Vodafone entered the Australian market in 1992 and, over the last three decades, has established itself as a reliable and competitive telecommunication company. Today, it’s the third largest telco in Australia, behind Telstra and Optus.
Vodafone offers a wide range of mobile services, including prepaid and postpaid plans, both as SIM-only or including a handset.
There are a few things that make Vodafone stand out from other mobile providers. It stocks quite a comprehensive range of phones, for example, including handsets from Samsung, Apple, Oppo and Google and, like Telstra and Optus, is quick to offer new smartphones as soon as they’re released. In fact, it often has special preorder offers for the big iPhone and Samsung Galaxy launches.
Vodafone also offers a $5 per day international roaming add-on for postpaid customers. This is one of the cheapest offers of its type on the market, making Vodafone a good choice for frequent travellers… provided you’re travelling to countries that has a Vodafone partnership with a local provider, of course.
Vodafone mobile plans comparison
Vodafone offers a range of mobile plans, from postpaid SIM-only plans, postpaid plans that include a handset, and prepaid plans. Vodafone has multiple plans available under each of these categories so you can choose the one that’s right for you.
For example, Vodafone offers three tiers of SIM-only postpaid plans. These are Small (50GB for $49p/m), Medium (180GB for $59p/m) and Large (360GB for $69p/m).
If you want a phone with your plan, you can choose one of the above postpaid options and add the device you want, which can be paid off in monthly instalments over 12, 24 or 36 months.
For prepaid plans, Vodafone has three options for 28-day plans – $30, $40 or $50. It also has a 185-day (6-month plan) as well as two 365-day plans.
What is Vodafone’s mobile coverage?
Vodafone’s mobile plans, unsurprisingly, run on the Vodafone network. It's one of three major network providers in Australia and it claims its network covers about 96% of the population. By comparison, Optus claims 98.5% coverage and Telstra claims 99.5% coverage.
While the Vodafone network has the smallest reach in comparison to Australia’s other two major networks, the remaining 4% that doesn’t get Vodafone coverage tend to be in rural areas, so if you live in a big city or populated area, it is unlikely you will have a problem getting coverage on the Vodafone network.
In terms of Vodafone’s 5G network coverage, the telco doesn’t yet make any ‘population percentage’ claims, but does say it’s available in more than 3,000 suburbs across Australia.
In comparison, Telstra’s 5G network covers over 85% of the Australian population and Optus’ 5G network claims to cover over 1.4 million Australian households. While Vodafone’s 5G coverage is currently smaller than the other two major telcos, it has plans to cover between 81% and 90% off the Australian population by the time it finishes building it’s network (which, as of April 2024, is aiming for a completion date sometime in 2026.)
You can check to see if Vodafone 4G or 5G is available in your area via its network coverage checker.
Are Vodafone's mobile plans good value?
Vodafone’s prepaid plans are generally pretty good value, especially the longer expiry ones (185 days or 365 days) when they’re on special. Its best value plan is definitely the $250 Prepaid Plus Starter Pack which is currently discounted to $149 and gets you 240GB to use over 365 days. With this plan, you are only paying the equivalent of $12.42 per month and $0.62 per GB, making it one of the top value 365-day prepaid plans on the market. Without the discount, you pay $240 for 150GB of data, which makes it a bit less appealing.
If you want a plan with a shorter expiry term, Vodafone’s $35 Prepaid Plus plan is a good contender. This plan gives you 45GB for the first six recharges, which at this price point is quite competitive at $1.25 per day and only $0.78 per GB. However, from the seventh recharge onwards, you only get 25GB, which jumps the price up to a less palatable $1.40 per GB. While this isn’t ridiculously expensive, you can definitely find better value for under $40.
Vodafone also offers three tiers of postpaid plans, and while these are cheaper than going with the equivalent Telstra or Optus plans, they’re still more expensive compared to postpaid plans from most smaller providers. The only plus is that they come with a lot of data, so if you need a large data bank, the price per GB isn’t bad. For example, the Medium SIM-Only Plan costs $59 per month but you get 180GB of data, which equals a very competitive $0.33 per GB. However, if you aren’t going to use close to 180GB per month, you’re better off finding a cheaper postpaid plan from another provider.
