Mate vs activ8me - Which is the best NBN internet provider?

activ8me and Mate are two very different beasts in the NBN space. activ8me is a smaller, regional player often praised in reviews for its personalised customer service, especially for those in remote areas. On the other hand, Mate is a larger, more established provider known for its straightforward plans and no-frills approach, often appealing to those after a reliable, set-and-forget connection.

Mate and activ8me 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 activ8me 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 activ8me
About Mate broadband NBN, wireless and adsl internet reviews and plan comparisons activ8me broadband NBN, wireless and adsl internet reviews and plan comparisons
Mate is a 100% Australian-owned nbn and mobile provider with locally based support, known for simple, competitively priced unlimited plans. activ8me is one of Australia's largest nbn Sky Muster satellite providers, specialising in rural, regional and remote homes. Trading since 2005 and owned by Australian Private Networks, it was the first local ISP to commercialise satellite broadband, and now also offers fixed wireless and fixed line nbn plans.
Go to Mate Go to activ8me
Overall Rating [Not enough reviews] 3.8
activ8me has an overall rating of 3.8 out of 5 based on 5 reviews.
activ8me is a good broadband internet provider according to our users.
Recommended [Not enough reviews] 80% of people who have written reviews on this site would recommend activ8me to their friends as a broadband internet provider.
Reliability [Not enough reviews] 3.8
activ8me's reliability is rated as good by our users. activ8me has an overall rating of 3.8 out of 5 for reliability.
Customer Service [Not enough reviews] 4
activ8me's customer service is rated as very good by our users. activ8me has an overall rating of 4 out of 5 for customer service.
Value for Money [Not enough reviews] 3.6
activ8me is rated as good for value for money by our users. activ8me has an overall rating of 3.6 out of 5 for value for money.
Technical Support [Not enough reviews] 3.8
activ8me's technical support is rated as good by our users. activ8me has an overall rating of 3.8 out of 5 for technical support.
Australian based technical support [Not enough reviews] Yes, activ8me does have Australian based technical support.
Call Centre Location [Not enough reviews] activ8me uses call centres based in Australia.
Services Offered [Not enough reviews] activ8me offers a range of broadband and internet related services including NBN internet plans.
Cost of 25Mbps NBN Plan with unlimited data Mate - Crikey: 25Mbps, unlimited data for $76 per month.
activ8me - Premium 50: 29Mbps, unlimited data for $74 per month.
activ8me - Fixed Wireless (starting price): 25Mbps, unlimited data for $74.95 per month.
Cost of 50Mbps NBN Plan with unlimited data Mate - Ripper: 49Mbps, unlimited data for $86 per month.
Mate - No Dramas Wireless: 48Mbps, unlimited data for $86 per month.
activ8me - Fibre (starting price): 50Mbps, unlimited data for $74.95 per month.
activ8me - Premium 100: 50Mbps, unlimited data for $99 per month.
Cost of wireless broadband plan
Contact Details Mate's phone number is:
13 14 13
and website is:
letsbemates.com.au
activ8me's phone number is:
13 22 88
and website is:
activ8me.net.au
Read Reviews Read reviews of Mate. Read reviews of activ8me.
Go to Mate Go to activ8me

Mate and activ8me NBN25 plans (25Mbps download speed)

activ8me broadband NBN reviews
Premium 50
NBN - Sky Muster
29 Mb/s
Unlimited data
$74/mth Go to site
activ8me broadband NBN reviews
Fixed Wireless (starting price)
NBN - Fixed Wireless
25 Mb/s
Unlimited data
$74.95/mth Go to site
Mate broadband NBN reviews
Crikey
NBN - Fixed Line
25 Mb/s
Unlimited data
$76/mth
$51 for first 6 months
Go to site

Mate and activ8me NBN50 plans (50Mbps download speed)

activ8me broadband NBN reviews
Fibre (starting price)
NBN - Fixed Line
50 Mb/s
Unlimited data
$74.95/mth Go to site
Mate broadband NBN reviews
No Dramas Wireless
NBN - Fixed Wireless
48 Mb/s
Unlimited data
$86/mth
$66 for first 6 months
Go to site
Mate broadband NBN reviews
Ripper
NBN - Fixed Line
49 Mb/s
Unlimited data
$86/mth
$66 for first 6 months
Go to site
activ8me broadband NBN reviews
Premium 100
NBN - Sky Muster
50 Mb/s
Unlimited data
$99/mth Go to site

