Best 5G SIM-only plans compared *Updated*

Note: This story has been updated with the latest comparisons and analysis, accurate as of 4th November 2025.

Earlier this year, we compared the best affordable 4G roaming plans offered by local MVNOs and telcos with value offerings. Apart from a good price point, most were able to pack robust 4G data packages, free roaming coverage, and a number of freebies like incoming calls and caller ID. It was an eye-opener how much was made accessible for as little as $10 per month.

As much as it was a serviceable, no frills, value-packed set of plans, the truth is, if you travel often, especially for work, you’ll want to get more speed, more coverage, more data roaming options bundled in without ad-hoc add-ons, extra steps and a better peace of mind.

More speed is always better

So this time round, we’ve gone all-in to only compare 5G SIM-Only plans with roaming options, both from MVNOs and mainline telcos who’ve suitable offerings to compete in this value space. Offerings vary quite widely, starting from just $10 per month and going all the way past $40 per month. To bring some semblance of comparison, this time round, we’ve chosen to model our comparison with a few parameters in mind and why someone would want to get a 5G plan in the first place:-

• Someone stepping up for a 5G plan is likely to prioritise performance and wants a reasonable amount of data, over someone shopping for a highly cost-sensitive and strictly 4G-centric plan.
• Bearing this in mind, we’re comparing plans across the board that can provision 500GB of local data, or the next closest plan of this data point.
• We’ve also ensured the compared plans offer a reasonable amount of roaming data across the regional countries that’s suitable for both leisure or work trips.

Other Notes

Like the most affordable 4G SIM-only plans, all of these 5G plans compared offer free incoming calls and caller ID. Most of the comparisons below are also without any short-term ongoing offers, as they don’t last long enough to make a valid comparison point; some offers change as soon as within a week. It’s best to use the comparison below as a helpful guide while jumping into the respective service provider to take advantage of any ongoing short-term offers.

To reduce the complexity and misunderstanding, we’ve only selected true 5G plan options and not plans that are 4G-centric but offer 5G access via top-ups. You’ll also note that M1 seems to be missing from the comparison, but their highest-tier Bespoke SIM-only comes with only 1GB of roaming, which isn’t adequate for the parameters we’ve drawn up above. Meanwhile, their Maxx service, as of publishing this comparison, is a 4G-only service.

Lastly, to truly appreciate our comparison table, do view the story on your desktop, or temporarily change invoke viewing the ‘desktop site’ on your mobile phone’s browser.

The Comparison

^{*Country applicability varies by each plan; check on the actual website offer for details, as some offer for a few international countries, while others cover up to 50 regions or more.}

Most Affordable

Eight has certainly come from nowhere to make its stand in the 5G space. With a generous local and roaming data allocation, you should be able to travel worry-free.

Most Perks

Considering that all the plans are just a few dollars apart, another way to dissect them is to determine which offers more perks. On that note, Zym Mobile and Circles.Life rank higher in this department. Both also offer enough talk time and SMSes to the point that it may not even be a consideration. However, Circles.Life is the more affordable choice of the two if you don’t mind not having international roaming

Best All Rounder

But don’t forget Gomo. While it isn’t as cheap as Simba or Zero1, what it offers is a wholesome coverage for those looking for fuss-free APAC and ASEAN roaming and you get 10GB of international roaming data that’s applicable across 50 regions This point is important to pay attention to as the number of countries supported under the “International Roaming” tier varies from one service provider to another.

Plus, you get to ride on Singtel’s 5G network, and with Gomo’s recent switch to 5G+, you get to experience even better 5G data connectivity than offerings from others. Remember how 5G connectivity could drop to a 4G connection to ensure you establish a stable connection? With 5G+ connectivity, whose goal is to ensure better connectivity without compromising on network speeds, you’re going to see much less of that on Gomo.

So if high-speed connectivity ranks high on the list of your must-haves, along with all of what’s offered in the plan, Gomo comes up as one of the best all-rounders on the list.

Telco Service Shopping Links

If you’re ready to snag an additional line or port-in to one of our recommendations, here are all the service provider links to check on any further ongoing offers and complete your transaction(s). You can also check out our recently updated telco offers story for notable promotions this month.

• Circles.Life
• Gomo
• Giga
• MyRepublic
• Simba
• Zero1
• Zym Mobile

Our articles may contain affiliate links. If you buy through these links, we may earn a small commission.