In this guide, we’ll compare cheap internet plans in Australia, pulled from our database of 34 providers, which our team of data experts updates regularly. We've also covered various home internet types to help you find something to suit your needs and budget.
Are intro deals a trap?
Many home internet plans in Australia have introductory discounts, usually for the first six months and limited to new customers. These short-term discounts might sound like a gotcha. But, as long as you keep an eye out, they can work in your favour with a little extra effort.
Very few NBN plans have entry or exit fees and the only time you're likely to run into a contract term is if you accepted a free modem with your plan (if you did, you might be able to return it). Because of this, you're free to change internet providers and hop between intro discounts. It might sound like a hassle, but it can add up to hundreds saved per year for well under an hour's work, especially if you just pop back to this page when the time comes.
But we know this isn't most people's cup of tea, so we've ranked the cheap internet plans below based on how much you'll pay over the first 12 months after signing up. This helps account for those intro deals without totally disregarding their savings.
Cheapest NBN 25 plans
- Max potential: 25Mbps
- Max potential: 5Mbps or 10Mbps, plan depending
- All fixed line NBN
NBN 25 is where you'll find some of the cheapest internet plans around. With maximum download speeds of 25Mbps, NBN 25 an accommodate two people with light-to-moderate internet usage.
The main thing to watch out for is upload speed. Some NBN 25 plans have maximum potential uploads of 5Mbps, while others have up to 10Mbps. This can actually make a big difference. because maxing out your connection's uploads will also bring your downloads (and thus your whole internet connection) to a halt until said uploads are done. If you're uncertain, we have a guide covering what upload speed you might need.
You might expect them to be the cheapest, but NBN 12 plans are often the same price as or barely cheaper than NBN 25 plans from the same provider. As such, we've left NBN 12 out of our comparisons due its poor value for money. But if you're truly keen on Basic NBN, check out our dedicated guide to NBN 12.
Alex Angove-Plumb, Digital Content Editor at WhistleOut
Cheapest NBN 50 plans
- Max potential: 50Mbps
- Max potential: 20Mbps
- All fixed line NBN
NBN 50 isn't quite the go-to source for cheap internet plans it once was. You can often pay a similar amount for NBN 100 or NBN 500, though the latter is only available to FTTP and HFC households.
That said, if you truly only need 50Mbps, there's not much point paying a few bucks more per month for speed you won't use.
NBN 100 and NBN 500 plans tend to be the same price. Households with FTTN, FTTC or FTTB are limited to NBN 100, while those with HFC or FTTP can get NBN 500.
The good news is most FTTN households and many FTTC ones can get a free upgrade to FTTP on request. You can read more about how this works in our NBN FTTP upgrade guide.
Cheapest NBN 100 plans
- Max potential: 100Mbps
- Max potential: 20Mbps or 40Mbps, plan depending
- FTTN, FTTC, FTTB
NBN 100 can offer good value for households with an FTTN, FTTB or FTTC connection. It's also the fastest NBN speed tier you can get for these technologies. (Those with an HFC or FTTP connection are usually offered an NBN 500 plan for the same or similar price.)
As part of their first-six-month discount period, many internet providers charge the same or a similar rate for NBN 100 plans ss they do for NBN 50. The price difference often only kicks in once the intro discount expires. Even then, the long-term disparity can be tiny when weighed against the doubled download speeds of this speed tier.
The cheapest NBN 100 plans tend to be NBN 100/20, meaning 100Mbps max potential downloads and 20Mbps for uploads. NBN 100/40 plans are rarer and tend to be more expensive, so don't expect to see them often in our comparisons below.
Cheapest NBN 500 plans
- Max potential: 500Mbps
- Max potential: 50Mbps
- HFC, FTTP
NBN 500 has essentially replaced NBN 100 for HFC and FTTP premises, with these new plans usually costing the same as the slower alternative. Unfortunately, it isn't available on other NBN technology types.
With 500Mbps maximum downloads and 50Mbps for uploads, NBN 500 plans deliver far more speed than most households need. But given the next-cheapest option for these technologies is often NBN 50 (and not much cheaper), you might as well treat yourself.
If you need a little more oomph than NBN 500 can deliver, check out our guides to NBN 750, NBN 1000, and NBN 2000 plans. But, while some options are less pricey than others, don't expect any of them to come cheap. As with NBN 500, these plans are limited to HFC and FTTP households.
Cheap 4G home internet plans
- Typical reported: 14Mbps to 25Mbps
- Typical reported: 2Mbps to 4Mbps
- 4G home wireless (non-NBN)
Despite this connection type boasting some of the cheapest internet plans in our database, we only recommend 4G home internet for households with very low online demands, that have good 4G coverage, and which don't have a decent NBN connection. 4G home internet is typically similar in price to NBN 25, but usually a bit slower and with less-standardised upload speeds.
Here are the cheapest internet plans for 4G home wireless in our database right now:
Most plans have unlimited data, but you'll be limited to max download speeds of 20Mbps or 25Mbps, depending on your provider. This can be enough if your internet needs are limited, but expect real-world performance to be under those speeds on most plans.
Cheap 5G home internet plans
- Max speed options: 50Mbps, 100Mbps, 250Mbps or uncapped
- Commonly reported: 11Mbps to 30Mbps, plan depending
- 5G home wireless (non-NBN)
5G home internet can be a great source for fast, cheap internet outside of the NBN – if you have good 5G coverage in your area. Like the NBN, plans are separated into tiers with maximum speed limits: usually 50Mbps (like NBN 50), 100Mbps (like NBN 100), and uncapped (often around 250Mbps downloads, but it can vary).
Here's a look at cheap internet plans for 5G home wireless:
Before you leap into a 5G plan for your home, consider how good your 5G mobile coverage and be sure to check if your home is included in the current 5G coverage maps:
We've covered fixed-line NBN plans in this article for the more popular speed tiers. If you have another type, we have guides that can help you find cheap internet plans for NBN Fixed Wireless and Sky Muster Satellite NBN.
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Alex Angove-Plumb
Digital Content Editor
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