Roamly vs Vodafone roaming
What a trip really costs on each, for Australian travellers. Prices checked 19 September 2026.
Vodafone's $5 Roaming is the best-value roaming deal of the three big Australian networks, and it is genuinely simple: $5 a day, the same price in every destination it covers, switched on by default for most plans since 2014. It's worth understanding exactly what the $5 buys, though, because it isn't data.
The $5 doesn't give you a roaming allowance. It unlocks the data, calls and texts already on your home plan so you can use them overseas, which means your Australian allowance is what you're spending. A fortnight away costs $70 in daily charges on top of the plan you're already paying for. The same fortnight on a Roamly 10 GB plan is $14.30 to $26.40 depending on the destination, and it doesn't touch your home allowance at all.
What a trip costs
Vodafone charges by the day, so the longer you’re away the more it costs. A Roamly plan is one price for the whole trip. Here’s the same trip both ways.
| Destination | Roamly | Vodafone, 7 days | Vodafone, 14 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indonesia | A$19.4510 GB, 30 daysA$50.55 less | A$35.00A$5.00 × 7 | A$70.00A$5.00 × 14 |
| Japan | A$18.4510 GB, 30 daysA$51.55 less | A$35.00A$5.00 × 7 | A$70.00A$5.00 × 14 |
| Thailand | A$14.3010 GB, 30 daysA$55.70 less | A$35.00A$5.00 × 7 | A$70.00A$5.00 × 14 |
| Vietnam | A$21.3010 GB, 30 daysA$48.70 less | A$35.00A$5.00 × 7 | A$70.00A$5.00 × 14 |
| USA | A$24.5010 GB, 30 daysA$45.50 less | A$35.00A$5.00 × 7 | A$70.00A$5.00 × 14 |
| New Zealand | A$26.4010 GB, 30 daysA$43.60 less | A$35.00A$5.00 × 7 | A$70.00A$5.00 × 14 |
The saving shown is against a 14-day trip. The $5 a day carries no data of its own: it releases your existing plan inclusions for use overseas, and once those run out Vodafone adds more at $5 a gigabyte. Data on plans that are speed-capped at 1.5, 2, 10 or 25 Mbps can't be used abroad at all.
What you give up, and what you don't
A Roamly eSIM is data only, and that matters less than it sounds. Much of the world already calls and messages over data: WhatsApp alone has more than 3 billion users a month. iMessage, FaceTime, WhatsApp and Messenger all work on a Roamly eSIM just as they do at home, with no per-minute or per-text charges. What $5 Roaming adds is your Vodafone number, with your plan's calls and texts working as usual, which helps when you need to ring a number that isn't on an app.
And if you want your number too, you usually don't have to choose. Almost every phone sold in Australia in the last few years holds two SIMs at once, so you can leave your Vodafone SIM in for your number and run the Roamly eSIM alongside it for data. If you want to avoid the daily charge, switch roaming data off on the Vodafone line before you land: the $5 is triggered by making or receiving a call, sending a message, or using data, so any of those will start a 24-hour block. Receiving a text is free and does not trigger it.
At a glance
What it costs
Roamly
One price for the whole plan, paid up front in AUD.
Vodafone
$5 a day, the same in every eligible destination, on each day you use your phone. Capped at 90 days a calendar year.
Data
Roamly
3 GB to 50 GB of its own, separate from whatever you use at home.
Vodafone
None of its own. It releases your existing plan's data, so your home allowance is what you spend. More is $5 a gigabyte.
Speed limits
Roamly
No daily cap imposed by Roamly. Local operators' fair-use rules can still apply.
Vodafone
No roaming speed cap is published. Plan data already capped at 1.5, 2, 10 or 25 Mbps can't be used overseas at all.
Calls and texts
Roamly
Over data, in iMessage, FaceTime, WhatsApp and Messenger. No number of its own, so keep your Australian SIM in for ordinary calls and texts.
Vodafone
Your plan's usual calls and texts, used as if you were at home.
Your number
Roamly
Unaffected. Your Australian SIM stays in the phone; only its roaming data needs to be off.
Vodafone
Keeps working, which is the whole point of the product.
Coverage
Roamly
100+ countries and territories.
Vodafone
Over 100 destinations, in Vodafone's own words, all at the same daily price.
If you don't turn it on
Roamly
Not applicable. A plan is bought before you travel and cannot run over.
Vodafone
Pay as you go at $1 per MB, which is roughly $1,024 a gigabyte, plus 75c per text sent.
Who can use it
Roamly
Anyone with an eSIM-capable, carrier-unlocked phone.
Vodafone
Postpaid only, on by default for plans since April 2014. Prepaid customers buy separate add-ons from $5 for 1 GB.
Hotspot
Roamly
Included on every plan, no restrictions.
Vodafone
Vodafone publishes a roaming hotspot rule only for its Ultra+ plan, where use beyond 30 GB costs $5 a gigabyte.
How you pay
Roamly
Up front, by card, before you leave.
