Circles.Life Mobile Review: Great value, no frills

By Alex Choros

Last updated 02 December 2021

Circles.Life Mobile Plans Review: The Verdict

Circles.Life mobile plans are big on value but don't get you anything more than the plan itself. It's the definition of a no-frills telco.

What we love

Excellent value
Good support options

What could be improved

No extras
Not even international calls

The essentials

Value:

Support:

Extras:

Overall:

See all Circles.Life plans

If you're looking for a mobile plan, you may have heard of reasonably new provider Circles.Life before. It made a splash in the local market offering oodles of data for surprisingly affordable prices, but you may naturally be wondering "what's the catch?". In this review we'll look at value, support options, and the extras you get for being a Circles.Life customer.

Before we start, here is Circles.Life's current range of SIM-only mobile plans:

#1	Moose Mobile Editor's Pick	Moose Mobile Editor's Pick Moose 26.80 SIM Only 40GB data at download speeds up to 100Mbps On the Optus 5G Mobile Network Deal: Get 40GB for $12.40 – Includes $14.40 off and 13GB bonus data for first 6 months. Offer ends 31.05.25 $12.40/mth Min. cost $12.40 Link not supplied	$12.40/mth Min. cost $12.40	Link not supplied
#2	SpinTel	SpinTel $22 Mobile Plan 25GB data at download speeds up to 100Mbps Optus 5G in selected areas with 5G devices ex. NT Deal: Enjoy $8 off for the first 6 months for new customers - $14/mth for first 6 months, then $22/mth $14/mth Min. cost $14 Go to Site	$14/mth Min. cost $14	Go to Site
#3	Southern Phone	Southern Phone Medium 5G SIM Plan 40GB data at download speeds up to 100Mbps Optus 5G in selected areas with 5G devices ex. NT Deal: Includes $10/mth discount for first 6 months. $19/mth first 6 months, then $29/mth. Offer ends 14.08.25 $19/mth Min. cost $19 Link not supplied	$19/mth Min. cost $19	Link not supplied
#4	Dodo	Dodo $23 Mobile Plan 15GB data On the Optus 4G Plus Mobile Network $23/mth Min. cost $23 Go to Site	$23/mth Min. cost $23	Go to Site
#5	Tangerine Telecom	Tangerine Telecom 12GB Mobile SIM 12GB data at download speeds up to 100Mbps Uses part of the Telstra 4G Mobile Network Deal: Bundle your mobile and nbn plans on the same account to get 10% off your mobile SIM-only plan fees. T&Cs apply. $23/mth Min. cost $23 Go to Site	$23/mth Min. cost $23	Go to Site
#6	Swoop	Swoop 27GB SIM Only 5G 27GB data at download speeds up to 100Mbps Optus 5G in selected areas with 5G devices ex. NT $25/mth Min. cost $25 Link not supplied	$25/mth Min. cost $25	Link not supplied
#7	Aussie Broadband	Aussie Broadband Saver 5G SIM Plan 20GB data at download speeds up to 100Mbps Optus 5G in selected areas with 5G devices ex. NT $25/mth Min. cost $25 Link not supplied	$25/mth Min. cost $25	Link not supplied
#8	More	More 12GB Mobile SIM 12GB data at download speeds up to 100Mbps Uses Telstra Wholesale 4G mobile network Deal: $5/mth off mobile plan fees for 12 mths then 10% off ongoing if you are a CommBank customer - $19/mth for 12 mths, then $21.60/mth $26/mth Min. cost $26 Go to Site	$26/mth Min. cost $26	Go to Site
#9	Dodo Editor's Pick	Dodo Editor's Pick $28 Mobile Plan 30GB data On the Optus 4G Plus Mobile Network Deal: 50% off for first 3 mths! Get the $28 Mobile Plan for $14/mth for the first 3 mths. New customers only. Offer ends 06.05.25 $28/mth Min. cost $14 Go to Site	$28/mth Min. cost $14	Go to Site
#10	SpinTel	SpinTel $29 Mobile Plan 50GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Optus 5G in selected areas with 5G devices ex. NT $29/mth Min. cost $29 Go to Site	$29/mth Min. cost $29	Go to Site

Circles.Life mobile plans: Value

Mobile plan value is a tricky subject. A telco's most affordable plan could be a bad deal, but the same provider could offer an insane amount of data per dollar on its more expensive plans. Our philosophy, however, is that you shouldn't pay for more data than you use.

Based on extrapolated data from the ACCC, the average Australian currently uses about 30GB per month. So to judge value, we've looked at how much a telco charges for its cheapest plan that meets that criteria, excluding discounts, promos, and extras.

