Types of plans
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What different scores mean
9+
Excellent
These mobile plans stack up extremely well for overall cost and data allowance over 12 months plus network coverage. You may also get a little something extra such as Wi-Fi calling and data rollover.
7+
Great
These mobile plans are competitively priced and offer a decent amount of data. You might need to compromise just a little bit on extra features.
5+
Standard
Usually these mobile plans are just okay for overall cost over 12 months and the amount of data you're getting in return. Network coverage and extra features can be lacking.
0+
Basic
You can generally do better than what these mobile plans have to offer in terms of cost, data costs, network coverage and features. In short, they're poor value for money.
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How do you switch mobile plans?
1
Compare mobile plans
Whether you're looking at a SIM only or phone repayment plan, find something that suits your needs and saves you some dosh.2
Sign up online
When you sign up you can choose to keep your mobile number. You don't have to cancel your old plan, it'll all be done for you.3
Activate your new service
If you're going with an eSIM your plan should be available right away. If not you'll need to wait for your physical SIM to be delivered. Activate your sim and you'll be good to go. You're old provider will be in touch if you have outstanding bills.What types of mobile plans can you get in Australia?
In Australia, there are 3 main types of mobile phone plans - prepaid, postpaid and mobile phones on a plan. It's worth mentioning that the first 2 are kind of blurring together these days.
Prepaid plans
Prepaid mobile plans come with a recharge or renewal period that usually reset every 28 or 30 days. Traditionally you'll purchase a SIM card and pay at the start of each month to continue your plan.
Prepaid pros
- Budget-friendly. You'll never pay extra on top of your monthly amount.
- Flexible. Prepaid plans come with no lock-in contract, making it easy to switch whenever you want.
Prepaid cons
- Active recharging. These days most people will turn auto-recharge on, but if you don't then you'll need to remember to renew it every month.
Postpaid plans
Postpaid plans continue indefinitely. You typically pay for them at the end of the month, but some providers will now charge you at the start.
Postpaid pros
- Set and forget. Just pay your monthly bill. Easy.
- Higher data caps. Need a lot of data? Postpaid plans typically offer more bang for your buck.
Postpaid cons
- Excess usage fees may apply. If you go over your plan's data or call cap, you could get charged extra.
- Contracts still exist. Most providers have a no-lock-in contract option, but some postpaid plans still come with 6 or 12 month contracts.
Mobile phones on a plan
You can also grab a new phone on a mobile plan. Your monthly bill will be the price of your phone repayment plus the plan fees on top. Pay off the phone in monthly instalments over 12, 24 or 36 months.
Phones on a plan pros
- You get a new phone! Splitting your phone into monthly repayments lets you can own the latest iPhone or Samsung without paying upfront.
- Special telco-only discounts. Telcos often throw in discounts or free gifts you won't get elsewhere, especially for pre-orders.
Phones on a plan cons
- Long repayment periods. Staying with one provider for 2 or 3 years could leave you missing out on better deals.
- More expensive overall. If you have the cash, buying a phone outright is still cheaper.
Australians spent $2.2 billion in loyalty tax on mobile plans in 2023
If you're on a plan with one of Australia's major telcos - Telstra, Optus or Vodafone - you could be paying a loyalty tax. There may be cheaper plans offering similar data allowances with a smaller provider. Find out how much more you're paying on your utilities bill and the potential savings you could make by comparing.
How do you compare mobile plans?
Data
The average Aussie uses just 12.8GB a month, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). We recommend checking your data usage with your provider or on your phone and go from there. If you're using upwards of 40GB a month, look into unlimited data mobile plans which could be better suited to you.
Network
The network you get your mobile phone plan on will determine your level of coverage. Make sure you check especially if you live outside of metropolitan areas as some mobile networks may not service your area.
Inclusions
Mobile plan inclusions vary across the board but some handy features to look out for are data rollover and data sharing, Wi-Fi calling and international calls. On the other hand, if you're just looking for a simple mobile plan with calls, texts and data, you could skip on the extras and just get a good value plan.
