Optus vs. Telstra mobile plans: Compare prices, coverage, and perks

By Dylan Crismale

Last updated 10 July 2024

Contents

In this Optus vs. Telstra guide:

Optus vs. Telstra mobile plans: Pricing
Optus vs. Telstra mobile plans: Coverage
Optus vs. Telstra mobile plans: Perks and features
Optus vs. Telstra mobile plans: MVNOs
Optus vs. Telstra mobile plans FAQs

They're two of Australia's biggest household names - so how do Telstra and Optus really compare when stacked against each other?

Keep reading to see how they match up on price, coverage and perks.

Optus vs. Telstra mobile plans: Pricing

The two telcos occupy fairly similar positions at a higher price than most providers in WhistleOut's database. At the time of writing, just $10 separates each telco's cheapest postpaid plans.

Take a look at how Optus' and Telstra's SIM-only plans compare:

#1	Optus	Optus $55 Optus Choice Plus Plan 50GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device $55/mth Min. cost $55 Go to Site	$55/mth Min. cost $55	Go to Site
#2	Optus	Optus $65 Optus Choice Plus Plan 200GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device $65/mth Min. cost $65 Go to Site	$65/mth Min. cost $65	Go to Site
#3	Telstra	Telstra $65 Basic Upfront SIM Plan 50GB data Telstra 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: Get your first 3 months device protect on Telstra, then $10/mth. $65/mth Min. cost $65 Link not supplied	$65/mth Min. cost $65	Link not supplied
#4	Optus	Optus $79 Optus Promo Plan 360GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device Deal: Get up to $10/mth SubHub credit to use on your favourite subscriptions for 12 months. T&Cs apply. $69/mth Min. cost $69 Go to Site	$69/mth Min. cost $69	Go to Site
#5	Telstra	Telstra $75 Essential Upfront SIM Plan 180GB data Telstra 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: Get your first 3 months device protect on Telstra, then $10/mth. $75/mth Min. cost $75 Link not supplied	$75/mth Min. cost $75	Link not supplied
#6	Optus	Optus $85 Optus Choice Plus Plan 400GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device SubHub: Receive up to $20/mth SubHub credit when you have an active SubHub account with subs greater than $0. T&Cs apply $85/mth Min. cost $85 Go to Site	$85/mth Min. cost $85	Go to Site
#7	Telstra	Telstra $99 Premium Upfront SIM Plan 300GB data Telstra 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: Get your first 3 months device protect on Telstra, then $10/mth. $99/mth Min. cost $99 Link not supplied	$99/mth Min. cost $99	Link not supplied

Optus vs. Telstra iPhone pricing

If you're after the latest iPhone 15, it's available from both Optus and Telstra.

Optus' plans start cheaper than Telstra and it offers more options. Here's how each telco's iPhone 15 plans compare across 128GB, 256GB and 512GB storage variants on both 24 and 36-month repayments:

