Cheap NBN plans compared: the best internet deals in Australia

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Noteworthy cheap NBN deals
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Cheap NBN plans: major telcos

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The number of internet options available to the average Aussie is getting to the point of being overwhelming, especially if you’re just after a cheap NBN plan.

When shopping around for an internet plan, you’ll notice that most NBN providers offer a six-month discount when you first sign up, or occasionally, you’ll see a telco offering your first month for free.

These are both great ways of getting a cheap NBN plan and saving money, at least to start off with. If you want to be really savvy, you can potentially switch NBN providers every six months to take advantage of introductory offers, though this is best if you’ve got your own modem to start off with, or you can return the telco’s provided modem to avoid facing a fee.

A cheap NBN plan isn’t always a good one though, particularly if it only comes with a limited amount of data. With this in mind, we’re here to help you search for a good internet plan at the best price. We’ve partnered with WhistleOut (opens in new tab) to compare NBN plans from over 30 Australian providers and bring you our cheap NBN plan recommendations. If you want to jump ahead, click the links below:

Jump to: Cheapest NBN plan with unlimited data
Jump to: Cheapest NBN plan with limited data
Jump to: Cheap NBN 25
Jump to: Cheap NBN 50
Jump to: Cheap NBN 100
Jump to: Cheap NBN 250
Jump to: Cheap NBN 1000

Noteworthy cheap NBN deals

All of our plan recommendations are detailed below, but before you check them out, here are some good deals you should check out before deciding on an NBN plan:

Best cheap NBN plans

Cheapest NBN plan with unlimited data

The lowest cost with unlimited data

Spintel | NBN 12 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$44p/m (first 6 months, then AU$49.95p/m) (opens in new tab)

While this NBN 12 plan from Spintel isn’t the absolute cheapest, we recommend it if you’re searching for a cheap NBN plan with unlimited data. It’s been discounted by AU$5.95 a month for your first six months, so you’ll initially pay AU$44 for a connection. For the price, you can expect typical evening speeds of 15Mbps. You’ll need to pay an additional AU$210 upfront if you need a modem though.

Total minimum cost: AU$39 | Total cost for first year: AU$533.70

Cheapest NBN plan with limited data

The lowest-cost NBN plan available

TPG | NBN 12 | 10GB data | No lock-in contract | AU$29.99p/m (opens in new tab)

If you’re after a bare-minimum NBN connection, TPG’s got the cheapest plan available. The plan is only AU$29.99 a month, but if you need a modem, you’ll have to pay a AU$99.95 setup fee plus a AU$10 equipment delivery fee, which totals AU$139.94 upfront. You’ll also only have 10GB of data per month to play with, so unless you’re a minimal internet user, we wouldn’t recommend this plan.

Total minimum cost: AU$29.99 | Total cost for first year: AU$359.88

Cheap NBN 25

A cheap NBN plan that doesn’t sacrifice speed

Tangerine | NBN 25 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$44.90p/m (first 6 months, then AU$59.90p/m) (opens in new tab)

This is one of the absolute cheapest NBN 25 plans you can get. Tangerine will discount your plan by AU$15 a month for your first six months on the service, so you’ll pay AU$44.90 each billing period. After the welcome discount you’ll need to pay AU$59.90 a month for the connection, which is still very cheap for this tier. You’ll get unlimited data and typical evening speeds of 25Mbps.

[A multi-award winner in the 2021 Mozo Experts Choice NBN Awards (opens in new tab).]

Total minimum cost: AU$44.90 | Total cost for first year: AU$628.80

• See more: Best NBN 25 plans (opens in new tab)

Cheap NBN 50

Best option for most users

Spintel | NBN 50 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$54p/m (first 6 months, then AU$64.95) (opens in new tab)

When it comes down to the cheapest NBN 50 plan, you’ll often find it’s a tight race between the providers Spintel and Tangerine. This month, despite Superloop sneaking in with a plan that’s initially 5c cheaper than Spintel, we’re still recommending Spintel for its low ongoing rate. It has a low introductory offer of AU$54 a month that holds for your first six months, which increases to AU$64.95 each month after. You also get a typical evening speed of 50Mbps.

Total minimum cost: AU$54 | Total cost for first year: AU$713.70

• See more: Best NBN 50 plans (opens in new tab)

Cheap NBN 100

A bump in speed for larger households

MyRepublic | NBN 100 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$69p/m (first 6 months, then AU$79p/m) (opens in new tab)

Signing up to this MyRepublic plan will see you pay just AU$69 a month over your first six months, after which the plan increases to AU$79 ongoing. The ACCC has recently found that MyRepublic is struggling to meet its advertised speeds though, so if you want an alternative, Spintel’s NBN 100 plan (opens in new tab) costs AU$69 a month for the first six months before jumping up to AU$84.95 ongoing. MyRepublic quotes a typical evening speed of 90Mbps on this plan, while Spintel’s equivalent maxes out at 100Mbps.

