Compare mobile phone plans: networks, plan types and how to choose

How to compare mobile plans in six steps

1. 1Work out how much data you actually useCheck your phone's usage screen or your last few bills. Home and work Wi-Fi cover more than most people expect, and paying for three times the data you use is the most common mistake.
2. 2Choose the network before the brandCoverage comes from the network, not the brand. Look up your home, work and regular trips on the operators' standard coverage maps, then shortlist brands on the networks that work there. For Telstra resellers, check whether the brand uses the full network or Telstra Wholesale.
3. 3Decide how you want to payPrepaid for no bill and no credit check; month-to-month postpaid for a monthly bill with no lock-in; a phone on a plan if you want to spread a handset's cost, knowing the balance is due if you leave early.
4. 4Compare the plans on the Critical Information SummaryEvery offer has a CIS of no more than two pages: minimum and maximum monthly charge, minimum term, maximum early termination charge, inclusions, exclusions and roaming warnings. Compare speed caps, what happens when data runs out, and the price after any introductory discount ends.
5. 5Work out the yearly costA 28-day recharge is paid 13 times a year. Multiply it out, add any device repayments, and compare the totals rather than the headline price.
6. 6Switch and keep your numberSign up with the new provider and ask to port your number. It confirms the request with a one-time code, and the ACMA says a mobile port usually takes about three hours. Keep the old service active until it finishes.

Australia's three mobile networks

Only three companies own and run mobile networks in Australia: Telstra, Optus and TPG Telecom, which runs the Vodafone network. They are the mobile network operators. Every other brand is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), or reseller: it buys access to one of the three networks and sells its own plans on it. Some resellers belong to the operators themselves: TPG counts felix, Lebara and Kogan among its brands, alongside Vodafone, TPG and iiNet.

Because a reseller uses an operator's towers, the brand you choose does not change which towers your phone connects to. An amaysim customer and an Optus customer standing in the same spot use the same Optus network. What the brand does control is the plan: the price, the data, any speed cap, whether 5G is included, customer service and extras.

Two recent changes have reshaped the networks. Since 30 January 2025, TPG has used Optus's regional radio network under a sharing agreement the ACCC did not oppose, so in regional areas the Optus and Vodafone networks share towers. And since 30 June 2026 the ACMA has required all three operators to publish coverage maps in the same four categories (good, moderate, basic and no coverage), updated at least every three months, and to give those maps to their resellers. For the first time the maps can be compared like for like.

Which network has the strongest signal depends on where you are, so no network is strongest everywhere: the operators' standard maps show coverage address by address, and our5G and coverage guide sets out the independent measurements without ranking the networks.

Which network does each provider use?

We checked every brand below on its own coverage page, plan page or Critical Information Summary on 28 September 2026, and linked the page we used. The "what it says it uses" column is the brand's own description. The detail matters most for Telstra: only Boost says it uses the full Telstra network, Belong says it uses parts of it, and the others name the smaller Telstra Wholesale Mobile Network.

Not every reseller in Australia is listed, and brands change networks: Lycamobile moved from Telstra to Vodafone in mid-2024, Superloop now uses Telstra Wholesale, and Moose Mobile is moving from Optus to Vodafone during 2026. Confirm on the brand's site before you buy. We have no commercial agreements with these brands.

Does a cheaper reseller get the same coverage?

On Optus and Vodafone, resellers describe their service as the operator's network, so the towers are the same. On Telstra it depends. Telstra Wholesale says its network "uses part of Telstra's mobile network": it covers all major cities, most outer-metro areas and larger regional centres, and more than 1.4 million km² in total. Telstra says its own network covers 75% more of Australia than Optus or Vodafone. If you spend time outside the larger towns, check both maps for the places you go. Ourguide to the Telstra networkexplains the difference.

The other differences are in the plan. Many reseller plans cap speeds at 100, 150 or 250 Mbps, some include 5G on only certain plans, and extras such as Wi-Fi Calling, data banking and roaming packs vary. None of that is visible from the brand name, which is why the Critical Information Summary matters. TheOptus network andVodafone networkpages list the 5G and speed-cap details by brand.

