Quick verdict
Take 48 if Three coverage works and you want the safest all-round SIM: no activation fee, rolling monthly, and a student 100 GB fallback at €10.99. It posts a plastic SIM. Take Clear if Vodafone indoor signal is the one that works. Take GoMo if Eir is the radio, you want eSIM, and app-only support does not bother you; it charges the same €12.99 activation fee as Clear.
Do not pick by logo. Walk the rooms with Wi-Fi off. Coverage is the mast owner.
Pairwise pages: GoMo vs 48 · 48 vs Clear · Clear vs GoMo.
Side-by-side, August 2026
Figures are the listed unlimited 5G plan for each retailer. Fair-use still applies.
| 48 | Clear Mobile | GoMo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Our score | 9.3 / 10 | 9.2 / 10 | 9.1 / 10 |
| Host radio | Three network | Vodafone network | Eir network |
| Monthly | €12.99 | €12.99 | €12.99 |
| Activation fee | None listed | €12.99 | €12.99 |
| Year-one (this plan) | €156 | €156 | €169 |
| Contract | Rolling monthly | Rolling monthly | Rolling monthly |
| eSIM | No | No | Yes |
| 5G | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| EU roaming | 20 GB EU/UK roaming | 23 GB EU/UK roaming | 23 GB EU roaming |
| Student plan | 100 GB €10.99 (4G) | No | No |
| Support style | App-led | Online / phone | App only |
Clear’s and GoMo’s year-one figures include the €12.99 activation fee each charges up front. Clear’s free first month cancels its fee, which is why it lands on the same €155.88 as 48; GoMo has no free month, so it is €12.99 dearer. 48 has no fee at all.
Pick by radio, then stop shopping
- Three works at home and on the commute. Start with 48. Tesco and Virgin ride the same masts at worse value for unlimited 5G. Sky (Vodafone) and Lycamobile (Eir) are not on this radio.
- Vodafone works better. Start with Clear. An Post is the only other MVNO on this radio, and it is 4G prepay. Direct Vodafone Red Unlimited 15 is €15 if you want the mothership account.
- Eir works better. Start with GoMo. Direct Eir Connect is €14.99 then €29.99 on the same radio. That is not a cheap long-term plan.
Full map: MVNO explained.
The catches that ranking pages skip
- Clear activation fee. €12.99 once. The first month really is free, but the fee means you still hand over €12.99 on day one; over a year the two cancel.
- GoMo is app-only, and charges €12.99 up front. Fine if you never want a shop queue. Poor if you do. The activation fee is the same as Clear’s, without the free month.
- 48 is plastic SIM. HelloGlobe is a travel eSIM for outside the EU/UK, not your Irish 48 number. If you need eSIM on Three radio, that is Three itself; Sky and Lycamobile ride Vodafone and Eir, not Three.
- Unlimited still has fair-use. We do not invent speed-test Mbps. If a provider throttles heavy users, that is in their terms, not in a lab we faked.
Who should pick what
Most people: 48, if Three coverage is acceptable. Highest overall score, no setup fee, student fallback. Plastic SIM in the post.
Vodafone-first homes: Clear. Same monthly, plastic SIM, one-time fee. Do not pay Vodafone retail €15+ unless you want that account.
Eir-first homes: GoMo. Do not take Eir Connect for the intro and then sleep through the €29.99 thereafter.
Need the switch steps? How to switch mobile. Want the full ranking? Best mobile in Ireland.
