At a glance
1. Best overall
2. Best MVNO plan
3. Best budget plan
4. Best premium plan
5. Best for travelers
6. Best family plan
How to choose
These days, choosing one of the best cell phone plans is a lot more complicated than simply selecting something from one of the Big Three, and that's a good thing for the consumers. There are more options than ever before, and folks can now personalize their wireless plan(s) by choosing just the right amount of talk, text, and data that fits their needs and budget. The important part here is getting a plan that works for your and your family's lifestyle(s), and we've got all of the best options detailed below.
Whether you're an MVNO expert or new to prepaid wireless operators, Visible reigns supreme as one of the best overall carriers around. Thanks to excellent 5G coverage provided by its parent company Verizon, compatibility with most of the best Android phones, and a fairly inexpensive monthly price (including all taxes and fees), the top Visible Plus plan is our overall favorite choice. However, everyone has a different set of requirements when it comes to wireless service, so read on to find a plan that will work the best for you.
At a glance
Best overall
The bigger plan from Visible comes with 50GB of premium data and gives you access to Verizon's 'Ultra-Wideband' 5G network. You also get unlimited mobile hotspot and international usage benefits.
Best MVNO plan
Mint Mobile's unlimited plan offers unlimited talk and text, 5G access to T-Mobile's excellent network, and Mexico and Canada usage. You can save by buying multiple months of service up front.
Best budget plan
Tello's extremely affordable plan is ideal for light users, offering 2GB of high-speed data, unlimited talk and text, shared hotspot usage, and free international calls to over 60 countries including Mexico, Canada, and India.
Best premium plan
Although Verizon's Unlimited Ultimate plan is expensive, it gives you 60GB of mobile hotspot data, Ultra-Wideband 5G access, as well as Full-HD video streaming. You also get international talk, text, and data to more than 210 countries.
From $65/mo. at Google Fi Wireless
Best for travelers
The highest plan from Google Fi Wireless comes with unlimited data in not just the United States, but Mexico and Canada too. It also packs in 50GB of high-speed data, unlimited hotspot usage, and extra perks like 100GB cloud storage.
From $60/mo. at Cricket Wireless
Best family plan
With its biggest unlimited plan, Cricket Wireless offers unlimited high-speed data, access to AT&T's nationwide 5G network, and goodies like ad-supported Max. As the name suggests, you also get 15GB hotspot data.
Best overall
Visible is a prepaid carrier operated by Verizon with two simple plans, both offering unlimited data. The base plan (called Visible) is a bargain at just $25 per month, and although it'll be a great option for many, it's the higher plan (called Visible Plus) that's easily one of the best values in the market as far as Verizon's network is concerned. Priced at $45 per month, it offers unthrottled access to the carrier's 'Ultra-Wideband' 5G network. If you're looking to make the most of a new phone, Visible Plus offers plenty of performance, even in dense areas. You can also pay upfront for a full year to save even more.
Visible Plus will deliver higher speeds on average than the basic Visible plan, thanks to it coming with 50GB of premium data. It also includes unlimited hotspot data at a speed of 10Mbps, which is more than enough for everything from casual browsing to even some video streaming.
Visible also offers some worthwhile international features with this premium plan, starting with calling to over 30 countries and texting to more than 200 countries. You also get unlimited talk, text, and data while roaming in Mexico and Canada. So, if you live near the U.S. border or travel to Mexico or Canada frequently, Visible Plus can be a great way to stay connected.
Best MVNO plan
Hands down one of the best MVNO carriers out there, Mint Mobile is now owned by T-Mobile and uses its network infrastructure exclusively. There are four plans—with 5GB, 10GB, 15GB, and unlimited (40GB) of high-speed data—to choose from. All these plans come with unlimited talk and text in the United States, in addition to free calls to Mexico and Canada. Of course, you get full 5G access and hotspot usage with the highest plan, complete with 10GB of dedicated hotspot data.
Perhaps one of the most unique features of Mint Mobile is that it lets you save cash by offering service in chunks of three, six, or 12 months. You have to pay upfront for the desired duration, and the more you buy, the more you save. Best of all, if you're not sure if the carrier will be a good fit for you, you can easily switch as there are no contracts here. You can even sign up for a free one-week trial to see if the service is a good fit for you.
Since Mint Mobile utilizes T-Mobile's network, most of the best Android phones will work on it without any issues. Also, 'Mint Family' lets you conveniently manage family members on any of the carrier's feature-packed plans, while also allowing for easier plan payments.