Plan length
While most plans are paid month-to-month, contracts and longer expiry periods may not be a bad option if you're okay to stick around for the long run. Long-expiry plans that last up to 365 days mean you pay upfront for a year's worth of usage and can usually save on your mobile plan over the course of the year.
Mobile plan guides and resources
How much data do I need?
How much data you will need is going to depend on how you use it.
Activities like browsing and social media don't use that much data so you should be able to get through the month with a smaller amount. On the other hand, multimedia streaming and downloads use a fair bit.
Here are some examples of the activities you can perform on these data allowances:
| Data | Activities |
|---|---|
| 5GB | Basic browsing, social media |
| 10GB | Basic browsing, social media, music streaming, some video streaming |
| 20GB | Basic browsing, social media, multimedia streaming and mobile games |
| 40GB | Basic browsing, social media, multimedia streaming, downloads and mobile games |
Calculate an estimate of your mobile data usage to get a better idea of how much you need.
If that's not enough data then consider an unlimited data mobile plan (and avoid excess data charges).
Which mobile network is right for you?
Australia is home to just 3 mobile networks: Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. The main point of difference between them is coverage and price.
Telstra
Telstra is host to Australia's largest mobile network.
- Its 4G network reaches 99.5% of the population
- Has the most extensive 5G coverage in Australia (87%) and is still expanding.
- Wide coverage means Telstra's plans are a good option for those living in regional areas
- No lock-in contracts on all prepaid and postpaid plans
- Tends to be the most expensive mobile provider
Some of the providers that use the Telstra network include:
Optus
Optus comes next but it's no second fiddle.
- Its 4G network reaches 98.8% of the population
- Its prepaid and postpaid plans are a little cheaper than Telstra
- Optus is continuing to expand its 5G network, which now reaches 80.5% of the population.
- It covers a little less of Australia than Telstra – this difference in coverage is mostly felt in regional areas
Some of the providers that use the Optus network include:
Vodafone
Vodafone has the smallest network but is also the most affordable.
- 4G covers 96% of the population
- Vodafone's 5G rollout is still underway - it's now available in 3,000 suburbs across major cities in Australia
- Vodafone has the cheapest plans
- Not the best network for those living outside of metropolitan areas
Some of the providers that use the Vodafone network include:
"I've been a very regular mobile phone plan switcher - it's so easy to keep your number and try out different providers, I figure there's nothing to lose. I do really like having a plan on the Telstra network with great coverage and speed, but these days I'm spending most of my life in the city, so it's overkill. I'm currently with Felix on the Vodafone network and it suits me fine. I have their unlimited data prepaid plan on auto-recharge, so I don't need to think about it at all."
Finder Award winners
Overwhelmed by the amount of options? Look to our award-winning mobile providers – we've done the hard work for you.
2024 Finder Award for Best Budget Mobile Provider
TPG was a standout this year for the budget category because it stacks up well for price and data, especially when it's running frequent promotional offers.
2024 Finder Award for Best SIM Only Mobile Providers (Postpaid)
SpinTel and Circles.Life topped the charts this year for offering value for money. Their plans are well-priced and come with generous data allowances.
2024 Finder Award for Best Long Expiry Prepaid Mobile Provider
Kogan's 365-day mobile plans are some of the best around. They offer fantastic value for money and come with Wi-Fi calling and instant eSIM setup.
2023 Finder Award for Best Rated Mobile Provider
amaysim was rated highly by customers for offering value for money and great customer service with its prepaid plans.
2023 Finder Award for Best Postpaid Mobile Providers
Circles.Life and Belong topped the charts this year for offering value for money. Their plans are well priced and come with generous data allowances.
2023 Finder Award for Green Mobile Plan Provider of the Year
For the second year in a row, felix has taken the crown for its sustainability efforts which includes using 100% renewable energy and a tree planting program.
Looking for a phone with your plan?
Although buying a phone outright works out cheaper in the long run, it's not easy to pay a hefty amount upfront.
