If you’re after a mobile phone plan that’s SIM-only or prepaid data, has a lot of data or a little, comes with a new handset or cutting-edge 5G speeds, we’ve got you covered.
The best mobile phone plans in Australia (May 2024)
- : Circles.Life 30GB Monthly Plan
- : Moose Mobile 11.80 SIM Only
- : Vodafone $49 Small Plan
- : Southern Phone Large 5G SIM Plan
- : TPG 45GB Mobile Plan
- : Belong 100GB Mobile Plan
This page is dedicated to the three main kinds of mobile phone plans. Our categories cover some of the best SIM-only mobile plans, a selection of the best prepaid mobile plans, and we also cater to those in the market for a new iPhone 15.
We track more than 100 mobile plans in our comparison engine from dozens of Aussie mobile providers. In terms of costs, you can nab a cheap mobile plan for around $10 or go beyond $50 if you’re after a whole lot of data. Expect to pay at least $80 per month to pair a postpaid mobile plan with a shiny new iPhone.
Scroll on to discover the best mobile plans for May.
Best value SIM-only mobile phone plan
Circles.Life 30GB Monthly Plan
✓ How we chose this plan:
- We ranked SIM-only mobile plans with at least 30GB of base data (capped at $40 per month) then used dollar-to-data comparisons to find the best value. More widespread networks, plan features and our in-depth provider schema are used to settle tie-breaks.
Based on our experiences and research, most Australian mobile users will comfortably get by with 30GB of data each month. That’s the data minimum we start with for plan comparisons in this category, with credit given to plans that have discounted pricing and great dollar-to-data value.
Circles.Life dethrones iiNet’s shot at a threepeat this month with its 30GB Monthly Plan. New customers pay a very competitive $11 monthly fee for the first six months before the Circles.Life 30GB Monthly Plan reverts to its $30 typical monthly fee. Either price covers 30GB of Optus 4G data. If you don’t use up all those gigabytes, store up to 500GB of it via data rollover. Circles.Life also offers eSIM support for eligible smartphones. Alternatively, get more monthly gigabytes from the iiNet Mobile 40GB Plan or the Moose Mobile 19.80 Promo plan.
How does this mobile phone plan compare?
Compare the winner above with these popular SIM-only plans below that don’t have initial pricing beyond $40 (at least initially) and have at least 30GB.
The best SIM Only plans in Australia
Your one-stop shop for the best SIM Only plans in Australia.
Best cheap SIM-only mobile phone plan
Moose Mobile 11.80 SIM Only
✓ How we chose this plan:
- We ranked SIM-only mobile plans with at least 10GB of base data (capped at $25 per month) then used dollar-to-data comparisons to find the best value. More widespread networks, plan features and our in-depth provider schema are used to settle tie-breaks.
If you find that you’re regularly falling short of your monthly data allocation, it’s worth considering a cheaper SIM-only mobile plan. For light-data users or people whose phones are almost always connected to WiFi, there are bucks to be saved with a plan that has between 10GB and 30GB of monthly data.
This month’s winner is again a reconfigured SIM-only plan from Moose Mobile. The Moose 11.80 SIM Only plan has a $11.80 monthly fee for the first eight months before bouncing back to its $24.80 typical price. That’s a great first-year price for 25GB of data on the Optus 5G network. While speeds are capped at 100Mbps, that’s plenty for mobile use, plus you can store up to 200GB of data between months. For cheap alternatives, check out the Kogan Mobile Small Monthly Plan and the Moose Mobile 14.80 SIM Only plan.
How does this mobile phone plan compare?
If you want other cheap SIM-only options, the popular plans below are capped at $25 monthly fees (at least initially) and come with a minimum of 10GB of data.
Best iPhone plan deal
iPhone 15 + Vodafone $49 Small Plan
✓ How we chose this plan:
- We use the iPhone 15 128GB model for comparisons across plans with at least 30GB of data and 36-month repayment terms. Plans are ranked in terms of monthly cost and overall value. More widespread networks, plan features and our in-depth provider schema are used to settle tie-breaks.
If you’re in the market for a new mobile phone, you can pay off an interest-free handset over a couple of years or few with a participating telco. We use the iPhone 15 128GB as our comparison handset, but you can easily sub in any other available smartphone you prefer. The monthly cost will go up or down depending on the mobile phone, though, and whether you want to pay it off over 24 or 36 months.
