Standard eSIM · ~£1.20/yr · 1 text every 6 months
Top-up: Free PAYG eSIM, min £5 top-up
Visit Lyca Mobile UK- Free PAYG eSIM
- Lowest minimum top-up (£5)
- Must remember to send a text every 6 months
UK mobile number backup
Keep a UK number active without paying monthly
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.
Compare the options
| Provider | Yearly cost | Type | Activity needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lyca Mobile UK | ~£1.20/yr | Standard eSIM | 1 text every 6 months |
| giffgaff | ~£1.20/yr | Standard eSIM | 1 chargeable action every 6 months |
| Vyke | ~£18/yr | Virtual App eSIM | Yearly subscription |
| 1pMobile | £36.50/yr | Standard eSIM | £10 top-up every 120 days |
| Devyce | ~£80-100/yr | Virtual App | Monthly or yearly subscription |
| eSIM.net (Vodafone / O2 / EE) | ~£10-20/30-60 days | Travel eSIM | Short-term plan renewal |
| Mobimatter | Variable | Data-only eSIM | Plan renewal |
- Yearly cost
- ~£1.20/yr
- Type
- Standard eSIM
- Activity
- 1 text every 6 months
- Yearly cost
- ~£1.20/yr
- Type
- Standard eSIM
- Activity
- 1 chargeable action every 6 months
- Yearly cost
- ~£18/yr
- Type
- Virtual App eSIM
- Activity
- Yearly subscription
- Yearly cost
- £36.50/yr
- Type
- Standard eSIM
- Activity
- £10 top-up every 120 days
- Yearly cost
- ~£80-100/yr
- Type
- Virtual App
- Activity
- Monthly or yearly subscription
- Yearly cost
- ~£10-20/30-60 days
- Type
- Travel eSIM
- Activity
- Short-term plan renewal
- Yearly cost
- Variable
- Type
- Data-only eSIM
- Activity
- Plan renewal
Detailed breakdown
Standard eSIM · ~£1.20/yr · 1 chargeable action every 6 months
Top-up: Min £10 top-up, approx 10p/text
Visit giffgaff- Well-known UK network
- eSIM via app
- Higher minimum top-up (£10)
- Each text costs ~10p
Virtual App eSIM · ~£18/yr · Yearly subscription
Top-up: Subscription fee
Visit Vyke- App-based, no traditional SIM needed
- Not a standard cellular eSIM profile
- More expensive for number-only use
Standard eSIM · £36.50/yr · £10 top-up every 120 days
Top-up: £10 every 120 days
Visit 1pMobile- Lowest per-use rates (1p/everything)
- Higher yearly cost due to frequent top-ups
- Overkill for SMS-only maintenance
Virtual App · ~£80-100/yr · Monthly or yearly subscription
Top-up: Subscription fee
Visit Devyce- Business-focused with extra features
- Expensive for number-only maintenance
- Aimed at teams, not personal backups
Travel eSIM · ~£10-20/30-60 days · Short-term plan renewal
Top-up: Plan-based
Visit eSIM.net (Vodafone / O2 / EE)- Major UK networks
- Easy to buy online
- Travel-oriented, not designed for long-term number keeping
- Can get expensive over a year
Data-only eSIM · Variable · Plan renewal
Top-up: Plan-based
Visit Mobimatter- Wide selection of regional data plans
- Primarily data-only
- Not suitable for keeping a UK number active
Recommendation
For keeping a UK number active as cheaply as possible, the best choices are:
- 1.Lyca Mobile UK - free PAYG eSIM with a £5 minimum top-up. Send one text every 6 months. Likely the cheapest route if you can start with £5.
- 2.giffgaff - solid fallback if you prefer a better-known UK network. Requires a £10 top-up and each text costs roughly 10p.
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.
The maintenance strategy
- Top up £10 (or the minimum required amount).
- Disable auto top-up in the app or account settings.
- Turn off mobile data so background usage does not eat your credit.
- Set a recurring reminder to send one text every 5 months, well before the 6-month cutoff.
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.
What to watch out for
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.