- TPG: Best mobile provider overall
- SpinTel: Best SIM-only provider, Value Plans
- Dodo: Best SIM-only provider, Large Plans
- felix mobile: Best Prepaid Provider, Large Plans
- Vodafone: Best iPhone and Samsung plans
- Yomojo: Best kids plans
- Most popular mobile plans
- Prepaid or SIM-only?
- How to choose a mobile provider
In addition to the big three providers – Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone – there's a host of smaller names offering great value plans. While this amount of competition is good on the whole, it can make choosing a telco hard.
This is why we judge the WhistleOut Awards every year, where we find the best mobile providers on a national level. When judging the awards, we consider factors like plan pricing over 12 months, data allowance, and extra perks like bundling discounts, international calling, and roaming options.
TPG
TPG won our overall pick for best mobile provider, making it four years in a row it's taken home our Mobile Provider Of The Year award. This telco also won our awards for Best Prepaid Provider, Value Plans and Best Provider, International Calls.
So, what's good about this prepaid telco? As you might have already guessed: solid value and international calls.
Price
TPG plans have some of the best dollar-to-data value in our database. The standard monthly pricing is some of the cheapest around, but they're also usually 50% off for the first six months for new customers. They also have a monthly expiry, as opposed to 30-day or 28-day. When compared to 28-day alternatives in particular, this means TPG plans have 12 recharge periods per year, instead of 13.
On top of all that, bundling with a TPG home internet plan can save a further $5 per month by bundling mobile and internet, though this saving only kicks in after any intro promotions end.
International calls and SMS
All TPG plans include international calls and SMS to the same 31 selected destinations.
Even better, TPG's Medium and Large plans both have unlimited calls and SMS to those locations, making them a great choice for anyone who needs to phone home on a regular basis – assuming said home is on the list. While there are plenty of mobile plans with international calls, not many of them have any form of unlimited inclusions like this.
Network
TPG mobile plans are powered by the Vodafone network, which, thanks to a network sharing agreement, has almost identical 4G and 5G coverage to Optus.
Here are TPG's current mobile plans:
|
#1
|
TPG
Editor's Pick
30GB Small Plan
$15.00
Per 1 Month Renewal
Link not supplied
|
|
#2
|
TPG
Editor's Pick
50GB Medium Plan
$17.50
Per 1 Month Renewal
Link not supplied
|
|
#3
|
TPG
100GB Large Plan
$22.50
Per 1 Month Renewal
Link not supplied
|
Other winners
While TPG took home the top spot as best mobile provider overall, there are some sub-category winners you should also keep in mind.
SpinTel
Usually a hot contender, SpinTel won Best SIM-Only Provider, Value Plans for the second year in a row. While this telco has more than one virtue, its main appeal is clear: great value.
Value
SpinTel plans have some of the best data-to-dollar value in our database of any mobile plan, let alone just within the SIM-only category. On top of this, the telco gives new customers on its smallest plan $11 per month off for the first six months, thanks to a special deal exclusive to WhistleOut. This means 25GB for $12 per month while the deal lasts, then a still-very-cheap $23 per month after that.
Sadly, there are no intro discounts for its larger plans, but they're priced so competitively they don't really need it.
Network
SpinTel operates over the Optus 4G and 5G networks. Unusually for an MVNO, even its cheapest plan is 5G, though it is limited to 100Mbps. This speed is more than capable of just about anything you'd do on a phone, but it's closer to the speed cap of 4G plans than most 5G ones. Even so, the 5G support should still translate to more robust internet coverage in supported areas.
Here are SpinTel's mobile plans:
|
#1
|
SpinTel
Editor's Pick
$23 Mobile Plan
$12.00/mth
Min. cost $12
|
|
#2
|
SpinTel
$29 Mobile Plan
$29.00/mth
Min. cost $29
|
|
#3
|
SpinTel
$35 Mobile Plan
$35.00/mth
Min. cost $35
|
|
#4
|
SpinTel
$50 Mobile Plan
$50.00/mth
Min. cost $50
|
Dodo
Dodo was our pick for Best SIM-Only Provider, Large Plans, its introductory discounts helping to pip SpinTel at the finish line. These intro discounts can vary from month to month, but are usually around 50% off for the first six months, restricted to new customers.
