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Free International Calls From Australia, Free Calls to Australia and Cheap Calls

You can make free international calls from Australia with an internet calling app, when the person you call uses the same app. Calls to normal landlines and mobiles overseas are not free, but a phone card makes them cheap. This guide shows when free calling works, when it does not, and the cheapest way to make the other calls.

Updated 19 October 2026

Free international calls from Australia work only app to app, over Wi-Fi or mobile data. To call a landline, a basic mobile or a business overseas, use a prepaid phone card. Rates start at 1.6c a minute.

Make Free International Calls With an App (VoIP)

Free calling works app to app. An internet calling app makes free calls when both people have the same app. The call goes over the internet, so it is free calling with no call rates. This is called VoIP, or voice over internet protocol.

  1. Both people install the same calling app. A free call works only between two users of one app.
  2. Both people connect to Wi-Fi or mobile data. A call over mobile data uses your data allowance.
  3. Call from inside the app. Do not dial the overseas number on your phone keypad, or your phone plan charges the call.

Call quality depends on the internet connection at both ends. A weak connection makes the call drop or break up.

When Free Calling Does Not Work

Free calling needs a smartphone, the same app and good internet at both ends. In these cases you need a normal international call:

  • The person has a landline or a basic mobile. An app cannot reach a landline for free.
  • The person has weak internet or no data. Older relatives and people in rural areas often have this problem.
  • You call a business, a bank or a government office overseas. These use normal phone numbers.
  • You call a toll-free number overseas. Many toll-free numbers do not accept calls from other countries, and a call that connects is not free from Australia.

Cheap Calls When Free Calling Is Not Possible

A prepaid phone card is the cheapest way to call a normal landline or mobile overseas. You dial a local number, the card’s access number, so your phone provider charges it as a local call. Then you pay only the card’s rate. The cheapest countries to call start at Singapore (1.6c), Canada (1.9c), USA (1.9c), France (2.3c) and Ireland (2.3c) a minute to a landline, with no connection fee.

Calling Landline, no fee Mobile, no fee
USA 1.9c/min Easy Calling 1.9c/min Easy Calling
UK 3.2c/min Super Deal 9.8c/min Super Deal
New Zealand 2.6c/min Super Deal 17.8c/min Super Deal
India 2.8c/min India Call 2.8c/min Hello World
China 2.4c/min Day to Day 2.4c/min Day to Day
Philippines 13.3c/min Mabuhay Pinoy 14c/min Mabuhay Pinoy
Vietnam 5.8c/min Asian Connection 5.8c/min Asian Connection
Pakistan 4.3c/min Super Deal 4.7c/min Super Deal
Sri Lanka 16.5c/min All Seasons 18.4c/min East Star
Indonesia 5c/min Hello World 5c/min Hello World
Italy 2.5c/min Golden Banana 16.7c/min Super Deal
Greece 2.7c/min Hello World 8.4c/min Hello World

Lowest rate a minute on a card with no connection fee. Checked 19 October 2026. See every country from A to Z.

For example, 2 hours a month of calls to mobiles in India cost $3.36 on a phone card.

International Calls Included in Your Phone Plan

Included calls are not free, because the plan fee pays for them. Some Australian plans include international calls to selected destinations in the monthly fee. These calls feel free, but you pay for them in the plan. Check which countries the plan lists, and whether it covers mobiles as well as landlines. Calls to other countries cost the plan’s normal call rates.

Our guide to international calling plans vs phone cards has a calculator that shows which costs less for your calls.

Free and Cheap Calls to Australia From Overseas

Family and friends overseas can make free calls to Australia on the same calling app, with the same rules. For international calls to Australia from a phone, their own provider charges its call rates, so cheap calls to Australia depend on their plan. A phone card from our shop is for calls that start in Australia.

Choose your country and see every card that calls it, with its rate and talk time.

Compare call rates

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make free international calls from Australia?

Yes, with an internet calling app, when the person you call has the same app and both of you have Wi-Fi or mobile data. Calls to normal landlines and mobiles overseas are not free.

Which app can I use to make international calls for free?

Use the app the person you call already has. A free call works only between two users of the same app. Check that both of you have a good internet connection.

How can I make international calls without paying?

Call over the internet with a calling app on Wi-Fi. If you use mobile data, the call uses your data allowance. To call a landline or a basic mobile overseas, you must pay for the call.

Is Wi-Fi calling free for international calls?

Wi-Fi calling on your phone keypad uses your normal phone plan, so an international call costs the same as on the mobile network. Only a call made inside an internet calling app is free.

How do I call an international toll-free number from Australia?

Dial 0011, the country code and the number, but many toll-free numbers do not accept calls from other countries. If the call connects, you pay for it. Ask the business for a normal landline number.

What is the cheapest way to call overseas when free calls do not work?

Use a prepaid phone card. Rates start at 1.6c a minute, and calls to landlines in the USA start at 1.9c a minute with no connection fee.

More Guides for Calling Overseas