Thanks for coming to Canstar Blue to compare your internet options. To find the best provider and plan for your needs, you’ll first need to decide the most suitable type of internet connection for your home and circumstances. Chances are you’re here looking for NBN plans (see below for a selection of awesome deals), but if not we’ve provided links to home wireless and mobile broadband alternatives instead. We hope you find what you’re looking for.
NBN is the most common and widely available internet type. With well over 100 NBN providers out there, at Canstar Blue we help you compare NBN plans from some of Australia’s most well-known and popular providers. Compare a range of plans in the table below — switch between the tabs to see plans on different speed tiers.
The following table shows a selection of published unlimited Premium Evening Speed (NBN 100) plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of monthly cost, from the lowest to highest, and then by alphabetical order of provider. Use our comparison tool above to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
The following table shows a selection of published unlimited Standard Plus Evening Speed (NBN 50) plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of monthly cost, from lowest to highest, and then by alphabetical order of provider. Use our comparison tool above to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
The following table shows a selection of published unlimited Standard Evening Speed (NBN 25) plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of monthly cost, from the lowest to highest, and then by alphabetical order of provider. Use our comparison tool above to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
The following table shows a selection of published unlimited Basic Evening Speed (NBN 12) plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of monthly cost, from the lowest to highest, and then by alphabetical order of provider. Use our comparison tool above to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
While everyone wants to sign up to the ‘best’ plan or ‘best’ provider that has a perfect and seamless experience, unfortunately that is very rarely a reality. One person might have a great experience with one ISP — solid performance, easy setup, no drop outs — another person might have a vastly different experience.
Customer service can also be a big make or break when it comes to choosing an ISP, as you want to know that when you do have a problem with your internet, you’ll have easy and (hopefully) stress free service. However, some people might have a more complicated problem that isn’t a quick fix, and while this can be frustrating, this might create dissatisfaction with the service from the ISP in resolving the issue.
Overall, it’s hard to pick the best internet provider. Bigger providers like Telstra, TPG (including its subsidiaries iiNet, Internode and Vodafone), Optus and Dodo (which includes iPrimus), might have a larger customer base than smaller providers, but just because an ISP has a lot of customers, doesn’t always mean that it has the ‘best’ service or plans. Likewise, a provider that offers a really cheap internet plan, might be the best option for one person, while others might prefer to spend a bit more for a plan that suits their needs more, beyond price.
To help you choose a new internet plan (specifically NBN plans), at Canstar Blue, each year we survey thousands of Aussies to find out what they think about their current NBN provider. Those surveyed rate their provider on criteria such as value for money, customer service, speed and reliability. These providers are then ranked on the ‘overall satisfaction’ and ranked from there.
The top 5 internet providers in Australia, according to the 2021 Most Satisfied Customers – NBN Providers ratings, are:
Choosing an internet provider and plan doesn’t have to be complicated. You’ll need to have an idea of what you want from your internet plan, so there are a few criteria you should consider.
Once you have a general idea of what kind of internet plan you’re looking for, then it’s worth comparing plans from a range of ISPs to see what is available to you and which provider best fits your needs. NBN plans have the widest selection of providers to compare plans from, while other internet, such as satellite and fibre, might have a smaller selection of providers to compare.
If you’re looking at NBN plans, at Canstar Blue, our NBN comparison tool compares plans from a range of internet providers, from the big ISPs to some of the popular smaller providers. You might also want to consider the customer satisfaction ratings of providers to get a general idea of what other Aussies think about their internet provider. Keep in mind that everyone will have different experiences with their internet provider.
All in all it’s about striking a balance between an internet plan that ticks your boxes in terms of what suits your needs, price and a provider that sounds right for you. If you’re still a bit unsure, you can pick a month-to-month plan and see if that plan and provider are matching your needs, and if not, you then have the freedom to switch provider or plan typically without early termination fees. Always read the plan’s critical information summary to ensure you know what fees you might need to pay if you do decide to switch plans.
If you’re disappointed with your current internet provider, or perhaps you’ve found a cheaper plan or a provider that has a reputation for good customer service, switching internet plans is fairly simple.
If you’ve been putting off switching to the NBN, or your home has recently been connected to the NBN, you have a set amount of time until ADSL connections will be turned off.
The easiest way to switch from ADSL to NBN is to inform your current provider that you wish to switch to an NBN plan, choose the plan that suits and your provider will switch you over. Your provider will also most likely need to organise an NBN technician to visit your home to finish the setup, including setting up your modem.
If you decide to switch providers at the same time as switching to the NBN, it’s fairly straightforward. Sign up to your NBN plan with your new provider of choice, and cancel your ADSL plan with your current provider. Your new NBN provider will organise a technician to visit your home to complete the NBN setup, as well as send you a new modem if you need it or chose not to BYO modem.
