The best unlimited data mobile plans (November 2024)

$40/month will get you Australia's best unlimited mobile data plan, albeit with a speed cap

Best unlimited data plan
Felix Mobile
Felix unlimited Mobile Plan
$40/mo
Data
Unlimited
Speed cap
20Mbps
🔥
50% off first three months with code FELIX50
Cheap unlimited data alternative
Belong
25GB Mobile Plan
$30/mo
Data
25GB
Unlimited speed cap
1Mbps
Unlimited data with Optus alternative
Optus
Optus $52 Choice Plus Plan
$52/mo
Data
50GB
Unlimited speed cap
1.5Mbps
Unlimited data with Vodafone alternative
Vodaphone
Vodafone $59 Medium Plan
🔥 Discounted to$49/mo
Data
180GB
Unlimited speed cap
2Mbps
🔥
3 months of Binge + $10/mth off on plan fees
Unlimited data with Telstra alternative
Telstra
Telstra $75 Essential Upfront Mobile Plan
$75/mo
Data
180GB
Unlimited speed cap
1.5Mbps
🔥
2 months of Binge
Kate Reynolds
Nov 03, 2024
Icon Time To Read6 min read

There isn't a truly unlimited mobile data plan available in Australia right now, though there are plenty that let you do away with excess data charges. 

There's always a catch or caveat of some sort. It just might not be measured in gigabytes. Depending on your data needs though, you might not mind the difference between the unlimited 20Mpbs plans like the one available through Felix Mobile and the endless data options available elsewhere.

Telstra, Optus, Vodafone, Dodo and Belong have all moved to this model for even some of their cheapest mobile plans. Vodafone even has endless data available on prepaid.

What does endless or unlimited data actually mean to Australian telcos?

The big three telcos (Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone) offer endless, speed-capped data in place of excess data charges on their mobile plans. These plans have unlimited mobile data, but the telcos don't like the word "unlimited" because technically there are limitations. Speed limitations to be specific.

Felix Mobile also has an unlimited data plan, but even that comes with a different caveat. Your speeds are capped at 20Mbps regardless of how much data you use.

Lastly, Belong and Dodo have also recently moved to the "no excess charges" model. If you go over your primary allowance, you'll be able to keep using your plan but capped to speeds of 1Mbps. 

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Expert Advice
In Australia, unlimited data typically means no excess charges. You’ll still get a data allowance, and then after you go through that, you can keep using your plan at much slower speeds. While an unlimited data plan is a great way to prevent bill shock, make sure you still choose a data allowance that meets your needs to avoid being stuck on very slow internet.”
Alex Choros, Author Image
WhistleOut Managing Editor

Endless data speeds in Australia

Provider
Endless data speed
Max speed data included?
Prepaid
Postpaid

Felix Mobile

20Mbps

No

N/A

Yes

Vodafone

2Mbps to 10Mbps (depending on plan choice)

Yes

Yes (2Mbps)

Yes (2Mbps to 10Mbps)

Telstra

1.5Mbps

Yes

No

Yes (1.5Mbps)

Optus

1.5Mbps

Yes

No

Yes (1.5Mbps)

Belong1MbpsYesNoYes (1Mpbs)

Best unlimited mobile data plan

Felix unlimited Mobile Plan

pro
Reasons to buy
  • Only true unlimited plan
  • Unlimited calls
  • Access to 5G network (Vodafone)
con
Reasons to avoid
  • Speeds capped at 20Mbps
  • No international calls included

Felix Mobile is unique in that it offers a mobile plan with speed-capped endless data (as well as unlimited calls and text), whereas other telcos typically offer an allotted monthly amount of "max speed" data that is throttled after a limit is reached. Throwing in with Felix means getting endless ( aka unlimited) data so long as you're happy to limit yourself to 20Mbps.

Felix uses the Vodafone network. Vodafone reaches a good chunk of Australians these days but it's still the smallest network when compared to Optus and Telstra. Still, this $40 SIM-only plan is still easily the best option currently available for people looking to hop on a truly endless data plan at a comparatively cheap price.

Felix Mobile is not entirely without limits, but it's easily the closest thing Aussies can find to a genuinely unlimited mobile plan right now. Even better, if you enter the promo code "FELIX50" at checkout, you can score your first three months with the provider at 50% of the usual price.

Woman with unlimited mobile data going mad with power
Turns out there can be limits to your "unlimited" data in Australia.

