When comparing NBN plans, you should consider key factors like NBN technology, speed, and modem and router inclusions.
Before you start comparing NBN plans, it is important that you know what NBN technology type you are on. This determines what NBN speeds you can get. The seven NBN technology types are as follows:
Fibre to the Premises (FTTP): NBN runs fibre optic cable from the closest cabinet (or node) to your house. This is the fastest and most reliable connection type, and you can order plans as fast as NBN 2000.
Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC): NBN runs fibre to a node, and then the final connection to your house is made via coaxial cable. Homes and businesses with HFC can also get NBN 2000 plans.
Fibre to the Curb (FTTC): Fibre optic cable connects the cabinet to a distribution box installed in the footpath outside your home, and then copper wire connects your home. FTTC connections are limited to maximum speeds of NBN 100.
Fibre to the Node (FTTN): Your home is connected to the NBN node via existing copper phone lines, which are inferior to fibre-optic cabling. This limits FTTN connections to NBN 100 plans, but your distance from the node can also impact this. Some FTTN customers may only be able to order an NBN 50 plan.
Fibre to the Building (FTTB): In high-rise apartments, fibre-optic cable runs to a central hub in the building's basement, and copper wiring connects individual apartments. FTTB connections are limited to NBN 100 plans.
Fixed Wireless: Your home connects wirelessly via a small antenna installed on the side of your house. The maximum download speeds for a Fixed Wireless NBN plan are now 400Mbps, but factors such as your distance from the fixed wireless tower and congestion can affect actual speeds.
If you don't know your technology type, you can use our address check tool below. Note that that for Fixed Wireless and Satellite NBN plans, you will need to click through to search results to see your technology type and plans.
There are several NBN speeds to pick from when buying a plan, although the fastest plans aren't available to everyone. Your speed tier determines how much your NBN plan costs each month. Slower NBN 12 plans will always be cheaper than faster NBN 25, NBN 50, NBN 100 plans, or NBN 500 plans.
For those on FTTN, FTTC, or FTTB technology types, WhistleOut recommend either an NBN 100 plan.
For those on FTTP or HFC, WhistleOut recommend either an NBN 500 plan. While some providers still offer NBN 100 plans for those on these technology types, NBN 500 plans are roughly the same price and five times faster.
Thanks to the NBN speed upgrades, those on FTTP and HFC can also pick from NBN 750 plans, NBN 1000 plans, and even faster new NBN 2000 plans.
While NBN plans are based on set speed tiers, performance varies from provider to provider - especially during peak hours. NBN providers must disclose what kind of download speeds you can expect from your connection during busy hours. These are known as typical evening speeds. The faster your plan's typical evening speeds, the more reliable it will be during the busiest hours of the day.
Unlimited data NBN plans are now the standard, but a small handful of providers let you opt for a smaller allowance to save a few dollars each month. These are becoming increasingly rare, however.
If you need a home phone plan, many NBN plans also allow you to make phone calls. Out of the box, plans typically have "pay as you go" calling, which means you pay per phone call. If you use your home phone a lot, you might want to look at a plan with unlimited calls. Many NBN providers will let you add on "unlimited local calls" for a small additional monthly fee.
It's also worth noting that while NBN plans with a contract are rare these days, there are catches around plans that come with a "free" modem. If you get a modem from your provider, you may need to return your modem or pay a hardware fee if you leave within your first two or three years.
Presented by: Anula Wiwatowska - WhistleOut telco expert:
Comparing NBN plans can be confusing. The speed tiers are called Standard, Premium. Superfast, Ultrafast. And what does that even mean? If you're looking at a page like this and thinking about giving up, Don't. I'm going to show you the five things that you need to look for on a page like this to make sure that you pick the right NBN plan.
Are you ready? Let's go. The first thing that you need to look for is this fine print right here. This will tell you
which NBN technology types can get these speeds. Anything from NBN 500 and upward is only FTTP or HFC, and anything below will work with any fibre connection. Although the speeds won't be as good on Fibre to the Node or Fibre to the Curb. But that's something for another video. Next, you want to look at the speed tier numbers. The big number at the top with the NBN in front of it, is the maximum possible download speed that you can expect on this plan.
The numbers below show something called the typical evening speed. This is how fast this particular provider's plan goes during the busiest hours when the network is most congested. The closer this number is to the maximum download speed. To better this connection will be. When you're comparing NBN plans, look at how the typical evening speeds stack up against each other.
