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.
While there isn't a singular prepaid plan that will be the best for everyone, we've done our best to help you filter out the noise. Our team of experts spends the first week of each month crunching the latest mobile deals to find the best value plans over various categories to suit your needs.
For December 2023, the best value prepaid plans are:
How we chose the best prepaid plans
We've calculated potential savings over a 12-month period by comparing the price difference between the cheapest and most expensive prepaid plans on Finder (as of December 2023).
We looked at 4 common monthly data limits and found the average savings to be $120.30. Here's the full list of savings for each data allowance:
Expert tip: Besides price and data, consider which expiry period works best for you. While month-to-month plans offer flexibility, long expiry prepaid plans are a great way to save if you're comfortable with sticking to a set amount of inclusions for a year.
Mariam Gabaji
Utilities editor
Prepaid plans are fuss-free, with most of them offering unlimited calls and texts with a monthly data allowance.
The main caveat is if you use up your data before the end of the expiry period, you'll need to pay for an additional recharge to get back online.
This might mean you end up spending more for on your mobile bills than you would on a postpaid plan or one with a higher data limit.
Other pros and cons include:
The gap between prepaid and postpaid mobile plans is getting smaller but prepaid plans come out to be cheaper overall. Postpaid plans have become slightly more expensive but you’re also getting more data in return.
According to the 2021-22 ACCC Communications market report, the median monthly retail prices for postpaid plans increased by 11% to $40. At the same time, the median data allowance increased by 14% to 40GB.
The median price and data allocation for prepaid plans remained unchanged at $32 and 30GB.
Prepaid plans are simple to use. There are no lock-in contracts so you have heaps of flexibility if your mobile plan happen to change through the year. If you aren't happy with your service, you can easily switch to a new provider while keeping your existing phone number.
Compare and choose a plan. Decide how much data you need, what price you're willing to pay and if you need any additional features. Once you've found a plan that meets your criteria you'll just need to pay upfront.
Use your plan. You can keep making calls and using data until your inclusions run out or your plan expires.
Recharge. Also called a renewal or "top-up". You can choose the same amount of data as you had last time or choose another option depending on what you think you'll use.
Recharges or renewals allow you to resume the same plan once the expiry period ends.
If you're happy with your prepaid plan and the amount of data you have, you may be able to set up an auto-recharge with your chosen provider.
Your provider will automatically renew your plan for you when you run out of data. This saves you from having to remember to top up each month, although you'll need to be careful not to run out of inclusions too early.
Just keep in mind that some providers have auto-renewal set up as a default. You'll need to use the app or online portal to disable this.
There are 3 main types of prepaid plans you can choose from:
Outside of calls, texts and data there are a few other features to keep an eye out for when comparing prepaid plans:
Some providers allow data rollover or data banking so you can keep any data you didn't use after your plan expires. This is a great way to get the most value out of your plan.
Some prepaid calls include unlimited international calls or a limited amount of international call credit. Calls are generally limited to lists of certain countries (this varies by provider). Great for users with family and friends overseas with limited other ways to connect.
A few providers such as felix and Vodafone offer "endless" or "infinite" data on some prepaid plans. In felix's case you get unlimited data capped at a speed of 20Mbps while with Vodafone you get infinite data at speeds of up to 1.5Mbps once you use up your original data allowance (similar to a postpaid plan).
Not only are eSIMs environmentally friendly, they're also very convenient. With this option, you can switch to your new provider in just a few minutes. No need to visit a store or wait for your SIM to arrive in the mail.
Rarer still is the option to gift your data. Great for families, this option allows you to distribute data from one user to another. It's similar to family sharing on some postpaid plans.
Some other useful things to consider when looking for a prepaid plan include:
Choose between Telstra, Optus and Vodafone in Australia. Coverage varies between all 3, with Telstra offering the widest network and Vodafone the smallest.
Smaller providers (known as MVNOs) will often offer coverage from 1 of the big 3 providers at cheaper rates.
How much data do you actually need? Don't pay too much for data you're not going to use. Check or estimate your mobile data usage before choosing a new plan.
Once you've considered all these factors, use our comparison table to find the best prepaid plan that fits your needs.
The best provider will depend on exactly what you're after, how much you're willing to pay and which network you'd prefer.
We've chosen some of the bigger names from what's available to give you an idea of what your prepaid mobile plan could be.
The biggest reason to opt for Telstra is for access to the widest mobile coverage in Australia, reaching 99.5% of the population.
You might not notice the difference if you live in a metropolitan area, but customers in regional or rural dwellings are more likely to appreciate its reach.
By signing up with Telstra, you can expect:
Optus, the second-biggest network provider in Australia, is hot on Telstra's heels for coverage and value. It reaches 98.5% of the population and offers slightly cheaper prices.
By signing up with Optus, you can expect:
Vodafone may not be on par with Telstra or Optus in terms of coverage, but it does offer budget-friendly plans that won't make you sigh over your mobile bills throughout the year.
By signing up with Vodafone, you can expect:
TPG, which runs on the Vodafone network, isn't known for flashy extras like the bigger telcos, but it offers great value.
By signing up with TPG, you can expect:
Winner of our 2023 Finder Award for Best Prepaid Provider (Value), amaysim has garnered a strong reputation for offering simple plans with heaps of data to keep you satisfied.
By signing up with amaysim, you can expect:
Boost gives you full access to Telstra's 4G network without the premium price tag.
By signing up with Boost, you can expect:
Get up to 65% off on SIM only plans and $500 off on popular phones.
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Alternatives for disgruntled Optus customers.
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Get double the data for the same price.
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Roam if you want to - on your flight overseas.
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Spend no more than $30 for 6 months on your mobile plan.
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Save money on an iPhone 15 plan with Telstra's trade-in offer.
Read more…Pay as you go mobile plans are a great way to save money if you don't use your phone very often.
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You say iiNet gives an extra 2G for $10, I’ve been a prepaid customer for 2 years and they’ve only ever given 1GB extra for $10?