Eir Connect is €14.99 for 12 months then €29.99. Three Freedom is €14 for six months then €28 on a 24-month term. Those are the ads. The cheap versions of the same masts are GoMo and 48, both €12.99 rolling. 48 posts a plastic SIM. GoMo has eSIM, as do Eir and Three themselves.
Direct MNO vs MNO if you insist: Three SIM Core at €20 is cleaner than Eir Connect once the intro dies. Vodafone is the third radio. See Vodafone vs Three and best mobile network.
Quick comparison
Side by side from published August 2026 prices and contract terms. Green highlights the better figure on each measurable row.
| Eir Mobile | Three | |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 7.8 | 8.2 |
| Intro from | €14.99 | €14 |
| Thereafter from | €20 | €20 |
| Headline data | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Host network | Eir network | Three network |
| Annual rise | Yes | Yes |
| eSIM | Yes | Yes |
| Kind | MNO | MNO |
Price: both MNOs tease, both MVNOs stay cheap
Eir Connect is €14.99 then €29.99, plus a €9.99 activation fee and an April rise. Three Freedom is €14 for six months then €28. Three SIM Core is €20 without that jump, but Three bill-pay contracts from July 2025 add a fixed €2.50 a month every April on SIM-only (€3 on phone plans), inside the term.
GoMo and 48 are €12.99 on those same radios with no listed month-13 jump and no April clause. GoMo adds a €12.99 activation fee; 48 adds nothing. That is the comparison most people should run, not Connect vs Freedom.
Network: different masts, test the house
Eir and Three are both MNOs. Coverage is not interchangeable. Eir lists 99% 5G population. Three lists 99% population. Those are advertised figures, not a farmhouse guarantee.
Walk the rooms with Wi-Fi off. Rural buyers start at best mobile for rural Ireland.
Data: unlimited 5G on both, fair-use still applies
Core plans on both brands are unlimited 5G. 48 Student on Three radio is 100 GB and 4G. That is the cheap fallback if unlimited is overkill.
Eir does not list a student tier on the plans we quote.
Contract: Connect and Freedom vs rolling GoMo and 48
GoMo and 48 are rolling monthly. Eir Connect is rolling after you look past a 12-month intro. Three Freedom is 24 months after a six-month teaser.
If you hate lock-in, do not take Freedom. Take 48.
Roaming: Eir lists bigger caps on Connect
Eir Connect lists 65 GB EU. Three Freedom lists 60 GB; Three SIM Core 35 GB. 48 unlimited lists 20 GB EU/UK. GoMo lists 23 GB EU.
Frequent roamers who stay on the MNO can get more cap. They pay for it.
Who it's for: radio first, shop second
Most people should leave this page and buy GoMo or 48, depending on which radio worked. Eir retail is for bundles and the mothership account. Three retail is for Three+ and people who refuse an MVNO.
Which should you choose?
It comes down to cost profile, host network fit, and contract style. Use this fast decision frame.
Choose Eir Mobile if
Eir indoor signal is clearly better where you live, and you still want the Eir account or a broadband bundle discount that you have actually checked. You accept Connect becoming €29.99, or you are taking GoMo instead and this page was the network test.
Check Eir Mobile →
Choose Three if
Three indoor signal is the one that works, and you either take 48 at €12.99 or you want Three+ perks and will pay SIM Core or Freedom. You are not buying Eir for a population-coverage slogan.
Check Three →Advertiser disclosure: we may earn a commission when you buy through links on this page. That never affects scores or the winner.
