Optus Mobile Review ALDI Mobile Review Amaysim Mobile Review Belong Mobile Review Circles.Life Review Vodafone Mobile Review Woolworths Mobile Review Felix Mobile Review Best iPhone Plans Best Family Mobile Plans Best Budget Smartphones Best Prepaid Plans Best SIM-Only Plans Best Plans For Kids And Teens Best Cheap Mobile Plans Telstra vs Optus Mobile Optus NBN Review Belong NBN Review Vodafone NBN Review Superloop NBN Review Aussie BB NBN Review iiNet NBN Review MyRepublic NBN Review TPG NBN Review Best NBN Satellite Plans Best NBN Alternatives Best NBN Providers Best Home Wireless Plans What is a Good NBN Speed? Test NBN Speed How to speed up your internet Optus vs Telstra Broadband ExpressVPN Review CyberGhost VPN Review NordVPN Review PureVPN Review Norton Secure VPN Review IPVanish VPN Review Windscribe VPN Review Hotspot Shield VPN Review Best cheap VPN services Best VPN for streaming Best VPNs for gaming What is a VPN? VPNs for ad-blocking Let’s dive into everything you need to know about picking the perfect mobile phone plan for your needs. When a Prepaid period expires, you basically can’t use your phone anymore until you recharge, either manually or automatically. With SIM Only plans, you’ll have a telco-designated deadline for your bill, but you’ll be able to keep using your mobile phone for calls, texts and data until the plan is cancelled. Most Prepaid starter packs, plans and subscriptions revolve around monthly periods. That said, in Prepaid terms, a month either lasts 28 days, 30 days or an actual month, depending on the telco and type of plan. While a monthly Prepaid plan or 30 days will typically recharge 12 times per year, 28-day plans need an extra annual recharge to make up for the difference in days, so factor that into cost comparisons. Below is a daily updating list of popular monthly Prepaid plans from our comparison engine. Below is a daily updating list of popular long-expiry Prepaid plans from our comparison engine.
Aldi Mobile Amaysim Boost Mobile Catch Connect Coles Mobile Exetel Felix Mobile Gomo Kogan Mobile Lebara Mobile Lycamobile Optus Telstra TPG Vodafone Woolworths Mobile Yomojo
Prepaid plans give more control over spending, but in dollar-for-dollar comparisons, you may find more value in a Prepaid plan. If the kid or older adult is using a feature phone (aka a “dumb phone”), there’s less of a need for data, whereas any smartphone will benefit from a data allowance. SIM Only plans also usually have more perks than Prepaid plans, especially when you spend more. It’s not overly difficult to find an international call allowance with Prepaid plans, but international talk and text becomes more commonplace for SIM Only plans. There are other perks, too, like capped speeds if you go over your monthly quota, data sharing and data banking, plus sporadic add-ons like limited-time subscriptions to streaming services. We track more than 15 telcos in our comparison engine that offer SIM Only plans, some of which will be familiar from the Prepaid list above, including:
Aussie Broadband Belong Circles.Life Dodo Mobile iiNet Internode iPrimus Mate Moose Mobile Numobile Optus Pennytel Spintel Southern Phone Tangerine Telecom Telstra Vodafone Woolworths Mobile
And below is a daily updating list of popular SIM Only plans from our database. Whichever term you see, it refers to the option to recycle unused data between SIM Only months or Prepaid recharges. Usually, there’s a cap on how much data can be stored but telcos like Amaysim and Belong have unlimited banking/rollover. Note that Boost Mobile only lets its users roll over unused data to the next recharge, which expires after that next recharge period ends. Here’s the list of telcos we track in our comparison engine that offer data banking or data rollover. When it comes to new smartphones, though, it also means you have to pony up hundreds or potentially thousands of dollars before buying a Prepaid or SIM Only plan. Postpaid plans, on the other hand, are SIM Only plans with a handset-repayment component. Handset repayments are in either 12, 24 or 36-month blocks. The longer the handset-repayment duration, the cheaper the monthly repayments. These days, there aren’t any additional fees associated with exiting a no-contract Postpaid plan early, except for the requirement to repay what’s remaining on the handset repayments. This makes it easier to shift plans with the same telco but—depending on how far you are into a 12, 24 or 36-month handset repayment period—you may have to pay hundreds or thousands of the remaining smartphone cost before you can shift telcos. Certain telcos let you trade in particular smartphone models for account credit, while others offer incentives to upgrade ahead every one or two years with a nominal fee after trading in your current Postpaid handset. Additionally, telcos like Numobile and Boost Mobile sell a range of refurbished smartphones to help keep costs down. There aren’t any wrong answers when it comes to BYO or Postpaid handsets. If you’re a long-term customer with a particular telco that offers Postpaid plans, it makes sense to stick with them and save money upfront. That said, if you like chasing the latest deals, having an unlocked phone makes that a lot easier. Here’s a list of the telcos in our comparison engine that sell new smartphones and/or let you bundle them with Postpaid plans:
