Lebara vs Lycamobile Netherlands 2026
Two budget SIMs on the same KPN network. Which one fits how you use your phone?
Lebara and Lycamobile are the two budget brands most expats run into first. Both run on KPN, both have an English website and app, and both sell SIM-only plans as well as prepaid bundles you can buy without a contract. In our full mobile providers comparison they sit side by side for exactly that reason.
The difference is in the details. Lycamobile halves every SIM-only bundle for the full 24 months, which makes it the cheaper pick up to 20GB. Lebara is cheaper at 40GB, includes more minutes and lets you call 44 countries without limits for €5 a month. If you are comparing Lycamobile with an Odido brand instead, see Lycamobile vs Simpel.
A SIM-only contract is paid by monthly direct debit, so most people sign up once their BSN and a Dutch bank account are sorted. Until then, a prepaid bundle from either brand keeps you connected.
Quick verdict
Half price for all 24 months: 1GB €2, 10GB €4.50, 20GB €7, 40GB €12.50 a month. 150 minutes, eSIM available, cheap prepaid from €10.
40GB for €11 a month, 250 minutes, unlimited calls to 44 countries for €5 extra. 2-year, 1-year or monthly plans.
Affiliate links. No extra cost to you, keeps our expat guides free.
Lebara and Lycamobile side by side
| Feature | Lycamobile | Lebara |
|---|---|---|
| Network | KPN 5G | KPN 5G (up to 75 Mbps, 150 Mbps for €0.50) |
| SIM-only 10GB | €4.50/mo for 24 months | €8/mo standard |
| SIM-only 40GB | €12.50/mo for 24 months | €11/mo standard |
| Minutes and texts | 150 national, unlimited to Lycamobile numbers | 250 national, unlimited for €1/mo |
| Calling abroad | Separate international plans (prepaid) | Unlimited to 44 countries for €5/mo |
| Contract length | 2 years | 2 years, 1 year or monthly |
| eSIM | Yes | Only iPhone 17 Air for now |
| Cheapest prepaid | 5GB €10 per 30 days | 6GB €13 per 30 days |
| EU roaming | Included | Included |
| English website and app | Yes | Yes |
Prices checked on lycamobile.nl and lebara.nl on 1 November 2026. Lebara standard prices exclude its rotating intro discounts.
Which is cheaper over a 2-year contract?
Lycamobile is cheaper on every bundle up to 20GB, often by a wide margin, because its half price lasts the whole contract. Lebara only wins at 40GB, where its standard €11 beats Lycamobile's discounted €12.50. The table shows what each costs over 24 months on bundles both brands sell.
| Bundle | Lycamobile (24 months) | Lebara (24 months, standard) | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1GB | €2/mo = €48 | €4/mo = €96 | Lycamobile by €48 |
| 10GB | €4.50/mo = €108 | €8/mo = €192 | Lycamobile by €84 |
| 15GB | €5/mo = €120 | €10/mo = €240 | Lycamobile by €120 |
| 40GB | €12.50/mo = €300 | €11/mo = €264 | Lebara by €36 |
Lebara's intro discounts change the picture a little. On 1 November 2026 Lebara took 50% off the first 6 months of its 1GB to 15GB bundles, which brings its 10GB to €168 over two years. Lycamobile is still €60 cheaper. Lebara's discount changes often, so check the live price before you order.
Lebara Netherlands review
Official site: lebara.nl/en (affiliate link)
Lebara is a virtual operator on KPN that started out serving people who call abroad, and that still shows. Every SIM-only plan includes 250 national minutes and texts, and for €5 a month you can add unlimited calls and texts to 44 countries. For anyone with family outside the Netherlands, that add-on is the main reason to pick Lebara.
Lebara SIM-only plans
Standard prices on a 2-year contract. A 1-year contract costs €1 a month more, and monthly rolling plans are available too.
- • 1GB €4, 5GB €7, 10GB €8, 15GB €10, 40GB €11, 45GB €25 a month
- • 250 national minutes and texts; unlimited calling for €1 a month
- • Unlimited calls and texts to 44 countries for €5 a month
- • 5G up to 75 Mbps, or 150 Mbps for €0.50 a month
- • €15 activation fee, waived on 1 November 2026
Lebara prepaid
No contract. The most popular bundle is 6GB with unlimited national minutes and texts for €13 per 30 days (€10 on promotion on 1 November 2026). You can also top up plain credit from €5 or buy a 1GB data-only bundle for €5.
Strong points
- • Cheapest 40GB of the two
- • 250 minutes, more than Lycamobile's 150
- • €5 unlimited calling to 44 countries
- • Choice of 2-year, 1-year or monthly
Weak points
- • Small bundles cost almost double Lycamobile's
- • eSIM only on the iPhone 17 Air for now
- • Promotions change often, so prices move
Get Lebara
40GB for €11 a month on KPN 5G, 250 minutes, unlimited calls to 44 countries for €5 extra.
Check Lebara plansAffiliate link. No extra cost to you, keeps our expat guides free.
Lycamobile Netherlands review
Official site: lycamobile.nl/en (affiliate link)
Lycamobile also runs on KPN and also has an English website and app. Its current SIM-only deal is unusually simple: every bundle at half the list price, held for the full two years. There is no price jump halfway through the contract, which is why it beats Lebara on every bundle up to 20GB.
Lycamobile SIM-only plans
- • 1GB €2, 3GB €3, 6GB €3.75, 10GB €4.50, 15GB €5, 20GB €7, 40GB €12.50 a month, all for 24 months
- • 150 national minutes and texts, unlimited calls and texts to Lycamobile numbers
- • EU roaming included
- • 2-year subscription
Lycamobile prepaid
Every 30-day bundle includes unlimited national minutes and texts: 5GB for €10, 10GB plus 10GB EU roaming data for €15, 20GB plus 20GB for €20, 40GB plus 20GB for €29.99, and unlimited data for €39.99. Separate international plans cover calling abroad.
