Best NBN deals in Australia (December 2023)

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Looking for a better NBN deal? We’re here to help. Every month we compare the latest NBN deals in Australia to help you save money on your home internet.

We do only compare NBN deals from the country's biggest providers, so no matter if you're in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide or Perth, you can rest assured you'll be able to get connected for a great price.

The most common type of NBN deal you'll see is a six-month discount for new subscribers, but we do occasionally see full 12 month discounts, too.

With so many NBN plans to choose from, you can almost always land a great deal if you shop around. In this dedicated guide, we’ve divided the deals into sections by NBN speed, so you can easily search for a better deal in your speed tier of choice.

Follow the quick links below to jump ahead to the speed you're after, or learn more about choosing an NBN plan in our FAQ section.

NBN 25 deals
NBN 50 deals
NBN 100 deals
NBN 250 deals
NBN 1000 deals

Best NBN 25 deals

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Best for 1-2 person households

Mate | AU$45p/m (for 5 months, then AU$65p/m)

Mate’s Crikey NBN 25 plan is a mammoth deal for an NBN 25 connection. You’ll save AU$20 a month over your first five months — that’s AU$100 — before the price increases to AU$65p/m. With no activation, exit, or plan change fees, this deal is a steal.

And if you’re not completely satisfied with your connection, Mate will provide a full refund of your plan fee within the first month.

Total minimum cost: AU$45.00 | Total cost for first 12 months: AU$660.00 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$780

Tangerine | AU$49.90p/m (for 6 months, then AU$64.90p/m)

Tangerine has long-running promo prices across its NBN plans, and this deal is one of the cheapest prices you’ll pay for an NBN 25 connection. You’ll save AU$15 a month over your first six months — that’s AU$90 total — before the price increases to AU$64.90. Typical evening speeds clock in at a respectable 25Mbps. What we like about Tangerine is that it offers a 14-day risk free trial, so if you find the service isn't up to scratch for whatever reason, you're free to cancel without any issues.

Total minimum cost: AU$49.90 | Total cost for first 12 months: AU$688.80 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$778.80

Exetel | AU$53.99p/m (for 6 months, then AU$64.99p/m)

Exetel's Everyday NBN 25 plan isn't the cheapest plan around, but you can currently save AU$11p/m for the first six months, with the total cost for the first 12 months being around AU$713.88.

Other providers come in around AU$60 cheaper for the same period, but Exetel allows customers to change plans for free, meaning you could upgrade to the Extra-value NBN 50 plan without paying an extra fee.

Total minimum cost: AU$53.99 | Total cost for first 12 months: AU$713.88 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$779.88

Best NBN 50 deals

Perfect for up to 4 users, HD streaming and seamless video calls

Exetel | AU$60.99p/m (for 6 months, then AU$78.99p/m)

Exetel makes our list in the NBN 50 category too, and while Exetel’s Extra-value plan isn’t the cheapest NBN 50 plan around, it’s worth the investment for its Speed Boost feature. For five days a month, this feature allows you to boost your NBN 50 service to a 100Mbps NBN 100 service. So if there’s a 4K movie you want to watch, no interruptions will be practically guaranteed.

You’ll also save AU$108 total over your first six months, before the plan price increases to AU$78.99.

Total minimum cost: AU$60.99 | Total cost for first 12 months: AU$839.88 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$947.88

Best NBN 100 deals

Great choice for larger families and households with high usage

Dodo | AU$67.50p/m (for 6 months, then AU$85p/m)

Using the data provided through our partnership with WhistleOut, Dodo currently offers the cheapest and one of the most attractive NBN 100 plans, although there is a very minor catch.

Dodo's NBN 100 plan is only available for customers with FTTC, FTTP and HFC connection types. Other providers offering NBN 100 plans are available to all, including FTTN connections. But, if you do fall into the required category, you will only be paying AU$915 for your first 12 months of service.

Total minimum cost: AU$67.50 | Total cost for first 12 months: AU$915 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$1,020

Exetel | AU$68.99p/m (for 6 months, then AU$84.99p/m)

We once again have to include Exetel here for several reasons. Not only does the NBN provider promise the full 100Mbps download speed (it actually performed above & beyond in the ACCC's most recent performance data report) but the initial 12 month cost is incredibly competitive. Plus, you can once again take advantage of the Speed Boost days, which can see your connection increase to NBN 250, for free, five days a month. Just note that to access the NBN 250 tier, you will need to connect to the NBN via either FTTP or HFC.