Optus Southern Phone Telstra Vodafone Woolworths Mobile
And below is a daily updating list of some popular smartphones. If you have bought a smartphone from a telco and you suspect it’s locked to their network, check with them to confirm it’s unlocked before shifting telcos. There are also other ways to determine whether your phone is unlocked. This may change for enterprise-level mobile plans, but for small and medium businesses, it’s okay to browse personal mobile plans alongside whatever is marketed as a business mobile plan. Telcos may also let you add your company’s ACN or ABN to your mobile account, which may make it easier at tax time. The other main difference to keep an eye out for is whether a business plan offers dedicated business support channels, which may be preferable to queuing up for help on a residential support channel. For SIM Only plans, there’s a similar trend towards no-contract options. Outside of handset repayments on Postpaid plans—which are separate from plan commitments—it’s rare to find contracts on SIM Only plans. Unless there’s a killer deal tied to a plan contract, we’d advise steering clear of them to have the flexibility to shift if something better comes along (without having to pay an exit fee). That’s true of Prepaid and SIM Only plans, with the only proviso being that unlimited talk and text is limited to Australian numbers. If you’re someone who still loves to talk on the phone and text, it means you can save a lot of money by opting for a cheap plan that has minimal data. Check out the daily updating list of Prepaid and SIM Only plans below that don’t cost more than $20 but come with unlimited talk and text. Once you use up all of your allocated data, a few different things might happen. For Prepaid users, you won’t be able to use any data-using apps or functions until you recharge. For SIM Only users, it depends on which telco you’re with. Telcos with “limitless data”—like Telstra, Optus and Vodafone—throttle your overall speeds until the next billing cycle. For Telstra and Optus, this is 1.5Mbps, but for Vodafone, it varies based on how much you pay: either 2Mbps or 10Mbps. Other SIM Only telcos may automatically charge per gigabyte of extra data, or they may charge per megabyte. If you’re someone who regularly comes close to or busts data caps, it’s worth considering a plan with more data. Alternatively, consider switching to a telco that offers limitless data. While 30GB is sufficient for most users, there are Prepaid and SIM Only plans with double the data or more. Check out popular plans from our comparison engine with at least 60GB of data. Telstra, Optus and Vodafone are the three mobile network providers in Australia, and that ranking is also reflective of the coverage reach of each provider’s network. The only slight disclaimer there is that while Optus and Vodafone MVNOs have access to the full stretch of either respective network (excluding 5G in most cases), Telstra has its main network for Telstra and Boost Mobile customers. Other Telstra MVNOs use the slightly smaller Telstra wholesale network. Here’s a look at the 4G coverage reach for the mobile networks in Australia: And here’s how 5G coverage looks in Australia for the three main networks: Below is a daily updating list of 5G mobile plans from our database. If coverage is a critical consideration for your mobile plan, seek out Telstra or Boost Mobile first, followed by a Telstra MVNO, before considering Optus or Vodafone (and their respective MVNOs). It’s important to flag that mobile speeds are impacted by a variety of factors, including the network you’re on, mobile tower congestion and whether you’re outside or inside. For example, to reach the best 5G speeds, you’ll need a 5G-compatible handset and have a 5G-supported mobile plan. You’ll then need to use your phone outside in an area that doesn’t have too many users on the same network competing for finite resources. Similarly, even if you have a 5G smartphone and 5G plan, you need to be in an area with 5G coverage to tap into the speed advantages. If not, speeds revert to either 4G or 3G, based on where you are and what’s available at the time. Use the interactive network coverage map below for an approximate idea of how network coverage looks in your area. The drop-down menu lets you select Telstra, Optus or Vodafone networks. You can check and uncheck the 5G, 4G and 3G boxes to see which parts of the network are most relevant to the areas where you live, work or frequent. Note that your area may have better coverage from a smaller network.
Aldi Mobile Belong Boost Mobile Exetel JB Hi-Fi Lycamobile Mate Numobile Pennytel Southern Phone (limited circumstances only; Southern Phone mainly uses Optus 4G) Tangerine Telstra Woolworths Mobile
Below is a daily updating list of popular plans on the Telstra mobile network, across SIM Only and Prepaid options.
Amaysim Aussie Broadband Catch Connect Circles.Life Coles Mobile Dodo Gomo iPrimus Moose Mobile Optus Southern Phone Spintel Yomojo
For an idea of Optus network plans, check out the daily updating list of popular plans from our database.
