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
SpinTel is once again the current cheapest postpaid SIM plan in Australia. On the Optus 5G network, new customers can get the $22 plan for $14 per month for the first six months with 25GB of data.
Southern Phone is the other postpaid SIM plan currently cheaper than $20 per month. Its Medium 5G SIM Plan costs $19 per month for the first six months, down from $29. 40GB of monthly data is also one of the larger allocations on offer, making Southern Phone worth a look. Like SpinTel, this is another plan on the Optus 5G network.
SpinTel’s full $22 price is also the cheapest non-discounted postpaid SIM plan at the time of writing. It’s closely followed by Dodo’s $23 plan (Optus 4G) with 15GB of data. Tangerine’s 12GB plan on Telstra’s 4G network also costs $23 if you want an alternative to Optus.
Prepaid
iiNet and TPG once again have the cheapest prepaid SIM plans at a discounted price of $12.50 apiece for 25GB on Vodafone’s 4G network. The discount applies for the first six months, after which it goes up to $25 per month. That last part is an important point of difference: many prepaid SIM plans operate on 28-day or 30-day recharge cycles.
If you want access to Vodafone’s expanded 5G network, TPG’s 50GB plan is half-price at $17.50 per month for six months. Beyond Vodafone, Aldimobile’s $19 prepaid SIM plan is the cheapest Telstra option, including 4G access and 10GB of data. It recharges every 30 days, so you don’t get quite as much time as the TPG and iiNet plans. At least it’s longer than the 28-day plans.
Speaking of which, the cheapest prepaid SIM plan on the Optus network is from OnePass Mobile (previously Catch Connect). The 28-day plan costs $20 and includes 15GB of data to use on Optus’ 4G network.
There’s more competition between the three main networks under the prepaid banner, which is ultimately good for your wallet.
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
Most of the cheapest postpaid SIM plans featured earlier are also 5G-compatible, so SpinTel and Southern Phone are sub-$20 options.
Tangerine remains the cheapest 5G postpaid plan on the Telstra network, priced at $29 per month. However, it only uses parts of Telstra’s 5G network, so it’s worth checking the coverage map beforehand.
Prepaid
As per usual, there are plenty of discounted starter packs, although the discount usually only lasts for the first recharge. At $17.50 per month each, the iiNet and TPG Medium plans are the cheapest 5G prepaid SIM plans. Both are half-price for the first six months and include 50GB of data. Download speeds for both cap out at 150Mbps, which is fast enough for most folks.
On the Telstra network, Boost Mobile’s $26 plan includes 32GB of data for the first three recharges (on a 28-day cycle). The standard 7GB data allocation is smaller than most in its price bracket, but Boost also happens to be the only MVNO with access to the full Telstra network.
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 is the current cheapest long-expiry SIM plan, costing $149 for 365 days, providing 240GB on Vodafone’s 4G network. As for Optus, the best deal comes from OnePass Mobile, the rebrand of Catch Connect. It currently costs $149 for its 365-day plan that comes with 200GB. That’s $51 off the long-expiry plan from the Optus MVNO, working out to be a strong dollar-per-gigabyte ratio.
It’s also worth pointing out that Boost Mobile’s 300GB 12-month plan is $50 until 11 August, bringing it down to $250. It’s the cheapest way to access Telstra’s full network on a 365-day SIM plan.
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.
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% | 91% |
| Telstra wholesale | 98.8% | 75% |
| Optus | 98.5% | 80.5% |
| Vodafone | 98.4% | 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:
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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