Compare Internet Plans in Australia

We’re all relying on home internet a little bit more these days. Whether it’s to work from home, stay connected to friends and family, or just fight boredom. With all of us staying home more, and therefore using more internet, it’s more important than ever to make sure we have a fast, reliable, and affordable connection. If you’re looking to learn more about broadband in Australia, and discover the best internet providers, continue reading below.
Compare types of home internet
The technology used to connect to the internet is changing, with the rollout of the NBN across Australia, the phasing-out of ADSL, and the installation of 5G. There are so many different ways, old and new, to make sure you stay connected, and if you’re not sure about their differences keep reading below.
NBN broadband
NBN is the latest high-speed internet technology that has rolled out across Australia. While there are different types of NBN connections depending on where you live, the basic idea is the NBN will connect homes to the internet with high-speed fibre optic cables allowing for download speeds of up to 100Mbps, or even more in some instances. With NBN you can choose to get a home phone line, but unlike old ADSL conntections you don't need one.
Home wireless broadband in Australia
Unlike other home broadband technologies, home wireless broadband relies on the mobile phone network to connect your home to the internet. A wireless broadband modem connects to whichever mobile network you choose (Telstra, Optus, or Vodafone) and allows for multiple devices including computers, phones, or tablets to connect to it at the same time. While traditional home wireless broadband speeds can get up to 24Mbps, new 5G home broadband can reach well over 100Mbps, making it a faster alternative even to most NBN plans.
Cable broadband in Australia
Cable broadband is an alternative to NBN and ADSL, which uses an exclusive network of fibre and copper cables to deliver data to households. While faster than traditional ADSL, it’s less reliable than new NBN technology. Telstra and Optus are the two main cable broadband providers, and as NBN becomes more popular, cable is less readily available.
ADSL and ADSL2+ in Australia
Now obsolete, ADSL and ADSL2+ was the older technology used to deliver home internet via the copper telephone wires connected to a house. Since the rollout of NBN, most internet providers have pulled their ADSL plans from their websites and no longer offer them to new customers. If you still have ADSL it’s important to switch over to a different type of broadband soon to avoid losing service.

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Compare internet: Fastest NBN providers
When choosing an NBN plan, speed is one of the most important things to consider. NBN plans are divided into different download speeds, to better fit different household sizes and needs.
NBN Speed Tier Download/Upload Speeds |
Household Size | What Are These Speeds Good For? |
---|---|---|
NBN 12 12Mbps/1Mbps |
1-2 People |
|
NBN 25 25Mbps/5Mbps |
1-3 People |
|
NBN 50 50Mbps/20Mbps |
2-4 People |
|
NBN 100 100Mbps/40Mbps |
4+ People |
|
NBN Superfast 250Mbps/25Mbps |
Large Households |
|
NBN Ultrafast 1000Mbps/40Mbps |
Large Households |
|
However, these speed standards only outline the maximum speeds possible. Most internet service providers display their NBN plans with the average evening speed, this is the estimated average download speed you will actually get during peak busy hours during the evening. Some of the best internet providers have a higher average evening speed than others.
Check your broadband speed Use the Internet Speed Test to find out how fast your internet is, and learn tips and tricks that might speed up your connection.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) releases their quarterly report Measuring Broadband Australia, which details advertised vs actual download speeds from the biggest internet service providers in Australia. Below you can find a table of the top internet providers in Australia, along with the download average percentage of plan speed for all hours, and peak busy hours. This means, for example, if you choose an Optus NBN50 plan, during peak busy hours your download speeds would only be 98.5% of 50Mbps while overall, you would experience download speeds at 99.4% of 50Mbps.
Provider | Percentage of download speed during all hours | Actual performance during busiest hours |
---|---|---|
Aussie Broadband | 97% | 96.1% |
Dodo & iPrimus | 86.1% | 85% |
Exetel | 90.4% | 89.9% |
iiNet | 97.1% | 96.5% |
MyRepublic | 97% | 95.7% |
Optus | 99.4% | 98.7% |
Superloop | 96.4% | 95.3% |
Telstra | 98.2% | 97.1% |
TPG | 99.5% | 98.9% |
Vodafone | 94.5% | 93.7% |
Source: ACCC Measuring Broadband Australia March 2021, Figure 18
Internet providers are now offering Superfast and Ultrafast NBN speeds to their lineup of broadband plans. These impossibly fast download speeds are only really available if you have an FTTP or HFC connection to your premises, but can deliver speeds of up to NBN250 or even NBN1000 to your home. Plans for Superfast and Ultrafast NBN start around $100 per month, and all come with unlimited data. These providers offering NBN250 and NBN1000 include:
Compare internet deals & cheapest NBN plans
If you’re less concerned about getting the fastest internet available, and instead want to find the cheapest NBN plans to suit your needs, you can find some of the cheapest providers and best internet deals with no lock-in contract below.
Discover the best NBN plans for seniors and pensioners
NBN plans for pensionersCheapest NBN plans with unlimited data
Maybe you don’t need the fastest plan, but still want a good broadband speed for your household. Here are some of the cheapest NBN plans with unlimited data, meaning that even if you don’t game or stream Ultra 4K video frequently, you can enjoy unlimited broadband without needing to worry about data caps or reduced download speeds.
NBN provider | NBN plan features |
---|---|
Flip Value 12 10Mbps typical evening speeds $34 / month first 6 months $44.90 / month after |
Unlimited data BYO modem +$149 optional modem No contract |
Flip Premium 25 BYO 21Mbps typical evening speeds $44 / month first 6 months $54.90 / month after |
Unlimited data BYO modem No contract |
Kogan Bronze 23Mbps typical evening speeds $57.90 / month first 6 months $63.90 / month after |
Unlimited data BYO modem BYO modem No contract |
Source: Providers individual websites. Actual offers may vary. Actual speeds may vary. Comparison does not include all providers, products, or plan features. Typical evening speed 7pm-11pm and subject to change. Valid June 2021.
Cheapest NBN plans with limited data
If you’re not a big internet user, you might not want to pay the extra cash for unlimited data. Maybe you just use the internet to browse social media and check your emails, in which case here are the cheapest NBN plans with limited data, so you never need to pay for more than you need.
TPG NBN12 10GB / month |
TPG NBN12 100GB / month |
Internode NBN12 100GB / month |
---|---|---|
$29.99 / month Month-to-month |
$49.99 / month Month-to-month |
$49.99 / month Month-to-month |

