Source: Ara Wagoner / Android Central
If you want to save money on your cell phone plan, there are more options than ever with new ways to save on major carriers and even smaller, prepaid carriers. MVNOs (mobile virtual network operators) or alternative carriers lease coverage from the larger networks and resell it for less. That being said, depending on your average usage and needs, a plan from one of the Big Three could still be your least expensive option. Here are the best cheap cell phone plans in the U.S. right now.
Before choosing a plan
Before choosing a carrier and/or a wireless plan, determine your needs and usage habits. If this is your first smartphone, I’d like to firstly welcome you to the 21st century and secondly encourage you to try out your options without getting yourself into any yearly or multi-year contracts. There are a ton of cheap Android phones to choose from that will give you the freedom to feel out various plans before settling on one.
If this ain’t your first rodeo, then reflect on your phone habits from the past. How much data have you actually used in an average month? Do you really need an unlimited plan, or are you actually on Wi-Fi more than you realize? Could you benefit from a 55+ discount?
Most carriers are more concerned with making you overbuy by convincing you that you need unlimited everything when the fact is that 90 percent of Americans don’t. Once you know what you need, picking the right plan gets a lot easier.
Plans
You could opt for the cheapest data plan there is, but if you end up using more than what’s allotted, you could pay far more in overages when you could’ve just picked the right plan for you. See if these options fit your usage habits.
The best cheap cell phone plan overall
Many Americans use significantly less data than they think. If this is the case for you, why not consider reducing your monthly bill and getting only what you need from your cell phone plan?
Mint Mobile’s 4GB plan is the best cheap cell phone plan overall, thanks to enough data for most light users as well as unlimited talk and text. Mint Mobile starts customers out with a three-month plan with a low introductory rate. You can keep this rate if they renew for 12 months, though they must pay the total amount upfront. After that, you can go with a shorter renewal, though your price will be a bit higher per month.
Mint Mobile uses T-Mobile’s network, including 5G allowing for great coverage and speed when using a compatible 5G phone. You can buy a phone from Mint Mobile, but if your phone is already paid off and unblocked, there’s a good chance you can bring it with you. You can check to be sure before you complete your purchase.
Mint Mobile also allows you to use your data as a hotspot and doesn’t restrict video streaming quality on this plan. If you need more data, you can add it one or three gigabytes at a time or simply upgrade to a larger plan by paying the price difference.
Plenty of data
Mint Mobile 4GB
Renew for a year to save more
Mint Mobile offers plenty of data for most people on the T-Mobile network with the ability to upgrade mid-cycle if needed.
Other great cheap cell phone plans
Mint Mobile’s multi-month approach isn’t for everyone, and the T-Mobile network might not be the perfect fit either. If you need something a little different, Cricket is an AT&T prepaid carrier and offers a solid set of plans with some great family discounts. You may end up paying a bit more in the long run but getting on the right network is more important for getting the most out of your phone. Something like Google Fi isn’t the best value but comes with some helpful international features for travelers.
Cricket Wireless
Cricket is owned by AT&T and operates on the AT&T network. With no fixed contract, you pay monthly for Cricket, and you’re able to save extra money with multiple lines. Four lines on the Cricket Core unlimited plan will only cost you $100 per month. But depending on what you want, you can also choose from a no-frills 2GB or 10GB plan that includes unlimited talk and text and Wi-Fi calling. For mobile hotspot data or faster data speeds, you’ll have to upgrade plans.
From $30/mo. at Cricket Wireless
Google Fi
Google Fi is owned by Google and operates on the T-Mobile, Sprint, and U.S. Cellular networks. Google Fi’s most interesting feature is the refund you get for data you pay for but don’t use. Its cheapest plan starts at $20, with each GB costing an additional $10. Once you reach 6GB on a single line, additional data is free. The plan also includes unlimited calls and texts, a free mobile hotspot, international data, texts, and calls abroad, and free calling to international countries.
From $20/mo. at Google Fi
Boost Mobile
Dish owns Boost and operates on the new T-Mobile network, while Dish builds its own 5G network. You pay month to month, with no contract necessary. You’ll likely sign up for a plan on the Expanded network (T-Mobile’s), with plans that start at $10 per month for 1GB of high-speed data as well as unlimited talk and text and free mobile hotspot. Boost Mobile has plans up to 35GB and also has some great deals when you bring multiple lines from as well as some BYOD discounts if you own your own device.
From $10/mo. at Boost Mobile
T-Mobile Connect
T-Mobile Connect is the lowest-priced prepaid plan from T-Mobile that starts at 2.5GB for only $15 a month or 5.5GB for $25 per year. What’s unique about this plan is that it features an increasing data cap of 500MB per year through 2025. Though this plan isn’t nearly as generous as some of T-Mobile’s other plans, you still get unlimited talk and text, free mobile hotspot, and Wi-Fi calling. But keep in mind that taxes and fees aren’t included.
From $15/mo. at T-Mobile
Best unlimited cheap cell phone plans
People rely on their phones more than ever, and many people just want a ton of data without needing to think about how much they’ve used. Luckily, there are a handful of great unlimited options available. Most of these plans can reduce your speeds if you use too much data, though you won’t be completely cut off, and hitting these upper limits is pretty difficult.
Visible operates on Verizon’s LTE and 5G network with no contracts or hidden fees. Visible only has one plan, and it’s totally unlimited, including a 5Mbps hotspot feature. You will need an approved phone with VoLTE support on the Verizon network to get signed up, but this includes some of the most popular phones, including the Galaxy S21 series and most newer iPhones.