Providers with a higher number would have invested more in things like network optimisation, physical infrastructure, and their connectivity to the broader internet. This means they're better structured and more committed to providing a fast, reliable internet connection. Now, if you don't know what speeds you need, you can visit our website at WhistleOut.com.au, and use our speed checker to find out.
The link should be popping up around here right about now, so if you need to check, now's the time. Next you need to find the data limit. Most NBN plans these days have unlimited data, but make sure that the plan says that specifically in it. Other connections like satellite or fixed wireless NBN may have data limits, but we'll cover those off in another video.
Once you've zeroed in on the speed tier, and you've double-checked that plan has unlimited data. Now it's time for you to click this. The Critical Information Summary. This is all the fine print of your plan, laid out in the most straightforward way. Once you're in here, you'll need to look for the words "minimum term" and "modem". Ideally, your minimum term should be one month.
This means the plan you're looking at has no contracts, which means that you only have to pay for one month and then you can cancel without any extra fees. But if this page says that you have to buy your provider's modem, then you could be in for a hefty exit fee. As a general rule, if you need a new modem, don't buy one from a telco.
You're better off buying one independently. Then you can take it with you between plans, and it won't lock you into a provider for 24 to 36 months. If all of that looks good, then you can move on to price. And at this point you should probably get a calculator out. Plenty of NBN plans come with a discounted rate for the first six months, and this should be pretty obvious in their pricing card, but you might need to click on a few information points to see the real price of the plan to properly compare.
You want to calculate the total yearly cost of the plans that you're looking at. For these two plans, that formula would look something like this.
Once you have those numbers, then you're finally ready to make a like-for-like comparison. And you can pick the one that suits your budget. So we started out with an NBN plans page that looks like this. But in reality, these are the only sections you actually have to pay attention to. Now you know, you can ignore all the clutter and you can really hone in on what's important to find an NBN plan that works for you.
Or if you want someone to do the work for you, then you can compare it over 30 NBN providers on our website WhistleOut.com.au. We streamlined our search results to filter out all of the clutter and show you what you actually need to know to compare providers. But tell me which of these tips is the most useful and which one still has you scratching your head?
I'm Anula, your local telco nerd for WhistleOut Australia. Let me know in the comments. Bye!
For most, WhistleOut recommends an NBN 100 plan or NBN 500 plan as the sweet spot between value and performance. FTTN, FTTC, and FTTB addresses are eligible for NBN 100 plans, while NBN 500 is the new standard for those on FTTP and HFC. NBN 100 and NBN 500 tend to only be a few dollars more expensive per month than NBN 50, while offering speeds between two and ten times faster.
If you're looking to save money, NBN 25 plans are affordable but only suitable for lighter usage. NBN 12 plans are even slower, but often more expensive than NBN 25. If you're looking for faster performance, you can opt for an NBN 750, NBN 1000, or NBN 2000 plan. These do naturally come with a higher monthly cost, however. As with NBN 500, these speed tiers are only available for FTTP and HFC addresses. Ultimately, this all boils down to how your household uses the internet.
Check out pricing and recommended household size for the most popular NBN speed tiers, from the plans from the 34 providers tracked in the WhistleOut database.
| Speed tier | Best for | Typical price range |
|---|---|---|
| NBN 25 | Budget pick for 1-2 people | $69 to $83 per month |
| NBN 50 | All-rounder for small households of 2-4 people | $80 to $100 per month |
| NBN 100 | For WFH and larger households | $85 to $100 per month |
| NBN 500 | Seamless internet experience when everyone is online | $80 to $100 per month |
| NBN 750 | Even faster speeds for simultaneous use | $95 to $119 per month |
| NBN 1000 | The fastest speeds you can get at a reasonable price | $110 to $129 per month |
| NBN 2000 | The fastest speeds you can get right now, at a premium | $166 to $189 per month |
How much of a difference does a faster NBN connection make to your download times? Below we've got a list of common files you might download, paired with how long it would take to download them on each speed tier.
See how download times compare across NBN speed tiers. Choose what you're downloading:
NBN plans can cost anywhere between $41 per month and $200 per month, depending on plan speeds, the NBN provider, and promotional discounts. Faster NBN plans are always more expensive than slower plans, and premium providers like Aussie Broadband, Telstra, and Optus are always going to be more expensive than budget-focused providers like Dodo, Tangerine, and SpinTel.
Most NBN providers now offer a honeymoon discount, which means you'll pay a discounted rate for the first six months you're with that provider. In some cases, these discounts can be up to $30 per month.