Note: As part of a limited-time promotion, new customers can get Mint Mobile unlimited at a reduced monthly price of $15, provided they pay upfront for three months of service.
Best budget plan
Tello is a prepaid carrier that operates on T-Mobile's network. While it formerly used Sprint, current activations are on the new network with improved coverage and good speeds. This also means that you'll get nationwide 5G network connectivity. All plans can be extensively customized to have as much (or as little) of data and talk time as you want, via the carrier's 'Build Your Own Plan' tool on its website. It's worth noting that unlimited texts are included with all plans.
The 'Economy' plan is one of Tello's ready-made offerings, with 2GB high-speed data and unlimited minutes at a mere $10 per month. Of course, like any Tello plan, you can customize it with the data and talk time of your choice. Tello allows for upgrades or downgrades at any time so if you aren't happy with your initial configuration, you can easily change it. You can get high-speed data up to 35GB if you need it, and the pricing is very competitive. There is also hotspot usage (shared with your plan's data allotment) included in the mix.
Unfortunately, Tello does not include much support for international roaming so if you travel frequently, you'll need to find another option. That being said, you do get free international calls to over 60 countries including Mexico, Canada, and India. If you're looking for a cheap yet reliable plan, Tello is one of the best options you can get in the market.
Best premium plan
An unlimited plan with Verizon is never a bad idea, especially when you consider the carrier's reliable 4G LTE network and ever improving 5G infrastructure. Verizon has a great selection of unlimited plans for you to choose from, although we suggest going for the 'Unlimited Ultimate' plan if you don't really care about the price tag. It'll cost you $90 per month (before taxes and fees) for a single line, and you can also opt to get one of the many add-ons like Netflix, Apple Music, or even 100GB of extra mobile hotspot data, each costing $10 per month.
It goes without saying that Unlimited Ultimate gives you full access to Verizon's high-speed Ultra-Wideband 5G network, with unlimited talk and text, 60GB hotspot data, and even international talk, text, and data to over 210 countries.
Even though the single-line pricing is quite high, there are solid discounts if you sign up for multiple (up to four) lines. The plan also includes Full-HD streaming, auto-pay savings, and more. Device compatibility is great too, with modern-day flagships such as Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra fully supported on the network.
Best for travelers
Google Fi Wireless has come to feel like the default carrier for Android enthusiasts, with amazing support for Google's own Pixel lineup of phones and some of the best international perks available. While the carrier originally supported only a handful of smartphones, compatibility has improved to include nearly all of the best T-Mobile phones without any issues.
The 'Unlimited Plus' plan bundles unlimited calls, texts, and 50GB high-speed data. It also comes with unlimited shared mobile hotspot usage, connectivity with selected smartwatches, and SD (480p) video streaming. This highest plan even offers 100GB cloud storage (via Google One) and six months of YouTube Premium at no extra cost.
Arguably the most impressive feature of Google Fi Wireless is the ability to call, text, and use data when you're abroad. You do get calls, texts, and data within the United States, Canada, and Mexico, but it's even available when you're traveling outside of these countries. Also, the prepaid carrier has spam blocking and family controls for calls and other content. Google Fi Wireless also offers multi-line discounts for up to six lines.
Best family plan
Owned by AT&T, Cricket Wireless offers one of the best ways to get coverage on the carrier's nationwide 5G network without getting an expensive postpaid plan. Cricket Wireless has also removed speed restrictions that were earlier in place, and the top-tier plan comes with unlimited high-speed data, usage in Mexico and Canada, as well as unlimited texting from the United States to a total of 37 countries. The plan has a monthly cost of $60 (inclusive of all taxes and fees) and you can benefit from auto-pay discounts too.
Besides unlimited calling, texting, and data, Cricket Wireless also throws in a bunch of extra goodies with its highest plan, including ad-supported Max, and 150GB cloud storage. You also get 15GB of dedicated mobile hotspot data, which should be more than enough if you need to get some work done while on the move. This plan comes with spam call blocking, as well as usage in Mexico and Canada.
As good as this unlimited plan is, the other plans are a bit lacking when it comes to overall benefits. Although you do get 2GB cloud storage with each one of them, they don't offer any hotspot usage.
How to choose
To be honest, the best cell phone plan really doesn't exist. Still, if you're looking for one, we suggest starting by picking a carrier based on your individual requirements. Do you love gaming or streaming on your device, or just want something for talk and text? Do you have friends and family overseas that you need to frequently stay in touch with? Asking yourself all these questions could help a lot when it comes to finding the right plan. Other factors come into play as well, with a few of them being mentioned below.