Value
Dodo is well known as a budget-friendly telco, and its mobile plans live up to that reputation. While its regular intro discounts for new customers helped it secure this award, even its standard plan pricing is among the cheapest in our database. And this is particularly the case for larger SIM-only plans, where competition isn't quite as fierce.
All of Dodo's plans also include credit for international calls, unlimited data banking, and no overage fees(your speed is instead capped to a teensy 256kbps).
Network
Dodo operates over the Optus 4G and 5G networks, with even its cheapest plan boasting 5G access capped at 150Mbps.
Here are Dodo's mobile plans:
|
Dodo
Small Mobile Plan
$25.00/mth
Min. cost $25
|
|
Dodo
Editor's Pick
Medium Mobile Plan
$30.00/mth
Min. cost $15
|
|
Dodo
Large Mobile Plan
$40.00/mth
Min. cost $20
|
felix mobile
felix mobile might not be a household name, but this plucky provider took home the award for Best Prepaid Provider, Large Plans.
felix is particularly great if you need big amounts of data (or aren't great at keeping within your data limit), plus it's one of the few telcos with an environmental focus. It also has good standard pricing, a 50% discount for new customers for three months (use code FELIX50), and a seven-day happiness guarantee.
felix is certified carbon by the Climate Active initiative, thanks to investing in carbon offset projects and matching 100% of the electricity used in its operations with energy from renewable resources. The telco is also partnered with phone recycling website MobileMuster and each month plants one tree per active customer. So far, the total is more than 4.9 million trees, closing in on the company's goal of 5 million.
"Endless" data
felix is one of the few prepaid mobile providers with what's often termed "Endless" data. If you go over your data limit, you don't get completely cut off from the internet. Instead, felix slows your connection to a plodding 1.5Mbps.
This snail-like speed is enough to make surfing the web difficult, let alone watching videos or using social media. But you can still access basic functions like messaging and receive notifications from online apps and services. And you can always purchase a data top-up if you want, but at least you have the option.
Unlimited data
felix is the only telco in our database to offer a plan with truly unlimited mobile data downloads and uploads. And it's even pretty cheap, considering, coming in at $40 per recharge.
The catch? The plan always has a speed cap of 40Mbps in place. This is comfortably fast enough to do just about anything you'd do on a phone, including watching HD video. But if you regularly download large files, it might take a bit longer than you're used to.
Network
felix operates over the Vodafone 4G and 5G networks. Unusually for an MVNO, even its cheapest plan supports 5G and is limited to 150Mbps – most MVNOs reserve this for their mid-range plans.
Here are felix's mobile plans:
|
#1
|
felix mobile
felix 25GB Mobile Plan
$30.00
Per 1 Month Renewal
|
|
#2
|
felix mobile
felix 50GB Mobile Plan
$35.00
Per 1 Month Renewal
|
|
#3
|
felix mobile
felix Unlimited Mobile Plan
$40.00
Per 1 Month Renewal
|
|
#4
|
felix mobile
felix Unlimited+ Mobile Plan
$50.00
Per 1 Month Renewal
|
Vodafone
For six years in a row, Vodafone has maintained top spot as Best Provider, iPhone Plans and Best Provider, Samsung Plans. This is largely due to its nudging ahead of Optus in terms of pricing and data value, but it's always worth noting Vodafone's international inclusions and $5 daily roaming, too.
Value
Vodafone set the bar for competitive pricing and inclusions of iPhone and Samsung contracts over the last few years. Barring potential special deals from Optus or Telstra, it's regularly the place to go for anyone looking to pick up an iPhone or Samsung handset on a plan.
Customers with multiple mobile plans on the same account can also save on their total bill. Customers get a $5 discount for bundling an additional postpaid plan, then a further $15 discount for bundling each plan after that, up to a maximum of 10.
That's a maximum of $125 off per month... assuming you have 10 active postpaid plans. Just note this discount only applies to the base mobile plan fee (including SIM-only postpaid plans), not the handset repayment fee.
Roaming and international inclusions
All Vodafone mobile plans have international calling inclusions and $5 per day roaming when travelling overseas – one of the best international roaming options out there.
