Best cheap NBN plans: get quality internet from AU$39

Signing up for a cheap NBN plan that doesn't sacrifice great service isn't an easy task. Some Aussies may worry that saving some extra coins on their home internet may mean dealing with poor coverage, quality and subpar customer service. That being said, some of the best cheap NBN plans combine both affordability and reliability, meaning you and your household can get connected for less. 

The best NBN providers provide attractive and highly competitive ongoing costs, let alone offer excellent introductory discounts, with prices starting at AU$39p/m for an NBN 12 (Basic I) plan. But for some, 12Mbps may not feed your internet demands, but you may still get a kick out of switching to a cheaper plan that delivers (or perhaps, overdelivers) on its high-speed download promises. 

To us, the best cheap NBN plans offer top value for the lowest possible monthly spend. They also include the maximum speeds for each tier, the reliability of the service you'll receive, and any extra perks. 

We've waded through the vast sea of NBN plans to find the most inexpensive plans across all internet service providers. All of these plans below work on a no-lock-in contract basis, which means you're free to chop and change NBN providers as you see fit. Keep in mind, though, that the most cost-effective way of changing ISPs is having a modem that you can reuse with any new provider you switch to.

As always, we're here to help you find a great home internet plan that works for you and your budget. We've divided selected plans into varying price points, starting from under AU$40 per month. 

Best NBN plans under $40

Finding an NBN plan under AU$40 is almost impossible. In fact, when looking at all the telcos we regularly monitor, Flip is the only provider that comes in under AU$40, but only for the first six months of service.

This plan from Flip is only an NBN 12 plan, which has a maximum download speed of just 12Mbps and an upload speed of 0.8Mbps during the typical busy evening hours of 7pm-11pm. While this speed is fine for occasional web browsing and some social media scrolling, it's realistically not going to be able to support a modern household that wants to stream video content or conduct video calls.

With this in mind, we would recommend an NBN 25 plan at a minimum. You get double the speed and a greater capacity to support a small household. Realistically, an NBN 25 plan will still only be good for a household of just one or two users. Any more and you might want to consider a 50Mbps NBN 50 plan. 

The good news is NBN 25 plans aren't that much more expensive than NBN 12, with the cheapest NBN 25 plan we can find costing just AU$72 more over the course of a year, after any introductory discounts. 

Best NBN plans under AU$50

Moving up the budget scale a little further to AU$50 per month does present you with a few more options, although as before, only for the first six months of the service. For less than AU$50 each month (for the first six months) you're able to move up to the NBN 25 tier, with maximum download speeds of 25Mbps and uploads of 4Mbps. 

25Mbps NBN is enough to support a one or two person household who wish to browse the web, engross themselves in social media, and stream video content in up to HD quality. 

There are a few plans that meet the under AU$50 threshold on this tier, and we've picked out the best two below. 

Best NBN plans under AU$60

If your monthly budget can stretch to AU$60p/m, then you're able to go up another speed tier to NBN 50, with maximum download speeds of 50Mbps and maximum upload speeds of 20Mbps. However, once again, you can only spend less than AU$60p/m for the first six months on a select few NBN plans. 

The NBN 50 tier has recently been affected by NBN price hikes, as a result of NBN Co increasing wholesale prices. Telstra's NBN 50 plan jumped up AU$5p/m — taking it up to a mammoth AU$100p/m — on November 1. Other telcos have followed suit, with increases ranging between AU$5-10p/m. This could be the perfect time to switch, so scroll on if you're on hunt for cheaper NBN 50 plans. 

Best NBN plans under AU$70

AU$70 edges closer to the average cost of an NBN 50 plan (currently AU$76.36 based on the regular monthly costs of the NBN providers we monitor), but it can also get you a faster 100Mbps NBN 100 plan...for the first six months. 

With this in mind, we've picked out plans from both the NBN 50 tier and the NBN 100 tier as the best NBN plans under AU$70. You can get either an NBN 50 plan full time, or an NBN 100 plan part time. 

Best NBN plans under AU$80

AU$80 is realistically how much most Australian households will need to pay to get connected to the NBN if they want a fast, reliable service. For AU$80 you can comfortably get an NBN 50 plan for as long as you've got the right connection type. A couple of NBN providers are still more expensive — Vodafone and Telstra, we're looking at you.

There are also a few NBN 100 plans that come in under AU$80p/m following any introductory discounts, which we've included below. 

Best NBN plans under AU$90

AU$90p/m is pretty much the sweet spot to get connected to the NBN. At this price point, you can sign up for the majority of NBN 100 plans and virtually all NBN 50 plans (except for Telstra) after any introductory discounts. 

Signing up for an NBN 50 or NBN 100 plan will mean an entire household can comfortably connect to the internet at the same time. The faster download speeds will also be beneficial for gamers wishing to download large files, and 100Mbps NBN 100 plans are also good for those wishing to stream 4K content in the comfort of their own home. In this regard, the plans mentioned above fit the bill perfectly.

It is also possible to sign up for a faster NBN 250 plan, with theoretical maximum download speeds of 250Mbps, although only for the first six months. We've included our two favourite options on the 250Mbps speed tier below. They do only meet the threshold for the first six months, so at the very least, we would recommend you do sign up for this introductory period, to see if you need the faster speeds. You may find an NBN 100 plan will service your household just fine. 

Cheap NBN plans FAQ

What is the cheapest NBN plan?

Determining the outright cheapest NBN plan can be tricky, since NBN providers regularly change their plan prices or introduce various offers. At the time of publishing, the cheapest NBN plan available through our partnership with WhistleOut is Spintel’s Entry 20 plan at a total 12 month cost of AU$623.70 following any introductory offers. 

It’s based on the NBN 25 speed tier, although it only advertises 20Mbps speeds during the busier evening hours. If you live in a single person household, or if there are two people requiring basic internet needs, it’s the best and cheapest option out there right now. 

Who has the cheapest NBN plans?

Many of the popular retail service providers (RSPs) offer affordable NBN plans, but those that regularly come in at the lowest end of the budget spectrum include Tangerine, Spintel, Dodo and Exetel. 

How much should I spend on NBN?

The amount of money you spend on your NBN plan will be determined by the speed you need. If you live by yourself or in a two-person household, then you can most likely get by with an NBN 25 plan, which are some of the cheapest options around. If you regularly stream HD video content or you work from home most of the week, then you will probably need to upgrade to an NBN 50 plan. Fortunately, these can still be affordable, like Tangerine’s NBN 50 plan costing just AU$838.80 per year after discounts are removed.

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