congstar, fraenk, ALDI TALK & co.: are budget brands worse than Telekom and Vodafone?
Budget brands run on the same networks as Telekom, Vodafone and o2. Where the differences lie and what they mean for the price.
All prices in this guide come from our comparison of 274 German mobile tariffs and are average prices per month over 24 months, one-time costs included. As of .
Same network, different price
Budget brands do not build networks of their own. They rent capacity from Telekom, Vodafone, o2 or 1&1 and sell it under their own name, often much cheaper. Some even belong to the network operator: congstar to Telekom, Blau and FONIC to o2. Your phone connects to the same antennas as the network operator’s own customers.
| Network | Network operator | Other brand | Saving per month |
|---|---|---|---|
 Telekom network |
Telekom MagentaMobil XS 20 GB, Ø €31.61 |
EDEKA smart Jahrespaket Premium 5G 240 GB / year, Ø €7.91 |
€23.70 |
 Vodafone network |
Vodafone CallYa Allnet Flat S 25 GB / 4 weeks, Ø €10.82 |
Lidl Connect SMART S 25 GB / 4 weeks, Ø €9.74 |
€1.08 |
 o2 network |
o2 Prepaid S 20 GB / 4 weeks, Ø €10.82 |
Lebara Allnet 20 GB 20 GB, Ø €5.20 |
€5.62 |
 1&1 network |
1&1 All-Net-Flat M 50 GB, Ø €15.82 |
sim.de Allnet Flat 15 + 10 GB 25 GB, Ø €6.99 |
€8.83 |
Where the differences lie
- Speed: many cheap tariffs are capped, for example at 25 or 50 Mbit/s. In our comparison that applies today to 78 % of the other brands’ tariffs, but only to 5 % of the network operators’ tariffs. 25 Mbit/s is enough for messaging, music, navigation and HD video; you notice faster speeds mainly with large downloads and when using your phone as a hotspot for a laptop.
- 5G: not every budget tariff includes 5G. Without it you use the 4G (LTE) network, which is available almost everywhere.
- Support: budget brands save on shops and advice. Help is by hotline, chat or app.
- Extras: multi-SIM, Wi-Fi calling and eSIM are standard at the network operators but not always at budget brands. Check before you sign up if you need them.
Who should choose what
With ordinary smartphone use, a budget brand almost always gives you the same experience for less money. A tariff directly from the network operator pays off if you need full speed for hotspot use and large amounts of data, want a shop nearby or use extras such as multi-SIM. All tariffs on a network are in the comparisons for the Telekom, Vodafone, o2 and 1&1 networks.
Quick answers
Do budget brands use the same network as Telekom, Vodafone and o2?
Yes. Germany has only four networks: Telekom, Vodafone, o2 and 1&1. congstar uses the Telekom network, otelo and Lidl Connect the Vodafone network, ALDI TALK, Blau and FONIC the o2 network.
Where are budget brands worse?
Mostly in speed: many budget tariffs are capped at 25 or 50 Mbit/s, and some have no 5G. That is enough for messaging, music and HD video. Support is often by hotline and chat only, without shops.
How much does a budget brand save?
With at least 20 GB, the cheapest tariff from another brand on the Telekom network costs €7.91 a month today, the network operator’s own cheapest €31.61: €23.70 less per month.