Total minimum cost: AU$69 | Total cost for first year: AU$888

• See more: Best NBN 100 plans (opens in new tab)

Cheap NBN 250

For super-fast internet, consider this

MyRepublic | NBN 250 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$89p/m (first 6 months, then AU$99p/m) (opens in new tab)

MyRepublic is also now offering the cheapest NBN 250 plan in the market, with prices starting at AU$89 a month for your first six months. Once that offer ends, your plan only increases to AU$99, which is the (equal) lowest ongoing price too. This plan has a typical evening speed of 200Mbps, which is below average for this tier (the average being 219Mbps). Do note that the ACCC’s recent broadband report found MyRepublic to be struggling to meet its advertised speeds though.

Total minimum cost: AU$89 | Total cost for first year: AU$1,128

• See more: Best NBN 250 plans (opens in new tab)

Cheap NBN 1000

The fastest you can get, but only available in select locations

MyRepublic | NBN 1000 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$99p/m (first 6 months, then AU$109p/m) (opens in new tab)

Once again, MyRepublic dominates the fastest speed tiers with the cheapest NBN 1000 plan. You’ll pay AU$99 a month for your first six months on the plan, and even once it increases to AU$109 a month, it’s still the lowest ongoing rate out there. The telco says you can expect a typical evening speed of 350Mbps on the plan, but we can’t attest it will reach this speed given the ACCC’s recent report, which found it’s struggling to meet advertised speeds.

Total minimum cost: AU$99 | Total cost for first year: AU$1,248

• See more: Best NBN 1000 plans (opens in new tab)

Cheap NBN plans: major telcos

If you’re looking for the cheapest options available from the major providers, we’ve outlined them below. While they aren’t as affordable as other budget ISPs, they tend to perform well, and come with optional added perks:

Cheapest Telstra NBN plan

Telstra | NBN 25 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$80p/m (opens in new tab)

This is Telstra’s cheapest NBN plan, though it’s hardly the cheapest option out there. The lowest speed tier the telco offers is NBN 25, and it promises speeds of up to 25Mbps during busy peak periods. This plan now comes with unlimited data, which could suit smaller households everyday use, and still leave room for light gaming and streaming. Telstra will waive your sign-up fee if you register online, and if you leave within 24 months, just return your modem or pay a AU$200 no-return fee.

Total minimum cost: AU$80 | Total cost for first year: AU$960

Not the right plan for you? Check out our full comparison of all Telstra’s NBN plans (opens in new tab).

Cheapest Optus NBN plan

Optus | NBN 50 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$69p/m (first 6 months, then AU$79p/m) (opens in new tab)

The most affordable NBN plan from Optus isn’t exactly cheap, but this is the lowest you’ll pay with the provider. Its NBN 50 plan is now discounted by AU$10 a month for your first six months, so you’ll initially pay AU$69 each billing before it reverts to the standard AU$79p/m. For the price, you’ll get typical download speeds of 50Mbps in the evening hours. Optus has axed the previous AU$99 start-up fee, and while the plan comes with no lock-in contract, you will need to pay out the cost of your modem if you leave before a 36-month term (AU$252).

Total minimum cost: AU$321 (includes modem) | Total cost for first year: AU$888

Need a different speed? See our full comparison of all Optus NBN plans (opens in new tab).

Cheapest TPG NBN plan (that's actually good)

TPG | NBN 12 | 100GB data | No lock-in contract | AU$49.99p/m (opens in new tab)

The lowest you can pay for a TPG NBN plan is AU$29.99 a month for 10GB of data (opens in new tab), but it’s not great value, so we reckon stretching to this one for AU$20 more is a better deal. This NBN 12 plan will see you pay under AU$50 a month for 100GB of data, though TPG says this is allotted into 50GB during peak and 50GB during off-peak. If you need a modem for the plan, you’ll need to pay a AU$99.95 setup fee plus a AU$10 delivery charge. During the evening hours, you can expect typical speeds of 12Mbps.

Total minimum cost: AU$49.99 | Total cost for first year: AU$599.88

Telstra vs Optus NBN: who has better broadband?

TPG NBN review

Jasmine Gearie

Jasmine Gearie is TechRadar Australia’s resident deals expert, with a keen eye for hunting down the best Aussie discounts on everything from laptops and phones to cameras, headphones and mobile and NBN plans. She doesn’t buy anything without doing a little research first, and she wants to help you do the same.

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