Prepaid, postpaid, SIM-only and phone on a plan

The kind of plan decides how you pay and how easily you can leave. Prepaid is paid in advance and needs an ID check but no credit check. Postpaid is billed monthly; for a plan with a minimum term over a month the provider must assess whether you can afford it. SIM-only means you bring your own phone, and it can be prepaid or postpaid. A phone on a plan adds device repayments, and the remaining balance is payable if you leave early.

More detail: prepaid vs postpaid mobile plans,SIM-only plans explained andeSIM in Australia.

What to compare on any plan

Two plans with the same price and data can be quite different to live with. These are the features that separate them, and where to find each one.

The Critical Information Summary

Every mobile provider must publish a Critical Information Summary (CIS) for each current offer, including prepaid offers, under the Telecommunications Consumer Protections Code. It must be free, separate from the full terms, and no longer than two A4 pages for a single offer. For postpaid services it must be given to you before the sale.

The top section states the service, the minimum and maximum monthly charge, the minimum term and the maximum early termination charge. The rest covers what is bundled, exclusions and conditions such as automatic data top-ups, how the early termination charge is worked out, the cost of a two-minute call, an SMS and a megabyte of data on plans that are not unlimited, warnings about roaming costs, and how to complain. Moneysmart recommends the CIS for comparing plans, and so do we.

The rules are changing. The current code dates from 2019 (varied in 2022). In March 2026 the ACMA said it would replace the code with an enforceable standard, and until that commences the 2019 code stays in force. The same code requires free usage alerts at 50%, 85% and 100% of your included allowance.

How to judge two brands: amaysim or felix?

"Is amaysim or felix better?" is a common question, and the way to answer it works for any two brands. First, the network: amaysim says its plans run on Optus, and felix runs on Vodafone, so compare the two maps for your home and work. Second, the data: which plan gives you enough, and what happens when it runs out. Third, the fine print: speed caps, 5G, international calls and roaming, and the minimum term. Finally, the yearly cost. Each brand's CIS gives you all of it.

Switching and keeping your number

You can keep your number when you change provider, including between prepaid and postpaid. The new provider starts the port and must confirm you control the number, usually with a one-time code by SMS. Your old provider must release the number even if you owe it money. Under the industry code, 90% of ports must be done within three hours and 99% within two business days. Keep the old service active until the port completes, and pay any final bill, early termination charge or device balance. Read the fullguide to switching and keeping your number.

5G, coverage and the end of 3G

All three networks run 5G, but you need a 5G phone, a plan that includes it and 5G coverage where you are. All three have also closed 3G: Vodafone in January 2024, Telstra and Optus in November 2024. A phone now needs 4G Voice over LTE to make calls, and providers must stop service to phones that cannot reach 000. Text 3 to 3498 to check a phone for free. Our 5G coverage guideexplains the maps and the rules, and ourinternational roaming guidecovers using your phone overseas.

The same 5G networks also sell home internet: a 5G modem replaces an NBN connection at eligible addresses. Our guide to 5G home internet planscompares who sells it and the evening speeds they publish.

If something goes wrong

Complain to your provider first: it must propose a resolution for most complaints within 10 working days. If that does not resolve it, the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman is free and independent. Mobile services made up 44.7% of the 57,592 complaints the TIO received in 2024–25, so you would not be alone. If you are struggling to pay, every provider must have a financial hardship policy and offer help such as payment plans. For older relatives, ourguide to phone plans for seniorscovers concessions and scam protection.

The three networks

Which brands run on each network, and what that means for coverage.

• Telstra networkWhich mobile providers use the Telstra network?
• Optus networkWhich mobile providers use the Optus network?
• Vodafone networkThe Vodafone network: coverage and which providers use it

Plan types and technology

What separates the kinds of plan, and the technology behind them.

• SIM-only plansCompare SIM-only plans: how to choose the right one
• Prepaid vs postpaidPrepaid vs postpaid mobile plans
• 365-day prepaid plans365-day prepaid mobile plans: every brand's long-expiry SIM compared
• eSIMeSIM in Australia: providers, eSIM plans and travel eSIMs
• 5G and coverage5G coverage and 5G mobile plans in Australia

Your situation

Travelling, choosing for an older person, or moving provider.

• International roamingInternational roaming plans: your options and the bill-shock rules
• Seniors and pensionersMobile phone plans for seniors and pensioners
• Switch and keep your numberHow to switch mobile providers and keep your number

Mobile plan FAQs