Year-long recharge plans compared: what Jio, Airtel and Vi offer for 365 days

Remembering the recharge date every month is not easy. Forgetting to recharge can end a plan suddenly and leave several tasks stuck. For this reason, many users prefer a recharge with a year's validity.

Jio, Airtel and Vodafone Idea (Vi) all offer plans with 365 days of validity, but their prices and benefits are not the same. Some companies have low-priced plans that offer only calling, while others offer more data and 5G.

Users who do not need much mobile data and only want to keep their number active for calls can look at the Rs 1,849 annual plans from Airtel and Vi. Both companies offer 365 days of validity, so one recharge keeps the number active for the whole year. These plans give unlimited calling on any network across the country and a total of 3,600 SMS for the full 365 days. No internet data is provided for daily use. They can suit people who have Wi-Fi at home or in the office and find mobile data unnecessary.

For those who use mobile internet every day, Jio's Rs 3,599 annual plan can be an option. It offers 2.5 GB of high-speed data a day with 365 days of validity. It also includes unlimited calling on any network and 100 SMS a day. The plan comes with access to apps such as JioTV and JioAICloud. In areas where Jio has a 5G network, eligible users can also get unlimited 5G data.

Airtel also has a Rs 3,599 annual plan with 365 days of validity. It gives 2 GB of high-speed data a day, unlimited local and STD calling across the country and 100 SMS a day. Eligible users can also get unlimited 5G data under this plan, subject to network availability and the company's terms. Users should therefore check 5G availability in their area before recharging.

Vodafone Idea (Vi) has two plans with 365 days of validity, priced at Rs 3,499 and Rs 3,599. The Rs 3,499 plan gives 1.5 GB of data a day and the Rs 3,599 plan gives 2 GB a day. Both offer unlimited night data from midnight to 6 am. Data used during this period is not deducted from the daily data limit. This can be useful for people who watch many videos, download files or use the internet heavily at night.

Overall, for those who only want to make calls and keep a SIM active all year, the Rs 1,849 plan from Airtel and Vi is a good low-cost option. For more daily data, Jio's Rs 3,599 plan offers 2.5 GB a day, against 2 GB a day on Airtel's Rs 3,599 plan. For heavy night-time internet users, Vi's Rs 3,499 or Rs 3,599 plans may be useful.