“If you're looking to get the best price on an NBN plan possible, your best option is swapping plans every six months.
Many NBN providers offer a honeymoon discount to new customers for the first six months. After those six months are up, customers need to pay full price. These plans are contract-free, however, so you're able to leave after your discount runs out, and swap to a new provider that has the same kind of offer.
While this is a bit of work, it's the simplest way to keep your NBN bill as low as possible."
Alex Choros, Managing Editor WhistleOut
According to NBN Co, there are over 150 internet service providers operating in Australia, so it makes sense that you might need some help whittling down your options.
Here is the list of ten of the top NBN providers in Australia and the reasons we suggest comparing their plans.
| Provider | Why choose this ISP? | Prices from* |
|---|---|---|
|
Aussie Broadband
|
Best-in-class Australian-based support and network transparency, paired with fast and reliable performance. | $77 p/mth |
|
Telstra
|
Offers the peace of mind of being with Australia's largest telco provider, but at a cost premium. Includes the Smart Modem 4 with automatic 4G and 5G backup if the NBN goes down. | $89 p/mth |
|
Optus
|
Heavy streaming households can pair fast NBN with Optus SubHub for managing multiple streaming subscriptions on a single bill. | $83 p/mth |
|
Superloop
|
Built for those with a need for speed. Superloop offers low-latency routing for gamers and a Speed Boost feature to temporarily jump to NBN 1000 for massive downloads, like AAA game titles. | $78 p/mth |
|
Exetel
|
Offers a simple, single NBN plan choice which includes a "boost" feature to jump to gigabit speeds temporarily, giving you NBN 1000 bursts without paying for the extra speed permanently. | $80 p/mth |
|
TPG
|
Simple, cheap and fast. A "no-frills" option for Aussies who want fast speeds without paying for extra features they may not need. | $79.99 p/mth |
|
iiNet
|
A solid middle-ground between speed and cost, backed by the high-speed infrastructure of TPG with renowned customer support. | $79.99 p/mth |
|
Tangerine
|
Great NBN service at a low-cost price. If you're looking for a generous discount on your NBN plan, then you should check out Tangerine. | $72.90 p/mth |
|
Dodo
|
You'll often find Dodo among the cheapest NBN providers, especially for high-speed services. Dodo is also one of the few providers with household energy bundling discounts. | $73.99 p/mth |
|
SpinTel
|
With aggressive pricing and a focus on speed, SpinTel consistently offer one of the cheapest NBN 500 plans on the market, making ultrafast speeds accessible for those with an eye on their household budget. | $69.95 p/mth |
Each quarter, the ACCC looked at real-world performance to rank the fastest NBN providers, but it no longer does this because there is now less differentiation between provider performance. For more information on how this data used to be obtained, see our guide on the fastest NBN providers.
The annual WhistleOut customer satisfaction survey asks NBN customers to rate their NBN provider on speed, reliability, customer service, and overall score. In 2025, Telstra had the highest overall score, while Superloop came first for speed, reliability, and price. Aussie Broadband came first for customer service.
We also asked respondents whether they would ‘strongly recommend’ their provider to friends and family. Aussie Broadband was the most recommended provider.
| NBN provider | Percentage of customers that would "strongly recommend" the provider |
|---|---|
| Aussie Broadband | 48 |
| TPG | 46 |
| Origin | 33 |
| Superloop | 33 |
| Telstra | 30 |
| Vodafone | 30 |
| Dodo | 28 |
| iiNet | 26 |
| Optus | 26 |
| Belong | 18 |
| iPrimus | 15 |
Each month, WhistleOut product experts pick the best NBN plans based on a mix of criteria. We consider the price (the total cost over 12 months), plan features, typical evening speeds, and support channels, and identify the best plan for each NBN speed tier. This month’s key picks are below, but we list all of our expert NBN plan picks and considerations in our guide.
WhistleOut's monthly editor’s pick selections serve a dual purpose. The providers recognised in a monthly pick become eligible for inclusion in our annual WhistleOut Awards. Here are the most recent winners and runners-up from the NBN categories in the 2026 awards.
You can see more about the winners and the full methodology on our awards page.
Here are past winners of the overall Internet Provider of the Year:
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Dodo |
| 2025 | Dodo |
| 2024 | Tangerine |
| 2023 | Tangerine |
| 2022 | SpinTel |
| 2021 | Tangerine |
Switching internet providers can be as simple as ordering a new service online and waiting for your new provider to switch it over. This process can be fast; we’ve experienced services switching within an hour of placing an order.
