Prepaid plans that bill every 28 days charge you thirteen times a year, not twelve. Headline data allowances often expire after six recharges. We correct for both, name the network each plan really runs on, and link the official summary for every price.
iPhone: Settings → Mobile Service → scroll to Mobile Data. Reset the statistics at the start of a month to get a clean figure.
Android: Settings → Network & internet → Mobile network → App data usage.
Or check the usage summary on your last bill or in your provider’s app.
Optional. Used only to weight network coverage.
Checked against the true monthly cost, not the advertised price.
Optional. Lets us show what you’d save.
Best fit from the 34 plans we compare, not from the whole market.
ALDI Mobile
$289 5G 365 Day Mobile Plan
Best balance of price, data and coverage for 15GB a month — $24.10 a month for 25GB on the Telstra Wholesale network.
Telstra Wholesale networkRegional reach 4 out of 5
Boost Mobile
$300 Prepaid SIM (12 month)
Strongest coverage on offer here: the full Telstra retail network at $25.02 a month.
Telstra retail networkRegional reach 5 out of 5Ranked for your usage
ALDI Mobile$289 5G 365 Day Mobile PlanprepaidBoost Mobile$300 Prepaid SIM (12 month)prepaid
Everyday Mobile5G Prepaid Long Expiry — 300GBprepaidBoost Mobile$180 Prepaid SIM (6 month)prepaidALDI Mobile$29 5G Mobile PlanprepaidEveryday Mobile5G Prepaid 30 Day — 30GBprepaidBoost Mobile$365 Prepaid SIM (12 month)prepaid
Belong25GB SIM only planpostpaidEveryday Mobile5G Prepaid 30 Day — 50GBprepaidALDI Mobile$23 Mobile PlanprepaidBoost Mobile$39 Prepaid SIMprepaidBelong40GB SIM only planpostpaidEveryday Mobile5G SIM Only — 70GBpostpaidALDI Mobile$39 5G Mobile Planprepaid
VodafoneSmall PlanpostpaidBoost Mobile$49 Prepaid SIMprepaid
TelstraUpfront Basicpostpaid
OptusSmall Choice PluspostpaidBoost Mobile$59 Prepaid SIMprepaidBelong100GB SIM only planpostpaidEveryday Mobile5G SIM Only — 110GBpostpaidALDI Mobile$49 5G Mobile PlanprepaidBelong160GB SIM only planpostpaidBoost Mobile$74 Prepaid SIMprepaidEveryday Mobile5G SIM Only — 165GBpostpaidALDI Mobile$59 5G Mobile PlanprepaidVodafoneMedium PlanpostpaidTelstraUpfront EssentialpostpaidOptusMedium Choice PluspostpaidOptusPromo PlanpostpaidVodafoneLarge PlanpostpaidTelstraUpfront PremiumpostpaidBoost Mobile$28 Prepaid SIMprepaidOptusLarge Choice Pluspostpaid| Plan | True cost | Data | Network | Type | 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALDI Mobile$289 5G 365 Day Mobile Plan | $24.10$289.00 upfront, per year | 25GB | Telstra Wholesale | prepaid | $289.20 |
| Boost Mobile$300 Prepaid SIM (12 month) | $25.02$300.00 upfront, per year | 20GB | Telstra retail | prepaid | $300.21 |
| Everyday Mobile5G Prepaid Long Expiry — 300GB | $26.68$320.00 upfront, per year | 25GB | Telstra Wholesale | prepaid | $320.22 |
| Boost Mobile$180 Prepaid SIM (6 month) | $29.46$180.00 upfront, per 186 days | 16GB | Telstra retail | prepaid | $353.47 |
| ALDI Mobile$29 5G Mobile Plan | $29.42adv. $29.00 per 30 days | 29GB | Telstra Wholesale | prepaid | $353.08 |
| Everyday Mobile5G Prepaid 30 Day — 30GB | $30.44adv. $30.00 per 30 days | 30GB | Telstra Wholesale | prepaid | $350.25 |
| Boost Mobile$365 Prepaid SIM (12 month) | $30.44$365.00 upfront, per year | 30GB | Telstra retail | prepaid | $365.25 |
| Belong25GB SIM only plan | $34.00 | 25GB | Telstra Wholesale | postpaid | $408.00 |
| Everyday Mobile5G Prepaid 30 Day — 50GB | $35.51adv. $35.00 per 30 days | 51GB | Telstra Wholesale | prepaid | $408.63 |
| ALDI Mobile$23 Mobile Plan | $23.34adv. $23.00 per 30 days | 12GB | Telstra Wholesale | prepaid | $280.03 |
| Boost Mobile$39 Prepaid SIM | $42.40adv. $39.00 per 28 days | 33GB | Telstra retail | prepaid | $508.74 |
| Belong40GB SIM only plan | $39.00 | 40GB | Telstra Wholesale | postpaid | $468.00 |
| Everyday Mobile5G SIM Only — 70GB | $40.00 | 70GB | Telstra Wholesale | postpaid | $480.00 |
| ALDI Mobile$39 5G Mobile Plan | $39.57adv. $39.00 per 30 days | 76GB | Telstra Wholesale | prepaid | $474.83 |
| VodafoneSmall Plan | $58.00 | 65GB | Vodafone | postpaid | $540.00 |
| Boost Mobile$49 Prepaid SIM | $53.27adv. $49.00 per 28 days | 49GB | Telstra retail | prepaid | $639.19 |
| TelstraUpfront Basic | $74.00 | 50GB | Telstra retail | postpaid | $888.00 |
| OptusSmall Choice Plus | $60.00 | 60GB | Optus | postpaid | $720.00 |
| Boost Mobile$59 Prepaid SIM | $64.14adv. $59.00 per 28 days | 60GB | Telstra retail | prepaid | $769.63 |
