Circles.Life Mobile Review: Great value, no frills

Alex Choros - Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor

Last updated 02 December 2021

Circles.Life Mobile Plans Review: The Verdict

Circles.Life mobile plans are big on value but don't get you anything more than the plan itself. It's the definition of a no-frills telco.

What we love

Excellent value
Good support options

What could be improved

No extras
Not even international calls

The essentials

Value:

Support:

Extras:

Overall:

See all Circles.Life plans

If you're looking for a mobile plan, you may have heard of reasonably new provider Circles.Life before. It made a splash in the local market offering oodles of data for surprisingly affordable prices, but you may naturally be wondering "what's the catch?". In this review we'll look at value, support options, and the extras you get for being a Circles.Life customer.

Before we start, here is Circles.Life's current range of SIM-only mobile plans:

#1	Pivotel	Pivotel 25GB Mobile Swift Plan 25GB data On the Vodafone 4G Mobile Network Deal: Incl. 50% off - $11.45/mth for first 6 months, then $22.90/mth ongoing. Offer ends 31.10.2026. T&Cs apply. $11.45/mth Min. cost $11.45 Go to Site	$11.45/mth Min. cost $11.45	Go to Site
#2	SpinTel Editor's Pick	SpinTel Editor's Pick $23 Mobile Plan 25GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Optus 5G in selected areas with 5G devices ex. NT WhistleOut Special: Enjoy $11 off for the first 6 months for new customers - $12/mth for first 6 months, then $23/mth $12.00/mth Min. cost $12 Go to Site	$12.00/mth Min. cost $12	Go to Site
#3	Moose Mobile	Moose Mobile Moose 23 SIM Only 30GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps On the Vodafone 4G Mobile Network Deal: Get 30GB for $14 – Includes $9 off for first 6 months, then reverts to $23. Offer ends 30.06.27 $14.00/mth Min. cost $14 Link not supplied	$14.00/mth Min. cost $14	Link not supplied
#4	Swoop	Swoop 30GB SIM Only 5G 30GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Vodafone 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: Includes $11 off for first 6 months - $14/mth for first 6 months then $25/mth after that. Offer ends 30.06.27 $14.00/mth Min. cost $14 Go to Site	$14.00/mth Min. cost $14	Go to Site
#5	Pivotel	Pivotel 50GB Mobile Swift Plan 50GB data On the Vodafone 4G Mobile Network Deal: Incl. 50% off - $17.50/mth for first 6 months, then $35/mth ongoing. Offer ends 31.10.2026. T&Cs apply. $17.50/mth Min. cost $17.50 Go to Site	$17.50/mth Min. cost $17.50	Go to Site
#6	Pivotel	Pivotel 80GB Mobile Swift Plan 80GB data On the Vodafone 4G Mobile Network Deal: Incl. 50% off - $22.50/mth for first 6 months, then $45/mth ongoing. Offer ends 31.10.2026. T&Cs apply. $22.50/mth Min. cost $22.50 Go to Site	$22.50/mth Min. cost $22.50	Go to Site
#7	Swoop	Swoop 60GB SIM Only 5G 60GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Vodafone 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: Includes $10 off for first 6 months - $23/mth for first 6 months then $33/mth after that. Offer ends 30.06.2027 $23.00/mth Min. cost $23 Go to Site	$23.00/mth Min. cost $23	Go to Site
#8	Dodo	Dodo Small Mobile Plan 25GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device $25.00/mth Min. cost $25 Go to Site	$25.00/mth Min. cost $25	Go to Site
#9	SpinTel	SpinTel $29 Mobile Plan 50GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Optus 5G in selected areas with 5G devices ex. NT $29.00/mth Min. cost $29 Go to Site	$29.00/mth Min. cost $29	Go to Site
#10	Swoop	Swoop 120GB SIM Only 5G 120GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Vodafone 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: Includes $10 off for first 6 months - $30/mth for first 6 months then $40/mth after that. Offer ends 30.06.27 $30.00/mth Min. cost $30 Go to Site	$30.00/mth Min. cost $30	Go to Site

Circles.Life mobile plans: Value

Mobile plan value is a tricky subject. A telco's most affordable plan could be a bad deal, but the same provider could offer an insane amount of data per dollar on its more expensive plans. Our philosophy, however, is that you shouldn't pay for more data than you use.

Based on extrapolated data from the ACCC, the average Australian currently uses about 30GB per month. So to judge value, we've looked at how much a telco charges for its cheapest plan that meets that criteria, excluding discounts, promos, and extras.

