BTTR is independent. We may earn a commission if you buy through our links. Why trust us?
A few years ago, I joined comparison platform Finder to lead the growth of its mobile and broadband comparisons. I spent a lot of time diving into the nitty gritty of plans, working with the engineers to build fancy comparison tables with bold buttons that would help you convert to a partner, so Finder would get paid.
The problem with this approach – which is the same approach used by Whistleout and Canstar, by the way – is that these comparison platforms don't show you the best plan by default unless the provider offering that plan pays them.
Not to say that these sites don't do a lot of really hard work to break down lots of complex information to make comparison easier. They definitely do! But for anyone just looking to know what the best plan for their needs is, comparison services don't give the full picture.
So when I needed to try and find a new mobile plan for my son (who kept using up all his mobile data), I decided to dive in to see what is currently available on the market in a spreadsheet to work out what's the best option for us.
And because I spent way too much time on it, I've decided I'm going to write it up here for as exclusive content for paid subscribers.
What you can expect from the data:
My spreadsheet collects the name and key information for every prepaid and postpaid SIM-only mobile plan I could find. That doesn't mean it covers 100% of the products available for Australians, but it's pretty comprehensive.
It doesn't include any plans with mobile phones attached, or exclusive offers through third party brands like Finder. It's just a collection of the plans listed on the websites of the different telcos.
Within the spreadsheet, I listed out a lot of the key information of each plan. You can find features like the network used, promo pricing, data deals, excess data charges, international call inclusions (to a degree – more on that later), and plenty more.
From that data, I created formulas to calculate the average cost per day over a 12 month period (including any limited time offers currently ranking), and the average amount of data per day over 12 months (again, including bonus data). I then created formulas to rank the plans against that data.
I also pulled in the brand's score on ProductReview as a way to factor against great offers from crappy brands, or perhaps paying a bit more for a really good brand's customer service.
Paid subscribers will get access to the sheet, which they can copy and update to best suit their own needs. I'm also happy to offer some 1:1 advice for anyone wanting to get more from the sheet as well.
Note: I'll also flag that this is a point in time analysis. I'll likely come back to it in the future to make sure I'm on the best plan for me, but I won't be keeping it up to date.
Access exclusive content
For the cost of a couple of coffees, you can enjoy unlimited access to all BTTR content and support independent media.
Upgrade nowThe Findings: A short summary
I'm keeping all the really good data for the paid subscribers down below, but here are some quick findings:
- Unless you have some legal obligation to do so, don't sign up for a plan with one of the big three telcos. The average plan rank (out of 264) for the three telcos is pretty disheartening. And that's factoring in current offers.
- Vodafone: 176
- Optus: 199
- Telstra: 241
- The last time I did this research, prepaid plans were quite clearly better value than postpaid. But right now, the difference is minimal, and it depends very much on the plan you choose.
- Similarly, the days of long-expiry prepaid being an obvious choice for value-hungry shoppers is gone, with only a handful of long-expiry plans in the top 20. They still offer good value, but if you can wait to get them at a discounted price you'll be much better off.
- Unless you go with one of the big three telcos, most 5G plans are speed limited. Fortunately, it looks like the days of offering separate 5G plans are largely behind us, though there are still some brands that only include 5G for their pricier plan tiers.
Sign up to see the best mobile plans in Australia right now:
Create a copy, then customise until your heart's content
Welcome BTTR subscribers! Above you'll find a link to the Mobile Plan comparison sheet. It's set to view-only, so if you want to adjust any of the data points or formulas, simply use the Make a Copy option in the File menu.
As you can see, the sheet lists the plan and the rank on the left with data running across from there. Everything up to column AA is a data point for that plan. Everything from column AB to AT is a calculated field to help score the plan.
Column AU is the final calculated score of the plan, which is ranked to give the final plan rank in column B.
Columns AW to AY are links to the plan and the CIS, plus the last time I checked the information.
Note: I've done my best to make sure everything is accurate, but there's a chance some things have slipped through the cracks. If you notice something, let me know. It's always best to make sure everything is right for your needs in any case.
From a formula perspective, the score is weighted to score the price per day at 60% of the score, and data per day at 40%, with the score then multiplied by a provider review score.
There's no accounting for features like data rollover or international calls within the ranking formula itself, because I feel that needing those things very much depends on individual needs.
International calls is also a real nightmare to try and rank, because many plans offer unlimited calls to certain countries, but there's no consistency between the list of countries offered. You really need to dig deep into individual plans to find whether calls are offered to specific countries, and that's beyond the scope of this guide.
Finally, while there is some level of tracking 5G speeds offered across plans, this isn't something I've factored in either. Given the speeds you get will depend entirely on your location, I don't think it's a reliable scoring factor.
With all that out of the way, let's look at some of the best mobile plans you can get in Australia right now.
