SIM only plans in Australia

Why should I get a SIM-only plan?

SIM-only plans (or BYO phone plans) are great if you want to switch between plans easily, or don't want your monthly phone bill to include the price of a new phone handset.

You'll get all the bells and whistles you'd expect from a regular mobile plans such as data, calls and text messages, all through a small SIM card.

A SIM-only plan will also let you:

• Use the phone you already have or buy one outright.
• Switch to a cheaper provider when a new offer comes up.
• Upgrade your phone whenever you want since you're not tied to a contract.

What type of SIM-only plan can I get?

If you've decided that getting a SIM-only plan is the best option for you, the next step is to choose between a prepaid and postpaid plan.

Getting on a prepaid or postpaid SIM-only plan will allow you to shop around and switch to a provider with better rates whenever you want.

These days, there's not too much difference in features between the two. The main difference is when you pay your bill.

Types of SIM-only plans

Prepaid SIM-only plans

You can get 3 types of prepaid plans:

1. Pay as you go. Top up credit when you need
2. Month-to-month. Pay every 28 or 30 days
3. Long expiry. Pay upfront for up to 12 months

Watch out for how much data you use before your next recharge. Once you run out, you won't have any more mobile data to use.

Postpaid SIM-only plans

These plans:

• Are paid for at the end of each month
• Will almost always include unlimited calls and text messages within Australia

Watch out for additional excess usage costs. Unlike prepaid plans, you'll get charged for any data you use over your monthly allowance.

How do I find the right SIM-only plan?

You're likely after a SIM-only plan for 1 of 5 reasons:

1. You want to lower the cost of your monthly bill.
2. You can afford to buy a phone outright.
3. Your contract is up and now you want a no-strings-attached phone plan until your next upgrade.
4. You're after a no lock-in contract.
5. You have a secondary phone that will suit a no-frills plan.

Keeping the above in mind, you'll need to consider a few things before hunting down the right SIM-only deal for you.

Think about:

• What network you're after. You'll be choosing between the Optus, Telstra or Vodafone networks. Smaller providers, known as MVNOs, will often offer full coverage from any of the big telcos at cheaper prices.
• Extra features you'd like with your plan. This can include data rollover, international calls, bill-shock protection and even discounts on your groceries.
• How much data is right for your usage. Choose an amount that you will actually use in order to get the best value SIM-only plan for your money.

After that, it's as simple as filtering your results in our comparison table above to find the best deals for you.

• Good to know: The June 2018 ABS Internet Activity Survey claimed that Aussies were using 9GB a month on their mobiles. You may want more or less data depending on your needs.

What can I get on a SIM-only plan?

Popular features that come with a SIM-only plan include "unlimited data", data rollover, data-free streaming, bill-shock protection, and unlimited domestic calls and texts.

To learn more about each feature, just click on the headings below.

• 'Unlimited data'

  This can be a slightly misleading term. Unlike Internet plans, there is no mobile plan in Australia that truly comes with unlimited data without a catch or a caveat.

  Once you've exhausted your monthly data allowance, your speeds will be capped as low as 1.5Mbps if you were to go with providers like Telstra or Optus.

  The only provider currently offering a plan with no data limit is felix with speeds up to 20Mbps.

  This speed is still fast enough for streaming Netflix, video-calling, downloading apps and using your phone as a portable hotspot.

  You can check out all the unlimited data mobile plans here.

• Data rollover

  Data rollover adds any unused data from the previous month to your following month's data allowance or recharge period.

  Some telcos will let you collect up to 200GB of rollover data, while others might only let you keep it till your next recharge.

  Make sure to read the fine print before signing up.

• Data-free streaming

  If you like to stream content, you'll score data-free streaming from a handful of providers in Australia.

  These are more likely to come from Telstra and Optus and may only be valuable if you subscribe to certain services, or are an avid sports fan.

