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Comparison
Comparing the top prepaid and no-contract mobile plans in Germany. Best network, best price, and easiest activation for expats.
By Mahiuddin Al Kamal · 5 options
You need a German phone number on your first day. It is essential for two-factor authentication, contacting landlords, booking appointments, and basically existing in modern Germany. The good news: getting a SIM card is cheap and quick, as long as you have your passport handy for the mandatory identity verification.
We compared the most popular options for expats: fraenk on the Telekom network (best coverage), ALDI Talk on O2 (best value), and Lidl Connect on Vodafone (good middle ground). All three are contract-free, so you can switch anytime.
Network quality is the most important factor. Germany's mobile coverage is notoriously patchy outside cities, so which network your SIM runs on matters more than the price difference between plans. We also weighted ease of activation (can you do it in English?) and flexibility (no lock-in, eSIM support). fraenk wins because Telekom's network is the best in Germany and 10 EUR per month for 20 GB is hard to argue with.
Important: German law requires identity verification (Legitimation) for every SIM card. You must show your passport. Some carriers do this via video call in the app, others require you to visit a store. Plan for 10-30 minutes for the verification process.
01 / At a glance
Pick an option name to jump to its full write-up below.
| Option | Rating | Best for | Network | Price | Contract | eSIM | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top pick fraenk | 4.1 | Best network (Telekom) | Telekom | €10/20GB | None | Yes | Visit fraenk website, opens in a new tab |
| ALDI Talk | 4.0 | Cheapest prepaid | O2 | from €8 | None | Yes | Visit ALDI Talk website, opens in a new tab |
| Lidl Connect | 3.9 | Vodafone value | Vodafone | from €8 | None | Yes | Visit Lidl Connect website, opens in a new tab |
| o2 Carriers | 3.8 | Contract flexibility | O2 | from €10 | Optional | Yes | Visit o2 website, opens in a new tab |
| sim.on / simplytel Discount SIMs | 3.9 | Cheap Telekom coverage | Telekom | from €7 | Monthly | Yes | Visit sim.on / simplytel website, opens in a new tab |
Scroll the table sideways to see every spec.
02 / In detail
Simple, no-contract mobile plan on Telekom's network. 5 GB for 10 EUR/month.
Pros
Cons
Affordable prepaid SIM on the O2 network. Available at any ALDI store, no contract required.
Pros
Cons
Prepaid mobile on the Vodafone network. No contract, decent rural coverage, competitive pricing.
Pros
Cons
Carriers
Major carrier with contract and prepaid options, decent city coverage and frequent data deals.
Pros
Cons
Discount SIMs
Low-cost SIM on the Telekom network with app management. Good balance of price and coverage.
Pros
Cons
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