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
Cheapest SIM plans
Postpaid
This month, you can grab a Circles.Life postpaid SIM plan for a cool $12. It comes with 10GB for the first six months, making it a low-cost plan on the Optus 4G network. After the sale, it’s back to $15 per month with 6GB of data.
For sheer value, the Spintel offer is a tempting one. In another plan on the Optus 4G network, new customers get 25GB each month for just $14 over the first six months. Even after the promo period ends, the monthly plan costs $22, which isn’t too bad for the data on offer.
It’s mainly Optus MVNOs coming through with the postpaid goods at the moment. To find the cheapest plan on another network, you need to scroll down to Numobile or Tangerine. Both telcos have $22 monthly SIM plans that include 12GB.
Prepaid
As per usual, iiNet and TPG have the cheapest prepaid SIM plan, both costing $12.50 per month for the first six months. They’re MVNOs that use Vodafone’s 4G network, including 25GB of data with each recharge. It’s a decent-value half-price offer that normally costs $25 per month.
Many prepaid plans operate on a 28-day recharge cycle, so you get slightly less use than most postpaid plans. TPG and iiNet are exceptions with their monthly expiry cycles, an advantage they have over competitors.
Kogan used to be the cheapest prepaid SIM plan provider excluding discounts, which has since changed. The Vodafone 4G network MVNO increased its data allocation to 15GB, bumping the price up to $20 per month.
The likes of Exetel (Telstra), Aldi Mobile (Telstra), Lebara (Vodafone), and Yomojo (Optus) are all slightly cheaper per recharge, albeit with lower data allocations.
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, making them better suited to users who need the extra speed or perhaps don’t have reliable NBN connections.
Postpaid
Southern Phone currently leads the cheapest 5G SIM plans, selling its Medium 5G SIM Plan for $20 per month. Applicable for the first six months, the Optus MVNO’s sale plan comes with 40GB of data. Although the download speed is capped at 100Mbps, it’s a reasonable 5G entry point.
Aussie Broadband is a surprise contender, selling its postpaid Saver 5G SIM Plan for $25 per month. Connecting to the Optus 4G network, it includes 20GB. Moose Mobile has the next cheapest postpaid 5G SIM plan at $26.80 per month, bundled with 25GB of data.
Want the Telstra network? Belong is the most affordable entry point at $30 per month. Although its 25GB of data doesn’t surpass competitors, Belong has faster 150Mbps download speeds.
On the pricier end of the scale, a Vodafone 5G postpaid SIM plan costs at least $44 every month. That’s a slight discount from the normal $49 pricing, with the cheaper price lasting 12 months. It comes with 50GB of data and a three-month subscription to Binge.
Prepaid
Most of the cheapest prepaid 5G SIM plans are starter packs that then cost full price after the first recharge. For ongoing savings, your best bet is either the iiNet or TPG plans. Both are half-price for the first six months, priced at $17.50 and include 50GB of data. Download speeds for both cap out at 150Mbps.
Alternatively, you can pay a bit extra for 100GB of data and speeds reaching 250Mbps. Felix is another option, which is $12.50 for the first three months, down from $25. Its 25GB data allocation is comparatively less but still ample for most users.
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.
Catch Connect (Optus 4G) and Kogan (Vodafone 4G) currently have the cheapest long-expiry SIM plans. You need to be quick, however, because the Catch offer of $150 for 180GB of data ends soon.
By comparison, you have a bit more time to act on the Kogan offer. Throughout the month of November, you can buy Kogan’s 140GB plan for $150, down from its regular $179.90 price.
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 to 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.
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.
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