Compare prepaid mobile plans
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Simply, a prepaid mobile plans is where you pay for your usage before you use it. You'll bring your own phone and pay a single price every month - no surprise extra charges.
There are also no lock-in contracts, so you have heaps of flexibility. If you aren't happy with your service, you can switch to a new provider while keeping your phone number.
In the old days, you'd buy a recharge from the supermarket each month, then call the number on the receipt. These days, you can still recharge manually each month, but you'll probably do it from your provider's app or website.
Most people use auto-recharge though. This lets your telco charge your credit card or savings account each month, so you never have to think about recharging. It's really good stuff.
The recharge period is the amount of time that you can use your prepaid plan before your recharge expires. For most plans, this will about a month - so you'll need to recharge every month. However, there are long-expiry plans with up to 365-day recharge periods.
Here are the 3 main types of plans you'll come across:
"Prepaid plans used to be those plans where you'd run out of credit and have to line up at Woolworths to get it recharged. They're much easier these days - I have a prepaid plan that I essentially set and forget thanks to auto-recharges being enabled. My plan automatically renews itself after each expiry period so I don't have to worry about it."
Let's clarify what we mean by 'postpaid' before comparing it to prepaid plans. Postpaid mobile plans come in 2 main flavours, with a phone contract and without a phone.
Prepaid plans are honestly great for most people, in large part because they're cheap, have no lock in contracts and are really flexible. The only exception might be if you want a new phone and aren't in a position to pay for it upfront.
The cost of a prepaid plan varies mostly based on your monthly data, which network you're on and the network technology.
Phone calls and texts within Australia don't tend to affect prepaid plan prices anymore, with most plans offering unlimited calls and texts. The exception to this is international calls and texts, as well as global roaming, both of which will either increase the price or require an add-on pack.
The gap between prepaid and postpaid mobile plans is getting smaller but prepaid plans come out to be cheaper overall. Postpaid plans have become slightly more expensive but you’re also getting more data in return.
According to the 2022-23 ACCC Communications market report, the median monthly retail prices across both prepaid and postpaid plans has remained at a flat $35 for the last 3 years.
We've calculated potential savings over a 12-month period by comparing the price difference between the cheapest and most expensive prepaid plans on Finder (as of February 2025).
We looked at 5 common monthly data limits and found the average savings to be $276.24. Here's the full list of savings for each data allowance:
There's no point in paying for data you don't use, so it pays to figure out your actual needs. These days we're connected to Wi-Fi a lot of the time anyway.
The best way to figure out your data usage is to check your current mobile plan. You'll be able to find your data usage in your provider's app or when you login on their website. If you don't have access to that, use our data usage calculator before choosing a new plan.
The average Aussie uses between 9.3GB (prepaid) and 17.4GB (postpaid) of mobile data per month. Unless your data needs a very low, it might be a good idea to start with a plan that offers anywhere between 15-20GB and see how you go.
Not saying you're average - you're exceptional. But your data usage is probably average.
"If you're in a position to buy a phone outright, prepaid mobile plans are a great option as you don't have to be on a long-term contract. They give much more flexibility. One thing I learnt when figuring out a prepaid option was to not assume I needed masses of data given my phone is often connected to Wi-Fi. So I started with a smaller amount of data (which was cheaper). If I need more later I can easily upgrade to a higher data option with the same provider."
You've got the choice of 3 networks in Australia: Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. Telstra covers the most and is the fastest, but it quite a lot more expensive. Vodafone and Optus are, in practice, about as good as each other, but each will cover different areas a little differently.
Smaller providers (known as MVNOs) will often offer coverage from 1 of the big 3 providers at cheaper rates. For example, Felix and TPG both use the Vodafone network, while amaysim and Catch use the Optus network.
If you live near a big city like Sydney, Melbourne or Adelaide, you'll probably be fine with the Optus or Vodafone network. They have great coverage across most cities at a much more reasonable price than the Telstra network.
If you live outside a major city (let's say smaller than Newcastle or Geelong) then you may need to get a plan on the Telstra network. Even if the towns and cities in your area have coverage with Optus and Vodafone, the highways or backroads are much more likely to be Telstra-only. If Telstra itself if too pricey, consider a smaller provider using the Telstra network, like ALDI or Boost.
Outside of calls, texts and data there are a few other features to keep an eye out for when comparing prepaid plans:
Some providers allow data rollover or data banking so you can keep any data you didn't use after your plan expires. This is a great way to get the most value out of your plan.
