
Finding the best SIM-only plans
Our team of mobile plan experts have compared 300+ SIM-only mobile plans from 50+ mobile providers in Australia. We've curated 12 top picks based on price, network and expert analysis. Not every SIM-only plan will suit your needs so make sure you compare your options before choosing the right one for you.
Why you can trust our research
334 SIM-only plans analyzed
758 Australians surveyed
180+ hours of research
Best SIM-only plan under $20: Dodo

30GB for the first 3 months
15GB ongoing

$20/mth
Ongoing
Best SIM-only plan under $30: Southern Phone

100GB
Ongoing

$20/mth for the first 3 months
$25 ongoing
Best SIM-only plan under $40: felix

Unlimited
Ongoing

$20/mth for the first 3 months
$40 ongoing
Best 12-month SIM-only plan: Catch

120GB
Ongoing

$119 for the first 365 days
$150 ongoing
Best SIM-only plan with unlimited data: felix

Unlimited
Ongoing

$20/mth for the first 3 months
$40 ongoing
Best high data SIM-only plan: Circles.Life

700GB for the first 12 months
160GB ongoing

$55/mth for the first 12 months
$60 ongoing
Best 5G SIM-only plan: Belong

40GB
Ongoing

$35/mth
Ongoing
Best value postpaid SIM-only plan: Dodo

90GB for the first 3 months
45GB ongoing

$35/mth
Ongoing
Best value prepaid SIM-only plan: felix

50GB
Ongoing

$15/mth for the first 3 months
$30 ongoing
Best SIM-only plan on Telstra network: Belong

40GB
Ongoing

$35/mth
Ongoing
Best SIM-only plan for international calls: Dodo

90GB for the first 3 months
45GB ongoing

$35/mth
Ongoing
Best SIM-only plan for customer satisfaction: amaysim

50GB for the first recharge
32GB ongoing

$15 for the first recharge
$30 ongoing
2023 Finder Awards for the best SIM-only plans
As part of the 2023 Finder Awards, we selected the Best Prepaid and Postpaid Mobile Providers, based on value and data. The winners and finalists were chosen based on their cost per day, daily cost per gigabyte, network coverage and any applicable download speed caps.

Best Prepaid Mobile Provider - Value
- Winner: amaysim
- Highly commended: Yomojo
- Highly commended: Kogan Mobile

Best Prepaid Mobile Provider - High Data
- Winner: felix
- Highly commended: Kogan Mobile
- Highly commended: Woolworths Mobile

Best Prepaid Mobile Provider - Value
- Winner: Circles.Life
- Highly commended: Moose Mobile
- Highly commended: SpinTel

Best Prepaid Mobile Provider - High Data
- Winner: Belong
- Highly commended: Circles.Life
- Highly commended: TeleChoice
How do you find the best SIM only plan?
There's no one-size-fits-all approach to finding a SIM only plan. Your budget and data needs can vary depending on how you use your phone. Here are a few things to consider apart from price alone:

What network are you after?
There's no doubt Telstra's network reigns supreme in coverage. It reaches the most number of Aussies, especially if you're living outside the metro areas. That being said, if you're staying in the city, you could be better off with the lower price tags of plans on the Optus or Vodafone network.

How much data do you need?
Australians download around 10.2GB of data on average every month according to the ACCC. We recommend finding out how much data you use and matching a plan that fits the bill accordingly. You don't want to be paying more for data that's going to waste and to rack up any excess charges because you signed up to a much lower limit.

What plan length works best for you?
While most people are familiar with month-to-month mobile plans, long-expiry plans also exist that could help you save money by paying for your plan usage upfront. These plans last for 90–365 days but just remember you'll need to be happy to stick it out with that one provider for 3–12 months.

Do you want a no-frills plan or one packed with features?
The cheapest plans are usually those with just calls, texts and data. But if that's all you need anyway, you might as well grab these simple plans for a lower cost. If you're looking for more value, consider extra features such as international calls, data rollover or Wi-Fi calling.

