We asked you to rate your satisfaction with your mobile phone plan from network reliability to value for money. So which mobile network has the most satisfied customers?
Best SIM-only phone plan provider – ALDI mobile
ALDI scored highest for overall satisfaction and in several other categories, followed closely by Amaysim.
Of the mobile phone plan providers we had enough data to report on, the major three – Telstra, Optus and Vodafone – were the only ones to score below the average for SIM-only plans, taking the last three places for overall satisfaction, as well as in other categories.
Best SIM + handset phone plan provider – Vodafone
Vodafone scored highest for overall satisfaction, but not by a significant margin. While no provider in this category scored significantly better or worse than the next mobile service provider above or below them for overall satisfaction, the lowest-scorer, Optus (76%), was significantly below Vodafone's 81%.
The number of mobile service providers with SIM + handset plans that we could report on is limited, both because of our responses but also because there are fewer players in this section of the market.
How is the best phone provider calculated?
Overall satisfaction score
Our mobile satisfaction survey rates providers based on their own customers' feedback on how they're performing for their phone and mobile network plan. Our 2021 survey covered a range of questions such as call clarity, internet speed, customer service and how clear the bill is to understand. We also asked people how satisfied they were with their provider overall.
What matters to you
When it comes to selecting a SIM and phone provider, the most important factors respondents listed were: network reliability (93%), value for money (93%), network coverage (92%), and call clarity (91%).
SIM-only plans dominated – 69% of respondents had one, which is an increase from 62% in 2019. SIM and mobile handset plans made up 28% of responses, and 3% of people don't know what plan they're on.
No-contract plans have increased in popularity. In this 2021 survey, 69% of people were off-contract, using prepaid, post-paid or pay-as-you-go plans. The number of people locked into a contract dropped from 57% in 2019 to 30% now.
Scoring the satisfaction rating
Satisfaction scores are calculated out of 100 by asking respondents to rate their service provider on various attributes and overall satisfaction on a seven-point scale ranging from terrible to excellent. The results are tested for statistical significance to verify scores that are statistically higher or lower than the average.
Why we've partnered with WhistleOut
We've partnered with search engine WhistleOut to help you find and buy the right plan for you. The 'Search Providers' button above will take you to their site. While we make money if you buy through WhistleOut, this doesn't influence our rankings. 100% of the money we make goes straight back into our nonprofit mission.
