SIM only plans in Australia: postpaid and prepaid prices from eight providers

What SIM only plans can you get in Australia right now?

In Australia, "SIM only" covers two different products. Postpaid SIM only plans are billed monthly, usually with no lock-in contract. Prepaid plans are paid upfront for a set number of days, usually 28 or 30. Both bring your own phone. We read the plan pages of eight providers on 10 November 2026; most were running Black Friday offers, so the headline prices below often apply only to your first month or year.

Postpaid SIM only plans

Prepaid SIM plans

Optus's cheapest 28-day prepaid option was $40 for 100GB, an AutoRecharge-only plan that drops to 30GB after the activation and next two recharges.

This is desk research from each provider's own pages. We have not bought or tested any of these plans.

Postpaid or prepaid: which SIM only plan is cheaper?

On these November prices, prepaid wins at the low end. Four prepaid plans had a first month under $15, while the cheapest postpaid plan was $34. The catch is the ongoing price: the $12 Boost plan becomes $39 at the next recharge, and the $9 Lebara plan becomes $25.

Postpaid earns its keep on data and long promotions. Optus and Vodafone both held their $39 price for 12 months, with 100GB. Optus says "No lock-in contract"; Belong says its plans run month to month with no early termination fees.

ALDI Mobile was the only provider whose cheapest plan was not on promotion. At $28 for 12GB over 30 days, it is a fair benchmark for what a basic prepaid plan really costs once the deals end.

Which networks do the cheaper brands use?

The smaller brands rent space on a bigger network, and most of the pages we read named their host:

Boost

lists the Telstra Prepaid Mobile Network on its plan cards

ALDI Mobile

says it uses the Telstra Wholesale Mobile Network

Belong

owned by Telstra and uses parts of Telstra's mobile network

amaysim: its site links to the Optus mobile network and coverage map.

Lebara: the page we read did not name its network, so we have not stated one.

If you travel in regional Australia, the host network matters more than the brand, so check its coverage map for your route.

What do SIM only plans cost when you travel overseas?

This is where Australian plans differ most, and where the cheapest plan is often not the best.

Optus

the Small plan card lists $5 for 5GB daily roaming

Vodafone

"$5 Roaming" lets you use your included data, calls and texts in over 100 destinations for $5 extra a day. Vodafone says eligibility depends on the plan

Telstra

a postpaid International Day Pass is $5 a day in Zone 1 (New Zealand and six other Oceania destinations) and $10 a day in Zone 2 (80+ destinations), each with 2GB of data. The Premium plan includes five day passes a month

Belong

an international roaming add-on gives 3GB in over 45 destinations for $30, valid for 15 days

ALDI Mobile

7-day roaming packs start at $5 for 1GB in the Pacific or 2GB in North America. The Asia pack is $8 for 1GB, Global $15 for 2GB, and the Global Travel Pack $30 for 5GB with 30 minutes and 50 SMS

Take a week in Japan. Telstra's Zone 2 pass would cost $70 for 14GB in total, and Optus's would be $35 for its daily 5GB. Airalo's verified Japan price was $17 for 10GB over 7 days and Nomad's $16 for 10GB over 30 days, read on each seller's own site in August 2026. Those are US dollars, but even converted, a travel eSIM undercuts Telstra's pass clearly and Optus's by a smaller margin. The network's pass keeps your Australian number working for calls; the eSIM doesn't.

Can visitors use a SIM only plan in Australia?

A visitor wants prepaid, not postpaid. Prepaid needs no ongoing bill, and a 28-day plan covers most trips. On the pages we read, every prepaid brand offered eSIM: Boost and amaysim say "eSIM ready", ALDI offers a physical SIM or eSIM, Lebara says eSIM is available, and Telstra and Optus sell both.

Compare that with a travel eSIM bought before you fly. Airalo's verified Australia price was $16.50 for 10GB over 7 days, Nomad's $15 for 10GB over 30 days and Saily's $17.99 for 10GB over 30 days (US dollars, read August 2026). A local first recharge of $9 to $13 for 25GB to 80GB is cheaper and gives you a local number. The eSIM's advantage is that you install it before you fly. Our Australia SIM card comparison covers which one suits which trip.

Which SIM only plan would we pick?

For the cheapest first month, Lebara's $9 or Boost's $12, with Boost on Telstra's network. For a full year at a low price, Optus or Vodafone at $39 a month with 100GB, if you sign up before the offers close on 12 and 16 November. For a plan that stays cheap after the promotions, ALDI Mobile at $28.

If you travel overseas often, add the roaming cost to the plan price. Optus and Vodafone at $5 a day are the cheapest of the big three for short trips.

For more detail, see Telstra SIM only plans, Optus SIM only plans, our Boost Mobile and Vodafone Australia guides, and Telstra international roaming.