The best unlimited data mobile plans

There isn't really a truly unlimited mobile data plan available in Australia right now, though there are plenty that let you do away with excess data charges. 

There's always a catch or caveat of some sort. It just might not be measured in gigabytes. Depending on your data needs though, you might not mind the difference between the unlimited 20Mpbs plans like the one available through Felix Mobile and the endless data options available elsewhere.

Telstra, Optus, Vodafone, Dodo and Belong have all moved to this model for their postpaid plans. Vodafone even has endless data available on prepaid.

Before we get into our picks for the best unlimited plans, here's a selection of some of the most popular unlimited and endless data plans available in Australia.

The big three telcos (Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone) offer endless, speed-capped data in place of excess data charges on their mobile plans.

Felix Mobile also has an unlimited data plan, but even that comes with a different caveat. Your speeds are capped at 20Mbps regardless of how much data you use.

Lastly, Belong has also recently moved to the "no excess charges" model. If you go over your primary allowance, you'll be able to keep using your plan but capped to speeds of 1Mbps. 

Felix Mobile is unique in that it only offers speed-capped endless data (as well as unlimited calls and text), whereas other telcos offer an allotted monthly amount of "max speed" data that is throttled after a limit is reached. Throwing in with Felix means getting endless ( aka unlimited) data so long as you're happy to limit yourself to 20Mbps.

The only other caveat to using Felix is that it uses Vodafone 4G. Vodafone reaches a good chunk of Australians these days but it's still the smallest network when compared to Optus and Telstra. Still, this $35 SIM only plan is still easily the best option currently available for people looking to hop on an endless data plan at a comparatively cheap price.

Felix Mobile is not entirely without limits, but it's easily the closest thing Aussies can find to a genuinely unlimited mobile plan right now. Even better, if you enter the promo code "FELIX50" at checkout, you can score your first three month with the provider at 50% of the usual price.

Dodo Mobile recently upgraded all its mobile plans to offer the same kind of endless data as Telstra, Optus and Vodafone.

Our pick of the lot is the Dodo Mobile $35 Mobile Plan. This plan comes with unlimited national calls and texts, $200 of international call credit, a 500GB data bank and 45GB of monthly data. Aussies who go through all their gigabytes each month will get bumped to a connection speed that’s capped at 1Mbps rather than cut off the network outright.

Better still,  you’ll get double data for the first three months if you sign up before August 29, 2023. That brings the total here to 90GB for $35. After the honeymoon period is up, you’ll be bumped down the usual 45GB each month. However, since this is a no-contract plan you’re free to look for a better deal and leave if you don't like it.

If the above isn't the right fit, be sure to check out the other Dodo Mobile plans with excess-charge-free data in the widget below.

Like Telstra, every Optus SIM-only plan offers endless data with comparatively slow speeds of 1.5Mbps after you hit your included data limit.

Our top plan pick for Optus is the $49 Choice Plan. It only offers 30GB of max speed data (plus unlimited calls and text) but if it's endless data you're after, and you can bear the 1.5Mbps cap, it's no different from what plan you're already on.

There are plenty of other Optus SIM plans with more max speed data, but at that point, you're probably better off going with a provider like Circles.Life and getting more bang for your buck. Circles.Life doesn't offer endless data, but it does give you a lot of data for cheap on the Optus 4G network. 

Otherwise, and if it's Optus you're after, here's a quick look at each plan (all with endless data capped at 1.5Mbps).

After a couple of years of flirting with "endless" and "infinite" data plans, Vodafone finally went and introduced a truly unlimited data plan. None of that endless data that maxes out at 2Mbps - just unlimited full-speed data.

Alas, life comes at you fast. As of January 2023, Vodafone has amended its top-end "unlimited" plan to include the same limits found across the rest of its roster. You get 300GB of high-speed data each month, with everything after that capped at speeds of 2Mbps.

This plan will set you back $55 per month at full price, which, in addition to 150GB of data, includes unlimited talk and text in Oz, unlimited international calls to Zone 1 countries (and 300 minutes to Zone 2 countries), and if you're not happy with the service, you can get your money back within 30 days.

The only catch is that there's a 30GB monthly limit for using your phone as a hotspot for other devices. Exceed that and your hotspot data will be slowed to 2Mbps. Our guess is that Vodafone is trying to prevent customers from using the plan to replace their home internet.

The $72 Essential Upfront Plan from Telstra offers 180GB of "max speed" data, unlimited calls and text, data-free Apple Music streaming, discounted movie tickets for Event Cinemas, and 5G access on Australia's biggest mobile network.

It's also free of excess data charges, meaning that if you exceed that cap you won't be charged extra money. Instead, your speeds get slowed to 1.5Mbps. That's a significant hit to your download and upload speeds, and you'll definitely notice the difference.

Where Felix Mobile's endless data is a flagship feature of the plan, Telstra's is more like a fall-back option for when your data runs dry.

Every Upfront Telstra plan offers 1.5Mbps of endless data. Here's a quick look at each plan.

Looking for a cheaper source of endless data on the Telstra network? Telstra MVNO Belong recently got rid of excess data charges on its mobile plans. If you go over your data allowance, you'll be able to use unlimited data capped to speeds of 1Mbps. 

That's a bit slower than what other providers offer, but still enough for basic browsing. If you want to buy faster data, you can purchase an extra 5GB for $10. 

This applies to all of Belong's mobile plans, so we've picked the 100GB option for our top plan. At $45, it's still cheaper than the cheapest unlimited data options available from heavy hitters like Telstra and Optus.

If you'd prefer another option, here is Belong's full range of SIM-only plans: 

The price of an unlimited data mobile plan varies provider to provider, as do the specific strings attached to that promise of endless downloads on the go.

At the time of writing, the cheapest mobile plan that offers unlimited data is priced at $29 per month and is available from Belong.

Signing up for an unlimited data plan will indeed get you as many gigabytes as your heart desires. However, the speed at which you get that data will vary with the plan and provider involved.

Each "unlimited" or endless data mobile plan in Australia comes with different terms and conditions. That said, the way that they tend to work isn't all that different from traditional data-capped mobile or internet plans.

You'll get a monthly allowance of "max speed" data to use. Once you use that up, you'll remain connected to the network and you won't be hit with any excess data charges. Instead, your connection will be throttled down to a lower speed. The exact speed depends on your provider and plan, but most tend to speed cap at around 1.5Mbps.

By and large, you can't use unlimited data overseas.

The only exception is if you're on Vodafone's network. If you're a Vodafone customer, you'll be able to tap into your data allowance while abroad through the provider's popular $5-per-day roaming perk. However, that access only applies to your Max Speed data and doesn't the speed-capped data you get after you through your allowance. If you run out, you'll need to top up your balance to continue using your Vodafone SIM overseas.

Telstra and Optus customers are not able to rely on unlimited data while overseas. In both cases, you'll need to pay extra for a roaming data add-on through your provider. For example, the Telstra Day Pass costs $10 per day and includes 500MB of data plus unlimited talk and text. Optus charges $5 per day with 1GB.

Lastly, Felix has a $20 roaming pack with 4GB of data which is valid for a whole year. Speeds are still capped at 20Mbps, however.

There are a number of considerations when we look at the best plans with unlimited or endless data. Price is a key factor, we want to make sure we're displaying plans that offer value for money.

We also look at what the capped speed will be, as well as how much data is included at the max speed.