Looking for a (new) mobile subscription in The Netherlands? In that case, you'll want to be sure you make the right choice. 

Not only your phone needs to fit you - your new subscription needs to offer you exactly what you need. 

Not everyone has the same priorities. Do you want the mobile operator with the lowest price, the best network or the fastest internet? We judge providers on different factors, and you can decide what's important to you.

Or compare SIM only providers for yourself using our easy-to-use, English comparison tool:

compare sim only

Or check the affordable subscriptions with phones:

compare phone + subscription

This is the best mobile provider

To find out which mobile operator is the best, we have judged providers on these points:

• The price of a subscription (without phone);
• The flexibility in a contract (is it possible to change between different plans within the duration of your contract);
• The network and coverage of a provider;
• The fair use policy: are there tight rules to a unlimited subscription;
• Do you get a discount if you also have an internet subscription with this provider;
• All the different ways to reach the customer service.

All of these points below make up the final score.

Providers	Price	Flexibility	Network	FUP	Discount*	Customer Service	Final score	Providers
KPN	7,5	9	10	8,5	10	9	9	KPN
Vodafone	6	7	9	9	10	9	8.3	Vodafone
Odido	7,5	8	8	8	9	9	8.3	Odido
Simyo	9,5	9	8	5	7,5	10	8.2	Simyo
hollandsnieuwe	9,5	9	7	8,5	8	6,5	8.1	hollandsnieuwe
Youfone	9,5	9	9	5,5	8,5	6	7.9	Youfone
Ben	9	9	7	6	8	7,5	7.8	Ben
50+mobiel	9,5	7	7	8,5	5	9	7.7	50+mobiel
Budget Mobiel	9	8,5	6,5	5,5	8	5,5	7.6	Budget Mobiel
Simpel	10	8	7	5,5	5	9	7.4	Simpel
Lebara	9,5	9	7	5,5	5	7	7.3	Lebara

* Some providers offer a combination discount when you have multiple subscriptions (for example two mobile subscriptions or a mobile subscription as well as a broadband subscription). Because this is something extra on top of your subscription, we still reward providers with 5 points if they don't offer this.

To conclude: KPN is the best mobile provider!

But... Maybe not for you. You might be more interested in a cheaper provider than a provider with a great customer service.

The best mobile provider? That's different for everyone. That's why there's 3 winners:

• The provider with the best network
• The provider with the best fair use policy
• The provider with the best price

Mobile operator with the best network

There are 3 providers with their own network: KPN, Vodafone and Odido. All other providers offer their services on these networks. 

Which of the 3 has the best mobile network? That's not so easily decided. Almost every year, both KPN and Odido are tied for a first place, with Vodafone closely behind. The differences are so small, they're hardly noticeable sometimes. Every provider has a good coverage in The Netherlands. This makes it almost impossible to make a wrong choice. 

KPN has the best network

The KPN network was judged the best out of multiple tests last year. 

The provider scored particurlarly good at internet speed and the availability of the network. That means that there's almost no spot in The Netherlands that's without KPN coverage. 

...but you don't have to choose KPN to use their network

KPN (as well as Odido and Vodafone) have open networks. That means that there are other, smaller providers that offer their services on those networks. So if you want to use the KPN network, you can also choose a smaller provider that uses this network. 

Smaller providers are usually more affordable, since they have less costs and can offer subscriptions for a smaller fraction of the price. 

Before choosing a smaller provider, keep in mind that the subscriptions and conditions can differ. You can check this on our mobile comparison page. 

By the way, the same goes for Odido and Vodafone; they also work with an open network. 

Here you can see all of the 'big' providers and those smaller that operate on their networks: 

KPN network	Vodafone network	Odido network
Budget Mobiel	hollandsnieuwe	Ben
Lebara	50+mobiel	Simpel
Simyo
Youfone

Mobile operator with the best fair use policy

Imagine this: you thought you had signed for unlimited data, but one day you're suddenly out of data. Or your internet speed is so slow that you cannot even watch a video without it glitching all the time. 

This isn't something you want to find out when you're stuck in a contract - especially when you're stuck for 1 or even 2 years. 

So: what provider offers the best fair use policy, and the least amount of small print

KPN offers the best fair use policy

Of all providers, KPN again comes out on top with the best fair use policy. We explain shortly why that is:

Fair use policy: unlimited data

All unlimited data plans offer you a daily data bundle. Let's say you get 10 GB a day. If you are almost out of data, you can manually upgrade it, usually with 2 GB at a time. You can do this for an unlimited amount of time. And a new day means a new 10 GB you can use. 

KPN is one of the providers that offer the best fair use policy when you choose unlimited data. You receive 20 GB every day and can manually 'up' this with 2 GB at a time.

Fair use policy: using data abroad

You can use your Dutch mobile subscription in every EU-country. However, with large data bundles you cannot use your entire data bundle. Every mobile operator works like this. 

At the moment, KPN offers the biggest data bundle you can use in the EU. It depends on the deal you have though. If you have the most premium package, you receive 75 GB in EU-countries abroad.

Mobile operator with the best price

It is improbable that a provider with its own network has the best price. 

So no KPN this time - the most affordable provider is...

Simpel

If you're looking for an average subscription (let's say 1.000 minutes of calling and 5 GB mobile data), Simpel is the provider to choose. You pay € 7,50 a month for a subscription with unlimited calls and SMS, and 7 GB. 

Do you want the cheapest subscription possible? Subscriptions start at € 4 a month. Keep in mind that these are SIM only subscriptions, and the contents of the subscription can be pretty meagre. 

Want more options? Check our comparison page and use the filters in the menu to find your perfect subscription. Or read our extensive guide on choosing the right mobile subscription.