  For example:

  • Telstra's SIM-only plans will let you stream sports (AFL, NRL and Hyundai A-League) as well as Apple Music if you already have a subscription.
  • Optus's Epic Data plans give up to 10GB of added data to stream Netflix, Stan, and ABC Kids. To put this into context, that's roughly 10 hours of Netflix in Standard Definition.

  
  Find out what other data-free streaming services are available with your mobile plan here.

• Bill-shock protection

  Bill-shock protection gives you some extra data on top of your plan inclusion each month. This acts as a buffer in case you go over your monthly data allowance limit.

  For example, Circles.Life offers a 3GB bill-shock protection limit so you can decide whether to get more data or minimise your usage until your new data cycle begins.

What's the cheapest SIM-only plan?

The cheapest SIM-only plans in our database are either PAYG plans or plans with short expiry periods.

• Cheapest SIM-only plan overall: Optus Flex $1 per day
• Cheap SIM-only month-to-month plan: TPG Mobile PAYG $1 per month

PAYG mobile plans are a type of prepaid mobile plan that come with a set amount of call and text credit and no data inclusions.

• Good for: People who don't use their phones very much (1 to 5 days in a month) or anyone who needs a secondary SIM for their spare phone.

You can also get a short-term expiry plan that lasts between 1 to 7 days but again, these aren't helpful for daily usage and are geared towards travellers.

Instead, we recommend using the filters in our comparison table, setting the price to suit your budget and finding yourself the cheapest SIM-only plan for your needs.

• Good to know: On average, Aussies are paying $56 a month for 40GB of data.

What's the best SIM-only plan?

There's no such thing as one size fits all when it comes to mobile plans. But arguably, the 3 big telcos offer better perks and features than their smaller counterparts.

In fact, 78% of Australians are with either Telstra, Vodafone or Optus, likely for this very reason.

Here's what you'll get for signing up with any of the 3 network giants.

Note: Prices and data inclusions were last updated June 2021. We've chosen to list the base prices of the plans below, with no promotional pricing showing.

Telstra

Postpaid mobile plans
Telstra's contract-free upfront mobile plans start at $55 monthly for 40GB. You also get:

• 5G network access (if you choose the Medium plan or above).
• Data sharing with up to 10 upfront mobile or data services attached to your account.
• Data-free streaming of Apple Music (if you have your own subscription) and live sport.

Prepaid mobile plans
Telstra's prepaid plans start at $10 for 2GB (7-day expiry) or $30 for 27GB for its cheapest 28-day prepaid offer. You also get:

• Unlimited calls and texts to domestic numbers
• 4G network access
• Continuous data rollover

Check out Telstra mobile plans here

Optus

Postpaid mobile plans
Prices start at $45 for 20GB per month with no lock-in contract or excess fees for going over your data allowance. You also get:

• 5G network access with a compatible device.
• Data sharing with other Optus plans on the same account.
• Optus Sport and OS Fitness for free.

Prepaid mobile plans
Choose between Optus's Epic Data or 365 Day plans. You could pay as little as $1 for 1GB daily, $30 per month for 40GB (28-day expiry), or $300 for 300GB for 1 year.

Depending on your plan, you could also get:

• Data rollover of up to 200GB if you recharge before expiry.
• 10 GB free streaming data for Netflix, Stan and ABC Kids.
• Unlimited international calls to 15 countries.

Check out Optus mobile plans here

Vodafone

Postpaid mobile plans
Prices start at $40 for 10GB for Vodafone's month-to-month postpaid plans. But it offers regular discounts with high data inclusions.

You also get:

• Data sharing with up to 5 other devices.
• Free 100 minutes for international calls – 37 countries included (on Lite+ plan and above).
• Infinite data, which means no excess usage charges. Speeds will be capped once you've gone through data inclusions within your plan.

Prepaid mobile plans
Pay as little as $30 for 40GB for Vodafone's 28-day expiry prepaid plan. Otherwise, its 6-month and 12-month expiry plans will set you back $110 for 120GB, and $250 for 240GB respectively.

