Quick Answer
Public Mobile is $10–20/mo cheaper and uses the same Telus network. Koodo adds in-store support, device financing, and promotional plans. Referral advantage: Public Mobile users with 5 referrals can bring their effective monthly bill to $0–15/mo.
Koodo and Public Mobile are both owned by Telus and run on the Telus network. Your calls, texts, and data travel through the same towers. So what's the difference between paying $45/month for Koodo versus $25–34/month for Public Mobile? It comes down to support, plan selection, contract flexibility, and some meaningful differences in how each carrier structures its pricing.
| Koodo | Public Mobile | |
|---|---|---|
| Network | Telus (same) | Telus (same) |
| Starting price | $38/mo (BYOD) | $25/mo (BYOD + autopay) |
| 5G access | Yes (select plans) | Yes (select plans) |
| Data | 15–100 GB depending on plan | 5–50+ GB depending on plan |
| US roaming | Yes (add-on) | Yes (add-on) |
| Support channels | In-store + phone + online | Online community only (no phone/store) |
| Contract | Month-to-month or Tab (device financing) | Month-to-month only |
| Autopay discount | None | $2/mo discount |
| Referral rewards | No | Yes ($10/mo per referral, up to 5) |
Public Mobile: the case for choosing it
Public Mobile's pricing is the clearest argument for choosing it. Plans start at $25/month for 5GB with a $2 autopay discount factored in — no promotional period, no price hike after 12 months. What you sign up for is what you pay month after month, indefinitely. For budget-conscious Canadians who don't need phone support and are comfortable managing their account online, Public Mobile is simply the cheapest way to access Telus's network.
Public Mobile has an unusual reward structure: each person you refer earns you $10/month off your bill permanently — up to 5 referrals for $50/month off. Active Public Mobile community members who refer family and friends regularly pay $0–15/month for service that would cost $35–45 anywhere else. This is unusual in the Canadian market and meaningfully advantages households where multiple family members can sign up together.
💡Sam's Tip
Public Mobile's reward system compounds: if you sign up with someone's referral code, you get a one-time credit. That person gets $10/month off their bill. If you then refer others, you get $10/month per referral. A household of four who all switch together can structure the referrals to reduce the combined family bill by $40–50/month.
Koodo: the case for choosing it
Koodo is positioned between the Big 3 (Bell, Rogers, Telus) and budget carriers like Public Mobile and Lucky Mobile. Koodo plans cost $38–75/month — more than Public Mobile but 20–35% less than Telus direct. The premium over Public Mobile buys you: retail store access (with hundreds of Koodo locations nationally), phone support when something breaks, a wider range of promotional plans, and the Koodo Tab (a device financing program for buying a phone with your plan).
Koodo's promotional plans are frequently competitive. During back-to-school, Boxing Day, and Black Friday, Koodo runs plans with 50–150 GB data that are priced aggressively — sometimes within $5–10 of Public Mobile's regular pricing. If you're willing to wait for a promotion, Koodo can be an exceptional deal.
The support question: does it matter?
Public Mobile has no phone line and no retail stores. All support goes through an online forum (the Public Mobile Community) where other customers and Public Mobile agents answer questions. For routine account management — changing plans, paying bills, updating payment info — this works fine. The app handles most tasks in minutes.
Where it becomes a problem: if you lose your SIM, have a technical issue that requires account intervention, or need to resolve a billing dispute, Public Mobile's community support is slower and less reliable than phone or in-store support. Issues that Koodo resolves in a 15-minute call can take 2–5 days to resolve on Public Mobile's forums.
⚠️ Watch Out
Porting your number to Public Mobile has historically been slower than other carriers. If you need your number ported same-day (e.g., you're shutting off a current line immediately), confirm the timeline with Public Mobile before initiating. Port issues on the online-only system are harder to escalate quickly.
Which provinces does each operate in?
Both Koodo and Public Mobile are national carriers operating on the Telus network. Coverage is strongest in BC, Alberta, and Quebec — where Telus has built out the most infrastructure. In Ontario, Telus coverage is good in major cities but thinner in rural areas compared to Bell and Rogers. In Atlantic Canada, Telus coverage is limited and you may find Koodo or Public Mobile has weaker coverage than Bell or Eastlink in your specific area.
Who should choose Public Mobile
- •Budget is the primary concern — you want Telus network coverage at the lowest possible monthly price
- •You're comfortable managing your account entirely online and don't anticipate needing phone or in-store support
- •You have family or friends who can join together to build up referral credits
- •You travel primarily within Canada and don't need frequent US roaming
- •You already have a phone (BYOD) and don't need device financing
Who should choose Koodo
- •You want the value of a budget carrier with the reassurance of in-store and phone support
- •You need to finance a new phone — Koodo's Tab program offers device financing integrated with your plan
- •You travel to the US frequently and want a simple roaming add-on with reliable service
- •You're willing to wait for a Koodo promotion — during promotional windows, the value gap with Public Mobile narrows significantly
- •You're not comfortable with online-only support and want a physical store option
Koodo, Public Mobile, and Telus — Same Network, Different Price
Telus operates three brands in Canada that all run on the same network infrastructure: Telus (the flagship carrier), Koodo (the mid-tier value brand), and Public Mobile (the budget-first digital-only brand). In that order, the price drops and the support model simplifies. Telus charges the most but offers the most services — device financing, home internet bundles, retail stores. Koodo removes some premium Telus features and passes the savings on. Public Mobile removes phone and in-store support entirely and passes those savings on again.
| Brand | Network | Starting price | Support | Device financing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Telus | Telus | $50/mo | Phone + store + online | Yes |
| Koodo | Telus (same) | $38/mo | Phone + store + online | Yes (Tab) |
| Public Mobile | Telus (same) | $25/mo | Online community only | No |
The physical network — towers, spectrum, fibre backhaul — is identical across all three brands. A Public Mobile customer and a Telus direct customer standing on the same street corner get the same signal from the same tower. What you're choosing between is the service layer, not the network.