Felix Mobile iiNet Internode Kogan Mobile Lebara TPG Vodafone
If you fancy a Vodafone network plan, check out the daily updating list of popular picks across Prepaid and SIM Only plans. Telstra has announced it will cease all 3G services by June 2024 and Optus has already repurposed part of its 3G network spectrum. That said, Optus hasn’t committed to a timeline for when it will fully shut down 3G. Similarly, Vodafone has maintained a commitment to keep 3G. While both Optus and Vodafone have repurposed the 2100MHz spectrum for their respective 4G networks, they are still offering 3G services on the 900MHz spectrum. Without getting too technical, these changes may impact older 3G phones. Check with your telco that your handset is supported if it’s older and you’re concerned about a lack of coverage. While having the option for international talk and text is a great add-on for some, it may be redundant in this data-obsessed age. Data-based communication services like Skype, Zoom and Discord (to name a few) are popular ways to stay in touch, which can easily cross borders and don’t charge extra for talk and text. The only thing to watch out for is data usage, which goes up when you add video but is relatively low if you’re just using the instant messaging or voice-chat functionality of these services. It’s also worth noting that having your phone connected to WiFi when you’re at home—ideally, an NBN plan or similar with unlimited data—means you can preserve precious mobile data and partake in more data-intensive tasks without worrying about your monthly data cap. Below is a daily updating list of popular SIM Only and Prepaid plans that come with international inclusions. Here’s a look at the mobile broadband providers we track in our comparison engine:
Aldi Mobile Amaysim Belong Catch Connect Dodo Optus Southern Phone Spintel Telstra Vodafone
While most of those telcos offer plans on the respective 4G mobile networks, Optus and Telstra sell 5G mobile broadband plans. Bear in mind that most modern smartphones let you tether to share your mobile data with other devices, so these mobile broadband plans and mobile modems may be surplus to requirements. Also note that while Optus and Telstra cap speeds at 1.5Mbps after a max-speed data cap has been exhausted, other telcos charge more if you go over. Below is a daily updating list of popular mobile broadband plans from our comparison engine. You’ll need a lot of data if you stream a lot of videos, tether with other devices and download lots of files. Most other tasks don’t use up a whole lot of data. According to updated ACCC estimates, Prepaid users go through about 9GB a month while SIM Only users tend to use around 17GB each month. Most telcos let you track data usage or notify you at specific intervals. Modern smartphones also track data usage. We advise tracking your data usage over a month and using those figures to determine how much you need before shifting mobile plans. It’s always better to opt for slightly more data than you need than run the risk of having to pay excess fees, dealing with slower internet or running out of data before your Prepaid period renews. For those who live in regional parts of Australia, Telstra has the most expansive network, followed by Telstra’s wholesale network, Optus and then Vodafone. That said, Optus and Vodafone are still committed to 3G connectivity for those with older handsets, so that’s an important consideration if you’re in a 3G area, too. Because the best coverage for most Australians comes from the main and wholesale Telstra networks, the daily updating list of popular SIM Only and Prepaid below are all on those networks. If you have everyday data needs, check out the daily updating list of popular SIM Only and Prepaid plans from our database that have at least 10GB of data. These days, Prepaid is as viable a choice for everyday users as it is for students and older adults. Prepaid not only gives greater control over spending, it’s also a great way to save money, particularly for first-year savings. If you have your average monthly data usage figured out, we absolutely recommend looking at long-expiry Prepaid plans. The Kogan Extra Large - 365 Day Flex Plan, for instance, typically costs $300 for the first year for 500GB of Vodafone 4G data. That works out to $25 a month in the first year for just over 41GB of data each month. Any month you use less than 41GB of data, you have more to use in the following months, but note that the opposite is also true. Alternatively, you don’t need unlimited data to have access to a lot of monthly mobile data. Below is a daily updating list of popular SIM Only and Prepaid mobile plans with at least 200GB of data. That said, if you’re someone who loves to tether your phone and share data with the kind of devices you’d typically use at home—particularly if you’re on an unlimited-data mobile plan—speed becomes important. It’s the same case for any online gamer or video caller who appreciates the perks of the lowest possible mobile latency. The speediest mobile plans are on a 5G network. According to 2021 tests from our sister site WhistleOut, Telstra 5G was marginally faster than Optus 5G and both networks were noticeably faster than Vodafone 5G. Upload speeds were closer between Telstra and Optus, with Vodafone 5G behind at around half the speeds. For latency, the fastest results came from Optus, closely followed by Telstra, with Vodafone 5G not too far behind. If you’re in the market for a 5G plan, check out the daily updating list of 5G popular picks from our database below. International calls and/or texts are common inclusions, but if those aren’t of interest to you, keep an eye out for data banking or data rollover to store unused data between SIM Only months or Prepaid recharges. Other perks tend to be either time-limited, like a few months for specific streaming services, or telco-specific: like day rollover for Optus Prepaid plans or Woolworths shopping discounts from Woolworths Mobile.