Here is how Circles.Life cheapest postpaid plan with at least 30GB compares to the competition:

#1	Moose Mobile	Moose Mobile Moose 23 SIM Only 30GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps On the Vodafone 4G Mobile Network Deal: Get 30GB for $14 – Includes $9 off for first 6 months, then reverts to $23. Offer ends 30.06.27 $14.00/mth Min. cost $14 Link not supplied	$14.00/mth Min. cost $14	Link not supplied
#2	Belong	Belong 25GB Mobile Plan 85GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Uses parts of Telstra’s 5G and 4G mobile networks Deal: Includes 60GB monthly bonus data for first 12 months when you activate your new service by 04.11.26. T&Cs apply. $34.00/mth Min. cost $34 Link not supplied	$34.00/mth Min. cost $34	Link not supplied
#3	Coles Mobile	Coles Mobile $35 Mobile Plan 45GB data at download speeds up to 100Mbps Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device Deal: Only $12 for 45GB (incl. $23 off first renewal). Offer ends 27.10.26 $35.00/mth Min. cost $12 Link not supplied	$35.00/mth Min. cost $12	Link not supplied
#4	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
#5	Everyday Mobile	Everyday Mobile $40 SIM Only 70GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Uses parts of Telstra’s 5G and 4G mobile networks Deal: Get 10% off an eligible Woolworths shop in store every month when you link your Everyday Rewards card. T&Cs apply $40.00/mth Min. cost $40 Link not supplied	$40.00/mth Min. cost $40	Link not supplied
#6	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
#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

As you can see, Circles.Life is easily one of the cheapest ways to get a plan with at least 30GB in Australia. Better yet, it's rare that Circles doesn't have a promotion going, so you can typically save on your first six months or sometimes even your first year.

If you go over your data allowance on a Circles.Life plan, you can pay $10 for an extra 3GB.

Circles.Life coverage

Click to Activate Interactive Map

Coverage information is collected from carriers and other third party sources. This is approximate coverage only and does not include indoor coverage. Actual speed and performance depends on your location and device. Local conditions and things like natural and artificial physical features of an area all affect your reception. Coverage © Mosaik

Circles.Life is powered by the Optus network, which currently reaches 98.5% of the population. It only has access to Optus' 3G and 4G connectivity currently. Circles.Life does not offer 5G phone plans.

If you want to check if a certain address has Optus coverage, you can use our coverage checker tool to do so.

All you need to do is punch in your address when searching for a new phone plan. After you've done so and hit Search, you can jump straight to the coverage map by tapping See Coverage Map and then tapping Click To Activate Interactive Map.

This map will show you what kind of coverage you have in your area. 5G coverage is highlighted using the darkest shade of purple, 4G in the medium shade, and 3G in the lightest.

Coverage maps are only approximate, only show outdoor coverage, and may be impacted by local conditions such as buildings.

Circles.Life mobile plans: Support

When it comes to support, we look at what channels a telco has to help a customer, rather than quality. It's hard to judge the quality of support in a meaningful way. For example, there have been times when we've had great experiences with support at a telco, but there have also been times it's been supbar. Instead, we focus on how many avenues a telco has to help its customers in order to try and gauge its investment in support.

Here is how Circles.Life's support options compare to the competition:

Circles.Life Support Options Compared

Provider	In-store	Email	Chat	Social
Circles.Life	-
Telstra		-
Optus		-
Vodafone		-	-
amaysim	-
Woolworths Mobile	-	-	-
ALDI	-	-	-	-
Boost	-	-
TPG	-

Circles.Life has a number of options for getting in touch. There's a Live Chat, you can email Circles directly, or you can bug the telco on social media. You can't call Circles up and get onto a support technician immediately, but it does have a number where you can leave a voicemail. A technician will then call you back within a working day.

Circles.Life mobile plans: Extras

Circles.Life doesn't exactly have any extras or perks to speak of. Here's how that compares to what other mobile providers offer:

Circles.Life Extras Compared

Provider	Perks Program	International Calls	5G	Discount Bundles	Other
Circles.Life	-	-	-	-	-
Telstra				-
Optus				-
Vodafone	-
amaysim	-		-	-	-
Woolworths Mobile	-		-	-
ALDI	-		-	-	-
Boost	-		-	-
TPG	-		-		-

Circles.Life is as no-frills as they come, with no extras, perks, or bonuses to speak of for customers. It doesn't even have any options for international calls, which are available on most providers.

Circles.Life mobile plans: Devices

Circles.Life does not sell phones. All of its plans are SIM-only.

Circles.Life mobile FAQ

What happens if I want to cancel my Circles.Life mobile plan?

Circles.Life mobile plans are all contract-free, so you can cancel at any time without paying any exit fees. Just note that if you cancel after 12PM on the last day of your billing month, you'll also be charged for the following month.

Circles.Life also has a 30-day satisfaction guarantee for new customers. If you cancel within your first 30 days or first 5GB of data usage (whatever occurs first), you can get a full refund for your plan fees.

Do Circles.Life mobile plans include international calls?

No Circles.Life mobile plans include international calls currently.

What about a different Optus-powered provider?

Circles.Life is powered by the Optus network, but there are a whole host of other small telcos where the same is true. Read our guide to smaller providers - also known as MVNOs - here.

Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

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.

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