One of the best ways you can manage your mobile broadband use is by getting a prepaid mobile broadband plan — that being a plan that you pay for in advance, typically on a month-to-month basis, with a prepaid contract. Plenty of providers have these on offer, and it’s definitely something to consider if you’re worried about chewing through your data and running through your wallet.
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Compare prepaid internet plans
Telstra Mobile Broadband Plans
The following table shows a selection of published Telstra mobile broadband plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of cost, from the lowest to highest and then by data allowance, largest to smallest. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Small
min. cost $25 over one month |
30GB | $25 | |
|
Medium
min. cost $58 over one month |
75GB | $58 | |
|
Large
min. cost $90 over one month |
400GB | $90 | |
 View all NBN plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
Vodafone Mobile Broadband Plans
The following table shows a selection of published Vodafone mobile broadband plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of cost, from the lowest to highest and then by data allowance, largest to smallest. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Small Data SIM Only Plan
min. cost $20 over first month |
30GB | $20 | Link to provider unavailable |
|
Large Data SIM Only Plan
min. cost $40 over first month |
70GB | $40 | Link to provider unavailable |
| View all NBN plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
Amaysim Mobile Broadband Plans
The following table shows a selection of published Amaysim mobile broadband plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of cost, from the lowest to highest and then by data allowance, largest to smallest. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Sim Only 7GB
min. cost $15 over 28 day billing period |
7GB | $15 | |
|
Sim Only 50GB
min. cost $40 over 28 day billing period |
50GB | $40 | |
|
Sim Only 90GB
min. cost $60 over 28 day billing period |
90GB | $60 | |
| View all NBN plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
Southern Phone Mobile Broadband Plans
The following table shows a selection of published Southern Phone mobile broadband plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of cost, from the lowest to highest and then by data allowance, largest to smallest. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Extra Small
min. cost $180 over 12 month plan period |
7GB | $15 | |
|
Small
min. cost $300 over 12 month plan period |
15GB | $25 | |
|
Medium
min. cost $480 over 12 month plan period |
50GB | $40 | |
|
Large
min. cost $780 over 12 month plan period |
100GB | $65 | |
| View all NBN plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
What is prepaid internet?
Like with a prepaid phone plan, prepaid internet is a service that you pay for in advance. It means paying in advance for your data, without the worry of receiving a surprise bill at the end of each month, or going over your plan’s data allowance. If your prepaid service runs out of data, you won’t be at risk of paying heavy excess data fees; instead, you can pay for a top-up and keep using, or simply wait for your billing cycle to reset.
It isn’t a particularly common payment form to find with internet plans, so your options for prepaid internet plans will be limited. The most common form of prepaid internet are mobile broadband plans.
What is prepaid mobile broadband?
Prepaid mobile broadband is a type of internet connection that utilises 4G and 5G mobile networks powered by Telstra, Optus and Vodafone (where available), to deliver an internet connection to you. It is paid in advance before you start using your service and it can come in the form of a data-only SIM card that can be inserted in your device or bundled with a WiFi dongle or portable modem.
On 4G connections, it tends to stick around 12Mbps, most similar to slower NBN 12 speeds, although it can reach 20Mbps to 100Mbps in some areas. 5G network connections can potentially reach up to 1Gbps, but real-world speeds are likely to be slower.
It’s worth considering if you live in an area that doesn’t have an NBN connection or reliable service, or isn’t yet serviced by the NBN. If this is you, also consider wireless home broadband, which is a better option for home internet use, as mobile broadband plans typically include smaller data inclusions and are designed for shorter term use like travelling rather than daily home use.
Going prepaid may be right for you if:
- You want a plan with no lock-in contract
- You want to avoid ‘bill shock’ and paying surprise excess usage fees
- You don’t need to buy a new modem, dongle or mobile broadband device
- You want the freedom to recharge as often or as little as needed
Prepaid plans generally run on a 28-day or 30-day billing period, although longer-term pay-in-advance plans are available (for example, ALDI Mobile).
