Best prepaid SIM card for tourists (March 2025)

So, you’re planning a trip to Australia and you want a mobile plan to stay connected. First and foremost, instead of buying an Australian SIM card via a postpaid SIM-only plan, Tourists in Australia should look to buy a prepaid SIM card.

The best prepaid SIM cards for tourists will vary depending on budget, data needs and coverage requirements, which is why we've included a variety of options in this guide. All of the SIM cards on this page are a good fit for travelling almost anywhere in Australia where there’s phone reception.

Prepaid plans are a good place to check for the best SIM cards for tourists in Australia. All prepaid plans in Australia offer unlimited national calls and texts, so you won't get stuck without a connection if you blow past your credit. Instead, your credit limit acts as a buffer between you and expensive overage fees if you go past your data limit. This is particularly handy when travelling because your day-to-day phone usage won't match what it is at home, so it can be harder to gauge how much you'll need and how much you've used.

If you do run out of data, you may have to buy another prepaid recharge or pay extra for a data bolt-on. We advise treating 10GB of data as a minimum, which is enough for basic browsing, social media, instant messaging, music streaming and some video streaming. You can get quite a bit done with 10GB, while still keeping your costs way down.

Here's a look at the most popular prepaid plans from our database over the last seven days with at least 10GB:

The cheapest mobile plans in Australia are available from "Mobile Virtual Network Operators" (MVNOs). These are smaller mobile providers that buy network access on one of the three major mobile networks – Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone – and re-sell them for cheap. They keep costs down by having fewer overheads such as retail stores, large employee counts, special plan perks, and expensive marketing budgets.

But for the most part, they have the same or similar coverage (more on this below) and have much cheaper plans than you'd get if you signed up with one of the major network providers directly.

Though potentially not as feature-rich as plans from the Big Three, MVNO prepaid plans are a great way to save money. Keep an eye out for one that offers a cheaper prepaid starter pack, initial promo pricing, or introductory bonus data. Most tourists will likely be heading home before any limited-time deals expire, so there's not much to worry about.

Here's a look at the cheapest prepaid plans in our database with a recharge period of between 28 and 31 days, and with at least 10GB of data:

If you’re big on data, you want a prepaid SIM card with plenty of data. 50GB is a solid amount, especially if you’re only here for a short time. With 50GB, you can do every web task you would with a 10GB prepaid plan albeit with a whole lot more video streaming.

But there’s also a decent selection of prepaid plans with at least 100GB if you're concerned 50GB won't be enough. 

If you want to stream video consistently or upload hundreds of high-res images and videos, 100GB adds an extra data buffer without having to worry about additional recharges or data add-ons. As is the trend, keep an eye out for prepaid starter packs or new-customer specials with reduced pricing and/or bonus data.

Here’s a list of popular short-term prepaid plans from our database with at least 50GB:

And here are the popular prepaid options from our comparison engine with at least 100GB:

eSIM is a great option for tourists in Australia, and there are more than a dozen mobile providers in our database that support it. First, you need a mobile phone that supports eSIM, which is most modern smartphones from the last six or so years, including popular iPhone, Samsung and Pixel models.

If your phone supports eSIM and you’re using a physical SIM card from your home country, there’s no need to swap it out while you’re in Australia. eSIM effectively makes your phone a multi-SIM device, plus you don’t have to wait for a physical SIM to be delivered, bought in a store or even inserted to activate. It’s even possible to sign up for an eSIM before you get to Australia, just be mindful of potential roaming charges.

And here’s a list of popular prepaid eSIM plans from our database:

First and foremost: there isn’t any 3G coverage in Australia, so you need a phone that supports VoLTE. Note that 4G broadband support isn’t sufficient and VoLTE is a must. Use the interactive map below for an idea of coverage around Australia via the Telstra, Optus and Vodafone networks.

Australia has three major mobile networks: Telstra, Optus and Vodafone.

One big disclaimer is the Telstra network is separated into a full network – available for Telstra and Boost Mobile customers – and the Telstra "Wholesale" network, which has slightly less coverage than the full network. Effectively, the ranking in terms of 4G coverage is Telstra, Telstra Wholesale, Optus and Vodafone. That said, when it comes to population coverage for 4G, there's less than 2% difference between all four options.

