Kogan Mobile plans review

Kogan Mobile has built a name for itself as one of the best-value providers for long-expiry prepaid plans, and that reputation is starting to flow over to its monthly plans, too, which boast generous data allowances and, unlike most MVNOs, uncapped data speeds on the Vodafone network. However, it's worth noting that only the Medium and Large monthly plans include 5G access. All other plans (including long-expiry) are limited to 4G only.

Kogan's monthly plans range from $23 to $20 per month, while its 365-day expiry plans will cost you between $179.90 and $300. That said, this MVNO frequently runs promotions including bonus data and discounted fees, so keep an eye out and you might be able to score a bargain.

Kogan Mobile has long been competitive in the long-expiry space, offering tons of data and, depending on when you buy, significant discounts for new customers. But its month-to-month plans also offer some of the best value on the market, on par with the likes of fellow Vodafone MVNOs SpinTel and felix mobile.

To see how Kogan compares to the competition, here's a snapshot of the most popular month-to-month plans in the $20 to $40 per month range.

With Kogan Mobile plans, you'll get access to the Vodafone 4G network, with some plans also getting access to the 5G network.

Vodafone's network coverage footprint is tied with Optus at 1.2 million square km, but behind both Telstra and Telstra Wholesale (2.1 million square km and 1.4 million square km, respectively). Although it covers less physical space, the Vodafone network should still be more than enough for anyone in a metro or large regional area, but those in rural areas may struggle to get a strong connection.

To check if your area is covered by Vodafone, use the interactive map below to select Vodafone and untick 5G (unless the plan you're eyeing offers it).

Since value is the name of the game, Kogan Mobile does away with certain perks to keep the prices low. For instance, no international calls are included, all plans (except the Medium and Large monthly plan) are limited to 4G network access, and only the monthly plans can use data rollover (and even then, it's limited to 200GB).

One handy perk for frequent flyers, however, is Kogan Mobile's Qantas partnership. If you link your phone service with your Frequent Flyer account, you'll earn one Qantas Point per $2 spent on recharges. Kogan First customers can also earn store credit when they purchase a Kogan Mobile plan.

Although Kogan Mobile doesn't include international calls with its plans, you can purchase them as an add-on

• $5 for 250 minutes of calls to 10 selected countries over 30 days (USA, China, Canada, UK, India, Singapore, Germany, South Korea, Malaysia, and Ireland)
• $10 for 250 minutes of calls to 15 selected countries over 30 days (all destinations above, plus Hong Kong, Colombia, Bangladesh, New Zealand, and Thailand)
• $15 for 250 minutes of calls to 20 selected countries over 30 days (all destinations in the $10 pack plus Japan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Chile and Brazil)

Heading overseas? Kogan Mobile offers three roaming packs, which include data, call minutes and SMS:

• $10 for 1GB data, 50 call minutes, 50 texts, 1-day expiry
• $25 for 2GB data, 100 call minutes, 100 texts, 3-day expiry
• $45 for 5GB data, 150 call minutes, 150 texts, 7-day expiry

None of these add-ons are particularly amazing value, but they're handy to have for short trips. All three packs can be used in any of the following 30 destinations:

Low prices are all well and good, but how does Kogan Mobile fare when things go wrong? Although there aren't as many support channels on offer as some of the bigger telcos, you can manage your service online (or through the app), get answers to FAQs through their website, or reach Kogan Mobile's team via phone (12612 from your Kogan service, otherwise on 1300 056 426).

This lightweight approach to customer service seems to be a hit with customers, who rate Kogan 4 stars on Product Review. Trustpilot reviews are, as usual, lower at 1.9 stars, but the general sentiment from customers on Reddit is that Kogan Mobile is good value for money if you live in a metro area.

If you're not quite sold on what Kogan Mobile has to offer, but like the idea of something similar then it might be worth checking out another Vodafone MVNO like Felix, iiNet or Lebara. You might end up finding a plan with the same coverage, a similar sum of included data and a price tag that's just as budget-friendly.

Check out the widget below for a round-up of popular Kogan Mobile alternatives that offer at least 20GB of data.