Here are Vodafone's current 36-month plans for the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air:
iPhone 17 256GB Plans
|
Vodafone
$58 Small Plan
$88.02/mth
Min. cost $1,593.72
|
|
Vodafone
$68 Medium Plan
$93.02/mth
Min. cost $1,598.72
|
|
Vodafone
$78 Large Plan
$98.02/mth
Min. cost $1,603.72
|
iPhone 17 Pro 256GB Plans
|
Vodafone
Editor's Pick
$58 Small Plan
$92.18/mth
Min. cost $2,043.72
|
|
Vodafone
$68 Medium Plan
$97.18/mth
Min. cost $2,048.72
|
|
Vodafone
$78 Large Plan
$102.18/mth
Min. cost $2,053.72
|
iPhone 17 Pro Max 256GB Plans
|
Vodafone
$58 Small Plan
$97.74/mth
Min. cost $2,243.88
|
|
Vodafone
$68 Medium Plan
$102.74/mth
Min. cost $2,248.88
|
|
Vodafone
$78 Large Plan
$107.74/mth
Min. cost $2,253.88
|
iPhone Air 256GB Plans
|
Vodafone
$58 Small Plan
$97.75/mth
Min. cost $1,944
|
|
Vodafone
$68 Medium Plan
$102.75/mth
Min. cost $1,949
|
|
Vodafone
$78 Large Plan
$107.75/mth
Min. cost $1,954
|
And here are Vodafone's 36-month plans for the Samsung Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26 Plus, and Galaxy S26 Ultra:
Samsung Galaxy S26 256GB Plans
|
Vodafone
$58 Small Plan
$88.02/mth
Min. cost $1,593.72
|
|
Vodafone
$68 Medium Plan
$93.02/mth
Min. cost $1,598.72
|
|
Vodafone
$78 Large Plan
$98.02/mth
Min. cost $1,603.72
|
Samsung Galaxy S26+ 256GB Plans
|
Vodafone
$58 Small Plan
$85.24/mth
Min. cost $1,893.96
|
|
Vodafone
$68 Medium Plan
$90.24/mth
Min. cost $1,898.96
|
|
Vodafone
$78 Large Plan
$95.24/mth
Min. cost $1,903.96
|
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra 256GB Plans
|
Vodafone
Editor's Pick
$58 Small Plan
$92.19/mth
Min. cost $2,243.88
|
|
Vodafone
$68 Medium Plan
$97.19/mth
Min. cost $2,248.88
|
|
Vodafone
$78 Large Plan
$102.19/mth
Min. cost $2,253.88
|
Yomojo
Yomojo took home our gong for Best Provider, Plans for Kids, thanks to its affordable options. When buying a mobile plan for your kids, total cost is usually a larger consideration than getting as much bang for your buck.
And during our judging period, Yomojo regularly met those needs. Yomojo's mobile plans are powered by the Optus 4G and 5G network, though its cheapest plans are restricted to 4G.
|
Yomojo
Starter 29GB Plan
$24.90
Per 30 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
|
|
Yomojo
Essential 42GB Plan
$29.90
Per 30 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
|
|
Yomojo
Pro 105GB Plan
$34.90
Per 30 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
|
|
Yomojo
Ultra 220GB Plan
$49.90
Per 30 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
|
Most popular mobile plans
While each WhistleOut Award winner deserves its spot at the top of the podium, there are always other options. When it comes to what's on offer right now, you might also want to consider taking a look at what other people are currently interested in.
We track plans from 28 mobile providers, updating pricing and plans regularly so you can compare them easily and find something that works for you. Below, you can find the most popular plans with our visitors. Popularity is based on the number of WhistleOut users who have interacted with a plan over the last seven days. We've further separated these into price categories.