iPhone 15 128GB Plans

Filters

#1	Optus	Optus $55 Optus Choice Plus Plan 50GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device 36 mths device payments $89.68/mth Min. cost $1,303.48 Go to Site	$89.68/mth (plan + phone) Min. cost $1,303.48	Go to Site
#2	Optus	Optus $65 Optus Choice Plus Plan 200GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device 36 mths device payments $99.68/mth Min. cost $1,313.48 Go to Site	$99.68/mth (plan + phone) Min. cost $1,313.48	Go to Site
#3	Telstra	Telstra $65 Basic Upfront Mobile Plan 50GB data Telstra 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices 36 mths device payments Deal: Get your first 3 months device protect on Telstra, then $10/mth. $99.69/mth Min. cost $1,313.84 Link not supplied	$99.69/mth (plan + phone) Min. cost $1,313.84	Link not supplied
#4	Optus	Optus $79 Optus Promo Plan 360GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device 36 mths device payments Deal: Get up to $10/mth SubHub credit to use on your favourite subscriptions for 12 months. T&Cs apply. $103.68/mth Min. cost $1,317.48 Go to Site	$103.68/mth (plan + phone) Min. cost $1,317.48	Go to Site
#5	Telstra	Telstra $75 Essential Upfront Mobile Plan 180GB data Telstra 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices 36 mths device payments Deal: Get your first 3 months device protect on Telstra, then $10/mth. $109.69/mth Min. cost $1,323.84 Link not supplied	$109.69/mth (plan + phone) Min. cost $1,323.84	Link not supplied
#6	Optus	Optus $85 Optus Choice Plus Plan 400GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device 36 mths device payments SubHub: Receive up to $20/mth SubHub credit when you have an active SubHub account with subs greater than $0. T&Cs apply $119.68/mth Min. cost $1,333.48 Go to Site	$119.68/mth (plan + phone) Min. cost $1,333.48	Go to Site
#7	Telstra	Telstra $99 Premium Upfront Mobile Plan 300GB data Telstra 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices 36 mths device payments Deal: Get your first 3 months device protect on Telstra, then $10/mth. $133.69/mth Min. cost $1,347.84 Link not supplied	$133.69/mth (plan + phone) Min. cost $1,347.84	Link not supplied

iPhone 15 256GB Plans

Filters

#1	Optus	Optus $55 Optus Choice Plus Plan 50GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device 36 mths device payments $95.24/mth Min. cost $1,503.64 Go to Site	$95.24/mth (plan + phone) Min. cost $1,503.64	Go to Site
#2	Optus	Optus $65 Optus Choice Plus Plan 200GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device 36 mths device payments $105.24/mth Min. cost $1,513.64 Go to Site	$105.24/mth (plan + phone) Min. cost $1,513.64	Go to Site
#3	Telstra	Telstra $65 Basic Upfront Mobile Plan 50GB data Telstra 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices 36 mths device payments Deal: Get your first 3 months device protect on Telstra, then $10/mth. $105.25/mth Min. cost $1,514 Link not supplied	$105.25/mth (plan + phone) Min. cost $1,514	Link not supplied
#4	Optus	Optus $79 Optus Promo Plan 360GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device 36 mths device payments Deal: Get up to $10/mth SubHub credit to use on your favourite subscriptions for 12 months. T&Cs apply. $109.24/mth Min. cost $1,517.64 Go to Site	$109.24/mth (plan + phone) Min. cost $1,517.64	Go to Site
#5	Telstra	Telstra $75 Essential Upfront Mobile Plan 180GB data Telstra 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices 36 mths device payments Deal: Get your first 3 months device protect on Telstra, then $10/mth. $115.25/mth Min. cost $1,524 Link not supplied	$115.25/mth (plan + phone) Min. cost $1,524	Link not supplied
#6	Optus	Optus $85 Optus Choice Plus Plan 400GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device 36 mths device payments SubHub: Receive up to $20/mth SubHub credit when you have an active SubHub account with subs greater than $0. T&Cs apply $125.24/mth Min. cost $1,533.64 Go to Site	$125.24/mth (plan + phone) Min. cost $1,533.64	Go to Site
#7	Telstra	Telstra $99 Premium Upfront Mobile Plan 300GB data Telstra 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices 36 mths device payments Deal: Get your first 3 months device protect on Telstra, then $10/mth. $139.25/mth Min. cost $1,548 Link not supplied	$139.25/mth (plan + phone) Min. cost $1,548	Link not supplied

