There’s probably never been a better time to hop into a new phone plan. As usual, Telstra remains king for a lot of Aussie consumers, and offers a full complement of phone plans with extras and perks. Boost Mobile, on the other hand, specialises in cheap, data-packed prepaid phone plans, with decent value added. So let’s see how the two stack up, and find which provider is right for you.
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Prepaid offers you might like
The following table shows a selection of sponsored SIM Only plans on Canstar Blue’s database with links to referral partners.
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1 Month Contract (1 month min. cost $17.50) SIM Only Prepaid
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50GB Data/month |
$17.50 Cost/month |
Go to site |
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1 Month Contract (1 month min. cost $17.50) SIM Only Prepaid
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50GB Data/month |
$17.50 Cost/month |
Go to site |
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1 Month Contract (1 month min. cost $20) SIM Only Prepaid
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UnlimitedGB Data/month |
$20.00 Cost/month |
Go to site |
Boost vs Telstra: Phone plans compared
The table below shows a selection of prepaid plans from Canstar Blue’s database around the $30 to $50 price points, listed in order of advertised standard cost, lowest to highest, then by data allowance, largest to smallest. Use our phone plan comparison tool to see a wider range of plans from other providers. These are products with links to referral partners.
Boost vs Telstra coverage
Telstra is the largest telco in Australia, and also claims to have the widest-reaching network. It has a full suite of plans, including phones on a plan, prepaid plans and postpaid plans. Meanwhile, Boost Mobile is one of the oldest mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), operating with a comparatively concise bunch of SIM-only prepaid plans over varying mobile expiry periods.
After a 13-year flirtation on the Optus mobile network, Boost now operates on the Telstra mobile network. In fact, Boost is unique among MVNOs in that it’s the only one to use the full Telstra network. Others use only parts of it and may not offer the same level of coverage, especially in rural regions.
However, where Boost differs is that it does 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 Mobile vs Telstra: Prepaid mobile plans compared
Boost Mobile specialises in prepaid plans, so it’s only fair 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, a range of 28-day expiry plans and a selection of 12-month expiry plans, all with unlimited calls and texts. In comparison, Telstra’s range is similar, with plan expiries ranging from 7 days to a full 12 months.
To keep things simple, we’ve compared Boost Mobile’s 28-day plans plans alongside Telstra’s Prepaid Max Plans, all of which offer standard unlimited talk and text.
Telstra Mobile Phone Plans
Telstra’s standard suite of prepaid plans include plans with 7 days expiries and go up to 12 months’ expiry, with some plans available as starter packs and others as recharges only. All plans include unlimited standard national calls and SMS, plus mobile data, 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, dependant on the recharge cost.
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, and be stored away for future use. You can access banked data so long as you have an active recharge and it doesn’t expire after the following 28 days.
The following table shows all of Telstra’s prepaid starter plans from Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of advertised standard cost, lowest to highest, then by data allowance, largest to smallest. Use our comparison tool to see a wider range of plans from other providers. These are products with links to referral partners.
Boost Mobile Phone Plans
Boost Mobile offers five main prepaid plans with a 28-day expiry and Along with these standard plans, there are also three long-expiry plans over 12 months and one starter pack over a 7-day expiry.
All five 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 sporadically — 5GB one month, 10GB the next — this could be the perfect solution for you, but keep in mind rolled-over data expires after 28 days, so it’s not quite the same as Telstra’s data bank.
Boost Mobile also has fairly generous international call inclusions on most of its 28-day plans, with unlimited standard international calls to 20 select countries and 300 minutes to 30 additional select countries.
The following table shows all of Boost Mobile’s prepaid plans from Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of advertised standard cost, lowest to highest, then by data allowance, largest to smallest. Use our comparison tool to see a wider range of plans from other providers. These are products with links to referral partners.
Telstra vs Boost: Which is better?
Telstra, as Australia’s largest telco, understandably has a large selection of phone plans on offer. From plans with handsets bundled in, to prepaid SIM-only deals and more, Telstra caters to almost every type of phone owner. If you’re after uncapped 5G network coverage, Telstra does fit the bill, although 5G network access may be limited to certain plans.
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. As an example, if you’re looking for a plan with 25GB of data (excluding bonus data offers), you’ll pay $35 for 28-days with Boost, compared to $45 for 28-days with Telstra. While Telstra does offer some value add at times, it’s not quite as generous with data for money as what is available from Boost. However, Telstra has continuous data banking up to 200GB, while Boost only offers a data rollover each recharge, which does expire.
In the prepaid world, the competition is pretty tight. It tends to go down to the wire, and may work out to three things — price, data and features. Both Telstra and Boost have a lot to offer customers when it comes to prepaid phone plans, so ultimately it will depend on what matters to you most, whether it’s value for money, access to faster mobile networks, data banking or added inclusions. Either way, you’ll get plenty of value for money, and reliable Australia-wide coverage.
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