Telstra vs Vodafone:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Vodafone had more branded searches than Telstra among mobile providers in Australia. Vodafone had about 40,500 branded searches, while Telstra had 30,700. Vodafone made up 7.2% of all mobile provider searches we track, and Telstra accounted for 5.5%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about mobile providers, Telstra appeared in four of the five answers and Vodafone in two. Telstra was mentioned before Vodafone in three out of four answers.
Who do people search for more?
Vodafone, about 32% more searches than Telstra
Who does AI mention more?
Telstra, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, Vodafone in 2
Who does AI recommend more?
Telstra, named ahead of Vodafone in 3 of 4 answers
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Top mobile providers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Telstra was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Vodafone was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Telstra was listed before Vodafone in three out of four answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Telstra1st
amaysim2nd
Boost Mobile3rd
ALDI Mobile4th- Vodafone5th
Optus6th
Belong7th
Felix8th
Kogan Mobile9th
Tangerine–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- amaysim4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Telstra4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Boost Mobile3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Optus3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- ALDI Mobile2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Kogan Mobile2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Vodafone2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Belong2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Felix2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Tangerine0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about mobile providers
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which mobile provider should I use in Australia?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best mobile providers in Australia?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best prepaid phone plan in Australia for lots of data?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“prepaid phone plans”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“sim only plans”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in Australia on October 22, 2026.
Is Telstra or Vodafone more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Telstra and Vodafone by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten mobile providers we track, month by month, from searches in Australia.
Share of searches by month for Vodafone, Telstra. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | ALDI Mobile | amaysim | Boost Mobile | Kogan Mobile | Vodafone | Telstra | Belong | Felix | Optus | Tangerine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 24.3% | 24.3% | 16.3% | 10.9% | 7.3% | 5.7% | 4% | 4% | 2.7% | 0.65% |
| Nov 2025 | 22.2% | 27.1% | 14.9% | 12.1% | 6.6% | 6.2% | 3.6% | 3% | 3% | 1.3% |
| Dec 2025 | 24% | 24% | 16.1% | 13.1% | 5.9% | 5.5% | 3.9% | 3.2% | 3.1% | 1.2% |
| Jan 2026 | 23.4% | 23.4% | 15.7% | 12.8% | 7% | 5.5% | 4.7% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 1.1% |
| Feb 2026 | 21.1% | 25.9% | 14.2% | 11.6% | 7.8% | 6% | 5.2% | 3.5% | 3.4% | 1.3% |
| Mar 2026 | 23.6% | 23.6% | 15.8% | 10.6% | 5.8% | 6.6% | 5.8% | 3.9% | 3.1% | 1.2% |
| Apr 2026 | 24.2% | 24.2% | 16.2% | 10.8% | 4.8% | 5.5% | 4.8% | 4.8% | 3.2% | 1.4% |
| May 2026 | 24.2% | 24.2% | 16.2% | 10.9% | 4.9% | 5.5% | 4.9% | 4.9% | 3.2% | 1.2% |
| Jun 2026 | 22.9% | 22.9% | 18.6% | 12.5% | 5.6% | 5.2% | 4.6% | 3.8% | 3% | 0.91% |
| Jul 2026 | 28.1% | 23% | 15.4% | 10.3% | 4.6% | 5.4% | 4.6% | 4.6% | 3% | 1.1% |
| Aug 2026 | 24.7% | 24.7% | 16.6% | 11.1% | 5% | 5.5% | 4.1% | 4.1% | 3.2% | 1.2% |
| Sep 2026 | 24.1% | 24.1% | 16.2% | 10.8% | 7.2% | 5.5% | 4% | 4% | 3.2% | 0.96% |
How has the Telstra and Vodafone comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands 4 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: Telstra took it in March 2026, Vodafone took it in June 2026, Telstra took it in July 2026, Vodafone took it in September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Telstra’s share of searches among mobile providers in Australia moved from 5.7% to 5.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 31.5K to 30.7K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Vodafone’s share of searches among mobile providers in Australia moved from 7.3% to 7.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 40.5K.
How did search popularity change for Australia mobile providers in September 2026?
1 change
In September 2026, Vodafone overtook Telstra to rank 5th among mobile providers in Australia, with 7.2% of the searches.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Telstra’s and Vodafone’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among mobile providers
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