Vodafone mobile plans review

Vodafone's plan range will cover the needs of most phone owners, though there is an absence of  postpaid plans under $30, except when there’s a promotion that brings the typical pricing down. Normally, below $30 is a popular price point for BYO phone shoppers.

Vodafone's plans have changed a few times over the last few years but the current range is generous with data, and tends to compare well to Telstra and Optus, especially if you're in the market for a new smartphone.

We also like that the Vodafone smartphone range extends beyond just iPhones and Samsungs to include handsets from Oppo, Nokia, Motorola and Google. 

Currently, the most popular Vodafone offering is the $45 Small plan, which comes with 40GB of data. Every Vodafone postpaid plan also includes unlimited standard national calls and text, 5G access, no excess data charges and $5-per-day roaming. Plan speeds are slowed to 2Mbps once you've used your included data amount. 

One of Vodafone’s better perks across its plan range is the fact that it doesn't charge excess fees. If you use all of your included data, your plan's speeds will be slowed to 2Mbps. 

Besides included max-speed data, the other key difference between Vodafone's mobile plans is the international inclusions. Here's what each plan nets you:

• $45 Small Plan: Unlimited standard international texts
• $55 Medium Plan and $65 Large Plan: Unlimited standard international texts and 300 minutes to Zone 2 countries and unlimited minutes and text to Zone 1 countries

Vodafone's network footprint is smaller in comparison to Telstra and Optus, it's true. But truth be told, the most Australians can still get a reliable signal on Vodafone 4G these days. That includes Vodafone's various MVNOs (TPG, Kogan Mobile, etc.).

Like Optus, the coverage of Vodafone's MVNOs is the same as its own 4G network. Telsta is the only provider that restricts part of its 4G network.

If you're worried about whether Vodafone can service your area, take a look at the coverage map below. If your address (and the places you regularly visit) are covered in purple, you should be absolutely fine with Vodafone coverage. There are still other factors that might impact your signal, but the map above is a reliable indication of Vodafone's coverage in Australia. 

Remarkable as it may sound, Vodafone is one of the only telcos to offer a bundling discount for customers who have multiple services with them. The best part is that you can bundle plans across mobile, tablet, mobile broadband and NBN. The discount is super simple to follow, too: you get 5% off the price of each plan when you have two services, 10% when you have three services, 15% when you have four services, and a whopping 20% off the price of each plan when you have five or more.

Eligible services for bundling include phone, tablet and mobile broadband plans of $30 per month or more, and NBN 50 and NBN 100 services.

If you’re in the market for NBN and want that bundle discount, Vodafone tends to provide great typical evening download speeds. You can see Vodafone two relevant speed tiers below that will let you nab the bundle discount.

Vodafone is also one of the few providers that offers discounted phone plans for seniors, with 10% off all its postpaid plans for eligible customers with a seniors' card.

Speaking of bundling, Vodafone wants to entice gamers to sign up to its services. Vodafone customers with one NBN service and one mobile service can discuss bundling a PlayStation 5 with their plans. The PlayStation 5 is paid off over 36 months at $22.22 per month, and additional accessories can also be bundled. Check out guide for getting a PlayStation 5 through Vodafone for more information. 

Vodafone also offers a 200GB data bank for Vodafone Prepaid customers, so unused megabytes can be carried over if you recharge before expiry. Prepaid customers can take advantage of this and nab $5 off per 28-day recharge by activating automatic recharge. Vodafone Prepaid plans also come with an international call allowance to selected countries. You can see one example of a Vodafone Prepaid plan below.

Here’s how Vodafone SIM Only plans stack up against popular picks from other telcos.

If something goes wrong or you have a question, Vodafone has you covered. Whether you prefer Twitter or Facebook, expect a speedy reply to any questions. There’s also an online chat service and customer forums where you can find more helpful information. Despite limitless data, you can still check in on your max-speed data remaining via the Android or iOS app, or by logging into your account on the Vodafone website.

If you look at user-generated scores on websites like Product Review and Trustpilot, both are below two out of five. That said, Google is at a comparatively respectable 3.9 out of five, which is slightly higher than Telstra but just below Optus.

Take your pick of Vodafone mobile plans below, then click the corresponding ‘Go’ button to start the sign-up process. If you change your mind once you reach the Vodafone website, use the Mobile drop-down menu to browse ‘Plans with Phones’, ‘SIM Only Plans’, ‘Prepaid Plans’, or anything else that catches your fancy. The steps for signing up are incredibly straightforward and there are handy FAQs at the bottom of plan pages that offer handy insights.

You can see all Vodafone mobile plans below.

For more information on how we review mobile providers like Vodafone, check out this page.