UK mobile number backup
A side-by-side look at the cheapest UK eSIM and virtual-number options for staying reachable on a UK number while abroad or keeping a backup number alive.
| Provider | Yearly cost | Type | Activity needed | How the price works |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lyca Mobile UK | ~£1.20/yr | Standard eSIM | 1 text every 6 months | Order the free PAYG eSIM, top up £5, then send one text every 6 months. UK texts are typically 19p each, so two texts a year costs roughly 38p. The rest of the £5 credit stays on the account. |
| giffgaff | ~£1.20/yr | Standard eSIM | 1 chargeable action every 6 months | Request the eSIM in the giffgaff app and top up £10. Each UK text costs roughly 10p, so two texts a year is about 20p. The remaining credit rolls over as long as the account stays active. |
| Vyke | ~£18/yr | Virtual App eSIM | Yearly subscription | Sign up through the Vyke app and choose the yearly plan for a UK number. This is a virtual app number, not a standard cellular eSIM profile, so it runs over data rather than the mobile network. |
| 1pMobile | £36.50/yr | Standard eSIM | £10 top-up every 120 days | 1pMobile requires a £10 top-up every 120 days to keep the number active. That is three £10 top-ups a year. Calls, texts and data are all 1p per unit, but the mandatory top-ups make it costly for SMS-only use. |
| Devyce | ~£80-100/yr | Virtual App | Monthly or yearly subscription | Devyce sells business-focused virtual numbers on monthly or annual plans. The price is much higher than PAYG networks because it includes team features, call routing and admin controls. |
| eSIM.net (Vodafone / O2 / EE) | ~£10-20/30-60 days | Travel eSIM | Short-term plan renewal | eSIM.net sells short-term travel plans on Vodafone, O2 or EE. These are data or call bundles for trips, not PAYG numbers. To keep a number year-round you would need to keep buying new plans, which quickly becomes expensive. |
| Mobimatter | Variable | Data-only eSIM | Plan renewal | Mobimatter offers regional and global data bundles. Most plans are data-only and do not include a phone number for SMS, so they cannot keep a UK mobile number active at all. |
Standard eSIM · ~£1.20/yr · 1 text every 6 months
Top-up: Free PAYG eSIM, min £5 top-up
Order the free PAYG eSIM, top up £5, then send one text every 6 months. UK texts are typically 19p each, so two texts a year costs roughly 38p. The rest of the £5 credit stays on the account.
Visit Lyca Mobile UKStandard eSIM · ~£1.20/yr · 1 chargeable action every 6 months
Top-up: Min £10 top-up, approx 10p/text
Request the eSIM in the giffgaff app and top up £10. Each UK text costs roughly 10p, so two texts a year is about 20p. The remaining credit rolls over as long as the account stays active.
Visit giffgaffVirtual App eSIM · ~£18/yr · Yearly subscription
Top-up: Subscription fee
Sign up through the Vyke app and choose the yearly plan for a UK number. This is a virtual app number, not a standard cellular eSIM profile, so it runs over data rather than the mobile network.
Visit VykeStandard eSIM · £36.50/yr · £10 top-up every 120 days
Top-up: £10 every 120 days
1pMobile requires a £10 top-up every 120 days to keep the number active. That is three £10 top-ups a year. Calls, texts and data are all 1p per unit, but the mandatory top-ups make it costly for SMS-only use.
Visit 1pMobileVirtual App · ~£80-100/yr · Monthly or yearly subscription
Top-up: Subscription fee
Devyce sells business-focused virtual numbers on monthly or annual plans. The price is much higher than PAYG networks because it includes team features, call routing and admin controls.
Visit DevyceTravel eSIM · ~£10-20/30-60 days · Short-term plan renewal
Top-up: Plan-based
eSIM.net sells short-term travel plans on Vodafone, O2 or EE. These are data or call bundles for trips, not PAYG numbers. To keep a number year-round you would need to keep buying new plans, which quickly becomes expensive.
Visit eSIM.net (Vodafone / O2 / EE)Data-only eSIM · Variable · Plan renewal
Top-up: Plan-based
Mobimatter offers regional and global data bundles. Most plans are data-only and do not include a phone number for SMS, so they cannot keep a UK mobile number active at all.
Visit MobimatterFor keeping a UK number active as cheaply as possible, the best choices are:
Both options work out to roughly £1.20 per year once you have credit on the account. Avoid virtual-app services such as Vyke or Devyce unless you need their extra features - they cost significantly more for simple number maintenance.
Sending the text slightly early gives you a buffer if you are travelling or forget the exact date. One text every 5 months keeps the account alive and the number reserved.
Prices and policies change. Check the provider's current PAYG terms before signing up, especially the exact inactivity window and per-text rate.
Virtual-app numbers are not always accepted by banks or services that require a "real" mobile number for SMS verification, so a standard eSIM from a UK network is usually the safer long-term choice.
Data-only eSIMs such as Mobimatter do not give you a phone number for SMS at all, so they are not a solution for this use case.