A few years ago, you could quite easily find a 5 euro mobile plan that included about 20 GB per month. Today, that time seems very far away. The price war of the early 2010s penalized the entire market, leading to a deterioration in the quality of the networks. To finance the development of infrastructure (including the 5G network), operators have increased the price of their subscriptions.
Today, France is still the cheapest country in Europe for mobile plans. If packages at less than 5 euros per month are becoming increasingly rare, we still find them from time to time. MVNOs like to position themselves in this niche. Traditional operators are no longer there, except for subscriptions that have no (or very little) data.
Finally, there are players like RED by SFR and B&You who are fighting a merciless battle in all areas. When one pulls out a 5 euro package, the other responds. These offers are very punctual, so you have to know how to fall in the right place and at the right time. Below, our dynamic comparator gives you the best mobile plan offers at 5 euros in real time.
Comparison of offers at 5 euros or less
Not long ago, we made a complete guide with all the cheap packages available in France. Among them, there are obviously low-cost subscriptions, but not only. The concept of “cheap” is very subjective since it must be associated with a volume of data and a quality of network / service. Below, we have favored offers whose price never exceeds 5 euros per month.
For those on a tight budget, the plan for less than 5 euros can be a good solution. While subscriptions are now more around 10 to 15 euros per month, finding a package below 5 euros is a real nugget. This is all the more the case when it comes with a large volume of mobile data.
10 offers found
Calls & Unlimited SMS
4G 01/0240 GB
€4.99
for 12 months
instead of €9.99
Calls & Unlimited SMS
4G 01/315 GB
€5
No commitmentData in Europe: 6 GBSFR networkAppels & Unlimited SMS
4G5 GB
€4.90
No commitmentData in Europe: 3 GBOrange network, SFRAppels & Unlimited SMS
4G 01/2710 GB
€4.99
for 12 months
instead of €9.99
2h00 & Unlimited SMS
4G1 GB
€1.90
No commitmentData in Europe: 1 GBOrange Network, SFR2h00 & Unlimited SMS
4G50 MB
€2
No commitmentData in Europe: 50 MbFree Network3h20 & 200 texts
4G200 MB
€2
Without commitmentData in Europe: 200 MbBouygues, Orange, SFR network2h00 & Unlimited SMS
4G100 MB
€3
for 12 months
instead of €8
Calls & Unlimited SMS
4G 01/275 GB
€3.99
for 12 months
instead of €7.99
2h00 & Unlimited SMS
4G100 MB
€4.99
No commitmentData in Europe: 100 MbOrange network See more offersAbove, you can use the different sliders to filter the available plans according to your needs. In any case, only subscriptions for less than 5 euros per month are displayed. Be careful, you have to be very attentive because all these packages do not see their price stagnate over time. MVNOs generally limit low prices to the first 6-12 months. Beyond that, it can climb very high so beware.
Apart from Orange, SFR and Bouygues Telecom, all operators now offer non-binding plans. In other words, you can very well cancel as soon as the price increase takes effect. It will then be necessary to jump on the next offer to keep the lowest price. Thousands of French people opt for this strategy – and therefore regularly migrate from one operator to another.
Today, changing operators is very easy. If you are not on a plan with commitment, you can very well migrate to another player in a few clicks. All you need is your RIO code to keep your phone number. In the end nothing changes and your line will never be cut. It's a good way to always enjoy the best package at the best price.
The guide to low-cost operators (MVNO)
1) Prixtel
Prixtel is an MVNO that is unique in terms of its offer. Indeed, it is the only player to offer a mobile plan that is flexible. Month after month, its price will change according to your usage. If calls, SMS and MMS are unlimited, it is the volume of data that will influence the final price of the month. A system with data levels is set up to easily monitor the evolution of consumption and the associated cost.
The only Prixtel mobile plan that is available for less than 5 euros per month is the “Le petit” offer. This is non-binding and you will only have the choice of the SFR network. Since it was acquired by Altice last July, it no longer offers the Orange network as it used to.
See the Prixtel offer
For the “Le petit” plan, there are three monthly data levels (below). For example, if you use all less than 10GB, it won't cost you more than $4.99 over time. That said, the plan is flexible: if you occasionally need a little more data, you will then be switched to the 15 or 20 GB offers. The following month, you can very well fall back to the first level if you have less consumed.
