We exist in a content-hungry society. It seems every second person is creating and posting videos online, whether it’s for fun or for profit. And we are all just as obsessed with devouring it. So much so that it's estimated over 1 billion hours of YouTube are watched globally each day!
Whether you’re watching because your favourite vlogger dropped a new video or you’re stuck on the roadside learning how to change a tyre - those videos are costing you data. Find out just how much data YouTube uses below and suitable SIM-only plans with suitable data for covering your usage needs.
If you want to avoid going over your data allowance, knowing how much data apps like YouTube use can help. Keeping track of your bills and how much data you're using is essential too for making sure you don't exceed your limit.
How much data does an hour of YouTube use?
How much data YouTube will use depends on the quality of your video playback. Watching a YouTube video at the standard 480p uses between 480 and 660MB per hour, while Full HD viewing can chew through between 1.2 and 2.7GB per hour. 4K video playback on YouTube will use anywhere between 5.5 and 23GB of data every hour. Keep in mind, however, the faster or more reliable your internet, the more data YouTube is likely to use.
Although there are no official figures for YouTube streaming, according to Android Authority, the standard playback is as follows:
| 1 minute (1MB) | 1 hour (GB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 4K (UHD) | 95-385MB | 5.5-23.0GB |
| 1080p (FHD) | 50-68MB | 2.5-4.1GB |
| 720p (HD) | 20-45MB | 1.2-2.7GB |
| 480p | 8-11MB | 0.48-0.68GB |
That means that we as a global community use over 440,000 Terabytes of data on YouTube every day. And that doesn’t even include uploading videos.
Use the WhistleOut search engine to compare mobile deals from 28 providers.
How long does 1GB of data last on YouTube?
Once again, how long 1GB will last on YouTube comes down to your video quality. If you’re on a data budget, then cranking those settings down to 480p can give you more time to watch unsolved murder theories, cat videos and cake decorating compilations.
| 1GB of data lasts (mins) | 1GB of data lasts (hours) | |
|---|---|---|
| 4K (UHD) | 2.6-11 mins | 0.043-0.18 hours |
| 1080p (FHD) | 15-20 mins | 0.25-0.33 hours |
| 720p (HD) | 22-50 mins | 0.37-0.83 hours |
| 480p | 90-125 mins | 1.5-2.08 hours |
How much mobile data do I need for YouTube?
The amount of data you need depends on how intensive your YouTube habits are and how much you care about video quality.
Luckily, phone plans these days not only have massive data inclusions but many of the major telcos offer "unlimited data". So even if you go over your data allocation, you won't get charged extra costs. Some plans start as low as $10 per month so you'll be surprised, you could just nab a cheap unlimited mobile plan to cover your YouTube data needs.
You won't get top speeds forever though, most unlimited data plans drop down to 1.5Mbps speeds once you exceed your monthly limit, so you may need to deal with some buffering.
Assuming that you’re using YouTube’s default playback of 480p, then you can get some bang for your streaming buck.
Heavy-use mobile plans for YouTube
Here are the most popular mobile plans in the WhistleOut database offering plenty of data for video-hungry YouTube lovers. Some telcos like ALDI Mobile, amaysim and Belong even offer unlimited data rollover for rainy days:
|
#1
|
Tangerine Telecom
30GB 5G Mobile SIM
$30.00/mth
Min. cost $15
|
|
#2
|
Dodo
Editor's Pick
Medium Mobile Plan
$30.00/mth
Min. cost $15
|
Everyday-use mobile plans YouTube
For those who just watch the occasional video on their morning commute or simply when they need advice on something, here's a selection of the best mobile phone plans in our database, sorted by popularity, to make sure you have enough data to get you by:
|
#1
|
SpinTel
Editor's Pick
$23 Mobile Plan
$12.00/mth
Min. cost $12
|
|
#2
|
Tangerine Telecom
30GB 5G Mobile SIM
$30.00/mth
Min. cost $15
|
|
#3
|
Dodo
Editor's Pick
Medium Mobile Plan
$30.00/mth
Min. cost $15
|
Does Netflix consume more data than YouTube?
Surprisingly on HD, Netflix's data usage per hour sits almost on par with YouTube's 720p high-frame rate data usage.
Netflix has four video quality settings to stream: low, standard, medium, and high (Netflix auto setting). Here's what each setting will cost you in data:
- Low: up to 300MB per hour
- Standard: 1GB per hour
- High Definition: 3GBper hour
- Ultra High Definition: up to 7GB per hour for 4K
| Video Quality | YouTube | Netflix |
|---|---|---|
| Low | 0.180-0.25GB | 300MB |
| Standard Definition (SD) | 0.48-0.68GB | 1GB |
| High Definition (HD) | 1.2-2.7GB | 3GB |
| Ultra-High Definition (UHD) | 5.5-23.0GB | 7GB |
What is AV1?
AV1 is a video codec, which claims to compress video 20% more efficiently for online viewing. In the simplest terms, AV1 is a video coding format that allows users to view high-quality video while using less data. The code was created to be royalty-free by the Alliance for Open Media, which includes tech giants like Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Samsung. Which is pretty damn kind of them, to be honest.
YouTube allows you to toggle between 3 AV1 settings; Auto, Prefer AV1 for SD or Always prefer AV1. The Auto setting will automatically choose the best playback option, while if you prefer AV1 for SD, the platform will play using AV1 where it can - in theory, save data. Adoption of AV1 is not widespread as of yet, so these settings won’t make a significant difference until the majority of videos have the AV1 coding.
It’s important to note that AV1 in HD is only suited for high-powered computers at the moment, so even if you do “always prefer” it, your phone may not be able to handle it.
Anula Wiwatowska
Offsite Editorial Lead | Instagram
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