Cheapest SIM plans in Australia: Affordable phone plans compared

Are you looking to save on your phone bill? We’ve rounded up the cheapest SIM plans from a range of different carriers to help you find the best price. If you’re unsure about whether a SIM-only mobile plan is what you need, our quick guide to SIM only mobile plans will get you up to speed.

Generally speaking, if you don’t want a new phone or a lock-in contract, a SIM plan is the way to go. It’s easy to get what you need without paying for excess features. Unlimited phone calls and text messages usually come standard, with data and international roaming the main points of difference. If you do want a phone, however, check out the current deals on phone plans, including discounted handsets.

We update this article monthly, so bookmark this page to keep up to date with the cheapest SIM plans. Prices update in real-time, meaning you get the latest deals available in Australia right now. You can also use a custom search to choose a plan that suits your exact needs.

All of the plans featured in this article include an expiry period of at least 28 days. You can purchase a SIM plan with a shorter recharge window, ideal for travellers who only need a bit of data while visiting Australia.

Want to save on your internet bill, too? Check out the cheapest NBN plans to save even more money. You can also compare the best Telstra SIM-only plans, Vodafone SIM-only plans, and Optus SIM-only plans.

Contents

• Cheapest SIM plans
• Cheapest 5G SIM plans
• Cheapest 365-day SIM plans
• What you need to know: eSIM, prepaid, postpaid
• Phone number portability
• Best network coverage

Cheapest SIM plans

Postpaid

You’ve got options aplenty for postpaid SIM plans; at the time of writing, there are four plans priced at $15 per month or less. Swoop is currently the cheapest, costing $12.40 per month for the first six months, with 30GB of data included and access to Vodafone’s 5G network. Afterwards, it costs $24.90 per month.

Close behind Swoop is Pivotel, which provides Vodafone 4G access for $12.50 per month for the first six months, or $25 per month at a non-discounted rate. SpinTel is another cheap postpaid option, at $14 per month for the first six months, including 25GB of data to use on Optus’ 5G network. Its regular $22 monthly price is also one of the most cost-effective postpaid SIM plans.

Also providing 5G Optus access is Dodo, selling its 40GB plan at a discounted rate of $15 per month for the first six months. At this tier, Dodo’s full price then reverts to $30 per month. On the Telstra network, the current cheapest postpaid SIM plan comes from Tangerine. At $25 per month, it connects to Telstra’s wholesale 4G network, while providing 14GB of rolling data each month.

Prepaid

iiNet and TPG — both using the Vodafone 4G network — currently sell the cheapest prepaid SIM plans, alongside OnePass Mobile, which uses the Optus 5G network. All three plans cost $12.50 per recharge for the first six recharges. Keep in mind that iiNet and TPG operate on a monthly recharge cycle, while OnePass Mobile uses a 28-day cycle.

Another point of difference (however slight) is data. iiNet and TPG include 25GB of data per recharge, and the OnePass Mobile plan in question comes with 22GB. After the discounted period ends, all three plans jump up to $25 per recharge. Kmart and Target shoppers also get a OnePass membership with the associated phone plan, which grants 5x Flybuys points and free delivery across multiple retailers.

On the Telstra network, the cheapest current prepaid SIM plan is $23 from Aldi Mobile on a 30-day renewal. Aldi uses Telstra’s wholesale 4G network while bundling 12GB of data.

Cheapest 5G SIM plans

5G coverage reaches more of Australia than ever, bringing with it faster download speeds. Phones compatible with 5G are also increasingly affordable, making it easier to access high-speed networks.

In some cases, 5G plans can cost more, but as you’ll see below, they can also be among the cheapest.

Postpaid

Continuing the trend of the cheapest overall postpaid SIM plans from earlier, the 5G plans look fairly similar. Like above, Swoop, SpinTel, and Dodo sell discounted 5G postpaid plans at a monthly rate of $15 or less.

Outside of discounts, postpaid 5G plans start from $22 per month, so it’s a reasonably affordable tier.

Prepaid

OnePass Mobile currently sells the cheapest 5G prepaid SIM plans, starting at $12.50 per 28-day renewal. Close behind it are TPG and iiNet’s 5G plans, which cost $17.50 per month with a 50GB data allocation.

