Comparing Smart Number Options in Australia

A smart number comparison only needs three rows, because that is how many word-number types this site publishes: a 13, a 1300 and an 1800 base, each carrying a word spelled on the telephone keypad. The differences that matter are the letter limits, the caller cost and the plan you put underneath — not the technology, which is the same inbound-number service in all three cases.

The comparison at a glance

Base	Word letters	Caller pays	Plans from
13	Up to 4	Shared cost	Ask the team
1300	Up to 6	Shared cost	$10/month
1800	Up to 6	Nothing (Australian context)	$10/month

The word premium sits on top of the base: Phoneword pricing starts from $40 per month, with availability and desirability affecting the price of a specific word regardless of which base carries it.

How to choose between the three bases

Choose by the word first. A four-letter word can ride a 13 base; anything longer needs 1300 or 1800. Then choose by the caller: an 1800 number is free for customers to call in the stated Australian 1800-number context, while 1300 and 13 bases share the call cost with the caller. The published 1300 and 1800 plan ladder runs $10, $15, $39, $79 and $99 per month — the current rows are on the pricing page.

Smart number or plain number?

The comparison most readers actually face is word versus plain digits on the same base. A plain 1300 or 1800 number carries the published plan price with no word premium, needs no availability search beyond the digits themselves, and works fine for a business that publishes its number in contact fields. A smart number earns its keep when the number is marketing — spoken in ads, printed on vehicles, repeated on radio — because the word does the carrying. Same network, same inbound behaviour, different job. Choose the plain number when the budget is the constraint and the word is decoration; choose the word when the number is the advertisement.

What is identical across the comparison

The keypad mapping: every base spells words with the same 2=ABC through 9=WXYZ mapping, so the same word logic applies throughout.
The availability model: words are chosen from what the Find a Number search currently lists; no base guarantees a specific word.
The terms: use of any number is governed by the terms and conditions, not by the base you pick.

Related reading: smart numbers for sale, smart numbers for Australian business, or the Smart Numbers Australia overview.

Smart number comparison questions

Which base is best for a six-letter word?

A 1300 or 1800 base — both take up to six letters. The choice between them is caller cost: 1800 is caller-free in the Australian context, 1300 is shared cost.

Do 13, 1300 and 1800 words cost different amounts?

The published Phoneword starting point is $40 per month with availability and desirability affecting the price. The plan underneath each base differs — the current tables are on the pricing page.

Is one base more memorable than the others?

This site does not rank them. A word on any base is easier to repeat than a digit string; the shorter 13 base is the one constrained to four-letter words.

Can I compare actual available words before choosing?

Yes — search the word or the last six digits on Find a Number and filter to the base you prefer. Results are a snapshot, not a reservation.