Best mobile plans under $30: who offers them and what’s included

If you’re after a budget-friendly mobile plan that costs under $30 per month, we’re here to help.

There are a decent number of both prepaid and postpaid plans at this price point, especially if you’re willing to go with a smaller provider.

The main shortcoming with plans under $30 is that many don’t include a huge amount of data. Our research has shown that the average amount of data on plans under $30 is 17GB per month, with only a handful offering more than 25GB. While there are a couple of plans offering 40GB and one offering 50GB per month, if you need more than that, you will probably have to consider increasing your budget.

The 'average' mobile plan under $30

To help provide some context on what represents a good deal under $30, we crunched the numbers to figure out what an average plan between $20 and $30 looks like when it comes to cost and data allowance.

• Average price: $25.40
• Average monthly data: 21.84
• Average cost per GB: $1.36

To select the best-value plans under $30, we compared options in the $20-$30 range from over a dozen major Australian providers. We looked for any standouts in terms of price, data allowance, network coverage and additional features like data banking. We've included plans with introductory discounts (or other bonuses in this process) but only on the strict condition that the average monthly price for the first year remained under $30 (or $360 in total).

From our perspective, a year is the minimum amount of time we'd want to put between switching phone providers. At this point, you'll also have had plenty of time to decide if the ongoing extra cost is worth paying... or if it's time to find a better new deal from another telco instead.

Now, on to the picks!

Best mobile plans under $30 overall

Lyca Mobile Small Mobile Plan | 50GB per 28 days | $15p/m (for the first 6 months, then $30 per month) | Vodafone 5G Network
Lyca’s Small Mobile Plan is the cheapest plan we’ve seen over the first year that offers 50GB of data per month. Usually costing exactly $30, this plan is currently only $15 per 28 days for the first six renewals (only available to new Lyca customers). This plan runs on Vodafone’s 5G network and allows you to rollover leftover data up to 500GB so leftover data won’t automatically go to waste after the 28 days is over. The only caveat of this plan is that speeds are capped at 100Mbps but at this price point, we believe it’s still a great option. It’s also worth noting that because this plan has a 28 day expiry instead of a 1 month expiry, you will have to renew 13 times instead of 12 per year to be covered for 364 days.
Total cost and data for first year: $300 for 600GB

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Best big-data mobile plan under $30

Dodo Large Mobile Plan | 80GB per month | $20p/m (for the first 6 months, then $40) | 1 month expiry | Optus 5G Network
Dodo’s Large Mobile plan comes with 80GB of data per month, making it the plan with the largest data allowance we have seen in this price range.Normally priced at $40 per month, new Dodo customers can currently get this plan for $20 per month for the first six months. Over the first year, you'll pay a total of $360, which works out to the equivalent of $30 per month. While it doesn't technically come in under our $30 monthly budget, we think the generous 80GB data allowance offers excellent value, making it our pick for the best high-data mobile plan in this price range.After the first year, you will be paying $40 per month ongoing, so if you’re on a strict budget, we recommend switching to a cheaper plan before then. The plan also offers 5G access on Optus’s network and allows unlimited data banking so unused data won’t go to waste.
Total cost and data for first year: $360 for 960GB

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Best 5G mobile plan under $30

Dodo Large Mobile Plan | 80GB per month | $20p/m (for the first 6 months, then $40) | 1 month expiry | Optus 5G Network
Again, our pick for this category is Dodo’s Large Mobile Plan, thanks to its generous data allowance as well as 5G access on the Optus network. As mentioned above, the plan works out to exactly $30 per month over the first year, so it doesn’t technically fall under the $30 mark. However, if you’re not working with a strict budget, we still think it’s a great-value option worth considering.Just keep in mind that after the introductory period, the plan reverts to its full $40 per month price. So, if you want to keep your mobile bill below $30 per month, you’ll need to switch to a cheaper plan once the first year is up.
Total cost and data for first year: $360 for 960GB

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Best mobile plan under $30 on the Telstra network

Tangerine 50GB 5G Mobile SIM | 50GB p/m | $18p/m (for first 4 months, then $36p/m) | 1 month expiry | 5G Telstra Wholesale Network
While you won’t find Telstra offering a plan for under $30 per month, you can find options in this price range from smaller providers that use the Telstra Wholesale network, which covers 98.8% of the population (just 0.9% less than Telstra’s full network and 0.3% more than Optus’s network coverage). One of the best value options right now is from Tangerine Telecom. Tangerine’s 40GB plan usually costs $36 per month but is currently discounted down to $18 per month for the first four months, meaning that over the first year, you pay exactly $360. While this isn’t under $30 per month, we think the generous data allowance and access to 5G on the Telstra Wholesale Network makes it a plan worth recommending. Any unused data can be rolled over (up to 1000GB), so nothing goes to waste.
Once the four months, the plan will cost $36 per month which means that the second year will cost over $360 total, so if you’re looking for an ongoing plan under $30, our recommendation would be Superloop's $25 plan which comes with 15GB of data and also runs on Telstra’s network (however it doesn’t offer 5G access).
Total cost and data for first year: $270 for 360GB.

