Best unlimited NBN plans: our expert picks based on speed, price and service

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Best Unlimited NBN 25 Plan
Best Unlimited NBN 50 Plan
Best Unlimited NBN 100 Plan
Best Unlimited NBN 250 Plan
Best Unlimited NBN 1000 Plan
NBN FAQ

Sometimes finding the best NBN deals is like trying to find a needle in a haystack — especially if you're trying to thread that needle with some unlimited data string. If you're conscious about exceeding your data usage, most of the best NBN providers include unlimited data in their home internet plans, but that doesn't make the task of finding the best NBN plan for you any easier.

Here at Tom's Guide, we believe the best unlimited NBN plans offer full download speeds of their respective tier and come with the lowest monthly price tag. We've also factored in whether the ISPs provide extra perks, such as free streaming subscriptions or phone plan bundling, to determine their overall value.

Even if you don't think you'll use enough data to justify subscribing to an endless supply, an unlimited data plan will help you avoid extra charges or slower download speeds if you exceed your monthly cap.

If you know which speed tier you're after, click the quick links below to jump straight to that section.

Best Unlimited NBN 25 Plan

Most Australian homes connected to a fixed line NBN connection should be able to achieve speeds of at least 50Mbps. But some Australian NBN users will get by perfectly on a 25Mbps plan. Particularly good for single person households, NBN 25 plans tend to be among the most affordable.

Flip | AU$39p/m (for 6 months, then AU$57.90p/m)

The best unlimited NBN 25 plan in our opinion is this one from Flip. Not only does it offer unlimited monthly data usage, but it's also the cheapest NBN plan to claim the maximum 25Mbps download speeds during the busier evening hours of 7pm to 11pm, coming in at under AU$585 for the first 12 months.

Online reviews also paint a relatively positive picture for Flip, so it's certainly well worth considering if you're looking for an affordable 25Mbps NBN plan.

Total minimum cost: AU$39 | Total cost for first 12 months: AU$581.40 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$694.80

Spintel | AU$49p/m (for 6 months, then AU$59.95p/m)

Offering an AU$10.95p/m saving for the first six months, Spintel’s Entry 25 is one of the most affordable unlimited NBN plans available right now.

Reaching maximum advertised speeds of 25Mbps during the typical evening hours, this plan could be a great option if you want to maximise savings. And with no lock-in contract, you can change providers if you find your service isn’t up to scratch.

Total minimum cost: AU$49 | Total cost for first 12 months: AU$653.70 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$719.40

Best Unlimited NBN 50 Plan

The NBN 50 speed tier accounts for nearly half of all active NBN plans in Australia. The 50Mbps option is more than capable of allowing multiple users to stream and download at the same time, and considering only certain NBN connection types are capable of supporting the faster NBN 100 speed tier and beyond, NBN 50 is the one to go for.

We’ve picked out a few options for the best unlimited NBN 50 plan, including those that are cheap and one that we think offers the best overall value.

Kogan | AU$58.90p/m (for 3 months, then AU$68.90p/m)

Kogan’s Silver Unlimited NBN 50 clocks in with evening speeds of 50Mbps and 17Mbps uploads. Thanks to this initial discount offer, you'll save AU$10p/m over the first three months — that's AU$30 — before the price increases.

Kogan offers new customers an Internet Price Pledge, so if you find a better price on the same NBN plan, the telco will give you back double the difference.

Do note though, that this initial outlay is only available for the first 3 months, not the first six months like we see for most other providers.

Total minimum cost: AU$58.90 | Total cost for first 12 months: AU$796.80 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$826.80

Flip | AU$64p/m (for 6 months, then AU$73.90p/m)

Flip offers one of the most affordable 50Mbps NBN plans with unlimited data. Typical evening speeds are advertised as the maximum 50Mbps and, as is the case for the vast majority of internet service providers (ISPs) there's no lock-in contract, so you are free to leave whenever you wish — just make sure you read the cancellation terms and conditions!

Total minimum cost: AU$64 | Total cost for first 12 months: AU$827.40 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$886.80

Tangerine | AU$59.90p/m (for 6 months, then AU$79.90p/m)

Tangerine also offers one of the more affordable NBN 50 plans, whilst also offering the full 50Mbps download speed. Beating out Flip by AU$4.10p/m for the first six months — that's AU$24.60 in savings — Tangerine makes this list thanks to its 14-day free trial which means you can try the service before you buy.

Do note that Tangerine isn’t the cheapest when it comes to purchasing a required modem, although with the rather excellent Amazon eero6+ router offered as the default option, we think it's worth the investment.

