Moose Mobile, TPG and felix lead the charge in this month's round-up of the cheapest mobile plans and the best deals in Australia.
Expert Picks: Cheap mobile phone plans in Australia (November 2024)
Circles.Life 6GB Monthly Plan
First 6 months for$12/mo
Data
6GB + 4GB Bonus
🔥Deal
$3/mo. discount + 4GB bonus data for 6 mo.
TPG 50GB Medium Plan
First six months for$17.50/mo
Data
50GB
🔥Deal
50% off for first 6 months
Spintel $35 Mobile Plan
$35/mo
Data
100GB
Standard national calls and texts
Unlimited
felix Unlimited Mobile Plan
$40/mo
Data
Endless data (at 20Mbps)
🔥Deal
50% off for first 3 months with promo code FELIX50
7 min readUpdated on November 21, 2024
Paying too much for your mobile plan is nothing to be proud of and something that's easy to fix. If you are in the market for cheap mobile plans (or even the cheapest mobile plans), there are plenty of low-cost options.
In this guide, we're looking at the best-value SIM-only plans (Prepaid and Postpaid), kicking off with those under $15 and stretching up to a max cost of $40, including cheap unlimited plans. The cheapest plans for the iPhone 16 and Samsung Galaxy S24 start at $49 per month.
Compare the cheapest mobile plans
(with unlimited calls and text)
In our top picks below, we've tried to highlight the best cheap mobile plans in Australia that offer reasonable data and call inclusions. However, if you're simply after the cheapest prepaid plans and postpaid plans that Australian telcos provide, take a look at the list below for some truly dirt-cheap mobile plans.
The cheapest mobile phone plans in Australia under $15 per month
Decent data for a low price
Circles.Life 6GB Monthly Plan
Additional Info
- Data: 10GB
- Expiry: 1 month
- Network: Optus 4G Plus
- SIM fees: None
- Delivery fees: None
- International roaming: No
- Cost over 24 month period: $342
Reasons to buy
- Cheapest monthly plan on the market (for the first 6 months)
- Data Alert when data is running out
- Optus 4G Plus network
Reasons to avoid
- Small data inclusion
- No data banking
- No 5G or international calls
If you're just after the cheapest plan out there, it's hard to go past Circles.Life's 6GB monthly plan.
The plan comes with 6GB data and you will get a $3 per month discount for the first 6 months with an extra 4GB bonus data.
While the cheapest of cheap phone plans used to start around $10, they now start around the $12 mark and these plans don't usually come with a ton of inclusions beyond talk, text and a few GB of data. That might not make them a good fit for everyone, but they're a great fit for both kids, seniors and those who don't use the internet on the go.
While we think Circles.Life is the clear winner in this category, you can check out the table below for a selection of other cheap mobile plans for $15 and less.
Black Friday Deals ❄️
Deals for Mobile
The holidays are the perfect time to upgrade your smartphone and save big on mobile plans. Discover the best Black Friday deals on mobile plans from major telcos to stay connected with family and friends while enjoying the season.
The cheapest mobile phone plans in Australia under $20 per month
A generous serving of data
TPG 50GB Mobile Plan
Additional Info
- Data: 50GB
- Expiry: 1 month
- Network: Vodafone 4G/5G
- SIM fees: None
- Delivery fees: None
- International roaming: Yes, but PAYG
- Cost over 24 month period: $735
Reasons to buy
- Great value
- Unlimited international calls to select countries
- 5G included
Reasons to avoid
- Speeds up to 150Mbps
- No data banking
- Vodafone network
TPG's deal on its 50GB Monthly Plan nets you a huge amount of monthly data for $17.50 per month. After six months the price will revert back to $35 a month. All things considered, that's still a pretty decent deal. If you're an existing TPG internet customer, you'll pay a slightly cheaper rate of $25 per month after your initial discount runs out.
If the TPG plan doesn't suit your needs, there are ample Aussie providers with cheap mobile plans for under $20 with decent monthly data. And you only need to make a small increase to your budget if you want more gigabytes and shiny perks.