From a value for money point of view, this package at less than 5 euros per month is a nugget. Please note that this offer only lasts the first year, after which each level will go up by 5 euros per month. In other words, the 10 GB will then be billed at €9.99. In the first year, Prixtel proved to be almost unbeatable.
The operator also stands out on real arguments: it is non-binding (like all MVNOs), but above all it is carbon neutral. It is the only operator to offset all CO2 emissions by planting trees. It leads this effort in collaboration with a partner in order to offer an innovative and environmentally friendly service.
While its package at less than 5 euros per month is the most popular, the operator offers two alternatives that follow the same principle – but with higher data volumes. The “Grand” and “Giant” formulas allow you to have higher levels (up to 200 GB) with this system of monthly progressive levels. They are also non-binding and also on the SFR network
The other MVNOs (Cdiscount Mobile, NRJ Mobile)
EI Telecom is a group that owns a series of telecom brands, including NRJ Mobile and Cdiscount Mobile. The group was acquired at the end of 2020 by Bouygues Telecom. If for a long time, all these MVNOs provided access to the Orange, SFR and Bouygues Telecom networks, customers are now all obliged to limit themselves to the Bouygues Telecom antenna network. This one is excellent, so that's no problem.
On the one hand, there is Cdiscount Mobile, which regularly offers plans for less than 5 euros per month. Every week, it announces new offers so you have to follow the evolution of its promotions. In the comparison table of the best packages at 5 euros above, you can see the latest current offer (or offers).
For example, Cdiscount Mobile sometimes offers its unlimited subscription on calls / SMS / MMS with 50 GB for €2.99. But beware, this offer is only valid for 6 months after which the price explodes to €15.99 per month. We must therefore remain very vigilant. Another example concerns the unlimited plan with an envelope of 80 GB: it is €3.99 for 6 months before climbing to €16.99 per month.
Fortunately, Cdiscount Mobile is also a non-binding operator. You can therefore cancel quickly enough not to have to suffer the sharp price increase. That said, changing your mobile subscription every 6 months is a bit of a pain, so don't miss it. From time to time, Cdiscount Mobile also offers 12 month offers, which is nice.
NRJ Mobile follows somewhat the same principle as Cdiscount Mobile. However, the operator renews its offers much less often. They are always between €2.99 and €9.99 per month, but the volume of mobile data varies a little. For example, there may be a plan at €4.99 per month for 20 GB of data. Here too, the offer is limited to the first 12 months.
RED by SFR and B&You and one-off offers
In a decade, RED by SFR and B&You have become the two benchmark brands for non-binding mobile plans. Little by little, they changed the offers by increasing the price and the data. It must be said that uses have evolved: customers are always asking for more mobile data to meet their needs (streaming, social networks, games, etc.).
In the end, the price of the mobile plan with these two telecom operators went from 5 euros per month to around 15 euros per month. The volume of data has also increased to better meet public expectations. Since the start of 2021, the 5 euro per month plan has long been put on hold at RED by SFR and B&You.
See the RED by SFR offer
See the B&You offer
That said, he does sometimes come back during strong moments. When one of the two actors raises it, the other follows it. In general, this package at 5 euros per month allows you to have unlimited calls, SMS and MMS as well as 5 GB of data. Outside the special period, this same package is limited to 1 GB. In the case of RED by SFR, you always have an additional envelope that you can use in the EU and the DOM.
In addition to the famous Black Friday and French Days, these two players stand out with their own operations. We can cite the Big RED for the first and the Very B&You offers for the second. It is precisely at this time that we can discover the 5 euro packages. They are always displayed alongside more generous data packages (100 or 200 GB) which are also more expensive.
The plans are often very limited
You've probably already heard of free (or almost) plans. Free, SFR and Orange allow you to have a free number if you are already a customer of their internet box. If this is not the case, then you will not be able to obtain a package for 0€. These packages which are offered to customers of their Freebox / Livebox / SFR box are chargeable for non-customers.