Total minimum cost: AU$59.90 | Total cost for first 12 months: AU$838.80 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$958.80

Best Unlimited NBN 100 Plan

NBN 100 plans offer theoretical maximum download speeds of 100Mbps, and is the fastest achievable tier for all NBN connection types. The NBN Co is keen to get more Australians connected to 100Mbps NBN plans, and as a result, is still in the process of rolling out a free fibre upgrade program.

You'll find that not all NBN providers advertise the maximum 100Mbps download speeds during the busier evening hours, but most do come close. Of the ones that do come close, they can also be more affordable, and you may decide that the cost saving outweighs losing out on a few megabytes.

Flip | AU$69p/m (for 6 months, then AU$79.90p/m)

There are currently two other 100Mbps NBN plans cheaper than Flip, from Dodo and Southern Phone. But, the former says its plan is only available to customers with certain connection types, and the latter has a raft of negative reviews. So, for our money, Flip offers the best overall value.

Flip does only advertise 91Mbps download speeds during the busy evening hours, but you'll be spending less than AU$900 over the first 12 months. A bargain, if you ask us.

Total minimum cost: AU$69 | Total cost for first 12 months: AU$893.40 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$958.80

Dodo | AU$64.80p/m (for 6 months, then AU$88.90p/m)

Serving up exceptional value is Dodo's NBN 100 plan. Thanks to a current WhistleOut exclusive discount, which saves a massive AU$24.10p/m for the first six months — that's AU$144.60 total — it's one of the most affordable NBN 100 plans in Australia.

Best of all, Dodo advertises the full 100Mbps download speed during the busier evening hours and you get unlimited data, which is pretty neat.

Total minimum cost: AU$64.80 | Total cost for first 12 months: $922.20 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$1,066.80

Best Unlimited NBN 250 Plan

Through our partnership with WhistleOut, we can determine several NBN providers offer the full 250Mbps download speeds on an NBN 250 plan, including Telstra, Superloop, Swoop, Origin and Southern Phone. However, these NBN plans are either incredibly expensive, the provider(s) have negative reviews or there are just better value alternatives, such as the plan from Spintel we've mentioned below.

Spintel | AU$79p/m (for 6 months, then AU$89.95p/m)

If you can access the NBN 250 speed tier but are more concerned about spending as little as possible, then this plan from Spintel is our top pick. Advertising 211Mbps during the peak evening hours, this Spintel deal slashes AU$65.70 off over the first six months—before the price increases to AU$89.95. We've highlighted this deal before, as this plan costs the same as an average NBN 100 plan, but with double the speeds.

The telco has also received some great reviews online, with customers praising the easy installation and friendly support representatives. You can also bundle a phone line or mobile plan with this offering, starting from AU$10p/m.

Do note though, that this plan is only available for FTTP and HFC addresses.

Total minimum cost: AU$79 | Total cost of first 12 months: AU$965.70 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$1,031.40

Superloop | AU$85p/m (for 6 months, then AU$99p/m)

The best unlimited NBN 250 plan in our opinion right now comes from Superloop. While the telco doesn’t advertise the fastest typical evening speeds on the NBN 250 speed tier, coming in at an Optus-matching 240Mbps, it is the cheapest provider offering the fastest speed. We’ve also chosen it as our best overall plan because the telco offers customers the ability to boost their speed to the next tier up — NBN 1000 — five times a month. Superloop currently advertises typical evening speeds of 811Mbps on this speed tier.

If you don’t use all five Speed Boost days in one month, you can have them rollover into the next. You’re able to bank a total of 30 days.

Total minimum cost: AU$85 | Total cost for first 12 months: AU$1,104| Yearly cost after discount: AU$1,188

Best Unlimited NBN 1000 Plan

Despite NBN making 1Gbps speeds available on the NBN 1000 speed tier, you’re unlikely to be able to get the full gigabit download speeds from your NBN provider. However, some providers are getting closer to that magic number, with several advertising speeds over 750Mbps, which is pretty astonishing.

Superloop | AU$99p/m (for 6 months, then AU$109p/m ongoing)

Offering 811Mbps download speeds during the busy evening hours, this Superloop NBN 1000 plan is one of the fastest in the country. The provider is often well-rated by online gamers too and you can also take advantage of a free Amazon eero 6+ router if you remain connected for just 18 months. What’s most impressive is that it’s some AU$912 cheaper over the first year than Telstra.

