone.

And you’ll be able to figure out how much data you use on average each month.

You’ll also want to keep in mind how much talk time and SMS-es (if you’re old school like that) you use monthly too.

After that, you’ll want to pick the cheapest SIM Only Plan which matches your needs.

 BUT as with most things which are cheap, the quality of service and reception are some of the things which suffer.

So if you’re picking an MVNO’s SIM Only plan, you might want to stick with one that’s tapping on a reliable MNO network.

Here’s a look at who’s on which MNO’s network:

Another failproof way is to simply ask people who are currently using the SIM Only plan which you’re thinking of getting.

Wondering who you can ask?

Simple.

Just check out the real-user reviews left by the friendly SeedlyCommunity to get a better idea of which is the best SIM Only plan in the market!

So… Which Is the Cheapest SIM Only Plan?

If you’re talking about the absolute cheapest.

Circles.Life had a $0 Flexi Plan with 1GB data but that has since been discontinued since 2019.

And TPG offered a $0 XL Unlimited Data Plan for 1 year before their official commercial launch in 2020.

Ah… Great times.

But if we’re looking at the current SIM Only plan landscape, these options are off the table.

Fret not, though.

We did a little comparison across all 13 telcos using a benchmark of SIM Only plans with a minimum 20GB data (at unmanaged speeds).

So, your top 3 options for the cheapest SIM Only plan are:

• TPG 50GB SIM Only Plan ($10)
• Grid Mobile 20GB SIM Only Mobile Plan ($17.90)
• GOMO SIM Only 20GB Plan ($20) and MyRepublic Core Plan ($20)

Circles.Life

At $28 month for 20GB of data, Circles.Life’s SIM Only 20GB Plan isn’t too bad.

If you really need more data, you can opt for the 100GB Plan instead which would only cost you $20 more a month.

And that’s 100GB of 4G data.

None of that “at managed speeds” thing.

CMLink

Recently launched in 2020, China Mobile or CMLink’s $30 SIM Only Plan gives you 20GB data which can be used in Singapore, mainland China, and Hong Kong.

On top of that, you get 300 minutes of calls to mainland China and Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and USA.

So if you find yourself travelling often to mainland China and Hong Kong, then this is the plan to get.

giga!

giga! is Starhub’s response to Singtel’s GOMO.

For $25 a month, the giga! SIM Only 25GB plan also comes with a hefty 1,000 minutes of talk time and 1,000 SMS-es.

What’s unique about giga! is that you can rollover any unused data to the next month.

GOMO

GOMO, which stands for Get Out More Often, is Singtel’s SIM Only offering.

(Don’t ask us why they decided to create this offshoot brand to sell SIM Only Plans when they’re already doing so…)

The GOMO SIM Only 20GB Plan ($20) is another value-for-money option which you should seriously consider.

Oh, and best of all, you get to enjoy free SIM card registration and home delivery!

Grid Mobile

Grid Mobile is one of the newer MVNOs and is a joint venture between Singtel and ST Telemedia.

Apart from TPG’s offering, Grid Mobile’s 20GB SIM Only Mobile Plan ($17.90) is really good deal in our books.

You even get free Caller ID (erm… hello? Singtel? Why’re you still charging for it on your own SIM Only plan?!).

M1

As compared to Singtel and Starhub, M1’s SIM Only 30GB Plan is the most generous.

In that, it actually gives you 30GB of data with no caveats or changes to after a 12-month term.

It would be the winner amongst the 3 incumbent MNOs, but… you still have to pay $5.35 a month for Caller ID.

MyRepublic

MyRepublic’s new Core Plan offers 20GB of data at $20, which is pretty value-for-money.

Even if you went over, you can still bank on the unlimited data.

However, you just have to be prepared for slower network speeds.

redONE

If you live or travel to and from Malaysia for work in Singapore, then the redONE Amazing28+ might be something worth considering.

Because you can use your data for free in Malaysia.

You’ll get 300 minutes of talk time to both Singapore and Malaysia networks too.

