When it comes to saving money on your phone bill, MVNOs are your secret weapon — and you probably already know what they are even if you don’t recognise the abbreviation. MVNO stands for “Mobile Virtual Network Operators” and they’re essentially smaller telcos who piggyback off the Optus, Telstra and Vodafone networks. Circles.Life, Aussie Broadband and felix are all MVNOs.
The biggest benefit of being with an MVNO is that they’re considerably cheaper than Optus, Telstra and Vodafone but offer practically the same speeds and coverage. So if you’re looking for ways to rein in your budget, switching to one of these carriers will go a long way.
Vodafone MVNOs in particular offer some of the best-value phone plans in Australia. Below, we’ve rounded up the best alternatives to Vodafone plans with at least 20GB of data:
TPG’s 25GB plan is the most popular. As well as that chunky data offering, you get unlimited talk and text to standard Australian numbers with no lock-in contract. The $12.50 price tag is only valid for the first six months, however; after that, it jumps up to $25 a month. At that point, you get more value for money from Lebara’s 25GB plan, which sneaks in at $24.90 a month.
If you need more data, there are still lots of MVNOs you can choose from. These are the best Vodafone alternatives with 50GB or more:
TPG still comes out ahead, offering 60GB for $20. Felix Mobile’s plan is another favourite, and it’s not hard to see why — you get unlimited data for $35 a month, and the carbon neutral telco will plant a tree for each month you’re with them.
The only thing you have to keep in mind is that MVNO telcos are usually SIM-only, which means you need to own your phone outright to sign up. For that reason, these Vodafone alternatives won’t suit everyone, unless you want to buy a budget-friendly handset. But for everyone else, MVNOs are a great way to save on your phone bill without sacrificing premium data or coverage.
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