Top 10 mobile phone providers in Australia (get the inside scoop)

Compare the top 10 popular mobile service providers in Australia

1. Southern Phone
2. felix
3. TPG
4. Belong
5. Circles.Life
6. Catch Connect
7. iiNet
8. Dodo
9. Kogan
10. Optus

1. Southern Phone - Affordable plans on the Optus network

Southern Phone's plans offer pretty great value, both with and without discounts and across all data limits.

Most popular Southern Phone plan on Finder:

Southern Phone could be right for you if you:

• Want an affordable plan on the Optus network and don't care much about extra bells and whistles.
• Are looking for a plan with international call credit. Southern Phone offers $50 across all plans for standard international calls.

• Keep in mind: 5G download speeds are capped at 100Mbps but this should still be good enough for most online activities.

2. felix mobile - The only unlimited data mobile provider in Australia

felix is currently the only provider in Australia to offer a mobile plan with no data caps from the time you sign up.

The caveat is there's a 20Mbps download speed cap throughout, though this is still good enough for social media, streaming etc.

Most popular felix plan on Finder:

felix could be right for you if you:

• Don't want speed caps but appreciate the concept of endless data on other mobile plans from felix. Download speeds will be slowed to 1.5Mbps once you've exhausted your monthly data allowance meaning. It's the best way to avoid excess data charges.
• Want a carbon-neutral plan from a Finder Green Award-winning provider. It also plants 1 tree per active subscription each month.

• Keep in mind: felix offers purely digital customer support, which might not work for some people.

3. TPG - 50% off mobile plans for 6 months

TPG's prepaid mobile plans stack up well against our $1 per GB benchmark, both before and after factoring in its 6-month discounts.

Most popular TPG plan on Finder:

TPG could be right for you if you:

• Want unlimited international calls and texts to standard numbers across 31 selected countries on its medium and large plans. Or, 100 minutes on its small plan.
• Are already with TPG for internet and want to save an additional $5 a month by bundling its medium or large prepaid mobile plan.

• Keep in mind: TPG is one of the few providers to sting you with a port-out fee ($11) when you move your number to a new service.

4. Belong - Telstra's cheaper sub-brand

Belong was launched as Telstra's sub-brand back in 2013 and has since been offering mobile plans at a lower price using parts of the Telstra network.

Most popular Belong plan on Finder:

Belong could be right for you if:

• You tend to use a little over your monthly data limit – Belong offers no excess usage charges and will just slow your mobile internet speed down to 1Mbps instead.
• You want additional features such as unlimited data banking and the option to add-on international calls or international roaming.

• Keep in mind: Most of Belong's plans come with 150Mbps download speed caps (or 250Mbps on its largest plan). However, this is still fast enough for most online activities.

5. Circles.Life - Great value plans on the Optus network

Circles.Life has something for everyone at a budget-friendly price - whether you're a low, medium or high data user.

Most popular Circles.Life plan on Finder:

Circles.Life could be right for you if you:

• Want affordable plans on the Optus network and a mobile app to track data usage.
• Like the idea of rolling over unused data up to 500GB. This is available across most plans, just not the 6GB offer.
• Want access to international roaming and dialling packs.

• Keep in mind: You can only call Circles to leave a voicemail. The team will then call you back within one working day. Alternatively, you can use live chat via its app.

6. Catch Connect - Great value long expiry deals

You might know Catch for its deals on everyday items, but that extends to its mobile plans as well. That's why it was highly commended in the 2024 Finder Product Awards for its Long Expiry Prepaid Plan.

Most popular Catch plan on Finder:

Catch could be right for you if:

• You're looking for a way to save money on your yearly mobile bill and want to ditch the hassle of monthly recharges.
• You're looking for a budget provider on the Optus network.

• Keep in mind: Catch's long expiry plans are great value but you'll need to commit for the long term. Make sure you're happy to stick with it for 365 days before you sign up.

7. iiNet - Half-price mobile plans for half the year

iiNet's mobile plans offer fab value against our $1 per GB benchmark, both before and after the 6-month discounts.

