Mobile plans in Singapore used to be characterised by contract plans with handset subsidies. These plans package both the mobile data and the handset as part of the monthly fee, which pays for the subsidies on the handset (essentially also functioning as an instalment plan for the phone). This means that if you do not recontract immediately at the 2-year mark, you will essentially be paying additional “instalments” for a phone that is already paid for, as your plan will continue to charge the same monthly rate. This has changed with sim-only plans.
What Is A SIM-Only Plan?
SIM-only plans do not include subsidies for the handset, and many telco providers also offer a plan with no contract. If a competing telco offers a better plan, or if the telco is providing unsatisfactory reception/service, the consumer can always switch. Of course, there are also downsides to switching such as the time taken for the SIM card to be delivered, and not having reception and data during the downtime waiting for the setup and activation.
The other benefit is being able to choose when to upgrade your phone, rather than being tied to a 2-year upgrading schedule. For iPhone fans, this is great news since you can theoretically get the newest iPhone every year while selling your older model secondhand. In the past, you may have had to pay an early upgrade penalty if you were tied to a 2-year plan. Those who find it a hassle to port over contacts, pictures and apps can always choose to use their phones for 3 or 4 years before upgrading and enjoying the savings.
The other benefit of SIM-only plans is that they are heavily focused on providing data. This is compared to the more traditional postpaid (2 year contract) plans which typically also provide more SMS and Talktime along with the data, and prepaid plans which charge for data usage at exorbitant prices. If you are a heavy data user, SIM-only plans are a good choice for you.
Many Options For Consumers In Singapore
The increasing popularity of SIM-only contracts is clearly evident. The three local telcos – SingTel, StarHub and M1 – all have their own SIM-only plans, as does SIMBA (formerly TPG Mobile), which won the fourth telco license in Singapore.
A slew of mobile virtual network operators (MVNO) have also entered the market offering their own SIM-only plans – eight is the latest Telecom service provider to join the MVNO market, GOMO Mobile (launched by SingTel), giga (launched by StarHub), Circles.Life, Zero1, MyRepublic, redONE, ViviFi, Grid Mobile (joint venture by SingTel and ST Telemedia), as well as CMLink (China Mobile), and Changi Mobile.
This has led to further intensification of competition in an already crowded telecommunications marketplace. The main benefactors are the consumers in Singapore (for now), as prices have tapered, service standards are under pressure to improve, and offer more innovative products.
Read Also: Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO): What is A MVNO & What to Know Before Signing Up for One
Comparing SIM-Only Plans In Singapore
We’ll look at the SIM-only plans offered by the different telco and MVNO operators in Singapore to find the best deals. All promotions and discounts are disregarded to take away variances that an individual may encounter depending on the time they subscribe, especially since discounts off monthly fees are seasonal and only last for a limited time.
Not everyone has the same needs, so we shall consider two types of users. User A represents those who have moderate data needs (20GB and below). This would be a typical Singaporean who needs basic data for entertainment during commutes (YouTube/Netflix/Mobile Games), and use mobile hotspot occasionally to work on their laptops on-the-go or offsite.
User B represent thoe who have extreme data needs (above 60GB). They are mainly individuals who work offsite a lot and thus need mobile internet or people who use mobile data as a replacement for a home broadband service. User B may also include small businesses that have moderate office internet needs but do not wish to go through the hassle to sign up for or pay exorbitant fees for a commercial broadband plan.
Based on these two classifications, we compare the SIM-only plans that offer the best value.
