There's never been a better time to unshackle yourself from your mobile contract and sign up to a prepaid plan. This holds true whether you're a penny pincher who's worried about bill shock, or a power user who wants tons of commitment-free data. Here are the best plans currently available for both types of user.

Telstra's upcoming range of budget smartphones won't break the bank but will the day-to-day cost of using an underpowered phone be too much?

If you're all about that prepaid life, but also like using data for all the things, this may be a plan for you.

Whenever a big new phone launches, telcos will try and woo you into a 24-month contract with glossy deals and big bonuses. However, if you're happy to buy the device outright, signing up for a SIM-only plan can save you a bunch of money in the long run. It can also score you way more data.

If you’re a phone lover, you may think prepaid is a dirty word; a term to describe the lowest rung of the phone-plan food chain. But this really isn’t the case anymore. We take a look at the best options for data, unlimited call and long expiry dates.

Kogan Mobile's prepaid plans provide some excellent value, big data deals and reliable coverage with Vodafone's 4G network. If you're looking for a new prepaid plan this month you're not going to have to look for long - Kogan are offering up their prepaid plans for just $4.90.

On June 5, Adobe is jacking up its Creative Cloud (CC) software prices by a whopping 25 per cent. A 12-month subscription to the CC suite will now set you back $869.85 - compared to today's asking price of $695.88. In other words, if you plan to sign up to Adobe or renew an existing subscription, do it before June 5.

You've seen the contract prices, and you might be tempted to sign up and avoid paying upfront for your shiny new iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus -- but you could end up paying more for the same phone, calls and data than you need to. Here's how much you can save by buying up-front and choosing the right prepaid plan.

Budget telco Vaya has launched a new range of limited-edition "Gamer Plans" to cash in on the Pokemon GO craze. The data-friendly plans start at $45 per month with the $65 version providing a massive 30GB data allowance. Here are the details.

Vodafone has today launched a new type of plan for prepaid customers -- with fully customisable plans available under a service called MyMix. With plans ranging from a 7-day to a 90-day expiry, anywhere from 500MB to 8GB of data (with bonus data included for those who sign up in May), Vodafone aims to provide a more flexible option for prepaid customers.

Optus has upped its game on its prepaid mobile broadband plans by increasing the data allowance and making changes that customers will be pleased with. Here are the details.

Buying on contract means you won't have to pay up-front for an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus -- but you could actually end up paying more for the same phone, calls and data than you need to. Here's how much you can save by buying up-front and choosing the right prepaid plan -- up to $450 compared to a 24-month contract.

Here's some good news for phone users who hate "wasting" unused data. As part of a pricing revamp for its pre-paid mobile plans, Optus is allowing customers to hang onto their unused data up to a maximum of 10GB. The revised plan also now includes unlimited calls and texts.

Woolworths hasn't wasted any time since announcing its intention to re-enter the mobile market last month: the new Woolworths Connect plans (using Telstra's older and slower 3G network) go on sale from next Monday. Here's what's on offer and how they compare (hint: you can still do better).

If you're travelling overseas for an extended work or holiday trip and want to keep your phone number for when you return, then moving it to a long expiry prepaid deal is your cheapest option. We've rounded up the best offers available from every major carrier in Australia.

TPG has just updated its mobile plans, with a $45 a month no-contract plan that includes unlimited calls and texts to Australians numbers and 6GB of data. How does that stack up against its competition?

Mobile broadband usage is often irregular: you don't need it when you're at home, but if you travel for work or a holiday, your demands shoot up. Telstra's new prepaid mobile broadband "data passes" are designed to deal with that need, but how do they measure up as a value proposition?

Contract phone plans are a bad deal: not only are you stuck with the same phone and network for two years, you often end up with smaller data and call allowances than with a no-contract prepaid or month-by-month deal. We've eliminated the also-rans and come up with one firm recommendation for the best value no-contract prepaid deal on each of Australia's mobile networks.

Last month, ALDI Mobile surprised us by introducing a new plan with a vaguely decent data allowance. Now it is increasing the data allowances on most of its cheaper plans as well.