Compare Vodafone vs Telstra mobile phone plans

About Vodafone vs Telstra

Telstra and Vodafone have lots of similarities, such as offering prepaid, postpaid and phone on a plan options, but there are also plenty of differences. While Telstra has the biggest network as well as lots of entertainment extras packed in, Vodafone has some pretty compelling data offerings, and one of the most competitive global roaming options around.

Telstra is known for having the largest network in Australia, with coverage reaching over 99% of the population, so it’s generally considered a good option for people living in remote and regional areas. As for 5G, Telstra is continually rolling out its 5G network, with more sites going live across Australia with a range of 5G-compatible devices available to buy on a plan.

Vodafone, as Australia’s third-largest telco, delivers total coverage to about 98.4% of the population, which is still around 24 million people. However, Vodafone has been a bit slow when it comes to 5G. The telco launched its 5G network in early 2020, with coverage still limited compared to Telstra and even Optus. Like Telstra, Vodafone offers a wide range of 5G-compatible devices, so customers can experience the Vodafone 5G network for themselves.

Both telcos offer a range of SIM-only phone plans across prepaid and postpaid, along with postpaid plans available with a new handset. As for phones, you’ll find the latest devices from all the big names including Apple iPhone, Samsung, and Google. Both telcos also offer unlimited data in the form of no excess data charges, along with extras such as entertainment add ons.

Before you sign up to either telco, there are a couple things you should check. First, check the coverage to ensure you will have access to that network where you live and work. If you’re looking for a new phone and have a particular device in mind, check with the telco to see if they have your preferred device model and storage size in stock.

Vodafone vs Telstra: Phone plans and prices compared

Telstra and Vodafone have a lot in common, but there are some big differences. Price points and what you’ll get for your money is perhaps one of the biggest differences between the two. While Telstra is generally a pricier option, the value that Telstra packs in could be worth the extra cost — it depends on what you’re after from your phone plan.

Vodafone on the other hand has its plans around that middle-range price point. While you won’t find many prepaid or postpaid plans below $30 per month (unless there’s a special offer running), you also won’t pay near $100 per month for a plan.

Most plans from both telcos are fairly generous when it comes to data – so if you tend to stream a lot of video and music, you’ll most likely find a plan with enough data for your needs. Plus, both telcos offer unlimited capped-speed data on select SIM-only plans. You’ll also find that Telstra and Vodafone include a range of features, whether its entertainment extras or bonus data, that could be an enticing inclusion.

Vodafone phone plans

Vodafone provides a range of options for prepaid, postpaid and phone-on-a-plan bundle plans, all of which often have discounts for new customers. All of Vodafone’s plans include unlimited standard national calls and texts, varied mobile data inclusions and 5G network coverage, however speeds may be capped. Customers can also add on extra data or extra international credit if needed.

Vodafone has three postpaid plans to choose from, with data inclusions starting at 50GB and going up to 360GB, with bonus data on offer from time to time. In addition to its larger data allowances, Vodafone offers ‘infinite data’ for those who exceed their full speed data inclusions, which is capped at speeds of 2Mbps. All three plans include unlimited standard international texts and the two biggest plans include unlimited standard international calls as well, however this is limited to specific countries only.

There are seven prepaid plans for customers to choose from, with expiry periods from seven days, 28 days, 185 days and 365 days. Plan include up to 200GB of data roll over and most include some credit for international calls and texts to select countries. Those on prepaid plans who are looking to travel overseas can add on one of three international roaming plans to use in 80 select countries.

Vodafone customers with more than one eligible plan on their account have the option to pool their unused data to share with up to ten plans on the same account.
Customers can choose to bundle their postpaid plan with a new device on Vodafone’s phone-on-a-plan options to pay off over 12, 24 or 36 months. You can choose devices from brands like Apple, Samsung, Google and more, and customers can also add smartwatches and other tech accessories to their plans.

Telstra phone plans

Telstra offers a range of prepaid, postpaid and phone-on-a-plan bundle plans. All plans include unlimited standard national calls and SMS, mobile data inclusions, and  5G network coverage, although speeds may be capped on some plans.

The three postpaid ‘Upfront’ plans offer a range of data inclusions starting at 50GB and go up to 300GB per month, although prices and data inclusions may change. All postpaid plans include unlimited international SMS and 30-minutes of calls to select countries.

Telstra has seven prepaid plans with seven-day to 12-month expiry term options, each with a range of data allowances. Most plans also include some amount of international SMS and call inclusions to use in select countries.

With the exception of the two long-expiry plans, Telstra’s prepaid plans include continuous data rollover up to 200GB. This means that if you recharge before your current expiry, any data you haven’t used will roll over for future use as long as you have an active recharge.

Telstra also offers a prepaid Casual plan, which is designed for people who don’t use their phone too often. It has a six-month expiry period and has a small amount of call, SMS and data inclusions. This plan is also a good option if you’re overseas for an extended period and want to keep your Australian phone number active.

Telstra customers on a postpaid plan have the option to bundle some of the latest phones from brands like Apple, Samsung, Google and more. You can choose between a 12, 24 or 36-month device payment plan, or you can buy the device outright.

Vodafone vs Telstra network coverage

Both Telstra and Vodafone operate mobile networks across Australia. Telstra owns and operates the largest mobile network in Australia, with coverage to 99.7% of the population and a growing 5G network. After entering a network sharing agreement with Optus, Vodafone has expanded its network coverage to 98.4% of the population and is still expanding its 5G network.

