Unlimited data or 100 GB. What do you really need?
posted 2nd December 2025
Not sure if you need Unlimited or 100 GB. Use our plain English guide to estimate real usage, understand hotspot and speed rules, and choose with confidence.
The quick answer
- If you hotspot a laptop regularly, stream HD video on the move most days, or share data across devices, Unlimited is the safe choice.
- If you mostly use Wi‑Fi at home, work, or school, and only stream or map occasionally when out and about, 100 GB is generous and will suit most people.
- If you are a very light user or unsure, start with 30 GB and increase only if you hit the limit.
How much data do everyday things use
Actual usage varies by app quality and phone settings. These rules of thumb will get you close enough to choose.
- Web and email: roughly 50–150 MB per hour.
- Maps and navigation: 30–100 MB per hour once maps are downloaded. Downloading an area for offline use can be a few hundred MB up front.
- Music streaming: about 50–150 MB per hour. Higher quality uses more.
- Short social video feeds: often 600 MB to 1.2 GB per hour.
- Video streaming: SD about 0.7 GB per hour, HD about 2–3 GB per hour, 4K can reach 7 GB per hour.
- Hotspot for a laptop: highly variable. Simple browsing is light, but cloud back‑ups, updates and video calls can consume many GB in a short time.
A simple way to estimate your month
- Think about a typical week. How many hours do you stream away from Wi‑Fi. How often do you hotspot.
- Multiply by four.
- Add 25 percent headroom for busy weeks and app updates.
If that number is over 80–90 GB, Unlimited gives peace of mind. If it is under 60 GB, 100 GB is more than enough.
Tethering and fair use rules in plain English
Most plans allow tethering and personal hotspot. Heavy hotspot use can trigger fair use policies that slow speeds or ask you to move to a higher tier. Unlimited plans may also have traffic management at very busy times. If you rely on hotspots for work, choose Unlimited and keep large updates for Wi‑Fi.
About speed caps
Some unlimited tiers include a policy that reduces top speeds compared with the highest tier. For most everyday tasks you will not notice, but if you stream in HD on the move, upload large files, or game in the cloud, pick the higher tier. Our Vodafone comparison explains this logic clearly.
*Read next:* Vodafone Unlimited vs Red. Which plan is best in 2025
Quick chooser by persona
Use the description that sounds most like you and pick with confidence.
Student
On Wi‑Fi most of the day, some socials and maps on the move, occasional HD video.
Start with 100 GB. Move to Unlimited only if you push the limit.
Commuter
Streams music and podcasts daily, some HD video on trains, occasional hotspot.
100 GB or Unlimited depending on how often you stream video. If video is most days, choose Unlimited.
Home worker
Hotspots a laptop for meetings and travel days, uploads large files, uses cloud storage.
Unlimited is the better fit. Keep big updates for Wi‑Fi.
Family organiser
Messaging, maps, school apps, a few hours of video on weekends.
100 GB is usually plenty. Unlimited is a nice safety net if you travel a lot.
Tips to stretch your data further
- Turn on Wi‑Fi Calling at home and work.
- Download offline maps for trips.
- Set streaming quality to Auto when on mobile data.
- Pause laptop and phone system updates until you are on Wi‑Fi.
- Keep photo backups for Wi‑Fi only.
Ready to choose your plan
Pick a plan that fits your month, then adjust later if your usage changes. We make it easy to switch and to keep your number. Shop all our plans here.
Helpful: Keep your number with a PAC. Read our two minute guide here.
Update note:We will update this guide in 2026 to reflect any changes in UK plans and fair use policies.