iPhone 15 512GB Plans

Filters

#1	Optus	Optus $55 Optus Choice Plus Plan 50GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device 36 mths device payments $104.96/mth Min. cost $1,853.56 Go to Site	$104.96/mth (plan + phone) Min. cost $1,853.56	Go to Site
#2	Optus	Optus $65 Optus Choice Plus Plan 200GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device 36 mths device payments $114.96/mth Min. cost $1,863.56 Go to Site	$114.96/mth (plan + phone) Min. cost $1,863.56	Go to Site
#3	Optus	Optus $79 Optus Promo Plan 360GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device 36 mths device payments Deal: Get up to $10/mth SubHub credit to use on your favourite subscriptions for 12 months. T&Cs apply. $118.96/mth Min. cost $1,867.56 Go to Site	$118.96/mth (plan + phone) Min. cost $1,867.56	Go to Site
#4	Optus	Optus $85 Optus Choice Plus Plan 400GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device 36 mths device payments SubHub: Receive up to $20/mth SubHub credit when you have an active SubHub account with subs greater than $0. T&Cs apply $134.96/mth Min. cost $1,883.56 Go to Site	$134.96/mth (plan + phone) Min. cost $1,883.56	Go to Site

Optus vs. Telstra Samsung Galaxy pricing

In addition, Optus and Telstra also offer plans for the Samsung Galaxy S24.

Much like with the iPhone 15 plans, Optus tends to be more affordable and some plans even offer more data than Telstra's similarly priced plans. However, you need to consider whether Optus' coverage is enough for you and if bonus deals are worth passing up. Here's how Optus and Telstra's Galaxy S24 plans compare across their 128GB and 256GB storage variants on 24 and 36-month repayment plans:

256GB plans
512GB plans

Samsung Galaxy S24 256GB Plans

Filters

$65 Basic Upfront Mobile Plan

50GB data
Telstra 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices
36 mths device payments
Deal: Get your first 3 months device protect on Telstra, then $10/mth.

$99.69/mth

Min. cost $1,313.84

Link not supplied

$99.69/mth

(plan + phone)

Min. cost $1,313.84

Link not supplied

$75 Essential Upfront Mobile Plan

180GB data
Telstra 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices
36 mths device payments
Deal: Get your first 3 months device protect on Telstra, then $10/mth.

$109.69/mth

Min. cost $1,323.84

Link not supplied

$109.69/mth

(plan + phone)

Min. cost $1,323.84

Link not supplied

$99 Premium Upfront Mobile Plan

300GB data
Telstra 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices
36 mths device payments
Deal: Get your first 3 months device protect on Telstra, then $10/mth.

$133.69/mth

Min. cost $1,347.84

Link not supplied

$133.69/mth

(plan + phone)

Min. cost $1,347.84

Link not supplied

Samsung Galaxy S24 512GB Plans

Filters

#1	Optus	Optus $55 Optus Choice Plus Plan 50GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device 36 mths device payments $99.40/mth Min. cost $1,653.40 Go to Site	$99.40/mth (plan + phone) Min. cost $1,653.40	Go to Site
#2	Optus	Optus $65 Optus Choice Plus Plan 200GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device 36 mths device payments $109.40/mth Min. cost $1,663.40 Go to Site	$109.40/mth (plan + phone) Min. cost $1,663.40	Go to Site
#3	Optus	Optus $79 Optus Promo Plan 360GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device 36 mths device payments Deal: Get up to $10/mth SubHub credit to use on your favourite subscriptions for 12 months. T&Cs apply. $113.40/mth Min. cost $1,667.40 Go to Site	$113.40/mth (plan + phone) Min. cost $1,667.40	Go to Site
#4	Optus	Optus $85 Optus Choice Plus Plan 400GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device 36 mths device payments SubHub: Receive up to $20/mth SubHub credit when you have an active SubHub account with subs greater than $0. T&Cs apply $129.40/mth Min. cost $1,683.40 Go to Site	$129.40/mth (plan + phone) Min. cost $1,683.40	Go to Site

Optus vs. Telstra mobile plans: Coverage

Optus and Telstra don't just sell mobile plans, they also own and maintain the two largest mobile networks in Australia. Which of the two has the best coverage? Telstra's network is the larger of the two.

