Best mobile plans under $50: great value options with up to 250GB of data

If you’re looking for the best Australian mobile plan under $50 per month, we’re here to help.

There’s quite a large range of plans at this price point, both prepaid and postpaid, from a variety of different providers. This includes plans directly from Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. However, it’s worth noting that if you go for a smaller provider (a.k.a. a mobile virtual network operator, or MVNO), you will most likely find plans that include more data than similar priced options from the big three telcos.

The 'average' mobile plan under $50

To help provide some context on what represents a good deal under $50, we crunched the numbers to figure out what an average plan in the $40 to $50 range looks like for cost and data allowance.

• Average price: $48.80
• Average monthly data: 79.52
• Average cost per GB: $0.71

To select the best value plans under $50, we compared options in that $40-$50 range from over a dozen major Australian mobile providers and examined any that stood out in terms of price, data allowance, network coverage and additional features like data banking. We’ve included plans with introductory discounts (or other bonuses) but only on the strict condition that the average first-year spend remained under $600 in total (or $50p/m).

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 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.

On to the picks!

Best mobile plan under $50 overall

TPG 100GB Large Plan | 100GB | $22.50p/m (for the first 6 months, then $45p/m) | 5G Vodafone Wholesale Network | 1 month expiry
TPG’s 100GB Large Plan is currently 50% off for the first 6 months, meaning it only costs $22.50 per month. During this time, each GB costs the equivalent of $0.23 which is a very good price. After the first 6 months, the price goes up to $45 per month, which is still a pretty competitive price for a plan offering 100GB of data. Over the first year, this plan is one of the cheapest that offers this amount of data, which is why we are recommending it as the best overall plan. It runs on the Vodafone Wholesale Network and you also get 5G access however data speeds are capped at 250Mbps. It’s also worth noting that TPG doesn’t allow any data rollover so if you don’t use the whole 100GB, it can’t be saved and used later on.
Total cost and data for first year: $405 for 1200GB

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Best big data mobile plan under $50

Swoop 250GB Plan | 220GB | $39.90p/m (for the first 6 months, then $49.90p/m) | 5G Vodafone Wholesale Network | 1 month expiry
For someone who wants the most amount of data possible for under $50 per month, we recommend Swoop’s 250GB plan. Before a discount, this plan just scrapes in at under $50 per month, costing $49.90, but currently it’s discounted down to $39.90 per month for the first six months. If you need over 200GB, this is a great value option, with each GB costing under $0.16 for the first six months, and under $0.2 ongoing – both of which are very competitive prices. Running on Vodafone’s Wholesale network, this plan offers 5G access, however speeds are capped at 150Mbps so you won’t be able to take advantage of full 5G speeds. This plan also doesn’t allow for data rollover, so if you don’t use the whole 250GB, it will go to waste.
Total cost and data for first year: $$538.80 for 3000GB

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Best 5G mobile plan under $50

TPG 100GB Large Plan | 100GB | $22.50 per month (for the first 6 months, then $45 per month) | 5G Vodafone Wholesale Network | 1 month expiry
Our recommendation for the best 5G mobile plan under $50 is TPG’s Large plan mentioned above, as it’s one of the cheapest plans over the first year that provides 5G access, plus it comes with a generous 100GB of data. For more information on this plan, check where we mentioned it above.
Total cost and data for first year: $405 for 1200GB

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Best mobile plan under $50 on the Telstra network

Exetel One 5G Plan | 130GB | $40p/m | 5G Telstra Wholesale Network | 30 day expiry
You can’t find a plan from Telstra for under $50 per month unless there’s a discount, however there’s a wide range of plans within this price range from smaller providers that run on the Telstra Wholesale Network. Our recommendation for the best plan under $50 on the Telstra network is Exetel’s One Plan, which is the telco's only mobile plan offering. Costing $40 per month for an impressive 130GB, each GB costs the equivalent of only $0.31. You also don’t have to worry about this plan increasing in price after an introductory offer because the ongoing cost is $40 per month. Running on Telstra’s Wholesale Network, this plan offers 5G access and up to 1000GB of data rollover. The only caveat is that data speeds are capped at 150Mbps but for this price, we still think it’s a great deal.
Total cost and data for first year: $480 for 1560GB

Other noteworthy plans under $50

• Felix Mobile Unlimited Mobile Plan | Unlimited data (capped at 40Mbps) | $20 (for the first 3 months, then $40p/m) | 5G Vodafone Wholesale Network | 1 month expiry
Felix’s Unlimited Mobile Plan offers unlimited data for just $40 per month which is already a great deal, however it’s currently even better because new Felix customers can currently save 50% on the plan for the first three months and get it for only $20. While this plan does offer unlimited data, speeds are capped at 40Mbps, which means it’s not ideal if you want to stream HD content or upload files. However, if you want unlimited gigs for things like streaming music, video calling friends and browsing social media, this is a great option at a very good price, especially during the first three months. Running on the Vodafone Wholesale Network, Felix customers also get 5G access, however as already mentioned, they won’t be able to access 5G speeds due to the 40Mbps speed cap.
Total cost and data for first year: $420 for unlimited data (speeds capped at 40Mbps)

• Dodo Large Mobile Plan | 80GB | $20p/m (for the first 6 months, then $40p/m) | 5G Optus Wholesale Network | 1 month expiry
This Dodo plan is currently only $20 per month for the first six months and it comes with 80GB of data per month. After the first six months, the plan goes up to $40 per month, which is still a good price. Running on Optus’s 5G network, this plan also allows for unlimited data banking, so any excess data at the end of the month can be saved and used at a later date. It’s worth noting that data speeds are capped at 150Mbps, but one bonus is that after all included data is used, customers can continue to use the internet without any extra cost, but speeds are capped at 256Kbps.
Total cost and data for first year: $360 for 1560GB

• Yomojo Ultra Plan | 220GB | 4G Optus Wholesale Network | $44.90p/m (for the first 6 months, then $49.90p/m) | 30 day expiry
For someone who wants the most amount of data possible for under $50 per month, we recommend Yomojo’s Ultra plan. This plan comes with a whopping 220GB per month and is currently $44.90 per month for the first six months, and $49.90 per month thereafter. This is a very large amount of data, especially for a plan that remains under $50 per month after the introductory offer. However there are a few caveats that you should be aware of - this plan doesn’t offer 5G access and 4G speeds are capped at 150Mbps. 150Mbps is still relatively fast, but you may notice slower download speeds during busy periods or when downloading very large files. In addition, this plan doesn’t allow for any data rollover, so if you don’t use the whole 220GB, it will go to waste.
Total cost and data for first year: $568.80 for 2640GB

How to find the best plan under $50 for your needs

If you’re shopping for a plan under $50 per month, there are some tips and tricks you can use to ensure you find the best one for your needs.

1. Know your data needs. When hunting for a new mobile plan, it’s important to know how much data you currently use. Check out our guide on how to find your data usage, for a detailed walkthrough. Once you know how much data you use, it’s easier to find a plan that’ll suit your specific 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? Not all plans under $50 per month offer 5G. While there are a fair few that do, you may find that it’s cheaper to get a plan that doesn’t. Before deciding, it’s worth thinking about whether you really need the extra speeds that 5G offers.

3. Be wary of introductory discounts. While initial deals on the price of a plan or extra data can be tempting, it’s important to 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 considering 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.

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Want to spend even less? We’ve got guides on the best mobile plans under $30 and best mobile plans under $20.