What is 5GB?
5GB stands for 5 gigabytes. As 1 gigabyte is equal to 1,000 megabytes, 5GB is 5,000 megabytes. Bytes are units of data, and are not to be confused with bits, megabits, and gigabits, which are used to measure download and upload speeds. For more info, read our guide on the difference between bits and bytes.
How much is 5GB of mobile data?
Most network providers in the UK offer 5GB data packages, including big names like O2 and Vodafone, as well as smaller MVNOs such as iD Mobile and Asda Mobile. Prices currently start at just £6 per month from iD Mobile, but you could be paying as much as £28 a month from the likes of Vodafone. That’s why it’s so important to compare deals before committing!
Take a look at these 5GB mobile data plans:
1 month 5GB deals
Many network providers in the UK offer 5GB of data per month on rolling monthly SIM deals. These include:
Provider Calls and texts Monthly cost 
Unlimited £6 See deal Unlimited £6 See deal 
Unlimited £7 See deal Unlimited £23 See deal Unlimited £28 See deal
12 month 5GB deals
You can also choose to sign up for a longer 12-month SIM only contract offering 5GB of data per month. Take a look at the following deals:
Provider Calls and texts Monthly cost Unlimited £6 See deal Unlimited £16 See deal
24 month 5GB deals
A few more providers offer 5GB of data per month on 24-month SIM deals. While you’ll be sacrificing flexibility with these longer contracts, they could help you to save a few quid each month:
Provider Calls and texts Monthly cost Unlimited £6 See deal Unlimited £11 See deal 
Unlimited £13 See deal Unlimited £15 See deal
How long does 5GB last?
5GB can allow for almost 3 and a half days of internet browsing, over 2 days of social media scrolling, almost a day and a half of streaming music, or up to 16 hours+ of Netflix. With a 5GB monthly data plan, this equates to around 2 and a half hours of scrolling, an hour of music, and 6 minutes of YouTube in Full HD per day.
Here’s what you can do with 5GB of data:
Browsing the internet 3 days 11 hours 2.5 hours per day Browsing social media 2 days 8 hours <2 hours per day Sending files via email 500 files on average 16 files per day Streaming music 1 day 9 hours 1 hour per day Watching YouTube (480p) 18 hours 56 minutes 37 minutes per day Watching YouTube (720p HD) 5 hours 45 minutes 11.5 minutes per day Watching YouTube (1080p Full HD) 3 hours 2 minutes 6 minutes per day Watching Netflix (Low quality) 16 hours 40 minutes 33 minutes per day Watching Netflix (SD) 7 hours 6 minutes 14 minutes per day Watching Netflix (HD) 1 hour 40 minutes 3 minutes per day Watching Netflix (UHD) 43 minutes 1 minute 26 seconds per day Video calling (SD) 9 hours 16 minutes 18.5 minutes per day Video calling (UHD) 3 hours 5 minutes 6 minutes per day Downloading/updating apps (Android) 435 apps on average 14 apps per day Downloading/updating apps (iOS) 145 apps on average <5 apps per day
Is 5GB enough for me?
According to Ofcom’s latest Communications Markets Report, the average smartphone user consumers 4.5GB of mobile data in 2020. This rises year on year, so 5GB is probably in line with the current average.
So, if you’re an average mobile user, 5GB should be just about enough for you. This means no more than 2 hours of scrolling through social media each day, no more than an hour of streaming music, and leaving Netflix and other video streaming for when you’re on your home broadband connection.
If you think you do more than this, or you like to stream Netflix on your daily commute, you’ll most likely need a lot more than 5GB of data per month. Consider going for 10GB, or even 100GB. On the other hand, if you rarely use the internet on your phone, you could opt for a cheaper 2GB or even 1GB data plan.