Compare mobile plans

Suitable plans are available for all types of user. You should ask yourself the following questions:
• How many minutes of calls do you make per month?
• How much mobile data do you use per month?
• Do you often travel abroad and need to use your mobile while you are there?

Your answers to these questions will give you an idea of your needs. If you only use your mobile phone occasionally, a prepaid deal should suffice. Simply top up your phone credit before use. This option does not tie you to a particular provider, so you can switch to a different company at any time. Prepaid deals that include data packages are also available, so you can still access the Internet when away from home.

If you make a lot of calls or do a lot of surfing, you should consider opting for a flat-rate deal. If you frequently travel abroad, your plan should include roaming.

Mobile plans vary by features, length of contract and price. The price is based on the following:
• Volume of mobile data
• Roaming (mobile use abroad)
• Internet speed
• Unlimited Internet, calls or text/multimedia messages
• Provider and network coverage

The most common data plans offer a monthly data volume of 1 GB, 4 GB or unlimited data. 1 GB of mobile data is enough to read news articles and e-mails and for writing WhatsApp messages. Users of social media will find 1 to 4 GB of mobile data sufficient. If you listen to music for several hours at a time, you'll need at least 4 GB. If you like to stream videos and films on YouTube and Netflix or surf on your laptop using your mobile phone hotspot, an unlimited deal is your best bet.

Here are some examples of data usage as a guide:
- Social media: 300 MB for 30 minutes
- Watching a football match while out and about: 6 GB
- Watching Netflix with low-quality resolution: 250 MB
- Sending a WhatsApp text message of 200 characters: 1 KB
- Sending a photo via WhatsApp: up to 90 KB
- Sending a WhatsApp voice message: 0.3 MB per minute

So depending on your usage, you may need anything from very little mobile data to an unlimited, flat-rate deal. Such flat-rate deals give you unlimited data in Switzerland and even abroad if necessary.

Your provider will notify you as soon as you have used up your data allowance. Some providers may limit your Internet speed. You have the option of purchasing another data package, or data packages may be added automatically up to a defined price limit.

Many plans include a certain amount of mobile data. If you do not have a flat-rate plan or you have used up your data allowance, you can purchase additional data from most providers for a monthly price. 1 GB costs around 5 francs. If you have a prepaid card, the prices for mobile data are considerably higher.

Salt, Sunrise and Swisscom operate the mobile network in Switzerland. This means that other mobile providers also use the network of these three companies and therefore offer the same quality.

For example, the following providers share network coverage:
- Salt network: Coop mobile plans before 2019, Lidl Connect
- Sunrise network: Aldi Suisse, Digital Republic (more recent data plans), Galaxus Mobile, Lebara, Quickline, TalkTalk, Yallo, UPC
- Swisscom network: Coop mobile plans as of 2019, Digital Republic (prepaid data), M-Budget Mobile, MUCHO Mobile, Wingo
Network coverage quality differs from place to place. Think about the places where you spend your time, e.g. your home, the office or your route to work. It's important to check the network coverage offered by your chosen provider in these places: check mobile network coverage

Your smartphone needs mobile data to be able to access the Internet when you are away from home. If you have WiFi at home and at work and only use your phone occasionally when on the go, you will not need much mobile data. The mobile data volume refers to how much data you can use via the mobile network in one month.