Boost Mobile is the cheapest Telstra-based prepaid SIM plan with 5G access, priced at $28 per 28-day renewal. It includes a relatively small 8GB allocation, albeit with a 21GB introductory offer the first time you activate a new plan. Boost is also the only MVNO with access to the full Telstra network, reaching further than most other telcos.

For a bit more data on the Telstra network, Aldi Mobile and Ezee Mobile include 29GB per recharge for $29. Both rely on Telstra’s wholesale network, so check the coverage map to be sure if your area is covered.

Depending on your data needs, you can generally pick up a 5G prepaid plan for $25 or less per recharge.

Cheapest 365-day SIM plans

If you know what you need over a longer period and want to save money in the process, a 365-day SIM plan might do the trick. Simply pay once per year, and get a bank of data to use with unlimited calls and texts. It’s a cost-effective way of paying your phone bill for basic internet users who aren’t big downloaders.

Kogan Mobile and OnePass Mobile currently top the list of cheapest 365-day SIM plans. Both 4G plans cost $149 for the first recharge; Kogan includes 220GB at first (140GB for subsequent recharges), while OnePass includes a static 200GB per recharge. After discounts, Kogan’s long-expiry plan costs $179, and OnePass costs $200, which works out to be a neat dollar per gigabyte of data.

365-day SIM plans on the Telstra network cost more, consistent with most other phone plan categories. Boost Mobile currently has a deal, bringing its $300 plan down to $250, with full access to Telstra’s 5G network and 295GB. Future recharges come with 240GB, which is still a decent allocation.

It costs the same as Woolworths’ $250 Everyday Mobile plan, which bundles in 215GB of data to use on Telstra’s wholesale 4G network.

What you need to know about SIM only plans

It’s fairly easy to change your SIM plan provider. Even more so with the rise of embedded SIM (eSIM) technology, letting you change plans almost instantly with a compatible device. Instead of requiring a physical card, eSIM stores network information directly in your phone.

Irrespective of which service provider you go with, the actual network used will be either Optus, Telstra or Vodafone. Many of the cheapest SIM plan providers are mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs). This refers to carriers that use the network infrastructure of another company.

See Also

06/11/2024Adam Turner How to use

What is eSIM? All you need to know about the growing phone tech

Boost Mobile is a popular MVNO that has full access to Telstra’s network, reaching 99.5% of Australians. Not every MVNO includes a network’s full coverage, so it’s worth checking a company’s website to ensure your area is serviced.

In terms of how much data you should choose, data from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) found that Australians generally pay for more than what they need. On average, Aussies use 10.2GB of phone data per month, so it’s likely you could get away with a smaller allowance that costs less.

It also depends on how much you stream and download content using your phone. If you mainly use home or office Wi-Fi and don’t stream much, stick with a cheaper plan.

Postpaid versus prepaid

There are a couple of slightly different SIM plan options to choose from. Postpaid refers to plans that operate on a monthly billing cycle, where you pay at the end of each cycle. Postpaid SIM plans generally don’t involve a lock-in contract, so you can freely swap if your needs change or a better deal comes along. If you hit your data cap for a month, your telco might limit speeds until the next cycle or charge extra costs, so check the fine print beforehand.

Prepaid, on the other hand, sees you pay at the start of each cycle for a fixed number of days. Most prepaid SIM plans have a 28-day expiry cycle instead of a full month. Shorter expiries are also available if you need a SIM while travelling, making it a flexible option. The upside is that if you go over your data limit, you won’t incur extra costs. A lot of prepaid plans don’t automatically recharge by default but you can set up auto-recharge manually, with some telcos offering discounts or bonuses if you do so.

Phone number portability

The SIM changeover process takes about 10 minutes of your time or even less if you choose an eSIM. You will receive instructions to visit a website, provide your details, prove your identity (online) and then insert your new SIM.

Note you will have a choice to migrate your existing mobile number or choose a new one. About 15 minutes later, you should be up and running. However, the documentation will indicate it may take up to 24 hours and be affected by working hours.

Best network coverage

Network coverage is one of the most important factors to consider when buying any phone plan. Low prices and all the data in the world don’t mean much if you can’t get a signal. Fortunately, Australia’s mobile phone network coverage is more competitive than ever because of the TPG Telecom and Optus partnership.

Telstra still boasts the broadest network coverage, reaching 99.7% of the Australian population. Optus and Vodafone aren’t far behind, covering 98.5% and 98.4% respectively. Optus expects to rapidly expand its 5G network, so expect plenty of competition in the next couple of years.

