Why compare mobile plans with Finder?
We don't charge extra. Prices shown on Finder are the same as those you get directly from mobile plan providers.
We regularly work with providers to deliver amazing exclusive offers you won't find anywhere else.
We have a team dedicated to monitoring mobile plan prices and keeping deals updated daily.
If price is the main factor you care about, you might think that any plan with the right dollar figure will do.
This will be true for some people, but there are a 2 main factors to consider when finding the best cheap mobile plan for your needs:
Consider how much data you use. You won't find many plans with unlimited data under $20 but you can definitely find plans with data between 10GB and 20GB a month. No matter how much data you're after, a good benchmark for value is to get at least 1GB or more for every $1 you spend.
Many providers offer their plans with more data at discounts for the first 3–6 months. If you just want the cheapest deal, you could swap plans once the promo expires. Otherwise, make sure you're happy to pay the standard price of the plan.
Besides the main advantage of having a cheaper mobile bill to pay each month, there are other aspects to consider before you sign up to a cheap mobile plan:
There are a few features to look out for when comparing cheap mobile phone plans:
Many cheap phone plans are prepaid plans that come with a greater variety of expiry periods. This can include plans with short expiries such as 5–7 days, which means you'd end up potentially paying more than you want with the constant renewals. Just be mindful when purchasing that a plan that costs $1–2 probably only lasts a day or 2.
While cheap plans from larger providers tend to include unlimited calls and texts, this might not be the case with all cheap phone plans.
Some cheap mobile plans offer data rollover which is great if you don't use up all your data. Just keep in mind that you need to recharge your plan on time for the rollover to take effect.
On many cheaper prepaid plans, it's game over once you hit your data limit. You'll need to recharge for more data. If you plan to use lots of data, you might be better off on a slightly more expensive plan with more monthly data to be safe. On cheap postpaid plans, you could be hit with excess data fees, such as $10 for every 1GB you go over.
Many providers that offer cheap plans are mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) that use other providers' networks. Before signing up, check which network you'll be on.
Yes, there's no real catch. Smaller providers or MVNOs are legitimate businesses.
Because they use the phone networks of the 3 big telcos, MVNOs are able to offer much cheaper plans. They're not paying to maintain the cell towers and other infrastructure, so their overheads are low and they can pass the savings on to you.
The main difference you may find with a mobile plan from an MVNO compared to 1 of the 3 major providers – Telstra, Optus and Vodafone – is that their plans may have fewer bonus features than the bigger players.
Some of the cheapest plans are those with fewer inclusions targeted at people who don't need very much data (or none) at all or will rarely use their phones. If that sounds like you, a pay-as-you-go mobile plan might be right for you.
If you want to pay upfront (and save money in the long run), a long-expiry plan with inclusions that don't expire until 3–12 months might be better.
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