Total minimum cost: AU$68.99 | Total cost for first 12 months: AU$923.88| Yearly cost after discount: AU$1,019.88

Best NBN 250 deals

Perfect for gamers, streamers, and doing almost anything online

Swoop | AU$84p/m (for 6 months, then AU$119p/m)

Swoop’s Home Superfast NBN 250 plan is one of the cheapest NBN 250 plans to advertise the maximum 250Mbps download speeds across all hour, with savings of AU$35 p/m for the first six months — that’s AU$210— before the price increases. Southern Phone is technically cheaper still over the first 12 months of the plan, but online reviews of this telco are largely negative, which is why we haven’t included it here.

Swoop advertises typical evening speeds of 250Mbps and uploads of up to 25Mbps, giving it a genuine case to be deemed the best NBN 250 plan currently available. The only catch however, is Swoop’s NBN 250 plan is only available for customers with FTTP connections, so if you connect to the NBN via HFC, you will unfortunately have to look to another plan, such as the Superloop one below.

Total minimum cost: AU$84 | Total cost for first 12 months: AU$1,008 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$1,428

Superloop | AU$85p/m (for 6 months, then AU$99p/m)

Popular with gamers, Superloop’s Superfast NBN 250 plan offers you AU$14 off your first six months, making this deal hard to beat, as one of the cheapest options advertising 240Mbps typical evening speeds. While this is 10Mbps off the theoretical maximum of an NBN 250 plan — and you can find faster in Australia with Telstra, among others — you’ll need to fork out at least an extra AU$25 p/m. In our opinion, you’re unlikely to notice the drop in speed, and so the potential savings earn Superloop a spot in this list of best NBN deals.

And you also get Speed Boost days, which let you temporarily turbocharge your service to NBN 1000, with theoretical maximum speeds of 1,000Mbps (real world speeds will likely be less and Superloop itself advertises typical evening speeds of 600Mbps).

Total minimum cost: AU$85 | Total cost for first 12 months: AU$1,104 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$1,188

Best NBN 1000 deals

It’s the fastest NBN speed available, but only for customers with a FTTP and select HFC connections.

Superloop | AU$99p/m (for 6 months, then AU$109p/m)

Offering what could perhaps be one of the best value NBN 1000 plans around is this one from Superloop. The ISP says you can expect 600Mbps download speeds during the typical busy evening period of 7pm to 11pm, which for the price, is great value in our opinion. You can find faster in Australia with Telstra, but you'll need to pay an extra AU$912 over the first 12 months and AU$852 over each ongoing year.

Total minimum cost: AU$99 | Total cost for first 12 months: AU$1,248 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$1,308

NBN FAQ

What NBN do I have?

If you’re unsure what type of NBN connection you have, there's two ways of checking. You can check your address on the NBN Co website, or go to any telco’s NBN page, where you’ll be prompted to enter your address to see what’s available to you.

The important thing to note is that the connection type that is available at your address is largely out of your control. NBN Co has announced it is upgrading select suburbs in the network to full fibre – you can find a list of the announced suburbs here.

Does NBN need a special modem?

You will need a compatible modem to connect to the NBN, and your NBN provider can provide this to you. It often comes at an additional upfront cost, while other telcos will let you keep the modem for free if you stay connected for a predetermined amount of time. Many internet providers will also allow you to bring your own modem to the service, but we recommend checking compatibility with your chosen provider when you first sign up.

Are NBN plans unlimited?

The vast majority of NBN plans do come with unlimited data, though there are some occasional exceptions. In these cases, telcos should clearly signpost when specific NBN plans come with a capped amount of data, so do read thoroughly before signing up. With competitive pricing in all speed tiers, unlimited data NBN plans offer far better value for money for most people, so only choose a capped plan if you’re certain it meets your needs.

What NBN speed should I get?

Deciding what NBN speed you want can be tricky, but the answer largely depends on how many people are living in your household, and what their level of usage is. Here, we break down each NBN speed tier:

NBN 12 (Basic 1):

An NBN 12 plan will only get you 12Mbps of download speed and 1Mbps of upload. In general, we wouldn’t recommend signing up to this tier unless you’re only using it for email and light browsing – streaming will struggle.

