As the cost of living crisis continues in Australia, phone bills are the last thing anyone wants to think about in this economy. Thankfully, staying connected to the world around you has never been more affordable, thanks to the growing number of cheap mobile plans in Australia from providers outside of the main three (Telstra, Optus and Vodafone).
While the larger carriers offer huge amounts of data and a wealth of inclusions, all that stuff does come at a significant cost.
Thankfully, there are a number of smaller telcos (or mobile virtual network operators — aka MVNOs) which have leased access to these networks, allowing them to provide phone and data services at a drastically reduced cost. And, with the exception of 5G access in some instances, you'll get more or less the same breadth and quality of coverage. So if you're looking to save some money on your phone bills, you may want to start looking at smaller providers like Boost Mobile, iiNet, Kogan Mobile, Moose Mobile and Aldi Mobile, among others.
Just how cheap are these phone plans? SIM-only options which offer unlimited national calls and texts, along with a reasonable helping of data, can be found from as little as AU$10 per month. Of course, you'll need to read the fine print, as some of the cheaper plans are usually limited-time deals which go up in price after an initial promotional period, usually around 6 months.
Ultimately, the amount of value you receive will depend on whether you choose a prepaid or postpaid plan, and what your price limit is. Fortunately, there are plenty of 'no contract' options to choose from — some even offer larger-than-expected amounts of data. Here are the best cheap Australian mobile plans compared.
Best cheap plans (20GB minimum)
If value is what you're after, it's hard to overlook TPG's excellent 25GB Small Plan, which offers 25GB of monthly data at the half-off price of AU$12.50p/m for the first 6 months. While the price will go back to AU$25 per renewal after this period, it's still very affordable for what you're getting.
Best cheap big-data plan
Need stacks of data without paying a fortune? You're in luck, because TPG's 100GB Large Plan offers exceptional value — especially during your first 6 months, where the price is slashed in half. TPG is charging just AU$22 p/m during this initial period, after which the price will go back to AU$45 p/m, which is still great for that amount of data.
Cheap mobile plans: what to look for
Obviously, value for money is essential when considering a cheap mobile phone plan. Seeing as most phone plans these days offer unlimited national calls and text, you're going to want to find a good balance between price and data allowance. Thankfully, those who are willing to pay just a few dollars more can usually score a significant bump in their monthly data limit.
That said, price isn’t the only criteria you should keep an eye on. You'll also want to consider which mobile network your discount carrier runs on. As we touched upon earlier, none of the smaller telcos which offer the cheapest plans actually operate their own network.
Instead, each of these mobile virtual network operators, or MVNOs, have leased access to networks built by one of Australia's three major carriers: Telstra, Optus or Vodafone. That means the quality of coverage in your area will likely depend on the mobile network that discount telco runs on. Before selecting any plan, you should always find out which major carrier network it operates on, and check the service in your region.
Our best cheap mobile phone plan search takes into account the merits of prepaid vs postpaid phone service, while also examining whether MVNOs are worth the money.
How we pick the best cheap cell phone plans
We're constantly looking at what Australian telcos offer as part of our research into the best mobile phone plans. That includes examining what's available from the major carriers — Telstra, Optus and Vodafone — as well as from smaller telcos which run on these carriers' networks. We check prices monthly, comparing what different services have to offer.
For our best cheap mobile plans guide, we set a jumping off point of around AU$10 per month, along with a monthly data limit of at least 5GB. Price is of the utmost importance in our rankings, though we've made an effort to steer you away from some very cheap plans which we believe don't offer good value for money. Our decisions take into account how much data each plan provides, and we've even calculated the average daily allowance and price per MB before coming to our conclusions, and we've also taken note of any perks to keep in mind. That can help distinguish two equally priced plans — or even highlight that a slightly more expensive plan offers better value overall.
Because mobile phone coverage can differ from area to area, we try to include a wide variety of phone plans starting from around AU$10, so that you can find the best rate for the wireless service with the strongest coverage in your area.
