Netflix has only been available in Australia for a little under three years, but it's clear we're in love; almost 7.6 million of us are now getting our stream on. That's over one third of the population.
Of course, streaming is one of the most data-intensive things you can do online, so it's important to consider which internet provider you're with, and what plan and speed is best for you.
If you're not careful, Netflix can make a serious dent in your monthly data allowance. But if you pick the right plan, you can binge endlessly without having to keep one eye on your broadband bill.
How much data will you use?
Before we get into the plans, it's important to know just how much data Netflix uses.
Netflix has three quality settings for when you're streaming in your web browser, on your smart TV, or on your game console.
- Low: 300MB per hour
- Medium: 700MB per hour
- High: 3GB per hour for High Definition, 7GB per hour for 4K
If you haven't adjusted these, there's a good chance that your quality is set to Auto, which means you're streaming at the highest quality possible based on your device and internet connection - usually HD if available. To change streaming quality settings and conserve or increase data use, head to your Netflix profile's Account page and select Playback Settings.
For viewers streaming in High Def (or on the Auto setting), watching a season of your favourite show on Netflix (i.e. 13 hour-long episodes) could use as much as 39GB. So if you're streaming on a regular basis, we tend to recommend plans with at least 500GB as a minimum, to ensure you've still got enough data left for everything else you want to do online.
The speediest ISPs, according to Netflix
Netflix compiles a monthly report on how local ISPs perform when streaming, and the average speed of the connection during prime time streaming hours.
This list is updated regularly, but the top six providers for February 2018 are as follows:
It is, however, worth noting that Netflix says these ISPs now all average within 0.3Mbps of one another. And since the leaderboard is based on averages, performance for each ISP will vary from location to location, especially depending on what technology you're using to get online.
Below are some unlimited data plans from Exetel, Optus, iiNet, TPG, Dodo and iPrimus (and both 1000GB and unlimited data plans from Telstra).
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SpinTel 
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Tangerine Telecom 
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Belong 
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Dodo 
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Kogan Internet 
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Aussie Broadband 
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Other providers with unlimited plans
While Netflix's speed index can be useful for comparing big-name telcos, it leaves out Australia's smaller ISPs.
Below you'll find a selection of unlimited plans from some of the best up-and-coming names in Australia's rapidly expanding internet market. This table has NBN plans with Standard Evening Speed connections (also known as NBN 25).
Other NBN plans with unlimited data
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SpinTel
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Tangerine Telecom
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Superloop 
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Belong
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Vodafone 
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The fastest plans for Netflix
Netflix needs a lot of data, but fortunately, speed requirements aren't out of this world. A connection speed of 5Mbps is recommended for high definition, so an entry-level NBN plan with Basic Evening Speed should cover this (as well as any ADSL2+ or cable internet plan). If you're after 4K, about 25Mbps is required, so you'll probably need a Standard Evening Speed plan if you're an NBN customer.
For comparison, the fastest NBN plan available in Australia - Premium Evening Speed - promises speeds of up to 100Mbps. While that's plenty of overhead, an NBN 100 plan does mean you'll hopefully have plenty of wiggle room in the event of congestion, and that everyone else on your network will be able to use the internet without affecting the quality of your stream.
If only the very best connection will do, here's some of our recommended Premium Evening Speed NBN plans with unlimited monthly data. (And if you're still unsure about NBN speeds, we've got your questions covered here.)
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SpinTel
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Tangerine Telecom
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Dodo
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MyRepublic 
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Aussie Broadband
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TPG 
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Unmetered Netflix plans
'Unmetered' is industry jargon for when a provider doesn't count data used by a specific service against your monthly allowance. For example, Telstra mobile customers can stream tunes through Apple Music without using any of their data.
While Optus, Internode, and iiNet have previously offered data-free access to Netflix, all three of these providers have axed this promotion. This, in part, can be attributed to the rising popularity of unlimited broadband plans.
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Tangerine Telecom
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Tangerine Telecom
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If you're looking for unmetered Netflix on your mobile plan, Optus currently offers data-free streaming on selected postpaid options. More info on this feature is available here.
Cheapest Netflix plans
Just want to know which plans will cost you the least? Here are all the plans from the speediest as well as the best up-and-coming ISPs, ranked in terms of cost. All plans have at least 500MB of data.
Cheapest ADSL2+ plans for Netflix
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Telstra 
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Cheapest NBN plans for Netflix
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Belong
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SpinTel
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Dodo
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TPG
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iiNet 
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Looking for even more Broadband Plans and Bundles? Click here to start a new internet plan search right now
Want more information about Netflix?
Got questions? We've got answers. Whether you want to know what Netflix is, how to watch it, what's on, how much it costs, what the alternatives are, or something else entirely, check out our complete guide to Netflix.
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