Best SIM cards for tourists in Australia

If you're travelling to Australia, you can potentially save a lot by buying a local SIM here, instead of a travel SIM. For a tourist in particular, Australian SIM cards can be pretty cheap, thanks to introductory discounts that usually last around six months (with no contract). And just about all of them include unlimited standard talk and text.

Instead of buying an Australian SIM card via a postpaid SIM-only plan, tourists in Australia should consider 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 – which we'll delve into deeper a little later on. You might also be looking for eSIM, specifically. Not every Aussie provider supports eSIM, so we'll cover which ones do and compare some of their plans. We have more than 30 mobile providers in our database, so you should be able to find something that suits your needs.

Prepaid plans are a good place to check for the best SIM cards for tourists visiting Australia. With the exception of pay-as-you-go (PAYG) plans, all standard prepaid SIMs in Australia offer unlimited national calls and texts, so you won't get stuck without a connection if you blow past your data credit.

We recommend them for tourists because you can simply stop buying recharges when you don't need them anymore, rather than having to cancel a postpaid plan – assuming you don't opt for auto-renewal on your prepaid SIM. They can also avoid bill shock – instead of charging you for going over your data, most simply cut you off until you top up. But you'll still have access to your unlimited phone calls and texts during your recharge period. Prepaid plans also don't include lock-in contracts, though this is true for most Australian mobile plans.

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

The plans 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.

For the most part, they have the same or similar cellular 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.

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:

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 go to a store to buy a physical SIM card or wait for one SIM to be delivered. It’s even possible to sign up for an eSIM before you get to Australia – just be mindful of potential roaming charges if you do.

Here's a quick look at the most popular eSIM plans in our database from the last seven days, all of which have at least 10GB of data:

There are some prepaid SIM cards with shorter recharge periods, usually around seven days. But they're pretty rare. Here's a look at all the SIM cards in our database with a maximum expiry of seven days, ranked by their popularity with our visitors:

If you need more data, we've compare plans below that come with at least 50GB. With 50GB, you can rely a lot less on finding free WiFi wherever you go and even throw in creature comforts like streaming HD video or video conferencing with friends and family back home.

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

If you want even more data, there’s a decent selection of prepaid plans with at least 100GB. Here are the popular prepaid options from our comparison engine with at least 100GB:

First and foremost: there isn’t any 3G coverage in Australia, so you need a phone that supports VoLTE to make phone calls. Note 4G broadband support doesn't necessarily mean your phone has VoLTE.

Australia has three major mobile networks: Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. These companies sell their own SIM cards, but there are smaller, cheaper providers called Mobile Virtual Network Operators that also have access. 

The full Telstra network has the widest coverage, but this isn't necessarily the case for its MVNOs. 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 4G coverage and a lot less 5G than the full network.

Optus and Vodafone have nearly identical 4G coverage to each other, and only slightly less than Telstra. But their 5G coverage is very different. Optus and Vodafone MVNOs have access to their respective full networks, thanks to a network sharing agreement.

A caveat for MVNOs is they don't always offer 5G on every plan. That said, 4G speeds are usually capped at 100Mbps, which is more than fast enough for just about anything you'd need to do on a phone.

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. If you're planning on heading into the outback or hiking through national forests, you'll encounter large patches with no mobile coverage at all.

That said, anywhere with a decent population should have 4G mobile coverage with any of the three mobile networks, and most major centres have 5G in some form or another.

While the full Telstra network has the widest coverage, only Boost Mobile and Telstra itself have access to this.

Telstra MVNOs access the Telstra Wholesale network, which covers 98.8% of the Australian population with 4G. This is fairly comprehensive, but less than 1% more than Optus and Vodafone. As for 5G, Telstra MVNOs probably have better coverage than Vodafone, but a fair bit less than Optus.

Optus MVNOs get full access to the Optus network, though not all elect to include 5G. Any Optus prepaid plan or one from an Optus MVNO has 4G coverage for 98.5% of the Australian population and have access to 5G coverage for 80.5% of the population, assuming 5G is included with the SIM card you buy.

Here’s a list of the most popular Optus network prepaid plans from our database over the last seven days:

Of the prepaid mobile plans we track in our database, Vodafone MVNOs are the most common. All have access to the full Vodafone network, though not all of them offer 5G on all of their plans.

All Vodafone MVNOs have 4G coverage for 98.4% of the Australian population. Vodafone 5G coverage is harder to gauge because the telco doesn't release clear statistics, though in the past the company 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. And as with other MVNOs, 5G isn't included on all plans.

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 calling, 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 international 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. But be sure to check your country is on the list before you finish signing up.

If you’re using eSIM, you don’t need to buy a physical SIM card when you get to Australia. Just sign up online, though we'd advise waiting till you arrive to avoid accidentally activating it too early and being charge international roaming fees. But ordering online can trickier for a physical SIM card because you'll need to get it delivered to the address of wherever you're staying (if where you’re staying allows it).

You can check the airport for a SIM card. Alternatively, check supermarkets (like Coles, Woolworths, and ALDI), newsagents or service stations. Australia Post, our national postal service, also sells them. 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’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. Don't worry if you're travelling around – you only need to provide one address

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

• Data – Does it include enough data? We'd advise 10GB at a minimum, but go higher if you plan on using your phone a lot and staying away from free WiFi
• 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 might 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.