What is the cheapest phone plan in Australia right now (2026)?

Published: 8 October 2026 · Last updated: 8 October 2026 · Author: Aryan Gaekwad, Points and Loyalty Editor, ShopBack

In Australia in 2026, the cheapest phone plan for most people is a prepaid 28-day plan. At the time of writing, amaysim listed an ongoing plan at $35 for 42GB every 28 days and Optus listed Flex Plus prepaid at $40 for 30GB, while Optus's cheapest postpaid SIM plan was $60 a month for 60GB. Heavy data users can get better value per gigabyte from postpaid. Before you sign up, go through ShopBack Australia so your effective price drops.

New to ShopBack? ShopBack Australia is a free app and website that gives you money back when you shop or sign up through it at partner stores, including telcos like Optus. You tap through from the store's ShopBack page, sign up as you normally would, and part of what you paid comes back to your ShopBack account as cash. Join ShopBack Australia for free before you choose your next plan.

How we checked. We read Optus's SIM plans page and its prepaid page, amaysim's plans listing, and the Optus store page on ShopBack Australia on 8 October 2026. Phone plan prices change often, so treat every figure below as what each telco showed at the time of writing, and check the telco's own page on the day you sign up.

---

What is the cheapest phone plan in Australia right now?

The cheapest phone plan is the one that covers your real data use at the lowest yearly cost, and for most Australians that is a prepaid 28-day plan. Here is what the telcos listed at the time of writing.

Plan	Type	Price	Data	Yearly cost
amaysim 42GB	Prepaid, every 28 days	$35	42GB	$455 (13 renewals)
Optus Flex Plus $40	Prepaid, every 28 days, AutoRecharge	$40	30GB ongoing (100GB on activation and the next two recharges)	$520 (13 recharges)
amaysim 80GB	Prepaid, every 28 days	$40	80GB	$520 (13 renewals)
Optus Flex Plus $50	Prepaid, every 28 days, AutoRecharge	$50	40GB ongoing (120GB on activation and the next two recharges)	$650 (13 recharges)
Optus Small Choice Plus	Postpaid SIM, month to month	$60	60GB	$720 (12 months)
Optus Medium Choice Plus	Postpaid SIM, month to month	$70	240GB	$840 (12 months)
Optus Large Choice Plus	Postpaid SIM, month to month	$90	480GB	$1,080 (12 months)

Sources: Optus SIM plans and prepaid pages, amaysim plans listing, at the time of writing. Introductory prices for new services are left out because they change from week to week; the table shows the price you pay once any intro deal ends.

Read the table by your monthly data. If you use under about 30GB a month, the cheapest prepaid plans cover you for roughly $35 to $40 per 28 days. If you stream video on mobile data or hotspot a laptop, a bigger allowance can work out cheaper per gigabyte than topping up.

Other telcos Australians compare for cheap phone plans include Telstra, Vodafone, amaysim, Boost Mobile, Belong and Lebara, so price your usage across a few before you commit.

Cheap phone plans: what decides the price

Three things decide what a cheap phone plan really costs you: the billing cycle, the data you actually use, and what happens after any intro deal ends.

• Billing cycle. Prepaid plans usually renew every 28 days. That is 13 bills a year, not 12, so a $40 recharge is about $43.33 a month in real terms. Postpaid SIM plans bill monthly.
• Data you actually use. Check the last three months of usage in your current telco's app. Most people overestimate. Paying for 240GB when you use 20GB is the most common way to overspend.
• Price after the intro deal. Optus and amaysim both advertise lower prices for new services that revert after a set number of recharges or months. Optus, for example, was running a 12-month intro price on SIM plans for new services that reverts to the standard 60GB plan price afterwards. Budget for the ongoing price, not the headline.
• Lock-in. Optus says its SIM plans are month to month with no lock-in contract, and amaysim says the same of its prepaid plans, so you can move when a cheaper plan appears.
• Excess charges. Optus says its SIM plans carry no excess data charges and slow you to a maximum of 1.5Mbps once you reach your limit, so there is no surprise bill.

Cheap phone plans in Australia in 2026: prepaid vs postpaid

In 2026, prepaid is usually cheaper per year for light and medium users, while postpaid gives more data per dollar at the top end.