Singtel

For $25 a month, you get 30GB of data with Singtel’s SIM Only 20GB Plan.

Unfortunately, Singtel only offers SIM Only plans which come with a 12-month contract.

So you’re still going to have to stick with them for a year if you choose to take up this SIM Only Plan.

Oh, and you need to pay $5.35 a month for Caller ID.

Starhub

Starhub offers SIM Only plans which come with a 12-month contract as well as with no contract.

The great thing about Starhub’s $25 SIM Only Plan is that unlike Singtel and M1’s offering.

You’ll get free Caller ID — Singtel and M1 charges $5.35 monthly for this value-added service.

TPG

If you’re still on the TPG XL Unlimited Data Plan, you can still enjoy it till your trial is up.

Once that gravy train is over, you’ll have to settle for the TPG 50GB SIM Only Plan ($10) instead.

The good thing is that activation is free and you can opt to pick it up at any of their pick up locations.

You’ll also get 1GB roaming data in: India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, and Thailand.

VIVIFI

VIVIFI is one of the latest MVNO’s launched in July 2019 which uses Singtel’s mobile network infrastructure.

While the VIVIFI Lite Plan is extremely affordable at $8.80, it also comes with a paltry 3GB data.

So it’s probably better to stick with the VIVIFI Share Plan.

Which comes with you can share with 40GB which you can share with your family.

Just add a SIM card for $5.35 and a family member can tap onto your VIVIFI share pool.

Plus, they’ll get an extra 2GB of data too.

Zero1

Zero1’s 30u SIM Only plan allows you to surf the first 30GB at 4G speed.

After that, you get unlimited data albeit at managed speeds.

FYI: the registration fee ($10.70) is currently waived for the 30u plan.

Is a SIM Only Plan Better Than a Fixed Contract Mobile Plan?

Well… it depends.

With SIM Only plans, most come with no contract so you have absolute freedom to switch to whichever is cheapest.

Or (touch wood) if you, unfortunately, find that your current telco’s reception sucks.

Another thing to note is that most SIM Only plans will come with no handset as well.

This way you are avoiding any Early Termination Charges and being overcharged on your monthly subscription.

However, there are some telcos which do a SIM Only plan AND allow you to purchase a phone which you can pay for in monthly instalments.

Even if you decide to cancel your SIM Only plan.

If you’re interested, check out Circles.Life to see if this makes sense for you.

Re-Contracting Is Just Paying for Your Phone in 24-Month Instalments

So you have a traditional two-year mobile plan that is nearing the end of your contract.

You’re probably thinking:

• It’s the best (and probably the only deal) you know
• It’s the first mobile plan you started with so it’s convenient to just renew it
• Re-contracting gives you an attractive discount off the latest smartphone

STOP.

The harsh truth is that the upfront ‘discount’ which telcos offer on a new mobile phone…

Is collected back by tagging a small monthly premium on your monthly phone bill.

Which essentially means that you’re paying for your shiny new smartphone in 24-month instalments.

Introducing… the “SIM Only Plan And Phone From Carousell” Strategy

With data as the main priority for most of us getting a mobile plan, we have a simple strategy.

• Step 1: Use the SIM Only Price Comparison Tool to find a SIM Only plan which gives you at least the same amount of data (most likely more) you’re using on your two-year contract
• Step 2: Shop on an online marketplace like Carousell or Lazada to buy your preferred mobile phone (brand new in box)
• Step 3: Enjoy more data and savings!

To better illustrate this strategy, we looked at a Singtel two-year contract plan, which comes with an iPhone 11.

And compared it with a Singtel SIM Only mobile plan with an iPhone 11 purchased separately on Carousell.

Here’s what we found:

The total amount of savings if you went with a SIM Only card and purchased your phone separately?

$87.60 over two years.

This doesn’t sound like much, but it’ll pay for at least 3 months of your SIM Only plan.

Plus you’re getting WAY more data (20GB vs 2GB)!