Contracts suck. Why would you give two or three years of your life to an NBN provider? A lot can change in that time. Best unlimited NBN plans can flip. Evening speeds could get worse. A better deal might pop up. 5G might become a viable alternative. Thankfully there are plenty of providers that offer contract-free plans and flexible options so you can leave whenever you want.
As such, we’re going to look at some of the cheapest contract-free unlimited NBN plans around.
Most providers will offer to sell you a modem, but some force you to buy a model they range when you’re signing up to a new plan. Others will make you pay out the rest of your modem if you leave early.
To make it easier, we’re only covering NBN plans where modem purchase is completely optional and where you won’t get stung with setup or early exit fees.
NBN 1000 plans with no contract
If you’ve hit the NBN jackpot and have FTTP – or are one of the lucky 58% who have an eligible HFC connection – you can go all in and get an NBN 1000 plan.
MyRepublic is your cheapest option right now, where you’ll pay $99 per month for your first six months and $129 per month thereafter. Even at full price, that’s on the cheaper side for an NBN 1000 plan, and similar to what you’d pay for many NBN 250 plans.
Kogan is currently offering its plan for $104.90 per month, but this will go up to $148.90 per month after your first six months are over.
Superloop is just a hair more expensive, at $104.95 per month for your first six months, but you’ll pay $139.95 per month at full price. Superloop’s NBN 1000 plan does however have a 3TB cap. If you go over, you’ll be slowed to speeds of 100Mbps.
If your HFC address can’t get an NBN 1000 plan yet, there’s good news. NBN Co says 94 per cent of HFC premises should be eligible for the speed tier by the end of the year.
Unlimited NBN 250 plans with no contract
If you’re lucky enough to be able to get an NBN 250 plan, MATE is your cheapest option right now. You’re looking at $89 per month for your first six months and $109 per month thereafter. And as with its cheaper plans, you can save a further $10 per month by bundling with a MATE mobile plan.
Kogan Internet has a rather deep discount on its NBN 250 plan; you’ll pay $89.95 per month for your first six months, but $128.90 per month thereafter. If you’re a Kogan Energy customer, you can get a $50 energy credit once a year for up to three years if you maintain both services.
Aussie Broadband isn’t doing a free month on NBN 250 plans, but still has an offer. Use the promo code FAST30 to save $30 per month on your first six months. This means you’ll pay $99 per month for your first six months, and $129 per month thereafter. Aussie Broadband currently has the fastest NBN 250 plan around, reporting typical evening speeds of 248Mbps.
MyRepublic is also worth considering. You’ll pay $99 per month for your first six months, and $109 per month thereafter. At full price, that’s cheaper than a lot of other NBN 250 plans.
At this stage, all FTTP premises and at least 94 per cent of HFC premises can support NBN 250 plans. All HFC addresses should support NBN 250 speeds by the end of the month.
Unlimited NBN 100 plans with no contract
At time of writing, SpinTel is your cheapest option for a contract-free NBN 100 plan. You’ll pay $74 per month for your first six months, and $84.95 per month thereafter. That’s great value for an NBN 100 plan, especially considering the telco reports typical evening speeds of 100Mbps.
Tangerine and Superloop both have pretty similar offers, but are a touch more expensive once the promo period ends. On Tangerine, you’ll pay $74.90 per month for your first six months, and $89.90 per month thereafter. On Superloop, you’re looking at $74.95 per month for your first six months, and $89.95 per month thereafter. Both providers have recently increased their evening speeds, with Tangerine now reporting 92Mbps during peak hours, and Superloop 100Mbps.
Once again, MATE is a great option if you’d prefer to avoid timed discounts. The telco with the friendliest name has an NBN 100 plan for $79 per month. As with MATE’s NBN 50 plan, you can save another $10 per month if you add a SIM-only mobile plan to your account.
Vodafone has a similar offer going. If you’re a postpaid Vodafone mobile customer, you can save $15 per month on its NBN 100 plan. This brings it down from $95 per month to $80 per month.
Aussie Broadband’s free month promo is also available on its NBN 100 plans. Just use the code FASTMONTH when signing up to get your first month free. You’ll pay $99 per month thereafter.
Unlimited NBN 50 plans with no contract
Tangerine is currently one of the cheapest options for a no-contract NBN 50 plan. You’ll pay $54.90 per month for your first six months and $69.90 per month thereafter. Of course, since there’s no lock-in, you’re free to leave whenever.
Better yet, Tangerine has a 14-day risk-free period. If you’re unhappy with Tangerine during your first fortnight, you can bounce and get a full refund of your plan fees. Tangerine won’t refund modem fees if you picked one up alongside your plan, but its modems are all unlocked, so they’ll work with any other provider.
SpinTel has its own promo going, charging $59 per month for your first six months and $64.95 per month thereafter. Even at full price, SpinTel’s plan is one of the cheapest NBN 50 options you’ll find.
Superloop has a similar offer where you’ll pay $59.95 per month for your first six months, and then $69.95 per month thereafter.
MATE’s NBN 50 plan is a flat $69 per month, but if you bundle in one of its Telstra-powered SIM-only plans, you’ll save an extra $10 per month. MATE’s mobile plans start at $20 per month with 8GB, but our top pick is the $25 per month plan with 18GB. The $25 per month plan also includes a free subscription to music streaming service Tidal, so that’s another way to save a little extra cash.
Aussie Broadband is currently running a rather generous promo where you can get your first month entirely free. Just use the promo code FASTMONTH before August 31. You’ll pay $79 per month thereafter.
Alex Choros is Managing Editor at WhistleOut, Australia’s phone and internet comparison website.