Buying a phone outright vs on a plan in Australia: which is cheaper?
Telstra, Optus and Vodafone device repayments against the lowest outright price at any store, phone by phone, updated every morning. Plus when a plan actually wins.
In this guide
Carriers make a phone on a plan look affordable: "$55 a month" sounds a lot easier than "$1,999". But the monthly figure hides two things: how much you're paying for the phone itself, and how long you're locked in for. So we lined them up.
Every morning we read the device repayments Telstra, Optus and Vodafone list for each phone, and compare the total with the cheapest outright price at any Australian store.
Outright vs plan, phone by phone
| Phone | Cheapest outright | Cheapest on a plan (phone only) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung Galaxy A17 128GB | $297digiDirect | $320Optus · $0.66 × 36 months | $23 more on a plan |
| Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra 256GB | $2,099.99Costco | $1,549Vodafone · $43.03 × 36 months | $551 less on a plan |
| Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max 256GB | $1,879JB Hi-Fi | $1,899Vodafone · $52.75 × 36 months | $20 more on a plan |
| Apple iPhone 17 Pro 256GB | $1,699JB Hi-Fi | $1,699Vodafone · $47.19 × 36 months | $0 less on a plan |
| Samsung Galaxy A37 128GB | $529MSY | $598Optus · $16.62 × 36 months | $69 more on a plan |
| Samsung Galaxy S26+ 256GB | $1,749.99Costco | $1,449Telstra · $40.24 × 36 months | $301 less on a plan |
| Samsung Galaxy S26 256GB | $1,147Harvey Norman | $1,149Vodafone · $31.91 × 36 months | $2 more on a plan |
| Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max 256GB | $2,249.98Costco | $2,299Telstra · $63.86 × 36 months | $49 more on a plan |
| Apple iPhone Air 256GB | $1,739.99Costco | $1,298Optus · $36.06 × 36 months | $442 less on a plan |
| Apple iPhone 18 Pro 256GB | $2,049.99Costco | $2,099Telstra · $58.30 × 36 months | $49 more on a plan |
| Apple iPhone 16 128GB | $1,299MSY | $1,349Optus · $37.46 × 36 months | $50 more on a plan |
| Samsung Galaxy A57 128GB | $699Mwave | $360Vodafone · $10.00 × 36 months | $339 less on a plan |
The plan column is the phone's repayments only, as the carrier lists them; the plan's own monthly charge is on top, and carrier prices can depend on the plan you pick.
Read the table carefully, because the answer flips from phone to phone. On most phones, buying outright from the cheapest store costs the same or less than the carrier's repayments. But carriers regularly run bonus credits and "save $X" offers on particular models, and when they do, the phone on a plan can genuinely come out cheaper. Those rows show in green.
The plan column is only half the cost
Device repayments are on top of the plan itself. A phone that's "$47 a month over 36 months" on a $65 plan costs you $112 a month, and you're committed for three years. If you leave early you'll usually have to pay out the rest of the phone.
So compare like with like:
- Outright: the phone price, plus whatever SIM-only plan you choose (including cheap prepaid and smaller providers that run on the big networks).
- On a plan: the device repayments, plus that carrier's plan for the whole term.
For many people, the outright phone plus a cheaper SIM-only plan is the bigger saving, even when the device repayments look similar.
When a plan makes sense
- The carrier is running a real discount on the phone you want (look for a green row above).
- You want 0% finance. Spreading the cost with no interest is a fair reason, if you were going to stay with that carrier anyway.
- You'd stay on that carrier's plan regardless. Then the lock-in costs you nothing extra.
When outright wins
- You want a cheap SIM-only plan. Smaller providers are often much cheaper per month than the big three's own plans.
- You might switch. Outright means no payout if you change networks.
- You want to resell or hand down the phone. It's yours from day one, unlocked.
- A store has it on sale. Retail discounts on outright prices are common, especially on last year's models. Check today's phone deals.
Where to buy outright
Mobileciti, Costco, Harvey Norman and the other big chains often have the lowest outright price, and it changes daily. Our guide to where to buy a phone outright shows which store is cheapest most often, and every phone page lists each store's price side by side.
