Is your NBN plan too expensive? Here's how to tell if you're paying too much – and what to look for when it comes to NBN deals

Finding a great NBN plan that’s also affordable can be a tricky task. However, before you can even begin searching for an appropriate internet plan for you and your household, there are a few key factors that are worth giving some careful consideration.

As Tom's Guide's resident NBN aficionado, it's my job to break down what actually matters when choosing an internet plan. For me, the top priorities are figuring out your preferred speed tier, how many devices you have at home, how you use the internet and what’s included in your NBN plan — otherwise known as its value.

I've been collating NBN data for almost three years now, including regular checks of the ACCC's quarterly broadband reports that provide an unbiased overview of the state of the nation’s most popular home internet providers — so I’m fairly discerning when it comes to recommending specific NBN plans.

In collaboration with award-winning broadband provider Flip (which regularly features in my list of recommended plans), I've put together this quick guide on how to find the best NBN plan for your household, from speed tiers to pricing and everything in between. Now, let's look at how to find an internet plan that suits your needs.

NBN speed tiers and connection types explained

The first thing you need to consider when shopping for an NBN plan is speed. Most NBN plans on a fixed-line connection are based on one of the nine speed tiers as set out by the national network itself (aka NBN Co). NBN naming conventions reflect the download speed of your connection — but what exactly does this mean, and which NBN speed is best for you?

For reference, here are the official speed tiers available in Australia, as outlined by NBN Co:

According to the ACCC, the most popular connections in Australia are Basic II (25Mbps), Standard (50Mbps), and Fast II (500Mbps). Plans above 750Mbps are also increasingly popular among gamers and heavy internet users, too.

That said, not every household will be able to access all of the NBN tiers and speeds listed above. The speed you can achieve at your home is determined by the NBN connection type at your address. For example, if you have a copper connection — think fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) or fibre-to-the-curb (FTTC) — you'll be capped out at 100Mbps maximum download speeds. If you are on one of the latter technologies, chances are good that you’ll be eligible for NBN Co's full fibre rollout, which will upgrade you to fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP), where you may be able to achieve 2Gbps download speeds.

How do you actually use the internet?

The next factor you need to nail down is internet usage. Every household’s online needs are generally at least a little different – a speed tier that might work well for you may not work well for your neighbour, family member or that tech-obsessed friend you know, so it's always worth dissecting how you actually use your internet connection.

Say you work from home the majority of the week, making multiple video calls a day and downloading numerous large files. While you might be satisfied with a 25Mbps connection when living alone, if you have multiple people in your household with accompanying devices, chances are you might need a 100Mbps connection (or faster) to keep all your devices connected and running smoothly without interruptions. For single-person homes or seniors who don't use the internet much and simply like to check their emails or social media occasionally, however, 25Mbps should suit you fine.

For the average four-or-more-person home, I recommend NBN 500 (or NBN 100 if you only have an FTTN or FTTC connection) as standard these days — this new Fast II tier was only rolled out in September last year, and it technically replaces NBN 100 for those on connection types that support it, such as hybrid fibre coax (HFC) or FTTP. Because they’re so competitively priced, NBN 500 plans are becoming increasingly popular and can easily support multiple people and devices simultaneously. That means you and the kids can simultaneously stream your favourite television shows or movies, download games to and still answer a video call (or two) at the same time without worrying that your internet connection will get jammed up. (If you want specifics, NBN Co reckons the 500Mbps tier can accommodate up to 20 users and their accompanying devices.)

If you're an avid online gamer, streamer or heavy internet user, then anything 500Mbps+ is going to be your best pick. If gaming is your favourite hobby, it pays to have a superfast or ultrafast connection, as you can rapidly download large game installs and patches at any time without clogging the entire bandwidth of your plan.

Once you’ve settled on a speed (and verified that you have the necessary connection type to access it), you can then move on to selecting an NBN provider and a specific plan.