Best cheap unlimited data mobile plan

Belong 25GB Mobile Plan

pro
Reasons to buy
  • Unlimited Databank + Data Gifting
  • Access to 5G network
con
Reasons to avoid
  • Not a lot of high-speed data
  • Download speeds up to 150Mbps
  • Access to Telstra's wholesale network only

Belong (or Telstra Lite) recently upgraded all its mobile plans to offer the same kind of endless data as Telstra, Optus and Vodafone.

Our pick for the best cheap unlimited plan is the Belong 25GB Mobile Plan. This plan comes with unlimited national calls and texts, 25GB of monthly data, data banking, and data gifting. If you manage to get through your 25GB of data, and anything sitting in your data bank, you'll still stay connected at speeds of 1Mbps until your plan resets.

If the above isn't the right fit, be sure to check out the other Belong Mobile plans with excess-charge-free data in the widget below.

Best unlimited data mobile plan from Optus

$52 Optus Choice Plus Plan

pro
Reasons to buy
  • Data Gifting
  • Access to 5G network
con
Reasons to avoid
  • More expensive than MVNOs
  • No international calls included

Like Telstra, every Optus SIM-only plan offers endless data with comparatively slow speeds of 1.5Mbps after you hit your included data limit.

Our top plan pick for Optus is the $52 Choice Plan. It only offers 50GB of max speed data (plus unlimited calls and text) but if it's endless data you're after, and you can bear the 1.5Mbps cap, it's no different from what plan you're already on.

There are plenty of other Optus SIM plans with more max speed data, but at that point, you're probably better off going with a provider like Circles.Life and getting more bang for your buck. Circles.Life doesn't offer endless data, but it does give you a lot of data for cheap on the Optus 4G network. 

Otherwise, and if it's Optus you're after, here's a quick look at each plan (all with endless data capped at 1.5Mbps).

Best unlimited data mobile plan from Vodafone

Vodafone $59 Medium Plan

pro
Reasons to buy
  • Unlimited calls to select countries
  • Highest speed cap after main data has been used
  • Access to 5G network
con
Reasons to avoid
  • Smallest network

Vodafone has varied 'endless data' speed caps - the more you spend, the more data you get, and faster speeds thereafter. In short, the less likely you are to need that unlimited data, the faster it will be.

Our best pick is the $59 Medium Plan. In addition to 180GB of data, the plan includes unlimited talk and text in Oz, unlimited international calls to Zone 1 countries (and 300 minutes to Zone 2 countries), and Vodafone is currently running a promotion where you'll get 3 free months of Binge when you sign up.

If you somehow exceed your 180GB of data, your data will be slowed to 2Mbps. Our guess is that Vodafone is trying to prevent customers from using the plan to replace their home internet.

Data on a phone and laptop screen

How much mobile data do you need?

A per-activity breakdown of the kind of hourly data usage expectations you should have for common mobile data tasks.

Best unlimited data mobile plan from Telstra

Telstra $75 Essential Upfront Mobile Plan

pro
Reasons to buy
  • Data Gifting + some international calls
  • Access to 5G speeds
  • Biggest network
con
Reasons to avoid
  • Expensive

The $75 Essential Upfront Plan from Telstra offers 180GB of "max speed" data, unlimited calls and text, data-free Apple Music streaming, discounted movie tickets for Event Cinemas, and 5G access on Australia's biggest mobile network.

It's also free of excess data charges, meaning that if you exceed that cap you won't be charged extra money. Instead, your speeds get slowed to 1.5Mbps. That's a significant hit to your download and upload speeds, and you'll definitely notice the difference.

Every Upfront Telstra plan offers 1.5Mbps of endless data. Here's a quick look at each plan.

Best unlimited data mobile plan from Belong

Belong 100GB Mobile Plan

pro
Reasons to buy
  • Unlimited Databank + Data Gifting
  • Access to 5G network
con
Reasons to avoid
  • Download speeds up to 150Mbps
  • Access to Telstra's wholesale network only

Looking for a cheaper source of endless data on the Telstra network? Telstra MVNO Belong recently got rid of excess data charges on its mobile plans. If you go over your data allowance, you'll be able to use unlimited data capped to speeds of 1Mbps. 

That's a bit slower than what other providers offer, but still enough for basic browsing. If you want to buy faster data, you can purchase an extra 5GB for $10. 

