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

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Best overall
Best big data
Best with 5G
Best on the Telstra network
Other noteworthy plans

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

Felix 50GB Mobile Plan | 50GB per month | 5G Vodafone Network | $15p/m (for the first 3 months, then $30 per month)
This Felix Mobile Plan is the cheapest plan over the first year that offers 50GB of data per month. Usually costing exactly $30 per month, this plan is currently only $15 per month for the first three months with code ‘FELIX50’ (only available to new Felix customers). This plan runs on Vodafone’s 5G network and allows for unlimited data banking so no unused data will go to waste. The only caveat of this plan is that speeds are capped at 150Mbps but at this price point, we believe it’s still a great option.
Total cost and data for first year: $315 for 600GB

If you would prefer a plan that will consistently cost under $30 per month after the first year, this is our recommendation:

Best big-data mobile plan under $30

Lyca Mobile 80GB Plan | 80GB per 28 days | Vodafone 5G network | $6 (for the first 28 days, then $30)
Lyca Mobile’s 80GB plan costs $30 per 28 days and comes with an impressive 80GB of data which is the most amount of data we have seen for a plan in this price range. What’s even more appealing is that new customers can currently get the first 28 days for just $6 which is an 80% discount. Because this plan runs on a 28-day cycle rather than a full month, you’ll need to recharge 13 times a year, bringing the total first-year cost to $366, which is just over the equivalent of $30 per month. This means that over the first year, the average monthly cost works out to be about $30.50. While this is more than $30 per month, we believe that extra $0.50 per month is worth it for those who need large amounts of data. This plan also offers 5G access on Vodafone’s network and allows data banking of up to 500GB so unused data won’t go to waste.
Total cost and data for first year: $366 for 960GB

Best 5G mobile plan under $30

Lyca Mobile 80GB Plan | 80GB per 28 days | Vodafone 5G network | $6 (for the first 28 days, then $30)
Again, our pick for this category is Lyca’s 80GB Plan because this is the only plan in this price point that offers over 50GB of data per month, as well as offering 5G coverage (on the Vodafone network). As mentioned above, this plan will end up costing just over $30 per month (an average of $30.50 per month over the first year) however if you need close to 80GB of data, we believe this deal is definitely worth the extra $0.50 per month.
Total cost and data for first year: $366 for 960GB

Best mobile plan under $30 on the Telstra network

Tangerine 30GB 5G Mobile SIM | 30GB p/m | 5G Telstra Wholesale Network | $30p/m
While you won’t find Telstra offering a plan costing under $30 per month, there are some plans in this price range from smaller providers that run on the Telstra Wholesale network. Tangerine used to have a plan that cost $29 per month but now its equivalent plan costs $30 per month. Although Tangerine's 30GB 5G Mobile SIM is not technically under $30 a month, it is still our top pick if you want a plan on the Telstra network that includes a decent amount of data. While there are other plans in this price range that run on Telstra’s network, we still believe that Tangerine’s plan is the best option.
Total cost and data for first year: $360 or 360GB

If you’re adamant about having a plan that costs under $30 a month, our recommendation would be Everyday Mobile’s $25 mobile plan which comes with 22GB of data and 30 day expiry. However, if you’re willing to spend an extra $5 per month, you can get a bonus 8GB per month and 5G access on Tangerine’s plan.

Other noteworthy plans under $30

• Spintel $22 Plan | 25GB per month | Optus Wholesale Network | $14 per month (for first 6 months then $22 per month)
Currently $14 per month for the first 6 months, then $22 per month ongoing. For the first 6 months, this plan is great value; for only $14 you get 25GB of data, which equals only $0.56 per GB. After the first 6 months, this plan is still good value, costing only $22p/m for a decent 25GB of data.

• Moose Mobile $26.80 SIM Only Plan | 40GB per month (for the first 6 months, then 27GB) | Optus 5G Network | $12.40 per month (for first 6 months, then $26.80)
For the first six months, this plan is one of the best value plans we have seen in this price range. During this time, each GB only costs $0.31. After the first six months, this plan is less competitive, costing almost $1 per GB for only 27GB.

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

Do any mobile plans under $30 include 5G?

Yes, there are a few plans for under $30 that offer 5G access. These include plans from Moose Mobile, Southern Phone, ALDI Mobile and Belong.

Is mobile coverage worse with cheaper providers?

In most cases, no. Australia only has three main cellular network providers: Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone. This means that smaller telcos essentially resell access to one of these networks. While there may be slight variations in coverage between the "wholesale" networks most smaller carriers use and the "full" networks of Telstra, Optus, or Vodafone, the difference is usually negligible for most users. For instance, Telstra's full network covers 99.6% of the population, compared to 98.8% for its wholesale network, with the variance primarily affecting remote rural areas.

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

Amelia is an Ecommerce Editor at Getprice who specialises in hunting down great bargains and useful discount codes across a wide variety of products and retailers, curating gift guides for all occasions, and doing the maths to calculate the top-value mobile and internet plans for a variety of needs. Her goal is to help make finding the best online discounts as easy as possible. She loves writing about major deals and sales events to help you get the most bang for your buck at sales time.