|
#1
|
SpinTel
Editor's Pick
$23 Mobile Plan
$12.00/mth
Min. cost $12
|
|
#2
|
Pivotel
25GB Mobile Swift Plan
$11.45/mth
Min. cost $11.45
|
|
#3
|
Swoop
30GB SIM Only 5G
$14.00/mth
Min. cost $14
|
|
#4
|
TPG
Editor's Pick
30GB Small Plan
$15.00
Per 1 Month Renewal
Link not supplied
|
|
#5
|
Boost Mobile
$14 Prepaid
$14.00
Per 7 Day Renewal
|
|
#6
|
Lyca Mobile
Editor's Pick
Unlimited Plan S
$15.00
Per 28 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
|
|
#7
|
Moose Mobile
Moose 23 SIM Only
$14.00/mth
Min. cost $14
Link not supplied
|
|
#8
|
amaysim
7-day UNLIMITED 10GB Plan
$10.00
Per 7 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
|
|
#9
|
OnePass mobile
28 Day Plan - 22GB
$12.50
Per 28 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
|
|
#10
|
Vodafone
$13 Prepaid Plus Recharge
$13.00
Per 7 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
|
|
#1
|
Tangerine Telecom
30GB 5G Mobile SIM
$30.00/mth
Min. cost $15
|
|
#2
|
Dodo
Editor's Pick
Medium Mobile Plan
$30.00/mth
Min. cost $15
|
|
#3
|
felix mobile
felix 25GB Mobile Plan
$30.00
Per 1 Month Renewal
|
|
#4
|
Yomojo
Starter 29GB Plan
$24.90
Per 30 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
|
|
#5
|
TPG
100GB Large Plan
$22.50
Per 1 Month Renewal
Link not supplied
|
|
#6
|
Superloop
SuperSim Saver 4G Plan
$25.00
Per 30 Day Renewal
|
|
#7
|
Pivotel
80GB Mobile Swift Plan
$22.50/mth
Min. cost $22.50
|
|
#8
|
SpinTel
$29 Mobile Plan
$29.00/mth
Min. cost $29
|
|
#9
|
Kogan Mobile
Small Monthly Plan
$23.00
Per 30 Day Renewal
|
|
#10
|
ALDI mobile
$28 Mobile Plan
$28.00
Per 30 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
|
|
#1
|
Boost Mobile
$39 Prepaid
$39.00
Per 28 Day Renewal
|
|
#2
|
Optus
$60 Optus Choice Plus Plan
$39.00/mth
Min. cost $39
|
|
#3
|
Dodo
Large Mobile Plan
$40.00/mth
Min. cost $20
|
|
#4
|
Exetel
Plus One eSIM Plan
$40.00
Per 30 Day Renewal
|
|
#5
|
felix mobile
felix Unlimited Mobile Plan
$40.00
Per 1 Month Renewal
|
|
#6
|
Tangerine Telecom
50GB 5G Mobile SIM
$36.00/mth
Min. cost $18
|
|
#7
|
Superloop
SuperSim Essential 5G Plan
$35.00
Per 30 Day Renewal
|
|
#8
|
Belong
25GB Mobile Plan
$34.00/mth
Min. cost $34
Link not supplied
|
|
#9
|
SpinTel
$35 Mobile Plan
$35.00/mth
Min. cost $35
|
|
#10
|
Swoop
250GB SIM Only 5G
$40.00/mth
Min. cost $40
|
|
#1
|
Vodafone
$58 Small SIM Only Plan
$45.00/mth
Min. cost $45
|
|
#2
|
felix mobile
felix Unlimited+ Mobile Plan
$50.00
Per 1 Month Renewal
|
|
#3
|
Tangerine Telecom
75GB 5G Mobile SIM
$42.00/mth
Min. cost $21
|
|
#4
|
Telstra
$44 Pre-Paid Mobile SIM Starter Kit
$44.00
Starter Pack
28 Day Expiry
Link not supplied
|
|
#5
|
SpinTel
$50 Mobile Plan
$50.00/mth
Min. cost $50
|
|
#6
|
More
75GB 5G Mobile SIM
$46.00/mth
Min. cost $46
Link not supplied
|
|
#7
|
amaysim
UNLIMITED 120GB Plan
$50.00
Per 28 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
|
|
#8
|
EZEE Mobile
100GB Mobile SIM Plan
$45.00
Per 30 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
|
|
#9
|
Boost Mobile
$49 Prepaid
$49.00
Starter Pack
28 Day Expiry
|
|
#10
|
Everyday Mobile
$50 SIM Only
$50.00/mth
Min. cost $50
Link not supplied
|
Prepaid or SIM-only?
Prepaid plans come with a set amount of data to use within a renewal period – usually 28 days, 30 days or monthly, but it can be as long as 365 days. Use this data up and your internet is cut off until you recharge, but you keep your unlimited standard national calls and texts for the whole period.
Each time you recharge, your old renewal period ends and a new one begins. If your renewal period ends without a recharge, you lose all connectivity: data, calls, and messages.
"SIM-only" plans are usually postpaid, though a rare few require upfront payment. These upfront plans are in other ways the same as postpaid, so they get lumped into the same category.