In some instances, your new provider will need to send a technician, but they will organise this for you, and your existing NBN service will remain active until your new service kicks in. Most of the time, you shouldn’t experience any downtime during the process. Below are the key steps when switching, but we cover this in greater detail in our guide to switching internet services.
Don’t cancel your existing plan until your new service is connected.
Research and choose your new NBN plan and provider.
Set up your new modem (if your provider sends you one).
Wait for your old and new services to switch over.
Once your new service is connected, you may need to contact your old ISP to cancel your old service. Certain NBN technologies require that you do this, so check out our guide to cancelling an NBN service for more information. You may also need to return the modem provided by your ISP, so be sure to check if you need to do this.
On top of an NBN plan, you’ll also need a modem or a router to get online. Here are some things to be aware of.
A modem (in some cases, an NBN connection box) establishes your connection to the NBN, while the router then shares that connection with your devices in your home. Customers on FTTP, HFC, FTTC, Fixed Wireless, and Satellite NBN only need a router to get online - the NBN connection box acts as the modem. Customers on FTTN or FTTB need a modem router instead.
Most NBN providers give you the option of adding a modem or router when signing up to a new plan. In some cases, you may be able to get a “free” modem, provided you meet certain criteria, such as staying a certain length of time. In other cases, you’ll need to pay an upfront fee to get a new modem or router. You may also get hit with shipping costs.
If you swap NBN providers but are staying at the same address, there shouldn’t be a need to get a new modem or router, even if your provider offers one. In some cases you may need to change some settings on your existing device, such as a username in password, but many modems and routers are now smart enough to automatically detect the new connection.
If you have a modem provided by a telco like Telstra or Optus with functionality like 4G backup, they won’t work on a different provider.
Note that some providers may require you to return your modem or pay a hardware fee if you leave within your first two or three years of signing up to a new plan.
If you’re looking to buy a new modem or router, we’d recommend something with WiFi 6 as a minimum. There are also now affordable WiFi 7 devices on the market, which are a must for anyone considering an NBN 2000 plan.
Where possible, we’d also recommend a wireless mesh setup over a single router or modem router. These make it easier to ensure you have reliable connectivity all throughout your home or office.
If your NBN appears to be down, the first thing you'll want to do is work out is whether the problem is isolated to you, or if there's a widespread outage. NBN Co has its own outage checker where you can type in your address and see if any NBN outages are affecting your address. In some cases, an outage might be specific to your telco. In this case, you’ll want to check your provider’s outages page.
If your internet is down, you'll need to visit either the NBN outage checker or your telco's network status page from a smartphone. You'll also need to disconnect your phone from your home WiFi in order to access your mobile data.
While your telco's network status page is normally a good bet, telcos might not update them the very instant as an outage happens. If you want to try and get an answer quickly, you can check Down Detector - a crowd-sourced website where users can make a report if they think they're experiencing an issue.
If your internet issue doesn’t seem to be a widespread problem, a good first step is restarting your modem or router. If that doesn’t help, you may want to call your internet provider’s tech support line.
| NBN | NBN stands for National Broadband Network, the way in which most Australians will connect to the internet. |
| NBN Co | NBN Co is the organisation responsible for building, maintaining, and upgrading the National Broadband Network. |
| Typical evening speeds | Typical evening speeds are the download speeds you can expect on your NBN plan during the busiest part of the day - between 7pm and 11pm. These may be lower than the speed tier your plan is configured on. For example, an NBN 100 plan may have typical evening speeds of 90Mbps during peak hours, which is 10Mbps lower than the plan’s maximum. |
| Speed tier | Speed tiers are the set, standardised connection speeds available on the NBN. Each speed tier has a maximum upload speed and a maximum download speed - the faster these speeds are, the more expensive the plan will be. |
| Download speeds | Download speeds refer to how fast your internet connection downloads data from the internet. You use downloads when you are extracting existing information from the internet for use of your device, such as streaming video or audio, loading a webpage, or installing games. Measured in Kbps, Mbps, or Gbps - these speeds are generally much faster than upload speeds. |
| Upload speeds | Upload speeds refer to how fast your internet connection is uploading data to the internet. You use uploads when you are taking data from your device and using the internet to move it elsewhere, such as sending email attachments, playing an online game, or adding files to the cloud. |
| Unlimited data | Unlimited data means an NBN plan has no restrictions on how much you can use it. You won't pay excess fees for downloading or streaming too much. Unlimited plans tend to be the standard for most providers these days, but some offer cheaper options with capped usage. Note that most providers still have a fair use policy. These aren't designed to limit typical usage, however. |
| ISP | ISP stands for Internet Service Provider, and is used as a blanket term for an organisation that provides and sells different services for accessing and using the internet. |
The cheapest NBN plan can change every day, but it will typically be a plan on either the NBN 12 or NBN 25 speed tier. Despite being faster, NBN 25 plans tend to be cheaper than NBN 12.
