8 Best Cheap Mobile Plans Worth Comparing in 2026

Most “cheap mobile plan” lists show you the intro price. You sign up for $12 a month, then six months later the bill jumps to $23 or $30 and nobody warned you. This list is different. Every plan below is ranked by what you actually pay once the deal ends — the ongoing price — with the intro offer shown separately so you can see the full picture.

All prices and data allowances were checked on 8 November 2026. Plans change often, so check the provider’s own site before you sign up. The cheapest plan is only a bargain if it has enough data and works where you live.

The cheapest mobile plans at a glance

How I picked these plans

Every plan on this list meets the same rules. It is SIM-only, so you bring your own phone. It is month-to-month with no lock-in contract. It includes unlimited standard calls and texts within Australia. And the ongoing price — what you pay after any intro deal ends — is $40 or less.

That last rule matters most. A $15 plan that jumps to $35 after six months is not a $15 plan. Where a plan has an intro deal, I have written the ongoing price first and the deal second.

For context, Canstar’s June 2026 research puts the average postpaid bill at $47 a month and the average prepaid bill at $30 a month. The big three’s cheapest SIM-only plans start much higher — Optus from $60 a month, Vodafone from $58 a month and Telstra from $74 a month. The plans below beat those prices because smaller providers resell access to the same three networks: Telstra, Optus and Vodafone.

The 8 best cheap mobile plans

1. SpinTel — Best overall cheap plan

Price: $23 a month ($12 a month for the first 6 months for new customers)
Data: 25GB a month
Network: Optus 5G, speeds up to 150Mbps
Best for: Most people who want a cheap plan that just works

SpinTel’s 25GB plan is the cheapest straightforward monthly plan on this list, and it runs on the Optus 5G network with speeds up to 150Mbps. There is no trick with the data: 25GB every month, unlimited calls and texts, and no lock-in. The $12 intro price for the first six months is a bonus, not the reason to pick it — at the full $23 it is still one of the cheapest 25GB plans around.

2. Moose Mobile — Most data for $23

Price: $23 a month ($14 a month for the first 6 months)
Data: 30GB a month
Network: Vodafone 4G, speeds up to 150Mbps
Best for: Getting the most gigabytes for $23

For the same $23, Moose gives you 30GB instead of 25GB. The catch is that this plan is 4G only — there is no 5G on Moose’s cheapest plan, and speeds are capped at 150Mbps. In practice that is plenty for streaming, maps and social media. One thing to know: Moose moved from the Optus network to the Vodafone network in 2026, so older reviews that call it an Optus provider are out of date. Check Vodafone coverage where you live before signing up.

3. Dodo Medium — Best for heavy data on a budget

Price: $30 a month ($15 a month for the first 6 months)
Data: 40GB a month
Network: Optus 5G, speeds up to 150Mbps
Best for: Streaming and heavy phone use without a big bill

If 25GB is not enough, Dodo’s Medium plan is the next step up. You get 40GB a month on the Optus 5G network for $30 ongoing, with the first six months at half price. That is enough data for around 200 hours of streaming in standard definition, based on Netflix’s own figures of about 1GB per hour. It is a plain, no-fuss plan: no lock-in, unlimited calls and texts, and the same $30 every month once the intro deal ends.

4. Lycamobile Unlimited Plan S — Best for international calls

Price: $30 per 28 days ($15 for the first 6 renewals)
Data: 50GB per 28 days
Network: Vodafone 5G, speeds up to 100Mbps
Best for: Calling family overseas

This is the plan to pick if you regularly call overseas. On top of 50GB of data, it includes unlimited international calls and texts to 35 destinations, including the UK, New Zealand, USA, Canada, China, Hong Kong, India, Vietnam, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. The $15 intro price runs for six renewals, then it goes to $30 per 28 days. Note the 28-day cycle: you will pay 13 times a year, not 12, so the real yearly cost is $390, not $360.

5. felix Unlimited — Best unlimited data plan

Price: $40 a month ($20 a month for the first 6 months with promo code UNL40, ends 30 November 2026)
Data: Unlimited, at speeds up to 40Mbps
Network: Vodafone 5G and 4G
Best for: Never thinking about data limits again

felix is the only plan on this list with truly unlimited data. The trade-off is speed: downloads are capped at 40Mbps. That sounds slow next to 150Mbps plans, but 40Mbps is more than enough for HD streaming, video calls and everything else most people do on a phone. If you burn through data every month and hate watching your allowance, this is the cheapest way to stop worrying about it.

