Key Highlights:
- Airtel and Jio have raised their prepaid and postpaid tariffs by up to 20%.
- Both companies have updated prices for their monthly and annual plans.
- Jio offers better value for prepaid users compared to Airtel.
- Airtel’s postpaid plans include additional OTT benefits.
Airtel and Jio have announced an increase in their prepaid and postpaid tariffs in India, with hikes up to 20%. This guide compares the new prices of Airtel and Jio to help you determine which plans offer the best value.
Airtel vs Jio: New Prepaid Plans Comparison
| Airtel | Jio | Plan Validity (Days) | Benefits (Unlimited Calling on All Plans) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rs 199 | Rs 189 | 28 | 2GB total |
| Rs 299 | Rs 249 | 28 | 1GB/day |
| Rs 349 | Rs 299 | 28 | 1.5GB/day |
| NA | Rs 349 | 28 | 2GB/day |
| Rs 409 | Rs 399 | 28 | 2.5GB/day |
| Rs 449 | Rs 449 | 28 | 3GB/day |
| Rs 579 | Rs 579 | 56 | 1.5GB/day |
| Rs 649 | Rs 629 | 56 | 2GB/day |
| Rs 509 | Rs 479 | 84 | 6GB total |
| Rs 859 | Rs 799 | 84 | 1.5GB/day |
| Rs 979 | Rs 859 | 84 | 2GB/day |
| NA | Rs 1199 | 84 | 3GB/day |
| Rs 1999 | Rs 1899 | 365 in Airtel, 336 in Jio | 24GB total |
| Rs 3599 | NA | 365 | 2GB/day |
| NA | Rs 3599 | 365 | 2.5GB/day |
As illustrated in the table, Jio’s monthly and quarterly plans are generally less expensive than Airtel’s. While annual plans are similarly priced, Jio provides a higher data limit of 2.5GB/day compared to Airtel’s 2GB/day. Jio continues to be more cost-effective for prepaid users.
Notably, Jio will maintain its offer of Unlimited 5G for free with plans that provide 2GB/day or more. However, Airtel has not disclosed any information regarding 5G data availability with its new plans.
Airtel vs Jio: New Postpaid Plans Comparison
| Airtel | Jio | Data Benefits (Unlimited Calling) |
|---|---|---|
| Rs 449 | Rs 349 | 40GB in Airtel, 30GB in Jio |
| Rs 549* | Rs 449 | 75GB |
| *Airtel’s Rs 549 plan includes Disney+Hotstar and Amazon Prime Video subscriptions. Jio’s corresponding plan does not offer additional OTT benefits. |
While Airtel’s postpaid plans are priced higher than Jio’s, they provide more benefits, including a higher data limit and optional OTT subscriptions, making Airtel a preferable choice for individual postpaid users.
Jio also has postpaid plans that include Netflix Basic and Amazon Prime Video, but these are part of family plans requiring multiple connections. Jio has not yet revised the tariffs for its family plans.
Jio vs Airtel: Which Operator Is More Affordable?
For prepaid users, Jio’s plans offer greater value due to their lower prices. Airtel’s prepaid plans are more expensive, a trend that persists even after the tariff hike. However, Airtel’s postpaid plans have an advantage over Jio’s for individual users due to the bundled OTT subscriptions.
The new tariffs for Airtel and Jio will be effective from July 3, 2024. Until then, users can continue to recharge at existing rates. Additionally, Vi is expected to increase its plan rates soon.