The Vodafone $49 Small Plan is back to its competitive pricing from March, with Vodafone reactivating a great deal. If you bundle this Vodafone plan with an iPhone 15 128GB model and 36-month repayment terms, it costs $80.90 a month. For comparison, that’s roughly $10 cheaper than Optus and $20+ cheaper than Telstra. In terms of the plan, you get 50GB of Vodafone 5G data and no excess data fees (capped at 2Mbps if you go over). Alternatively, consider the pricier $49 Optus Choice Plus Plan or the Telstra $62 Basic Upfront Mobile Plan.
How does this mobile phone plan compare?
Check out more popular mobile plans on 36-month repayment terms with the iPhone 15 128GB.
Best SIM-only big-data mobile phone plan
Southern Phone Large 5G SIM Plan
✓ How we chose this plan:
- We ranked SIM-only mobile plans with at least 60GB of base data (capped at $55 per month) then used dollar-to-data comparisons to find the best value. More widespread networks, plan features and our in-depth provider schema are used to settle tie-breaks.
We consider 30GB of data plenty of everyday users, but we double that minimum allowance for those with heavy data needs. Big-data plans are best for people who use mobile data every day, particularly when it comes to streaming video. All of our big-data contenders are SIM-only plans with at least 60GB of data.
Southern Phone has refreshed its SIM-only plans and there are some great picks ahead of the end of the financial year. Case in point, the Large 5G SIM Plan, which has 80GB of Optus 5G data (capped at 100Mbps). The regular price is a reasonable $34 monthly fee but new Southern Phone customers can enjoy a $24 monthly cost for the first six months. Everyone who signs up to this plan gets $50 of standard international call credit. Alternatively, get more monthly gigabytes with the Moose Mobile 24.80 Promo and Spintel $35 Mobile Plan.
How does this mobile phone plan compare?
For more big-data alternatives, the SIM-only plans below don’t cost more than $55 (at least initially) and have at least 60GB of data.
Best prepaid mobile phone plan
TPG 45GB Mobile Plan
✓ How we chose this plan:
- We ranked 28-day to monthly prepaid mobile plans with at least 30GB of base data (capped at $40) then used dollar-to-data comparisons to find the best value. More widespread networks and our in-depth provider schema are used to settle tie-breaks.
Prepaid plans are meant for people who want full control over their mobile phone bills. For our best prepaid category, we set the data slider at 30GB but favour any plan above that minimum. Note that in prepaid terms, a ‘month’ may be an actual month, or it may be either 30-day or 28-day recharges. The fewer the monthly days, the more recharges you need per year.
This month, the TPG 45GB Mobile Plan takes out the top spot once again in part because it offers actual monthly recharges instead of 28 or 30 days, which helps with first-year value. You’ll get 45GB of data to play with for $30 per month, but new sign-ups pay half that monthly fee for the first six months. We also like that TPG offers eSIM support so you don’t have to wait for a physical SIM card to arrive. Alternatively, get cheaper typical pricing with the Catch Connect 30 Day Plan – 30GB or more data with the Felix Mobile 50GB Mobile Plan.
How does this mobile phone plan compare?
Check out these other prepaid plans with at least 30GB of data and a max $40 fee per recharge (at least initially).
Best SIM-only 5G mobile phone plan
Belong 100GB Mobile Plan
✓ How we chose this plan:
- We ranked 5G SIM-only mobile plans with at least 60GB of base data (capped at $60 per month) then used dollar-to-data comparisons to find the best value. More widespread networks, plan features and our in-depth provider schema are used to settle tie-breaks.
As Australia’s 5G mobile networks continue to expand, mobile plans that support the latest mobile connectivity are becoming more common. We track more than 60 5G plans in our database, across prepaid and SIM-only. We lean towards SIM-only plans for this category, though, as they tend to have better perks and, therefore, better overall value.
For a mix of speed, data and value, go with the Belong 100GB Mobile Plan. There isn’t any promo pricing but the $45 typical monthly cost includes 100GB of Telstra 5G data. While it is capped at 150Mbps that’s plenty of speed for every mobile task. Better still, if you blitz through that 100GB of data, there aren’t any excess data fees. Admittedly, there is a 1Mbps cap until the next billing cycle. If you have leftover data, either store it or gift it to other Belong customers. Alternatively, for more data and faster 5G speeds, consider the Belong 160GB Mobile Plan or the Mate Soul Mates 5G plan.
How does this mobile phone plan compare?
For comparison, check out these 5G plans, which may be prepaid or SIM-only, that come with minimum 60GB and don’t cost more than $60 per month.
Popular Telstra network mobile phone plan
Belong 25GB Mobile Plan
✓ How we chose this plan:
- We highlighted the most popular Telstra network SIM-only and prepaid mobile plans on 1 May 2024.