Strong points
- • Half price for the whole 24 months
- • Much cheaper on 1GB to 20GB
- • eSIM available
- • Wide prepaid range, up to unlimited data
Weak points
- • Only 150 national minutes on SIM-only
- • 40GB costs more than Lebara's
- • SIM-only is 2-year only
Get Lycamobile
10GB for €4.50 a month for all 24 months on KPN 5G. eSIM available, prepaid from €10.
Get Lycamobile SIM or eSIMAffiliate link. No extra cost to you, keeps our expat guides free.
Lebara or Lycamobile: which should you choose?
You use up to 20GB a month
Choose Lycamobile. Its half-price bundles are cheaper on every size up to 20GB, by €84 over two years on 10GB.
You need 40GB
Choose Lebara. €11 a month against €12.50, so €36 less over the contract, with 100 more minutes.
You call family abroad every week
Choose Lebara. The €5 add-on gives unlimited calls and texts to 44 countries on any SIM-only plan. Check that your country is on the list first.
You want an eSIM
Choose Lycamobile, unless you have an iPhone 17 Air. Lebara's eSIM does not support other phones yet.
You do not want a 2-year contract
Choose Lebara for a 1-year or monthly SIM-only plan, or either brand's prepaid bundles for no commitment at all. Lycamobile's 5GB prepaid at €10 is the cheapest entry.
You just arrived
Start with a prepaid bundle from either, then move to SIM-only once your BSN and bank account are set up. Number porting is free, so you keep your Dutch number. Our first 30 days checklist shows where the phone fits in.
Lebara vs Youfone and Simyo
Youfone and Simyo also run on KPN, so they are the other obvious comparison. Both are SIM-only brands with intro deals, aimed at people who already have a BSN and a Dutch bank account. On price alone they beat Lebara at 40GB. Lebara's case rests on the things they do not offer: a monthly rolling plan, prepaid bundles and the €5 international add-on.
| 40GB on a 2-year contract | Monthly price | 24-month total |
|---|---|---|
| Youfone | €1 for 12 months, then €13 | €168 |
| Simyo | €6.50 for 12 months, then €15 | €258 |
| Lebara | €11 (standard price) | €264 |
| Lycamobile | €12.50 for all 24 months | €300 |
Choose Youfone for the lowest two-year cost on a big bundle, with unlimited calling included. Choose Simyo if you want 400 minutes and an English app. Choose Lebara if you call abroad every week, want to cancel monthly, or do not have a BSN yet and start on prepaid.
Affiliate links. No extra cost to you, keeps our expat guides free. Youfone and Simyo prices verified 26 October 2026, Lebara and Lycamobile 1 November 2026. Intro deals change; check before you order.
Not convinced by either?
If you only care about the lowest price and do not need an English interface, Odido-based brands can be cheaper still. Compare them in Simpel vs Ben, or see how another KPN brand stacks up in Lycamobile vs Youfone. Everything is ranked in the provider comparison tool.
Frequently asked questions
Is Lebara or Lycamobile cheaper in the Netherlands?
It depends on the bundle. Lycamobile sells every SIM-only bundle at half price for the full 24 months, so it is clearly cheaper up to 20GB: 10GB costs €4.50 a month (€108 over two years) against Lebara's standard €8 (€192). At 40GB it flips: Lebara charges €11 a month (€264 over two years) and Lycamobile €12.50 (€300). Lebara often runs an intro discount on top, which narrows the gap on small bundles.
Do Lebara and Lycamobile use the same network?
Yes. Both are virtual operators on the KPN network, including 5G. Coverage is therefore the same. Lebara's standard 5G speed is up to 75 Mbps, with an upgrade to 150 Mbps for €0.50 a month.
Which is better for calling family abroad?
Lebara, if you call every week. On any Lebara SIM-only plan you can add unlimited calls and texts to 44 countries for €5 a month. Lycamobile sells separate international plans on its prepaid range, so compare the country you call before you choose.
How many minutes do I get?
Lebara SIM-only plans include 250 national minutes and texts, and unlimited calling costs €1 a month extra. Lycamobile SIM-only plans include 150 national minutes and texts, plus unlimited calls and texts to other Lycamobile numbers. Both Lycamobile prepaid bundles and the Lebara 6GB prepaid bundle include unlimited national minutes and texts.
Do Lebara and Lycamobile offer eSIM?
Lycamobile offers eSIM. Lebara also offers eSIM on SIM-only plans, but on 1 November 2026 only on the iPhone 17 Air, according to Lebara's own FAQ. If you need an eSIM on another phone today, Lycamobile is the safer choice.
Can I cancel monthly?
Lebara offers 2-year, 1-year (€1 a month more) and monthly rolling SIM-only plans. Lycamobile's SIM-only deals are 2-year subscriptions. If you want no commitment at all, both sell prepaid bundles that run for 30 days at a time.
Which prepaid bundle is cheaper?
Lycamobile's Bundle XS is 5GB with unlimited national minutes and texts for €10 per 30 days. Lebara's 6GB bundle with unlimited minutes and texts is €13 per 30 days at the standard price (€10 on promotion on 1 November 2026). For heavy users Lycamobile goes further, up to an unlimited data bundle at €39.99 per 30 days.
Is EU roaming included?
Yes, on both. Lycamobile includes EU roaming on its SIM-only plans, and Lebara plans can be used for calling, texting and data in the Netherlands and the EU under the EU roam-like-at-home rules.
Official sources
Related guides
Everything else you need to get connected in the Netherlands.