Vodafone entered the Australian mobile market in 1992 and over the last three decades has established itself as a generally reliable and competitive telco.
Up until recently, Vodafone’s network coverage lagged behind the other two major telcos in Australia (Optus and Telstra), only covering 96% of the Australian population, compared to Optus’s 98.5% and Telstra's 99.6%. This all changed recently due to TPG Telecom (Vodafone’s owner) and Optus signing a network-sharing agreement, which officially went into effect in late January 2025. This means that the two companies now share regional infrastructure, and as a result Vodafone’s network size has more than doubled (from 400,000 to 1,000,000 square kilometres) and it now reaches 98.4% of the population.
Now that Vodafone’s network is much more expansive it should better suit customers who live in regional areas, who might previously he been worried about not being able to get decent coverage on a Vodafone plan.
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In terms of mobile plans, Vodafone offers a wide range of services, including prepaid and postpaid plans, both as SIM-only, or including a handset for postpaid plans.
There are also a few things that make Vodafone stand out from other Australian mobile providers. It stocks quite a comprehensive range of phone brands, for example, including handsets from Samsung, Apple, Oppo and Google and, like Telstra and Optus, is quick to offer new smartphones as soon as they’re released, and often has special preorder offers for the big iPhone and Samsung Galaxy launches.
Vodafone also offers a $5 per day international roaming add on for postpaid customers. This is one of the cheapest offers of its type on the market, making Vodafone a good choice for frequent trellers… provided you’re trelling to countries with Vodafone service, of course.
Vodafone mobile plans comparisonSwipe to scroll horizontallyKey informationNetwork:
Optus network
5G:
Yes
Plan types:
Prepaid (7, 28, 185 and 365 day) and Postpaid (monthly)
Cheapest plan:
$12 for 5GB (7 day prepaid)
eSIM support:
Yes
Data banking:
Yes, up to 200GB
Vodafone offers a range of mobile plans, from postpaid SIM-only plans, postpaid plans that include a handset, and prepaid plans. Vodafone has multiple plans ailable under each of these categories, so you can choose the one that’s right for you.
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By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.For example, Vodafone offers three tiers of SIM-only postpaid plans, starting from $49 per month. Here are the pricing and data inclusion details for these (sans any discounts):
$53p/m for 60GB $63p/m for 200GB $73p/m for 400GBIf you want a phone with your plan, you can choose one of the above postpaid options and add the device you want, which can be paid off in monthly instalments over 12, 24 or 36 months.
In terms of prepaid plans, Vodafone has multiple options including a 7 day expiry plan, three 28 day expiry plans, one 186 day expiry plan and two 365 day expiry plans. Here are the pricing and data details (before any current discounts):
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7 day expiry - $12 for 5GB 28 day expiry - $35 for 25GB28 day expiry - $45 for 35GB 28 day expiry - $55 for 50GB 185 day expiry - $160 for 90GB365 day expiry - $250 for 150GB 365 day expiry - $320 for 220GB What is Vodafone’s mobile coverage?Vodafone’s mobile plans, unsurprisingly, run on the Vodafone network. As mentioned above, Vodafone’s network used to he a smaller reach in comparison to Optus and Telstra, however Vodafone and Optus recently joined forces and now share regional network infrastructure, which has boosted Vodafone’s network to cover 98.4% of the population, from its previous 96%.
This upgrade puts Vodafone much more on par with its rivals - only 0.1% behind Optus’s 98.5% and 1.1% behind Telstra’s 99.5% coverage.
Previously, the 4% of the population that didn’t get Vodafone coverage was predominantly in rural areas, but now due to Vodafone’s much larger network, that gap has closed considerably.
In terms of Vodafone’s 5G network rollout, unlike Optus and Telstra the telco doesn’t yet make any ‘population percentage’ claims, but does say it’s ailable in more than 3,000 suburbs across Australia.
In comparison, Telstra’s 5G network covers over 85% of the Australian population and Optus’s 5G network claims to cover over 1.4 million Australian households. While Vodafone’s 5G coverage is currently smaller than the other two major telcos, it’s stated that it has plans to end up covering between 81% and 90% off the Australian population by the time it finishes building its network (which as of April 2024, was aiming for a completion date sometime in 2026.)