This applies to all of Belong's mobile plans, so we've picked the 100GB option for our top plan. At $45, it's still cheaper than the cheapest unlimited data options available from heavy hitters like Telstra and Optus.

If you'd prefer another option, here is Belong's full range of SIM-only plans: 

How much does unlimited mobile data cost?

At the time of writing, Belong has the cheapest mobile plan with unlimited data. The $29 plan comes with 25GB per month included, and unlimited data capped at 1Mbps thereafter.

Otherwise, the price of an unlimited data mobile plan varies provider to provider, as do the specific strings attached to that promise of endless downloads on the go.

Is unlimited mobile data truly unlimited in Australia?

Signing up for an unlimited data plan will indeed get you as many gigabytes as your heart desires. However, the speed at which you get that data will vary with the plan and provider involved.

Each "unlimited" or endless data mobile plan in Australia comes with different terms and conditions. That said, the way that they tend to work isn't all that different from traditional data-capped mobile or internet plans.

You'll get a monthly allowance of "max speed" data to use. Once you use that up, you'll remain connected to the network and you won't be hit with any excess data charges. Instead, your connection will be throttled down to a lower speed. The exact speed depends on your provider and plan, but most tend to speed cap at around 1.5Mbps.

Can I use unlimited mobile data if I'm overseas?

By and large, you can't use unlimited data overseas.

The only exception is if you're on Vodafone's network. If you're a Vodafone customer, you'll be able to tap into your data allowance while abroad through the provider's popular $5-per-day roaming perk. However, that access only applies to your Max Speed data and doesn't the speed-capped data you get after you through your allowance. If you run out, you'll need to top up your balance to continue using your Vodafone SIM overseas.

Telstra and Optus customers are not able to rely on unlimited data while overseas. In both cases, you'll need to pay extra for a roaming data add-on through your provider. For example, the Telstra Day Pass costs $10 per day and includes 500MB of data plus unlimited talk and text. Optus charges $5 per day with 1GB.

Lastly, Felix has a $20 roaming pack with 4GB of data which is valid for a whole year. Speeds are still capped at 20Mbps, however.

icon-expertise

How we choose the best unlimited data plans

There are a number of considerations when we look at the best plans with unlimited or endless data. Price is a key factor, we want to make sure we're displaying plans that offer value for money.

We also look at what the capped speed will be, as well as how much data is included at the max speed.

Unlimited mobile data plans FAQs

How slow is 1.5Mbps exactly?

With a 1.5Mbps speed cap, you’ll be able to carry out basic internet and social media browsing, music service streaming and potentially streaming videos in standard definition. You’ll probably find that pages will take significantly longer to load and you might have to wait for videos to buffer. In comparison, the average uncapped download speed on 4G is around 39Mbps while 3G downloads sit around 6Mbps on average.

Does Optus have an unlimited data plan?

All of Optus' postpaid mobile plans come with an inclusion that the provider calls Endless Data. This works the same as the "no excess data charge" offering found with Vodafone and others.

Your plan comes with a set data allowance. Once that's been used up, you can either buy more from Optus or stay connected to the network at a slower speed of 1.5Mbps until your next billing cycle.

Does Telstra have an unlimited data plan?

Telstra does not offer any unlimited plans, but all of Telstra's postpaid mobile plans do come with no excess data charges.

Essentially, Telstra's take on an "unlimited data" mobile plan comes with a set data allowance. Once that's been used up, you can either buy more gigabytes from Telstra or stay connected to the network at a slower speed of 1.5Mbps until your next billing cycle.

Why don't many telcos offer unlimited data?

Unlimited data has been defined as a 'premium' perk. Every telco in Australia is either owned by Telstra, Optus, or Vodafone/TPG, or runs on one of these networks. 

Smaller telcos buy capacity on the bigger networks, and in exchange those networks get to tell providers what features they can offer (and the price list along with it). One of two things are stopping more telcos offering unlimited data; either price, or access.

Either the network providers offer unlimited data as an option, but it is too expensive for smaller telcos to opt in for it as a feature. Or the feature simply isn't available at all. 

Kate Reynolds
Written by
Kate Reynolds is a writer who's at her happiest when there's haloumi on the brunch menu and a dog to give pats to. She's worked as a travel writer, journalist, theatre reviewer, broadcaster and radio creative, and spends her weekends with as much of the aforementioned haloumi and dogs as possible. She writes on Cammeraygal and Wangal land.

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