Best SIM-Only Plans For Basic To Moderate Data Needs
User A needs a minimum of:
100 mins talktime
20GB and below data
Caller ID
Free incoming calls
Plans
Cost/Month
(Including GST)
SingTel (5G)
SIM Only Plus 30 (12-Month)
– 60 GB data (5G)
– 1,000 min Talktime
– 500 SMS
– Free Caller ID
$30.56 for 12 mths
StarHub
4G Star 22 SIM Only Plan (No Contract)
– 100 GB data
– 500 Local and International SMS
– 1,000 Local Talktime
– Free incoming calls
– Caller ID (+$5.50/mth)
$22.00
M1
200GB SIM-Only plan (5G)
– 200 GB data
– 1,100 mins Talktime
– 1,100 SMS
– Unlimited weekend data
– Free incoming calls
– Free calls to 3 M1 numbers
$16.15
SIMBA (Formerly TPG Mobile)
100GB SIM-Only (No Contract)
– 100 GB data
– Unlimited Calls to Local Mobile
– 300 mins Local Fixed Line minutes
– 30 SMS
– 1 GB International Roaming Data to selected countries
$10.00
Circles.Life
4G SIM-Only
– 20 GB data
– 300 mins Local Talktime
– Free Caller ID
$12.00
Circles.Life
5G Special
– 250 GB data
– 300 mins local outgoing Talktime
– Free 2 GB roaming (Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Macau, Sri Lanka)
– Free Caller ID
$25 ($20 for first 3 months)
Changi Mobile
Value+
– 100 GB Data
– 300 mins Talktime
– 200 SMS
– Free incoming calls
– Free Caller ID
– Free plan rollover
$10.00
CMLink
20GB (No Contract)
– 20 GB data (includes 10 GB roaming data for Hong Kong SAR and mainland China)
– 100 mins Talktime (local and local to mainland China and more)
– 100 Local SMS
– Free Caller ID
– Free Local Incoming calls
$10.90
CMLink
150GB (No Contract)
– 150 GB data (includes 30 GB roaming data for use Hong Kong and mainland China)
– 300 mins Talktime (local and local to mainland China and more)
– Additional 1 GB roaming data for use in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand
– 300 local SMS
– Free Caller ID
– Free Local Incoming calls
$21.00
eight
188GB
– 188 GB of local data
– 8GB (APAC) + 1 GB (International)
– 288 minutes Local Talk Time
– 288 minutes IDD Talk Time
– 88 Local SMS
$8
giga
(No Contract) – 20GB/mth
– 20 GB data
– Free 1 GB Roaming APAC (one-time)
– 300 mins Talktime
– 300 SMS
– Free Incoming Calls
– Free Caller ID
– Free rollover data
$10.19
GOMO Mobile
4G Lite Plan
– 10 GB data (20 GB for first 6 months)
– 100 mins Talktime
– 100 SMS
– Free Incoming Calls
– Free Caller ID
$10.18
GOMO Mobile
4G Value Plan – 250GB
– 100 GB data (250 GB for first 6 months)
– 1 GB monthly roaming to Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand (12-months)
– Free Incoming Calls
– Free Caller ID
$15.28
MyRepublic
Basic Plan (No Contract)
– 70 GB Data + Unlimited data
– 400 mins Talktime
– 400 SMS
– Free Incoming Calls
– Free Caller ID
$12.90
redONE
Super8 (No Contract)
– 8 GB data, unlimited data at 512kbps thereafter
– 1 GB for use in Malaysia
– 500 mins Talktime (S’pore and Malaysia)
– 100 SMS
$8.40
redONE
Perfect10 (No Contract)
– 100 GB data, unlimited data at 512kbps thereafter
– 500 mins Talktime (S’pore and Malaysia numbers originating from S’pore)
– 200 SMS
$10.90
VIVIFI
Lite (No Contract)
– 3 GB data
– 500 mins Talktime
– 20 SMS
– Free Incoming calls
– Free Caller ID
$9.00
VIVIFI
Binge 50 (No Contract)
– 200 GB data
– 400 mins Talktime
– 200 SMS
– Free Incoming Calls
– Free caller ID
– Free Roaming to 3 destinations
$18.00
Zero 1
Zero1 Starter
– Unlimited data (First 6 GB unthrottled)
– 150 mins Talktime
– 100 SMS
– Free Incoming Calls
– Free Caller ID
$7.06
Zero 1
Z-One 4G Plus
– 100 GB data
– 300 mins Talktime
– 100 SMS
– Roam Malaysia 2 GB (12 months)
– Roam Indonesia + Thailand 1 GB (12 months)
– Free Incoming Calls
– Free Caller ID
$10.09
Read Also: Complete Guide To Prepaid SIM Plans In Singapore
Absolute Lowest Price And Best Overall Value
For those who want to spend the absolute minimum on their SIM-Only Plans, Zero1 Starter is the cheapest at $7.06 for 6 GB data (and unlimited unthrottled data).
