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Telstra vs Optus vs Vodafone: Which is the best?
Whether you're looking for the best coverage or the best deals, we've stacked Telstra, Optus and Vodafone up against each other to find out which network is best for your needs.
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There are three mobile networks in Australia, which you're already probably familiar with. But out of Telstra, Optus and Vodafone, which one is the best?
What you need to know
All Australian mobile plans operate on either the Telstra, Optus or Vodafone networks.
Telstra's network has the widest coverage, but it's also typically more expensive.
Most smaller and cheaper telcos operate on the Optus network.
All 3 networks have started rolling out 5G in metro areas.
No matter which of the dozens of different mobile carriers you sign up to, your phone is only ever going to connect to one of three networks. The Telstra, Optus and Vodafone networks are the only options you have for mobile network, and all providers rely on one of the three.
The best provider for you will depend entirely on your own personal circumstances such as location, coverage and what sort of plan you're looking for. If you're looking anything specific feature out of your mobile provider, check out the sections below.
Australia's a vast continent, so when telecommunications companies claim their network reaches 99%+ of Australia, they're referring to the percentage of inhabitants rather than landmass. Huge swathes of Australia are "dark" as far as mobile coverage goes, meaning that you won't get a signal no matter what carrier you may be with.
While Optus, Telstra, and Vodafone are working on improving reception in many of these poorly covered areas as part of the federal government's mobile blackspot program, let's take a look at what each carrier's coverage looks like at the moment.
Telstra
Telstra has the largest network in Australia, servicing 99.5% of Australians right across the country. We've included an overview of Telstra's coverage map below, with 3G areas shown in dark blue, 4G in green and 5G areas in purple. For a closer look, check out the interactive map here.
Image: Telstra
As far as regional coverage goes, Telstra is currently the best performing with Optus close behind. Both have an extensive presence in regional areas as well as their own mobile satellites for people outside of good coverage zones. Their 4GX and 4G Plus services promise to extend coverage even further for regional inhabitants.
Telstra also currently has the most established 5G network, offering some 5G trials to customers with compatible devices in serviced metro areas.
Telstra is also noteworthy in that its Telstra Air service provides functional Wi-Fi to customers right across the country with 1 million hotspots nationally.
Optus
Optus covers around 98.5% of the Australian population with 3G and 4G, and has the second largest network of the three. Optus has begun its 5G network rollout, which is available to some customers in the metro areas it covers. It's even started offering 5G home wireless broadband, which is a unique product for Optus as all other competitors are currently using the 4G network.
Image: Optus
The above map shows the 3G and 4G areas that Optus covers around the country. To find out more details on where the Optus network is available, check out its map in full here.
Vodafone
Vodafone's network services 22 million Australians with its 4G network. It was the last of the three to roll out its 5G network around the country. We weren't able to access a full country coverage map from Vodafone, so we've shown the main areas around NSW, VIC, QLD and WA below. You can input your address in its coverage map to see if Vodafone services your area.
Image: Vodafone
While you can't see an overview of Vodafone's network across the country in the images above, it's fairly obvious that Vodafone's reach isn't as extensive as the other two. While it won't matter so much if you live in a metro area, those living in more remote or regional areas may struggle under the Vodafone network.
Winner for best coverage: Telstra It's hard to judge when it comes to coverage since so much of it depends on where you live or need to be. Telstra takes the cake for this one since it's the most extensive network available.
Which has the cheapest plans?
We'll only consider the cheapest plans for each provider in its postpaid offerings since prepaid options will be discussed in their own section below.
Telstra
Telstra's postpaid plan offerings range from $50-$100 monthly. You can also pair any of its postpaid plans with a mobile handset if you're after a new phone.
Cheapest plan: 30GB for $50 per month.
Also includes: Unlimited talk and text, data-free sport and music streaming, Telstra Air Wi-Fi, potential 5G trial and "endless" data (at 1.5Mbps past your data cap).
We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.
Optus's postpaid plans are priced at a slightly lower price range than Telstra, with plans costing between $39 and $79 a month. With this cheaper price though, you'll also see a reduction in extra inclusions.
Cheapest plan: 10GB for $39 per month.
Also includes: Unlimited talk and text and data pooling.
We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.
We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.
Winner for best cheap plan: Vodafone Between all three, Vodafone and Optus have the cheapest postpaid SIM only plans. But Vodafone nabs the win slightly here thanks to the "endless" data on its postpaid plans.
Which has the highest data mobile plan?
When it comes to choosing a data limit, you need to consider your own data needs. Comparing the three big providers, we'll just look at the lowest and highest allowances on offer from each, considering both prepaid and postpaid plans.
Provider
Smallest plan
Largest plan
Telstra
10GB for $1 (7-day expiry)
150GB for $100
Optus
35GB for $30 (10GB after third recharge)
120GB for $79
Vodafone
25GB for $30 (when you auto-recharge)
150GB for $90
If you buy a standard SIM only plan from either Vodafone or Telstra, you'll also get what's known as "endless" data. This means you won't get charged excess data fees, but your download speeds will be capped at just 1.5Mbps past your limit.
Winner for best data allowance: Vodafone For raw data alone, Telstra and Vodafone both provide a whopping 150GB plan for those who really want it. They both also offer "endless" data on their postpaid plans, so you'll never run out of data. However, Vodafone nudges slightly ahead here since its plan is cheaper by $10 per month.
Which offers better prepaid options?
