Independent since 2019 · No paid placement, ever Prices re-checked weekly · Last verified July 30, 2026
Plan review

Lycamobile $23 (8GB) Review

8GB on T-Mobile's network with unlimited talk and text to 100 countries, for $108 a year — nine dollars a month, and cheaper annually than the 5GB plan.

JG Reviewed by Jean Gilles · Prices re-verified July 30, 2026 · How we rank

At a Glance

Price
$108 for 12 months ($9/mo); $23 for 30 days
Network
T-Mobile 5G and 4G LTE
Data
8GB high-speed per month
International calling
Unlimited talk and text to 100 countries
International roaming
$5 credit
Terms
30 days $23 · 3 months $21 · 6 months $78 · 12 months $108
Hotspot
Not published by Lycamobile on this plan
Taxes & fees
Extra
Contract
None; no credit check
BYOD
Unlocked device and number porting supported; eSIM available

How Lycamobile $23 (8GB) Scores

We scored Lycamobile $23 (8GB) against the same four pillars we use for every plan. Here’s how it broke down.

Value for money 9.2
Network & speed 7.8
Hotspot & features 6.0
Customer experience 6.6

Pricing: buy the year, not the month

$108 for twelve months is $9/mo against $23 for a single 30-day cycle. That gap is larger than at Ultra Mobile, Mint or Red Pocket, and it means almost nobody should buy this plan by the month.

The annual curve is oddly shaped, so read the prices rather than the allowances. This 8GB plan at $108/year is cheaper than the 5GB plan at $120 and only $12 below the 15GB plan. Choose on the annual figure, not the monthly one.

What You Get

$9/mo on a twelve-month term — among the lowest real prices anywhere
Cheaper annually than Lycamobile's own 5GB plan at $120
Unlimited talk and text to 100 countries included, not an add-on
$5 international roaming credit attached
T-Mobile coverage with no contract or credit check

What You Don't Get

Long-term prices are promotional — confirm the renewal rate
Lycamobile doesn't publish a hotspot allowance on this plan
The 30-day rate of $23 is poor value against the annual price
Taxes and fees are extra
No retail support; phone and online only

How Lycamobile $23 (8GB) compares

The comparison that explains the lineup — Lycamobile's annual prices don't rise with data the way you'd expect.

Feature $23 (8GB) $29 (15GB)
12-month total $108 $120
Effective monthly $9/mo $10/mo
30-day rate $23 $29
Data 8GB 15GB
International calling 100 countries 100 countries
Verdict Cheapest per month Nearly twice the data for $1/mo

Who should choose Lycamobile $23 (8GB)

You call internationally — 100 countries are included at this price
You can prepay twelve months and want the lowest possible rate
You use around 5–8GB a month
You want T-Mobile coverage without a T-Mobile bill
You're bringing your own phone and number

Who should skip it

You want month-to-month flexibility — $23 for 30 days is poor value
You tether; Lycamobile doesn't publish hotspot allowances here
You want certainty about renewal pricing
You want retail support you can walk into
You'd use more than 8GB — the 15GB plan is $12 more for the year

Final Verdict

The sharpest point on Lycamobile's price curve and the plan to buy here. Nine dollars a month for 8GB, unlimited nationwide talk and text, unlimited calling to 100 countries and a $5 roaming credit is a genuinely low real price, and it undercuts the carrier's own 5GB tier. The caveats are structural rather than specific: the long-term rates are promotional against a much higher list price, and Lycamobile doesn't publish hotspot allowances — so confirm both before committing to a year.

See plan details →

Frequently asked questions

How much is Lycamobile's 8GB plan?

$23 for 30 days, $21 on a three-month term, $78 for six months or $108 for twelve — which works out to $9/mo. Taxes and fees are extra.

Why is the 8GB plan cheaper than the 5GB plan?

Lycamobile's long-term prices are promotional and set per plan rather than scaling with data. Annually, 8GB is $108 and 5GB is $120, so the larger allowance costs less. Compare the annual prices directly rather than assuming more data costs more.

Does it include international calling?

Yes — unlimited talk and text to 100 countries, included on every Lycamobile plan from the $15 tier upward, plus a $5 international roaming credit on this one.

Does the plan include hotspot?

Lycamobile doesn't publish a hotspot allowance for these plans. If tethering matters, confirm it with customer service before buying a term.

Are the long-term prices permanent?

No. They're promotional against a list price roughly three times higher, so check what the plan renews at before committing to twelve months.

Other Lycamobile plans we’ve reviewed

Same carrier, same network — different price and data. Here’s how the rest of the Lycamobile lineup scored.

See every Lycamobile plan

Same budget, different carrier

Plans priced within a few dollars of Lycamobile $23 (8GB), from carriers we rate independently. Worth a look before you commit.

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