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Best NBN plans for singles: top picks for one-person households

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Discovering a great NBN plan when living alone can be quite challenging, especially when you're the only one settling the bill every month.

Fortunately, living by yourself doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll need to compromise service and quality with your NBN plan. Several of the best NBN providers offer fast and secure home internet plans for singles that won’t break the bank.

We’ve teamed up with WhistleOut to collect our recommendations for the best NBN plans for one person. All of the plans below are sure to give you the most bang for your buck and deliver some seriously fast speeds.

We’ve also included some NBN alternatives that singles may want to consider, such as 5G home internet, and we’ve listed any extra perks you may get if you sign up for one of these plans.

Best overall NBN plans for singles

Let’s face it, if you live alone, then the chances of you wanting to binge watch the latest and greatest TV shows are going to be pretty high. It’s for this reason that you’re going to need a decent NBN speed, and an NBN 50 plan (at a minimum) will help to provide the best buffer-free streaming experience.

But that doesn’t mean you have to dig deep into your back pocket, as there are a number of affordable NBN 50 plans all vying for your attention.

Flip | NBN 50 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$64p/m

Flip | NBN 50 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$64p/m (for 4 months, then AU$77.90p/m)

Flip's NBN 50 plan is one of the cheapest 50Mbps offerings that we monitor. It advertises the full 50Mbps download speeds, along with 17Mbps upload speeds, which is more than enough internet for some moderate social media scrolling.

Total minimum cost: AU$64 | Total first year cost: AU$879.20 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$934.80

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Tangerine | NBN 50 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$59.90p/m

Tangerine | NBN 50 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$59.90p/m (for 6 months, then AU$84.90p/m)

Tangerine’s Value Plus NBN 50 is one of the lowest prices you’ll pay for a 50Mbps connection, coming in right under AU$59.90p/m for the first 6 months. You'll save AU$25 a month — that's AU$150 total — before the price increases to AU$84.90.

Total minimum cost: AU$59.90 | Total cost for first 12 months: AU$868.80 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$1,018.80

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Dodo | NBN 50 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$65.99p/m
Cheapest Provider

Dodo | NBN 50 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$65.99p/m (for 12 months, then AU$85.99p/m)

If there's one thing this flightless bird knows, it's a damn good deal. With a nice AU$240 discount over the first 12 months, Dodo's NBN 50 plan will net you 50Mbps downloads during the typical evening hours.

Sure, you'll spend AU$6p/m more than Tangerine's plan in the first 6 months, but that doesn't dismiss the AU$76.92 saving you'll net in your first year.

Total minimum cost: AU$65.99 | Total first year cost: AU$791.88 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$1,031.88

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Cheapest NBN plans for singles

Flip | NBN 25 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$44p/m
Cheapest Provider

Flip | NBN 25 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$44p/m (for 8 months, then AU$59.90p/m)

For this attractive introductory offer, Flip arguably has the best NBN 25 plan. It advertises the maximum 25Mbps download speeds during the busy evening hours of 7pm to 11pm and is the cheapest 25Mbps plan in Australia.

I would recommend 25Mbps downloads at minimum, so this plan could be perfect for a single-person household that wants moderate browsing capability for a decent price.

Total minimum cost: AU$44 | Total first year cost: AU$591.60 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$718.80

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Tangerine | NBN 25 | Unlimited data | Optional calls pack | AU$44.90p/m

Tangerine | NBN 25 | Unlimited data | Optional calls pack | AU$44.90p/m (for 6 months, then AU$69.90p/m)

Tangerine regularly comes up as one of the most affordable NBN providers, and that’s certainly the case here. Tangerine’s NBN 25 plan is one of the most affordable on the market, and you can choose to add on a calls package for an extra AU$10p/m.

The calls package only includes national calls and calls to mobiles in Australia. Calls to 13/1300 numbers are charged at 45c per call, and international calls are only supported for 20 countries, and each is charged at individual rates.

Total minimum cost: AU$44.90 | Total cost for first 12 months: AU$688.80 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$838.80

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Spintel | NBN 25 | Unlimited data | PAYG phone | AU$39p/m

Spintel | NBN 25 | Unlimited data | PAYG phone | AU$39p/m (for 6 months, then AU$64.95p/m)

Offering one of the cheapest phone and internet bundles we've seen, Spintel's NBN 25 offering can include a phone line to your plan for AU$0 per month, for free incoming calls and pay-as-you-go outgoing calls. But if you prefer, you can add on unlimited national and mobile calls for AU$10p/m, too.