Are Vodafone's mobile plans good value?Vodafone’s prepaid plans are generally pretty good value, especially the longer expiry ones (185 days or 365 days) when they’re on special. Currently, its best-value plan is definitely the $320 Prepaid Plus Starter Pack which is a 365 day plan that is currently discounted down to $199 an gives you 300GB (including a bonus 80GB). With this plan, you are only paying the equivalent of $16.58 per month for 25GB a month which is the equivalent of $0.66 per GB, which is a very competitive price price for a 365-day plan. Without that current deal, however, you’ll pay $320 for 220GB of data, which makes it less appealing.
If you want a plan with a shorter expiry term, Vodafone’s $35 Prepaid Plus plan is a good contender. This plan has a 28-day expiry and gives you 55GB for the first three recharges for $35 per 29 days. For the first three rechagres, you are only paying $0.63 per GB which is a good price. From the fourth recharge, you only get 25GB, which jumps the price up to a less-palatable $1.40 per GB. The good news is that you can rollover any leftover data (up to 200GB) when you recharge your plan before expiry. This means that you can se up any leftover data from those first three recharges to give you a nice amount of backup data. However, if you do end up using all that banked data, we’d suggest looking for a better value plan with more than 25GB of data for under $35. Vodafone also offers three tiers of postpaid month-to-month plans, and while these are cheaper than going with the equivalent Telstra or Optus options, they’re still more expensive than similar postpaid plans from many smaller providers. The only plus is that they come with a lot of data, so if you need a large data bank the price per GB isn’t bad. For example, the Medium SIM Only Plan usually costs $63 per month but you can currently get it for just $53 per month for the first 12 months and you get 200GB per month. This means that for the first year, each GB only costs $0.26 which is a very competitive price. After the first year, each GB costs a still decent $0.32 per GB. However, if you aren’t going to use close to 200GB per month, you’re likely better off finding a cheaper postpaid plan from another provider.
Recommended plans:
• $320 Prepaid Plus Starter Pack | $320 $199 | 365 day expiry | 300GB (for first 365 days, then 220GB)This plan is currently discounted down to $199 for the first 365 days and what’s even better is that you get a bonus 80GB. For the first 365 days, you are paying the equivalent of $16.58 per month for 25GB per month which is a very good price and a decent amount of data.
• $45 Prepaid Plus Starter Pack | $16 (for the first 28 days, then $45)| 28 day expiry | 85GB (on first 3 recharges, then 35) This postpaid plan gives you 85GB for the first 3 recharges and the first 28 days will only cost you $16. This means that for the first 28 days, you are only paying a very cheap $0.19 per GB. For the second and third recharge, you will be paying the equivalent of $0.56 per GB which is still a good price. After the introductory offers end, this plan costs $45 for only 35GB which isn’t the best value but you can rollover leftover data from the first three months and use that extra data when the data allowance goes down.
Plans to oid:
• Small SIM Only Plan | $53 per month | 60GB per monthVodafone’s cheapest postpaid plan is its Small Plan which costs $53 per month for 60GB per month. Compared to its other SIM Only plans which offer 180GB and 360GB at very decent prices per GB, this plan doesn’t offer nearly as good value. You can also most likely find much cheaper plans offering around 60GB from smaller providers.
What is Vodafone's best mobile plan?Everyone has different needs when it comes to mobile plans – and that makes the word ‘best’ somewhat subjective. That said, some plans are definitely better value than others, so we’ve carefully assessed Vodafone’s range of plans and compared them to find the one that we believe best suits the majority of people’s needs.
As mentioned above, it’s hard to recommend a postpaid plan from Vodafone because (like those from Telstra and Optus) they are on the expensive end of the scale. Unless you don’t mind spending a bit more money or you need a large amount of data (180 or 360GB), these plans are generally not worth it.
So, for the ‘best’ overall plan for most people, we’ve selected Vodafone’s $45 Prepaid Plus Starter Pack. This prepaid plan has a 28 day expiry and comes with 85GB of data for the first three recharges – that includes a bonus of 50GB per recharge. For the first 28 days, this plan only costs $16, making it solid value. From the fourth recharge, the data allowance drops down to 35GB (which means you will be paying a less-competitive $1.28 per GB) but the good news is that you can roll over any unused data up to 200GB as long as you keep recharging before expiry. This means that if you he any data leftover from those first three recharges, you can keep it and use it as required. However, once you he used all the extra data, it may be worth switching to another plan or provider to get better value for your money.