Telstra, Optus and Vodafone allow you to pair your mobile plan with a new handset. You then pay the cost of the phone monthly over a 12-, 24- or 36-month repayment period.
Major phone launches in 2024
The last major phone launch is behind us, with Apple's iPhone 16 series now on sale. It's powered by Apple Intelligence (coming this December) and priced lower than the iPhone 15 lineup! All four models are available on plans from Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone.
Right before that, we saw Google roll out its Pixel 9 series, and in July, Samsung gave us the Z Flip 6 and Z Fold 6.
And let's not forget. It all kicked off with Samsung's Galaxy S24 launch, sparking the year's AI buzz.
Read our expert reviews on other popular mobile phones
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Ask a question
Hello, My elderly mother lives with me and does not make many calls. Only about one local call per month. She is on a pre-pay plan with telstra and whenever she tries to make a call she has no credit because it has expired. Is there a plan you can recommend that will not expire monthly and is affordable for a pensioner. We have no landline and I’m concerned when I’m not home knowing she may not???? have credit when she needs it. She does not want internet acces on her mobile. She only wants to make calls. Thank you, Keshie
Hi Keshie,
Telstra, Optus, Virgin and Aldi all offer long-expiry plans with minimal credit that last longer than a month.
Thanks,
Brodie
Hi, what is the cheapest mobile phone plan that I can call overseas?
Hi Tim,
The mobile plan you will choose depends on where you are calling and how many calls you will be making per month. You may check onLebara mobile plans provides great rates for calling to most countries, but if you are looking for more local usage as well, you might want to check out cheap mobile plans we have compared.
Please ensure to read through the relevant product disclosure statement and terms and conditions of the mobile plan to ensure that you got everything covered before you apply.
Thanks,
Brodie
I’m a small business owner and single mother who needs a personal phone and business phone (which can be a regular cell) both with unlimited talk text data and also need a phone for my daughter with only talk and text, the safer the better for her, whtas the best options for me
Hi Jackie,
For your daughter, I would recommend something like Optus Long Expiry or Vodafone Pay As You Go. These plans have no long term commitment and are prepaid, meaning your daughter can only use a limited amount of credit (this saves you from getting a whopping bill unexpectedly). Whether you choose to go with Optus or Vodafone would also be influenced by the carrier you choose for yourself, as it’s much easier keeping all phone numbers under one account and some carriers offer other benefits for calls between mobiles on the same network.
I’d be happy to make some recommendations on your personal and business phones, but I would need to know what kind of handsets you would be interested in. It sounds like you only need something basic for your business phone, so I would recommend buying a low to mid-range handset and signing up to a SIM only plan. This will save you on your monthly fee as you won’t have any handset repayments.
Hear from you soon,
Brodie
We are moving from Kuala Lumpur. We already have our mobile phones but looking for a the best deal in obtaining an Australian number. We would like a deal that we could call Malaysia at a reasonable price.
Requirements: 1 adult and 2 children
1. mobile service
2. phone and internet service for the home.
Most appreciate your comments on this.
Thank you
Hi HKT,
Thanks for your inquiry.
If you will be making most of your calls to Malaysia, I would recommend Lebara. They are one of the best providers in Australia for international calls. If you will also making calls to Australian numbers and using data, I would recommend a plan with Vodafone. Vodafone offers international minutes as a bonus to standard calls, text, and data inclusions at a reasonable price.
Please ensure to read through the relevant product disclosure statement and terms and conditions to ensure that you got everything covered before you subscribe.
Thanks,
Brodie
Hi Alex- the Testra Travel pass is the best option as it offers unlimited calls, texts and a reasonable data allowance but isnt available for Peru under their zone 3 listing. Neither is the Telstra Data pack product available for Peru. As Students they went to Student Travel and received a StudentTravel SIM that offers calls at half Telstra’s rates but data was a whopping $8 per MB.I suspect a local SIM on arrival may be the best option.
Hi John,
Yes, you’re right — my apologies! Another possible approach (obviously it all depends on budget) would be a cheap calling SIM and a data hotspot to share.
Alex.