Most popular iiNet plan on Finder:

iiNet could be right for you if you:

• Want 100 minutes of standard international calls on the small plan or unlimited international calls and texts to 31 selected countries on the medium and large plans.
• Like bundling discounts. You'll get $5 a month off when you bundle iiNet's internet plan with its medium or large mobile plan. This will apply after the 6-month discount runs out.
• Want the option to sign up via an eSIM if you have a compatible handset.

• Keep in mind: 5G access is not available on its small plan. iiNet's mobile plans also auto-renew each month until you cancel.

8. Dodo - Plenty of data options and budget-friendly plans

Whether you're after a small or large amount of data that won't break the bank, Dodo has you covered.

Most popular Dodo plan on Finder:

Dodo could be right for you if you:

• Don't want to be hit with a bill shock. If you go over your monthly data allowance, Dodo will simply slow down your download speeds to 256Kbps until your next billing cycle.
• Want international call credit between $100 to $400 depending on the plan. This is available on the majority of Dodo's plans.
• Like the option of banking data for future use. This feature is available on all plans.

• Keep in mind: Despite being advertised as a postpaid plan, you'll have to pay for the plan at the start of the month.

9. Kogan - For the budget seekers

Kogan's mobile plans offer pretty good value for money, especially for those committing to its 365-day plans.

That's why Kogan won the Long Expiry Prepaid Mobile Provider title at the 2024 Finder Awards and was highly commended in the Budget Mobile Provider category.

Most popular Kogan plan on Finder:

Kogan could be right for you if you:

• Want to BYO number and switch in minutes with an eSIM. You just need a compatible handset.
• Would like to earn Qantas Points. You'll get 1 point for every $2 spent on Kogan Mobile.

• Keep in mind: Kogan's mobile plans run on the Vodafone network. Its coverage may be patchy if you live in rural or regional Australia. This is important especially if you want a long expiry plan.

10. Optus - Did somebody say Unlimited Data Weekend?

Optus's prepaid plans are the more affordable option if you want to sign up with the telco directly.

Until 16 March 2024, the telco giant's even giving unlimited data every weekend if you set up auto recharge.

Most popular Optus plan on Finder:

Optus could be right for you if you:

• Like sports and want access to Optus Sport for $12 a month instead of $24.99
• Want to roll over unused data (up to 200GB)
• Get an additional 5GB by setting up auto recharge
• Want access to international call minutes and texts

• Keep in mind: 4G and 5G download speeds are capped at 150Mbps but this is fast enough for most online activities.

Who is the best mobile phone provider in Australia?

The best provider for you is going to depend on what you value most in a mobile phone company. That can range from anything such as network, price or included plan features.

There are a few stand-outs that we've awarded across a range of categories to help narrow down the list for you.

Top 5 mobile providers for customer satisfaction in 2024

Finder's Customer Satisfaction Awards highlight the mobile providers Aussies love and trust most, based on factors like customer service, features and benefits, speed, service reliability, and value for money.

Brand	Overall satisfaction	Customers who'd recommend
	★★★★★ 4.58/5	100%
	★★★★★ 4.35/5	100%
	★★★★★ 4.33/5	100%
	★★★★★ 4.2/5	86%
	★★★★★ 4.03/5	86%

How do you compare mobile service providers in Australia?

When looking for a new mobile phone plan you'll want to consider a few factors:

How many phone companies are there in Australia?

