Virgin Mobile: The best replacement plans for your Virgin plan

The Virgin Mobile brand has been closed down entirely, with Optus confirming in 2018 that they would shut down their low-cost subsidiary.

If you're an existing Virgin Mobile customer, you should have been contacted by Optus by now to discuss your options directly, and you don't have to panic about losing mobile service. This is largely a brand play rather than a network closure, but it's always wise to know what your options are in these circumstances.

No doubt Optus would prefer to keep you as a customer, but depending on your contract status, you've actually got plenty of flexibility. That's true even if you want to stay on the Optus network because it's by far the most widely used network by Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) in Australia.

Best prepaid alternatives to Virgin Mobile

• Read more about Virgin Mobile prepaid alternatives

  Virgin Mobile dropped its prepaid range back in October 2017, so if you're on a Virgin Mobile prepaid plan, it is by definition a "grandfathered" plan of some sort. Even the eight months since then have seen a lot of movement in the prepaid space, with a lot more value to be had.

  As an example, here's what you could get for $40 per month on a prepaid contract. If you're on a Virgin Mobile prepaid plan, it would be smart to compare and work out where you can save because you're in no way tied to Virgin Mobile beyond your monthly payment:

Best SIM-only postpaid alternatives to Virgin Mobile

• Read more about Virgin Mobile SIM-only alternatives

  The bad news if you're on a 12-month Virgin Mobile plan is that Optus's announcement doesn't suddenly mean that your contract is null and void. You're still committed for however long you've got left on your contract. This is obviously not a concern if you're on a month-to-month Virgin Mobile SIM-only plan.
  Just before it stopped accepting new customers, Virgin Mobile had plans that ranged from $30 per month with 2.5GB of data to $60 per month with 11GB of data.

  If you prefer the security of a 12-month contract term for a SIM plan, Virgin Mobile offered deals range from $30 per month with 5GB up to $60 per month with 45GB.

Month to month with 3GB+ for under $30/month

12-month contract with 5GB+ for under $30/month

Best contract mobile postpaid alternatives to Virgin Mobile

• Read more about Virgin Mobile SIM-only alternatives

  As with contract SIM-only plans, if you're on a Virgin Mobile contract right now, Optus's decision to drop the Virgin Mobile brand doesn't mean you get a free pass out of your contract or a free phone.
  It seems likely that Optus may try to migrate phone contract customers over to Optus plans, and those deals could have good value to you, but it's well worth knowing what your alternatives are in any case.

  That's especially true if you're in the last few months of a two-year contract because your phone is essentially paid off at that point. It may even make financial sense to break your contract if there are better terms to be had on a new phone or if you can pair it up with a superior SIM-only option.

  Virgin Mobile obviously offers a wide variety of mobile phones on contract terms, and if you've got a specific model in mind, it's worth using our mobile phone plan finder to match your mobile and plan needs precisely.

  We've shown Galaxy S20 plans with 3GB+ of data for less than $100 per month to compare with Virgin's traditionally low-cost phone plans: