Is 1&1 a good German mobile provider in 2026?

Which 1&1 plan is best in 2026?

Best value · Light use · Heavy data · Tethering pick

For most users the 1&1 All-Net-Flat 60 GB at €19.99/month ongoing is the sweet spot — it doubles the data of the €14.99 entry tier for €5 more and ships the same 300 Mbit/s 5G as the 120 GB plan. Every tier includes unlimited DE calls and SMS, EU roaming, and a free eSIM. All three sell at €9.99/month for the first 3 months as the standing intro.

Source: 1und1.de tariff pages, verified May 2026

How does 1&1's own 5G network compare to Vodafone fallback?

4th German MNO · Own 5G core · Vodafone D2 fallback · National roaming agreement

1&1 launched its own 5G network in mid-2024, becoming Germany's fourth MNO after a regulator-mandated 700 MHz spectrum allocation. Coverage was thin at launch and is still concentrated in cities. Where the 1&1 radio isn't present, the SIM roams onto Vodafone (D2) under a national-roaming wholesale agreement — meaning users practically always have signal, but speeds vary depending on whether they're on 1&1's native footprint or the D2 fallback.

On the 1&1 native network you get the operator's own 5G stand-alone (SA) core with peak speeds capped at 300 Mbit/s on consumer All-Net-Flat tariffs. On the Vodafone fallback the SIM uses Vodafone's 4G/5G (typically non-stand-alone) and inherits Vodafone's D-Netz reach — comparable to a Vodafone CallYa SIM, though wholesale priority can mean slightly lower top speeds than retail Vodafone customers. connect's 2025 network test placed 1&1 fourth of four MNOs but noted the gap to O2 was narrowing quarter-on-quarter.

Source: 1und1.de network FAQ, BNetzA spectrum allocation records, connect network test 2025

How much does 1&1 cost compared to Telekom / Vodafone / O2?

All-Net-Flat 60 GB tier · ongoing price · equivalent 5G speeds

At the mid tier (~60 GB), 1&1 is the cheapest of the four German MNOs. Telekom's comparable MagentaMobil L sits closer to €55/month, Vodafone's GigaMobil M around €45/month, and O2's Mobile M near €30/month. 1&1 lands at €19.99/month ongoing — roughly 35% below O2 and more than 50% below Telekom for similar data, but with the slower top speed (300 Mbit/s vs 1+ Gbit/s on Telekom/Vodafone) and the smaller native footprint to weigh against it.

Source: Operator tariff pages (telekom.de, vodafone.de, o2online.de, 1und1.de), verified May 2026

The practical read: 1&1 is positioned as the value MNO. You give up peak speed and rural depth of footprint, you gain €10–35/month vs the incumbents for the same data bucket. If you live and commute inside 1&1's native 5G grid in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Frankfurt, Cologne, or Stuttgart, the trade-off is mostly upside.

What does 1&1 bundle with home internet?

DSL / fibre crossover · €5/month discount · Single United Internet bill

1&1 is unusual among German MNOs because the same brand also sells DSL, VDSL, fibre, and 5G home internet. Customers who hold a 1&1 home-internet contract get a €5/month discount on their All-Net-Flat mobile tariff, billed jointly on a single United Internet invoice. That turns the 60 GB plan from €19.99 into €14.99/month ongoing — competitive with prepaid MVNOs while keeping the MNO network.

• Mobile + home internet discount. €5/month off any 1&1 mobile tariff when paired with an active 1&1 home-internet contract (DSL, fibre, or 5G home).
• Single bill, single login. The Control-Center web portal covers both products. Useful when you cancel or move home — one process, not two.
• Multi-SIM family. Additional household SIMs (partner, kids) can stack onto the same bundle at additional discounts — check the bundle calculator on 1und1.de.
• 5G home internet upsell. If your address is in 1&1's 5G coverage but lacks fibre, the 5G home router ("Internet Mobil") is an alternative to slow DSL with the mobile-bundle discount stacking on top.

What are the pros and cons of 1&1?

Value pricing · Free eSIM · Newest 5G · Coverage still patchy

1&1's value proposition is MNO pricing well below Telekom, Vodafone, and O2 with a credible (if still maturing) own network plus a Vodafone D2 fallback. The trade-offs are variable speed, an uneven native footprint, and the connect 2025 last-place ranking — a real signal even if the data points show convergence.

How do you sign up for 1&1?

Online checkout · SCHUFA check · VideoIdent · Same-day eSIM

Sign-up runs through 1und1.de in roughly 15–20 minutes. You'll need a German address (Anmeldung), an EU passport or ID for VideoIdent, an IBAN bank account for SEPA direct debit, and the port-out code (Rufnummermitnahme) from your current provider if you're keeping your number. SCHUFA is checked on contract tariffs — users without German credit history can be rejected and should look at prepaid or sibling brands first.

1. Check coverage at your address. Enter your postcode in the 1und1.de coverage map. If your home or commute falls on the Vodafone fallback only, weigh that against a cheaper sibling Drillisch brand.
2. Pick the plan and SIM type. Choose 10 / 60 / 120 GB, decide on 24-month or monthly-cancellable contract, and select eSIM (free) or physical SIM. eSIM activates within hours; physical SIM ships in 1–3 working days. (60 GB at €19.99 is the most-picked tier)
3. Enter port-out code if keeping your number. Request Rufnummermitnahme via your current provider's app or hotline. 1&1 carries the port at no charge and refunds up to €30 of the leaving fee.
4. Complete VideoIdent for KYC. Required by BNetzA: scan ID via the in-browser VideoIdent flow or visit a partner Postfiliale for PostIdent. Same EU-ID standards as for any German prepaid SIM.
5. Activate and test. Scan the eSIM QR (or insert the physical SIM), wait for the welcome SMS, then run a speed test in your home location to confirm whether you're served by the 1&1 native network or the Vodafone D2 fallback. (speeds >300 Mbit/s indicate D2 fallback in 5G areas)

Should you pick 1&1 or sim.de / winSIM (same Drillisch group)?

Same parent · Different network access · Different price floors

sim.de, winSIM, maXXim, and PremiumSIM all sit under the same Drillisch / United Internet umbrella as 1&1, but they're sold as O2/Telefónica-hosted MVNOs at deeper discounts — not on 1&1's own network. The pick depends on whether you want the (newer) 1&1 5G layer or the (cheaper, established) O2 layer.

Source: 1und1.de, sim.de, winsim.de tariff pages, verified May 2026 · See deeper 1&1 vs sim.de vs winSIM comparison

Pick 1&1 if you live in a city with strong 1&1 native 5G, want the €5/month home-internet bundle discount, or want the option of a monthly-cancellable MNO tariff. Pick sim.de if price is the only deciding factor and you're comfortable on O2's network. Pick winSIM if you specifically want a long-term O2 deal at MVNO pricing.

How did we rank 1&1?

Five-dimension scoring · operator-verified · affiliate-independent

1&1 was scored on five equally-weighted dimensions: price-per-GB, network performance (own + fallback), contract flexibility, bundling and eSIM support, and roaming policy. Pricing was pulled from 1und1.de tariff pages in May 2026 and cross-checked against the United Internet investor releases on 5G rollout and the BNetzA spectrum auction records.