O2 vs Vodafone: how the two big networks compare

O2 and Vodafone both run their own networks, so the signal you get can differ between them. O2 is owned by Virgin Media O2. Vodafone is part of VodafoneThree, the group formed by its merger with Three, and its customers can now use Three's masts at sites where the two networks share them. Beyond coverage, the two differ on roaming, perks, family discounts and plan tiers, while their April price rises are now similar.

How do O2 and Vodafone compare at a glance?

The table pulls prices and price rises from our live deal feed, so it matches the deals on our comparison pages today. The roaming, eSIM and exit-fee rows come from each network's own pages.

Which has better coverage?

Nationally they're close, and each leads on something different. Ofcom's January 2026 figures put Vodafone's indoor 4G at 97.4% of premises against O2's 95.5%, and 86.7% against 82.0% indoors in rural areas. O2 leads on outdoor 5G, reaching 86.2% of premises against Vodafone's 77.3%. Outdoor 4G is near-universal on both.

Vodafone customers also gain from mast sharing with Three. Vodafone says sharing was switched on at 10,000 mast sites by April 2026, with a full rollout expected around 2033. Ofcom still reports the two networks separately, so the figures above don't include it.

Vodafone's own claim is that it covers "99% of UK homes" and "96% of the UK's landmass". The difference between homes and land matters if you walk, drive or work in remote areas. Check your postcode, and the places you travel to, on our mobile coverage map.

Which is cheaper, O2 or Vodafone?

For unlimited data on a two-year contract, they're close. When we checked on 23 September 2026, O2's cheapest unlimited plan was £23.99 a month and Vodafone's was £23, both on 24 months. With each network's scheduled rises included, that's £630.76 over the contract with O2 and £607 with Vodafone.

On rolling plans they differ more. O2's 30-day unlimited plan was £38 a month and Vodafone's was £47. If you want unlimited data without a long contract, O2 was the cheaper of the two.

Vodafone's unlimited plans also come in tiers. Its plain Unlimited plan caps download speeds at 100Mbps, while its Xtra, Plus and Premier plans have "no speed restrictions". For most phone use 100Mbps is plenty, but check which tier a cheap Vodafone deal sits on. Our data allowance guide covers how much you need.

Can the price go up during the contract?

Yes, on both, by the same amount for new customers. O2's price guide says: "Each April, your airtime plan will increase by £2.50 for voice plans and 75p for data-only and smartwatch plans". Vodafone's SIM page says: "The monthly cost will increase each year on 1 April by £2.50 for Pay monthly plans with Airtime/Data".

So a two-year contract on either rises twice, by £5 a month in total by the second April. Some Vodafone deals in our feed carry smaller rises, which is why the table shows a range. Both must set the amount out in pounds and pence before you sign, as our price rise guide explains.

Which is better for using your phone abroad?

Roaming is one of the clearest differences between them. O2 includes EU roaming up to 25GB a month with no daily fee, the only one of the big networks to do so. Vodafone charges £2.75 a day on standard plans, or £16 for an eight-day pass. Roaming is included on its Xtra plans, with a 25GB fair-use limit.

A week in Spain costs nothing extra with O2 and £16 with Vodafone's eight-day pass, based on the prices each publishes. If you travel in Europe more than once or twice a year, that adds up. Our EU roaming guide covers every network's terms.

What perks and family discounts come with each?

O2's main perk is Priority, a free rewards app with weekly offers from brands such as Greggs, cinema deals and 48-hour ticket presales. It's open to every O2 customer, including pay as you go, and to Virgin Media customers. For families, Multisave takes 20% off the airtime of each extra eligible line, up to 20 numbers. The first line isn't discounted.

Vodafone's equivalent is VeryMe Rewards, which Vodafone describes as weekly treats, offers and discounts from brands. For families, Vodafone Together gives discounts when you put two or more eligible plans on one account. It also counts Vodafone broadband, so it suits households that want mobile and broadband from one provider. Vodafone's entertainment plans add Disney+ Standard or Prime, plus 500 international minutes to Europe.

If you'd combine mobile with home broadband, Vodafone Together is the more joined-up offer. If you only need mobile lines, O2's Multisave is simpler to work out.

Will either run a credit check?

Vodafone does on pay monthly plans, and it's candid about it: "you might fail our credit check, even if a credit agency has given you a high score". Its Pay as you go Plus SIM needs no credit check, according to its SIM page. O2's pay monthly plans are contracts too, so check its terms before you apply if a credit check concerns you.

How do their customer service records compare?

Ofcom's figures for January to March 2026 recorded 1 complaint per 100,000 Vodafone customers and 3 for O2, against an industry average of 2. Ofcom treats both as comparable with the average, so the quarterly gap is smaller than the numbers suggest.

Ofcom's 2024 customer service survey scored them almost level for overall satisfaction: 85% for O2 and 84% for Vodafone, against an 88% average. The clearest gap was the phone queue. Average call waiting time was 29 seconds at Vodafone and 3 minutes 27 seconds at O2. Both have shops across the country.

Why you might choose O2

• You travel in Europe and want roaming included without a daily fee.
• You want a cheaper 30-day unlimited plan.
• Outdoor 5G coverage matters most to you.
• You'd use Priority, or add mobile-only lines through Multisave.

Why you might choose Vodafone

• Indoor coverage, especially in rural areas, matters most to you.
• You'd benefit from Three's masts at shared sites near you.
• You want mobile and broadband together under Vodafone Together.
• You want entertainment plans with streaming and European call minutes.

How do you switch between O2 and Vodafone?

This switch changes your network, so check coverage at home and work first. To keep your number, text PAC to 65075 from your current phone. The code arrives within a minute, and your new network completes the switch within one working day under Ofcom's rules. Our switching guide covers each step.

Leaving early costs an exit fee on both. O2 charges the airtime left, less 4%, and Vodafone charges the payments left, less 2%. Our mobile exit fee calculator works out either.

Sources and how we checked

Prices, contract lengths and scheduled rises come from our live deal feed and refresh whenever the site updates. We checked O2's price guide and Multisave page, and Vodafone's SIM only page, network page and credit check page, on 23 September 2026. Network sharing figures come from Vodafone's explainer. Service figures come from Ofcom's complaints data and Comparing Customer Service report.