Pros
- Data banking and gifting available
- Australia-based customer support
- Community-led approach
Cons
- Limited video MMS on cheaper plans
- Can't activate your SIM online
Better Life Mobile plans
Our verdict: Better Life's mobile plans are of decent value, with a focus on providing affordable services to lower-income customers.
We’re reader-supported and may be paid when you visit links to partner sites. We don’t compare all products in the market, but we’re working on it!
Compare Better Life Mobile plans
1 - 3 of 6
Better Life Mobile review: Our verdict
Better Life Mobile has a solid set of plans that offer fairly good value for their price.
Most of its mid-range plans between $30-40 offer data for under $1 per GB, which is what you should be aiming for in a mobile plan.
Better Life also stands apart from other mobile providers in terms of social engagement, with initiatives such as providing prepaid phones to people in need.
Better Life could be right for you if:
- You have other friends with Better Life too. Some plans let you gift your unused data to other Better Life users to help them get through the month. You can also refer friends and get 1 month free on your own plan.
- You value local customer support. Better Life's support team is based in Victoria.
But Better Life does lack in some areas, including:
- Having limited video MMS. Cheaper plans restrict the number of video MMS you can send each month. This shouldn't be an issue unless you frequently send these types of messages.
- No online activation. Most providers allow you to activate your plan online, but you'll need to ring up the Better Life Mobile team to activate your SIM once it arrives.
- No international roaming. If you're travelling overseas, you'll need to pick up a local or travel SIM to get service.
Read a more detailed review on
Value for money
Better Life's entry level Small plan provides fairly average value at $18 for 4GB. This is equivalent to $4.50 per 1GB, comparable to other entry-level plans that cost between $4 and $10 per 1GB.
The rest of its plans are also reasonably competitive, averaging $0.93 per 1GB compared to a benchmark of $1 per 1GB.
The rest of its plans are also reasonably competitive, averaging $0.93 per 1GB compared to a benchmark of $1 per 1GB.
Better Life only really falls short with its singular 12-month plan. You pay $109 for only 500MB data per month and unlimited standard calls and texts, which is terrible value.
- Good to know: This plan is only suitable for those not looking to use any data over a full year. If you go over your data limit, you'll need to pay $10 for every extra 1GB you use.
You can easily find more long expiry plans that come with more inclusions for a cheaper yearly price.
Coverage
Better Life uses parts of the Telstra 3G and 4G network to provide coverage.
- This network covers 98.8% of the population, which is more than both Optus (98.5%) and Vodafone (96%).
- It's not using Telstra's full 4G network, which means you'll have slightly less coverage than a plan direct from Telstra (99.5%).
- You shouldn't have any problems in metro areas, but you might lose coverage in some rural and regional areas.
Customer service
Better Life has several ways to get in touch if you have an issue or a question. Help is available from 9am to 5:30pm AEST, Monday to Friday. You can:
- Ring up the customer support line.
- Open up live chat on the Better Life website (although this may only lead to the Better Life team calling or emailing you back).
- Send an enquiry via the contact form on the website if you don't mind a slower response.
- Good to know: Better Life has local customer support based in Victoria.
Bonus features
Better Life's mobile plans have a few extra features for customers.
🛒 Bonus packs
If the base inclusions aren't enough for you, there are 2 bonus packs with extra inclusions that you can purchase:
- $10 for 120 minutes of international calls (to 50 countries) plus 120 international SMS. Expires at plan refresh.
- $10 for 12GB of data. Expires after 180 days.
Keep in mind that the bonus data gets consumed before your included plan data.
🔄 Data banking
You can store up to 500GB of unused data between months, depending on your plan.
Watch out though, as you'll lose all your banked data if you downgrade your plan to something cheaper.
🎁 Data gifting
You can gift data from your plan (but not banked data) to other Better Life Mobile users.
While all monthly plans can receive data, only Better Life's 30GB and higher plans can gift it.