You can switch NBN providers at any time, but if you're on a fixed-term contract with your provider, you need to check the exit fees first. Activation typically completes quickly and with no downtime once the new service goes live.
Unlimited data NBN plans are the standard now, so you don't need to consider data usage when comparing NBN plans.
When the NBN first rolled out, customers experienced peak-hour congestion (around 7pm to 11 pm). These issues are less prevalent now, but if you're struggling with inconsistent speeds in the evening, you should consider switching to a provider with strong typical evening speeds and positive customer satisfaction ratings.
Many providers have the option to bundle a modem with their NBN plans. Some bundled modems come with setup fees or lock-ins to cover the cost of the modem. If you have a compatible modem, bringing your own can save money.
If your NBN is slow, you might improve your NBN speed by simply relocating your WiFi router to where you use the internet the most, like the living room. Many other factors also impact internet speed, both within your house and outside of it. WhistleOut's guide on speeding up slow NBN goes into more detail about the solutions you can try yourself. You can also use WhistleOut's speed test to check your internet speeds.
1. NBN Co. "NBN Residential Services Information." (2026)
2. Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. "Measuring Broadband Australia, Report 33." (June 2026 2026)
3. WhistleOut Australia. "WhistleOut Awards 2026." (August 2026)
4. Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. "ACCC Broadband Performance Data." (June 2026)
Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.
Throughout his career as a journalist, Alex has covered international trade shows, spent three years co-hosting a tech show on community radio, and was awarded Highly Commended in the Best Reviewer category of the 2018 IT Journalism Awards and the 2021 IT Journalism Awards. His work contributed to WhistleOut Australia winning the Best Consumer Technology Coverage award in the 2023 IT Journalism Awards. Alex won the Consensus Award for Best Investigative Writer in 2024, and the Consensus Award for Best Editor in 2025.
He regularly contributed to Gizmodo and Lifehacker, and he often pops up on 2GB and 3AW to talk telco. On weekends, you'll find Alex at a wine bar, on a hike, or in the middle of a mosh pit.
WhistleOut is Australia's telco comparison website, founded to help everyday Aussies find a phone and internet plan that's right for them. Millions of Australians use WhistleOut each year to simplify their purchasing decisions.
As part of our service promise, we're committed to listing plans from at least the top ten providers of NBN plans in the market, but we're currently tracking 34.
WhistleOut makes money through commercial relationships with NBN providers. When you click on a plan on our site, we may receive payment from that provider. When we have a commercial relationship with a provider, you'll see a "Go To Site" button that takes you straight to that plan. We still compare plans from providers we don't have a commercial relationship with, but these don't have a button.
While WhistleOut makes money from NBN providers, we are an independent business. WhistleOut's commercial relationships don't play a factor in our recommendations or how we show results in our search engine. The one exception to this is clearly marked advertisements.
To keep our listings up to date, we have a dedicated product team that makes around 400 changes to our database each month. You can read more about how we work here.
By default, NBN plans on this page are sorted by their popularity with WhistleOut users in the last seven days. This is calculated based on the number of times a plan is interacted with by users on WhistleOut.
In widgets, our interactive tables, users can change the sort order by clicking through See More Plans. The sorting filter is then in the top right-hand corner. In the interactive search section on this page, users can filter by provider, speed, and connection type, and sort by popularity, price, and speed.
The top-line speed figure we show for NBN plans is a typical evening speed. This refers to the speeds customers on that plan should expect during the busiest hours of the day: between 7pm and 11pm. These are sourced from each NBN provider, who are required to disclose them by the ACCC.
While typical evening speeds are a good indicator of performance, your individual circumstances may impact the NBN speeds available to you. An underperforming connection, the equipment in your home, and the size of your home can all impact your download and upload speeds.
When unlimited is used in relation to the data available on a plan, it is likely to be subject to a fair use policy.
The comparisons and recommendations made by WhistleOut do not take into account your individual circumstances. While we explain who a certain plan may be for when making a recommendation, this does not mean it will be suitable for everyone.