The maths at the time of writing:

• Light user (under 30GB a month): amaysim's $35 plan for 42GB costs $455 a year. Optus Flex Plus $40 costs $520 a year. Optus's $60 postpaid plan costs $720 a year. Prepaid saves $200 to $265 a year here.
• Medium user (40GB to 80GB): amaysim's $40 plan for 80GB costs $520 a year, against $720 a year for Optus's 60GB postpaid plan.
• Heavy user (200GB or more): Optus's Medium Choice Plus gives 240GB for $70 a month, or $840 a year. That is about 29 cents per gigabyte, against about $1 per gigabyte on the $60 plan for 60GB.

Postpaid plans can also come with perks. At the time of writing, Optus listed monthly SubHub credit for subscriptions on some of its larger SIM plans. These only count as savings if you would pay for those subscriptions anyway. For streaming costs, see our streaming subscription savings guide.

Cheap phone plans: best deals in Australia for 2026

The best phone plan deals in 2026 are the ones that stay cheap after the first few months. Use these checks to judge any deal.

1. Find the ongoing price. Many deals are new-service offers. Optus's prepaid offers, for example, give extra data on activation and the next two recharges before dropping to the standard allowance. amaysim's offers apply a discount to the first renewals before the ongoing price applies.
2. Check AutoRecharge rules. Optus says its $40 and $50 Flex Plus options are only available with AutoRecharge. If you cancel AutoRecharge, you have to pick a different recharge option at expiry, and the $40 and $50 options are no longer available to you.
3. Count included extras you would actually use. Optus Flex Plus lists a $5 eGift card with every recharge on the $40 plan and $10 on the $50 plan, plus Unlimited Data Weekends when you AutoRecharge. Optus also lists a $4 discount with AutoRecharge on its $44, $54 and $64 recharges.
4. Look at long-expiry recharges if you hate renewals. amaysim lists 240GB for $320 every 365 days, about $26.67 a month. Optus Flex Plus has $200 and $395 long-expiry recharges.
5. Go through ShopBack before you sign up. Going through ShopBack takes a few seconds and adds cashback to the same order, which lowers what the plan really costs you in its first year.

Optus cheap phone plans in Australia

Optus has two ways to pay less: month-to-month SIM plans with no lock-in, and Flex Plus prepaid plans that renew every 28 days.

Optus SIM plans (postpaid). According to Optus at the time of writing, the standard SIM plans were Small Choice Plus at $60 a month for 60GB, Medium Choice Plus at $70 for 240GB, and Large Choice Plus at $90 for 480GB. Optus lists these features on its SIM plans:

• No lock-in contract; you can cancel any time through My Account.
• 5G access at no additional cost on compatible devices where 5G is available.
• No excess data charges, with speeds capped at 1.5Mbps once you hit your limit.
• A 24-hour Unlimited Data Day for $5 through the My Optus app for eligible customers.
• Unlimited standard national talk and text, and standard international talk and text to 35 selected destinations on select plans.
• A $5 a day international roaming pack with 5GB a day.

Optus Flex Plus (prepaid). Optus lists recharge options at $15, $40, $44, $50, $54, $64, $200 and $395. The $40 and $50 options are sold on AutoRecharge only. Optus says it no longer supports 3G, so your phone must work on its 4G or 5G network and support emergency calls over VoLTE; Optus has an online Device Checker for this.

Which Optus plan is cheapest for you? If you use under 30GB a month, Flex Plus $40 is the cheaper Optus option over a year ($520 vs $720). If you use more than 60GB, the $70 Medium Choice Plus SIM plan gives four times the data of the $60 plan for $10 more a month.

Whichever you choose, start from the ShopBack Optus page, check the offer and terms there, then sign up in the same session.

How ShopBack lowers the cost of a phone plan

Before you sign up for a new plan, go through ShopBack Australia: it takes a few seconds and lowers the effective price of the same plan.

Here is how it works. Open the ShopBack Optus page in the ShopBack app or on shopback.com.au, read the offer and terms, then tap through to Optus and finish your sign-up in that same session. When the sign-up is confirmed, part of what you paid comes back to your ShopBack account as cash.

Cashback lowers what you actually pay for an order. It comes back as cash, so it works like a discount on the price, not like points or miles. Your effective price is what you pay minus the cash ShopBack returns.

An illustrative example. Say you sign up to a $60 a month SIM plan, which costs $720 over 12 months. If an illustrative $50 comes back to your ShopBack account after sign-up, your effective first-year cost is $670, or about $55.83 a month. The real amount varies by plan and changes over time, so check the live offer on the ShopBack Optus page before you sign up.