New MVNO, eight, offers an $8 plan for 188 GB. Meanwhile, SIMBA’s 100GB plan, Changi Mobile’s Value+, redOne Perfect10 and Z-One 4G Plus provide 100GB unthrottled data and between 300 and 500 minutes talktime for $10.
If you’re still not convinced by MVNOs, it may be a good idea to try for a month or two and test reception reliability, especially in places where you are likely to need your phone often (e.g. Home/Work/School) before porting your number over.
Best for Students
For those who cannot afford the bill shock of exceeding their data quota but still need constant connectivity, unlimited plans like Zero1’s Starter (6GB) or VIVIFI’s Lite Plan (9 GB) and redOne’s Super 8 all offer 6 GB or more of data respectively, under $10 monthly. These plans provide the stated data at full speeds, and throttle all usage thereafter, which is great for people who do not use much data or can’t afford to exceed their data plans unknowingly.
With that said, eight’s 188GB plan and redOne’s Perfect10 100GB plan costs just $8 and $10.90 respectively. They offer more data than the average student might use in addition to the sufficient minutes of talktime, so it may also be well worth it for students.
Best SIM-Only Plans For Extreme Data Needs (more than 60 GB)
User B needs a minimum of:
100 mins talktime
more than 60 GB data (at high speeds)
Caller ID
Free incoming calls
Plans
Cost/Month
(Including GST)
SingTel (5G)
SIM Only Plus 45 (12-Month)
– 150 GB data (5G)
– 1000 min talktime
– 1000 SMS
– Free Caller ID
$36.68 for 12mo, thereafter $45.85
SingTel (5G)
SIM Only Plus 55 (12-Month)
– 200 GB data (5G)
– 1500 min talktime
– 1500 SMS
– Free Caller ID
$44.82 for 12mo, thereafter $56.03
StarHub
5G Star 30 SIM only plan (No Contract)
– 150 GB data
– 750 Local and International SMS
– 1,500 Talktime
– Free incoming calls
– Caller ID (+$5.50/mo)
$30.00
M1 (5G)
200GB SIM-Only plan (5G)
– 200GB data
– Unlimited weekend data
– 1,100 mins talktime
– 1,100 SMS
– Free incoming calls
– Free calls to 3 M1 numbers
$16.15
SIMBA (Formerly TPG Mobile)
200GB SIM-Only
– 130GB
– 500 mins Local Fixed Line Minutes
– Unlimited Calls to Local Mobile Lines
– 100 SMS
– Free SMS to SIMBA Lines
– 300 Mins IDD to selected countries
– 5 GB international roaming data to selected countries
$12.00
SIMBA (Formerly TPG Mobile)
SIMBA SuperRoam Max
– 100 GB data
– 500 mins Local Fixed Line Minutes
– Unlimited Calls to Local Mobile Lines
– 100 SMS
– Free SMS to SIMBA Lines
– 10 GB international roaming data to selected countries + in-flight
$25
Circles.Life
5G Borderless
– 100GB Data
– Data can be used in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Macau & Sri Lanka
– 300 mins Talktime
– Free Incoming Local and Roaming SMS
– Free Caller ID
$37.00 ($30.00 for first 3 months)
Circles.Life
5G Plus
– 200GB Data
– 300 mins talktime
– 25 SMS
– Free Caller ID
$25.00 ($19.00 for first 3 months)
Circles.Life
5G 1TB
– 1 TB data on 5G speeds
– Free 2 GB Roaming in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Macau and Sri Lanka
– Unlimited incoming and outgoing calls
– Up to 1 TB Rollover on data
– Free Caller ID
$40.00 ($30 for first 3 months)
Changi Mobile
Freedom (No Contract)
– 150 GB Data
– Free Incoming SMS
– Free incoming calls
– Free Caller ID
$12.00
Changi Mobile
Ultimate
– 150 GB Data
– 1 GB Roaming (3 destinations)
– Free Talktime
– Free Incoming SMS
– Free incoming calls
– Free Caller ID
– Free plan rollover
$15.00
Changi Mobile
Travel
– 200 GB Data
– 3 GB Roaming (3 destinations)
– Free Talktime
– Free Incoming SMS
– Free incoming calls
– Free Caller ID
– Free plan rollover
$18.00
CMLink (5G)
(No Contract)
– Free 5G access
– 150 GB data (includes 35 GB roaming data for use in S’pore, Hong Kong, mainland China)
– 2 GB roaming data for use in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand
– 400 mins Talktime (local and local to mainland China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and USA)