Prepaid plans let you pay for all your usage upfront. You pay a certain amount at the start of the month, get a particular amount of data, talk and text, and have your usage cut off when you hit that limit. Prepaid options are good for people who like flexibility and want to avoid excess data charges.
Here are the different prepaid plans that each provider currently offers:
Telstra
Short expiry. 1GB for $10 that lasts 7 days.
Monthly expiry. Standard 28-day expiry plans include 25GB for $30 or 35GB for $40, but they drop to 8GB and 18GB respectively after the third recharge.
Long expiry. Choose 60GB for $150 with a 6-month expiry or 150GB for $300 with 12 months expiry.
Long Life Plus. Get $30 of credit that lasts for 6 months. Charges are deducted on a pay as you go basis until you reach zero.
We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.
Epic Data. 28-day expiry on 35GB for $30 up to 55GB for $50 (drop to 10GB and 30GB respectively after third recharge).
Daily plus. Purchase $30 of credit with a 186-day expiry. $2 will be deducted from your total credit every day you make a call, send a text or use data.
Long expiry. Buy between $30 and $50 of credit that expires after 186 days. Charges will be subtracted from your total credit on a pay-as-you-go basis until it reaches zero.
We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.
Combo Plus. The cheapest prepaid plan expires after 28 days while the others last 35. Get between 25GB for $30 and 55GB for $50. Data falls to 10GB and 30GB respectively if you don't opt into auto-recharge.
Pay and Go. Purchase $30 to $50 of credit that lasts for 180 or 365 days. When you make a call, send a text or use data, charges will be deducted from your total credit until it hits zero.
We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.
Winner for best prepaid plans: Three-way tie If you're looking for pure data value for prepaid plans, then Optus has the best options for the cheaper end of the spectrum (at least for your first few recharges), while Telstra offers by far the most long-expiry data on a prepaid plan. All three providers have comparable long-expiry PAYG plans.
Which has better value mobile plans?
If you're looking for a new mobile phone, one of the more convenient ways is to pick one up with a phone plan attached. Determining who has the better value phone plan really depends on what kind of plans you're looking for. We'll go through the various offerings from each provider so you can see them side by side.
Telstra
SIM only postpaid. Choose between 30GB for $50 monthly up to 150GB for $100 on a month-to-month contract.
Prepaid - short expiry. 1GB for $10 that lasts 7 days.
Prepaid - full expiry. Standard 28-day expiry plans include 25GB for $30 or 35GB for $40, but they drop to 8GB and 18GB respectively after the third recharge.
Phones on a plan. Telstra has the full range of new handset models, including iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, the Pixel and more. You can get them on any of its postpaid plans on a 24- or 36-month contract.
Optus
SIM only postpaid. Get between 10GB for $39 monthly up to 120GB for $79. All plans are on a month-to-month basis.
Prepaid. Epic Data plans come with a 28-day expiry period on 35GB for $30 up to 55GB for $50 (drops to 10GB and 30GB respectively after the third recharge).
Phones on a plan. As a major provider, Optus has all the latest handsets on offer. They come with one of Optus's regular postpaid plans on a 12-, 24- or 36-month contract.
Vodafone
SIM only postpaid. Pick between 10GB for $40 monthly up to 150GB for $90. Each plan runs month to month.
Prepaid. The cheapest prepaid plan expires after 28 days, while the others last 35. Get between 25GB for $30 and 55GB for $50. Data falls to 10GB and 30GB respectively if you don't opt into auto-recharge.
Phones on a plan. Just like the other providers, you can pick up a new iPhone, Samsung, Oppo or other handset on a Vodafone postpaid plan with a 12-, 24- or 36-month plan.
Winner for best value mobile plans: Three-way tie Since all three providers offer such a wide range of plans, it's hard to compare them outright. However, Optus and Vodafone technically have the cheapest postpaid plans available, while all three have fairly similar prepaid offerings. Value is largely similar across the board and really depends on what your mobile usage habits are like, though Vodafone tends to be cheaper than Telstra in most categories.You can pick up a new handset from all three, though Optus and Vodafone have the shorter contract lengths.
Which offers the most extra features?
Big mobile providers are well known for offering a whole bunch of extra features and benefits to entice new customers. Here's what you can expect from the big three if you sign up to their plans.
Telstra
5G trial (until June 2020).
Telstra Air Wi-Fi. Access to 1 million free Wi-Fi hotspots on any Telstra plan.
Free sports streaming. No data use on certain sports like AFL, NRL and others.
Free music streaming. No data use when listening to Apple Music, though you still need your own subscription.
International call packs. Add free calls to 25 countries for $10 a month.
Telstra 24x7 app. Phone app for customer support and plan management.
Winner for extra features: Telstra In terms of sheer number of features, Telstra has the most available that you're likely to take advantage of. However, Optus isn't too far behind, especially if you like streaming sports with its Optus Sports feature.
Telstra vs Optus vs Vodafone: Who wins?
Depending what you're after, all three providers are fairly comparable in value. Telstra is the most expensive of the lot but has the most included features on its plans, though Vodafone beats out its 150GB plan by $10 per month. Otherwise, you can pick up a new handset from any of the big three from about $40 per month.
Remember, the best provider for you will depend entirely upon your own circumstances and whether you're looking to get something specific out of the provider. For example, if you live in a rural or regional part of Australia, the best provider for you may be Telstra due to its extensive coverage compared to the other two. The previous judgement is based on the value of plans and features that the provider offers and doesn't take into account personal preferences.
Picked your provider? Check out month-to-month plans from the big 3 below
We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.
Winner for best coverage: Telstra
