Tom's Guide Verdict
Aldi provides a more affordable alternative to Australia's big supermarket chains, so it should come as no surprise that Aldi Mobile does the same thing for telcos. Offering a wide range of prepaid plans which prioritise value and choice, Aldi Mobile is a cost-effective way to access Telstra's mobile networks for less. That said, you're only getting Telstra's wholesale network, which may not cover some of Australia's more remote areas.
Pros
- +
Access to Telstra's 3G, 4G and 5G networks
- +
Wide variety of prepaid plans
- +
Affordable pricing
- +
Data rollover on next recharge
Cons
- -
Most plans capped at 100Mbps
- -
Telstra wholesale network coverage
- -
Customer support needs work
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Aldi is known for providing its customers with an affordable way to stock up on groceries without the rampant price gouging seen from Australia's bigger supermarket chains, and its mobile services operate in the same manner.
Of course, Aldi Mobile is a mobile virtual network operator (or MVNO), which means it doesn't own the network it operates on, but rather sells licensed access to one (in this instance, Telstra's wholesale network) at its own rates.
While Aldi Mobile mostly specialises in budget-friendly prepaid mobile plans for individuals and families, the provider also offers a 'Pay As You Go' plan with a long 365-day expiry period for users who rarely use their phones.
Aldi mobile even offers 5G network access on selected plans, however, a 100Mbps speed cap is applied to almost all of its services, with one exception.
Boasting nice inclusions such as data rollover and unlimited standard international calls to 20 countries on most plans, Aldi Mobile is easy to recommend to Aussies who prioritise value over download speed.
That said, those who reside in Australia's more remote regions may want to consider an MVNO with full Telstra network access, such as Boost Mobile.
Aldi Mobile plans and pricing
- Affordable options with decent data allowances
- Prepaid or Pay As You Go options only
Like most MVNOs, Aldi Mobile's plans are entirely prepaid, whether you opt for a 30-day expiry, or try the 'Pay As You Go' option over 365 days.
The good news is that pricing is reasonable for all 30 day plans, starting at just AU$19 for 10GB of data (AU$1.90 per GB) on a 30-day expiry. While that entry-level plan isn't the best from a value standpoint, it is a good low-cost option for casual users who don't need an abundance of data.
While every Aldi Mobile plan comes with unlimited standard talk and text to Australian numbers, Aldi's AU$25 plan takes things up a notch, also offering unlimited standard calls to 20 select countries, along with 22GB of data (AU$1.13 per GB).
Of course, if 5G network access is what you crave, Aldi Mobile's AU$29 plan has you covered, with 25GB of data on a 30-day expiry. If that still isn't enough data for you, the AU$39 plan gets you a whopping 65GB of data (AU$0.60 per GB), while the AU$49 plan provides a massive 120GB data allowance (AU$0.41 per GB).
That said, if you're looking to experience those 5G speeds you've been hearing about, you should know that all of the above plans are speed capped at 100Mbps. Only one Aldi Mobile plan offers faster speeds — the AU$59 plan provides download speeds up to 250Mbps, with 175GB of data (AU$0.34 per GB) on a 30-day expiry.
On top of its prepaid plans for individuals, Aldi Mobile also offers a range of family plans which come with shared data across multiple services.
Family plans start at AU$55 for 50GB of shared data (AU$1.10 per GB) for up to two services. This is followed by a AU$95 Family Plan with 100GB of shared data (AU$0.95 per GB) for up to four services, and a AU$125 Family Plan with 150GB of shared data (AU$0.83 per GB) for up to six services.
Each family plan comes with a 30-day expiry and 5G network access, though speeds are capped to 100Mbps.
Additionally, Aldi Mobile offers a 365-day 'Pay As You Go' plan which has a cheap initial cost, but only offers AU$5 worth of credit upfront with the option to buy AU$15, AU$25 or AU$35 top ups as you go.
