If you’re looking for a cheap NBN plan, there are plenty of great deals available across all NBN speeds, from the popular NBN 50 tier through to lightning-fast NBN 1000 plans. Internet providers will often give you a six-month discount when you first sign up, or sometimes you might get an entire year discounted or your first month for free.
These initial discounts are great ways of getting a cheap NBN plan, but it’s also important to consider costs in the longer term. The cheap NBN plans we’ve recommended on this page are not only affordable when you first sign up, they also remain some of the most affordable options in the market after the initial discount has ended.
It’s also worth noting that in July 2024, NBN Co made some changes to its wholesale pricing, and the result is that some NBN 25 and NBN 50 plans are now slightly more expensive, while some of the fastest NBN plans have gotten a little cheaper. The aim of these pricing changes is to encourage customers to 'upgrade' to faster speeds, and with the pricing gap now being relatively small, it does make some speedier plans greater value.
We’ve certainly seen plenty of good discounts of late, with SpinTel's high-speed NBN plans dropping further in price and new ISP Buddy Telco arriving with the cheapest NBN 1000 plan available.
The most up-to-date pricing is now listed on this page, and despite a reduction to its introductory pricing offer, Flip still remains one of the cheapest providers in the market.
Noteworthy cheap NBN deals
All of our plan recommendations are detailed below, but before you check them out, here are some good deals you should know about before deciding on an NBN plan:
- Flip: save AU$18.90p/m for 5 months on Flip NBN 25 plan (from AU$39)
- Spintel: save up to AU$16.95p/m for 6 months on Spintel NBN plans (from AU$49)
- Exetel: save AU$19p/m for 6 months on NBN 50 plan (from AU$60.99)
Best cheap NBN plans
Cheap NBN 25 plan
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A cheap NBN plan that doesn’t sacrifice speed
Cheap NBN 50 plan
Best option for most users
Cheap NBN 100 plan
A bump in speed for larger households
Cheap NBN 250 plan
For super-fast internet, consider this
Cheap NBN 1000 plan
The fastest you can get, but only available in select locations
Cheap NBN FAQ
Are cheap NBN 12 plans worth it?
In general, we don’t recommend signing up to an NBN 12 plan. Among the internet providers we monitor, the current average price of NBN 12 is AU$62.21 while the average cost of an NBN 25 plan is slightly more at AU$68.06. It’s a small increase for double the speed, so we don’t think cheap NBN 12 plans are worth it at all – you’re much better off with a cheap NBN 25 plan.
Here’s a look at some of the cheapest NBN 12 plans if you’re curious:
What is the cheapest NBN service?
The cheapest NBN service we’ve found comes from Flip, with an NBN 12 plan that starts at AU$39 a month for your first five months. While it’s the cheapest NBN plan available, it’s not one we would recommend, because we don’t recommend NBN 12 plans in general. Instead, if you want an NBN service that’s worth using, we suggest checking out Flip’s NBN 25 plan which also starts at AU$39 a month for your first five months, and gets you double the speed.
What are the cheapest NBN plans from the major telcos?
Telstra, Optus and TPG are more expensive than the budget internet providers, so their cheapest NBN plans may not be cheap compared to the likes of Flip, Spintel and Tangerine. Here is the most up-to-date pricing on the cheapest NBN plans from each major telco:
• Telstra: AU$89 a month for NBN 25 (no discount)
• Optus: AU$75 a month for NBN 25 (no discount)
• TPG: AU$69.99 a month for NBN 12 (no discount) or AU$74.99 a month for NBN 25.
Among the three major telcos, TPG is the most affordable and generally offers the best value for money. As we noted in our TPG NBN review, the telco’s NBN 25 and NBN 50 plans are particularly good value as they offer the maximum download speeds available in each tier at a reasonable price.
Are cheap NBN plans worth it?
Cheap NBN plans are worth it if saving money is your top priority, and there’s great deals to be had across all NBN speeds. However, before signing up to a cheap NBN plan, there are some aspects to consider:
How long the discount lasts:
Most NBN providers will offer you a discount for your first six months on the service – sometimes you can even get a cheaper rate for up to 12 months. Once the initial discount ends, consider whether the ongoing cost still makes it a cheap NBN plan. If not, you can always switch to another provider, which is best if you’re not locked into a contract or paying off any hardware.
Can you BYO modem:
Practically all NBN providers will ask if you’d like to include a modem with your new NBN plan, but if you already have one, you’ll save a good amount of money by reusing it whenever you switch telcos. You’ll likely need to reconfigure your modem to your new internet provider’s settings, but it’s pretty straightforward and the telco should give you instructions on how to do so.
What features are you missing out on:
A cheap NBN plan is often missing some of the more premium features of the major telcos, such as a modem with 4G backup or streaming add-ons. If you can do without these extras, you’ll likely spend less on your internet bill.
