Mate vs Lightning Broadband: Which is the best NBN provider?
Updated 1 September 2026. Plan prices on this page pull live from our database. Ratings are from 4 first-person reviewer ratings (Mate 4, Lightning Broadband 0).
Mate and Lightning Broadband both offer NBN, but they come from different corners of the market. Lightning Broadband is the cheaper of the two on entry level NBN plans, while Mate costs more. Mate is known for its straightforward plan pricing, offering a range of options without too many frills.
NBN plans from $80/mth · Partner
Mate and Lightning Broadband are both reputable broadband internet providers in Australia.
Deciding which NBN or wireless internet company to sign up to is not an easy task. To make this process easier we have provided a side by side comparison of Mate and Lightning Broadband internet providers in the table below.
Disclaimer: All the data in the table is based on the opinions of people who have submitted reviews to this site over the last 24 months. We screen the reviews very thoroughly to ensure only accurate reviews get through. Please do your own research.
| Criteria | Mate | Lightning Broadband |
|---|---|---|
| About |
Partner |
|
| Go to Mate | Go to Lightning Broadband | |
| Overall Rating | [Not enough reviews] | [Not enough reviews] |
| Recommended | [Not enough reviews] | [Not enough reviews] |
| Reliability | [Not enough reviews] | [Not enough reviews] |
| Customer Service | [Not enough reviews] | [Not enough reviews] |
| Value for Money | [Not enough reviews] | [Not enough reviews] |
| Technical Support | [Not enough reviews] | [Not enough reviews] |
| Australian based technical support | [Not enough reviews] | [Not enough reviews] |
| Call Centre Location | [Not enough reviews] | [Not enough reviews] |
| Services Offered | [Not enough reviews] | [Not enough reviews] |
| Cost of 25Mbps NBN Plan with unlimited data |
Mate - Crikey: 25Mbps, unlimited data for $80 per month. |
Lightning Broadband - Entry Level: 25Mbps, unlimited data for $72 per month. |
| Cost of 50Mbps NBN Plan with unlimited data |
Mate - Ripper: 49Mbps, unlimited data for $90 per month. Mate - No Dramas Wireless: 48Mbps, unlimited data for $90 per month. |
Lightning Broadband - Everyday Internet: 50Mbps, unlimited data for $85 per month. |
| Cost of wireless broadband plan | ||
| Contact Details |
Mate's phone number is: 13 14 13 and website is: letsbemates.com.au |
Lightning Broadband's phone number is: 1300 477 525 and website is: lightningbroadband.com.au |
| Read Reviews | Read reviews of Mate. | Read reviews of Lightning Broadband. |
| Go to Mate | Go to Lightning Broadband |
Mate and Lightning Broadband NBN25 plans (25Mbps download speed)
|
|
Entry Level
NBN - Private Fibre
25 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$72/mth
$45 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
|
Crikey
NBN - Fixed Line
25 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$80/mth
$55 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
|
Entry Level
NBN - Private Fibre
25 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$86.90/mth
Setup Fee: $110 |
Go to site |
Mate and Lightning Broadband NBN50 plans (50Mbps download speed)
|
|
Everyday Internet
NBN - Private Fibre
50 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$85/mth
$65 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
|
Ripper
NBN - Fixed Line
49 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$90/mth
$70 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
|
No Dramas Wireless
NBN - Fixed Wireless
48 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$90/mth
$70 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
|
Everyday Internet
NBN - Private Fibre
50 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$97.90/mth
Setup Fee: $110 |
Go to site |
Mate and Lightning Broadband Ultrafast plans (>100Mbps download speed)
|
|
Most Popular Plan
NBN - Private Fibre
500 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$95/mth
$69 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
|
No Worries
NBN - Fixed Line
485 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$100/mth
$75 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
|
No Worries
NBN - Fixed Line
97 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$100/mth
$75 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
|
No Worries Wireless
NBN - Fixed Wireless
90 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$100/mth
$75 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
|
Entertainment Plus
NBN - Private Fibre
750 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$104/mth
$75 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
|
Lightning Speed
NBN - Private Fibre
1000 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$109/mth
$85 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
|
You Beaut
NBN - Fixed Line
97 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$110/mth
$85 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
|
Most Popular Plan
NBN - Private Fibre