If you want to buy a Telstra plan, you can expect to pay a premium to access Australia’s most widespread network. Still, given the ubiquity of the Telstra network, it’s unsurprising that Telstra mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs)—other telcos that aren’t Telstra—are a popular pick for mobile users across SIM-only and prepaid plans.
The Belong 25GB Mobile Plan was once again the most popular pick across prepaid and SIM-only plans on the Telstra network at the start of the month. That 25GB of data costs $29 per month, with speeds up to 150Mbps on the Telstra 5G network. Post-25GB data is capped at 1Mbps for the rest of the month, so no excess data charges. Alternatively, you can gift unused gigabytes to other Belong customers.
How does this mobile phone plan compare?
For other popular Telstar network picks, check out these mobile plans.
Popular Optus network mobile phone plan
Moose Mobile 11.80 SIM Only
✓ How we chose this plan:
- We highlighted the most popular Optus network SIM-only and prepaid mobile plans on 1 May 2024.
The Optus network isn’t quite as widespread as the Telstra network, but it still has great coverage and its MVNOs offer competitively priced plans with a decent chunk of data. Typically, popular Optus network plans may change based on whichever telco is offering the best deal at the time.
At the start of the month, the Moose Mobile 11.80 Promo was again the most popular pick among prepaid and SIM-only plans on the Optus network. That’s no surprise to us because it’s our winner for the best cheap SIM-only plan above. But here’s a quick recap. Normally $24.80 a month, new customers pay a $11.80 monthly fee for the first eight months for 25GB of Optus 5G data (capped at 100Mbps speeds).
How does this mobile phone plan compare?
The list below showcases the most popular prepaid and SIM-only plans on the Optus network today.
Popular Vodafone network mobile phone plan
TPG 12GB Mobile Plan
✓ How we chose this plan:
- We highlighted the most popular Vodafone network SIM-only and prepaid mobile plans on 1 May 2024.
The Vodafone 4G and 5G networks aren’t as widespread as the Telstra or Optus networks. Still, the Vodafone network is available to 24 million Australians, so it’s not exactly small. Typically, SIM-only and prepaid mobile plans on the Vodafone network offer competitive pricing with a comparatively healthy amount of data.
At the start of the month, the TPG 12GB Mobile Plan was once again the most popular pick on our comparison engine for Vodafone plans. This TPG prepaid plan has a monthly recharge cycle and comes with 12GB of Vodafone 4G data. New customers pay $10 per month for the first six recharges, otherwise it’s $20 per monthly recharge. It’s also great to see TPG supporting eSIM for faster activation (and no need to wait for a SIM card delivery) with compatible mobile phones.
How does this mobile phone plan compare?
You can see the other popular Vodafone network prepaid and SIM-only plans below.
What to look for in a mobile plan
What type of plan do you need?
The first question to answer before getting to which mobile plan is right for you is whether you’re using an existing mobile phone or want a new one. If you want a new one, you’ll either have to purchase a compatible prepaid handset or pair a SIM-only mobile plan with a new iPhone or other option. New-model mobile phones can be paid off over 24 or 36 months from participating telcos like Telstra, Optus and Vodafone.
For those happy to use their existing mobile phone, it’s either prepaid or SIM-only. Prepaid plans are great for people who want to control their spending and aren’t overly interested in perks. While prepaid plans are paid in advance of use SIM-only plans are paid at the end of a billing month (except for Telstra Upfront plans).
SIM-only plans are always monthly offerings but prepaid mobile plans have a range of durations, from a day or few to a month-ish—28 days, 30 days or an actual month—and beyond to long-expiry options for 90 days, half a year or a full 12 months. Generally, once prepaid data is exhausted, you have to recharge again, so take into account how much data you need before buying.
With SIM-only mobile plans, you’re more likely to find telcos that offer data banking or data rollover for carrying over unused gigabytes or capped plan speeds if you exhaust your max-speed allocation. Coverage is an important consideration, too. Telstra has the largest mobile network followed by Optus and Vodafone. But if you live in a populous part of Australia, the chances are good you can pick between all three.
That trio may be the respective network owners but there are dozens of telcos that use their networks to offer more competitively priced plans. Effectively, you may be able to get the coverage perks of the network you want without having to pay a premium for it.
Basically every mobile plan these days comes with unlimited national talk and text but if international calls and messaging are important to you, keep an eye out for those. It’s a similar story for international roaming if you like to travel and want the option to use mobile data abroad. There are a range of other perks to help separate closely competing plans, with eSIM being one of the better ones that uses a digital SIM rather than needing to wait for a physical SIM card to arrive.