Australia’s Best-Rated Business Mobile Plan Providers

Fact Checked

How we rate business mobile plan providers

Our ratings compare mobile phone plan providers offering business plans, based on customer satisfaction as rated by Australians.

Find more information on our Most Satisfied Customers ratings.

1. Vodafone

Ratings result

Vodafone has once again taken out the top spot, scoring an impressive five stars in all categories, including network coverage, client service, value for money and overall satisfaction.

Editor’s notes

Vodafone offers the option of SIM-only plans or plans that can be bundled with a device. All that you need to do is supply your ABN/ACN on sign up, or link it to an existing Vodafone mobile plan account, with additional business plans also able be added.

2. Optus

Ratings results

Optus came in second place, scoring four stars in almost all categories — including overall satisfaction and value for money. However it scored five stars for ease of recharge.

Editor’s notes

Optus offers a range of options for its business phone plans. While you can pick a similar selection of SIM-only plans and devices to its non-business phone plans, Optus also offers Business Teams Plus plans. The Optus ‘team plan’ includes four SIM plans with data to share and flexibility, along with the option to add on additional SIMs for an extra cost per SIM.

3. Telstra

Ratings result

Rounding out our ratings was Telstra, which scored three stars for overall satisfaction, value for money, client service and plan flexibility. It scored its only five star result for network coverage and scored four stars in the remaining categories.

Editor’s notes

Telstra offers a range of SIM-only plans or plans with a phone, with the option to bundle services onto the one plan. Its plans and device selection are essentially the same offerings as what you’ll get if you sign up to a non-business plan. If you bundle a phone with a plan, you’ll choose from a 12, 24 or 36-month device repayment period.

Other business phone plan providers

Apart from the above-mentioned providers, there are several other telcos also offering phone plans for businesses, although many of these providers might only offer SIM-only plans and no handsets for bundling. These telcos include:

• Aussie Broadband
• Southern Phone
• SpinTel

MYOB Accounting Software

Looking to make dollars and cents of your personal or small business finances? MYOB’s accounting software includes options for invoicing, payroll, expenses and more. For more information on the featured plans below, click the button below to be referred to MYOB’s site.

Business Lite For sole traders and small businesses with up to 2 employees. Track GST and lodge BAS Manage inventory and orders Add payroll for up to 2 employees ($2.00/month per employee) Buy 1 month, get 6 months free Base subscriptions only. New customers only. T&Cs Apply.

From $34.00/month min. cost $34.00

Go to site

Business Pro For small to medium businesses with multiple employees. Connect unlimited bank accounts Create and send sales orders Add payroll for up to 2 employees ($2.00/month per employee) Get 6 months free when you pay for your first month Base subscriptions only. New customers only. T&Cs Apply.

$63.00/month min. cost $63.00

Go to site

AccountRight Plus For established businesses needing to fast track pay runs and inventory. Unlimited inventory Priority support Unlimited payroll at no extra cost Save 50% in your first 3 months Base subscriptions only. New customers only. T&Cs Apply.

$75.00/month min. cost $75.00

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*^View important information

AccountRight Premier For complex businesses managing multiple locations, jobs or currencies. Unlimited inventory Priority support Unlimited payroll at no extra cost 50% off in your first 3 Months Base subscriptions only. New customers only. T&Cs Apply.

$97.50/month min. cost $97.50

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Payroll Only For businesses that need standalone payroll for up to 4 employees Simple pay runs Direct reporting to the ATO Automated tax compliance Automates superannuation contributions Online employee onboarding Automated annual leave calculations $9 for 24 months Base subscriptions only. New customers only. T&Cs Apply.

$9.00/2 years min. cost $9.00

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Solo by MYOB The all-in-one mobile app for sole operators, freelancers, and the self-employed. Snap and track expenses Enable in-person payments with Tap to Pay† Create and send unlimited invoices $12 for 12 months Base subscriptions only. New customers only. T&Cs Apply.

$12.00/year min. cost $12.00

Go to site

Choosing a phone plan provider

Access to a phone and/or phone plan for work can be an essential part of a business. Of those surveyed, 29% provide employees with a mobile phone for work use and 26% upgrade handsets every one to two years.

Despite several providers offering mobile phone services to businesses, 45% of respondents have always been with the same business phone service provider. A big reason for this could be that almost a third of respondents (30%) believe the provider offers good value, while 28% believe their provider offers the best coverage or is the only provider with coverage in the area.

However, when you break it down to a few points, comparing business mobile phone plans might be more simple than you think.

Phone with a plan or SIM-only

The first thing to consider is whether you’ll need phones bundled with a phone plan — such as an iPhone or Samsung phone — or if you simply need the phone plan on its own. If you need handsets with a plan, your provider choices will mostly be limited to the big three telcos (Telstra, Optus and Vodafone).

If you just need the SIM cards with a phone plan, then you have a wider range of options to choose from.

Additional extras

Some providers will offer business-related extras such as the ability to bundle multiple services, data sharing across plans, device security software and more. If these extras are important to you, you can then compare providers to see what is available and which telco will offer the best value for you.

Data

How much mobile data you need for your plans is pretty important. Consider what your team will be using their phone plans for — such as working on the go, accessing emails, video conferencing, making calls, etc — will help determine whether you need a plan with lots of data or not. If phones will be used primarily for making and receiving calls and accessing emails, a smaller amount of data, or a data-sharing plan, might work best. Otherwise you’ll need bigger data plans for working on the go and video conferencing.

Mobile coverage

Of course, for some workers, a phone plan can be essential when travelling for work. If your team frequently needs to travel, especially to regional and remote areas, ensuring your choice of provider has good mobile network coverage in that area is essential.

While the Telstra, Optus and Vodafone networks all offer coverage to the majority of the country, it’s worth checking the mobile coverage map before signing up to a provider to ensure that the areas your team will be working from are covered.

About our telco experts

Emma Bradstock: Senior Telco Specialist

Emma Bradstock has been an authority on consumer phone, internet, technology and streaming markets in Australia for over five years, with a dedication to providing Aussies with all the information they need to make better purchasing decisions. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Media from Macquarie University and has a decade of professional writing experience in print and digital media.

Samantha Howse: Consumer Research and Insights Manager

Samantha Howse is Canstar Blue’s Consumer Research and Insights Manager, coordinating the consumer research program behind our customer satisfaction awards across Canstar and Canstar Blue in Australia and New Zealand. Sam has earned a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) from Griffith University and, with seven years in market research and 2 years in marketing, she is experienced in survey design, implementation and analysis, coupled with an understanding of marketing principles and best practice.