Best SIM-Only plans Australia (September 2023)

TPG has one of the best value SIM Only plans on the market right now, where $15 will get you 45GB of data.

This goes up to $30 per month after your first six months, but the plan is still pretty competitive even at full price. Alternatively, the plan is contract-free, so you can always leave after the price goes up. 

If you're an existing TPG internet customer, you'll pay a slightly cheaper rate of $25 per month when your initial discount runs out.

TPG is powered by the Vodafone 4G network. 

For comparison, below is a daily updating list of popular SIM Only plans with at least 30GB of data. 

Normally priced at $29.99 per month, iiNet is currently offering this plan for $15 per month for the first six month. That sum gets you 40GB of data, in addition to the standard unlimited talk and text. If you bundle in an iiNet internet plan, the provider will triple that to 120GB.

iiNet is powered by the Optus 4G network. 

For comparison, below is a daily updating list of popular SIM Only plans that don’t cost more than $20 per month (at least initially).

If you need oodles of data, it's worth looking at Vodafone's $55 Medium SIM Only plan. This plan comes with 150GB of data, unlimited talk and text in Australia, and unlimited international calls to 35 countries.

If you exceed your 150GB allowance, you'll be capped to speeds of 2Mbps. You'll also get Vodafone's $5 per day roaming, which could make this plan extra appealing to frequent flyers. 

For comparison, below is a daily updated list of popular SIM Only plans with at least 100GB of data.

If you're all about getting as many extras as you can with your phone plan, Telstra's Basic Upfront SIM Only plan is worth considering. 

To start, you'll get 50GB of data for $62 per month, which while not the cheapest plan around, isn't unreasonable for Telstra.

While you might be paying more than with other telcos, being a Telstra customer gets you a whole lot of perks. 

These include: 

• Discounted movie tickets for Event Cinemas
• Two months of free access to Binge
• Four months of free access to Spotify Premium

If you join Telstra Plus, you'll also earn points for every dollar spent on your bill, which can then be redeemed for a discount on various tech products. 

Just note that this plan has its speeds capped to 250Mbps. That's still very fast, however - faster than most NBN plans. 

Tangerine has taken the top spot when it comes to popular SIM Only plans on the Telstra network. You'll get 12GB of monthly data, plus access to data banking. 

Check out a daily changing list of popular Telstra SIM Only plans below.

Optus themselves are responsible for the most popular plan in our database that runs on the Optus network. You'll pay $49 per month for 30GB of data. There are no extra inclusions beyond the usual here, but the sheer value for money is good enough to see it rise to the top.

You can see the popular Optus network SIM Only picks below.

Kogan currently has the most popular plan on the Vodafone network. You'll get a 10GB allowance and pay $15 per month. It's nothing fancy, but if you're after a cheap phone plan in a financial pinch it'll suit just fine.

Below is a daily updating snapshot of the popular SIM Only plans on the Vodafone network.

When you're trying to choose the best SIM-only plan, there are considerations to take into account other than price. One important factor to consider is the coverage you'll get with your SIM-Only plan.

While there are three main mobile networks in Australia, there are two parts to the largest one. In terms of coverage, Telstra’s network is the most expansive, followed by Optus and then Vodafone behind those. Telstra users get access to the full Telstra network, whereas MVNO telcos that operate on the Telstra network have access to the slightly smaller Telstra wholesale network. Check out how the mobile networks compare in terms of 3G and 4G coverage:

• Telstra: 99.5% of the Australian population 
• Telstra wholesale: 98.8% of the Australian population
• Optus: 98.5% of the Australian population
• Vodafone: 96% of the Australian population

It’s worth noting that these percentages are for 3G and 4G connectivity and don’t cover the currently rolling-out respective 5G networks. While coverage is important, the cheapest SIM Only plans tend to operate in reverse order: the Vodafone network, then Optus, followed by Telstra.

The other big important consideration is data. You should always right size your plan. There's no point paying for more data than you're using, but you also don't want to end up in a situation where you don't have enough. 

Changing mobile plans is easy. Once you've compared SIM-only plans and picked the best one for you, follow these three simple steps: 

1. Click "Go To Site" on your chosen plan and then place your order on the provider's website. 
2. Wait until your new SIM is delivered. You can skip this step by buying a SIM card in a store.
3. Activate the new SIM card using the instructions included with it.

During setup you'll be given a choice to keep your existing number. 

Your new SIM should typically be active within half an hour, but this can taken longer in some cases.

Most providers will also only transfer numbers during business hours, so be aware of that if you're trying to activate a new SIM on a weekend. 

There's no one answer to this question, but for most, we'd recommend at least 20GB per month. If you're a more demanding user, you'll want a larger plan, however. 

Except for Telstra Upfront, SIM Only plans are paid for at the end of the month. Your monthly payment may include additional charges if you use excess data or make international calls that aren’t included in your plan.

If you have a Postpaid plan and you reach your data limit, you may be charged extra for the data you use after this point. Some telcos like Telstra, Vodafone and Optus cap speeds once you exceed your max-speed monthly data quota. With a Prepaid plan, the data is cut off and you are safe from the shock of a giant bill in the mail.

There’s a surprising amount to consider before buying a tiny bit of plastic to put in your phone. As the mobile market becomes more competitive, the phone plans become more complex, with carriers adding in bits and pieces to catch your attention.

We regularly consider all of the SIM Only telcos currently listed in the database of our phone plan search engine. The number of telcos in our database does sometimes change, but we typically monitor more than 20 telcos at a time, including the biggest telcos like Telstra, Optus and Vodafone, ranging from the cheapest SIM Only plans to more expensive but data and/or perk-packed alternatives.

We start by comparing the cost of the essential components of the phone plans. How much will you pay for unlimited calls and SMS, and how much mobile data do you get each month? Do you need to sign a contract? Most SIM Only plans are contract-free these days. There are some cases where you may be asked to commit to a six-month or year-long contract, but these are very rare now. 

Beyond the basics, we look for high-value bonus features. International phone calls and messages are a great example and, happily, we’re seeing more SIM Only plans include calls overseas. Phone plans may also include access to exclusive video or music services, and while some of these are quite cool, we know that these services aren’t for everyone, so we don’t tend to consider these features too highly in our comparisons.

As for specific categories, we cap our best-value picks at $40 a month, and it’s a similar story for the best cheap and best cheapest SIM Only plans, capped at $20 and $15, respectively (though a cheaper monthly fee is even better). We also limit our big-data picks to plans that cost less than $70. Finally, for our best perks picks, we look at the quantity and quality of extras that come with SIM Only plans in our database.