💰 Referral bonus
If a friend signs up to Better Life with your referral, you'll get 1 month free on your mobile plan.
Which rivals are giving Better Life Mobile a run for its money?
For more community involvement:
Goodtel donates 50% of its profits from your mobile plan towards its community partners and has 7-day customer support.
For carbon-neutral plans:
If you're interested in supporting the environment, Belong has 100% carbon-neutral mobile plans at reasonable prices.
For wider coverage:
Boost Mobile uses the full Telstra 4G mobile network covering 99.5% of the population rather than the reduced wholesale network used by other smaller providers.
Ready to sign up to Better Life Mobile?
Unfortunately, Better Life Mobile is not available via Finder. You'll need to head to betterlifemobile.com.au to purchase your desired mobile plan.
Otherwise, you can keep comparing mobile plans on Finder to find one that suits you.
What if I want to keep my current phone number?
You can choose to keep your current number when you activate your SIM. However, you'll have to call Better Life to activate. It advises that the transfer process should take less than an hour in most cases.
If your current mobile number isn't registered under your name, it might take a few more steps. Read our guide on how to change ownership of your mobile number here.
Latest mobile news
6 easy ways to earn Qantas Points on everyday expenses
SPONSORED: You don't have to spend more money to earn big points.
Read more…
EOFY sales: Last chance to save on mobiles and tech
Save up to $200 on Apple products, $1,860 off the HP Envy 15 laptop and more.
Read more…
As household costs rise, here are 6 easy switches to save you money
SPONSORED: If you invest a couple of hours of time, you can benefit from some cost-effective switches that could save you big money.
Read more…
Mobile EOFY sales include $10 plans from Optus, Boost and more
It'll take you less than 30 minutes to switch to a cheaper mobile plan.
Read more…
Optus MVNOs can now support eSIMs, but what’s so great about that?
It's another win for those relying on the Optus mobile network.
Read more…
The Future of Telecommunications report 2022
Finder’s Future of Telecommunications report explores the major trends shaping the future of mobile and broadband markets.
Read more…
More guides on Finder
-
EOFY home office sales: Chairs, desks, computers and more
Upgrade your home office this EOFY with outstanding deals on furniture, electronics and everything else you need to be productive at home.
-
As household costs rise, here are 6 easy switches to save you money
SPONSORED: If you invest a couple of hours of time, you can benefit from some cost-effective switches that could save you big money.
-
Mobile EOFY sales include $10 plans from Optus, Boost and more
It'll take you less than 30 minutes to switch to a cheaper mobile plan.
-
Apple MacBook Pro 13 M2 review: M2 is faster, but other MacBooks are better
Apple’s M2 processor is iteratively more impressive than the M1, but Apple’s insistence on sticking with an older design while refreshing the MacBook Air makes the 13-inch MacBook Pro a hard notebook to get excited about.
-
Optus MVNOs can now support eSIMs, but what’s so great about that?
It's another win for those relying on the Optus mobile network.
-
NSW: First home buyers can skip stamp duty, but you’ll pay a tax for life
If you're buying a more expensive home this could save you money, but buyers at the lower end of the market can save by just paying stamp duty upfront.
-
Finder Telco Awards 2022
The annual Finder Awards celebrates the best in the Australian telecommunications industry.
-
Do I need life insurance to buy a house?
Not everyone needs to get life insurance when they buy a home – but there are some important exceptions.
-
4 reasons you might need an eSIM in your life
SPONSORED: You might be surprised at some of the benefits that come with an embedded SIM.
Latest mobile plan deals on Finder
Get 120GB for only $25
This Finder exclusive plan gets you a big data for under $1/day.
This month’s best SIM-only mobile plans
Save money with these top no-contract deals.
Save with a prepaid phone plan
Avoid bill shock and control your spending with the best-value offers.
Find the latest iPhone plan deals
Easily compare every Australian iPhone plan.
Ask an Expert