How much data do you need?
Although we don't want to risk running out of data, most of us don't need much more than 5GB. You can get an idea of how much data you use by looking at your previous phone bills, or even by keeping track of the data usage section in your phone's network settings. Furthermore, you could also take steps to reduce your data usage, such as connecting to Wi-Fi when it's possible.
If you find yourself using more than 10GB, you might actually be able to save some money by getting an unlimited plan. Cheap unlimited plans are usually structured to deprioritize data usage when network congestion is high. This is due to a lack of premium data which aims to keep you connected at top speeds, as long as you haven't used too much data.
Deprioritization looks as if your network speeds get reduced for a short period of time before the network gets back to full power. This isn't ideal for someone who relies on their phone for on-demand high-speed data. However, if you just browse some social media or exchange messages with your friends and family, you may never even notice a change.
Do you need a new phone?
The next thing to consider is your phone. If you just bought a new one and want to keep using it for a few years, you'll want to make sure it works as well on the new network as it did on the previous one. While phones can be unlocked to use on other carriers once they're paid off, you might not get optimal performance on a different set of towers. This is also true for phones purchased in other markets such as Europe or India. Also, even if your phone supports all the right bands, you still might run into activation issues.
If you are ready for a new phone and can pay the full cost, you can buy one of the best Android phones unlocked and bring it with you. However, if you want to pay for it monthly, you have to plan ahead a bit more. You can buy an unlocked phone with payments directly from the manufacturer, such as Samsung, but other options exist as well. For example, some credit cards will allow you to spread your payments out interest-free as well.
Finally, you can buy a phone from the carrier you wish to switch to, but keep in mind that you're on the hook for the full amount if you're paying monthly for it. If you lose or break the phone, you'll have to finish paying for it. If you are signing up in a carrier store and the salesperson suggests a bundle, be sure to get an itemized invoice with payment durations for each item, so you know exactly what you're paying for.
If you already have a phone and you know it's unlocked, be sure to check with customer support or use a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) compatibility checker on the carrier's website to be sure. If you're taking a bit of a risk with this, familiarize yourself with each carrier's return policy.
Do you need hotspot data?
Nearly all smartphones are capable of sharing their mobile data connection as a Wi-Fi hotspot. This feature is great for getting other devices like a tablet or a Chromebook online. Hotspots can work in one of two ways, with the first sharing your standard mobile data with other devices. This is nice because you don't have to worry about managing a second data pool, but it will eat into the data you need for phone usage. This is common on the cheapest data plans such as Mint Mobile's 5GB, 10GB, or 15GB plans.
The second way is with dedicated hotspot data. Most unlimited plans use this approach with unlimited data on your phone, and a smaller amount for devices connected through the hotspot. Verizon, for example, includes 60GB of high-speed hotspot data with its Unlimited Ultimate plan. Some carriers offer unlimited hotspot data with speed caps. Visible, for instance, offers unlimited hotspot data at a maximum speed of 10Mbps on its higher plan.
Do you need international features?
The last thing to consider with your phone plan is international features. While many postpaid offerings include talk and text to some countries, you may need to pay by the minute to call internationally in some cases. If you need to call another country frequently, check to make sure it's included or at least affordable to call to.
If you have to travel to another country, things are a bit more limited. Google Fi Wireless is a shining example of international roaming support, with more than 200 countries included at no extra charge. Some other carriers such as Cricket Wireless offer service in Mexico and Canada, while others (e.g., T-Mobile) come with at least some international roaming data, though it may be slower than what you have back home.
Pick the cell phone plan that fits your needs
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As you've seen above, there's a lot to keep in mind when you're on the hunt for the perfect plan for your new phone, but if you stay focused on the aspects that are most important to you, there should be plenty of options. It's not possible to eliminate all extra stuff included with your phone plan, and you'll likely buy more data than you need, but running out of it is a lot more hassle. For most people, we recommend the Visible Plus plan, because it offers outstanding Verizon coverage with premium carrier perks such as unlimited hotspot usage and international benefits, at MVNO prices. You can also take a look at Tello's Economy plan, which includes 2GB of data, unlimited talk and text, as well as shared mobile hotspot functionality at a price that's simply unbeatable.
All said, the plans listed here will cover everyone's needs pretty well and should help everyone get the most out of their device(s).
- MVNO deals: Mint Mobile | Visible | Boost Mobile | Tello | Cricket Wireless