I'd been on a contract phone, well, forever. I used to regularly pay over $80 a month for my phone bill. I took the leap to get a Sim Only and buy a phone outright as i found it easier to manage my bills month to month. I also got a great deal, paying just $15 a month with a Circles offer. I've switched 3 times since then while keeping my phone number, it's allowed me to take advantage of great sign up offers.— Alex Holderness, head of publishing
Here are some handy tips from our experts for picking the best prepaid plan:
It's easy to stick it out with the same provider year after year but that's where loyalty can cost you big bucks. This is especially true if you've been with a big-name brand for a long time. You could be missing out on great value deals elsewhere if you don't compare plans regularly.
Mariam Gabaji
Utilities editor
Consider signing up to a mobile plan with a longer expiry period. 365-day or 12-month mobile plans are a great way to cut down your bill. You can usually get deals equivalent to 10GB for $10 a month.
Michelle Kwong
Utilities publisher
Find a SIM plan that works for you with our top picks
How we researched the best SIM-only plans
- We looked at SIM-only plans in our database designed for personal use.
- Other selection criteria to narrow down our shortlist included looking at active Finder partners across the categories which allowed for this.
- Promotional discounts were also taken into account during scoring.
Best SIM-only plan categories
Each month, we select the best SIM-only plans across 12 categories.
- Best SIM-only plan under $20: Based on our internal value scoring system, limiting results to plans equal to or under $20.
- Best SIM-only plan under $30: Based on our internal value scoring system, limiting results to plans equal to or under $30.
- Best SIM-only plan under $40: Based on our internal value scoring system, limiting results to plans equal to or under $40.
- Best 12-month SIM-only plan: Based on our internal value scoring system, limiting results to plans equal to or under $100 with an expiry of 12-months or 365-days.
- Best SIM-only plan with unlimited data: Based on our internal value scoring system, limiting results to plans with unlimited data.
- Best high data SIM-only plan: Based on our internal value scoring system, limiting results to plans equal to or greater than 40GB for equal to or less than $50.
- Best 5G SIM-only plan: Based on our internal value scoring system, limiting results to 5G mobile plans equal to or under $35.
- Best value postpaid SIM-only plan: Based on our internal value scoring system, limiting results to postpaid plans equal to or under $35.
- Best value prepaid SIM-only plan: Based on our internal value scoring system, limiting results to prepaid plans equal to or under $35.
- Best SIM-only plan on Telstra network: Based on our internal value scoring system, limiting results to plans on the Telstra network equal to or under $35.
- Best SIM-only plan for international calls: Based on our internal value scoring system, limiting results to plans with international calls or credit equal to or under $35.
- Best SIM-only plan for customer satisfaction: Based on our 2023 Finder Awards for Customer Satisfaction methodology.
How does Finder's value scoring system work?
For certain categories, we use a value scoring system to choose the best SIM-only plan by scoring the following factors:
- Cost per gigabyte. This is calculated by taking the price of the plan over 12 months divided by the amount of data (GB).
- Network coverage. We awarded scores depending on how wide the network coverage is across Australia.
- Data rollover. We weight providers that offer data rollover higher than those that don't have this feature.
- International calls. This includes those that offer unlimited calls or credit/minutes for international purposes.
- Wi-Fi calling. We weight providers that offer Wi-Fi calling higher than those that don't have this feature.
We then assign a weight to each of the factors in order to calculate a value score. Price and data are given the highest weighting.
- Dodo plans page
- Dodo CIS
- Southern Phone plans page
- Southern Phone CIS
- felix mobile plans page
- felix 50GB mobile CIS
- felix Unlimited data mobile CIS
- Catch Connect plans page
- Catch Connect CIS
- Circles.Life plans page
- Circles.Life CIS
- Belong mobile plans page
- Belong mobile CIS
- amaysim plans page
- amaysim CIS
- Finder Mobile Awards 2023
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