Cheap mobile plans compared: best Australian options starting from AU$12.50 p/m

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Prepaid plans
Big-data plans

Feeling the pinch of high phone bills amidst Australia's ongoing cost of living crisis? Relief is available! Beyond the major carriers like Telstra, Optus and Vodafone, a large selection of providers now offer mobile plan options for all budgets.

It's no secret that the bigger mobile providers come with a higher price tag for their extensive data plans and added features, but thankfully there are cost-effective alternatives. Smaller providers, called mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), utilise the exact same major networks.

Best cheap plans (20GB minimum)

If value is what you're after, it's hard to overlook TPG's excellent 25GB Small Plan, which offers 25GB of monthly data at the half-off price of AU$12.50p/m for the first 6 months. While the price will go back to AU$25 per renewal after this period, it's still very affordable for what you're getting.

Essential 5G Plan | 35GB | No lock-in contract | AU$35p/m (free 2nd recharge for new customers) | Telstra 5G Network

If you're looking for an affordable and reliable prepaid plan, Superloop's Essential 5G Plan is worth considering. It offers access to Telstra's 5G network, providing 35GB of data as standard — all for just AU$35 over 30 days with automatic recharges. And as an added bonus, new Superloop mobile customers (and existing Superloop broadband customers signing up for a mobile plan) get their 2nd recharge for free. Another major perk is the ability to roll over up to 500GB of unused data. Offer valid until withdrawn. T&Cs apply.

Total minimum cost is AU$35 (30 days) | Total cost for first year with free 2nd recharge: AU$385

Best cheap big-data plan

Yomojo Pro Plan | 105GB data | AU$29.90 per 30-day renewal (first 6 renewals, then AU$34.90) | Optus 4G/5G Network

Looking for massive data at a bargain price? Yomojo's Pro Plan delivers incredible value. For the first six months, it's an absolute steal at only AU$29.90 per renewal, translating to a mere AU$0.28 per GB. Even after the introductory period, when the price adjusts to AU$34.90 every 30 days, it remains a fantastic deal, breaking down to just AU$0.33 per GB. This promotion is available until January 31, 2026, so this is your last chance to secure this deal before it expires. T&Cs apply.

Total minimum cost is AU$29.90 (1 month) | Total cost for first year: AU$388.80

Cheap mobile plans: what to look for

When choosing an affordable mobile phone plan, value for money is paramount. While most plans now offer unlimited national calls and texts, the key is to strike a balance between cost and data allowance. Often, a small increase in price can lead to a significant boost in your monthly data limit.

However, price isn't the sole consideration. It's crucial to identify the mobile network your discount carrier utilises, as smaller telcos offering the cheapest plans don't operate their own networks. Instead, these Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) lease access to networks built by Australia's three major carriers: Telstra, Optus or Vodafone.

Consequently, your local coverage quality will likely depend on the major carrier network your chosen discount telco uses. Therefore, before committing to any plan, always confirm the major carrier network it operates on and verify the service in your area.

Our best cheap mobile phone plan search takes into account the merits of prepaid vs postpaid phone service, while also examining whether MVNOs are worth the money.

How we pick the best cheap cell phone plans

We're constantly looking at what Australian telcos offer as part of our research into the best mobile phone plans. That includes examining what's available from the major carriers — Telstra, Optus and Vodafone — as well as from smaller telcos which run on these carriers' networks. We check prices monthly, comparing what different services have to offer.

For our best cheap mobile plans guide, we set a jumping off point of around AU$12.50 per month, along with a monthly data limit of at least 20GB. Price is of the utmost importance in our rankings, though we've made an effort to steer you away from some very cheap plans which we believe don't offer good value for money.

Our decisions take into account how much data each plan provides, and we've even calculated the average daily allowance and price per MB before coming to our conclusions, and we've also taken note of any perks to keep in mind. That can help distinguish two equally priced plans — or even highlight that a slightly more expensive plan offers better value overall.

Stephen Lambrechts is the Managing Editor of Tom's Guide AU and has written professionally across the categories of tech, film, television and gaming for the last 15 years. Before Tom's Guide, he spent several years as a Senior Journalist at TechRadar, had a brief stint as Editor in Chief at Official Xbox Magazine Australia, and has written for such publications as APC, TechLife Australia, T3, FilmInk, AskMen, Daily Telegraph and IGN. He's an expert when it comes to smartphones, TVs, gaming and streaming. In his spare time, he enjoys watching obscure horror movies on physical media, keeping an eye on the latest retro sneaker releases and listening to vinyl. Occasionally, he also indulges in other non-hipster stuff, like hiking.