Does Vodafone support international roaming?Yes, Vodafone offers international roaming for both postpaid and prepaid mobile customers. Postpaid customers can access Vodafone’s $5 Roaming which lets them use their plans included data, calls and texts in over 100 destinations for an additional $5 per day. If you go over your data allowance, extra data is charged at $5 per GB.
Prepaid customers can purchase Prepaid Roaming Add-ons, which work in over 80 destinations. There are three options ailable, starting from $5 for 200MB with a 1 day expiry, up to $35 for 2GB with a 7 day expiry.
Alternatively, prepaid customers can choose to use Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) roaming, provided they he enough credit. However PAYG can be quite expensive, with calls costing $1 per 60 seconds, texts charged at $0.75 each, and data at $1 per MB.
Does Vodafone sell phones or other devices?Yes, Vodafone offers a wide selection of phones, tablets, smartwatches and accessories. Devices can be purchased outright or bundled with a plan and paid off over 12, 24 or 36 months. Vodafone stocks the latest smartphones from leading brands such as Apple. Samsung and Google along with accessories such as headphones, smartwatches and Playstation consoles and controllers. You’ll also find devices from smaller brands such as OPPO, HMD and Motorola.
Vodafone also regularly offers pre-orders on newly announced phones, including the latest iPhones and Samsung Galaxy releases. These pre-orders often come with bonus deals, such as free storage upgrades, discounts or exclusive extras for early buyers.
Should I sign up with Vodafone?Here’s a breakdown on who we think would benefit from a Vodafone mobile plan and who should probably look elsewhere.
Reasons to sign upIf you trel a lot and use international roaming: Vodafone’s $5-per-day international roaming fee is cheaper than a lot of other deals on the market. In fact, no other provider comes close to Vodafone for cheap international roaming. So, if you’re looking for a postpaid plan with the cheapest international roaming fees, Vodafone is a good choice.
If you want a decent-value 365 day prepaid plan: Vodafone’s $250 Prepaid Plus Starter Pack currently comes with 250GB of data (an extra 100GB) on the first three recharges. This plan costs the equivalent of $20.83 per month for 20.83GB per month which is a decent price for an adequate amount of data for most people. However, you he to be willing to pay $250 upfront, and you may need to manage your data usage so you don’t run out of GB which (would then require you to recharge early). The bonus data with this deal carries on for three recharges, but after that third recharge we’d recommend looking for a better deal because you’ll only get 150GB to use.
Reasons not to sign upYou want a postpaid plan and don’t use a lot of data: Starting at $49, (without a discount), Vodafone’s postpaid plans are on the pricey side, and the data inclusions are large at 50GB, 180GB and 360GB. While the plans are decent value when you look at how much you’re paying per GB, if you don’t need that much data, you’re better off going with a postpaid plan from another provider for a better price.
Vodafone mobile plan FAQsWhere can I get support from Vodafone?If you are a current customer, you can get 24/7 support through the My Vodafone app. For general customer support, you can also call 1555 from Vodafone mobiles or 1300 650 410 from another phone. There is also a chat icon on the Vodafone website where anyone can get 24/7 support.
How can I check Vodafone’s service coverage in my area?You can enter your address into Vodafone’s coverage map to see if your area is covered by Vodafone’s 3G, 4G or 5G networks.
What is Vodafone’s cancellation policy?If you are on a Vodafone postpaid plan, you can cancel or switch your plan without paying a cancellation fee. However, if you are paying off a device, you will need to pay off the rest of the device before you can cancel your plan.
Does Vodafone support eSIM?Yes, Vodafone offers the option for eSIMs on all plans, and if you are already with Vodafone and want to switch to an eSIM, you can do it via the My Vodafone app.
Does Vodafone offer data rollover?Yes, Vodafone allows you to rollover unused data (up to 200GB) on a prepaid plan if you recharge before expiry. However, on a Vodafone postpaid plan you can’t keep any unused data, the data allowance will reset each month.
Compare Vodafone's plans with plans from similar providers:
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