The cheapest mobile phone plans in Australia under $40 per month
Not as cheap, but heaps of data
Spintel $35 Mobile Plan
Additional Info
- Data: 100GB
- Expiry: 1 month
- Network: Optus 4G Plus
- SIM fees: None
- Delivery fees: None
- International roaming: No
- Cost over 24 month period: $840
Reasons to buy
- Lots of data
- Optus 4G Plus network
Reasons to avoid
- No international calls
- No data banking
- No 5G
While going past $20 per month does begin to stretch and fray the definition of what a cheap mobile plan looks like, Spintel has a great plan for anyone looking for a lot of data for a low price.
Spintel's $35 Mobile plan gets you 100GB of data, and you'll only pay $35 per month for it. No promo, so this is the price you'll pay indefinitely.
For comparison, check out our daily updating list of cheap mobile plans below $40 a month.
The cheapest mobile phone plans in Australia with unlimited data
Check out the widget below for a snapshot of the most popular cheap mobile plans with unlimited data.
Reasons to buy
- Unlimited data
- 5G included
Reasons to avoid
- Speeds limited to 20Mbps
- No international calls
- Vodafone network
While there are no truly 'unlimited' data plans in Australia, there is a decent handful that offers 'endless' or 'infinite' data, which means you can use as much data as you please, but it will be speed-capped.
The best option for most people is felix mobile's $40 subscription plan, which offers 'endless' data that's capped at 20Mbps. At that speed, you can do most things comfortably, from streaming HD video, updating apps, online shopping, scrolling through social media and video chatting with friends and family. Really, the only thing you'll struggle with is downloading large files, which may take a while.
If you want to try before you buy, you can currently get 50% off on your first three months.
felix is powered by the Vodafone network.
felix Unlimited Mobile Plan
Additional Info
- Data: Unlimited
- Expiry: Month-to-month
- Network: Vodafone 5G
- SIM fees: None
- Delivery fees: None
- International roaming: From $20
- Cost over 24 month period: $900
The cheapest iPhone 16 plans in Australia
Regardless of which provider you choose to opt for, the cheapest iPhone 16 plans tend to have a few things in common. The first is that they're tied to either Vodafone, Optus or Telstra. That's because only three providers in Australia sell new iPhones on a plan.
The best savings on an iPhone 16 plan can change depending on what kind of promotional offers are currently running. Usually, Vodafone is the best option.
Check out the widget below for a snapshot of cheap mobile plans for the iPhone 16 available in Australia across 36-month contracts. These will cost you less month-to-month since the monthly phone repayment is split up over 36 months as opposed to 24 or 12 months.
Prefer to go Pro? Here are the best cheap mobile plans for the iPhone 16 Pro:
The cheapest Galaxy S24 plans in Australia
As with the iPhone, there are currently three Aussie telcos that offer the Galaxy S24 on a plan: Telstra, Vodafone and Optus. As a result, figuring out which telco offers the cheapest Galaxy S24 plans is pretty straightforward.
Regardless of which telco you choose, your plan will be made up of a SIM plan plus the cost of the device divided by how many months in your term. The cheapest Galaxy S24 plan will be the one that charges the least for the SIM portion of your mobile plan. Naturally, that calculation favours 36-month plans over 24 and 12 month contracts.
To find a cheap mobile plan for the Galaxy S24, check out the widget below.
Go deeper with the Samsung Galaxy S24
Galaxy S24 pricing: The best deals in Australia
Galaxy S24 plans: Best plans available in Australia
Galaxy S24 Ultra plans: Best plans for the top-tier Samsung
Do cheap mobile plans have a catch?
While the cheapest mobile plans tend to offer the same level of coverage as their more expensive counterparts, you do sometimes miss out when it comes to inclusions like free streaming services, international calls, roaming and 5G.
