A 1NCE Alternative for UK Devices

Checked on 3 November 2026 against 1NCE's and ThingSIM's own websites. Sources are listed at the end. Prices change, so check the provider's site before you buy.

1NCE and ThingSIM solve different problems. 1NCE sells a business IoT SIM for a single payment that covers ten years and a fixed amount of data. ThingSIM sells UK multi-network SIMs on a monthly allowance, billed per active SIM with no contract. Which is better depends mostly on how much data the device uses and where it is installed.

For the full field of UK options, see the best IoT and M2M SIM cards in the UK.

At a Glance

	1NCE	ThingSIM
How you pay	One payment of €12 for 10 years of service	Monthly per active SIM, billed monthly in advance
Data included	500 MB and 250 SMS over the 10 years, at up to 1 Mbit/s	50 MB, 250 MB, 1 GB or 5 GB a month
Entry price	€12 once, plus the SIM	£0.65 a month (UK 3-network, 50 MB), £0.90 on UK 4-network
SIM card	From €1 (Card Business)	£2.00 once, trio card or eSIM
More data	€10 top-up for 500 MB and 250 SMS; a High Data Option at €5 per GB	Upgrade the SIM's plan at any time, prorated
UK networks named	Not named on its UK page	O2, Vodafone, Three and EE (4-network), or O2, Vodafone and Three (3-network)
eSIM	eUICC on the Industrial card and chip	eSIM delivered as a QR code
Static IP	Not published; OpenVPN included	£8 a month per SIM
Who can buy	Business customers only, per 1NCE	Anyone, by card; up to 25 SIMs online
Company	1NCE GmbH, Cologne, Germany	Netavo, a UK network services provider

Prices are as each site shows them: 1NCE in euros, ThingSIM in pounds excluding VAT.

Where 1NCE Is the Better Fit

Very low-data devices with a long life. A sensor or meter that sends a few kilobytes a day can run for years inside 500 MB. Paying once and never seeing a monthly bill is hard to beat for that kind of device, and 1NCE says it is built for “low-bandwidth IoT applications”.

Devices spread across many countries. 1NCE sells one tariff for its covered countries with no roaming fees. ThingSIM's published plans are for the UK; Europe is priced per project.

Where ThingSIM Is the Better Fit

Devices that use more than a trickle of data. A 4G router, a CCTV camera or a card terminal can use 500 MB in days. ThingSIM's 1 GB plan on UK 4-network is £2.40 a month, and 5 GB is £8.85.

Knowing which UK networks the SIM uses. ThingSIM's UK 4-network SIM roams across O2, Vodafone, Three and EE and uses whichever is strongest where the device is. 1NCE's UK page does not name the UK networks.

Remote access. A static public IP is £8 a month per SIM, for reaching a camera or router directly. Private APN, IPSec VPN and cloud interconnect are available as extras.

Buying a few SIMs as a sole trader or installer. ThingSIM sells to anyone by card, from one SIM up to 25 online. 1NCE says its offer is only for business customers.

Billing from switch-on. ThingSIM SIMs arrive switched off and billing starts on the day each one is activated, or automatically 30 days after despatch, with an email at least 5 days before.

Common Questions

Is 1NCE cheaper than ThingSIM?

For a device that uses less than 500 MB in ten years, usually yes: €12 once against a monthly fee. For a device that uses hundreds of megabytes a month, no: once a 1NCE SIM needs repeated top-ups, a monthly ThingSIM plan from £1.20 for 250 MB costs less.

Can I move from 1NCE to ThingSIM?

Yes. Order a ThingSIM, activate it in the portal, put it in the device and enter the APN shown in your ThingSIM portal. Nothing needs to be cancelled at 1NCE for the new SIM to work.

Does ThingSIM work in the same devices as 1NCE?

Any device that takes a standard SIM and supports 2G, 4G, LTE-M or NB-IoT on UK bands can take a ThingSIM. Check the device's modem against the device setup guides.