Compare Mobile Plans in Australia | Networks, Prices & Data

By Sarah Sheedy

Energy & Telecom SEO Specialist

Mobile phones are for more than just talking these days, acting as a computer, phone, TV, and gaming system all in one. It's important, when it comes to mobile phone plans, to find the best mobile plan for you whether that's a prepaid plan with unlimited international calling, a cheap mobile phone plan, data-only, or a mobile plan that connects you to 5G. To help you compare mobile plans, and find the best phone plan for you, keep reading below.

What to Consider When Comparing Phone Plans

There’s more to choosing a phone plan than just buying one, and careful consideration can help you save money, and get the most out of your phone. Before you compare phone plans, consider the following:

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Type of Mobile Phone Plan

The first step to choosing a new phone plan is to consider the type of plan you want. This includes whether you want a new device with your plan, just the phone plan itself and whether you want a prepaid or postpaid SIM.

• SIM-only or with a new smartphone? You can choose either a SIM-only phone plan, if you're happy with your current handset or would rather purchase a new phone outright. This gives you the most choice when choosing a new phone plan. If, however, you want a brand new handset, your options are more limited to a smaller number of mobile companies. You can find our budget smartphone picks, and best iPhone plans if you're looking for a new smartphone.
• Prepaid or postpaid? These days, prepaid and postpaid phone plans are generally quite similar with calls, texts, and data inclusions and both often come without contract periods. With prepaid phone plans you recharge your phone plan before, and only get what you pay for. With postpaid phone plans, however, you pay afterwards for what you used. If you used more than your phone plan offers (more data, for example) then you will need to pay extra.

Monthly Phone Budget

It’s always best to choose a phone plan within your budget, but the cheapest phone plan is not necessarily the best phone plan. The cheapest mobile phone plans are available for around $10 or less, but often come with very little data and other inclusions. For someone who doesn’t use their phone often, or for kids or seniors who might not need lots of data, this might be the perfect phone plan. For most average phone users, however, a budget between $15 and $25 per month can usually get between 6GB and 20GB, plus unlimited standard national calls and texts, and often some additional international calling inclusions.

The Mobile Network

All phones, no matter who you pay your monthly phone bill to, are on one of three networks. Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone all operate their own mobile networks in Australia, while everyone else (the Mobile Virtual Network Operators or MVNOs) purchase the right to use parts of these networks.

If you live in a big city, which network you’re on (and whether it’s with an MVNO), really won’t matter. However, for those living in regional or remote parts of Australia, it’s important to check and make sure your chosen phone carrier offers full coverage in your area.

5G mobile network If you live in the urban center of most major Australian cities, you may already have 5G network access. Find out more about the 5G network in Australia and see which 5G mobile plans are available to you.

Mobile Plan Inclusions

The cost of your phone plan is usually determined by what’s included in the phone plan. If you’re comparing phone plans, it’s important to understand your own phone habits and usage to choose the best phone plan with the best inclusions. If you’re a light phone user, you probably don’t need lots of data and a $15 or under plan would be just fine. If you have lots of family or friends in another country, a phone plan with unlimited international calls might be the best choice. Inclusions to consider are:

• Data: Phone plans may include less than 1GB of data per month, or up to 100GB or more. The average Australian uses approximately 25GB of data per month, according to the ACCC December 2020 report.
• National calls and texts: Most phone plans include unlimited standard national calls and texts no matter the price point
• International calls and texts: Many prepaid phone providers offer generous unlimited international calls and texts to multiple countries.
• Extras: These inclusions can include data rollover or data banking, data-free streaming for certain subscription platforms like Apple Music, or even unlimited and uncapped data.

Best Budget Phone Plans: $10 and Under

It might be surprising to hear that you can find a decent phone plan for under $10 a month. Cheap phone plans like these might not have all the bells and whistles, but they’re great for kids and seniors, or anyone who might not need much more than standard calls and texts, and a couple of GB of data. Below you can find the best budget phone plans with no lock-in contract for $10 or less per month, along with any additional features or inclusions.

