Compare Boost vs Telstra mobile phone plans

About Telstra vs Boost Mobile

Boost Mobile and Telstra are perhaps two of the most well-known telcos on the Australian market, but are two vastly different providers.

Telstra offers a wide range of phone plans which include both SIM-only prepaid and postpaid plans and plans bundled with a new phone, along with internet plans and entertainment extras. Boost Mobile only offers SIM-only prepaid phone plans, however it does also offer a range of refurbished phones and devices.

While Telstra owns its own mobile network, Boost Mobile is known as a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO), which is a smaller provider which uses one of the three mobile networks to deliver services to customers. Boost operates on the Telstra network and is the only MVNO to have full access to Telstra coverage, delivering service to more than 99.4% of the population.

In late 2024, Telstra acquired Boost Mobile, which now makes it a subsidiary of Telstra. However, Boost Mobile and Telstra are still separate brands, which means you’ll have a different range of plans to choose from.

Boost Mobile vs Telstra: Plans and prices compared

As Boost Mobile specialises in prepaid plans, it’s easiest to compare it to Telstra’s prepaid plan range. Both can be purchased and recharged online and in a range of retail stores.

Boost has a large range of plans starting from a 7-day expiry starter plan, along with a range of 28-day expiry and 12-month expiry plans, all with unlimited calls and texts. Telstra offers a similar range with a 7-day plan, 28-day expiry plans and long-expiry plans which are available on a six-month and 12-month expiry period.

Boost Mobile phone plans

Boost Mobile offers five main prepaid plans with a 28-day expiry along with two long-expiry plans over 12 months and one starter pack over a 7-day expiry period.

All of the 28-day plans include data rollover, meaning you can roll over any unused data to the next recharge (provided you recharge before your plan’s expiry). If you’re the type of person who uses your phone’s data sporadically — 5GB one month, 10GB the next — this can be useful, but keep in mind rolled-over data expires after 28 days, so it’s not quite the same as data banking offered by other providers.

Boost Mobile also offers international call inclusions on most of its 28-day plans and its 12-month plan, with unlimited standard international calls to 20 select countries and additional minutes to 30 additional select countries.

Plans are available with 5G network coverage, however some plans may have 150Mbps or 250Mbps speed caps in place. If you want to make the most of fast 5G speeds, the most expensive 28-day plan has uncapped speeds.

Boost also offers a range of international roaming add-ons, which are available with different mobile expiry periods and inclusions. You can use Boost’s international roaming in 42 countries, including China, Fiji, France, Greece, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, the UK and USA.

Telstra phone plans

Telstra’s suite of prepaid plans include a 7-day expiry plan, a selection of 28-day plans and a couple of long-expiry plans over a six-month and 12 month expiry period. Some plans may be available as starter packs and others as recharges only.

All plans include unlimited standard national calls and SMS and mobile data inclusions, along with 5G network coverage, although speeds may be capped on some plans. You can also pick up international text and call minutes on some plans, with the number of messages, minutes and zones you can call differing between recharges.

Most plans, with the exception of the two long-expiry plans, include continuous data rollover up to 200GB. This means that if you recharge before your current expiry, any data you haven’t used will roll over for future use as long as you have an active recharge.

Telstra also offers a prepaid Casual plan, which is designed for people who don’t use their phone too often. It has a six-month expiry period and has a small amount of call, SMS and data inclusions. This plan is also a good option if you’re overseas for an extended period and want to keep your Australian phone number active.

Boost vs Telstra coverage

Telstra is the largest telco in Australia with the widest-reaching network which covers 99.6% of the population, while its 5G network covers 85% of the population. Boost is unique among MVNOs in that it’s the only one to use the full Telstra network. Other Telstra MVNOs will use only parts of the Telstra network and may not offer the same level of coverage, especially in rural regions.

However, Boost may not use Telstra’s full speed capacity (including on the Telstra 5G and 4GX networks), and has a speed cap of 150Mbps on both 4G and 5G networks for some plans, 250Mbps speed cap on others and no speed cap on its most expensive 28-day plan. So although you’ll still receive the same level of coverage on Boost as you would on a Telstra plan, your speeds might not be quite as fast.

Boost vs Telstra: Which is better?

As Australia’s largest telco, Telstra understandably has a large selection of phone plans on offer. From plans with handsets bundled in, to prepaid SIM-only plans, Telstra caters to almost every type of phone user. If you’re after uncapped 5G network coverage, Telstra does fit the bill, although 5G network access may be still limited.

Boost Mobile has the advantage of accessing the full Telstra mobile networks, and typically offers more value for money on its prepaid plans than Telstra. For example, Boost may offer around 10GB of data for a plan at the same price as Telstra. However, Telstra has continuous data banking up to 200GB, while Boost only offers a data rollover each recharge, which does expire.

When comparing Boost vs Telstra and which provider is best for you, both have a lot to offer customers when it comes to prepaid phone plans. Ultimately it may come down to what matters the most to you, whether it’s value for money, access to faster mobile networks, data banking or added inclusions.

About our phone experts

Emma Bradstock: Senior Telco Specialist

As Canstar Blue’s Senior Telco Specialist, Emma Bradstock covers all things mobile phone and internet, which she’s focused on for over five years. Emma has over a decade of professional writing experience across print and digital media outlets and for digital agencies, and has turned her hand to multimedia content and social media management.  She has a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Media from Macquarie University. You can follow Emma on LinkedIn.

Josh Filosi: Data Insights Analyst

Josh Filosi is Canstar’s Data Insights Analyst, and helps develop and deliver the methodology for Canstar Blue’s Value Rankings and Awards for the telco industry. He holds a double-major in Economics and Behavioral Science, and enjoys interpreting complex data. Connect with Josh on LinkedIn.