With millions of households across Australia now able to access 5G, more people are gravitating towards mobile plans boasting faster network speeds. If you're one of these people, you've come to the right place because we've rounded up the most affordable 5G mobile plans, as well as picks paired with the iPhone 15 and Galaxy S24.
Best 5G mobile plan: $30 and under
- Most data $30 or under per month (for at least six months after signing up)
- Unlimited talk and text
- Prepaid and postpaid mobile plans considered
Surprisingly, getting a 5G mobile plan won't leave you out of pocket since, with plenty of options under $30 per month. The above plan from Moose Mobile is currently our top pick. You'll get 100GB for just $24.80 per month, which is great value given similar plans come with around 25GB.
This pricing lasts for your first eight months with Moose Mobile, however. After your this, you'll pay $36.80 per month. The plan is contract-free, so you can always leave after your discount runs out.
This plan also includes 200GB of data rollover. If you don't use all your data, you can save up to 200GB for a rainy day.
Moose Mobile is powered by the Optus network. Download speeds on this plan are capped to 100Mbps.
If this plan doesn't appeal to you, here are some other popular options in the same price bracket:
Best 5G mobile plan: $40 and under
- Most data $40 or under per month (for at least six months after signing up)
- Unlimited talk and text
- Prepaid and postpaid mobile plans considered
When we look at 5G plans between $31 and $40 per month, amaysim is a great pick. You'll get 80GB for $40 on a 28-day expiry. This plan includes unlimited data banking, and international calls to 42 countries.
This plan's download speeds are also capped to 100Mbps.
If you sign up to this amaysim plan before April 16, you'll save $22 on your first recharge. This brings it down to just $18 for the first 28 days.
For alternative 5G mobile plan options under $40, check out these popular choices:
Best 5G mobile plan: $50 and under
- Most data $50 or under per month (for at least six months after signing up)
- Unlimited talk and text
- Prepaid and postpaid mobile plans considered
The more you spend, the more telcos you have to choose from, the more inclusions you get, the better the promo discounts, and the more data you have to play with. For the $50 and under price category, you can get upwards of 100GB of data per month.
Moose Mobile is again a great pick here, offering 200GB for $44.80 per month. This price lasts for your first eight months, after which you'll pay $54.80.
Looking for a different telco offering 5G mobile plans under $50? Here are some other popular plans:
Best 5G mobile plan with uncapped speeds
- Cheapest plan price in our database (for at least six months after signing up)
- At least 50GB data with uncapped speeds (excluding bonus data)
- Unlimited data (any speed)
- Prepaid and postpaid mobile plans considered
Many cheaper 5G plans have speed caps - they're typically limited to between 100Mbps and 250Mbps - so for this category, we're looking at uncapped plans. This means the plans can operate as fast as network conditions allow. When testing 5G on an uncapped plan, we've seen speeds between 500Mbps and 1Gbps.
Because we know you need a lot of data to go with those fast 5G speeds, we only considered plans with at least 50GB of full-speed data in this category. Right now, Moose Mobile is also our top pick here. You'll pay $48.80 per month for 200GB for your first eight months, after which the price rises to $54.80 per month.
But if our chosen plan doesn't float your boat, here are some more popular 5G plans with uncapped speeds.
Best 5G mobile plan with iPhone 15
- Cheapest plan price in our database on a 128GB iPhone 15 plan (for at least six months after signing up)
- Unlimited talk and text
- Plans on 36-month handset repayments only
It's important to remember to note only the Big Three mobile providers - Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone - offer iPhone 15 plans. Vodafone is currently our top pick in this category, where you'll pay $80.90 per month for an iPhone 15 on a 36-month repayment.
Here's how this plan compares:
Best 5G mobile plan with Samsung Galaxy S24
- Cheapest plan price in our database on the Samsung Galaxy S24 5G (256GB) (for at least six months after signing up)
- Unlimited talk and text
- Plans on 36-month handset repayments only
Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone are once again your choices for a Samsung Galaxy S24 plan, and Vodafone is currently a great option. You'll pay $78.13 per month for a plan with 50GB on a 36-month repayment.
If our top pick isn't right for you, see how it compares to other Galaxy S24 5G mobile plans below:
Who has the best 5G coverage?
Telstra easily has the best 5G network coverage in Australia, with its network now covering 87% of the population. You can use our coverage map below to see how Telstra's 5G compares to Optus and Vodafone, or alternatively, use the WhistleOut coverage checker tool to see if 5G is available at your home or office.
All you need to do is type in your address when searching for a new phone plan. After you've done so and hit Search, you can jump straight to the coverage map by tapping See Coverage Map and then tapping Click To Activate Interactive Map.
This map will show you if you have 5G coverage in your area. 5G coverage is highlighted using the darkest shade of purple, but unticking 4G and 3G can help make it clearer. The drop-down menu lets you choose between telcos.
Coverage maps only show outdoor coverage and may be impacted by local conditions, such as buildings.
For those looking to one of the Big Three providers - Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone - you can compare each 5G plan currently on offer below:
Telstra 5G plans
Optus 5G plans
Vodafone 5G plans
5G mobile coverage FAQs
Is 5G worth it in Australia?
There's no need to rush out and upgrade to a 5G phone right now, the experience isn't really that different to 4G at present. Even if you already have a 5G phone, you could still comfortably get by with a 4G-only plan. That being said, 5G is becoming the standard across devices and plans at all price points.
Who offers 5G in Australia?
- Telstra
- Optus
- Vodafone
- Everyday Mobile (formerly Woolworths Mobile)
- ALDI Mobile
- Belong
- MATE
- Tangerine
- numobile
- amaysim
- Lebara
- More
- Exetel
- SpinTel
- Aussie Broadband
- Boost Mobile
- Southern Phone
- Superloop
- Moose Mobile
- AGL
Which network is best for 5G?
Telstra currently has the widest 5G coverage, followed by Optus and Vodafone. When it comes to 5G network speeds, we've experienced similar performance from both Telstra and Optus - at least in Sydney. You should be able to expect around 500Mbps from both of these providers, depending on coverage. Vodafone's average 5G speeds, however, were between 150 and 200Mbps when last tested. Just note that many 5G plans now have a speed cap, where your maximum speeds are limited to 100Mbps, 150Mbps, or 250Mbps, depending on the plan.
Do I need a new SIM card for 5G?
If you have a 5G-ready plan from your existing provider, you do not need a new SIM card for 5G. However, if you're swapping providers to get a 5G-ready plan, your new provider will send you a new SIM card.
Is 5G available on prepaid?
Telstra, Vodafone, Optus, Boost, Exetel, Superloop, ALDI Mobile, and amaysim all offer 5G prepaid plans.
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