Valentine Billod
What is RED by SFR? The low-cost offshoot of SFR explained
€1.99
Mobile plans from
€22.99
Internet from
SFR
4G + 5G network · 92.8% coverage
Launched in 2011, RED by SFR was SFR's response to the arrival of Free Mobile on the French market. Positioned as a fully digital, budget-friendly alternative to SFR, RED competes directly with Sosh (Orange's low-cost brand) and B&You (Bouygues Telecom). It targets users who want quality coverage without a long-term commitment and without paying for in-store support they don't need.
RED by SFR is a wholly-owned brand of SFR (Altice France) — not a separate mobile network. RED customers use the exact same SFR network as full-price SFR subscribers — including 4G (99% mainland coverage) and 5G in eligible areas — and have access to SFR Wi-Fi hotspots across France. The key difference is that everything is managed online: subscription, billing, troubleshooting, and cancellation.
RED by SFR vs SFR: what is the difference?
Both providers use the same network infrastructure, but differ significantly in price, service model, and target audience:
 RED by SFR 100% online brand from €1.99 /mo |  SFR Full-service operator from €19.99 /mo | |
|---|---|---|
| Network quality | SFR (4G/5G) | SFR (4G/5G) |
| Contract | ✓ No commitment | 0 or 24 months |
| Physical stores | ✗ None (100% online) | ✓ SFR boutiques |
| Customer service | App + chat (French only) | Phone + in-store |
| Mobile plans from | €1.99/mo | €19.99/mo |
| Internet plans from | €22.99/mo | €28.99/mo |
| TV decoder | Optional (+€5/mo) | ✓ Full range |
| English helpline | ✗ French only | ✗ French only |
| Subscribe to RED → | Subscribe to SFR → |
Prices shown are TTC (incl. VAT). Verified by Selectra, October 2026. Non-contractual.
📌 Is SFR being sold? What it means for RED by SFR
In June 2026, SFR's parent company Altice France signed an agreement to sell SFR to a consortium of Bouygues Telecom, Iliad (Free) and Orange, valued at around €20.35 billion. Reports around the agreement indicate that RED by SFR would eventually move under Free (Iliad) once the deal closes, expected in the second half of 2027 and subject to competition-authority approval. Until then, RED continues to operate exactly as described on this page, on the current SFR network, with no change to existing plans or pricing.
RED by SFR internet offers: RED Box plans and prices
RED offers several home internet plans under the RED Box range. All are no-contract (sans engagement), with a fixed monthly price that does not increase in the second year: a genuine advantage over most competitors. The base RED Box Fibre includes landline calls to mobiles and landlines in France and internationally.
💰 Installation fee
RED Box subscriptions currently benefit from waived activation fees (mise en service offerte) as part of ongoing promotions.
RED also offers a 5G box (Box RED 5G at €25.99/month) for eligible areas, and an ADSL plan for addresses not yet covered by fibre. Check your eligibility on our dedicated page.
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RED by SFR mobile plans: SIM-only from €1.99/month (1 GB)
RED by SFR offers a range of SIM-only mobile plans (forfaits mobiles sans engagement) at some of the most competitive prices on the French market. All plans include unlimited calls, SMS and MMS in mainland France, and run on the SFR 4G/5G network. eSIM is available across the entire RED mobile range.
All RED mobile plans include a data allowance usable from the EU and French overseas territories (DOM) at no extra cost. The Forfait RED 250 Go 5G Spécial Voyage (€15.99/month) adds 35 Go of data usable in 124 destinations, including 62 outside the EU.
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RED by SFR network coverage in France
RED by SFR customers use the SFR network — France's second-largest mobile network, covering 92.8% of the French mainland population in 4G according to ARCEP (2025), and expanding rapidly in 5G. As a RED subscriber, you access the same coverage as full-price SFR customers at a lower monthly cost.
| Coverage type | All areas | Priority zones | Mountain areas |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4G Network | |||
| Area coverage | 96,74 % | 95,48 % | 90,65 % |
| Population coverage | 99,91 % | 99,60 % | 99,46 % |
| Population covered | 65 444 254 | — | — |
| 5G Network | |||
| Area coverage | 42,90 % | 28,86 % | 20,86 % |
| Population coverage | 85,00 % | 54,99 % | 69,65 % |
| Population covered | 55 677 886 | — | — |
Source: ARCEP data — T4 2025.
Is RED by SFR right for you? Pros, cons and who it suits
RED by SFR is worth considering if you value low prices and flexibility over customer support. Here is an honest assessment:
Customer reviews by platform
| Plateforme | Note | Avis |
|---|---|---|
| / |
Notes collectees sur les principales plateformes d'avis. Mise a jour automatique.
Selectra Score
7 plans analysed
RED by SFR: competitive pricing on a solid network, but online-only support is a barrier for expats
RED by SFR delivers genuine value: the same SFR 4G/5G coverage as the full-price operator, no contract, and fixed pricing after year one. For expats comfortable managing everything online in French, it is one of the best-value combinations available. The main barrier is the total absence of English-language or in-store support — all help comes via chat, app or community forum, in French only.
What we love
- Fixed pricing: no increase after year one — rare among budget French operators.
- Same SFR network: 4G (99% coverage) and 5G identical to full-price SFR.
- No contract on both mobile and internet plans.
- eSIM available on all mobile plans.
Keep in mind
- No English-speaking customer service — all support is online and in French.
- No in-store help: visiting an SFR boutique as a RED customer is charged separately.
- A €49 cancellation fee applies to internet box plans despite being 'sans engagement'.
Students, young professionals and expats who are comfortable managing their account online in French. RED is particularly well-suited to those living in fibre-covered areas with good network availability.
📖 Useful guides
What customers actually say
RED by SFR's Trustpilot profile is among the most one-sided of any French operator — even more so than its parent brand, SFR:
Trustpilot star split, August 2026
👍 Praised most
👎 Criticised most
“Traded in my Samsung through their programme — everything worked perfectly, and I'd recommend it.”
Marco · 7 Aug 2026
“Four scheduled technician visits for one box repair, and not one of them happened — hours on hold, and the same excuses every time.”
Alexandre · 7 Aug 2026
Read this split with caution. Customers are far more likely to leave a review after a bad experience than a good one — a well-documented bias on every review platform, not specific to RED. Still, a 91% 1-star share is unusually high even accounting for that bias, and RED's profile shows no history of soliciting reviews, which tends to concentrate the sample toward complaints even further. Missed technician appointments and unresolved outages recur often enough across independent reviews to treat as a genuine pattern, not just noise.
Star split and quotes read on RED by SFR's Trustpilot profile on 18 August 2026, translated from French. Scores in the table above are pulled live and may already differ.
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RED by SFR customer service: how to get help
RED by SFR is a fully online service. There is no dedicated phone line for customer support, and assistance in an SFR boutique is not free for RED subscribers. All support is managed digitally:
RED&Moi app
Available on iOS and Android. Manage your account, view bills, report issues.
Online chat with Léo
RED's virtual assistant on red-by-sfr.fr. Available Monday to Saturday, 8am to 10pm.
WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger
Available for customer queries during the same hours.
Community forum
RED's online community at communaute.red-by-sfr.fr is active and covers many common issues. Some threads are in English.
Selectra is a partner of RED by SFR. Our English-speaking advisors can help you subscribe to RED internet and mobile plans, check your eligibility, and assist you throughout the process, free of charge.