Just a bunch of cheap phone plans you should know about - and what the catch is

Anula Wiwatowska - Offsite Editorial Lead

Last updated 12 August 2021

Cheap phone plans surprised girl with freckles

Like it or not, your phone is essential these days, but that doesn’t mean you should have to pay through the teeth for it.

When it comes to phones it's easy to get caught up in who has the beefiest device, but with phone plans you can generally lean it out. Most people don’t use a huge amount of mobile data, so you can probably afford to drop down on your monthly allowance but even if you’d prefer a life of excess, there are still cheap plans out there.

A note on MVNOs and coverage

Most cheap plans come from providers that we in the biz know as MVNOs. MVNO stands for Mobile Virtual Network Operator, which is a fancy way of saying a small provider that buys access to one of the main networks.

Australia only has three commercial mobile networks owned by Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone. Every small provider uses one of these three networks, but sells access at a much lower price.

The only exception here is Telstra. All but one MVNO using the Telstra network actually uses a smaller wholesale network which doesn’t cover the same area as Telstra proper. In saying that it does still cover more than any of the other two networks. The one exception to said exception? Boost Mobile. Boost customers enjoy the full, unfettered Telstra 3G and 4G mobile network.

Note that 5G coverage on MVNOs is spattered right now. Only Optus has opened up 5G to its wholesale providers and there aren't many that have taken the bait as of yet. If you want 5G (and have a compatible device) then you're better off looking at the major players, or SpinTel.

Cheap phone plans under $10

Cheap phone plans under $20

#1	SpinTel	SpinTel 25GB Data No Contract $12/mth Min. cost $12 WhistleOut Special: Enjoy $11 off for the first 6 months for new customers - $12/mth for first 6 months, then $23/mth	100%	Go to Site
#2	Pivotel	Pivotel 25GB Data No Contract $11.45/mth Min. cost $11.45 Deal: Incl. 50% off - $11.45/mth for first 6 months, then $22.90/mth ongoing. Offer ends 31.10.2026. T&Cs apply.	18%	Go to Site
#3	Swoop	Swoop 30GB Data No Contract $14/mth Min. cost $14 Deal: Includes $11 off for first 6 months - $14/mth for first 6 months then $25/mth after that. Offer ends 30.06.27	11%	Go to Site
#4	Moose Mobile	Moose Mobile 30GB Data No Contract $14/mth Min. cost $14 Deal: Get 30GB for $14 – Includes $9 off for first 6 months, then reverts to $23. Offer ends 30.06.27	3%	Link not supplied
#5	Pivotel	Pivotel 50GB Data No Contract $17.50/mth Min. cost $17.50 Deal: Incl. 50% off - $17.50/mth for first 6 months, then $35/mth ongoing. Offer ends 31.10.2026. T&Cs apply.	3%	Go to Site
#6	Lyca Mobile	Lyca Mobile 50GB Data $15 Per 28 Day Renewal Min. cost $15 Deal: $15 for first 6 renewals when you activate this plan. Offer ends 31.12.26. T&Cs apply	3%	Link not supplied
#7	OnePass mobile	OnePass mobile 22GB Data $12.50 Per 28 Day Renewal Min. cost $12.50 Deal: Save $12.50 - Get 22GB for only $12.50 for the first 6 recharges! Recharges $25/22GB. New customers only. T&Cs apply	3%	Link not supplied

Cheap phone plans under $30

#1	SpinTel	SpinTel 25GB Data No Contract $12/mth Min. cost $12 WhistleOut Special: Enjoy $11 off for the first 6 months for new customers - $12/mth for first 6 months, then $23/mth	100%	Go to Site
#2	Dodo	Dodo 40GB Data No Contract $30/mth Min. cost $15 Deal: 50% off for first 4 mths! Get the Medium Mobile Plan for $15/mth for first 4 mths. New and returning mobile customers only. Ends 27.10	34%	Go to Site
#3	Tangerine Telecom	Tangerine Telecom 30GB Data No Contract $30/mth Min. cost $15 Deal: 50% off plan fees for 4 months - $15/mth for 4 months then $30/mth. Offer available until withdrawn.	25%	Go to Site
#4	Yomojo	Yomojo 29GB Data $24.90 Per 30 Day Renewal Min. cost $24.90	23%	Link not supplied
#5	Pivotel	Pivotel 25GB Data No Contract $11.45/mth Min. cost $11.45 Deal: Incl. 50% off - $11.45/mth for first 6 months, then $22.90/mth ongoing. Offer ends 31.10.2026. T&Cs apply.	18%	Go to Site
#6	Swoop	Swoop 30GB Data No Contract $14/mth Min. cost $14 Deal: Includes $11 off for first 6 months - $14/mth for first 6 months then $25/mth after that. Offer ends 30.06.27	11%	Go to Site
#7	Moose Mobile	Moose Mobile 30GB Data No Contract $14/mth Min. cost $14 Deal: Get 30GB for $14 – Includes $9 off for first 6 months, then reverts to $23. Offer ends 30.06.27	3%	Link not supplied
#8	Superloop	Superloop 15GB Data $25 Per 30 Day Renewal Min. cost $25 Deal: FREE 2nd recharge for existing Superloop broadband customers or new customers signing up for a mobile & broadband service	3%	Go to Site
#9	SpinTel	SpinTel 50GB Data No Contract $29/mth Min. cost $29	3%	Go to Site
#10	Dodo	Dodo 25GB Data No Contract $25/mth Min. cost $25	3%	Go to Site