– 400 local SMS
– Free caller ID
– Free Local incoming calls
$31.10
CMLink (5G)
(No Contract)
– Free 5G access
– 200 GB data (includes 50 GB roaming data for use in S’pore, Hong Kong, mainland China)
– 2 GB roaming data for use in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand
– 500 mins Talktime (local and local to mainland China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and USA)
– 500 local SMS
– Free Caller ID
– Free Local Incoming calls
$41.20
eight
388GB
– 388 GB data
– 58 GB Malaysia Roaming
– 8 GB (APAC) + 2 GB (International)
– 88 Local SMS
– 288 minutes IDD Talktime
– Free Incoming Calls
– Free caller ID
$18
giga
(No Contract) – 300GB/mth
– 300 GB data
– 2 GB Monthly Roaming
– 800 mins Talktime
– 800 SMS
– Free incoming calls
– Free caller ID
– Free rollover data
$18.33
giga
(No Contract) – 400GB/mth
– 400 GB data
– 4 GB Monthly Roaming
– 1,000 mins Talktime
– 1,000 SMS
– Free incoming calls
– Free caller ID
– Free rollover data
$20.37
GOMO Mobile (5G)
5G Plan With Rollover – 300GB
– 300 GB data
– 3 GB Monthly Roaming to MY, ID and TH (12 months)
– Free Incoming Calls
– Free Caller ID
– Free rollover
$25.46 ($22.21 for first 3 months)
GOMO Mobile Roaming
Neighbours Plan – 300GB
– 300 GB data
– 5GB Monthly roaming to My, ID and TH + Extra 3 GB Monthly Roaming to MY, ID and TH (12 months)
– Free Incoming Calls
– Free Caller ID
– Free Rollover
$30.56
MyRepublic
Value Plan (No Contract)
– 250GB Data
– 800 mins Talktime
– 800 SMS
– Free Incoming Calls
– Free Caller ID
– 1 GB free roaming data (Malaysia/Indonesia)
$17.90
MyRepublic
Classic Plan (No Contract)
– 200GB Data
– 400 mins Talktime
– 400 SMS
– Free Incoming Calls
– Free Caller ID
$14.90
MyRepublic
Unlimited Plan (No Contract)
– 10 GB/day at full speed
– 2,000 mins Talktime
– 2,000 SMS
– Free Incoming Calls
– Free Caller ID
$25.90
MyRepublic (5G)
5G Plus
– 110 GB + Unlimited Data at managed speeds thereafter
– 1,200 mins Talktime
– 1,200 SMS
– Free Incoming Calls
– Free Caller ID
– 1 GB Roaming Data in Malaysia, Indonesia or Thailand per mth (for 1st 6 mths)
$19.95
MyRepublic (5G)
5G Ultimate
– Unlimited Data 7 GB/day, managed speeds thereafter
– 1,500 mins Talktime
– 1,500 SMS
– Free Incoming Calls
– Free Caller ID
– 1 GB Roaming Data in Malaysia, Indonesia or Thailand per mth (for 1st 6 mths)
$24.95
redONE
Perfect10 (No Contract)
– 100 GB local data, unlimited data at 512kbps thereafter
– 500 mins Talktime
– 200 SMS
$10.90
redONE
Super38 (No Contract)
– 200 GB local data, unlimited data at 512kbps thereafter
– 4 GB data for use in Malaysia
– 2,000 mins Talktime (S’pore and Malaysia)
– 800 SMS
$38.90
VIVIFI (5G)
Binge 50- 5G
– 210 GB
– Free 1 GB Roaming data per mth for 12 mths in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand
– 400 mins Talktime
– 200 SMS
– Free incoming calls
– Free caller ID
$25.50
VIVIFI
Plus 20 – 5G
– 50 GB (for 12mths)
– 400 mins Talktime
– 200 SMS
– Free Incoming Calls
– Free Caller ID
$11.50
Zero 1
Zero1 Jumbo Go
– 100 GB Data
– 500 mins Talktime
– 50 SMS
– Free Incoming Calls
– Free Caller ID
$12.30
Zero 1
Zero1 Jumbo 100
– 100 GB Data
– 800 mins Talktime
– 100 SMS
– 500 mins IDD
– Free Incoming Calls
– Free Caller ID
$20.40
Zero 1
Zero1 50u One
– 150 GB, unlimited managed speed thereafter
– 1 GB Roaming Data (12 months)
– 500 mins Talktime
– 500 SMS
– Free Incoming Calls
– Free Caller ID
$18.22
Zero 1 (5G)
Zero1 60u 5G
– 5G enabled
– 120 GB, (60 GB base + 60 GB promo for 12 mths) unlimited managed speed thereafter
– 500 mins Talktime
– 500 SMS
– 1 GB roaming data to Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand for 12mths
– Free Incoming Calls
– Free Caller ID
$25.44
Best Overall Value
For heavy data users, eight’s 388GB plan at $18 per month offers the best value with the most data. Alternatively, MyRepublic’s Value Plan offers the second overall most value for money plans at 200 GB and 800 mins talktime for $17.90.
