TL;DR — Best Prepaid Mobile Plans (May 2026)
Prepaid mobile plans in Australia start at AUD 10/month and top out around AUD 55/month for premium offerings. Lyca Mobile is the cheapest ongoing prepaid at AUD 10/month for 5 GB on Telstra Wholesale. Boost Mobile offers the best introductory deal at AUD 12/month for 40 GB (first 3 months) on the full Telstra network with 5G. ALDImobile is the best long-term value for light users with data rollover and true 30-day cycles — no 28-day billing tricks. Amaysim leads on Optus with generous data at AUD 15/month. The average switcher from a Telstra or Optus postpaid plan saves AUD 25–40/month moving to prepaid.
Prepaid vs SIM-Only vs Postpaid — What You Actually Need
Australian mobile plans fall into three categories, and the naming conventions are deliberately confusing:
Prepaid: You pay upfront, usually via auto-recharge or voucher. No credit check. No contract. No bill shock. Data expires at the end of the recharge period (unless the provider offers data banking/rollover). Cycles are typically 28 or 30 days. Best for: anyone who wants absolute cost control, no bill surprises, and the freedom to switch providers monthly.
SIM-only postpaid: You pay at the end of the month. Usually a 12-month contract (some are month-to-month). Credit check required. Data resets monthly. Often includes extras like data-free streaming or international roaming. Best for: medium-to-heavy users who want a consistent monthly bill and extras.
Phone-on-a-plan postpaid: A SIM-only plan with a phone repayment built in, usually over 24–36 months. The handset cost is interest-free but locked to the provider until the phone is paid off. Total cost over 3 years is typically AUD 500–1,500 more than buying the phone outright and going prepaid. Best for: people who cannot or prefer not to pay for a phone upfront.
For 80% of Australian mobile users, a prepaid or SIM-only plan paired with a phone bought outright (or a phone you already own) is AUD 300–600/year cheaper than a phone-on-a-plan.
Cheapest Prepaid Plans Compared
| Provider | Cheapest Plan | Data | Network | 5G | Cycle | Rollover | International Calls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lyca Mobile | AUD 10/mo | 5 GB | Telstra Wholesale | Yes | 28 days | No | Unlimited to 28 countries |
| Amaysim | AUD 15/mo | 25 GB | Optus Full | Yes | 28 days | No | Unlimited to 22 countries |
| ALDImobile | AUD 15/mo | 3 GB | Telstra Wholesale | No (4G) | 30 days | Yes (up to 30 GB) | PAYG |
| Boost | AUD 12/mo (first 3 months) | 40 GB | Telstra Full | Yes | 28 days | Yes (up to 280 GB) | 100 min to selected |
| Lebara | AUD 14.90/mo | 8 GB | Vodafone | Yes | 30 days | No | Unlimited to 35 countries |
| Kogan Mobile | AUD 15/mo | 20 GB | Vodafone | Yes | 30 days | No | No |
| Woolworths Mobile | AUD 25/mo | 22 GB | Telstra Wholesale | Yes | 30 days | Yes (up to 500 GB) | No |
| Belong | AUD 25/mo | 20 GB | Telstra Wholesale | Yes | 30 days | Yes (unlimited) | No |
All plans and pricing as of May 2026. Boost’s AUD 12 intro price reverts to AUD 49/mo after 3 recharges. Lyca and Lebara use 28-day cycles (13/year); ALDI, Kogan, Woolworths, and Belong use 30-day cycles (12/year).
1. Lyca Mobile — Cheapest Prepaid, Full Stop
Lyca’s AUD 10/month plan for 5 GB is the cheapest ongoing prepaid plan in Australia with no introductory price cliff — it stays at AUD 10/month indefinitely. The 5 GB data allowance suits light-to-moderate users who rely on WiFi at home and work and use mobile data for maps, messaging, and browsing.
The unlimited international calls to 28 countries set Lyca apart from every other budget provider. Countries covered include India, China, UK, New Zealand, USA, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and most of Europe and Southeast Asia. For migrant families, first-generation Australians, and anyone with family overseas, this inclusion is worth AUD 10–20/month in call costs alone.
Lyca operates on the Telstra Wholesale network with 5G access. Coverage in cities and regional centres is strong. In remote areas, Telstra Wholesale coverage is slightly weaker than full Telstra (missing some rural towers), but the difference affects a small fraction of the population.
The drawbacks: 28-day recharge cycles add an extra recharge per year (effective monthly cost AUD 10.83). Customer support is offshore and response quality varies significantly. The Lyca app is basic. For budget-conscious users who can tolerate these trade-offs, the price is unbeatable.
2. Boost Mobile — Best Network, Best Intro Deal
Boost is the only MVNO with full Telstra network access, giving it the best coverage of any prepaid provider at any price. The AUD 12/month introductory offer for 40 GB (first 3 recharges) is the best prepaid deal in Australia by the numbers: full Telstra 5G, 40 GB data, 100 international minutes, data banking up to 280 GB.