Here is how Circles.Life cheapest postpaid plan with at least 30GB compares to the competition:

#1	Moose Mobile Editor's Pick	Moose Mobile Editor's Pick Moose 26.80 SIM Only 40GB data at download speeds up to 100Mbps On the Optus 5G Mobile Network Deal: Get 40GB for $12.40 – Includes $14.40 off and 13GB bonus data for first 6 months. Offer ends 31.05.25 $12.40/mth Min. cost $12.40 Link not supplied	$12.40/mth Min. cost $12.40	Link not supplied
#2	Coles Mobile	Coles Mobile $35 Mobile Plan 45GB data On the Optus 4G Plus Mobile Network $35/mth Min. cost $35 Link not supplied	$35/mth Min. cost $35	Link not supplied
#3	Belong	Belong 40GB Mobile Plan 40GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Uses parts of Telstra’s 5G and 4G mobile networks $35/mth Min. cost $35 Go to Site	$35/mth Min. cost $35	Go to Site
#4	Vodafone	Vodafone $49 Small SIM Only Plan 100GB data Vodafone 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: Get 100GB for $39 (incl. 50GB bonus + $10/mth off) on the $49 Small plan. T&Cs apply. $39/mth Min. cost $39 Go to Site	$39/mth Min. cost $39	Go to Site
#5	Everyday Mobile	Everyday Mobile $40 SIM Only 55GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Uses parts of Telstra’s 5G and 4G mobile networks Deal: 10% off for Everyday Rewards members + more! $40/mth Min. cost $40 Link not supplied	$40/mth Min. cost $40	Link not supplied
#6	Optus	Optus $55 Optus Choice Plus Plan 50GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device $55/mth Min. cost $55 Go to Site	$55/mth Min. cost $55	Go to Site
#7	Telstra	Telstra $65 Basic Upfront SIM Plan 50GB data Telstra 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: Get your first 3 months device protect on Telstra, then $10/mth. $65/mth Min. cost $65 Link not supplied	$65/mth Min. cost $65	Link not supplied

As you can see, Circles.Life is easily one of the cheapest ways to get a plan with at least 30GB in Australia. Better yet, it's rare that Circles doesn't have a promotion going, so you can typically save on your first six months or sometimes even your first year.

If you go over your data allowance on a Circles.Life plan, you can pay $10 for an extra 3GB.

Circles.Life coverage

Click to Activate Interactive Map

Coverage information is collected from carriers and other third party sources. This is approximate coverage only and does not include indoor coverage. Actual speed and performance depends on your location and device. Local conditions and things like natural and artificial physical features of an area all affect your reception. Coverage © Mosaik

Circles.Life is powered by the Optus network, which currently reaches 98.5% of the population. It only has access to Optus' 3G and 4G connectivity currently. Circles.Life does not offer 5G phone plans.

If you want to check if a certain address has Optus coverage, you can use our coverage checker tool to do so.

All you need to do is punch 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 what kind of coverage you have in your area. 5G coverage is highlighted using the darkest shade of purple, 4G in the medium shade, and 3G in the lightest.

Coverage maps are only approximate, only show outdoor coverage, and may be impacted by local conditions such as buildings.

Circles.Life mobile plans: Support

When it comes to support, we look at what channels a telco has to help a customer, rather than quality. It's hard to judge the quality of support in a meaningful way. For example, there have been times when we've had great experiences with support at a telco, but there have also been times it's been supbar. Instead, we focus on how many avenues a telco has to help its customers in order to try and gauge its investment in support.

Here is how Circles.Life's support options compare to the competition:

Circles.Life Support Options Compared

Provider	In-store	Email	Chat	Social
Circles.Life	-
Telstra		-
Optus		-
Vodafone		-	-
amaysim	-
Woolworths Mobile	-	-	-
ALDI	-	-	-	-
Boost	-	-
TPG	-

Circles.Life has a number of options for getting in touch. There's a Live Chat, you can email Circles directly, or you can bug the telco on social media. You can't call Circles up and get onto a support technician immediately, but it does have a number where you can leave a voicemail. A technician will then call you back within a working day.

Circles.Life mobile plans: Extras

Circles.Life doesn't exactly have any extras or perks to speak of. Here's how that compares to what other mobile providers offer:

Circles.Life Extras Compared

Provider	Perks Program	International Calls	5G	Discount Bundles	Other
Circles.Life	-	-	-	-	-
Telstra				-
Optus				-
Vodafone	-
amaysim	-		-	-	-
Woolworths Mobile	-		-	-
ALDI	-		-	-	-
Boost	-		-	-
TPG	-		-		-

Circles.Life is as no-frills as they come, with no extras, perks, or bonuses to speak of for customers. It doesn't even have any options for international calls, which are available on most providers.

Circles.Life mobile plans: Devices

Circles.Life does not sell phones. All of its plans are SIM-only.

Circles.Life mobile FAQ

What happens if I want to cancel my Circles.Life mobile plan?

Circles.Life mobile plans are all contract-free, so you can cancel at any time without paying any exit fees. Just note that if you cancel after 12PM on the last day of your billing month, you'll also be charged for the following month.

Circles.Life also has a 30-day satisfaction guarantee for new customers. If you cancel within your first 30 days or first 5GB of data usage (whatever occurs first), you can get a full refund for your plan fees.

Do Circles.Life mobile plans include international calls?

No Circles.Life mobile plans include international calls currently.

What about a different Optus-powered provider?

Circles.Life is powered by the Optus network, but there are a whole host of other small telcos where the same is true. Read our guide to smaller providers - also known as MVNOs - here.