And they are also rather expensive compared to the content of the offer. These are packages at less than 5 euros per month that are there as a red thread throughout the year. But clearly, you have no interest in taking it (unless you are box customers). The associated data volume is so low that you will not be able to use your smartphone. You have to see this package as a backup solution with a phone number. It sometimes allows you to also have unlimited SMS, which can be useful.
The best known of these subscriptions is probably the 2 euro package from Free Mobile. In 2011, this is how the operator entered the market. He disrupted the sector with cut-price packages. Unfortunately, at a time when smartphones and applications are increasingly demanding in terms of data, this plan is gradually becoming obsolete. That said, it's still a package for less than 5 euros and it is therefore included in our comparison.
Is there a 5G plan for 5 euros?
In our ranking of the best plans under 5 euros above, you can see that no plan allows access to the 5G. They are all limited to 4G, and that's not bad. You should know that by taking a plan for less than 5 euros per month, you will necessarily be limited in data. It is therefore irrelevant to want to access the 5G network which is made for those who use large volumes of data. You can therefore largely be satisfied with 4G subscriptions at a mini price.
We should also point out that 5G subscriptions are much more expensive: you have to count at least 20 euros per month for this. It will therefore be necessary to wait a very long time (if it ever happens) before seeing a 5G plan for less than 5 euros per month. The deployment of the 5G network costs billions to all operators, they will not be able to be profitable if they sell packages for less than 5 euros.
Conclusion: which mobile plan to choose?
This is the end of our comparison of the best mobile plans at 5 euros per month. If you have the opportunity to take advantage of an offer at RED by SFR or B&You, you have to go for it. Over the past few years, prices have risen significantly. In other words, if you see a 5 GB offer at 5 euros per month, you have to go for it. In 2022 and in the years to come, this will be increasingly rare.
See the RED by SFR offer
If you are ready to go to an MVNO, we recommend Prixtel. This French operator is hugely successful for its scalable offer. It's the only one that will allow you to get up to 10 GB of data per month for less than 5 euros. Where Prixtel is strong is that its subscription is flexible: month after month, depending on your actual data usage, you will be charged a different price.
Whether it's Prixtel or the other MVNOs, you should know that these call prices are not unlimited in duration. At the end of the first year, Prixtel increases the price of its “Le petit” subscription. This is still reasonable since Cdiscount Mobile, NRJ Mobile and other players generally raise the price after 6 months. And the rise is rather brutal among the latter, while it remains contained at Prixtel.
The comparison table with the best packages above will be updated over the weeks. The best times to buy a new package are back to school (late August and early September), the period just before Christmas with Black Friday and the start of the year (January). It also happens that RED by SFR and B&You engage in occasional price wars, you have to know how to take advantage of it.
FAQ on cheap plans
We are done with this guide on plans under 5 euros per month. Below we have summarized the main offers in the form of FAQs. If you still have questions, do not hesitate to ask them directly by email or via social networks. We do our best to respond to all requests, but response times are sometimes a bit long.
What is the best 5 euro plan?
For a long time, plans for less than 5 euros per month were common. In recent years, they have become much rarer. It sometimes happens that RED by SFR and B&You make promotions on their formula for less than 5 euros.
Otherwise, to find the best mobile plan for less than 5 euros, you have to turn to MVNOs. These virtual operators often have offers valid for the first 6 to 12 months. Prixtel is the best at this game. Cdiscount or NRJ Mobile are placed just behind.
Are there no-commitment packages?
All packages for less than 5 euros per month are no-commitment. You can cancel whenever you want. At any time, you can cancel and transfer your telephone number to another operator. It's handy when prices start to go up.
How many gigabytes can you have with 5 euros?
On average, you will have a few hundred MB per month for a plan at less than 5 euros per month. It is therefore very limited, especially if you use a smartphone with its 4G connection. Only RED by SFR and B&You sometimes offer offers of up to 5 GB for 5 euros per month. It's very rare and you have to jump on those rare occasions.
What are the cheapest packages?
If you are a customer of a box at Orange, SFR or Free, you can even have a free package. That said, the condition is to pay several tens of euros for a box in return.
On average, it takes between 3 and 5 euros per month to have a decent package. It may be able to include a few gigas of data, which will allow you to use the 4G network a little with your smartphone.
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