Vodafone
Added to your Vodafone bill after the fact.
| Feature | Roamly | Vodafone |
|---|---|---|
| What it costs | One price for the whole plan, paid up front in AUD. | $5 a day, the same in every eligible destination, on each day you use your phone. Capped at 90 days a calendar year. |
| Data | 3 GB to 50 GB of its own, separate from whatever you use at home. | None of its own. It releases your existing plan's data, so your home allowance is what you spend. More is $5 a gigabyte. |
| Speed limits | No daily cap imposed by Roamly. Local operators' fair-use rules can still apply. | No roaming speed cap is published. Plan data already capped at 1.5, 2, 10 or 25 Mbps can't be used overseas at all. |
| Calls and texts | Over data, in iMessage, FaceTime, WhatsApp and Messenger. No number of its own, so keep your Australian SIM in for ordinary calls and texts. | Your plan's usual calls and texts, used as if you were at home. |
| Your number | Unaffected. Your Australian SIM stays in the phone; only its roaming data needs to be off. | Keeps working, which is the whole point of the product. |
| Coverage | 100+ countries and territories. | Over 100 destinations, in Vodafone's own words, all at the same daily price. |
| If you don't turn it on | Not applicable. A plan is bought before you travel and cannot run over. | Pay as you go at $1 per MB, which is roughly $1,024 a gigabyte, plus 75c per text sent. |
| Who can use it | Anyone with an eSIM-capable, carrier-unlocked phone. | Postpaid only, on by default for plans since April 2014. Prepaid customers buy separate add-ons from $5 for 1 GB. |
| Hotspot | Included on every plan, no restrictions. | Vodafone publishes a roaming hotspot rule only for its Ultra+ plan, where use beyond 30 GB costs $5 a gigabyte. |
| How you pay | Up front, by card, before you leave. | Added to your Vodafone bill after the fact. |
Where each one wins
Where Vodafone wins
- $5 a day is the cheapest daily roaming charge of the three big Australian networks.
- One flat price everywhere it works, with no zones to check before you book.
- Your own number keeps working for ordinary calls and texts, using your plan's normal inclusions.
- Nothing to set up: it's on by default for most plans and starts when you land.
- Good value on a big-allowance plan, since the $5 simply releases data you've already paid for.
Where Roamly wins
- A fortnight costs $14.30 to $26.40 on a 10 GB plan, against $70 of daily charges.
- The data is ours, not yours: your home allowance is untouched while you travel.
- Works no matter what plan you're on, including prepaid and speed-capped plans that can't use $5 Roaming abroad.
- No 90-day-a-year limit.
- Hotspot on every plan, with no restrictions.
- Calls, video calls and messages in iMessage, FaceTime, WhatsApp and Messenger work as normal, with no per-minute or per-text charges.
Which should you pick?
A week or more away? Roamly. Seven days of $5 Roaming is $35 before you've used any of your own allowance; a 10 GB plan is less than that and lasts a month.
A weekend, on a big-allowance plan? Vodafone. Two days is $10, your number keeps working, and you're spending data you've already bought. That's hard to beat for a short hop.
On a speed-capped plan? Roamly. Vodafone says data capped at 1.5, 2, 10 or 25 Mbps can't be used while roaming at all, so $5 Roaming may give you nothing to use.
On Vodafone prepaid? Compare against the prepaid add-ons instead: $5 for 1 GB over one day, $15 for 3 GB over three, $35 for 7 GB over seven. $5 Roaming is postpaid only.
Common questions
As of 19 September 2026, Vodafone's $5 Roaming costs $5 a day, the same in every eligible destination, and it's charged only on days you actually use your phone. Vodafone says it covers over 100 destinations. The charge is capped at 90 days per calendar year.
No, and this is the part people miss. The $5 doesn't come with a data allowance of its own: it unlocks the data, calls and texts already included on your Australian plan so you can use them overseas. Your home allowance is what you're spending. Once it runs out, Vodafone adds more at $5 a gigabyte automatically.
Vodafone's pay-as-you-go roaming rates apply instead: $1 per megabyte of data, which is roughly $1,024 a gigabyte, and 75c per text message sent. Receiving a text is free.
Yes, through apps that run on data. iMessage, FaceTime, WhatsApp and Messenger work on a Roamly eSIM just as they do at home, for messages, voice calls and video calls, with no per-minute or per-text charges. What you don't get is a phone number, so ordinary calls and SMS still go through your Vodafone SIM, which can stay in the phone alongside the eSIM.
Yes, on a phone that supports two SIMs at once, which is almost every phone sold in Australia in recent years. Leave your Vodafone SIM in for calls and texts, switch its roaming data off so no $5 charge is triggered, and use the Roamly eSIM for data.
For a trip of about a week or more, yes. Fourteen days of $5 Roaming is $70 on top of your plan; our 10 GB plans for those destinations run from $14.30 to $26.40 and last 30 days. For a weekend away, $5 Roaming can be the better deal, especially on a plan with a large data allowance. Vodafone also keeps your number working for ordinary calls and texts. On a Roamly eSIM, calls and messages go through apps like iMessage, FaceTime, WhatsApp and Messenger instead.
Vodafone's figures were read from vodafone.com.au on 19 September 2026. Roaming prices, destinations and inclusions change, and what you get depends on the plan you're on, so check with Vodafone before you travel. We re-check this page monthly. If you spot something out of date, email hello@onroamly.com and we'll fix it.
See what your trip would cost
Plans for 100+ countries and territories, priced in AUD.
Roamly figures are from our own plan catalogue and policies. Vodafone figures were read from vodafone.com.au, its international roaming support pages and its Critical Information Summaries on 19 September 2026, and checked a second time the same day. Roaming prices, inclusions and zones change, and what you pay depends on your own plan, so check with Vodafone before you travel. We re-check this page monthly. Spotted something out of date? Email hello@onroamly.com. Vodafone is a trademark of its owner. Roamly is not affiliated with Vodafone.
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