At the time of writing, Telstra's 4G network covers 99.6% of the Australian population while its 5G footprint covers 89%. Optus trails behind, its 4G network covers 98.5% of Australians and its 5G network covers 80.5%. Optus' 5G footprint doesn't extend into the Northern Territory.

You can use our coverage map tool below to compare Optus and Telstra's coverage (as well as Vodafone's):

Click to Activate Interactive Map

Coverage information is collected from carriers and other third party sources. This is approximate coverage only and does not include indoor coverage. Actual speed and performance depends on your location and device. Local conditions and things like natural and artificial physical features of an area all affect your reception. Coverage © Mosaik

Optus vs. Telstra mobile plans: Perks and features

Price and coverage are two of the bigger reasons you might choose one of these giants over the other.

If you're still undecided then there's also a whole lot of perks on offer from each provider that could sway your vote either way.

We'll break each perk down and see how they both compare.

International calls

Both Optus and Telstra offer international calls to customers, inclusions vary depending on the type of plan you're on.

Optus's Medium plan and above come with unlimited international talk and text to 35 destinations. Small plan customers can get a $10 add-on. Optus' prepaid customers on a 28-day expiry plan get some international call inclusions starting from 400 minutes to 20 destinations with the cheapest plan. As with postpaid plans you can add international calls if they aren't included with your plan. This starts at $5.

Telstra's Upfront plans are more restricted, they come with 30 minutes including international calls to any standard international number, after that, you need to purchase one of its International Calling Packs. International calling packs start at $10 per month to 23 destinations. Its prepaid options with 28-day expiry come with at least 300 minutes included to the same 23 Zone 1 destinations and start at 60 minutes of calls for Zone 2 destinations.

International roaming

If you want to take your phone plan overseas with you, you'll want to get an international roaming add-on.

Optus has one of the better options out there, you can roam overseas from just $5 per day on a postpaid plan, and you get 5GB per day with unlimited talk and text for a 24-hour period. It's available for over 100 destinations. Prepaid roaming starts at the same price for the same destinations but you're limited to 100 minutes of calls and 100 texts.

Telstra's option is more expensive and comes with less data. On Upfront plans, you'll need to purchase an International Day Pass, it costs $10 ($5 for New Zealand) and comes with 2GB of data, unlimited calls and texts. It's available for 70 destinations. Prepaid customers can get a prepaid international roaming pack starting at $10 for three days which comes with 400MB of data, 15 minutes of calls and 15 texts.

Unlimited data and data rollover

Both Optus and Telstra won't charge you excess data usage fees on their respective postpaid and Upfront plans. Instead, data is "unlimited". When you use up your monthly data allowance your speeds are slowed down to just 1.5Mbps, enough for basic browsing.

Both offer a data bank of up to 200GB for some prepaid customers to store any data they haven't used up by the time their plan expires. This isn't an option on Telstra's long-expiry plans.

Data sharing

On Optus postpaid plans and Telstra's Upfront plans, you can share data between plans on the same account. This is limited to 20 plans on the one account.

eSIM and 4G connectivity for smartwatches

It's easier than ever to sign up for either telco with eSIM. As long as you have an eSIM-capable device you don't need to wait for a physical SIM to ship in the mail or pick one up in-store.

Additionally, Optus and Telstra (as well as Vodafone) offer 4G connectivity for smartwatches. This lets you share the one number across both your phone and smartwatch so you can take calls on-device when your phone is at home. Each charges $5 per month on top of your monthly plan fee.

Subscription savings

If you're a big fan of kicking back and throwing on some Netflix than both telcos have something to offer in that department.

Optus postpaid customers get access to SubHub. When you bill streaming (and other) subscriptions through SubHub you can get up to a 10% discount off the bill - at least three subscriptions required. Optus customers also get discounted Optus Sport paying 60% less than non-Optus customers. Optus Sport even counts towards eligible subscriptions for SubHub's discount although it can't be further discounted itself.