NBN 25 (Basic II):

The NBN 25 tier gets you 25Mbps of download and 5Mbps of upload. It’ll suit a one- or two-person household best, and will allow you to use the internet at the same time, and stream video in HD.

NBN 50 (Standard):

An NBN 50 plan provides up to 50Mbps download and 20Mbps upload, and is best for households with 2 to 4 users. Its download speed will allow multiple people to stream in HD at the same time, play games online and have smooth video calls.

NBN 100 (Fast):

You’ll often see these plans referred to as either NBN 100/20 or NBN 100/40, and that’s because they have download speeds of up to 100Mbps, and an upload speed of either 20Mbps or 40Mbps, depending on the plan. They suit large households best, with room for five or more people, some 4K streaming, online gaming and big file downloads.

NBN 250 (Superfast):

With downloads speeds of up to 250Mbps and upload speeds of 25Mbps, an NBN 250 plan will allow you to do almost anything online, such as streaming multiple videos in 4K, downloading large files faster and online gaming without lag. Do note though, only fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) and hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) connections can sign up.

NBN 1000 (Ultrafast):

The NBN 1000 tier is the fastest consumer speed available, coming with downloads of up to 1000Mbps, and uploads of up to 50Mbps. Among the few telcos who offer these plans, there’s quite a difference in typical evening speed: Telstra has the highest at 700Mbps, while iiNet and Internode only quote a typical evening speed of 200Mbps. Again, this speed is only available to those with a FTTP, and select HFC connections.

How do I test my NBN speed?

Before you start an NBN speed test, check your plan so you know what speed you should be getting. Once you’re connected to the Wi-Fi network you want to test, go to the website Speedtest, or click the 'start test' button below to have Measurement Lab run a diagnostic.

The test should take no longer than a minute, and once you’ve got your results, compare them to your plan’s advertised download and upload speeds. Don’t worry if it’s not an exact match, but you will want your plan to be close to reaching, or exceeding its reported speeds.

Some external factors such as your NBN connection type can affect the result. For example, if you have a fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) connection, your homes’ distance from the node could play a part in poorer results, particularly if your address is more than 400 metres away from it. Your distance from your home’s modem can also be a factor – you’ll want it to be close to get the best result.

If you find that your plan’s NBN speed isn’t up to scratch, your first port of call should be your NBN provider. Get in touch with your provider’s customer service team to raise your concerns, and if they’re unable to help, consider switching to a different service provider.

Which NBN provider is best?

The best NBN provider for you will vary with your needs, but we recommend Spintel as the best NBN provider for most people. Over half of all NBN connections are on an NBN 50 plan, and with this in mind, we’re choosing Spintel because it has the best-value option in the popular tier. If you want to learn more, our colleagues at TechRadar have a dedicated guide to the best NBN provider.

Is NBN 5G?

No, the national broadband network (NBN) and 5G are two separate technology types, though both allow you to connect to the internet. The NBN is government-owned infrastructure that has been rolled out across the country by NBN Co. It uses fibre, and existing copper wire, to connect homes to the NBN. For more rural and remote areas of Australia, NBN Fixed Wireless and Sky Muster satellite are used.

5G infrastructure is owned by the telcos, primarily Telstra and Optus. 5G home internet offers another way for Australians to connect to the internet, though its availability is far behind that of the NBN, with 5G coverage being best in the capital cities. Rather than using fibre or copper to connect you to the internet, 5G connects you over a wireless network.

How can I check for NBN outages?

If your internet isn’t working, you’ll first want to figure out whether it’s just your household experiencing a problem, or if there’s a wider NBN network outage. You can figure this out by going to your internet provider’s service status page, or check NBN Co to see if network maintenance or outages have been reported. You can also check the independent website Down Detector. For more help, see our sister site TechRadar’s comprehensive guide to NBN outages.

Max is a digital content writer for Tom’s Guide in Australia, where he covers all things internet-related, including NBN and the emerging alternatives, along with audio and visual products such as headphones and TVs. Max started his career in his homeland of England, where he spent time working for What Hi-Fi? and Pocket-lint, before moving to Australia in 2018.

With contributions from