Total minimum cost: AU$39 | Total cost for first 12 months: AU$623.70 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$779.40

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Best fast NBN plan for singles

You’re unlikely to need an NBN 100 plan living by yourself, but if you are going to be working from home a lot and you want to stream video content in glorious ultra high definition, then the 100Mbps download speeds will serve you well. It will cost you a fair bit more, of course, but if you can afford it, then it’s a worthwhile investment.

You may be able to boost to the NBN 500 tier if you have the right connection type (FTTP or HFC), as most providers have kept the costs the same as the 100Mbps tier.

SpinTel | NBN 100 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$73p/m

SpinTel | NBN 100 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$73p/m (for 6 months, then AU$86.95p/m)

SpinTel features again in our NBN 100 category, as it offers sensational value for a low cost. Across all NBN 100 plans, the offering has a low first-year price of AU$959.70 and one of the cheapest ongoing costs after the introductory discount ends.

If you have an FTTP or HFC connection, SpinTel has dropped a killer AU$63p/m deal on the new NBN 500 tier, which makes it cheaper than this plan (and has 5x more speeds!). If you have FTTN/C, however, this plan is still a great deal.

There’s little in the way of extra features with this plan – which will likely go some way to explaining the low cost – but if you’re after a no-frills NBN plan to get you connected, SpinTel is well worth your attention.

Total minimum cost: AU$73 | Total first year cost: AU$959.70 | Total yearly cost: AU$1,043.40

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Superloop | NBN 100 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$69p/m

Superloop | NBN 100 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$69p/m (for 6 months, then AU$95p/m)

Superloop's plan advertises 98Mbps download speeds during the busy evening hours of 7pm to 11pm. The current discount knocks AU$14p/m off for the first 6 months, making this plan a midrange NBN 100 option.

Plus, you can turbocharge your speeds to the next tier of NBN 250 for five days every month or bank up to 30 days per year with Superloop's Speed Boost feature.

Much like SpinTel's offer above, Superloop has a tasty deal on the NBN 500 tier for those on FTTP or HFC connections, but with 5x more speed.

Total minimum cost: AU$69 | Total first year cost: AU$984 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$1,140

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NBN alternatives for singles

5G home internet

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If you’re living alone, then we’d wager that you’re living in an apartment building. If this is you, and you live in a city, then you may want to consider a 5G home internet plan as an alternative to a fixed-line NBN connection.

A 5G home broadband plan can sometimes be more affordable than the NBN equivalent and is much easier for you to install at home. All you need to do is plug the supplied router into a power socket, wait for it to connect to the 5G network and you’re done.

Of course, 5G home internet does rely on you living in an area with good network coverage, however, the provider you want to go with will be able to tell you using their address checker feature.

Wireless internet

If you live in a regional or rural part of Australia, then you may not be able to get a fixed-line NBN connection. If this is the case, then you’ll need to sign-up for a wireless internet plan, such as NBN fixed-wireless or satellite internet services.

Fixed-wireless internet plans can often be more expensive than their fixed-line counterparts, and some plans also come with a maximum data allowance. But for people who are unable to get a fixed-line NBN connection, and who live in an area with poor 4G or 5G network coverage, wireless internet plans offer the only way to get online.

NBN for singles FAQ

Which speed is right for me?

If you're by yourself, an NBN 25 plan should provide enough speed to carry out essential daily tasks. It's designed to be used by just 1 or 2 people, although it will likely have a tricky time streaming HD video content from the plethora of streaming services.

We recommend an NBN 50 plan as the best option for most people, so that you will be able to stream and download content with ease, and be able to connect a number of devices: TV, phone, tablet, laptop, smart speaker etc.

Which NBN provider is best for a single person?

We think the NBN provider that gives the best overall value for one person is Flip. The telco's plans aren't the outright cheapest, but they're still pretty affordable and offer consistently good speeds and an all-around reliable service.

We'd also consider Superloop, as it gives customers on NBN 50 plans and above five free Speed Boost days each month, which increases the speed of your plan to the next tier. If you're on an NBN 50 plan, you can boost your speed to 100Mbps tier.

Which NBN provider is cheapest?

The cheapest NBN provider can differ depending on the speed tier you're looking at. The cheapest NBN provider on the NBN 25 tier currently is Flip. The cheapest NBN provider on the NBN 50 speed tier is Dodo, closely followed by Spintel.

Lucy Scotting
Lucy Scotting
Staff Writer

Lucy Scotting is a digital content writer for Tom’s Guide in Australia, primarily covering NBN and internet-related news. Lucy started her career writing for HR and staffing industry publications, with articles covering emerging tech, business and finance. In her spare time, Lucy can be found watching sci-fi movies, working on her dystopian fiction novel or hanging out with her dog, Fletcher.

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