Mate and activ8me Ultrafast plans (>100Mbps download speed)

Mate broadband NBN reviews
No Worries
NBN - Fixed Line
97 Mb/s
Unlimited data
$96/mth
$71 for first 6 months
Go to site
Mate broadband NBN reviews
No Worries Wireless
NBN - Fixed Wireless
90 Mb/s
Unlimited data
$96/mth
$71 for first 6 months
Go to site
Mate broadband NBN reviews
No Worries
NBN - Fixed Line
485 Mb/s
Unlimited data
$96/mth
$71 for first 6 months
Go to site
Mate broadband NBN reviews
You Beaut
NBN - Fixed Line
97 Mb/s
Unlimited data
$106/mth
$81 for first 6 months
Go to site
Mate broadband NBN reviews
Fair Dinkum Wireless
NBN - Fixed Wireless
95 Mb/s
Unlimited data
$121/mth
$96 for first 6 months
Go to site
Mate broadband NBN reviews
Fair Dinkum
NBN - Fixed Line
713 Mb/s
Unlimited data
$121/mth
$96 for first 6 months
Go to site
Mate broadband NBN reviews
Flamin' Fast
NBN - Fixed Line
913 Mb/s
Unlimited data
$126/mth
$101 for first 6 months
Go to site
Mate broadband NBN reviews
Scorchin' Fast
NBN - Fixed Line
1831 Mb/s
Unlimited data
$166/mth
$141 for first 6 months
Go to site

Summary of Mate and activ8me 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.

  • Overall: activ8me rates higher overall than Mate does.
  • Recommended: activ8me is more highly recommended than Mate.
  • Reliability: activ8me rates higher for reliability than Mate does.
  • Customer Service: activ8me rates higher for customer service than Mate does.
  • Value for Money: activ8me rates higher for value for money than Mate does.
  • Technical Support: activ8me rates higher for technical support than Mate does.

How to decide between Mate and activ8me? - next steps

  • Read reviews of Mate and activ8me to see what people think of these companies
  • Visit the website of each company and do some of your own research - Mate and activ8me
  • 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 activ8me

Is Mate better than activ8me?

activ8me has 5 verified reviews on Oz Broadband Reviews and an overall rating of 3.8 out of 5. Mate has fewer than 5 reviews so we don't yet show an aggregate rating. Read the individual reviews above to form your own view.

Which is cheaper for NBN50, Mate or activ8me?

Mate's cheapest NBN50 plan is the Ripper at $66/month intro for 6 months, then $86/month. activ8me's cheapest NBN50 plan is the Fibre (starting price) at $74.95/month ongoing. activ8me is cheaper on the ongoing price after any intro period ends.

Which has better customer service, Mate or activ8me?

activ8me scores 4.0 out of 5 on customer service vs Mate's 2.3, based on verified reviews on Oz Broadband Reviews. If onshore support matters, Mate's call centre is based in Australia and activ8me's is based in Australia.

What plans do Mate and activ8me offer?

Mate offers 11 NBN plans. activ8me offers 5 NBN plans. See the full plan tables above for prices, speeds and data limits.

Where are Mate and activ8me's call centres?

Mate's customer support is based in Australia. activ8me's customer support is based in Australia. Call centre location can affect support hours and accent comprehension if onshore support is important to you.

How do I switch from Mate to activ8me (or activ8me 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

★★★★☆ (4.0)
“Theyre pretty okay”

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.

— Verified customer (QLD), Sep 2025
★★½☆☆ (2.5)
“Im leaving”

My internet keeps dropping out so I wanted to change to nbn to the house rather than the curb. When you try to call this company you are on hold for…

— Verified customer (VIC), Jun 2025

About activ8me

★★★★☆ (4.3)
“Affordable and reliable”

Overall, very happy with spintel and don't plan to go anywhere. Really good value for money, and the support is there if needed.

— Verified customer (SA), Jan 2025
★½☆☆☆ (1.5)
“Internet access was patchy, or dropped out”

Internet access was patchy, always dropping out at anytime day or night? Was unable to complete respondus lockdown browser for class exams due to unstable…

— Verified customer (QLD), Oct 2024

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