If you've come to the end of your contract but you're happy with your current phone, you might want to consider picking up a SIM only deal.

By dropping down to a SIM only deal, you'll be paying a lot less every month and in many cases you'll be getting more minutes, texts and data. The fact you're not paying for an expensive phone means the best SIM only deals almost always offer better value and it's a good way to avoid having to sign a 24 month contract.

The cheapest deal you can get at the moment is £7.50 on the new iD network ad that's just a 1 month commitment, more on that below. But let's kick off with a run down of the absolute cheapest SIM deals you can currently get in the UK...

iD is a virtual network that's run and sold exclusively by Carphone Warehouse. It uses Three's 3G network and aims to beat the other networks on price.

If for you the best SIM only deals means cheapest, iD is a good option. But beware that by opting for iD you give up a lot of the perks that the other networks offer. We don't think that particularly matters though and we've included iD deals on this page because of the crazy cheap prices!

It's not all about going super-cheap

Of course, just because you're after a SIM only deal, doesn't mean you're after the cheapest prices around. What if you were given an iPhone 6 for your birthday or if you're still happy with the smartphone from your last contract? If you're a heavy user, you could go for a SIM only deal with unlimited data - there are a few available...

Let's run down the best deals for each network, starting with Carphone Warehouse's new creation...

Best SIM only deals on the iD network

The cheapest SIM only deals all on 1 month contracts

As mentioned above, iD is a good option if bargain basement prices are what you covet. If all you want is to keep your current phone going so you can receive calls and texts from family and friends and make the occasional call yourself, those sub-£10 deals at the top of the page should be adequate.

If you want a little bit more, iD is competitive at every level - even going so far as to offer unlimited data from £20 per month. We think that the £12.50 option, which offers 500 minutes, 2000 texts and 2GB should be ample for all but the heaviest users and offers the best balance between allowance and monthly cost.

Best SIM only deals on O2

A reliable network with great coverage

We've browsed all of the SIM only deals available on the O2 network and it's a mixed bag. Some of the really cheap deals are pretty good - if you want to bag a dirt cheap SIM only deal for £8.50 per month, you can. However, when you start adding minutes and data to your deals, you notice that O2's SIM only prices increase rapidly. This is probably not a good network to go for it you want to get more than 1GB data.

Best SIM only deals on Vodafone

A solid network with some decent deals

As with O2 above, Vodafone doesn't offer the very best SIM only deals. It would rather sell you a phone and charge you £30 per month, but if you're after a cheapo deal and you don't need heaps of data or loads of minutes, Vodafone could be a good option for you. Do be aware that some of these deals are on 1 month rolling contracts, while with others you have to sign up for 12 months. You can tell which ones are which under the logo which states the contract length.

Best SIM only deals on EE Extra 4G

EE's SIM only deals come with double-speed 4G

If you want a cheap SIM only deal, EE is most certainly not the network to go for. But don't discount it entirely. Because if you already own a good smartphone and you want to pair it with the fastest network in the UK with a SIM only deal, you can do that. EE's SIM only deals all come with EE Extra 4G which means they work with EE's superfast double-speed 4G network, rather than with its single-speed 4G network.

All the SIM only deals on this page are checked every day to make sure they're still available and up to date!

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