Some prepaid calls include unlimited international calls or a limited amount of international call credit. Calls are generally limited to lists of certain countries (this varies by provider). Great for users with family and friends overseas with limited other ways to connect.
A few providers such as felix and Vodafone offer "endless" or "infinite" data on some prepaid plans. In felix's case you get unlimited data capped at a speed of 20Mbps while with Vodafone you get infinite data at speeds of up to 1.5Mbps once you use up your original data allowance (similar to a postpaid plan).
Not only are eSIMs environmentally friendly, they're also very convenient. With this option, you can switch to your new provider in just a few minutes. No need to visit a store or wait for your SIM to arrive in the mail.
The best provider will depend on exactly what you're after, how much you're willing to pay and which network you'd prefer.
We've chosen some of the bigger names from what's available to give you an idea of what your prepaid mobile plan could be.
Telstra has an amazing network, reaching 99.7% of Aussies, and has the fastest mobile internet on offer. But it's pretty spenno.
If you live in rural Australia, Telstra (or a network on the Telstra network) is probably the way to go. In the cities you might be better off with a cheaper brand.
Learn more with our full Telstra review.
Optus is the number 2 network, reaching 98.5% of Aussies, also with great speeds. It's definitely cheaper than Telstra too.
Optus is a decent Telco, but is especially good if you would benefit from Optus Sport. It's only $9.99 for Optus customers, down from $24.99, and the only place you can watch Premiere League Football in Australia.
Learn more with our full Optus review.
Vodafone is right behind Optus for network coverage, reaching 98.4% of the population. It's also the cheapest of the lot.
All Vodafone plans have effectively unlimited data (it just slows down after you hit the cap) as well as the $5-a-day roaming deal - arguably the best international roaming deal on the market. Great if go overseas.
Learn more with our full Vodafone review.
TPG, which runs on the Vodafone network, isn't known for flashy extras like the bigger telcos, but it offers great value.
TPG offers excellent value, with all plans less than our $1 per GB benchmark. Plus, full-month expiry periods mean you recharge less across the year.
Learn more with our full TPG review.
Winner of our 2023 Finder Award for Best Prepaid Provider (Value), amaysim has a strong reputation for simple plans with heaps of data.
It's on the Optus network and runs generous bonus data on your first 1–3 recharges. However, 28-day recharge period means 13 recharges per year, rather than 12.
Learn more with our full amaysim review.
Boost gives you full access to Telstra's 4G network at a cheaper price. In fact, it's the only non-Telstra provder to have the full retail network, rather than the slightly less good wholesale network.
Boost have expiry periods between 7 days and 12 months, which is cool. But there's no international roaming available.
Learn more with our full Boost mobile review.
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Pay as you go mobile plans are a great way to save money if you don't use your phone very often.
Looking to keep your phone bill off your mind for a whole year? We’ve found the affordable long-expiry prepaid plans that offer good bang for your buck.
If I don’t have a 4G compatible phone and I do not wish to change it as yet, am I limited to a carrier as I notice they all say 4G? (example, Kogan offer, Vodaphone 4G)
Hi Eve,
Thank you for your reply.
You may still use or avail the services of any network carriers even if your phone is not 4G capable. The advantage of having a 4G capable device is that you’ll be able to utilize faster internet connectivity that is offered by 4G network.
Kind regards,
Jason
what are definitions for “Unlimited calls”. Does this mean unlimited call;s within Australia on standard numbers including those starting with 13, 1300 and 1800-. Also what is the definition of “Standard Australian numbers”?
Hi Ajith,
Thank you for your inquiry.
Just to confirm, which mobile plan service provider are you referring to? The “unlimited calls” feature depends on the type of plan and network provider. If you could provide a specific network/carrier, we will be able to check the coverage of the “unlimited calls” on their plan.
As for the Standard Australian number, this is any mobile number or landline number that has been provided by an Australian carrier.
Cheers,
May
I am looking for a prepaid mobile plan for my elderly mother, with unlimited calls to local numbers and no data.
What’s about?
Hello Phil,
Thanks for your question.
With regards to your concern, you may check the mobile plans featured on our website and read more about these products.
I hope that helps.
Cheers,
Harold
I am looking for a mobile plan with a long expiry which allows calls to the 1900 numbers
Hi Mary,
Thanks for your comment.
The following prepaid mobile plans all sell long-expiry prepaid plans. They can all be used to call 1900 numbers, but this will incur a premium fee.
Optus
Vodafone
Telstra
I hope this helps,
Brodie