6. amaysim 7 Day — Best for light users

Price: $10 per 7 days
Data: 10GB per 7 days
Network: Optus
Best for: People who mostly use Wi-Fi

amaysim’s 7-day plan is unusual: it costs $10 and lasts a week, with 10GB of data and unlimited calls and texts. There is no intro deal and no price rise waiting — $10 is the price, every week. If you recharge every week it works out to about $43 a month, which is not cheap. But if you only need a working phone some weeks — say you spend most of your time on Wi-Fi at home and work — you only pay for the weeks you use it. It is one of the few genuinely cheap plans with no promo catch at all.

7. ALDI Mobile Pay As You Go — Cheapest of all

Price: $2, and the credit lasts 365 days
Data: None included — you pay for what you use
Network: Telstra wholesale network
Best for: A second phone, or a phone you barely use

This is the cheapest way to keep a phone number active. You pay $2, and the credit sits there for a full year. Calls, texts and data are charged from that credit as you use them, so it only works if you hardly ever use the phone — a backup handset, a phone for the kids’ emergencies, or a number you want to keep alive. It runs on the Telstra wholesale network, which covers 98.8% of the population. It is not a plan for everyday use, but nothing else on this list costs $2 a year.

8. Boost Mobile — Best on the full Telstra network

Price: $39 per 28 days ($12 for the first recharge, offer ends 30 November 2026)
Data: 80GB for the first 3 recharges, then 30GB per recharge
Network: Full Telstra 5G network
Best for: Regional and rural coverage

Boost is the most expensive plan on this list, and it earns its place for one reason: it is the only smaller provider with access to the full Telstra network, which reaches 99.7% of the population. Every other Telstra-based provider uses the wholesale network, which covers slightly less. If you live or travel outside the cities, that difference matters. You get 80GB for the first three recharges, then 30GB ongoing, on Telstra 5G with speeds up to 150Mbps.

How much data do you actually need?

Before picking a plan, work out how much data you use. According to ACCC figures for October to December 2025, the average prepaid user gets through around 10GB a month and the average postpaid user around 19.5GB. That means a 25GB plan covers most people with room to spare — and if you are on Wi-Fi at home and work, you probably use far less.

As a rough guide: light users who stick to email, maps and messaging need around 10GB. Moderate users who scroll social media daily and stream a little need 20GB to 40GB. Heavy users who stream video on mobile data every day should look at 50GB or more, or an unlimited plan like felix. We explain the numbers in detail in our guide to how much mobile data you need.

Three things to check before you switch

Coverage where you actually live. The cheapest plan in the country is useless if its network is weak at your house. Telstra has the widest coverage, followed by Optus and then Vodafone. Every provider’s website has a coverage checker — use it with your home and work addresses before you sign up.

Speed caps. Most cheap plans cap speeds at 100Mbps or 150Mbps, and felix caps at 40Mbps. For normal phone use that is fine. Only gamers and people who tether a laptop all day are likely to notice.

The ongoing price, not the intro price. Nearly every plan on this list has an intro deal for the first few months. Write down what you will pay in month seven. If that number still looks good, the plan is genuinely cheap.

How to switch and keep your number

Switching is simple and you keep your number. Do not cancel your old plan first — the new provider moves your number over, and cancelling first can lose it. Most ports finish within a few hours. We walk through the whole process in our guide to keeping your number when switching providers. If your phone supports it, you can also use an eSIM instead of waiting for a physical SIM in the post.

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest mobile plan?

The cheapest way to keep a number active is ALDI Mobile’s $2 Pay As You Go credit, which lasts 365 days — but it includes no data, so it only suits a phone you barely use. The cheapest proper monthly plan with a usable data allowance is SpinTel or Moose Mobile at $23 a month.

Are cheap mobile plans slower than Telstra, Optus or Vodafone?

Sometimes, but rarely in a way you will notice. Most cheap plans cap speeds at 100Mbps or 150Mbps, and some, like felix, cap at 40Mbps. Streaming HD video needs about 5Mbps, so even a 40Mbps cap handles it easily. What matters more is coverage: the big three’s own plans get priority on their networks in busy times, but for everyday use the difference is small.

Can I keep my number when I switch to a cheap plan?

Yes. Your new provider ports your number from your old one, and the process usually takes a few hours. Do not cancel your old plan first — the port cancels it for you.

Do cheap plans include 5G?

Most do, but not all. SpinTel, Dodo, Lycamobile, felix and Boost all include 5G. Moose Mobile’s cheapest $23 plan is 4G only, and amaysim’s 7-day plan does not advertise 5G. If 5G matters to you, check the plan details before signing up.

Prices in this article were checked on 8 November 2026 and will change over time. Intro deals come and go, so always confirm the current price — and the ongoing price after the deal ends — on the provider’s own website before you sign up.