Total minimum cost: AU$99 | Total cost of first 12 months: AU$1,248 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$1,308

Spintel | AU$95p/m (for 6 months, then AU$105.95p/m)

Spintel's newest offering has landed in the top spot for multiple users, as it boasts a massive 650Mbps — which is more than enough internet for larger households. That being said, it is on the smaller side of the NBN 1000 speed spectrum, so do take it with a grain of salt before signing up.

If you need slightly faster speeds, however, you could also consider Superloop's NBN 1000 option for a similar pricepoint and 811Mbps advertised speeds.

That said, this offering does come with unlimited data, flexible bundle options and an AU$0 fibre upgrade for eligible addresses. But, the only minor caveat is that this plan is only available for HFC connections.

Total minimum cost: AU$95 | Total cost for first 12 months: AU$1,205.70 |Total yearly cost: AU$1,271.40

Optus | AU$109p/m (for 6 months then AU$129p/m)

Retailing at AU$129 p/m, this Optus introductory offer will save you a mammoth AU$20 p/m for the first six months — that's a saving of AU$120 — before the price increases.

Optus advertises theoretical speeds of 780Mbps during the busy evening hours of 7pm to 11pm, which is impressive for this speed tier. Plus with unlimited data and Optus extras such as an Ultra Gen WiFi Modem and access to Optus Game Path, this unlimited plan is seriously good value.

Total minimum cost: AU$306 (including modem fee) | Total cost for first 12 months: AU$1,428 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$1,548

NBN FAQ

What is the NBN?

The National Broadband Network (NBN) is Australia’s national infrastructure for phone and internet services. As a government initiative, it was first proposed in 2007 and as of 2020, NBN Co. had completed the rollout. NBN services are now available to virtually all Australians, although not all can access a fixed-line service. For those who can't, a fixed-wireless service, which uses towers emitting 4G signals should be available, or satellite internet services.

Which NBN speed is best for me?

NBN offers six main speed tiers for consumer connections. There are official names for these (ranging from ‘Basic 1’ to ‘Ultrafast’) but most providers refer to them as a number, relating to the expected download speed. The speed of internet service you can achieve at your property is determined by the physical connection type you have.

The six main NBN speed tiers available are:

NBN 12 (Basic 1): 12Mbps download | 1Mbps upload | All NBN connection types | 1 user | NBN 12 is best suited for a single-person household. Even then, the 12Mbps maximum download speed is only going to be good for browsing the internet, sending emails and watching video content in up to 1080p quality. If you want to stream 4K video content (or to multiple devices simultaneously) on services like Netflix, then NBN 12 likely won't be fast enough.

NBN 25 (Basic II): 25Mbps download | 5Mbps upload | All NBN connection types | 1-2 users | With NBN 25, up to two people can comfortably browse the internet at the same time and stream a range of music and video content in up to 1080p quality. You may be able to watch 4K streaming video, but only on a single device at a time.

NBN 50 (Standard): 50Mbps download | 20Mbps upload | All NBN connection types | 2-4 users | The most popular NBN speed tier, NBN 50 is designed to allow up to four users to browse, stream and download content with ease. NBN 50 is also a good speed tier for people needing to use video chat a lot at home. NBN 50 is the most popular NBN plan in Australia.

NBN 100 (Fast): 100Mbps download | 20Mbps upload | All NBN connection types | 5+ users | Well suited to 4K video streaming and allowing for multiple users to be online at the same time. While all NBN connection types are theoretically capable of achieving 100Mbps speeds, those with FTTN connection types may struggle, depending on the distance of the premises from the node.

NBN 250 (Superfast): 250Mbps download | 25Mbps upload | FTTP, HFC connections | 5+ users | Incredibly fast internet speeds that allows multiple users to stream 4K video content and download large files at the same time.

NBN 1000 (Ultrafast): 1000Mbps download | 50Mbps upload | FTTP, HFC connection | 5+ users | Currently the fastest possible NBN speed tier, although very few telcos actually achieve the full 1000Mbps download speeds, especially during the evening.

What does 'typical evening speed' mean?

You'll see the term 'typical evening speed' advertised against all NBN plans (we've mentioned it a lot in this article, too). This refers to the average download speed you can expect to realistically achieve during the identified peak evening hours of 7pm - 11pm.

Different NBN providers may advertise different typical evening speeds, so be sure to keep an eye out for this figure when searching for a new plan. On speed tiers ranging up to NBN 100, the typical evening speed figure is less important than it used to be, since most will deliver the full amount.

The speeds realistically achievable in Australia have improved in recent years, and you'll now find some internet service providers will advertise the maximum possible speed of the NBN tier you're on. In some cases, your evening speed could actually exceed the theoretical maximum limit of your tier.

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.