Depending on what type of internet you’re on, you may experience some internet downtime. Wired connections, such as NBN and ADSL, may experience more internet downtime as there might be installations or other physical work that needs to be done in your home. However wireless connections that rely on a mobile network, such as home wireless, shouldn’t experience downtime.
If you’re switching from ADSL to NBN, you might experience an hour or so of internet downtime, depending on how long it takes the NBN technician to set up. Some homes might run into problems with the setup, while others can be quick and painless.
Switching from one NBN provider to another will most likely not take much time at all, and you may only experience a small amount of internet downtime when the switch occurs.
The amount of downtime also depends on when you cancel your plan. Some providers may switch off your service as soon as you contact them, so you’ll need to ensure you coordinate the switch over to minimise disruption to your home internet.
Technically, switching providers is free. However, your current telco might charge you an early exit fee, or you may be required to pay a final bill or any outstanding charges for a modem. Also, your new provider might require you to pay some upfront fees when you sign up, which can be in the form of modem fees (if you choose to add on a new modem to your plan) and other setup or activation fees.
Most providers these days offer month-to-month plans, meaning that you won’t be on a contract as such, and you won’t be charged an exit fee if you decide to switch providers. It’s important to be aware of any of these exit fees and indeed any setup fees that a new provider might have, as these extra charges can easily add up.
If you’re unhappy with your internet service for whatever reason (slow performance, issues with equipment, etc), the first step is to get in touch with your internet provider about the problem. Most providers will have a few options for customer service, such as phone number, online chat, email, or contact form. When you speak to your provider, ensure you either have a record of the conversation (if possible) and a reference number.
Once you’ve spoken to your provider about the problem, and if the issue hasn’t been resolved after these communications — or you’re unhappy with the response or resolution you receive from your provider — your complaint may be escalated by your provider. If a solution is still not adequate or you are still unhappy, there are other ways to lodge a complaint.
In the rare cases of providers not resolving issues, which may include cancelling your service if the issue is unable to be resolved, you can lodge a complaint with the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO). The TIO can deal with your provider on your behalf to work towards a resolution or further investigate, however the TIO can only get involved if you have first tried to resolve the issue with your provider yourself. This is why it is also important to have records and reference numbers so the TIO has access to communication between you and the provider.
For more information on consumer rights in regards to internet services, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has plenty of resources and information available.
While there are well over 100 internet providers in Australia offering a range of services, especially NBN plans, some providers are more well known or have a larger market share than others. At Canstar Blue, we encourage consumers to compare plans from a wide range of different internet providers, however considering the sheer number of providers, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to compare plans from every single provider in the country.
At Canstar Blue we compare NBN plans from over 30 providers:
If you’re looking for internet providers that offer internet services other than NBN, many of the above listed providers, such as Telstra, Optus and iiNet, offer a range of different products, so it’s worth taking a look to see what is on offer.
Canstar Blue compares hundreds of broadband plans from 30 internet service providers across Australia to help you find a better deal. Prices are updated as soon as we are made aware of any changes. We also publish customer satisfaction ratings to help you compare providers on factors including customer service, billing, and value for money.
Our comparison tool includes a unique ‘value score’ feature that lists plans based on which offer the best overall value, rather than just the cheapest prices. The value score is a rating out of 10, combining price and features data to help you make an informed decision about your next broadband provider. Click here for more details on our pricing and value scores methodology.
Our comparison tool is free to use, and we’ll never ask for your phone number or personal details.
Canstar Blue exists to help you compare broadband plans on the premise of both price and overall value. By selecting your desired monthly data allowance and your preferred speed tier, you’ll receive a selection of plans and prices that match your preferences, taken from our long list of Australian internet service providers.
To compare NBN plans, use the sliders on our comparison tool to select how much data you’ll need each month, and how fast you’d like your plan to be. If you’re looking to compare specific providers, you can select the telcos you’d like to see from the drop-down menu to the right of the tool. If you want to see plans from all listed providers, you don’t need to click this menu.
You also have the option of filtering your results to only show plans which feature a link to a referral partner’s website. You can toggle this option on or off under the data and speed sliders. Once you’ve made your adjustments, hit the green Compare NBN Plans button, and you’ll be taken to your matching list of NBN plans.
Once your result screen loads, you can make further changes to your plan requirements (including adjusting data, speed, and monthly pricing), and filter results by contract length, bundles and inclusions, and preferred providers. You can also sort your results by Canstar Blue’s value score, as well as the feature score, monthly cost, included data, customer satisfaction score, and by provider.
If you find a plan you like, you can see more in-depth information by selecting the blue More Details link. This will bring up additional plan, billing, and account management information. To go to a provider’s website for further information, click the green Go To Site button featured on plans from Canstar Blue’s referral partners.
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