Provider	Network	Plan type
AGL	Optus (4G/5G)	Postpaid
ALDImobile	Telstra wholesale (4G/5G)	Prepaid
Alphacall	Telstra wholesale (4G/5G)	Postpaid
amaysim	Optus (4G/5G)	Prepaid
Aussie Broadband	Optus (4G/5G)	Postpaid
Belong	Telstra wholesale (4G/5G)	Postpaid
Bendigo Telco	Optus (4G)	Postpaid
BetterLife	Telstra wholesale (4G)	Prepaid
Boost Mobile	Telstra (4G/5G)	Prepaid
Catch Connect	Optus (4G)	Prepaid
Circles.Life	Optus (4G)	Postpaid
CMobile Blue	Telstra wholesale (4G/5G)	Postpaid
CMobile Red	Vodafone (4G)	Postpaid
Coles Mobile	Optus (4G)	Prepaid
Dodo	Optus (4G)	Postpaid
E.Tel	Optus (4G)	Postpaid
EscapeNet	Telstra wholesale (4G)	Postpaid
Everyday Mobile (Woolworths)	Telstra wholesale (4G/5G)	Prepaid and postpaid
Exetel	Telstra wholesale (4G/5G)	Prepaid
felix mobile	Vodafone (4G/5G)	Prepaid
Flip	Optus (4G)	Postpaid
Goodtel	Telstra wholesale (4G/5G)	Postpaid
iiNet	Vodafone (4G/5G)	Prepaid
iPrimus	Optus (4G)	Postpaid
JB Hi-Fi	Telstra (4G/5G)	Prepaid and postpaid
Kogan Mobile	Vodafone (4G)	Prepaid
Konec	Telstra wholesale (4G/5G)	Prepaid
Lebara	Vodafone (4G/5G)	Prepaid
Lycamobile	Vodafone (4G/5G)	Prepaid
Mate	Telstra wholesale (4G/5G)	Postpaid
Moose Mobile	Optus (4G/5G)	Postpaid
More	Telstra wholesale (4G/5G)	Postpaid
numobile	Telstra wholesale (4G/5G)	Postpaid
Optus	Optus (4G/5G)	Prepaid, postpaid, phone repayment plan
Pennytel	Telstra wholesale (4G)	Postpaid
Reward Mobile	Vodafone (4G)	Postpaid
Southern Phone	Optus (4G/5G)	Postpaid
SpinTel	Optus (4G)	Postpaid
Spriggy Mobile	Optus (4G/5G)	Prepaid
Superloop	Telstra wholesale (4G/5G)	Prepaid
Swoop	Optus (4G/5G)	Postpaid
Tangerine Telecom	Telstra wholesale (4G/5G)	Postpaid
TeleChoice	Telstra wholesale (4G/5G)	Prepaid and postpaid
Telsim	Telstra wholesale (4G/5G)	Prepaid
Telstra	Telstra (4G/5G)	Prepaid, postpaid, phone repayment plan
Think Mobile	Vodafone (4G)	Postpaid
Think Mobile Classic	Telstra wholesale (4G)	Postpaid
TPG	Vodafone (4G/5G)	Prepaid
Vodafone	Vodafone (4G/5G)	Prepaid, postpaid, phone repayment plan
Yomojo	Optus (4G)	Prepaid
ZenSim	Vodafone (4G/5G)	Prepaid

Frequently asked questions

• What are the differences between mobile networks in Australia?

  The primary difference between mobile networks in Australia is coverage. Each network covers the following percentage of Australians:

  • Telstra: 99.5%
  • Optus: 98.5%
  • Vodafone: 96%

  Where it gets a little tricky is when we start to include smaller network providers known as MVNOs. These providers don't own their own mobile network but basically rent it out to sell their own plans.

  MVNO network coverage really only differs for Telstra. Apart from Boost Mobile, all other Telstra MVNOs operate on the wholesale Telstra network which covers 98.8% of Australians.

  MVNOs that use the Optus and Vodafone mobile networks have the same coverage as Optus and Vodafone themselves.

• Who has the best mobile plans in Australia?

  This can vary month-to-month depending on which mobile phone provider's offering the best deal.

  Luckily for you, we handpick the best mobile plans in Australia every month, looking at factors such as network, price, data allowance, excess data charges and more.

  Check out our top picks for this month and find out which mobile plans have made the cut.

• Is there an alternative to Telstra?

  If you want access to Telstra's network without paying higher prices, look for a Telstra MVNO. Boost Mobile is a great option as it has access to the full Telstra network. Other Telstra network providers use parts of the Telstra wholesale network rather than the full network, which covers 98.8% of Australians instead of 99.5%.

  There's only a 0.7% difference between Telstra's wholesale network and its full one, but this difference may be noticeable for those in rural and regional parts of Australia.

• Is Telstra better than Optus?

  There are lots of differences between Telstra and Optus – even Vodafone. Depending on what you need in a mobile plan, it's hard to say which one is better than the other.

  Optus mobile plans tend to be cheaper, but Telstra's network is superior, reaching the largest amount of the Australian population.