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Compare internet: Home wireless broadband plans
If you’re looking for an alternative to the NBN, home wireless broadband is a good choice. Rather than a fixed wireless network (like the NBN or ADSL), home wireless broadband uses the mobile broadband network to connect the devices in your home to the internet. While 4G home wireless broadband speeds aren’t quite as fast as NBN, new 5G home wireless broadband plans perform as well as, if not better than, the NBN.
4G home wireless broadband: Plans with 200GB of data and less
If you’re not a huge internet user, you probably only need a little bit of data every month. Most home wireless broadband plans are available with either 200GB of data or 500GB of data per month, and below you can find a comparison of plans with 200GB of data or less.
Home broadband provider | Home broadband plan details |
---|---|
Optus 4G Home Internet Lite 200GB of data 24-month contract |
$59 / month $0 modem |
Vodafone 200GB of data Month-to-month |
$55 / month +$180 modem ($0 if you stay for 36 months) |
Southern Phone Home Wireless 50 200GB of data 24-month contract |
$50 / month +$79 modem |
Tangerine 200GB of data Month-to-month |
$59.90 / month BYO modem |
Yomojo 200GB of data Month-to-month |
$59.90 / month +$179 modem upfront |
SpinTel 200GB of data Month-to-month |
$49.95 / month Rent or purchase modem |
Source: Providers individual websites. Actual offers may vary. Actual speeds may vary. Comparison does not include all providers, products, or plan features. Typical evening speed 7pm-11pm and subject to change. Valid June 2021.
4G home wireless broadband: Plans with more than 200GB of data
If you need a bit more data, home wireless plans with 500GB of data usually have enough data for social media, browsing the web, and light streaming. Below, you’ll find home wireless broadband plans with 500GB of data per month.
Home broadband provider | Home broadband plan details |
---|---|
Optus 4G Home Internet Lite 500GB of data 24-month contract |
$69 / month $0 modem |
Vodafone 400GB of data Month-to-month |
$65 / month +$180 modem ($0 if you stay for 36 months) |
Southern Phone Home Wireless 70 500GB of data 24-month contract |
$70 / month +$79 modem |
Tangerine 500GB of data Month-to-month |
$69.90 / month BYO modem |
Yomojo 500GB of data Month-to-month |
$69.90 / month +$179 modem upfront |
SpinTel 500GB of data Month-to-month |
$69.95 / month Rent or purchase modem |
Exetel 500GB of data250GB of data 12-month contract |
$69 / month +$94.50 modem (+$20 shipping) |
Source: Providers individual websites. Actual offers may vary. Actual speeds may vary. Comparison does not include all providers, products, or plan features. Typical evening speed 7pm-11pm and subject to change. Valid June 2021.
Compare 5G home wireless broadband
While it’s slowly getting rolled out across the country, 5G isn’t available everywhere just yet. But if you’re one of those who already live in a place with 5G access, you might be able to get 5G home wireless broadband. Currently, only Optus, and Spintel on the Optus 5G Network, offer 5G home wireless but their 5G plans are comparable to even some of the fastest NBN plans.
Optus 5G Internet Everyday 100Mbps capped speed 24-month contract |
Spintel Unlimited data 239Mbps average download speed No lock-in contract |
---|---|
$75 / month $0 start-up $200 start-up with month-to-month contract |
$70 / month first 6 months $90 / month after Modem included |
Source: Providers individual websites. Actual offers may vary. Actual speeds may vary. Comparison does not include all providers, products, or plan features. Typical evening speed 7pm-11pm and subject to change. Valid June 2021.
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