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Looking for a new cheap smartphone? Check out Selectra's Best Budget Phones of 2021 to compare the best budget phones on the market

Best Phone Plans With Unlimited Data

Finding a mobile phone plan with unlimited data can be tricky as there just aren’t many providers offering truly unlimited data. Newcomer to the Australian market, Felix, currently offers the only truly unlimited data mobile phone plan, with guaranteed speeds up to 20Mbps. However, the three biggest telcos; Optus, Telstra, and Vodafone; all offer SIM-only plans with premium data allowances at max speeds that, if you use up, drop down to unlimited data at reduced speeds.

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Best Phone Plans With 5G Access

5G is rolling out across Australia, and some mobile phone providers are already offering access to the 5G network. Currently, only Optus, Telstra, and Vodafone, along with SpinTel on the Optus 5G network, offer plans that can connect you to 5G. It’s important to remember that if you want 5G, you will also need a 5G-enabled phone. Below, you can find the best mobile phone plans on the 5G network from each of these four providers.

Best Mobile Plans for Calling and Texting Overseas

It can be hard when friends and family live overseas, but thankfully there are many mobile providers with generous international inclusions. These often include unlimited calls and texts to selected countries, as well as some additional minutes and texts to other international places. If there is a specific country you want to call frequently, always make sure to check that it’s included in your mobile plan’s unlimited international call and texts. Below are some of the best mobile phone plans with the most generous international inclusions so you can stay connected to loved ones near and far.

Compare Mobile Phone Networks: Optus, Telstra, or Vodafone?

No matter who you pay for your mobile phone service, your mobile network is owned and operated by one of three mobile phone providers; Optus, Telstra, or Vodafone. All other mobile phone providers are known as MVNOs, meaning they purchase pieces of the mobile network from one of these three network operators at wholesale rates and sell them to the customer.

While MVNOs often sell mobile phone plans at a lower cost than the major network operators, they don’t always offer full access to the mobile network. You might not have coverage everywhere, or might not get access to 5G right away, and most MVNOs don’t carry the latest phones and tablets or other gadgets. For many, this is a nonissue. However, if you’re looking for a new, contracted phone on a plan, or want access to some of the latest technology such as 5G, you might be more interested in a mobile phone plan from Telstra, Optus, or Vodafone.

Compare Vodafone Mobile Phone Plans

Vodafone has both SIM-only postpaid plans, and prepaid mobile phone plans. Vodafone SIM-only plans come with additional features such as infinite data, $5 roaming, and a 30-day network satisfaction guarantee. If you’re interested in getting a new phone as well, any Vodafone mobile phone can be added to a SIM-only plan.

If you prefer a prepaid mobile phone plan, Vodafone offers both Prepaid Plus plans, which come with data, voice, and text inclusions, or Pay and Go which comes with a longer expiry period, and calls, text, and data on a pay-as-you-go basis. All Vodafone prepaid plans come with a $5 discount if you choose Automatic Recharge, and data banking up to 200GB of unused data.

Compare Optus Mobile Phone Plans

Like the other big-name mobile network providers in Australia, Optus offers both postpaid SIM-only plans, phones with a mobile plan, and prepaid mobile phone plans. Optus postpaid and SIM-only plans offer 5G network access where available, and endless data at 1.5Mbps so you never need to worry about running out. If you’re looking for a new phone, you can also bundle your monthly phone repayments with your Optus SIM-only plan or bring your own phone.

If you prefer a prepaid phone plan, Optus offers two types. Choose from a daily, weekly, or monthly data allowance with Optus Flex, or get bigger data allowances with an Optus Prepaid Epic Data plan.

Compare Telstra Mobile Phone Plans

The Telstra Network is the most expansive mobile network in Australia, covering over 99% of the population. With Telstra’s SIM-only plans, you pay upfront, not at the end of each month, and can enjoy unlimited data at 1.5Mbps download speeds no matter how much you use your phone, and can choose to add a new mobile phone payment plan to your service.

If you prefer a more classic prepaid mobile phone plan, Telstra offers two types. Their classic prepaid plans come with larger data inclusions and unlimited national call and text to standard numbers on a 28-day expiry period while those who use their mobile phones less might prefer a Telstra casual prepaid phone plan with less data and a longer expiry period.