Is prepaid mobile broadband better than postpaid mobile broadband?
Prepaid mobile broadband might be better than postpaid mobile broadband if you prefer paying for data before the period of use. Postpaid mobile data is typically reoccurring and bills you after the period of use, so it essentially relies on your ongoing commitment to the internet plan.
Prepaid mobile broadband might be better to manage as far as costs go, with no contracts and no commitments to pay every month. However, this approach to billing also means you can’t use your plan until you pay for a recharge. It might be worth considering a long expiry mobile broadband plan for this reason.
You might find a better deal from a prepaid mobile broadband plan than from a postpaid mobile broadband plan, such as more data or more inclusions, although this is down to what you want from a mobile broadband plan.
Which providers offer prepaid internet?
There are several providers offering prepaid broadband plans, whether in the form of data-only SIM plans or as prepaid mobile broadband. The leading providers of prepaid mobile broadband include Amaysim, Vodafone and ALDI Mobile, while Southern Phone does require bills to be paid in advance. However, there are far fewer prepaid mobile broadband providers compared to those offering postpaid plans.
Amaysim prepaid internet plans
Amaysim uses the Optus network, and offers prepaid internet in the form of a small selection of 28-day expiry data-only prepaid plans. You’ll get unlimited data banking and two of the three plans include 5G network access but speeds are capped at 100Mbps or 150Mbps depending on which plan you choose.
Amaysim Mobile Broadband Plans
The following table shows a selection of published Amaysim mobile broadband plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of cost, from the lowest to highest and then by data allowance, largest to smallest. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
min. cost $15 over 28 day billing period |
7GB | $15 | Go to Site |
|
min. cost $40 over 28 day billing period |
50GB | $40 | Go to Site |
|
min. cost $60 over 28 day billing period |
90GB | $60 | Go to Site |
| View all NBN plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
Vodafone prepaid internet plans
Vodafone offers prepaid mobile broadband plans, with plans running on seven-day, 30-day and 365-day expiry periods. Vodafone’s plans are no-nonsense – they don’t come with any special features, and can be purchased as a SIM-only plan to pair with a BYO device.
Vodafone also gives you the option of picking up a small 4G modem when you order a mobile broadband plan. The ‘Vodafone Pocket WiFi 4 4G Starter Pack’ includes a modem of the same name along a mobile broadband plan with included data.
Vodafone Mobile Broadband Plans
The following table shows a selection of published Vodafone mobile broadband plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of cost, from the lowest to highest and then by data allowance, largest to smallest. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Small Data SIM Only Plan
min. cost $20 over first month |
30GB | $20 | Link to provider unavailable |
|
Large Data SIM Only Plan
min. cost $40 over first month |
70GB | $40 | Link to provider unavailable |
| View all NBN plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
ALDI prepaid internet plans
ALDI Mobile was the recipient of Canstar Blue’s Mobile Broadband Most Satisfied Customers award in 2019, scoring a solid five stars across all our research categories. ALDI’s prepaid internet plans provide good value and data sizes, ideal for a wide range of uses. ALDI mobile uses the Telstra mobile network.
You’ll only get the SIM in the plan and data rollover is included – meaning some of the data you don’t use is rolled over to the following billing period, provided you recharge before your plan expiry.
ALDI Mobile Broadband Plans
The following table shows a selection of published ALDI Mobile mobile broadband plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of cost, from the lowest to highest and then by data allowance, largest to smallest. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
$95 Data Pack
min. cost $95 over 365 days |
30GB | $95 | Link to provider unavailable |
|
$240 Data Pack
min. cost $240 over 365 days |
185GB | $240 | Link to provider unavailable |
|
$365 Data Pack
min. cost $365 over 365 days |
365GB | $365 | Link to provider unavailable |
| View all mobile plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
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