Determining which is the best mobile network will ultimately depend on whether you can get coverage in your area. You can check your address and any areas you frequent on the network coverage maps on each telco’s website.

Telstra vs Vodafone: MVNOs compared

As both Telstra and Vodafone own and operate their own mobile networks, both providers also offer smaller telcos access to these respective networks to then offer their own phone plans.

Known as Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs), these smaller telcos are able to provide cheaper phone plans than the big telcos, as they don’t have the costs associated with building, upgrading and maintaining the mobile network infrastructure.

Both Telstra and Vodafone have a range of MVNOs using their respective mobile networks. If you’re finding the cost of a Telstra or Vodafone plan to be a little too steep — or you just like having more options to choose from — signing up with an MVNO could be the way to go.

One thing to keep in mind is that even though you’ll technically have Telstra or Vodafone mobile network coverage, you might not have access to the full network (including 5G). Telstra typically only allows MVNOs (with the exception of Boost Mobile) access to a portion of the Telstra network, so you’ll want to check the MVNO’s coverage map before signing up to a plan to ensure you’ll have coverage.

Here is a selection of some well-known and popular MVNOs operating on the Telstra and Vodafone mobile networks.

Telstra MVNOs:

• ALDI Mobile
• Belong
• Boost Mobile
• NuMobile
• TeleChoice
• Everyday Mobile

Vodafone MVNOs:

• Felix Mobile
• Kogan Mobile
• iiNet
• TPG
• LycaMobile
• Lebara

Which MVNOs are the best?

If you’re leaning towards an MVNO using either the Telstra or Vodafone network, it will be a similar process to compare these telcos as it is comparing plans between Vodafone and Telstra.

Ultimately, you’ll need to look at which telco offers you the right plan type, the price and inclusions. If you’re dedicated to choosing one mobile network over the other, then you’ll want to compare MVNOs offering plans on that network. Otherwise, you’ve got a wide range of providers and plans to compare and choose from.

Both telcos also allow MVNOs to access the 5G network, but they may not have access to the full network. Also, choosing a plan from an MVNO could simply come down to which provider has the best mobile coverage for you.

Plan extras and bonuses

One advantage to choosing a plan from one of the big telcos is that generally these providers offer more extras and bonus offers. Both Telstra and Vodafone offer extras in some shape or form, but determining which telco has the best bonuses and extras is really dependent on what you need and what you will actually use.

Telstra is also known to offer bonuses, such as entertainment subscriptions, discounts and bonus data on select plans from time to time, but you should check to see what is available on the Telstra website before signing up.

Another bonus from Telstra is its Telstra Plus rewards program. Much like the rewards programs you would be familiar with from the supermarkets and airlines, simply by paying your Telstra bill or recharging your prepaid plan, you’ll earn points for every dollar spent. Those points can then go towards items in the Rewards Store, such as headphones, smart home devices  or even a new phone. You’ll also have access to a range of special offers, such as discounted sports and movie tickets and pre-sale concert ticket access.

As for Vodafone, it doesn’t offer as many extras when compared to Telstra, but with the decent data inclusions for the price points could be enough value for your needs. However, Vodafone does offer discounts, bonus data, and other offers such as entertainment extras from time to time.

One area where Vodafone does have the edge on Telstra, and indeed on most telcos, is its $5 Roaming. Available to postpaid customers, $5 Roaming allows you to use your phone plan as you normally would in Australia but for the daily charge of $5. There are over 80 countries where you can use $5 Roaming — other destinations will be charged at PAYG roaming rates.

Telstra does offer postpaid customers a $5 per day International Roaming Day Pass, which gives you unlimited talk and text, plus 2GB of data over 24 hours, but this is only available for roaming in New Zealand and six select Oceania destinations. Other destinations will cost $10 per day with 2GB of data, while a no-data day pass is also available.

Vodafone vs Telstra: Which is better?

As you would have seen, both telcos offer very similar phone plans when it comes to the basics, so you need to look into further detail to work out which provider is going to have the best plan for you.

Telstra does have the wider network coverage, but the majority of Australians would also have coverage from Vodafone’s network. Vodafone on the other hand is a little cheaper than Telstra if you’re looking at postpaid plans, but neither of these providers are exactly cheap, and probably won’t be the best option if you’re after a cheap phone plan.

Both telcos offer access to extras and bonuses, so that might be where you can compare plans on value for money. Ultimately, when comparing phone plans from Vodafone and Telstra, you’ll want to consider what is going to suit your needs more.

About our phone experts

Jasmine Tait: Utilities Content Assistant

Jasmine Tait is a Content Assistant within Canstar Blue’s editorial team. Jasmine graduated from the Queensland University of Technology with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, majoring in Creative Writing with a minor in Communications.

Jasmine has previously edited for a variety of publications including ScratchThat Magazine and Seaglass Literary.

When Jasmine isn’t working, you can usually find her reading or spending time with her friends and family.

Josh Filosi: Data Insights Analyst

Josh Filosi is Canstar’s Data Insights Analyst, and helps develop and deliver the methodology for Canstar Blue’s Value Rankings and Awards for the telco industry. He holds a double-major in Economics and Behavioral Science, and enjoys interpreting complex data. Connect with Josh on LinkedIn.