After 3 recharges, the plan reverts to AUD 49/month for 85 GB — still competitive on the full Telstra network but no longer the cheapest. The data banking feature (unused data rolls forward for up to 12 months) makes the AUD 49 plan more valuable than it appears: a user who typically uses 30 GB/month banks 55 GB/month, building a buffer for heavy-use months or travel.
Boost’s eSIM support is convenient for travellers and dual-SIM users. The activation process is app-based and takes 5–10 minutes. Porting a number from another provider is free and typically completes within hours on a business day.
3. ALDImobile — Best Long-Term Prepaid for Light Users
ALDImobile runs on Telstra Wholesale (4G only, no 5G) with true 30-day cycles — no 28-day trick. The AUD 15/month for 3 GB plan includes data rollover up to 30 GB, meaning unused data carries forward indefinitely. A light user consuming 1–2 GB/month builds a data bank that covers occasional heavy-usage days (road trips, holidays, WiFi outages) without needing a plan upgrade.
ALDImobile is backed by ALDI Australia and uses the supermarket chain’s distribution network. Recharge vouchers are available at ALDI stores nationwide. The brand is trusted, the pricing is stable (no introductory price cliffs), and the data rollover is genuinely useful for light users.
The limitation: no 5G. ALDImobile has not announced 5G plans, which limits future-proofing as 5G becomes the default. For a user who mostly uses WiFi and values price stability over speed, ALDImobile is the best long-term prepaid choice.
4. Amaysim — Best Data Value on Optus
Amaysim’s AUD 15/month for 25 GB on the full Optus network (5G included) is the best data-per-dollar ratio of any prepaid plan in Australia. The plan includes unlimited standard international calls to 22 countries — fewer than Lyca’s 28 but covering the key corridors. Amaysim is owned by Optus, so it gets full Optus network access (not wholesale).
The Optus network covers 98.5% of the population with strong metro performance. In rural and remote areas, Optus coverage is weaker than Telstra. Amaysim’s 28-day cycle adds an extra recharge per year (effective AUD 16.25/month), but at this data volume the effective per-GB cost is still the market leader.
28-Day vs 30-Day — The Hidden Cost
The difference between a 28-day recharge cycle and a true 30-day monthly cycle costs roughly AUD 10–15/year per AUD 10 of monthly spend. Over 5 years, that is AUD 50–75 — enough for a prepaid plan for a month.
| Cycle | Recharges/Year | Effective Monthly Cost (AUD 10 plan) | Effective Monthly Cost (AUD 25 plan) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28 days | 13 | AUD 10.83 | AUD 27.08 |
| 30 days | 12 | AUD 10.00 | AUD 25.00 |
| Calendar month | 12 | AUD 10.00 | AUD 25.00 |
Providers using 28-day cycles: Lyca, Boost, Amaysim, Optus Prepaid. Providers using 30-day cycles: ALDImobile, Lebara, Kogan, Woolworths, Belong, Telstra Prepaid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is prepaid coverage worse than postpaid on the same network?
No. Coverage depends on the network tier (full Telstra vs Telstra Wholesale vs Optus), not the billing model. A Boost prepaid customer gets the same coverage as a Telstra postpaid customer. A Lyca prepaid customer gets the same coverage as any other Telstra Wholesale customer.
Can I switch from postpaid to prepaid and keep my number?
Yes. Porting works the same way regardless of billing model. Your existing postpaid account will be cancelled when the port completes. If you owe money on a phone-on-a-plan contract, you must pay the remaining handset balance before porting out.
What happens when my prepaid data runs out?
Data stops working until you recharge. Most prepaid providers allow early recharges — you do not need to wait for the cycle to end. Amaysim offers unlimited data at 1.5 Mbps after the high-speed allowance is exhausted, a feature most budget providers lack.
Do prepaid plans include 5G?
Most do. Lyca, Boost, Amaysim, Lebara, Kogan, Woolworths, and Belong all include 5G. ALDImobile is the notable exception (4G only). Check the plan details — some providers restrict 5G to higher-tier prepaid plans.
How do I recharge while travelling overseas?
Most prepaid providers support online recharge via their app or website. Some providers block access from overseas IP addresses — use a VPN connected to Australia if the app or website does not load. Set up auto-recharge before travelling to avoid manual recharges.
Can I use prepaid for international roaming?
Most prepaid plans do not include international roaming. Boost Mobile includes some roaming on its AUD 49+ plans. For overseas travel, a travel eSIM (Airalo, Holafly) is cheaper than roaming — AUD 5–20 for 1–5 GB versus AUD 5–10/day for roaming.
Final Verdict
Lyca Mobile at AUD 10/month is the cheapest prepaid plan in Australia for light users, with the bonus of unlimited international calls. Boost Mobile at AUD 12/month for the first 3 months is the best short-term deal on the best network. Amaysim at AUD 15/month offers the best data value (25 GB) on Optus with 5G. The provider that best fits your usage is almost certainly cheaper than the Telstra/Optus/Vodafone postpaid plan you are on now.
Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. Plan details based on publicly available pricing as of May 2026.
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