Frequent travellers
Those who may need to travel overseas regularly for work may consider plans that offer overseas data usage. Eight’s 388GB plan also includes 8 GB APAC roaming and 2 GB International roaming. redONE’s data can be used in both Singapore and Malaysia while CMLink can be used in Singapore, Hong Kong and mainland China. SIMBA also includes 1 to 2 GB roaming data to 57 destinations. Changi Mobile‘s Travel plan also offers 1 GB roaming data for Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Thailand. MyRepublic also has plans that offer 1GB roaming data for Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.
Read Also: Best Unlimited Data Mobile Plans In Singapore (Plus: Which Plan Gives The Most 4G Data Per Dollar?)
Seniors and Family Specific Plans
Another group of people who may also sign up for SIM-only plans includes parents getting a phone for their younger children as well as the elderly. In certain instances, some within this group may not require a lot of data – perhaps due to parents wanting to limit their children’s phone usage or the elderly who aren’t familiar with the feature.
Here are the plans that are targeted at seniors and families:
Plans
Cost/Month
(Including GST)
SIMBA
Seniors
– 20 GB data (unthrottled)
– Unlimited Mobile to Local Mobile Lines
– Unlimited SMS to SIMBA Mobile
– 300 Local Fixed Line Minutes
– 30 SMS
– 1 GB international roaming data to selected countries
$5.00
Circles.Life
Family – $13.62 to $20.47 per line
– 300 GB data shared between up to 6
– 3,000 mins Talktime (free unlimited incoming)
– 200 SMS
– Free Caller ID
$20.00/16.00/15.1/14.11
13.46 per line for
2/3/4/5/6 SIMs respectively
VIVIFI
Share Plan (No Contract)
– Share 180 GB between family members, up to 9 lines.
– 1,000 mins Talktime
– 100 SMS
– Free Incoming Calls
– Free Caller ID
$41.00 + $6.50 for each extra SIM
SIMBA’s Seniors Plan is currently the cheapest SIM-only plan available on the market right now. However, only seniors (60 years old and above) may apply for this plan with each senior being able to apply for a maximum of 4 lines under this plan.
VIVIFI’s Share Plan and Circles.Life’s Family Plan is targeted at families with the ability to share the data, talktime and SMS of the main Share Plan. Each Share Plan can share up to 8 additional lines (VIVIFI Us) or 5 additional lines (Circles.Life). This may make sense for large families. Taking Circles.Life as an example, a 6-member family pays $13.46 each and gets 50 GB per person, making it second only to SIMBA’s 100GB SIM Only Plan in the User A category.
VIVIFI’s Share Plan can also be upgraded to 5G with additional 10 GB data at $6.50/month per mobile line. This may be perfect for families who want to hop on to the 5G bandwagon while still retaining the benefits of a family plan.
Read Also: Why Using Sim-Only Mobile Data Plans Together As A Household Makes Good Financial Sense
This article was originally published on 2 August 2018 and updated to reflect new information and the latest price plans.
The post What Are The Best SIM-Only Plans In Singapore (2024 Edition) appeared first on DollarsAndSense.sg.