You also get:

• Data rollover up to 200GB data.
• $5 off with every automatic recharge.
• 500 international minutes to 37 countries.

Check out Vodafone mobile plans here

To find out more, check out our guide on the best SIM-only plans for the latest monthly deals that we think are worth considering.

What's the best mobile network in Australia?

No matter which plan you sign up to in Australia, it will be on 1 of the 3 networks: Telstra, Optus or Vodafone, even if the provider you're with isn't actually one of them.

Any provider other than the big 3 is known as a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO). These smaller providers will use either the Telstra, Optus or Vodafone network to provide their services.

SIM-only plans from smaller providers will often be priced cheaper in comparison because they don't have to pay to keep a network infrastructure up and running.

You'll usually get the same coverage as if you were with any of the 3 big telcos but with fewer plan features.

The only exception to this is Telstra, which only offers its full network coverage to 2 small providers, Boost Mobile and JB Hi-Fi.

• Good to know: Almost 1 in 5 customers (18%) with the big 3 don't think they're getting good value for money. In comparison, just 7% of customers are unsatisfied with a smaller telco.

Click on the headings below to see how the Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone networks differ from one another.

• Telstra network

  Telstra has the largest network in Australia, servicing 99.5% of Aussies across the country. It has 5G access and probably the best performing regional coverage, with Optus coming in a close second.

  Smaller providers tied to Telstra get access to 98.8% of its network coverage.

  You can see what's available on our guide to the best mobile plans on the Telstra network.

• Optus network

  Optus has the second largest network of the 3 telco giants and services around 98.5% of Aussies with 3G, 4G and 5G connections.

  Most of the smaller providers operate on the Optus network.

  If you're interested in this network, take a look at our monthly top picks for the best mobile plans on the Optus network.

• Vodafone network

  Vodafone's network services 96% of Australians with 4G. Some selected rural and regional areas may be able to access 3G.

  Since mid-2020, Vodafone has been rolling out 5G which is now available to select metro areas in major cities across the country.

• Learn more: Still not sure which is right for you? Check out our guide on Telstra vs Optus vs Vodafone.

Frequently asked questions

• Can I get 5G on my SIM-only plan?

  Yes, you can get 5G on your SIM-only plan. However, your options will be limited to Telstra, Optus, Vodafone, SpinTel and Aussie Broadband.

  You can view their plans here.

  • Good to know: According to OpenSignal's April 2021 5G reach award, Telstra 5G users found a 5G signal in more locations than those on Optus or Vodafone.

• Can I keep my current phone number when switching to a SIM-only plan?

  The quick answer is yes, you can keep your current phone number on a SIM-only plan.

  However, this gets trickier if your current number is under someone else's name (a parent or partner).

  You can read our guide to porting your mobile number here and how to transfer ownership of your mobile number here.

  You'll need to transfer ownership if your current mobile number isn't under your name.

• Do I need to unlock my phone when I get a new SIM-only plan?

  The chance of you having a locked phone is quite slim in Australia unless you bought it with a prepaid SIM.

  If your phone is locked and you're on a prepaid plan, you'll likely have to pay an unlocking fee which will depend on how long you've owned your phone and could be anywhere between $25 and $80 for Telstra, Optus and Vodafone.

  You can read our detailed guide to getting your phone unlocked here.

• How long do SIM-only plans last?

  This depends on what type of SIM-only plan you have.

  Prepaid SIM-only plans can vary from 1 to 7 days (short term), 28 or 30 days (monthly) and 90, 180 or 365 days (long-expiry).

  The general rule of thumb is the longer the expiry, the cheaper your plan is and the fewer times you'll have to recharge in a year.

  For example, Kogan Mobile's cheapest monthly plan costs $25. Its 90-day plan costs $46.90 or $15.64 per 30 days and its cheapest 365-day plan costs $130 or $10.69 per month.

  On the other hand, postpaid SIM plans are usually either 1 month (no contract) or on 12-month contracts.

  From our database of 46 providers, we only found 6 that offer year-long contracts.