When it comes to choosing the best NBN plan for you, chances are the first two internet service providers (ISPs) you're going to look at will be Telstra and Optus. These two are the industry heavyweights, although they're slowly but surely succumbing to pressure from smaller telcos that offer greater overall value.
That being said, there can still value to be found in a Telstra or Optus NBN plan, and if you do decide you want to sign-up with a tried and tested provider, this guide should help you decide which comes out on top in the Telstra versus Optus broadband debate.
There’s no hiding that these two major telcos don’t don't come close to offering the cheapest NBN plans, but what they do both offer is a well-performing service alongside lots of optional add-on extras that can help improve the plan’s value.
If that’s something you’re looking for in a provider, we’ll be laying out all the differences (and similarities) between the two choices here.
If you know you want to connect with one of these providers, you can jump to our guide to the best Optus NBN plans or best Telstra NBN plans.
Telstra vs Optus NBN: Plan range
- Both providers with plans from NBN 25 – NBN 1000 (no Optus NBN 250)
- Typical evening speed figure claims differ between the two
Both Optus and Telstra have NBN plans covering NBN 25 through to the current-fastest NBN 1000. Although, since July 2025, Optus has dropped its NBN 250 plan.
Other big changes include both providers removing extra perks that once made them a little easier to justify. Optus has dropped its Family Entertainer plan, which came with a standard Netflix subscription as standard, while Telstra no longer offers free trials to select video and music streaming services.
What's more, both providers have never exactly been cheap, but following some pricing changes, they're now even more expensive. Put simply, there are better Internet deals to be found elsewhere.
You should also note that in order to sign-up for either an NBN 250 or NBN 1000 plan with Optus or Telstra, you will need either a fibre-to-the-premise (FTTP) or a hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) connection. You can read more about each NBN connection type here.
Optus vs Telstra: NBN 50 plans compared
An NBN 50 plan continues to be the most popular speed tier in Australia, although we're starting to see the faster NBN 100 option becoming increasingly more common with each passing month.
Here is how Optus and Telstra NBN 50 plans compare.
- Best NBN plans: our recommendations at every speed
Optus vs Telstra NBN: Price and data allowance
- Cheapest Telstra plan is AU$93p/m
- Cheapest Optus plan is AU$79p/m
- Optus generally offers better value for money
Cost is the critical factor when considering any NBN plan, so let's break down how much you can expect to pay with these major Aussie telcos.
The cheapest plan with either telco is a 25Mbps NBN 25 plan. Telstra charges AU$93 a month while Optus charges AU$79 a month – a huge difference of AU$14.
It's a similar story with the other NBN plans offered by the two providers, with Telstra being the more expensive option each time. In fact, based on all the ISPs we monitor, Telstra is the most expensive provider in the country.
You can view a full comparison of the NBN plans offered by Optus and Telstra in the table below. Please note that the prices listed are the regular monthly costs, following any introductory promotional pricing (at the time of writing, neither provider offers an introductory cost, but that could change in the future).
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Optus | Telstra |
|---|---|---|
NBN 25 | AU$79p/m | AU$93p/m |
NBN 50 | AU$95p/m | AU$109p/m |
NBN 100 | AU$99p/m | AU$113p/m |
NBN 250 | N/A | AU$129p/m |
NBN 1000 | AU$129p/m | AU$139p/m |
Optus and Telstra's plan pricing has fluctuated within the previous 12 months – the slower NBN 25 and NBN 50 plans have increased, while higher-speed plans have, in general, come down in price – following a decision by NBN Co to increase the wholesale cost of its services. The decision was made to encourage Australians to upgrade to the fastest NBN plans, which subsequently have seen their average cost decrease by up to as much as AU$20p/m since September 2023.
As an example, the cost of a Telstra NBN 50 plan was AU$80p/m towards the end of 2022, but it has settled at AU$109p/m since July 2025. This is the most expensive plan of the telcos we monitor, approximately AU$22 more each month than the current average and AU$34 more expensive each month than the cheapest provider, Buddy Telco.
Optus' AU$79p/m is also higher than the national average on the NBN 25 tier – which is roughly AU$73p/m at the time of publishing – putting it in the upper echelons of providers at this speed tier.
It's a similar story as you move up the speed tiers, with Telstra always being the most expensive and Optus trailing not too far behind. Out of the two providers, then, Optus is the clear winner when it comes to value. In the grand scheme, however, neither provider could be considered 'good value' when there are numerous smaller ISPs offering similar plan speeds for much less.
Optus vs Telstra: Cheapest NBN plans
- Cheap NBN plans: low-cost options for anyone on a budget
Optus vs Telstra NBN: Performance and typical evening speeds
- Similar typical evening speed claims across all speed tiers
- Both good options for streaming Netflix
- Optus may potentially experience more frequent outages
Both Telstra and Optus promise to deliver the same typical evening speed of 25Mbps on their NBN 25 plans, 50Mbps on their NBN 50 plans, and 100Mbps on their NBN 100 plans, which is to say that the telcos are promising that customers should expect to get maximum plan speeds most of the time.
As for faster NBN plans, Telstra advertises maximum speeds of 250Mbps on its NBN 250 plan, but Optus no longer offers a plan on this tier.
Moving up to the NBN 1000 tier, with a theoretical maximum speed of 1,000Mbps, Optus has recently been dethroned by Telstra. For a time, Optus advertised faster 780Mbps typical evening speeds. But at the time of writing, we've noticed Telstra has increased its claim from 700Mbps to 815Mbps.
We can dig a little deeper to understand what sort of speed you can actually expect, however, thanks to the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission. The consumer watchdog publishes a report each quarter looking into the broadband performance of some of Australia's biggest telcos, and its most recent update in June 2025 found that both Optus and Telstra either met or exceeded their promised average speeds on NBN 25, NBN 50 and NBN 100 plans.
