Choosing the right mobile data allowance is one of the hardest parts of setting up a new phone plan.
Too little, and you’ll find yourself losing internet access when you need it most – or paying for costly top-ups every month. Too little, and you’ll be overpaying for data you don’t need for the length of your contract.
The question then is, how much data do you need each month? Here’s the amount we’d recommend based on how you use your mobile data.
1GB per month or less
In 2025, most mobile providers’ lowest data plans are between 100 mb and 1GB a month. As the lowest tier of mobile internet usage, we’d recommend these plans for people who use their phone infrequently, or who almost always connect to the internet via WiFi.
1GB of monthly data will be enough for you if you mostly use your phone for text-based web browsing or email. Sending and receiving 1000 emails requires roughly 1GB of data – it’s also enough for 1.5 million text-only WhatsApp messages.
However, it will quickly be used up if you plan to video call, or stream video or music. 1GB of data is only enough for around 1.3 hours of standard definition video.
While low data plans may seem appealingly cheap, regular mobile users will quickly find themselves paying more to top up their plans than they would have by taking out a higher allowance plan in the first place.
3 GB of data per month
This is the data allowance we’d recommend for those who use their phones occasionally while out and about.
3GB of data is enough to stream around 2 hours of 1080p YouTube videos, scroll Instagram for around 30 hours or FaceTime call for 16 hours.
If that sounds like a lot, remember your data is split across every internet-connected activity you do on your phone. That includes apps updating, messenger GIFs loading and Uber connecting you to a driver.
If you regularly use your mobile data for leisure as well as staying in contact and for essential functions, we’d recommend a higher monthly limit.
10 GB of data per month
10GB of monthly data is enough for 230 hours of listening to Spotify at 96 Kbps fidelity, 64 hours of actively posting and interacting on social media, or a hefty 166 hours of web browsing.
If you regularly use your mobile data for work, or sometimes watch videos and stream music, this data allowance should comfortably let you carry on without worrying about getting disconnected.
While it won’t hold up for those who regularly download new apps, game online or use their mobile data for their everyday media consumption, more casual users should be covered.
50GB of data per month
50GB of mobile data a month should be enough for most screen addicts – even those who hate hunting for public WiFi.
It’s enough data for more than 63 hours of Standard definition video streaming – that’s more than two hours a day scrolling TikTok, Reels or YouTube. It’s also equivalent to more than 1200 hours of music streaming – well over 24 hours a day. Or, you could think of it as 250 new app downloads and updates.
Of course, you’ll be splitting your data across all these functions and more. If you regularly stream, video call, or download large files over data, this is around the monthly allowance we’d recommend.
Unlimited monthly mobile data
Hate feeling constrained by data limits? Unlimited monthly data plans are more common – and more affordable – than ever.
Unlimited mobile data removes the stress of worrying about hitting your limit. It’s perfect for those who enjoy watching HD video while they travel, video calling on the go or who work from their phone, editing images, tweaking files or working with audio.
There are usually some limitations on unlimited data plans. For example, most networks won’t allow you to use their standard phone plans as the SIM in a mobile broadband router. However, for the heaviest mobile internet users, an unlimited data plan offers unlimited peace of mind.
How to get the most from your mobile data
Still not sure which plan is right for you? Worried you fall between two of these tiers? There are simple ways to get the best value from your mobile data plan.
For example, Sky Mobile offer their customers Sky Piggybank as part of all their mobile plans (excluding unlimited data plans). With Piggybank, any unused mobile data is rolled over to the next month. Plus, if you don’t end up needing the data, you can cash it in for a range of great rewards.
Want to learn more? Book a free call with one of our Connections Experts and get free, tailored advice to help you find the perfect mobile plan for you – as well as exclusive offers and discounts!