Optus and Vodafone MVNOs have access to their respective full networks, while Telstra MVNOs mostly use the Telstra wholesale network. Note that Vodafone has a network-sharing agreement with Optus, which means it’s only 0.1% below the Optus network in terms of population covered.

Another important thing to note is mobile network providers in Australia talk in terms of population coverage, rather than landmass. Because Australia is the sixth-largest country in the world and most of our population is around the coast, unpopulated areas may have poor or no coverage. That said, anywhere with a decent population should have 4G mobile coverage with any of the three mobile networks.

Of the mobile providers we track in our database, a handful use the full Telstra or Telstra Wholesale network, including:

• Telstra (full network)
• Boost Mobile (full network)
• Everyday (Woolworths) Mobile (wholesale network)
• Aldi Mobile (wholesale network)
• Exetel (wholesale network)
• Superloop (wholesale network)

The Telstra 4G network is available to 98.8% of the Australian population and its 5G network is available to 89%. For the Telstra Wholesale network, it’s 98.8% for 4G and 75% for 5G. Check out these popular prepaid plans from our database that operate on the Telstra network.

We have a few prepaid mobile providers in our database that operate on the full Optus network:

• Optus
• Amaysim
• Catch Connect
• Coles Mobile
• Yomojo

Any Optus prepaid plan or one from an Optus MVNO has 4G coverage for 98.5% of the Australian population and may have access to 5G coverage for 80.5% of the population. Here’s a list of popular Optus network prepaid plans from our database.

Of the prepaid mobile plans we track in our database, most of them use the full Vodafone network:

• Vodafone
• iiNet
• Kogan Mobile
• Felix Mobile
• Lebara Mobile
• Lyca Mobile
• TPG

If you buy a prepaid mobile plan from any of these Vodafone network providers, you’ll be using a plan with coverage for 98.4% of the Australian population. Vodafone 5G coverage is murkier these days, though in the past the network operator did say it was “available in selected areas in 1,000 suburbs”, including Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, the Central Coast, the Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth, the Sunshine Coast, Sydney and Wollongong.

If you have a phone that supports WiFi calling and/or prefer using data-based apps to contact people back home, you can potentially save money by picking a prepaid plan without international calls. But if you want a prepaid SIM that has international calls, not every provider or plan includes them by default.

The prepaid providers that do offer international inclusions typically only offer call minutes. SMS is sometimes included, but not as often. Note that while some prepaid providers offer unlimited call minutes, others offer a fixed number. Eligible international call destinations also differ per provider.

Check out the popular plans from our database below for an idea of options with international call credit or minutes.

If you’re using eSIM for a prepaid plan, you don’t need to buy a physical SIM card when you get to Australia. Flying in? Check the airport for a SIM card. Alternatively, check supermarkets (like Coles, Woolworths, and ALDI), newsagents or service stations. Otherwise, check the respective retail stores for Vodafone, Optus and Telstra if you’re looking for a prepaid service with one of the network holders.

You can always order a physical SIM card online and have it sent to wherever you’re staying, including ahead of time (if where you’re staying allows it). Your prepaid SIM card only starts expiring once it’s activated, so you won’t lose any days. Alternatively, if your phone and plan are both compatible with eSIM, you can just sign up online and you won't need a physical SIM card at all.

Bear in mind you’ll need to provide the following items to activate any SIM card in Australia:

• Full name
• Passport number or some type of official Australian ID (e.g. an Australian driver's licence)
• The Australian address where you’re staying

Here's a short list of things you should consider before buying a SIM card in Australia:

• Data – Does it include enough data?
• Coverage – Does the network the SIM card is associated with meet your coverage requirements? E.g. rural vs. urban areas.
• Time – Are the expiry terms appropriate? If you're only visiting for a matter of weeks then a long-expiry plan may not be the right fit. Also note that, unless you add a new phone purchase to your plan, you shouldn't be stuck on a contract.
• International inclusions – Do you need international calls or text?
• Timed discounts – Does it have an introductory discount? If you're planning on a long stay, some SIM cards go up in price after a set time or number of recharges.

Lastly, it's worth considering whether the mobile provider associated with the prepaid SIM card can get it to you before you travel. Otherwise, you're going to have to get it delivered somewhere or go out and get it yourself. Alternatively, you can sign up to an eSIM plan, which means you don't need to grab a physical SIM card at all, assuming your phone is compatible.