Cheap plans with unlimited data

Nearly every phone plan these days comes with unlimited talk and text. But recently the Australian market has started to see plans with unlimited mobile data too. Although, these aren't strictly unlimited. There are still limitations.

They have a fixed amount of full-speed data, followed by unlimited data with capped speeds. Telstra and Optus will both slow your speeds to just 1.5Mbps once you chew through your allotted data allowance. While this should be enough to stream standard definition videos and browse the web, you may notice a difference during peak times.

Vodafone now offers three tiers of "Infinite" data - Lite, Super and Ultra. Lite plans have unlimited data speeds capped at 2Mbps, Super speeds are slowed to 10Mbps while Ultra is at 25Mbps.

Here's how Telstra, Optus and Vodafone's SIM-only endless data plans compare:

#1	Optus	Optus $60 Optus Choice Plus Plan 100GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device Deal: $39/mth and 100GB/mth for first 12 months, then 60GB/mth and $60/mth or as notified. New services. Ends 12.11.26. Terms apply. $39.00/mth Min. cost $39 Go to Site	$39.00/mth Min. cost $39	Go to Site
#2	Vodafone	Vodafone $58 Small SIM Only Plan 65GB data Vodafone 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: Includes $13/mth off plan fees for first 12 months when you stay connected to this plan. Ends 29.10.26. T&Cs apply. $45.00/mth Min. cost $45 Go to Site	$45.00/mth Min. cost $45	Go to Site
#3	Vodafone	Vodafone $68 Medium SIM Only Plan 220GB data Vodafone 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: Includes $18/mth off plan fees for first 12 months when you stay connected to this plan. Ends 29.10.26. T&Cs apply. $50.00/mth Min. cost $50 Go to Site	$50.00/mth Min. cost $50	Go to Site
#4	Vodafone	Vodafone $78 Large SIM Only Plan 420GB data Vodafone 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: Includes $23/mth off plan fees for first 12 months when you stay connected to this plan. Ends 29.10.26. T&Cs apply. $55.00/mth Min. cost $55 Go to Site	$55.00/mth Min. cost $55	Go to Site
#5	Optus	Optus $69 Optus Promo Plan 360GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device Deal: Get up to $10/mth SubHub credit to use on your favourite subscriptions for 12 months. T&Cs apply. $69.00/mth Min. cost $69 Go to Site	$69.00/mth Min. cost $69	Go to Site
#6	Optus	Optus $70 Optus Choice Plus Plan 240GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device $70.00/mth Min. cost $70 Go to Site	$70.00/mth Min. cost $70	Go to Site
#7	Telstra	Telstra $84 Essential Upfront SIM Plan 180GB data Telstra 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: Get $10 off for first 12 months on new Upfront Essential Mobile Plan. New services only. Ends 05.10.26 $74.00/mth Min. cost $74 Link not supplied	$74.00/mth Min. cost $74	Link not supplied
#8	Optus	Optus $90 Optus Choice Plus Plan 480GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device SubHub: Receive up to $20/mth SubHub credit when you have an active SubHub account with subs greater than $0. T&Cs apply $90.00/mth Min. cost $90 Go to Site	$90.00/mth Min. cost $90	Go to Site

If you're looking for truly unlimited data, felix mobile has a plan for $35 that could fit the bill. There is one catch, however. While your data is endless, it's capped to speeds of 20Mbps. That's slightly slower than an NBN 25 plan, but should still be enough for most on the go activities. Here's felix's plan:

Anula Wiwatowska

Offsite Editorial Lead | Instagram

Anula is the Off-Site Editorial Lead for WhistleOut Australia, and an award winning tech journalist. She has been writing about the Australian telco industry, and consumer technology for over five years, and has been known to tell her Uber driver which phone they should upgrade to next.

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