Telco	Overall network coverage	5G network coverage
Telstra	99.7%	95%
Telstra wholesale	98.8%	75%
Optus	98.5%	80.5%
Vodafone	98.5%	Not advertised

More important than percentages is whether your location has coverage. The best way to find out is to check each telco’s coverage map:

• Telstra network map
• Optus network map
• Vodafone network map

However, recent rule changes to mobile coverage maps mean that they’ll look a bit different in the coming months. As determined by the Australian Communications and Media Authority, telcos will need to display coverage maps based on standardised data, which is meant to make comparisons easier.

The best way to find out if a plan suits you is to try one for a month. Lock-in contracts are largely a thing of the past, so it’s easier than ever to try one provider and swap if it doesn’t work out.

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Australia-first CarPlay app lets you order food from your dash

We’ve all benefitted from the convenience of ordering food from our phones. I can’t recall the last party I attended where someone didn’t order something from Uber Eats. Guzman y Gomez is taking things a step further by launching an Apple CarPlay app, letting you order your usual Mexican dish without looking at your phone.

It claims to be the first fast food CarPlay app of its kind in Australia, available in cars with an infotainment system that pairs with Apple’s ecosystem. With the latest version of the Guzman y Gomez app downloaded on an iPhone and connected via CarPlay, the integration lets you look up the nearest restaurant, place an order, and pay, all from the car’s screen.

The whole process also saves your loyalty points, with the restaurant’s ‘GOMEX’ rewards system now available to store in Apple Wallet. It feels like a convergence of ordering technologies; tapping your car’s screen a few times, rolling up to the drive-thru, and getting your food — phone still in your pocket — sounds pretty neat.

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“Our guests are loyal,” said Bryce Maybury, Chief Technology Officer, Guzman y Gomez. “They know their order, they trust the food, and they just want it fast. CarPlay means they can get their GYG fix without even picking up their phone.”

Although there was no word of Android Auto compatibility, here’s hoping it paves the way for broader platform support. Likewise, with Guzman y Gomez kicking down the door, maybe other fast food chains will join in, too?

My car’s a bit old for CarPlay, but I know my brother — who’s a bit of a GYG fiend — will definitely be giving this a spin.

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Snazzy FIFA World Cup Moto Razr looks cool, but is only overseas

If you still haven’t come down from the high of Nestory Irankunda’s blistering goal to get the Socceroos’ FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign off to a flyer, you’re not the only one. Everywhere you look, the global soccer (or football, depending on who you ask) tournament is on a screen of some kind. And after Australia’s effort against Türkiye, I think a few more people will be paying attention.

Synonymous with the World Cup, though, are countless brand partnerships. Plenty are for pure advertising, getting products in front of the millions of sports-mad viewers around the world. But there are also some practical partnerships, like Lenovo’s integration of its tech throughout all aspects of the gameday experience.

Motorola is also on the FIFA World Cup 2026 bandwagon, launching a series of limited-edition phones as part of its status as the tournament’s official smartphone partner. One is a slick version of the Motorola Razr flip phone, featuring a nice array of green hues, plus a gold-coloured tournament logo on the back.

Image: Motorola.

It also comes with a collection of exclusive phone wallpapers and the tournament’s jingle as the ringtone. Depending on your team’s fortunes at the World Cup, that ringtone could either lift your spirits or be a haunting reminder of another defeat.

Unfortunately, Australia isn’t one of the countries to get the FIFA edition Razr. I guess it makes sense, considering the tournament is in North America. So, if you’re really keen on your World Cup merch, getting someone to grab one from overseas is your best bet.

Still, it’s a fun design, and one that happens to include some of my favourite colours. That counts for something, right?

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Stylish Acer Swift Air 14 set to compete with Apple’s MacBook Neo

While wandering the vast halls of Computex, it’s easy for all the PCs on show to blur into one big homogenous entity. How much more can you change the look and feel of a laptop, considering it’s already a pretty good form factor? Asus made a strong play with its stylish and colourful Zenbook 14 range, something that Acer has matched with its equally sleek Swift Air 14 laptops.

Like most computer brands exhibiting in Taipei, Acer had a lot of laptops on display. There were the brand’s 2-in-1 Swift Spin tablet-laptop hybrids, TravelMate business laptops, and a whole bunch of gaming gear across its Nitro and Predator range. Acer’s latest handheld gaming PC, the Predator Atlas 8, caught my eye among those using Intel’s new dedicated gaming chipset.

