Best mobile phone plans in March 2023

If you’re in the market for a new phone and the best mobile phone plans that can go with it, there are a couple of categories on this page that’ll be of interest, whether you’re after a shiny new iPhone 14—which you can easily sub out for a Google Pixel 7 or another phone—or a more affordable alternative with a great mobile plan.

Whatever you’re after, from cheap through to data-stuffed and the best Prepaid plans, scroll on for the best mobile plans available in Australia this month.

Vodafone recently rejiggered its roster of plans, but there's still plenty to like about the $65 Large SIM Only Plan. To start with, it comes with 300GB of data that’s usable on the Vodafone 5G network.

If you chew through that massive data cap, speeds are slowed to a respectable 2Mbps for the rest of the month. This Vodafone plan also includes international call inclusions and a 30-day network satisfaction guarantee.

Compare phone plans below from a daily updating list of popular SIM Only Plans that have at least 70GB of data.

The Moose Mobile $16.80 SIM Only Promo plan costs $16.80 a month for the first year. Afterwards, the price reverts to a $23.80 monthly fee. The typical pricing isn’t too flashy and there aren’t really any perks, but $16.80 a month is a good price to pay for 25GB of data on the Optus 4G network. If you're looking for the best mobile phone plans on a budget of about $20, this will fit the bill nicely.

Compare phone plans below from a daily updating list of popular SIM Only plans in Australia that don’t cost more than $20 a month (at least initially).

Vodafone is back again to continue its highly recommendable run when it comes to the best mobile phone plans that let you pay off an iPhone handset over 24 months. This month, we’re going with a cheaper iPhone plan to keep costs closer to $100.

Coupled with the Vodafone $55 Medium Plan, you're looking at a few bucks more than $100 a month with the iPhone 14 128GB. That price nets you 150GB of data on the Vodafone 5G network, capped to 2Mbps speeds if you burn through it all. You also get unlimited minutes of international calls to selected countries and a $150 off the price of the device if you stick with the plan for 24 months.

For comparison, check out the daily updating list of popular iPhone 14 128GB plans below that come with at least 10GB of data.

The Optus $89 Promo Plus Plan gets you way more data than you need, minus the speed limits that come with "infinite data" plans. You get 500GB a month to work with, plus unlimited calls, texts and international calls to 35 countries.

What's more, Optus are currently knocking $20 off the monthly cost of sticking with the plan for the first twelve months. After that point, you'll revert to the usual price.

For a sense of how this compares to some of the other big and unlimited data month-to-month phone plans, check out the widget below.

If you want to pay off a new handset and have a decent Postpaid plan to pair it with, have a gander at the Woolworths Mobile $25 Mobile Phone Plan with a budget-friendly Oppo A54 5G handset. This no-contract plan costs $37 a month with 24-month handset repayment terms, plus it comes with 22GB of data, which is a good amount of data for everyday users.

There are some neat perks, too. For starters, this month-to-month plan operates on the wide-reaching Telstra wholesale network. Additionally, any unused data can be banked between months (500GB, up from 300GB) or it can be gifted to eligible Woolworths Mobile customers. You also get 10% off your Woolies shop once a month (up to $50 in savings).

Below is a daily updating list of popular Postpaid plans from a variety of telcos in our comparison engine that come with an Oppo A54 5G.

This postpaid option from Belong runs on the Telstra 5G network and comes with 40GB of data per month. You also get unlimited data banking and 5G speeds of up to 100Mbps.

If you're keen to take advantage of the biggest network available but don't like the idea of paying the steep price are asking then this is our pick of the lot when it comes to the best mobile phone plans with 5G. 

For comparison, check out the daily updating list of 5G phone plans below with at least 40GB of data.

This month, the Moose Mobile $8.80 SIM Only plan is currently our pick for the best budget option. While it’s normally priced at $14.80 per month, new Moose customers pay $8.80 a month for the first year. If you're looking for the best mobile phone plans that don't break the bank, this one is a natural front runner.

Below is a daily updating list of popular SIM Only plans with at least 1GB of data that don’t cost more than $15 per month (at least initially).

The best value Prepaid plan you can buy comfortably under our $50 category cap is the TPG 60GB Mobile Plan.

The normal $40-per-month price is decent, but it’s even better for new customers in the first six months at just $20 a month. That’s a great price to pay for 60GB of data, even if there’s not much in the way of permanent perks. For a temporary perk, users in eligible Vodafone 5G areas with a 5G-compatible handset can take part in a 5G network trial until 1 June 2023.

If you're looking to compare phone plans, below is a daily updating list of popular Prepaid plans from our database with at least 30GB of data.

This month, Belong is the provider behind the most popular plan choice on the Telstra network. This particular month-to-month plan comes with 20GB of data and unlimited data banking.

If you're not quite sold, then perhaps the updated list of popular month-to-month phone plans on the Telstra network below will give you a good opportunity to compare phone plans.

Optus tends to take out the top spot on its network, but this month is the exception. The Circles.Life $10 Monthly Plan is currently available with double the data at no additional cost. That's $10 per month for 10GB of data, rather than the usual 5GB. That promo lasts until the 31st of March and kicks in if you use the code WO10FOR10 at checkout.

For a sense of how this plan compares to some of the other options available on the Optus network, check out the widget below.

There aren’t as many Vodafone MVNOs on the scene as there are for Optus and Telstra, but Australia’s third-largest mobile network has plans with great value and plenty of data. As of this month, the TPG 12GB Mobile Plan has its nose in front of Vodafone's 40GB Mobile Plan. This TPG Prepaid plan comes with 12GB of data but has no data banking or international talk and text inclusions.

You can compare phone plans with this month's most popular plan on the Vodafone network using the widget below.

To compare phone plans, it’s worth understanding the three different types available to Australian consumers. All three should let you keep your number as you switch between telcos, but some are going to be a better fit for your needs than others.

Postpaid mobile plans range from cheap to expensive and bundle a monthly plan with a handset. This is a straightforward way to pay off a new smartphone without having to think about pairing a new handset with a SIM Only or Postpaid plan. Regardless of whether it has 5G or not, handsets tend to be offered as interest-free monthly repayment terms of either 24 months or 36 months.

SIM Only and Prepaid plans assume you already have a phone. Either you need an unlocked handset or you’ll have to stick with the carrier network that your phone is currently locked to. SIM Only plans are identical to Postpaid plans in terms of data, coverage and inclusions, minus the additional cost of handset repayments, which makes them cheaper overall.

Prepaid plans are paid in advance of a month, instead of afterwards like Postpaid and SIM Only plans (except for Telstra Upfront plans, which are paid ahead of usage). The duration of Prepaid plans varies from one day to a full year, but a month is typically broken down into 30 days, 28 days or, rarely, an actual month. Prepaid plans tend to have fewer bells and whistles than Postpaid and SIM Only plans but are a great way to stay in control of monthly costs.