The catch is your credit doesn't go far thanks to the PAYG plan's incredibly high rates — standard calls cost AU$0.15 per minute, SMS costs AU$0.15 per text, and data is priced at AU$0.06 per MB, which works out to AU$60 per GB.
However, even if you don't download anything, services which run in the background on your phone still use data — even the act of syncing to your cellular network, which happens multiple times per hour when you're away from Wi-Fi, will burn through your credit faster than Seth Rogen burns through his weed supply at Burning Man.
In other words, we'd only recommend Aldi Mobile's PAYG plan to people who barely use their mobile phones and who are comfortable switching off cellular data when not in use.
Aldi Mobile coverage
- Full access to Telstra's 4G and 5G networks
- Most plans capped at 100Mbps
Aldi Mobile is one of Australia's top Telstra resellers, providing access to Telstra's wholesale network, which offers 3G, 4G and 5G access to 98.8% of the Australian population.
Of course, there is a difference between Telstra's wholesale network and its full network, as the latter extends further into Australia's more remote regions to reach 99.6% of the population.
While Aldi Mobile's coverage in metropolitan areas should be comparable to Telstra's own service, users may experience weak mobile signal in more rural areas.
In terms of reach, this puts Aldi Mobile is a similar position to every other MVNO which resells Telstra network access, with one exception: Boost Mobile is presently the only MVNO in Australia that provides access to Telstra's full mobile network.
As we mentioned earlier, Aldi Mobile does offer 5G network access on select plans. However, you should know that almost every plan is capped at 100Mbps, the one exception being its AU$59 option, which is capped at 250Mbps.
While this speed cap significantly hinders one of 5G's biggest selling points, other benefits such as lower latency and decreased network congestion should still be available.
Aldi Mobile plans: Extras, perks and offers
- Excellent international inclusions
- Data rollover on selected plans
As a value-minded carrier, Aldi Mobile's extras and perks are limited to its service, so don't expect free access to streaming services or anything of that nature.
Instead, Aldi Mobile does offer some terrific international inclusions, with all but the entry-level plan offering unlimited standard calls and SMS to 20 select countries (Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, UK and USA), along with 100 included call minutes and 50 SMS to an additional 30 countries.
And while data inclusions across all of Aldi Mobile's 30-day plans are already quite generous in comparison to their price, every plan also includes unlimited data rollover on your next recharge, so long as you top up 24 hours before your expiry period. That means all of your unused data will rollover every 30 days until you stop recharging, which is pretty great value for a prepaid service.
Aldi Mobile plans: customer service and community reviews
- Call centre location not disclosed
- Predominantly negative online reviews from customers
Aldi Mobile customers can contact customer support directly by calling 1300 989 000 (charges may apply), or by making a free call to 2534 (ALDI) from their Aldi Mobile service. Customer service operates 7 days a week between 8am-9pm (AEDT).
Alternatively, customers can raise an eSupport ticket in the Aldi Mobile app, which is available for iOS and Android.
Admittedly, Aldi Mobile doesn't have a terrific customer service reputation, as evidenced by negative online feedback on sites like Product Review and Trustpilot, where it holds scores of 2.2 out of 5, and 1.9 out of 5, respectively.
Listed among the complaints are difficulties in porting over numbers and service activation, along with long wait times on calls and unresolved technical issues.
As always, it's worth remembering that irate users are more likely to leave online reviews than satisfied ones, so take each negative review with an appropriate amount of scepticism.
Aldi Mobile plans: Bottom line
Aldi Mobile is a worthy option for casual phone users who prioritise value for money over premium service. Pricing across most of its plans is reasonable for the amount of data included, with the exception of its 'Pay As You Go' offering, which should only be used by those who barely use their phones.
Customers in metropolitan areas can expect decent coverage thanks to Telstra's wholesale network, however, those who live in Australia's more remote regions are better offer off on a network with a wider reach.