Best overall plan: Felix Unlimited mobile plan
Felix was the first MVNO to come out with a truly unlimited data plan a few years back, and thanks to an offer running at the moment where you get the first 3 months for 50% off, it's the best value mobile plan over a 12 month period.
For $40 a month normally (and $20 a month for the first 3 months), you get a 4G postpaid SIM plan with unlimited calls, texts and data using the Vodafone network.
Data speeds are limited to 20Mbps, which is much slower than a full 5G service can deliver. But there's never any need to worry about using up your data, and that peace of mind is worth a lot.
And if $40 a month is a bit rich for your monthly needs, the second best plan right now is the Felix $30 plan, which is also 50% off for the first three months at the moment. It offers 50GB a month, and when you've used that up, speeds are throttled to 1.5Mbps, rather than getting hit with excess data fees.
Best Prepaid plan: Kogan Large 30 Day Prepaid Plan
Kogan's Large 30 day prepaid plan normally costs $40 per recharge, but for a limited time new Kogan customers can get the plan for just $15.
For that, you get a 4G prepaid plan on the Vodafone network, with 100GB of data – 80GB regular, plus 20GB of bonus data.
Every month, you can rollover unused data to keep a data bank of up to 200GB, which can come in handy for times you accidentally exceed your usual monthly allowance.
Best plan using Telstra: Lyca Mobile Unlimited Plan M
Normally $40 per 28 days, you can pick up a starter pack for this prepaid plan for just $15 for the first recharge.
You'll get 120GB of data for the first 3 months, dropping down to 80GB for each recharge after that.
But notably, this plan uses parts of Telstra's 4G and 5G networks, with speeds limited to 100Mbps. You'll also get a bunch of International call inclusions, though you should check Lyca's website for the full list of countries included.
Best plan using Optus: Amaysim 28 day Unlimited 80GB
Amaysim was one of the original virtual mobile operators, and it's still going strong. Its 28 day Unlimited 80GB plan is the best value offering using the Optus network.
Normally $40 per recharge, Amaysim has a limited time deal offering the first recharge for just $18. Coupled with a double data offer for the first three months, which pushes your allowance from 80GB to 160GB, the plan offers great value for switchers.
5G connectivity on Optus's network, limited to 100Mbps, plus unlimited data rollover means you get pretty much everything you need at a reasonable price.
Best plan using Vodafone: Felix Unlimited mobile plan
It's the best plan overall and it uses the Vodafone network, so of course it's going to be the best Vodafone plan.
Best long expiry pre-paid plan: Lebara Large 360 day
With a limited time offer reducing the price of the first 360 days to just $219 from $300 (for new customers only), the Lebara Large 360 day plan is the best value long expiry plan currently available.
You get a huge 425GB of data, which is split up to 35.41GB every 30 days. The plan uses Vodafone's 4G/5G network, with speeds limited to 150Mbps, and you can bank up to 200GB of data for your next recharge.
Lebara is all about International call inclusions, and this plan has unlimited standard minutes to 50 countries included, plus 100 standard minutes per 30 days to even more countries.
Overall, this plan comes in as the 5th best value offer currently available. If you want an annual set and forget plan, this is a great option.
Best plan under $20 per month: Flip Mobile 20GB
If you want to keep your mobile spending under control, there are plenty of options available.
Flip Mobile is offering its $20GB plan for just $19.90 per month, though you can grab it for $9.90 for the first three months for a limited time.
It's only 4G connectivity, and there's no data rollover or International call inclusions, but it's affordable with plenty of data using the Optus network.
Best rated provider: Spintel
Collating all the results for mobile providers I could find on Productreview.com.au, Spintel came out in front with an average rating of 4.8/5.
Spintel's best value plan – which ranked 16th in our list – is its Spintel 25GB plan, a month-to-month SIM-only offering that costs $22 per month and includes 25GB of data.
There's a limited time offer as well, which drops the price to just $14 for six months, making it an even better offer for a more affordable option as well.
Worst plan: Reward Mobile Ultimate $42.95 BYO
I have no idea how this business is even running. Reward Mobile offers a few plans that includes buying a phone, but absolutely nothing it has includes any level of value.
Its one SIM-only plan costs $42.95 per month and includes a measly 5GB of data. It operates on Vodafone's 4G network, without any data rollover or features to entice you to sign up.
If you are already a Reward Mobile customer, you can do so much better, so please shop around and save yourself some money!
Final thoughts
For a long time, I've recommended to friends and family that you should check your mobile and Internet plan at least 1-2 times a year to make sure you are on the best value plans for your needs.
Almost all plans I've looked at have no lock in contracts, so you can swap your plan quickly and easily multiple times a year to make sure you're getting the best value for money.
While I feel I've captured the bulk of the information you should look at when shopping for a mobile plan, I also appreciate feedback.
If there's anything missing you'd like me to include for future versions of the sheet, let me know and I'll try and incorporate it.
Latest mobile plan deals