When you sign up for a Telstra Upfront mobile plan you'll get two months of a free Binge subscription, four months free Spotify Premium and access to the Telstra Plus program. You can earn points on certain streaming subscriptions which you can spend on a whole host of rewards.

Optus vs. Telstra mobile plans: MVNOs

Optus and Telstra don't just own and operate mobile networks they also license them out to other companies. Mobile Virtual Network Operators or MVNOs are able to offer cheaper plans to customers because they don't have the overheads network operators have.

Optus MVNOs

If you want to get signed up to the Optus network but want to save some money, MVNOs are the way to go. Below you can see a list of Optus MVNOs we compare on WhistleOut and the cheapest plans with at least 15GB of data from 10 Optus MVNOs:

Optus MVNOs
Optus MVNO plans

Optus network providers 2024

At the time of writing, WhistleOut monitors the plans of 12 major MVNOs that use the Optus network. These providers are:

#1	Everyday Mobile	Everyday Mobile Pre-paid Mobile $25 Recharge 22GB data at download speeds up to 100Mbps Uses part of the Telstra 4G Mobile Network Deal: $25 SIM Starter Pack discounted to $12.50 + 10% off your grocery shop once a month $25 Per 30 Day Renewal Link not supplied	$25 Per 30 Day Renewal	Link not supplied
#2	ALDI mobile	ALDI mobile $25 Mobile Plan 22GB data at download speeds up to 100Mbps Uses part of the Telstra 4G Mobile Network $25 Per 30 Day Renewal Link not supplied	$25 Per 30 Day Renewal	Link not supplied
#3	Superloop	Superloop SuperSim Saver 4G Plan 15GB data at download speeds up to 100Mbps Uses part of the Telstra 4G Mobile Network $25 Per 30 Day Renewal Go to Site	$25 Per 30 Day Renewal	Go to Site
#4	Boost Mobile	Boost Mobile $26 Prepaid 17GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Telstra 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: Get 17GB data for the first 3 recharges, then 7GB from 4th recharge. New customers only. Activate by 07.07.25 $26 Per 28 Day Renewal Go to Site	$26 Per 28 Day Renewal	Go to Site
#5	Exetel	Exetel ExeSim Value 4G Plan 25GB data at download speeds up to 100Mbps Uses part of the Telstra 4G Mobile Network $28 Per 30 Day Renewal Link not supplied	$28 Per 30 Day Renewal	Link not supplied
#6	Tangerine Telecom	Tangerine Telecom 25GB 5G Mobile SIM 25GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Uses parts of Telstra’s 5G and 4G mobile networks Deal: Bundle your mobile and nbn plans on the same account to get 10% off your mobile SIM-only plan fees. T&Cs apply. $29/mth Min. cost $29 Go to Site	$29/mth Min. cost $29	Go to Site
#7	Belong	Belong 25GB Mobile Plan 25GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Uses parts of Telstra’s 5G and 4G mobile networks $30/mth Min. cost $30 Go to Site	$30/mth Min. cost $30	Go to Site
#8	More	More 25GB 5G Mobile SIM 25GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Uses Telstra Wholesale 4G/5G mobile networks Deal: $5/mth off mobile plan fees for 12 mths then 10% off ongoing if you are a CommBank customer - $25/mth for 12 mths, then $27/mth $32/mth Min. cost $32 Go to Site	$32/mth Min. cost $32	Go to Site
#9	Telstra	Telstra $39 Pre-Paid Mobile 55GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Telstra 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: Includes 40GB bonus data on first 3 recharges. $39 Per 28 Day Renewal Link not supplied	$39 Per 28 Day Renewal	Link not supplied

Telstra MVNOs

Telstra is one of the more expensive telcos in Australia but if you want to get on its network without paying a premium price you can turn to one of its MNVOs. The only key thing to note is of its MNVOs only Boost has access to the full Telstra network, the rest have access to only part of the 4G network which reaches 98.8% of Australias - although this is still more coverage than either Optus or Vodafone offers. When it comes to 5G, MNVOs other than Boost reach 75% of the population. In this case the Optus MVNOs win outright.

