Best prepaid mobile plans in Australia (November 2024)
From the cheapest prepaid deals to long expiry 365-day options
The best prepaid plans in Australia offer up flexibility, low prices and attractive data inclusions, but while there are some interesting deals on offer, most telcos will gesture you in the direction of the best postpaid plans. In the prepaid world, plans are manageable mostly through recharges instead of paying after your month of use, and you get the option of long term data periods that can span multiple months, plan lengths as low as seven days, or periods closer to standard thirty day terms (many last up to 28 days in a renewal period).
Looking at the best SIM-only plans in Australia broadly, you might want to pick up a prepaid plan if you want to pay up-front for your data. That’s the point of this article; we’ve found the best plans for various lifestyles, allowing you to control your spending within a period that suits you. Just ensure that you’re getting the right amount of data every month, otherwise you may rack up bills for going over your monthly limit.
Let’s dive into the best prepaid plans in Australia – from budget oriented options to year-long big data selections.
Jump to:
• Best prepaid plan for most people – TPG 25GB data for AU$12.50 per 28-day renewal (first six renewals, then AU$25 per renewal)
• Best cheap prepaid plan under AU$20 – TPG 50GB data for AU$17.50 per 28-day renewal (first six renewals, then AU$35 per renewal)
• Best unlimited data prepaid plan – Felix Mobile unlimited data (20Mbps speedcap) for AU$20 per 28-day renewal (first three renewals, then AU$40 per renewal)
• Best long expiry prepaid plan up to 365 days – Catch Connect 200GB for AU$150 per 365 day renewal (then AU$200 per renewal)
• Best Telstra network prepaid plan – Belong 25GB for AU$30 per 1-month renewal
• Best Optus network prepaid plan – Catch Connect 30GB data for AU$10 per 30-day renewal (first renewal, then AU$25 per renewal)
• Best Vodafone network prepaid plan – TPG 50GB data for AU$17.50 per 28-day renewal (first six renewals, then AU$35 per renewal)
Noteworthy prepaid mobile deals for (November 2024)
We’ve selected the best prepaid mobile plans further down this page, but if you’d just like to see some of the best offers going at the moment, check out this list of sweet prepaid mobile plan deals:
- TPG: 25GB for AU$12.50 for first six recharges (then AU$25 per renewal)
- Felix Mobile: Unlimited 20Mbps speed-capped data for AU$20 on first three recharges (then AU$40 per renewal)
Best prepaid mobile plans: our picks
Best prepaid plan for most people
This TPG prepaid plan is 50% off for your first six renewals, so you’ll initially pay just AU$12.50 for 25GB of data. After that discount ends, you’ll be paying AU$25 for each 28-day renewal. TPG’s prepaid plans auto-renew every month until you cancel. TPG’s prepaid plans use Vodafone’s 4G network.
Total minimum cost is AU$12.50 | Total cost for first year: AU$225 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$300
Best cheap prepaid plan under AU$20
TPG | 50GB data | AU$17.50 per 28-day renewal (first six renewals, then AU$35 per renewal)
Déjà vu? While the best prepaid plan for most people is TPG’s 25GB option, the 50GB option isn’t much more expensive, with a discount running for the first six renewals that brings the price down to AU$17.50 per 28-day renewal (AU$35 after). This plan includes access to the Vodafone 5G network, unlimited international minutes for calls to 31 countries, and 50GB of data every month (speed-capped at 150Mbps). If you crave a big data allowance, this plan might be your best bet.
Total minimum cost is AU$12.50 | Total cost for first year: AU$315 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$420
Best unlimited data prepaid plan
Felix Mobile is one of the few telcos in the country to provide unlimited data on a phone plan – and if you’re a data craving phone user who doesn’t care about download speed, this plan could be made for you. Pay only AU$20 per renewal for the first three renewals to access unlimited data with a 20Mbps speedcap (which is quite a lot slower than the speed caps applied to the other plans on this list, and isn’t suitable for things like 4K streaming and quick downloads of big files). Felix Mobile’s plans use the Vodafone network.
Total minimum cost is AU$20 | Total cost for first year: AU$420 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$480
Best long expiry prepaid plan up to 365 days
Catch Connect | 200GB | 365-day expiry | AU$150 for first renewal (then AU$200)
Catch Connect is running a special offer on its bulky 200GB long expiry plan. For the first renewal spanning 365 days, you’ll only pay AU$150, down from the standard AU$200 plan cost (which it reverts to after a year). This plan includes Optus 4G network access with the option to add 100 minutes of international calls to 32 countries for AU$5 per month.
Total minimum cost is AU$150 | Total cost for first year: AU$150 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$200
Best Telstra network prepaid plan
Belong | 25GB | 1-month expiry | AU$30 per renewal
Belong takes the best Telstra network prepaid plan spot for two reasons – the data-to-price ratio is quite reasonable and it’s one of the cheapest MVNO prepaid plans to have 5G access on the Telstra network. That’s partially because Belong is 100% owned by Telstra as its budget telco option. Belong customers also get access to data rollover and data gifting to other Belong users.
Total minimum cost is AU$30 | Total cost for first year: AU$360
If you’re after a long expiry plan on the Telstra network, you can pick up a Boost Mobile 365 plan with 170GB data for AU$207 on eBay.
Best Optus network prepaid plan
This Catch Connect plan is discounted to AU$10 for your first renewal, but it also has an excellent everyday price – AU$25 for 30GB of data. Along with that data, you also get unlimited talk and text to standard numbers in Australia. Catch’s plan comes with a 30-day expiry, and uses the Optus 4G network.
Total minimum cost is AU$10 | Total cost for first year: AU$285 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$300
Best Vodafone network prepaid plan
The best prepaid plan on the Vodafone network goes to Vodafone’s sister telco TPG. TPG is offering 50GB of data for AU$17.50 per the first six renewals. After that time, the cost shifts to AU$35 per renewal. Your prepaid plan will automatically renew every 28 days.
Total minimum cost is AU$17.50 | Total cost for first year: AU$315
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Zac has been in the tech writing game for six years, having previously written for Gizmodo Australia, Canstar Blue, and The Daily Mail Australia (with articles on Nine, Junkee, Kotaku Australia and Lifehacker Australia). He’s a huge nerd with a deep passion for technology. While his main focus at TechRadar Australia is phones, monitors and peripherals, he also has a deep interest in the growing Australian EV landscape. Outside of Techradar, Zac’s a Headspace (a youth mental health organization) volunteer and an avid gamer.