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The cheapest internet plan will vary depending on what promotions are on offer at the time.
If you're after NBN, there are plenty of offers each month, many of them being sign-up discounts that last for the first 6 months.
The table below shows the cheapest NBN plans across different speed categories. Keep in mind that these are the cheapest plans based on monthly pricing only (including any promotional offers). Costs over 12 months may differ.
| Provider | NBN speed tier | Cost | Typical evening speed | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flip | nbn12 | $39/month (for the first 6 months) | 12Mbps | Read review |
| Flip | nbn25 | $44/month (for the first 6 months) | 25Mbps | Read review |
| Kogan Internet | nbn50 | $58.90/month (for the first 3 months) | 50Mbps | Sign up here |
| Tangerine | nbn100 | $64.90/month (for the first 6 months) | 95Mbps | Read review |
| Tangerine | nbn250 | $79.90/month (for the first 6 months) | 200Mbps | Read review |
| Superloop | nbn1000 | $99/month (for the first 6 months) | 600Mbps | Read review |
If you're after home wireless, your cheapest option will be from SpinTel. It costs $39.95/month for the first 3 months for its 4G connection. SpinTel's also has cheapest plan for a 5G connection where you'll pay $49/month for the first 3 months, then $59/month (this will only be accessible in select locations).
The cheapest mobile broadband plan in our database is Reward Mobile's 500MB data plan for $9.90 per month.
I'd love to say I'm someone that compares and switches every year but until recently, that wasn't true. I've always thought it would be really complicated (I work in insurance, where sometimes switching less than easy). It was incredibly straightforward and fairly cheap. I'll be comparing and looking to switch every year now.— Gary Ross Hunter, insurance expert
While money matters, it's also important to find an internet plan that works for your wallet and your household.
There's no point in getting a cheap deal if you're stuck with a slow internet plan.
Consider these 4 factors when hunting for a cheap internet plan.
NBN is the norm in Australia but if you get good mobile coverage in your area, home wireless could be a viable alternative. Home wireless plans are slightly cheaper than NBN plans, with a lot of "first month free" offers to give you a taste of the wireless life.
If you can, don't sacrifice data for a lower price if you're a regular internet user. NBN plans usually come with unlimited data, though you'll find a few offering data caps of 10–100GB for about $5 less. On the other hand, cheaper home wireless and mobile broadband plans are often capped so you'll need to be careful with your usage.
The NBN offers 6 different speed categories. Faster internet speeds cost you more but are worth it depending on your internet usage and how many people live with you. With mobile broadband and home wireless, you can decide between 4G and 5G speeds based on your budget and whether 5G is available in your area.
Plenty of providers offer a BYO modem option to bring down your upfront costs, but there are also some that force you to buy a new one when you first sign up. We recommend to bring your own if you can. Just make sure your current modem is compatible with the new provider. You can chat to them about it online or over the phone.
With these in mind, you're ready to compare plans to find a better deal for your internet at home. You can use the filters on our comparison table to sort by lowest to highest price to find a cheap broadband plan that works for you.
Cheaper broadband plans often come with slower speeds or lower data allowances.
Slower internet plans will always be cheaper, more specifically if you're on the NBN. However, cheaper may not be the best option for your home.
Some cheaper internet plans also have lower data allowances. This is especially true for home wireless and mobile broadband where data-capped plans are the norm. On the other hand, NBN plans usually come with unlimited data.
While a cheap deal might be appealing, consider whether a limit like 200GB a month is enough for you. If you regularly stream or download large files, you'll need to consider getting more data.
As a starting point, NBN Co has found that the average Australian uses 258GB of data each month at home.
How much should I be spending on broadband?
The average cost of broadband (November 2023) is $77 per month. According to our consumer sentiment tracker, the highest average spend was $85 in December 2022. Since then, we've since seen a gradual trend downwards. If you're paying more than $77 a month, it could be worth switching.
There's no single provider with the cheapest internet plans across all speed tiers but there are several with excellent entry-level prices across their plans including:
Flip is the provider closest to taking the win for overall cheapest internet provider. It has the cheapest NBN 12, 25, 100 and 250 plans out of those in Finder's database.
Exetel has incredible introductory deals for the first 6 months when you sign up. During that period, Exetel's plans fall between $15 and $20 cheaper than the average NBN plan in our database.
Additionally, Exetel topped the ACCC Broadband Performance Report 3 out of 4 times in 2022.
Tangerine's plans also come with standout introductory deals for the 6-month period after you sign up. During that time, Tangerine's internet plans are $20–$25 less than the average plan on Finder.
After the introductory period, Tangerine's plans continue to be cheaper than the average plan by around $5–$20 depending on the speed tier.
Like the other providers in this list, SpinTel has a special introductory price for new customers. For the first 6 months, you'll pay $20–$35 less than the average plan in our database depending on the speed tier.
Afterwards, its plans are still $5–$35 less than the average. SpinTel also took home the win for best NBN plan in the 2022 Finder Broadband Awards.
Expert tip: It pays to review your internet plan every 6 to 12 months. A lot of retailers offer discounts for new customers on your first 6 months of a plan, so you could save big if you switch.
Mark Neilsen
Utilities writer
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I am wanting a small mobile data plan (10gb-20gb) that does not time expire, in otherwords just consume the data. This is for NBN backup which is super reliable but does have outages. In a residential situation it is a complete waste of money to buy a 365 day plan for $100+ and 200gb+ which will be rarely used.
I cannot find any provider offering such product. Any advice>
Regards
Barry
Hi Barry,
As you’ve pointed out, most of the long expiry data only mobile broadband plans cost over $100 and you get 80GB or more of data.
The cheapest 365 day mobile data only plan in Finder’s database at the time of writing is from Aldi, which offers 30GB of data for $95.
If you consider that too much data for you, then other plans that offer smaller amounts of data are monthly plans, which may not suit your needs.
You can read more about mobile broadband in our guide to see if you can find something suitable: https://www.finder.com.au/broadband-plans/mobile-broadband
Hope this helps.