Comparing value, not just price

When recommending NBN plans, I always say go big or go home — and I don't mean by spending top dollar at one of the big three telcos. By this, I mean looking for a plan that’s both affordable (for its speed tier) and has fast download speeds. That may sound obvious, but sadly, there are lots of NBN providers that charge an inflated price for plans with few (or no) perks.

Finding an affordable plan means looking for a provider that offers three main things – a good reputation, competitive plan prices (especially for your desired speed tier) and an attractive introductory discount offer – the best of the latter typically knock AU$15 to AU$20 off your monthly bill for the first 6 to 12 months.

Examples of good-value NBN plans?

A great example of a provider who ticks those boxes is Flip. With plans ranging from 25Mbps to a massive 850Mbps, Flip's low-cost introductory rates start at just AU$48p/m for NBN 25 (for 6 months, then AU$59.90p/m ongoing). That's over AU$25 less than the average for the tier at the time of writing (around AU$73 as of May 2026). But the savings don't stop at that entry-level NBN 25, as Flip's faster plans are also consistently priced well below the averages for their respective speed tier.

I've rounded up a selection of my favourite Flip plans below, which effortlessly combine good ongoing value, performance and attractive intro deals into one tidy package. What makes them potentially even more enticing is that you can bundle your NBN plan with a mobile service and save AU$5 per month on the latter. And while NBN services don’t require it, if you’d like to keep a landline for calls, you can also optionally add a home phone package, with three options to choose from. Flip even has dedicated Seniors discounts, too, so you (or your family members) can save big on phone and internet bills.

Best for 1-2 users

Flip | NBN 25 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$48p/m (for 6 months, then AU$59.90p/m)

Flip arguably has one of the best NBN 25 plans thanks to an attractive 6-month introductory discount. It advertises the maximum 25Mbps download speeds during the busy evening hours of 7pm to 11pm and, among the 30 providers we regularly monitor, is one of the cheapest 25Mbps plans in Australia.

While there are 12Mbps plans available from some other providers, they’re exceedingly poor value, so I always recommend 25Mbps downloads at a minimum. This plan could be perfect for a couple or a single-person household that’s seeking moderate browsing and streaming capabilities for a reasonable price.

Total minimum cost: AU$48 | Total first year cost: AU$647.40 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$718.80

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Best for 3-6 users

Flip | NBN 500 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$74p/m (for 6 months, then AU$83.90p/m)

Much like the offer above, Flip has a considerable discount going on its NBN 500 plan. Advertising average evening speeds of 500Mbps (in other words, as fast as NBN 500 can go), Flip's Fast Speed plan will cost you just AU$74p/m for the first 6 months before the price increases.

If you have the connection type to support it (HFC or FTTP), this NBN 500 plan will provide you with oodles of internet to keep the whole clan (and their individual devices) entertained with little to no interruptions.

Total minimum cost: AU$74 | Total first year cost: AU$947.40 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$1,006.80

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Best for 7+ users

Flip | NBN 750 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$78p/m (for 4 months, then AU$89.90p/m)

Flip currently offers one of the cheapest NBN 750 plans, saving you a total of AU$47.60 in the first year. Flip's Super Speed plan (which advertises typical evening downloads of 640Mbps) will set you back just over AU$1,030 for the first 12 months.

And don't assume that an affordable plan means a cheap service, as Fip has a wealth of positive reviews online at ProductReview.com.au. If you have the connection type to support it, this budget-friendly plan could be the right option for you.

Total minimum cost: AU$78 | Total first year cost: AU$1,031.20 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$1,078.80

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It's also worth mentioning that should you need a new modem (a definite possibility if you’re upgrading to NBN 500 or faster), Flip now offers the option to bundle one with your plan. Flip's compatible D-Link modem costs AU$199 upfront, plus AU$20 shipping. Should you run into any trouble while setting up the device or with the service itself, you can reach out to Flip's customer support directly, which is available from 8am to 8pm AEST Monday to Friday, or 9am to 5pm AEST on the weekends.