Acer’s Predator Atlas 8 is one of the first devices to use Intel’s new Arc G3 gaming chips. Image: Chris Button.

But the Swift Air 14 stuck in my mind, largely thanks to its combination of design, style, and affordability. Nearly every conversation I had at Computex was accompanied by some mention of how Windows PC manufacturers are responding to Apple’s foray into budget laptops with the MacBook Neo. As a result, people want better build quality, more power, and more colourful designs from affordable laptops.

Acer Swift Air 14 takes it up to the MacBook Neo

With a starting price of $1,399 in Australia, Acer’s Swift Air 14 laptops are a bit pricier than Apple’s base-level PC, but the philosophy is similar. It’s reasonably light at a bit over a kilogram, sports an all-metal build, and comes in a range of hues that deviate from typical laptop black or grey.

It runs on Intel’s more cost-effective ‘Wildcat Lake’ Core Series 3 chips (not the Ultra, which the Swift Spin uses), with up to 12GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. Acer claims the 70Wh battery lasts up to 19 hours of continuous video playback, which you’d be watching on its 14-inch 1920 x 1200 IPS screen.

Image: Chris Button.

Crucially, the Swift Air 14 has two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, a USB-A port, and a 3.5mm audio jack. As positive as the MacBook Neo’s reception has been, its two slower USB-C ports are one of its drawbacks.

Seeing the laptops up close, the colours look smart, with just enough saturation to show some personality without looking cheap. I liked the pink and lilac finishes a lot, and hope that both colours come to Australia.

Acer’s latest affordable laptop, set to launch in Australia in the coming months, will likely go head-to-head with Dell’s revitalised budget XPS 13. Both laptops promise a high-quality and affordable alternative to Apple’s sub-$1,000 laptop, setting the stage for an era of better budget-conscious PCs.

Chris attended Computex 2026 in Taipei as a guest of Intel.

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Petite $99 magnetic security camera lasts 9 months on AA batteries

Battery life might be one of the most important factors across nearly all categories of consumer technology. What good is a device that doesn’t last as long as you need it to? It’s something the smart home security sector is contending with, providing options between wired, battery-powered, and solar-powered gadgets. Reolink reckons it has cracked the code with its new ‘Power-Efficient’ range, lasting up to nine months just using battery power.

This technology was shown earlier in the year at CES 2026, using low-powered Wi-Fi technology to reduce battery drain. Several new Reolink devices, including various security cameras and video doorbells, use a Qualcomm QCC730 chip with a technology called ‘Micro-Power Wi-Fi’. As the name suggests, it’s designed to use less power than other wireless technologies.

Among Reolink’s devices to use this technology are the following models:

• Argus MagiCam
• Video Doorbell (2nd Gen)
• Video Doorbell SE
• E1 Swift

Remarkably, the Argus MagiCam runs on AA lithium batteries for up to nine months at a time. Taking the form of a small, square-like camera, the $99.99 MagiCam records 1080p footage using a 2MP lens. It comes with a magnetic mount that the camera snaps to, or you could attach it to any metallic surface, indoors or outdoors.

While the MagiCam is currently available to order on Reolink’s website, the rest of the power-efficient range is set to launch in Australia over the next few months.

Triple-lens 360-degree OMVI coverage

At the higher end of the scale, Reolink also recently launched its triple-lens OMVI security cameras in Australia. Including the $439.99 OMVI 3i Wi-Fi and $429.99 OMVI 3 PoE models, the series can surveil 360 degrees in 4K via a 10MP dual-lens panoramic system and an 8MP pan-tilt lens.

Image: Reolink.

Both cameras also featured at CES this year, including the flagship OMVI X16 PoE model. This one doesn’t have a confirmed Australian release date yet, beyond a Q3 window. Another step above the rest of the OMVI cameras, the X16 also benefits from 16x optical zoom, letting you take a closer look at any action.

It’s good to see more variety coming to home security and smart home gadgets. Not everyone can afford the absolute top-tier gear, so providing a lower-cost option that still lasts a long time could strike a chord with budget-conscious shoppers.

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ASUS went to crazy lengths to show how tough its new laptop is

How far will a PC company go to prove they have a robust product? In an age where a cracked screen is common, or as I did once, you spill a hot drink on your keyboard only to find the ‘E’ key does not work any more, we do look for confidence that when we turn our PCs on, they will work.

