Cheap NBN plans compared

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1. Noteworthy deals
2. Best cheap NBN plans
3. Cheap NBN FAQ

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 up 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 NBN plans we’ve recommended on this page are not only cheap 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 December 2023, 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. We’ve certainly seen plenty of good discounts of late, with Spintel offering its NBN 250 plan at an insanely cheap price, and Superloop continuing its incredibly attractive AU$99 introductory offer on its gigabit NBN plan. The most up-to-date pricing is now listed on this page, but 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 up to AU$10.90p/m for 6 months on Flip NBN plans (from AU$39)
Spintel: save up to AU$10.95p/m for 6 months on Spintel NBN plans (from AU$49)
Exetel: save AU$18p/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

Flip | NBN 25 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$44p/m (first 6 months, then AU$54.90p/m)

Flip remains our pick for the best cheap NBN 25 plan. Flip has the cheapest intro offer we can find at AU$44 a month for your first six months, which then increases to AU$54.90 ongoing. In the first year of service, Flip is by far the cheapest provider, but when you get into ongoing years with regular monthly pricing, the gap between Flip and the next-cheapest provider, Spintel, closes to just 60 cents. It's with this in mind that we would also recommend Spintel as a good provider for a 25Mbps NBN plan.

Total minimum cost: AU$44 | Total cost for first year: AU$593.40 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$658.80

• See more: Best NBN 25 plans

Cheap NBN 50 plan

Best option for most users

Kogan Internet | NBN 50 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$58.90p/m (first 3 months, then AU$68.90p/m)

Kogan Internet has dethroned Flip as the cheapest NBN 50 plan, due to a combination of Flip increasing its regular monthly cost and Kogan Internet coming in cheaper, not to mention an uptick in positive reviews.

Kogan Internet's introductory price is only 10 cents cheaper than Flip, and it only lasts three months compared to Flip's six – however, the ongoing cost reveals Kogan to be the cheaper of the two by AU$6 per month. You may think we're splitting hairs with what is realistically a low amount, but over the course of a year you'd save AU$72 by going with Kogan's plan.

You're promised maximum speeds during the busier evening hours, and if you do happen to find a better deal for the same speed plan (you can count on us to provide this information to you) then Kogan Internet will refund you double the difference in cost as part of a price pledge promise.

Total minimum cost: AU$58.90 | Total cost for first year: AU$796.80 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$826.80

• See more: Best NBN 50 plans

Also consider

Flip | NBN 50 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$59p/m (first 6 months, then AU$74.90p/m)

Flip recently increased the cost of its NBN 50 plan – along with several other providers – but its new price of AU$74.90 a month does still make it one of the cheapest available, but only just. But Flip’s intro price of AU$59 for your first six months is one of the cheapest, and only bettered by Kogan Internet above.

Total minimum cost: AU$59 | Total cost for first year: AU$803.40 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$898.80

Cheap NBN 100 plan

A bump in speed for larger households

Spintel | NBN 100 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$69p/m (first 6 months, then AU$79.95p/m)

Spintel takes the win for the cheapest NBN 100 plan this month, but more from a value perspective as opposed to being outright cheapest.

The introductory price of AU$69p/m for the first six months matches Flip, our previous pick, and the ongoing AU$79.95 charge is 5 cents more each month than Flip – but the crucial factor here is that Spintel advertises the maximum 100Mbps typical evening speeds compared to Flip's 97Mbps. When you calculate the cost per megabyte, it reveals Spintel to be the better value of the two.

Total minimum cost: $69 | Total cost for first year: AU$893.70 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$959.40

• See more: Best NBN 100 plans

Also consider

Flip | NBN 100 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$69p/m (first 6 months, then AU$79.90p/m)

If it is the outright cheapest NBN 100 plan you're looking for, then it has to go to Flip, but we're talking less than a dollar cheaper compared to the Spintel plan above. As mentioned, Flip's 100Mbps plan advertises 'only' 97Mbps download speeds during the evening hours of 7pm to 11pm, so you're not technically getting the maximum possible from this speed tier. In your first year, you'll save 30 cents compared to Spintel's plan and in each ongoing year you'll save 60 cents.

Total minimum cost: AU$69 | Total cost for first year: AU$893.40 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$958.80

Cheap NBN 250 plan

For super-fast internet, consider this

Spintel | NBN 250 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$75p/m (first 6 months, then AU$85.95p/m)

Spintel’s NBN 250 plan is insanely cheap, starting at just AU$75 a month for your first six months on the service. That makes it about the same price you’d pay for an NBN 50 plan, and you’re getting more than double the speed with Spintel. Even once the intro offer ends, Spintel’s standard pricing of AU$85.95 a month is the cheapest we can find in this speed tier, and in the first year, Spintel's plan is the only one of the telcos we monitor to come in under AU$1,000.

Spintel’s typical evening speed is currently 211Mbps – a fair way off the maximum 250Mbps possible – so if you want something faster, you’ll need to consider more expensive alternatives such as Superloop.

Total minimum cost: AU$75 | Total cost for first year: AU$965.70 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$1,031.40

• See more: Best NBN 250 plans

Cheap NBN 1000 plan

The fastest you can get, but only available in select locations

Superloop | NBN 1000 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$99p/m (first 6 months, then AU$109p/m)

The cheap price on this NBN 1000 plan is frankly incredible, although technically not the cheapest, which we explain below.

Superloop offers an introductory price of AU$99 each month, but once the introductory discount is over, your ongoing cost only increases to AU$109 a month. That’s cheaper than the previous ongoing price of AU$119, yet the typical evening speed has increased from 750Mbps up to 811Mbps. What's most impressive about that new speed is that it increased on the day we were updating this page. Yep, in the space of about five hours, Superloop increased its typical evening speed figure by 61Mbps, and so we reckon it could get faster in the not-too-distant future.

Despite not being the outright cheapest over the course of 12 months, the cost per megabyte is now AU$0.13, which is astonishing value in our opinion.

Total minimum cost: AU$99 | Total cost for first year: AU$1,248 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$1,308

• See more: Best NBN 1000 plans

Also consider

TPG | NBN 1000 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$104.99p/m (first month free)

If you want to spend the least amount of money possible but secure yourself an NBN 1000 plan, then TPG is the provider for you. Not only is Australia's second-largest telco the cheapest by some margin in your first year – thanks to it offering one month free – but the ongoing yearly cost nets you a 12 cent saving over the next-cheapest, Southern Phone.

TPG's typical evening speeds are advertised as 671Mbps, which isn't the slowest at this speed tier, but around 300Mbps slower than the current fastest provider, Swoop. But, as we said, TPG's plan is the cheapest available, and so if you're on a limited budget, it's the plan to go for.

Total minimum cost: AU$104.99 | Total cost for first year: AU$1,154.89 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$1,259.88

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 six 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 starts at AU$44 a month for your first six 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$85 a month for NBN 25 (no discount)

• Optus: AU$70 a month for NBN 25 (no discount)

• TPG: AU$64.99 a month for NBN 12 (no discount) or AU$74.99 a month for NBN 25 (one month free)

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.

Max is a senior staff writer for TechRadar who covers home entertainment and audio first, NBN second and virtually anything else that falls under the consumer electronics umbrella third. He's also a bit of an ecommerce fiend, particularly when it comes to finding the latest coupon codes for a variety of retailers. Hailing from the United Kingdom, Max spent a combined five years writing for What Hi-Fi? and Pocket-lint, before moving to Australia in 2018. After a brief stint writing for men’s lifestyle publications, Max is back to working on his first passion of technology.

With contributions from