Recommended plans:
• $250 Prepaid Plus Starter Pack | $250 $149 | 365 day expiry | 240GB (for first 365 days, then 150GB)
This plan is already good value, costing only $20.83 per month, however with the current deal, it becomes even better value, dropping to $12.42 per month, for 20GB of data instead of 12.5GB.
• $35 Prepaid Plus Starter Pack | $35 | 28 day expiry | 45GB (on first 6 recharges, then 25GB)
This prepaid plan gives you 40GB for the first 6 recharges, which means you’ll be paying a very competitive $0.78 per GB. You can also rollover leftover data to use after the first six recharges.
Plans to avoid:
• Large SIM Only Plan | $69 per month | 360GB
Unless you actually need 360GB of data per month, there is no need to be paying $69 per month when you can find cheaper options elsewhere.
What is Vodafone's best mobile plan?
Everyone has different needs when it comes to mobile plans – and that makes the word ‘best’ somewhat subjective. That said, some plans are definitely better value than others, so we’ve carefully assessed Vodafone’s range of plans and compared them to find the one that we believe best suits the majority of people’s needs.
As mentioned above, it’s hard to recommend a postpaid plan from Vodafone because (like those from Telstra and Optus) they are on the expensive end of the scale. Unless you don’t mind spending a bit more money or you need a large amount of data (180 or 360GB), these plans are generally not worth it.
So, for the ‘best’ overall plan, we’ve selected Vodafone’s $35 Prepaid Plus Starter Pack. This prepaid plan has a 28-day expiry and comes with 45GB of data for the first six recharges – a bonus of 20GB per recharge. That makes it solid value for those first six recharges, costing only $1.25 per day and $0.78 per GB. The seventh recharge drops the data down to 25GB (a less-competitive $1.40 per GB) but the good news is that you can roll over any unused data up to 200GB as long as you recharge before expiry. This means that if you have any data leftover from those first six recharges, you can keep it and use it as required later. However, once you have used all the extra data, it may be worth switching to another plan or provider to get better value for your money.
Should I sign up with Vodafone?
Here’s a breakdown on who we think would benefit from a Vodafone mobile plan and who should probably look elsewhere.
Reasons to sign up
If you travel a lot and use international roaming: Vodafone’s $5-per-day international roaming fee is cheaper than a lot of other deals on the market. In fact, no other provider comes close to Vodafone for cheap international roaming. So, if you’re looking for a postpaid plan with the cheapest international roaming fees, Vodafone is a good choice.
If you want a good-value 365-day prepaid plan: Vodafone’s $250 Prepaid Plus Starter Pack, which is currently on special for $149, is a great value plan. It comes with 240GB of data, or 20GB per month, and for that you’re only paying the equivalent of $12.42 per month. However, you have to be willing to pay $149 upfront and may need to manage your data usage so you don’t run out of gigs, which will mean you need to recharge early. This deal also doesn’t carry on for future recharges, so we recommend looking for a better deal when the time comes to renew.
Reasons not to sign up
You want a postpaid plan and don’t use a lot of data: Starting at $49, Vodafone’s postpaid plans are on the pricey side, and the data inclusions are large at 50GB, 180GB and 360GB. While the plans are decent value when you look at how much you’re paying per GB, if you don’t need that much data, you’re better off going with a postpaid plan from another provider for a better price.
Vodafone mobile plans FAQs
Where can I get support from Vodafone?
If you are a current customer, you can get 24/7 support through the My Vodafone app. For general customer support, you can also call 1555 from Vodafone mobiles or 1300 650 410 from another phone. There is also a chat icon on the Vodafone website where anyone can get 24/7 support.
How can I check Vodafone’s service coverage in my area?
You can enter your address into Vodafone’s coverage map to see if your area is covered by Vodafone’s 3G, 4G or 5G networks.
What is Vodafone’s cancellation policy?
If you are on a Vodafone postpaid plan, you can cancel or switch your plan without paying a cancellation fee. However, if you are paying off a device, you will need to pay off the rest of the device before you can cancel your plan.
Does Vodafone support eSIM?
Yes, Vodafone offers the option for eSIMs on all plans, and if you are already with Vodafone and want to switch to an eSIM, you can do it via the My Vodafone app.
Does Vodafone offer data rollover?
Yes, Vodafone allows you to rollover unused data (up to 200GB) on a prepaid plan if you recharge before expiry. However, on a Vodafone postpaid plan you can’t keep any unused data, the data allowance will reset each month.