I was recently a guest of ASUS at the launch of their new business laptop, the ASUS ExpertBook Ultra. This laptop looks and feels like a normal laptop, not a big, thick, unwieldy device.

ASUS went further than I have ever seen a brand demonstrate their products’ credentials and put their money where their mouth is by showing just how tough the high-performance lightweight 14-inch laptop is.

ASUS kicked off proceedings by assembling ten 10kg weights and piling them one by one onto their laptop during a presentation to a few hundred people. Once this 100kg mass was removed, the laptop still continued to work, unaffected by the weight.

Image: Angus Jones.

Just to prove there was no trickery out in an exhibition area, attendees were invited to remove their shoes and stand on the laptop’s screen and keyboard.

Image: Angus Jones.

They did take the back off some units so we can stare inside and pretend we know what we are looking at, but one thing that did come to mind was the elaborate cooling system of fans and tubes to ensure the processor operates at maximum performance.

Image: Angus Jones.

Back to the screen, you can see just how much the screen bends when you support the weight of the whole unit by just a corner of the screen. Again, no damage.

Image: Angus Jones.

Coffee spills won’t be an issue for ultra users, with bottles of water poured over the keyboard to demonstrate the waterproof membrane that protects it.

Image: Angus Jones.

The laptop’s casing was not forgotten, as attendees used metal implements to scratch the laptop, while an ASUS attendant simply wiped the case clean. In fairness, there were no sharp knives in sight.

I do have my favourite test, though, which was an 8kg weight supported by the USB socket, illustrating that one of the common failure points in PCs really is tough.

Image: Angus Jones.

One final touch is that the laptop ships with a protective leather-look pouch. Although soft, it adds a bit of padding and extra scratch protection to keep your PC looking new.

My takeaway is that ASUS has gone to great lengths to test and prove how durable its new high-end laptop is. I think it should have been called the ExpertBook Ultra Tough!

Angus Jones attended an event in Singapore as a guest of ASUS.

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Insta360 debuts dual-lens Luna Ultra gimbal camera with 12x zoom

After a series of increasingly elaborate teasers, Insta360 has officially launched the Luna Ultra gimbal camera in Australia.

A direct competitor to the upcoming DJI Osmo Pocket 4P, the Luna Ultra wields two Leica lenses, including one with telephoto zoom, a rarity for portable gimbal cameras. Its main wide-angle 20mm lens uses a one-inch sensor, while the secondary telephoto lens has a smaller 1/1.3-inch sensor.

According to Insta360, the telephoto lens supports 6x “lossless” zoom, with the option of 12x digital-assisted zoom. The Luna Ultra can record up to 8K footage at 30fps, 4K at 120fps, or 1080p at 240fps. When shooting in low-light conditions, the camera can use “PureVideo Mode” to boost visibility while recording in 4K at 60fps.

For editing, the Luna Ultra can shoot in a Dolby Vision format, in addition to Insta360’s 10-bit I-Log. This latter format produces what initially looks like a flat image, but it’s designed to give colour graders more customisation in the edit suite.

Insta360 also included a detachable two-inch OLED touchscreen that doubles as a preview of what the camera sees and a remote control. 47GB of internal storage is included, plus a microSD card slot for more room, while the battery lasts up to four hours.

Core to any gimbal camera is its stabilisation and tracking technology. Here, the Luna Ultra uses a three-axis system, like the DJI Osmo Pocket cameras, to keep footage steady. It also automatically tracks subjects to keep them in frame. Helpfully, it’s not restricted to centring subjects; you can also set specific tracking points if you want to follow the classic rule of thirds.

Insta 360 Luna Ultra price in Australia

Insta360’s debut gimbal camera leans into the premium side of things, with the Luna Ultra priced at $1,229.99 in Australia. It’s available to buy now, either as a standard kit or as part of a bundle with microphones, battery handles, and the like.

In case you fancy a particular aesthetic, there’s also the option of either Cosmic Black or Stellar White colours. But it’s the resulting footage that matters most, of course. Insta360 also teased a standard single-lens gimbal camera in April, but didn’t share any information today.

DJI has dominated the creator gimbal camera space for a while now, so the extra competition is certainly welcome. It’ll be interesting to see how the Luna Ultra compares with the Osmo Pocket 4P when the latter launches.

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