You want to leave Swisscom, or you're already looking for the best network outside the most expensive provider. The choice often comes down to two options: Salt or Sunrise. This guide compares both head-to-head, no marketing, real numbers.
Sunrise wins in most situations: better network quality in tests, stronger 5G coverage in cities and the best budget MVNO ecosystem (Digital Republic, spusu, yallo).
The annual connect mobile network test, one of the most respected network tests in Europe, shows for 2026:
Sunrise wins six out of seven user profiles in the Swiss test. Sunrise leads in general everyday use, streaming and gaming.
Swisscom remains unbeaten on raw download speed (506 Mbps vs. Sunrise 274 Mbps vs. Salt 154 Mbps), but raw speed is irrelevant for most users.
Salt trails Sunrise in the test but takes second place in the «Highend Gaming» latency test, a niche aspect, but worth noting.
| Category | Sunrise | Salt | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| General coverage | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ | Sunrise |
| 5G coverage cities | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | Sunrise |
| 5G coverage rural | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ | Tie |
| Download speed | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ | Sunrise |
| Latency / gaming | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | Slight Sunrise |
| Coverage abroad (EU) | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★★☆ | Salt |
Important: the quality differences between Sunrise and Salt are real, but not dramatic. Both networks work well for normal everyday use. The difference is most noticeable in fringe areas, tunnels and at very high data volumes.
| Plan | Data | Price/month | Roaming |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swiss Connect Lite | 6 GB, 5G | CHF 34.90 | No included EU roaming |
| Swiss Connect | unlimited, 5G | CHF 44.90 | 44 EU countries included |
| Swiss Connect Europe+ | unlimited, 5G | CHF 54.90 | EU + more countries |
| Plan | Data | Price/month (promo) | Roaming |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swiss | unlimited, 5G | from CHF 22.00 | No EU roaming |
| Europe | unlimited, 5G | from CHF 30.00 | EU included |
| Europe Max | unlimited, 5G + EU | from CHF 35.00 | EU + more |
Salt aggressively uses promo pricing, the CHF 22 to 35 above are often time-limited promotions. The normal price after the promo phase ends can be significantly higher. Always check the price after the promo ends before signing a Salt contract.
| Provider | Normal price/month | Promo price/month | Watch out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunrise Swiss Connect | CHF 44.90 | Rare promos | Stable price |
| Salt Europe | ~CHF 50+ | from CHF 30 | Promo price expires! |
What really matters when comparing Sunrise vs. Salt isn't the direct plan, it's the budget providers on each network.
| Provider | Cheapest plan | Price/month | Strength |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digital Republic | Flat (unlimited) | CHF 13.00 | Fairest price, most transparent terms |
| spusu | spusu 10 (10 GB) | CHF 9.90 | Cheapest plan in Switzerland, incl. EU roaming |
| yallo | Depending on package | from CHF 16.90 | Promo pricing, EU roaming included |
| Galaxus Mobile | Depending on package | from CHF 14.90 | Trusted brand |
| Mucho | Mucho Nano | CHF 4.90 | Minimalist package for Wi-Fi users |
| Lebara | Depending on package | from CHF 9.90 | International calls |
| Provider | Cheapest plan | Price/month | Strength |
|---|---|---|---|
| GoMo | GoMo+ (unlimited) | CHF 14.95 | Simple flat-rate model, 3 GB EU roaming incl. |
| Lidl Connect | Depending on package | from CHF 12.90 | Cheap, simple |
| Post Mobile | Depending on package | from CHF 19.90 | Swiss brand, trusted |
The Sunrise network has the stronger budget provider ecosystem with Digital Republic, spusu and yallo. Anyone looking for the cheapest plan with good quality almost always finds it on the Sunrise network.
This is the area where Salt closes the gap. While Sunrise MVNOs often have good EU roaming packages, the Salt direct plan «Europe» with roaming in all EU countries is an attractive option for frequent travellers.
So if you travel a lot in the EU: don't compare Sunrise direct vs. Salt direct, compare the best MVNOs on both networks.
Sunrise offers the best everyday coverage and network quality in most Swiss regions.
Sunrise has the strongest 5G coverage in urban areas.
Digital Republic (CHF 13, unlimited) and spusu (CHF 9.90) are on the Sunrise network.
Sunrise prices stay constant, no nasty surprise after a promo ends.
Salt offers a direct plan with good EU roaming that's attractive for frequent travellers.
Anyone willing to switch when the promo ends can profit from Salt's aggressive promotions.
Check the coverage map for your region, in some areas Salt is stronger than Sunrise.
We deliberately left Swisscom out of this article, but for completeness:
For most users who want to optimise costs, Swisscom is the most expensive of the three networks with the smallest budget MVNO advantage (Wingo is good but more expensive than Digital Republic or spusu on Sunrise).
Look at the coverage maps from Sunrise and Salt for your region (both websites have coverage maps).
Digital Republic (CHF 13, unlimited) or spusu 10 (CHF 9.90), best price-performance on the Sunrise network.
GoMo (CHF 13, unlimited) or Lidl Connect, the best budget options on the Salt network.
Compare on handyabo.com using the roaming filter, the best deals are often on Sunrise MVNOs.
Find the best plan on the network of your choice, we show the real long-term price.
Compare now →Salt and Sunrise are both solid networks, significantly cheaper than Swisscom, with good coverage in Switzerland. Sunrise clearly leads in the 2026 network test, Salt scores with more aggressive direct plan pricing.
For most consumers, however, neither the Salt nor the Sunrise direct plan is the best deal. The best price-performance ratios are in the budget MVNOs on these networks, and there the Sunrise ecosystem with Digital Republic and spusu leads.