100 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$119.90/mth
Setup Fee: $110 |
Go to site |
|
|
Fair Dinkum
NBN - Fixed Line
713 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$125/mth
$100 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
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Fair Dinkum Wireless
NBN - Fixed Wireless
95 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$125/mth
$100 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
|
Flamin' Fast
NBN - Fixed Line
913 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$126/mth
$101 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
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Business Plus
NBN - Private Fibre
200 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$141.90/mth
Setup Fee: $110 |
Go to site |
|
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Scorchin' Fast 2000/200
NBN - Fixed Line
1831 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$166/mth
$141 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
|
Scorchin' Fast
NBN - Fixed Line
1831 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$166/mth
$141 for first 6 months |
Go to site |
|
|
Lightning Speed
NBN - Private Fibre
500 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$185.90/mth
Setup Fee: $110 |
Go to site |
|
|
Lightning Plus
NBN - Private Fibre
1000 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$218.90/mth
Setup Fee: $110 |
Go to site |
|
|
Ultra Fast
NBN - Private Fibre
2000 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$395/mth
Setup Fee: $499 |
Go to site |
|
|
Ultra Fast
NBN - Private Fibre
2000 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$478.50/mth
Setup Fee: $550 |
Go to site |
|
|
Ludicrous Speed
NBN - Private Fibre
5000 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$695/mth
Setup Fee: $499 |
Go to site |
|
|
Ludicrous Speed
NBN - Private Fibre
5000 Mb/s
Unlimited data
|
$808.50/mth
Setup Fee: $550 |
Go to site |
Summary of Mate and Lightning Broadband comparison
Please note that summary below is based on reviews submitted to this website and represents the views of the people who wrote the reviews.
Neither Mate nor Lightning Broadband has enough reviews yet for a published rating (we need at least 5), so there is no rating comparison to show. Compare their plans above, and if you are with either of them we would love to hear how it is going.
How to decide between Mate and Lightning Broadband? - next steps
- Read reviews of Mate and Lightning Broadband to see what people think of these companies
- Visit the website of each company and do some of your own research - Mate and Lightning Broadband
- Decide how fast your connection need to be and how much data you need then use our broadband plan finder to narrow down the list of plans and find the best plan that suits your budget
- Choose the plan that best suits your needs and budget. Remember, that you can easily change plans but changing broadband internet providers is more difficult so it is really important that you choose a solid internet provider.
Frequently asked questions about Mate vs Lightning Broadband
Is Mate better than Lightning Broadband?
Both Mate and Lightning Broadband have fewer than 5 verified reviews on Oz Broadband Reviews, so we don't yet show aggregate ratings. Compare plans and prices in the tables above, or read the individual reviews on each company's page.
Which is cheaper for NBN50, Mate or Lightning Broadband?
Mate's cheapest NBN50 plan is the Ripper at $70/month intro for 6 months, then $90/month. Lightning Broadband's cheapest NBN50 plan is the Everyday Internet at $65/month intro for 6 months, then $85/month. Lightning Broadband is cheaper on the ongoing price after any intro period ends.
What plans do Mate and Lightning Broadband offer?
Mate offers 12 NBN plans. Lightning Broadband offers 15 NBN plans. See the full plan tables above for prices, speeds and data limits.
Where are Mate and Lightning Broadband's call centres?
Mate's customer support is based in Australia. Lightning Broadband's customer support is based in Melbourne. Call centre location can affect support hours and accent comprehension if onshore support is important to you.
How do I switch from Mate to Lightning Broadband (or Lightning Broadband to Mate)?
Switching NBN providers in Australia is straightforward. The new provider handles the transfer once you sign up and provide your address. There's usually no contract overlap if your current plan is month-to-month, but check for early termination fees on contracted plans. Phone numbers can usually be ported, and the service typically continues uninterrupted on the same NBN line.
What customers say
About Mate
Mate is generally fine for service quality, but my concern is that they use reversible encryption for storing passwords. Many people may not know what…
They're generally okay and pretty stable. They aren't great at notifications about planned outages u til they've already started half the time.
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