The differences in mobile phone contracts can range from super cheap monthly basic fees to more expensive all-inclusive plans that also come with a cell phone. Like I mentioned in our checklist, it’s quite easy to find and set up phone plans here in Germany, it’s just a matter of finding the best plan that works for you.

So, here’s what we’ll go through in the guide below:

✅ Understanding the 3 different network providers in Germany
✅ Understanding the different types of phone plans in Germany
✅ The best phone plans for English speakers
✅ Where you can buy a phone
✅ Where you can buy a package plan (if not online)

WHAT ARE THE BEST NETWORK PROVIDERS ARE IN GERMANY?

There are only 3 leading networks in Germany at the moment.

• VODAFONE
• TELEKOM
• 02

You might be asking yourself how can there only be 3 networks but so many different plans to choose from?! The way this works in Germany is that the cell phone providers will rent their networks from one of the 3 above-mentioned networks.

As far as service goes, Vodafone takes spot #1 for English speakers living in Germany. You may have also heard that a number of their employees are English-speaking expats as well!

Before you do choose a provider, it’s best to see which network has the most coverage in your city/town. We go through the coverage settings of each network around Germany in the Welcome Program if you want more information.

According to one of the most popular comparisons and test sites in Germany, Telekom takes the win for having the best overall network.

Research Source: CHIP.de

WHAT TYPES OF PHONE PLANS ARE THERE IN GERMANY?

Let’s make it easy. There are basically 3 different types of cell phone plans you can choose from in Germany.

• Prepaid Plan (Prepaid-Vertrag)
• Package Plan (Paket-Vertrag)
• All-inclusive Plan (Allnet-Vertrag)

Before I go into detail, the most beloved plan would be the package plan for many obvious reasons.

I’ll share some of the best package plans below. But before I do…  

PLEASE NOTE: It is very easy to accidentally lock yourself into a contract that you didn’t realize would take you 2 years to get out of. If you want to learn more about the hidden fees and fine print to look out for when it comes to phone plans, we go through all these amazing tips in our Welcome Program.

The Prepaid Plan 

A prepaid phone plan is exactly that, you pay in advance and you are billed per SMS/minute. This plan allows you to control your costs but also can be a pain when you run out of credit and need to use the phone, or worse, you get cut off in the middle of a call.

You may or may not have the option to add an internet plan to the prepaid plan as well.

The Package Plan

With a package plan, you can often choose quite affordable plans that include talk, text, and data for a very affordable price. The downside to these packages is that they will not include a cell phone at the provided rate, but this also makes the packages extremely affordable and oftentimes a favorite among internationals and Germans alike.

If you run out of data, SMS, or talk time, you often have an option to “top up” your contract for the month at the click of a button (or a simple “Ja” via text message).

TIP: Most package plans come with “allnet” unlimited talk and text nowadays so you’ll only really need to pay attention to the amount of data you are using. If you constantly go over your data usage, simply upgrade to the next plan the following month. It really is simple.

All-inclusive/Allnet Plans 

The all-inclusive plans are quite obviously the most expensive type of mobile phone contract you can choose from, but for a very good reason. Many all-inclusive plans come with the newest cell phones on the market. With an all-inclusive plan, you also have the opportunity to book a package with significantly high data than a package plan (upwards of 20 GB is quite average).

The biggest downfall to booking an all-inclusive (Allnet) package would be that you are quite often locked into a contract for 12-24 months at a time. With package contracts, you can often get out of a contract on a month-by-month basis.

TIP: If you need to get out of a contract, aboalarm is a website that actually writes the cancellation email for you, you select your phone provider from a drop-down menu, then fill in your plan details, and they send the email out right away.

WHAT ARE THE BEST PHONE PLANS IN GERMANY FOR ENGLISH SPEAKERS?

Good news! Just because you don’t speak German doesn’t mean you can save a ton every month on phone bills as well. Though you might need to navigate your phone plan registration in German, it’s worth the money you’ll save. Once you’re registered, you don’t need to worry about translating any longer!

So these plans that I’m about to mention are not just the best plans for English speakers, but the best plans for anyone living in Germany.

PS: The prices mentioned below are subject to change – this price list is just to give you a general idea of what the prices might be like in comparison to one another.