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Best long expiry plan under $30

OnePass Mobile 300GB 365 Day Plan | 450GB (for the first 365 days, then 360GB) | $179 (for the first 365 days, then $300) | Optus 4G Wholesale Network
One Pass Mobile’s $300 plan is currently discounted to just $179 for new customers, plus it comes with a bonus 90GB for the first year, bringing the total data allowance to 450GB. That works out to less than $15 per month for 37.5GB of data each month over the first year, making it excellent value. It also has one of the largest data allowances of any long-expiry plan currently available, and at less than $15 per month, it’s hard to beat.
After the first year, the price goes back up to $300 for 360GB which is still decent value, and remains under $30 per month, but it’s probably worth seeing if you can find a better value plan when the time comes.
Total cost and data for first year: $179 or 450GB

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Other noteworthy plans under $30

• Swoop 50GB SIM Only 5G Plan | 50GB | $22.90p/m (for the first six months, then $32.90p/m) | Vodafone 5G Network
Swoop’s 50GB plan usually costs $32.90 per month but is currently discounted down to $22.90 per month for the first six months. This means that over the first year, it costs $334.80 total, keeping it under the equivalent of $30 per month. After the first year, each month will cost $32.90 so you’ll have to switch to a cheaper plan if you’re on a strict budget.
Cost and data for first year: $334.80 for 600GB

• OnePass Mobile 32GB Plan | 32GB p/m | $15p/m (for the first 6 renewals, then $30p/m) | 28 day expiry | Optus 4G Network
This plan comes with a 28-day expiry and is just $15 for the first three recharges, increasing to $30 thereafter. It includes 32GB of data which is a decent amount for the price, and it runs on Optus’s 4G network. Bare in mind that because this is a 28 day plan you will have to recharge 13 times to be covered for the whole year.
Cost and data for first year: $300 for 416GB

• Dodo Medium Mobile Plan | 40GB per month | $15p/m (for the first six months, then $30p/m) | Optus 5G Network
Usually costing exactly $30 per month for 40GB of data, this plan is currently 50% off for the first six months, offering very good value. After the first six months, this plan isn’t technically under $30 per month but with a decent data allowance, it’s still a good option after the introductory offer.
Cost and data for first year: $270 for 480GB

• Spintel $23 Plan | 25GB p/m| $12 per month (for first 6 months then $23 per month) | Optus Wholesale Network | 1 month expiry Spintel’s $23 plan is currently one of the cheapest plans in the ‘$20 to $30 per month’ category thanks to the current discount which brings it down to just $12 per month for the first 6 months for 25GB of data. If you don’t need more than 25GB of data, this plan is a great option, and what’s even better is that the price stays under $30 ongoing so if you’re on a strict budget, you won’t have to switch to a cheaper plan after the introductory offer ends.
Cost and data for first year: $210 for 300GB

• Felix 25GB Mobile Plan | 25GB p/m | $15p/m (for the first 2 months, then $30p/m) | 1 month expiry | Vodafone 5G Network
This Felix Mobile plan is currently only $15 per month for the first two months, after which it goes up to $30 per month. Running on the Vodafone 5G network, this plan gives you 25GB and unlimited data banking for any unused data. Make sure you use the code ‘FLX25’ at checkout to secure this deal.
Cost and data for first year: $330 for 300GB

How to find the best plan under $30 for your needs

If you are looking for a plan under $30 per month, there are some tips and tricks you can use to ensure you find the best plan for your needs.

1. Know your data needs. When looking for a mobile plan, it’s important to know how much data you use. If you don’t know how to check your data usage, we have a guide that can help. Once you know how much data you use, it’s easier to find a plan that suits your real requirements, and you’ll be less likely to choose a more expensive plan with more data than you actually need.

2. Do you need 5G? Most plans under $30 don’t offer 5G. While there are a handful that do, it’s less common and you might find yourself paying a bit more just for 5G access. It’s worth thinking about whether you really need the extra speeds that 5G offers, especially since the plans at this price point usually come with smaller amounts of data – so it arguably isn’t really necessary to have the top speeds.

3. Be wary of introductory discounts. While initial deals on the price of a plan or extra data can be tempting, it’s important that you check the costs after these discounts end because you may end up paying more than you originally intended.

5. Plan renewal periods can be deceptive. It’s important to be careful when looking at 28 day prepaid plans, because these can actually end up costing you more as they need to be recharged 13 times a year instead of 12.

Compare more phone plans under $30

FAQs

• If you want to spend even less, we also have a best mobile plans under $20 page!