SIM-only plans are a monthly subscription with a recurring bill. If you miss a payment, your provider keeps you connected and chases you up for the money. If you go over your data limit, you're usually charged a per-gigabyte fee for excess data. Plans like this don't have a contract, so you can cancel any time without fear of a big exit fee.
Overall, there's not much difference between prepaid and SIM-only plans in terms of standard data-to-dollar value or lock-in contracts. Prepaid plans tend to be harder to rack up excess charges on, which can make them better for kids or if you're on a tight budget, but they're not the only option for doing this.
Some providers offer "endless" or "infinite" data, which can come in the form of prepaid or SIM-only plans. Go over your data limit and, instead of being cut off (prepaid) or automatically charged for excess data (SIM-only), your internet connection is severely slowed to a maximum speed between 0.5Mbps and 2Mbps, depending on the provider. But you can always opt to recharge early or grab a data pack if you need to keep that connection at full speed.
How to choose a mobile provider
When you're looking for a new mobile provider, there are a few key factors to consider. These include the following:
If you want a new phone
Do you want a new phone, or are you happy with a SIM-only mobile plan? If you're looking to buy a phone on a plan, you're largely limited to Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone.
However, if you're happy with your current phone or plan on buying a new one outright, you can pick from a much wider range of providers, most of which have much cheaper plans than the Big Three. Smaller providers on the Optus and Vodafone networks have full access to those networks, though some plans are restricted to 4G and most have speed caps from anywhere between 100Mbps to 250Mbps. Most Telstra resellers operate over the smaller Telstra Wholesale network.
Postpaid or prepaid
If you're opting for a SIM-only mobile plan, you'll need to decide whether you want a postpaid plan or prepaid plan. These days, there's very little difference other than when you pay your bill.
- On postpaid mobile plans, you'll get a bill at the end of each month and have two weeks to pay it.
- On prepaid mobile plans, you'll pay upfront, ahead of your month.
Prepaid plans tend to be harder to rack up excess charges on, which can make them better for kids. Just note that some prepaid plans need to be recharged every 28 days, which means you'll be charged 13 times per year, instead of 12.
The amount of data included
You'll want to work out how much data you're currently using each month as a starting point for finding a new phone plan. While there's a host of supersized plans available with over 100GB per month now, there's no point in paying for that if you're only using 10GB. All providers have some sort of way to check your monthly usage – usually via an app or online portal.
According to the ACCC, the average Australian on a postpaid plan uses 18GB per month, while prepaid customers use 9.8GB per month.
Roaming inclusions
If you travel overseas regularly, you may want to look at mobile plans with international roaming. This is especially important if you want to use your local number when outside of Australia.
Coverage
Mobile coverage is always an important consideration: after all, you want to make sure you can actually use your mobile plan where you live, work, and commute. Any provider should be fine in metro areas, but you'll likely want to go with a provider on the Telstra network if you're more remote. Just keep in mind that only Telstra and Boost Mobile operate over the full Telstra network, whereas other Telstra resellers operate over the Telstra Wholesale network. The wholesale network is somewhere between Optus and Telstra in terms of 4G coverage, but is smaller than either for 5G.
How we pick the best mobile providers
We pick the best mobile providers through the annual WhistleOut Awards. We have reviewed the biggest cross-section of providers possible, including the top 10 service providers in each category and many smaller providers. The top ten service providers typically cover 80% or more of Australia’s phone and internet plans.
The WhistleOut Award categories for phone and internet plans are judged by awarding three, two and one points to the providers of the three best plans in each category on a monthly basis between July 2025 and June 2026.
When judging plans, we consider 12-month costs, features and perks, data inclusions, and support channels. In terms of support, we consider the breadth of support options available to customers, coupled with feedback from customer review aggregators. Due to the scope of telcos we track, we have not personally tested support services for each provider.
The award winners are the providers with the highest number of points at the end of the 12 months. In case of a tie, winners are chosen based on the number of 1st positions, then 2nd positions, then 3rd positions they achieved in that category over the year. A provider can receive points for multiple plans in a category if their plans best match the award criteria.
The Sustainable Provider awards are entered by written submission and assessed by WhistleOut's in-house panel.
The 2026 WhistleOut Awards, which were given to the mobile providers in this guide, were announced at the end of July 2026.
Alex Angove-Plumb
Digital Content Editor
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