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.
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 offerings from Boost Mobile.
Contents
- What you need to know
- Phone number portability
- Cheapest SIM plans
- Cheapest 5G SIM plans
- Cheapest 365-day SIM plans
What you need to know about SIM only plans
It’s fairly easy to change your SIM plan provider. However, you’ll need to add a new SIM each time. eSIM technology is emerging as an alternative that sees you store details on your device, instead of a small physical card.
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.
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. 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.
Cheapest SIM plans
Postpaid
One of the current cheapest SIM plans comes from Southern Phone, a provider using the Optus network. Its X Small SIM Only Plan costs just $5 a month for six months, and then costs a still-reasonable $15 thereafter. With this plan, you gain access to Optus’ 3G (which is phasing out in 2024) and 4G networks. Along with unlimited calls and texts, you get 2GB of data each month, and $50 credit for standard international calls. This promotion is live until 31 January 2024.
Another cheap postpaid alternative is Dodo, another Optus network provider. It’s just $10 without any discounts and also includes unlimited talk and text with 2GB of data. It doesn’t include any international call credit but you can purchase an International Talk Pack for $5 as needed.
iiNet (Vodafone network) currently has a $10 monthly deal for the first six months, including 8GB of data, before reverting to $19.99. If you want more data for cheap, iiNet also has a 40GB plan for just $15 a month for six months, half its usual $29.99 price.
For more data at a low price, Kogan Mobile has a $15 monthly SIM plan with 10GB of data. Kogan uses the Vodafone network, and this plan gets you 4G coverage. Postpaid SIM plans on the Telstra network start at $20 via Numobile. It only uses parts of Telstra’s network, so check the coverage map beforehand.
Prepaid
On the Prepaid side, the current cheapest SIM plan comes from TPG (Vodafone 4G network). Its plans are half-price, with the normally $20 12GB plan just $10 for the first six months. One perk to note here is that the TPG prepaid plans operate on a monthly cycle, not the 28-day or 30-day expiry of other products. You can also pay an extra $5 for unlimited international calls to 37 countries including New Zealand and the UK.
Yomojo (Optus), Lebara (Vodafone), and Lycamobile (Telstra) all sit around $15, although Lycamobile has a 28-day expiry compared to the others’ 30-day window.
Cheapest 5G SIM plans
As 5G rolls out to more parts of Australia, and compatible phones become cheaper, it’s easy to take advantage of higher download speeds. 5G SIM plans cost more, so are better suited to users who need the extra speed or perhaps don’t have reliable NBN connections.
Postpaid
One of the cheapest postpaid 5G SIM plans is Belong’s 25GB tier at $29 per month. Owned by Telstra, Belong uses parts of its parent company’s network, with downloads capped at 150Mbps, which is still pretty fast. On the Optus side, Southern Phone has a $30 monthly 5G SIM plan with 20GB of data, and up to 100Mbps download speeds.
There are a few data-heavy deals live now, led by Aussie Broadband offering its 80GB 5G monthly SIM plan for $32.50 for the first six months. It’s a half-price discount for a service that normally costs $65 per month.
You’ll need to pay more for 5G on the Vodafone network, however, with the cheapest monthly plan coming in at $40 if you sign up by 14 December 2023. It includes a reasonably competitive 40GB but other plans, like Tangerine’s 50GB tier, include more for less.
Prepaid
If you want to dip your toe into 5G, Telstra has a $17 prepaid starter kit until 25 December 2023, giving you a discounted 28-day cycle before recharges start at $35. It also includes 20GB of bonus data for the first three recharges, on top of the standard 15GB.
Boost Mobile has the cheapest prepaid 5G SIM plan at $22 for each recharge, lasting 28 days, albeit only with 7GB of data. An advantage Boost has over other Telstra MVNOs is full network access, meaning it provides more comprehensive coverage than those that only use part of the network.
Speaking of which, Aldi Mobile costs $29 per 30-day renewal and includes 25GB, plus an additional 25GB for the first three recharges. It uses parts of Telstra’s network, so check that your location is included on the coverage map. On the Optus network, Amaysim’s $30 plan (28-day expiry) with 32GB of data is also decent value.
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.
At the top of the list is Kogan with a $100 365-day SIM plan including 120GB, although this promotion ends soon on 3 December 2024. Catch Connect follows closely behind with a discounted $109 plan that comes with 120GB to use throughout the year. On the Optus 4G network, this plan is on sale until 12 December 2023, before it goes back to its original price of $150.
Need more data? Amaysim includes 150GB with its long-expiry plan, discounted to $135 until 17 December 2023. For $150, you can grab 240GB with Vodafone’s Prepaid Plus Starter Pack, a $100 discount.
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