One of few telecommunications companies in Australia which has a truly global presence, Vodafone entered the local mobile phone market in the 1990s and has since become one of the biggest providers around. The key to its success is clearly that Vodafone owns its very own mobile network infrastructure, which allows it to provide mobile services across the country. But does that mean Vodafone actually offers the best-value plans on its own network?
Vodafone also sells the use of its network to third-party mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs). These smaller service providers may lack the people and marketing power of Vodafone, but with low overheads they are often able to provide competitive SIM-only phone plans with equally reliable coverage. That’s why we’ve gathered together the best-value providers operating on the Vodafone network to make choosing your next mobile plan a little bit easier.
Best mobile providers using the Vodafone network
Vodafone might not be the cheapest telco around, but you can still pick up a decently-priced phone plan from many of the mobile providers using the Vodafone network. The table below shows a selection of prepaid plans from Canstar Blue’s database on the Vodafone network, listed in order of advertised cost, lowest cost first, then by data allowance. Use our comparison tool to see a wider range of plans from other providers.
Mobile Providers on the Vodafone Network
The leading mobile providers on the Vodafone network in Australia include:
There are a whole heap of plans to choose from that make use of the much-improved Vodafone network. Starting prices vary wildly, and you’ll need to look past price alone to see what you actually get for your money. The companies listed above are arguably the more popular mobile providers on the Vodafone network.
Felix Mobile
A relatively newer entrant in the Aussie telco space, Felix Mobile offers a simply range of plans on a subscription basis. The $25 and $30 prepaid plans both include a set data inclusion with unlimited data banking and no excess data charged (where you’ll still have access to your data at a capped speed of 1.5Mbs), along with unlimited standard national talk and text. However its $40 plan include unlimited data at the capped speed of 20Mbps, which means you’ll never pay excess data charges in Australia. Felix offers both 4G and 5G network access on all of its phone plans, however speeds are capped at 150Mbps on the two cheaper plans.
Felix Mobile also offers carbon offset options and claims to run on ‘100% renewable’ electricity. The company’s environmental focus makes it a good option for customers looking for a sustainable telco at an affordable price. Plans run on a 30-day expiry and auto-renew, but you’re free to cancel your service at any time. Felix Mobile’s base plan is outlined below.
iiNet
A telco with a reputation for great product value, iiNet was taken over by TPG, but it still offers its own range of home broadband and mobile phone plans. iiNet offers three month-to-month SIM only prepaid phone plans on the Vodafone 4G and 5G networks, with prices steadily increasing as you add more data. The top plan is the only one with international call value, with 100 international minutes included. 5G is only available on the two more expensive plans with speeds capped at either 150Mbps or 250Mbps, depending on your plan.
While these plans are prepaid, its slightly different to other prepaid providers — you pre-pay for your month’s plan rather than paying a bill at the end of the billing cycle. The month-to-month offering is different from the typical 28 or 30-day expiry period on many other prepaid plans. Plus, you can top up your ‘Prepaid Balance’ at any time to cover any excess data charges, rather than recharging your plan when you’ve gone over your inclusions.
TPG
One of Australia’s biggest home internet providers, TPG also offers a selection of competitive SIM-only prepaid mobile phone plans on the Vodafone 4G and 5G networks (although 5G speeds are only available on select plans and with capped speeds). There are three no-contract plans available, and you can pick up discounts on select plans for new customers or special offers if you’re also a TPG internet customer looking to bundle.
All plans include unlimited standard talk and text to Aussie numbers. The cheapest plan includes 100 minutes of standard international calls and SMS to 31 countries, while the two more expensive plans include unlimited standard international calls and SMS to 31 select countries.
Kogan Mobile
Kogan Mobile sees the online retailer’s venture into the telco world, offering internet plans in addition to its massive general department store. Kogan Mobile’s plans are all prepaid and come with 4G connectivity and unlimited calls and texts. Customers can choose from three monthly plans or from a range of 365-day plans which feature a total data amount to be used over a full year.
365-day plans allow you to pay for a full year upfront, and these plans do tend to offer more value overall. Think of it as like buying in bulk at the grocery store – it nearly always works out cheaper. Here’s a snapshot of what Kogan Mobile has to offer:
Lebara
A mobile service provider across several countries, Lebara offers a large range of plans in Australia, in addition to specific international call plans and data packs. Its big calling card is its international minute inclusions, making Lebara a great choice for Aussies with friends or family overseas. Plans start at just under $15 for which you’ll get unlimited calls & texts as standard plus 4GB data. There are also incentives for signing up to either a 180 day or 360 day plan.
Lebara has a large range of plans that offer a good compromise between data and international calls and texts – if your mindset is a bit more international, Lebara could be for you. Take a look at Lebara’s plans here:
Vodafone
What comparison of phone plans on the Vodafone network would be complete without a close look at the Big Red itself? Vodafone has a massive range of plans available, with prepaid, SIM-only postpaid and phones on a plan on offer.
- Vodafone gives flexibility in this space, separating the phone repayment from the plan so you’re able to swap phone plans if your needs change.
- Phone repayments can be made over 12, 24 or 36 months so suit a variety of budgets and needs.
- Postpaid Infinite plans include unlimited speed-capped data in addition to your monthly full-speed data allowance, with ‘infinite’ gigabytes restricted to 2Mbps.
Not only does Vodafone provide great value prepaid and postpaid plans but it’s also at the forefront of plan innovation, including its very popular $5 Roaming deal whereby customers get the same plan inclusions from overseas at an extra cost of just $5 per day.
What Vodafone plan is the best deal?
As with the other major telcos (Telstra and Optus), Vodafone the company is by no means the only way to access Vodafone the network. Beyond the providers reviewed above, there are several others that may be worth a look into:
With a wide variety of providers to pick from there is a range of options if you love your Vodafone network service. From our review, it’s clear that each of the providers has some unique selling points, whether it’s:
- A solid all-rounder, with no setup fees (Kogan)
- Unlimited data (Felix)
- Discounts for bundling with other services (TPG)
- Or additional incentives and bonuses, a wider variety of plans, no excess data charges in Australia (Vodafone)
It’s all about what you desire in a phone plan, but in summary, every provider excels in something different, so it can pay to compare them all.
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