Below you can see a list of Telstra MVNOs we compare on WhistleOut and the cheapest plans with at least 15GB of data from 10 Telstra MVNOs:

Telstra MVNOs
Telstra MVNO plans

Telstra network providers 2024

At the time of writing, WhistleOut monitors 11 major MVNOs that use the Telstra network. These are:

#1	Everyday Mobile	Everyday Mobile Pre-paid Mobile $25 Recharge 22GB data at download speeds up to 100Mbps Uses part of the Telstra 4G Mobile Network Deal: $25 SIM Starter Pack discounted to $12.50 + 10% off your grocery shop once a month $25 Per 30 Day Renewal Link not supplied	$25 Per 30 Day Renewal	Link not supplied
#2	ALDI mobile	ALDI mobile $25 Mobile Plan 22GB data at download speeds up to 100Mbps Uses part of the Telstra 4G Mobile Network $25 Per 30 Day Renewal Link not supplied	$25 Per 30 Day Renewal	Link not supplied
#3	Superloop	Superloop SuperSim Saver 4G Plan 15GB data at download speeds up to 100Mbps Uses part of the Telstra 4G Mobile Network $25 Per 30 Day Renewal Go to Site	$25 Per 30 Day Renewal	Go to Site
#4	Boost Mobile	Boost Mobile $26 Prepaid 17GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Telstra 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: Get 17GB data for the first 3 recharges, then 7GB from 4th recharge. New customers only. Activate by 07.07.25 $26 Per 28 Day Renewal Go to Site	$26 Per 28 Day Renewal	Go to Site
#5	Exetel	Exetel ExeSim Value 4G Plan 25GB data at download speeds up to 100Mbps Uses part of the Telstra 4G Mobile Network $28 Per 30 Day Renewal Link not supplied	$28 Per 30 Day Renewal	Link not supplied
#6	Tangerine Telecom	Tangerine Telecom 25GB 5G Mobile SIM 25GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Uses parts of Telstra’s 5G and 4G mobile networks Deal: Bundle your mobile and nbn plans on the same account to get 10% off your mobile SIM-only plan fees. T&Cs apply. $29/mth Min. cost $29 Go to Site	$29/mth Min. cost $29	Go to Site
#7	Belong	Belong 25GB Mobile Plan 25GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Uses parts of Telstra’s 5G and 4G mobile networks $30/mth Min. cost $30 Go to Site	$30/mth Min. cost $30	Go to Site
#8	More	More 25GB 5G Mobile SIM 25GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Uses Telstra Wholesale 4G/5G mobile networks Deal: $5/mth off mobile plan fees for 12 mths then 10% off ongoing if you are a CommBank customer - $25/mth for 12 mths, then $27/mth $32/mth Min. cost $32 Go to Site	$32/mth Min. cost $32	Go to Site
#9	Telstra	Telstra $39 Pre-Paid Mobile 55GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Telstra 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: Includes 40GB bonus data on first 3 recharges. $39 Per 28 Day Renewal Link not supplied	$39 Per 28 Day Renewal	Link not supplied

Optus vs. Telstra mobile plans FAQs

Do Optus and Telstra use the same network?

No, both Optus and Telstra own and operate their own mobile networks.

Which one is better Optus or Telstra?

Both Optus and Telstra have their merits. It really depends on what you value more. Telstra covers more people than Optus so you might find your mobile signal goes further out in the sticks but with Optus, you'll pay less.

Can you change from Optus to Telstra?

Yes, you can easily switch mobile phone providers in just a few minutes, you'll even be able to keep your mobile number. If you're on a repayment plan for a device you'll need to pay out the remaining cost.