Pros
You're paying less than you could be each month
Lots of options and cheap mobile plan deals to choose from
Very easy to switch between providers whenever there's a good on a cheap mobile plan 
Cons
Lack extra inclusions like international calls and roaming
May not include 5G
Can include speed caps
Rarely available with a device
You may run out of data If you're looking to cut down on monthly expenses, your phone bill can be a great place to start. Australia's mobile plan market extends far beyond the three big carriers - Telstra, Optus and Vodafone - and so long as you aren't locked into device repayments with another provider the process of switching between to a cheaper mobile plan is relatively painless.
Before you do pull the trigger on a new mobile provider, it's worth doing your research and considering a few key factors.
How much mobile data do you need?
As a rule, it's usually better and cheaper to have too much data than not enough. Knowledge is power when it comes to choosing the right mobile plan, so it may be worth using an app like My Data Manager to start tracking how much of your monthly data you use. Once you have a better idea of how much data you actually need, finding a plan that offers that amount at the lowest possible price becomes significantly easier.
Which network offers you the best coverage?
While there's often overlap between Australia's big three carriers when it comes to coverage, that's little consolation to those who fall through the cracks. If you know that your local area has bad Optus coverage, that's a good reason to exclude cheap mobile plans from providers that rely on the same infrastructure. After all, the savings benefits of a good deal tend to erode pretty fast if you can't get a good signal.
Expert Advice
"The cheapest mobile plans are often found with MVNOs who due to their low running costs can offer better value than the Big Three. There are no lock-in contracts so feel free to sign up for an introductory offer then jump ship to another plan once the regular price kicks in."
Digital Content Editor
What kind of customer support experience do you expect?
The quality of a mobile provider's customer support isn't usually something that you think about until it's too late. For that reason, those looking at choosing between our picks for the best cheap mobile plans may want to use that variable as a point of difference between potential options. If two plans offer the same amount of data and coverage for a similar or identical monthly cost, a good (or bad) customer service reputation might be a good way to break the tie between them.
Are you willing to change providers?
At any given moment, there usually dozens of great deals on mobile plans available to Australians. What's more, most of these tend to be contract-free. If you're willing to be diligent and check in to see which providers are running the best deals every few months, there's nothing stopping you from jumping between them to get the most out of your money. Switching mobile providers isn't as hard as it used to be and it's a very easy way to save money.
What do you miss out on with a cheap mobile plan?
Cheaper mobile plans tend to be light on extras. You don't get value adds like discounted movie tickets or access to streaming services.
In most cases, you're literally paying for talk, text, and data. It also goes without saying, cheaper plans tend to have a smaller data allowance than more expensive plans, but this isn't really an issue if you right-size to your needs.
Most cheap mobile plans currently don't have 5G access.
How to switch to a cheaper phone plan
Switching to a new mobile provider can save you money and it might be easier than you think.
1
Once you've picked which provider you want to swap to, the process is simple. You'll order your SIM online and then activate it when it arrives. As part of this process, you'll be asked if you want to keep your phone number. You can always keep your number when changing providers.
2
Activating your SIM should typically happen in a matter of minutes. Your old SIM will keep working until the new SIM is active.
3
Once your new SIM is up and running, cancel your plan with your old provider.
How to switch mobile phone providers (and keep your number)
Is your relationship with your telco not working out? Here’s how to give them the flick without losing your phone number.
Why compare phone plans with Reviews.org?
Why you can trust Reviews.org
Expertise: Our editorial team has years of experience covering technology and the Australian telco market. We dig into the minutiae of phone plans, terms and conditions and simplify it for you.
Independence: We review phone plans on their merits, not based on whether or not we make money from them. You can always trust that if we recommend a plan, it's because it's great value for money, regardless of our commercial relationships with suppliers.
Data-driven: Our comparison engine looks at more than a hundred plans from 30 providers to size them up on features such as data, price and inclusions. The power of our comparison engine and the breadth of our database means you get more choices and more ways to compare.
How we choose the best cheap mobile plans
When it comes to cheap phone plans, price is the most important variable. If you're a budget-conscious consumer looking at this page for guidance, we want our recommendations to best meet your needs. For that reason, we consider cheap plans to be anything less than $40/month.
