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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
Australia is home to just 3 mobile networks: Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. The main point of difference between them is coverage and price.
Telstra is host to Australia's largest mobile network.
Optus comes next but it's no second fiddle.
Vodafone has the smallest network but is also the most affordable.
"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."
Overwhelmed by the amount of options? Look to our award-winning mobile providers – we've done the hard work for you.
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.
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.
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.
amaysim was rated highly by customers for offering value for money and great customer service with its prepaid plans.
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.
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.
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.
Scrolling all day. Forget TikTok, data, roaming, perks, launches network coverage - we love nerding out over the details 24/7 so you can focus on the important stuff, like uploading photos of your dog.
Obsessed with offers. With over 300 options from over big telcos, small telcos, and all in between, you sure could go website to website and find them yourself. Or, you could let us nerd out for you - so you can see them live day or night.
No mark ups. You get the same rates as going direct, heck sometimes you even score better as we put in the yards to bring you exclusive offers.
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I need a plan for my elderly mum that has unlimited international txts mainly to the UK and NZ we dont need any data just unlimited national calls and txts and unlimited intenational txts every plan i look at she has to pay extra ontop of her plan to send just 1 txt overseas. Thanks in advance for any help and suggestions
Hi Shaz, https://www.finder.com.au/best-mobile-plans-international-calling this page will be able to help you out. Dodo, amaysim and the long expiry plan for Coles Mobile are all good options as you get international call and text inclusions without having to pay extra on top of your plan fees. Hope this helps!
Why haven’t you included Amazon and Officeworks in your comparison lists? Thx
Hi Nuran, this specific comparison list is for mobile plans provided by telcos in Australia. Amazon and Officeworks don’t fit the category in this instance. Hope this helps!
Which is the best plan for international roaming?
Hi Gexi, this guide should help you out with your query: https://www.finder.com.au/mobile-plans/global-roaming
What is the cheapest sim only plan available?
Hi Pnet,
Thank you for getting in touch with Finder.
You can start comparing cheap mobile plans using our comparison table and search filters. When you are ready, press the ‘Go to site’ button to apply or to speak to a representative to help you find a cheap sim-only plan that would suit your needs. Please ensure you review the relevant Product Disclosure Statements/Terms and Conditions when comparing your options before making a decision on whether it is right for you. You can also contact the provider if you have specific questions.
I hope this helps.
Thank you and have a wonderful day!
Cheers,
Jeni
My wife and I are planning a holiday to southern Africa – South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Tanzania with a little stop in Mauritius. We are in most countries for about 5 days. To keep in contact with home, do we need to purchase a pre-paid SIM card in each individual country? Or is there some way to spend more time touring and less time sourcing local SIM cards?
Hi Andrew,
Thanks for getting in touch!
You can buy two sim cards, a prepaid SIM card for South Africa (Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe) and a sim card for East Africa (Tanzania and Mauritius).
It would also be helpful to check your current courier and see if you can use your sim card in these countries or if they have partner telco’s in Africa for your convenience. Don’t forget to ask about roaming fees and charges for every minute of calls and number of texts for the duration of your trip.
Hope this helps and have a great trip!
Best,
Nikki