A few things help it track:

• Start from the ShopBack page every time, not from a saved Optus link.
• Finish the sign-up in the session ShopBack opens.
• Read the terms on the ShopBack Optus page, which list what is and is not eligible.
• If you prefer amaysim, the same step applies on the ShopBack amaysim page.

For the full routine, see how to activate before you buy.

---

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest phone plan in Australia?

It depends on your data. At the time of writing, amaysim listed an ongoing 28-day plan at $35 for 42GB and Optus listed its Flex Plus prepaid plan at $40 for 30GB ongoing, while Optus's cheapest postpaid SIM plan was $60 a month for 60GB. For most light and medium users, a prepaid 28-day plan is the cheapest bill. Before you sign up, go through ShopBack Australia so the effective price drops.

Is prepaid cheaper than postpaid in Australia?

Usually, per bill. Prepaid plans charge every 28 days, so you pay 13 times a year instead of 12. A $40 prepaid plan costs $520 a year, which is still less than $720 a year for a $60 monthly postpaid plan. Postpaid tends to win only when you need a lot of data or want monthly billing.

How much does the cheapest Optus SIM plan cost?

According to Optus at the time of writing, its month-to-month SIM plans were $60 for 60GB, $70 for 240GB and $90 for 480GB a month, with no lock-in contract. On prepaid, Optus Flex Plus listed a $40 plan with 30GB ongoing and a $50 plan with 40GB ongoing, both on AutoRecharge.

Why does a 28-day plan cost more than it looks?

Because a year has 365 days, a 28-day plan renews 13 times, not 12. Multiply the recharge price by 13 to get the yearly cost, then divide by 12 to compare it fairly with a monthly plan. A $40 recharge works out to about $43.33 a month.

What happens when I run out of data on Optus?

According to Optus, its SIM plans have no excess data charges. Once you reach your limit you can keep using data at a maximum speed of 1.5Mbps, and eligible customers can buy a 24-hour Unlimited Data Day for $5 through the My Optus app.

Does amaysim use the Optus network?

Yes. amaysim describes itself as a mobile virtual network operator offering prepaid SIM-only plans on the Optus 4G and 5G network, with no lock-in contracts. That means coverage is broadly similar to Optus, while the plans, prices and customer service are amaysim's own.

Can I keep my number if I switch to a cheaper plan?

Usually yes. Optus says you can keep your number whichever provider you are coming from by choosing keep my number at checkout. Other Australian telcos offer the same number transfer, so you do not need to stay on an expensive plan to keep your number.

Are introductory phone plan deals worth it?

They can be, if you read when they end. Many intro deals apply to new services only and revert to the standard price after the first recharges or the first 12 months. Work out what you will pay once the deal ends, because that is the price you will live with.

Does ShopBack work on Optus phone plans?

Yes, Optus is a ShopBack Australia partner. Open the Optus page on ShopBack, check the offer and terms shown there, tap through and sign up in that same session. Part of what you pay comes back to your ShopBack account as cash, which lowers your effective price. The current amount is the one shown on the ShopBack Optus page.

Is cash back from ShopBack better than telco rewards points?

They do different jobs. Cash from ShopBack comes back as money you can withdraw, so it works like a discount on the price, not like points or miles. Telco perks such as gift cards or subscription credit only have value if you use them. Treat cash returned as the cleaner saving when you compare plans.

---

Key takeaways

• For most Australians in 2026, a prepaid 28-day plan is the cheapest phone plan; at the time of writing amaysim listed $35 for 42GB and Optus Flex Plus $40 for 30GB.
• Optus's postpaid SIM plans started at $60 a month for 60GB, with 240GB for $70 the better value per gigabyte for heavy users.
• Multiply any 28-day price by 13 to get the true yearly cost.
• Budget for the price after any intro deal ends, not the headline.
• Before you sign up, go through the ShopBack Optus page so your effective price is what you pay minus the cash ShopBack returns.

---

Related reads

---

Disclaimer

The views and recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author. Phone plan prices, data allowances, introductory offers, AutoRecharge rules and included perks are set by each telco and change often; the figures above are what each telco showed at the time of writing. The amount ShopBack returns varies by store and changes over time; check the live offer on each store's ShopBack page before you sign up.

This article is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be considered professional or financial advice.