| Belong100GB SIM only plan | $49.00 | 100GB | Telstra Wholesale | postpaid | $588.00 |
| Everyday Mobile5G SIM Only — 110GB | $50.00 | 110GB | Telstra Wholesale | postpaid | $600.00 |
| ALDI Mobile$49 5G Mobile Plan | $49.71adv. $49.00 per 30 days | 122GB | Telstra Wholesale | prepaid | $596.58 |
| Belong160GB SIM only plan | $59.00 | 160GB | Telstra Wholesale | postpaid | $708.00 |
| Boost Mobile$74 Prepaid SIM | $80.44adv. $74.00 per 28 days | 109GB | Telstra retail | prepaid | $965.30 |
| Everyday Mobile5G SIM Only — 165GB | $60.00 | 165GB | Telstra Wholesale | postpaid | $720.00 |
| ALDI Mobile$59 5G Mobile Plan | $59.86adv. $59.00 per 30 days | 178GB | Telstra Wholesale | prepaid | $718.33 |
| VodafoneMedium Plan | $68.00 | 220GB | Vodafone | postpaid | $660.00 |
| TelstraUpfront Essential | $84.00 | 180GB | Telstra retail | postpaid | $1,008.00 |
| OptusMedium Choice Plus | $70.00 | 240GB | Optus | postpaid | $840.00 |
| OptusPromo Plan | $79.00 | 360GB | Optus | postpaid | $828.00 |
| VodafoneLarge Plan | $78.00 | 420GB | Vodafone | postpaid | $780.00 |
| TelstraUpfront Premium | $99.00 | 300GB | Telstra retail | postpaid | $1,188.00 |
| Boost Mobile$28 Prepaid SIM | $30.44adv. $28.00 per 28 days | 9GB | Telstra retail | prepaid | $365.25 |
| OptusLarge Choice Plus | $90.00 | 480GB | Optus | postpaid | $1,080.00 |
Because most Australian prepaid plans are billed every 28 days, not monthly. There are 365.25 days in a year, so a 28-day cycle bills 13.04 times a year rather than 12. A plan advertised at $30 per 28 days therefore costs $32.61 a month — about 8% more than the advertised figure suggests. Plans billed per calendar month bill exactly 12 times a year. Every price on this site is normalised to a calendar month so the two are directly comparable.
Of the 34 plans we track, the lowest true monthly cost is the ALDI Mobile $23 Mobile Plan at $23.34 a month for 12GB of data, which is $280.03 over a year. The cheapest plan is rarely the right plan though: if it gives you less data than you use you will either be slowed, blocked or charged, depending on the provider. Compare on cost per month for the data you actually need.
Boost Mobile is owned by Telstra, which acquired it in December 2024, and it is the only reseller with access to Telstra’s entire retail mobile network — including regional and remote towers. Every other Telstra reseller runs on the Telstra Wholesale network, which reaches fewer people and considerably less 5G. That makes Boost the cheapest way to get full Telstra coverage. For example, Boost Mobile’s $300 Prepaid SIM (12 month) costs $25.02 a month against $74.00 for Telstra’s own cheapest plan.
Telstra’s retail network reaches the largest land area, which is why it is generally the strongest choice for regional and remote Australia. Optus covers a substantially smaller area and Vodafone smaller again, though both are competitive in cities and major regional centres. Since 30 June 2026, the ACMA’s Mobile Network Coverage Maps Industry Standard has required every operator to publish predicted coverage in the same four categories — good, moderate, basic or none — against defined signal thresholds, so their maps are now directly comparable. Check the map for the specific places you go rather than relying on a national figure.
Most Australians need far less than they buy. If you are on wifi at home and work and mainly use maps, messaging and browsing, 5GB to 10GB a month is usually enough. Streaming music on a commute takes you to roughly 15GB to 25GB. Streaming video daily on mobile data, or hotspotting a laptop, is where 50GB and above starts to matter. Rather than guessing, check your real usage: on iPhone, Settings then Mobile Service then Mobile Data; on Android, Settings then Network and internet then Mobile network then App data usage. Aim for about 20% headroom above your typical month.
It depends on the plan, and this matters more than the size of the allowance. Telstra, Optus and Vodafone all slow your connection rather than charging you, so there is no bill shock. Belong slows to 1 Mbps and states so in its Critical Information Summary. Prepaid plans from Boost, ALDI Mobile and Everyday Mobile simply stop your data until you recharge or buy a top-up. A plan that slows you down is safer than a larger plan that bills you per gigabyte, so we weight that in our ranking.