The best (almost) unlimited mobile data plans

*Speeds lists are the maximum potential endless data speeds for each plan

For those who watch YouTube videos on their phones, regularly upload stories and photos to social media or want to binge-watch Netflix shows on the go, worrying you’ll run out of data can be a constant stress. So, can you solve this by opting for an unlimited (aka endless) mobile data plan?

The short answer is that while there aren’t any truly ‘unlimited’ mobile data plans, there are many plans that do come close. Due to fair use policies and speed cap restrictions, Australian mobile providers aren’t allowed to call their plans “unlimited”, which is why you will see a lot of plans advertise “endless data” these days.

Telstra, Optus and Vodafone have all moved to the endless data model, which caps your speed after you reach your included data limit. There’s also a new provider on the block, TPG’s carbon-neutral Felix Mobile, which only offers endless, speed-capped data with no included max speed data amount. It’s a welcome pivot away from predatory excess data charges but there are still some caveats you’ve got to know before signing up.

Let’s get down to the details.

What does endless data mean to each Australian telco?

The big three telcos (Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone) all offer endless, speed-capped data in place of excess data charges on their plans.

The best endless mobile data plan

Felix Mobile $35 subscription

One of the latest mobile providers to enter the Australian market, Felix Mobile is a TPG-owned, Vodafone-powered carbon-neutral provider with one plan: a $35 SIM plan. Felix is unique in that it only offers speed-capped endless data (as well as unlimited calls and text), whereas other telcos offer an allotted monthly amount of “max speed” data that is throttled after a limit is reached. When Felix Mobile first launched, it only offered max speeds of 5Mbps but a few weeks after launch, Felix upped that speed cap to 20Mbps. With the change in Felix Mobile’s speed cap, the $35 SIM plan is actually a pretty tempting deal and easily the best option currently available for people looking to hop on an endless data plan at a reasonable price.

It’s a straightforward plan with an equally straightforward proposition: you get endless (essentially unlimited) data if you’re happy to limit yourself to 20Mbps. 20Mbps isn’t amazing but it’s no slouch either. For example, streaming Netflix in high definition (HD) only requires a recommended speed of 5Mbps so you’ll be able to binge high-quality TV without much of a worry. Netflix recommends speeds of 25Mbps for 4K viewing so while you might not get the best results on Felix, it’s still possible.

The only other caveat to using Felix is that it uses Vodafone 4G. Vodafone reaches a good chunk of Australians these days but it’s still the smallest network when compared to Optus and Telstra.

Next best endless mobile data plan

Vodafone $55 Super Plan

Vodafone is the second-best option for endless data, thanks to the multiple tiers offered. You can get anywhere from 1.5Mbps to 25Mbps of endless data depending on which plan you opt for. Our second plan pick is the $55 Super Plan from Vodafone, for a number of reasons. Firstly,  it’s currently discounted to $45 per month. Secondly, it offers endless data speeds of 10Mbps, but most importantly, it also offers 100GB of max speed data. 100GB is more than most Australians use on their mobile plans but if you do burn through that, you will only be throttled to 10Mbps.  It offers the usual unlimited calls and text inclusions, as well as 5G access, and three months of Amazon Prime Video. It’s a month-to-month plan, but you can commit to a longer arrangement if you want to add a phone to your plan at any stage.

Alternative Vodafone pick

Vodafone $40 Lite Plan

Our next pick is Vodafone’s cheaper $40 Lite Plan for mostly the same reasons. It’s currently discounted to $35 and offers all the same perks and bonuses. The $40 Lite Plan slower endless data than the $55 plan at just 2Mbps, but that’s still faster than Telstra and Optus.  Plus, it still includes 50GB of max speed data (which is still more than most Australians use every month).

Vodafone offers different tiers of endless data on every SIM plan. Here’s a small selection of the most popular plans through Vodafone.

Best endless data plan from Telstra

Telstra Medium Plan

Telstra’s plans only offer speeds of 1.5Mbps on their endless data plans. That’s a significant hit to your download and upload speeds. You’ll definitely notice the difference on 1.5Mbps. It won’t be enough to watch Netflix, and downloading apps will take a while, but it’s enough to get you out of a spot of bother if you need to transfer money or call an Uber. Where Felix Mobile’s endless data is a flagship feature of the plan, Telstra’s is more like a fall-back option for when your data runs dry. Still, the $65 Medium Plan from Telstra (which is currently discounted to $55) still offers 80GB of max speed data, unlimited calls and text, data-free Apple Music streaming, data-free sports streaming (AFL, AFLW, NRL, Netball, and the Hyundai A-League) and 5G access on Australia’s biggest mobile network.

Every Telstra plan offers 1.5Mbps endless data. Here’s a quick look at some of Telstra’s most popular SIM only plans.

Best endless data plan from Optus

$39 Optus Choice Plan

Like Telstra, every Optus SIM-only plan offers endless data with comparatively slow speeds of 1.5Mbps after you hit your included data limit. Our top plan pick for Optus is the $39 Choice Plan. It only offers 10GB of max speed data (plus unlimited calls and text) but if it’s endless data you’re after, and you can bear the 1.5Mbps cap, it’s no different if you spend $39 or $119 per month.

There are plenty of Optus SIM plans with a healthier amount of max speed data if you’re willing to fork out the money, but at that point you’re probably better off going with a provider like Circles.Life.

Circles.Life doesn’t offer endless data, but it does give you a lot of data for cheap on the Optus 4G network. At the time of writing you can get 60GB of data through Circles.Life for $22.40 per month or 100GB of monthly data for $30.40 per month (though these offers expire on 31 December 2020).

Otherwise, if it’s Optus you’re after, here’s a short list of the most popular Optus SIM plans available (all with endless data capped at 1.5Mbps).

Best cheap ‘unlimited’ data plan

Felix Mobile $35 subscription

This category used to be owned by Vodafone, but since Felix Mobile jacked up its endless speeds, its the clear winner here at $35 per month. At the low end of Vodafone’s plans, you’re only getting 1.5Mbps of endless data, but the change to Felix Mobile’s one and only plan gets you endless data with a healthy 20Mbps.

If you’re not sold on Felix Mobile, or any of the plans above, maybe you’d be better off with a high-data plan. Here’s a look at the most popular SIM plans in Australia that offer 50GB or more.