The cheapest internet plan will vary depending on what promotions are on offer at the time.
The table below shows the cheapest unlimited data NBN plans across different speed categories and the cheapest 4G and 5G home wireless broadband plans.
| Internet connection | Provider | Cost | Typical download speed | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NBN 12 | Flip | $39 per month for the first 3 months then $52.90 ongoing | 12Mbps | Read review |
| NBN 25 | Flip | $39 per month for the first 3 months then $57.90 ongoing | 25Mbps | Read review |
| NBN 50 | Kogan Internet | $62.90 per month for the first 6 months then $78.90 ongoing | 50Mbps | Sign up here |
| NBN 100 | SpinTel | $71 per month for the first 6 months then $81.95 ongoing | 100Mbps | Read review |
| NBN 250 | SpinTel | $79 per month for the first 6 months then $89.95 ongoing | 235Mbps | Read review |
| NBN 1000 | Buddy Telco | $99 per month | 600Mbps | Sign up here |
| 4G home wireless broadband | TPG | $39.99 per month for the first 6 months then $54.99 ongoing | 15Mbps | Sign up here |
| 5G home wireless broadband | iiNet | $44.99 per month for the first 6 months then $59.99 ongoing | 50Mbps | Sign up here |
| 5G home wireless broadband | TPG | $44.99 per month for the first 6 months then $59.99 ongoing | 50Mbps | Sign up here |
| Mobile broadband | Reward | $9.90 per month for 500MB | N/A | Read review |
While money matters, it's also important to find an internet plan that works for your wallet and your household.
There's no point in getting a cheap deal if you're stuck with a slow internet plan.
Consider these 4 factors when hunting for a cheap internet plan.
NBN is the norm in Australia but if you get good mobile coverage in your area, home wireless could be a viable alternative. Home wireless plans are slightly cheaper than NBN plans, with a lot of "first month free" offers to give you a taste of the wireless life.
If you can, don't sacrifice data for a lower price if you're a regular internet user. NBN plans usually come with unlimited data, though you'll find a few offering data caps of 10–100GB for about $5 less. On the other hand, cheaper home wireless and mobile broadband plans are often capped so you'll need to be careful with your usage.
The NBN offers 6 different speed categories. Faster internet speeds cost you more but are worth it depending on your internet usage and how many people live with you. With mobile broadband and home wireless, you can decide between 4G and 5G speeds based on your budget and whether 5G is available in your area.
Plenty of providers offer a BYO modem option to bring down your upfront costs, but there are also some that force you to buy a new one when you first sign up. We recommend to bring your own if you can. Just make sure your current modem is compatible with the new provider. You can chat to them about it online or over the phone.
With these in mind, you're ready to compare plans to find a better deal for your internet at home. You can use the filters on our comparison table to sort by lowest to highest price to find a cheap broadband plan that works for you.
"I'd love to say I'm someone that compares and switches every year but until recently, that wasn't true. I've always thought it would be really complicated (I work in insurance, where sometimes switching less than easy). It was incredibly straightforward and fairly cheap. I'll be comparing and looking to switch every year now."
Cheaper broadband plans often come with slower speeds or lower data allowances.
Slower internet plans will always be cheaper, more specifically if you're on the NBN. However, cheaper may not be the best option for your home.
Some cheaper internet plans also have lower data allowances. This is especially true for home wireless and mobile broadband where data-capped plans are the norm. On the other hand, NBN plans usually come with unlimited data.
While a cheap deal might be appealing, consider whether a limit like 200GB a month is enough for you. If you regularly stream or download large files, you'll need to consider getting more data.
As a starting point, NBN Co has found that the average Australian uses 258GB of data each month at home.
How much should I be spending on broadband?
The average cost of broadband as per our Consumer Sentiment Tracker is $81 per month. If you're paying more than this, it might be worth switching or at least comparing your options.
Our data useage is bonkers. Whether you're Zooming solo or a house full of gamers, we know getting the most speed for the least buck is top of your list.
Obsessed with offers. With over 300 options from over 50 internet providers, you could go website to website and find them yourself. Or, you could let us nerd out for you - see them in one place live 24/7.
No mark ups. You get the same rates as going direct, heck sometimes you even score better as we put in the yards to bring you exclusive offers.
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See the top 10 internet providers on Finder over the last month.
Unlimited internet plans are everywhere and fit every budget, so you’d have to go out of your way to find anything else.
Our team of experts has narrowed down the best internet deals this month to help you find the right one.
iiNet is a household Internet name, offering decent speeds with the option of adding Fetch entertainment on your plan.
what is the difference between mobile broadband internet, wireless internet, and wi-fi broadband?
Hi Huey, 4G and 5G wireless home broadband plans use phone mobile networks to supply an Internet connection, rather than relying on a wired connection, which is what the NBN does. Wi-Fi is the technology which allows your computer or tablet or smart TV to connect to your Internet service without needing to have a cable connected. This means you can use devices anywhere in your home, but the speeds aren’t quite as good as if you did connect via a cable. Wi-Fi can be used whether you have NBN or 4G/5G for your Internet plan. Hope this helps!
I am wanting a small mobile data plan (10gb-20gb) that does not time expire, in otherwords just consume the data. This is for NBN backup which is super reliable but does have outages. In a residential situation it is a complete waste of money to buy a 365 day plan for $100+ and 200gb+ which will be rarely used.
I cannot find any provider offering such product. Any advice>
Regards
Barry
Hi Barry,
As you’ve pointed out, most of the long expiry data only mobile broadband plans cost over $100 and you get 80GB or more of data.
The cheapest 365 day mobile data only plan in Finder’s database at the time of writing is from Aldi, which offers 30GB of data for $95.
If you consider that too much data for you, then other plans that offer smaller amounts of data are monthly plans, which may not suit your needs.
You can read more about mobile broadband in our guide to see if you can find something suitable: https://www.finder.com.au/broadband-plans/mobile-broadband
Hope this helps.