Optus was found to deliver 103.7% of plan speeds across all hours and 103% during the busiest hours. Telstra meanwhile recoded 105.1% of plan speeds across all hours and 104.6% during the busiest. These figures technically mean Telstra overdelivers on speed more than Optus, but in reality there is very little to separate them.
Latency is another metric that is important, especially for gamers, and in the latest report neither Optus or Telstra performed particularly well in comparison to some of the other telcos monitored, both recording 9.7ms across all hours and 9.8ms during the busier hours. The best-performing provider was Leaptel, with a speed figure of 7.4ms.
When it comes to outages, it’s important to note that there’s a fair bit of fluctuation and outage statistics do change over time and so aren't entirely indicative of the experience you'll have with either telco.
The ACCC’s March 2025 report found that during the month-long monitoring period, 52% of households connected to Optus experienced no outages, a figure improved upon by Telstra, at 56%. At the other end of the scale, just 2% of Optus households experienced an outage at least one a day, and just 3% of Telstra customers had the same experience. These are seriously improved figures compared to just 6 months ago, when a much higher percentage experienced an outage at least once a day with either provider.
And when you look into the severity of those outages, Optus claws back some points. Just 13% of Optus' outages in the most recent testing period lasted 10 minutes or more, while it was found that 17% of outages experienced by Telstra customers lasted 10 minutes or more.
The ACCC isn’t the only organisation tracking the quality of Australia’s NBN. Netflix also monitors the performance of ISPs on an ongoing basis, tracking the average speed at which video content is streamed during 'prime time' viewing hours. In this measurement, Telstra and Optus are currently neck-and-neck, and share the top of the leaderboard with TPG, iiNet and Aussie Broadband.
Optus vs Telstra: Fastest NBN plans
- Fastest NBN plans: our picks of the best 1000Mbps, 250Mbps and 100Mbps plans
Optus vs Telstra NBN: Additional fees
- You’ll be required to pay out your modem if you leave Optus within 24 months
- Return modem to Telstra or pay a AU$200 fee
- Both no lock-in contract with no cancellation fee
It’s time to talk about everyone’s favourite part... the fine print.
The good news is that Telstra and Optus no longer charge new customers a AU$99 connection fee, although a fee may still apply if you’re getting a first time NBN connection in a new development.
Both telcos will provide you with a modem-router that comes with 4G backup, but you only get it for free with Telstra (sort of). Optus will also give you its Ultra WiFi Modem 2 for free, but only if you remain connected for 24 months.
You’ll get the Telstra Smart Modem for free when you sign-up for a plan and remain connected for 24 months. If you leave within 24 months, you can return the modem to Telstra or pay a AU$200 non-return fee. Telstra used to apply a monthly charge to its modem, so we're glad to see this is no longer the case.
It’s a slightly different story with Optus, as while you’ll also need to stay connected to Optus NBN for 24 months if you want the Optus Ultra Wi-Fi Modem 2 for free, if you leave before this period, you need to pay for the modem.
Optus previously made this a 36-month period, with the modem costing AU$8.50 for each unused month if you left before. The minimum duration has now dropped to 24 months, but the monthly cost of the modem has risen to AU$12.75. So, regardless of when you leave, you'll be paying the same amount for the modem. It's a sneaky move, and one we're not really a fan of.
Aside from this, there’s no additional cancellation fee with either Optus or Telstra, just the remaining cost of your hardware if you leave before the allotted time period.
Both ISPs will determine if a technician needs to be sent out to complete your NBN installation, the costs of which can vary depending on the situation. In many cases this can be free of charge, but on the flip side there are certain set costs that are sometimes unavoidable. If you’re activating an NBN service for the first time in a new development, for example, there’s a fee of AU$300 no matter what ISP you choose.
Optus vs Telstra NBN: Optional extras and freebies
- Telstra offers Fetch and Foxtel entertainment options
- Optus Sport add-on and SubHub specials with Optus
Going with one of the major Aussie ISPs may not be the cheapest option, but they do come with some free perks and more optional extras than most competitors – let’s break down what each provider brings to the table.
As mentioned above, both Telstra and Optus have their own telco-branded modem-routers that are provided 'free' to NBN subscribers. Each is enabled with 4G backup, so they will automatically connect to the internet through the telco’s mobile network if there’s an NBN outage. (Coverage depending, of course.)
If you find the Wi-Fi coverage in your home isn't up to scratch, both telcos offer a Wi-Fi booster. Telstra's comes at the cost of AU$12p/m for 24 months (or AU$288 outright) although it does add that you can receive up to three more at no extra charge if your home needs them.
Optus' Smart Wi-Fi Booster appears to only be available to customers who sign-up for an Everyday Plus NBN plan with no additional charge.
While we haven't been able to test either Wi-Fi booster, we would recommend you also check out the best mesh Wi-Fi systems as a potentially more cost-effective route to full home network coverage.
When it comes to entertainment perks, there is a fair bit of difference between what you'll get from either telco.
Telstra also allows you to subscribe to third-party entertainment services including Fetch TV and Foxtel and you can even add an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription to your NBN plan. If you don't yet own an Xbox games console, you can also buy one through Telstra either outright or on an interest-free payment plan.
Optus has what it calls SubHub. This feature allows you to sign-up to a range of popular streaming services and save up to 10% when you bundle three of more subscriptions together. Supported apps include Netflix, Prime Video, Paramount Plus, Binge, YouTube Premium, BritBox, Hayu and Kindle Unlimited, to name a few. With select NBN plans, you can get AU$20 of credit to spend on SubHub subscriptions.
- Telstra NBN plans: all the options from Australia's top telco