Beyond price, the other big factors we consider are network coverage and monthly data per dollar. Given the overlap between Australia's major mobile networks, we typically privilege the latter when it comes to picking out the best cheap mobile plans. If you live in an area where you've got decent coverage from Optus, Vodafone and Telstra, we want to be able to point you towards the cheap mobile plan that offers the best bang for buck.
Finally, we also consider whether or not any decent deals are available for a given mobile plan and whether or not that provider includes any notable extras (like international calls) or suffers from any shortcomings. Our provider reviews and our sister site WhistleOut are valuable resources for us here.
Cheap mobile plan FAQs
Can I get a cheap SIM card in Australia?
Fewer and fewer providers in Australia actually charge you for the SIM card itself. At most, you can expect to pay $1 to $10 for a prepaid SIM card but that typically includes a small amount of calls, text and data as well.
On the other hand, no provider in Australia charges an upfront cost for a postpaid SIM card. You simply sign up to a month-to-month plan and the SIM card will be delivered to your door in a matter of days. After that, you’ll recieve your first bill one month after you’ve signed up but you won’t pay anything for the SIM card itself.
Do you get better coverage with a plan that’s more expensive?
Cheaper mobile plans are not directly penalised when it comes to coverage.
For example, customers of MVNOs like amaysim will have the same level of coverage as Optus customers operating on the same network. However, more expensive mobile plans can some include 5G network coverage and, if you're looking at Telstra, a slightly larger network footprint.
That's not a universal rule though, so it's usually worth doing your research and thinking about whether you really need 5G before signing up with a new provider.
Are there any cheap plans with unlimited everything?
If you want unlimited talk, text, and data for a cheap price, you've got one main option: Felix Mobile. Felix Mobile has a single plan with all of the above for $35 per month.
There is one catch, however. Speeds are capped to 20Mbps. 20Mbps is still fast enough for most online activities, including streaming video, but it may be a bit slow when you're downloading apps.
Are there cheap long-expiry plans?
Long-expiry mobile plans can work out to be cheaper in the long run compared to a month-to-month plan, but you'll need to pay a lot more upfront. The upshot is you can take care of your mobile bill in one single payment.
What is $10 Telstra plan?
Telstra no longer has a $10 mobile plan, but the next best thing is the provider's $12 SIM Starter Kit (price increases to $13 from 22 October 24). This cheap prepaid mobile plan comes with 3GB of data, unlimited standard talk & text, up to 200GB data rollover and 7-day expiry.
What is Telstra's cheapest mobile phone plan?
Telstra's cheapest postpaid plan is the $65 Basic Upfront Mobile plan. This plan includes 50GB of monthly data, standard talk & text, unlimited SMS to international numbers, 30 minutes of international calls and 5G connectivity with uncapped download speeds
If you're looking for a cheap mobile plan by Telstra but prefer prepaid, you'll want to look for the 3GB SIM Starter Kit. This plan comes with 3GB of data, standard talk & text, 100 international texts and 7-day expiry.
Who has the best cheap phone plan?
Our current pick for the best cheap phone plan provider is TPG. This provider is powered by the Vodafone network and offers a number of discounts for new customers.
What is the cheapest mobile network?
Although the shape of the market changes from week to week, the mobile network with the cheapest mobile plans is usually Vodafone. Providers on the Optus network aren't far off though, nor are Telstra MVNOs like Numobile.
The best cheap NBN plans this month
Need a cheap NBN plan to go with your cheap mobile plan? These are our top picks.
Related Articles
Dyson OnTrac headphones review: Back on track
Dyson's OnTrac are built different, for better or worse.
Macs Compared: Which Apple Computer is right for you?
Buy the right Mac for any budget.
Ecovacs Deebot T30 Omni review: All-in-one wonder
All for one and one for all.
The OPPO Find X8 Pro is actually coming to Australia
OPPO's flagship phones are back.