Visible doesn’t have any family plans, though you can save a lot of money by joining a Visible Party. When you join a party with four or more members, your monthly price drops to just $25 per month. Joining a party is quick and easily done on Visible’s website, so there’s no reason not to join.
Simple unlimited
Visible
One unlimited plan
Get all the data you need for a low monthly price with Visible on the Verizon network with LTE and 5G support.
Other great cheap unlimited cell phone plans
Visible is far from the only unlimited option around, with nearly every carrier offering an unlimited plan, especially when they’ve just bought one of the best Android phones. Mint Mobile’s unlimited plan can be a bit more expensive per month even with a 12-month renewal, though it’s a lot more flexible with the T-Mobile network working with just about any unlocked phone. You can also find a plan with some nice extras such as Metro by T-Mobile’s cloud storage.
Mint Mobile
Mint Mobile is owned by Ultra Mobile (and Ryan Reynolds) and operates on the vast T-Mobile network. You pay upfront for three months, six months, or 12 months. The longer your term, the more money you save. Its cheapest unlimited plan will only cost you $30 per month and comes with up to 35GB of high-speed data, unlimited talk and text, and 5GB of mobile hotspot data. If you want to test Mint’s service and be sure that you get good coverage, you can sign up for a free trial.
From $30/mo. at Mint Mobile
US Mobile
US Mobile’s unlimited plan is one of the best in the business, with a reasonable starting price of $45 per month for one line. It’s also a great fit for families with discounts for two, three, or more lines. For example, at three lines, unlimited is just $25 per month and comes with one free online service such as music streaming with Spotify, video streaming with Disney Plus, and even gaming services like Playstation Plus. The best part is that this plan comes with 75GB of high-speed data on the Verizon network or 50GB of high-speed data on the T-Mobile network.
From $45/mo. at US Mobile
Boost Mobile
Boost uses two networks, but most new customers will join its Expanded Network that leverages T-Mobile’s network for 4G LTE and 5G coverage. Its cheapest unlimited plan starts at $50 per month and comes with 35GB of data (speeds reduce to 2G speeds after), unlimited talk and text, and 12GB mobile hotspot data. For $60 per month, you’ll get 30GB of mobile hotspot data, which could be worth it for anyone who consumes loads of data.
From $50/mo. at Boost Mobile
Cricket Wireless
Cricket Wireless, which operates on AT&T’s network, offers two unlimited plans for $55 per month (Cricket Core) or $60 per month (Cricket More). The main difference between the two is that your speeds are limited to 8Mbps on Cricket Core, and you won’t get the 15GB of mobile hotspot data and 150GB of cloud storage you would receive with the more expensive Cricket More plan. But both plans come with unlimited talk, text, data, international texting, and roaming in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.
From $55/mo. at Cricket Wireless
T-Mobile Essentials
T-Mobile is about as close to truly unlimited data as it gets, with a massive 50GB prioritization point for its cheapest plan, T-Mobile Essentials. This plan starts at $60 per month, but it comes with 50GB of premium 4G and 5G LTE, unlimited talk and text, unlimited mobile hotspot data (3G speed), international texting, and talk, text, and 2G data in Mexico and Canada. To make your monthly bill go down, just add a third line for free.
From $60/mo. at T-Mobile
Best cheap prepaid phone plans
Sometimes less is more, and that can be the case with data. Many people don’t even use 4GB of data per month. You can also make good use of Wi-Fi to reduce your usage if you’re trying to save even more money on your phone bill.
Tello allows you to customize your phone plan with your choice of data starting at just 500MB and up to 25GB. You can also choose your talk minutes starting at just 100 minutes. Texts are unlimited when you add any minutes to your plan. All of this works on T-Mobile’s network with LTE and 5G support.
Tello offers a few premade plans starting with the Economy plan with 1GB of high-speed 4G LTE and 5G data, as well as unlimited minutes and texts for $10 per month. You’ll also get free tethering and calls to the U.S., Canada, Mexico, China, and Romania. If you prefer to build your own plan and pick how many minutes or data you’ll need, you can do so at a reasonable price.
Custom plans
Tello Economy
Just the basics
Tello’s Economy plan comes with unlimited talk and text with 1GB of data with the ability to add more as you need it.
Other great cheap prepaid cell phone plans
Tello is very cheap, but its custom nature isn’t a perfect fit for everyone. There are a ton of other options starting with T-Mobile’s growing Connect prepaid plan. If T-Mobile’s network isn’t the right fit, you can sign up with another carrier like US Mobile for Verizon or AT&T Prepaid. Just keep in mind that it might be a little more challenging to add data if you need it.
T-Mobile Connect
It doesn’t get much cheaper than T-Mobile Connect’s $15 per month for 2.5GB. This plan will give you all the essentials you need from a phone plan, including unlimited talk and text, free mobile hotspot, Wi-Fi calling, and a bonus of 500MB for free every year. International features such as roaming or calls aren’t optional on this plan, but you can always add a data pass if you run out of data.
From $15/mo. at T-Mobile
Republic Wireless
Talk and text on Republic’s one and only plan costs $15 per month. For each GB of data you decide to add, you’ll pay an additional $5 per month. It’s the perfect plan for light data users and anyone who doesn’t want to waste money on unused data. Republic operates on T-Mobile’s network and makes it extra easy to connect to hotspots around the country, so you save your data. If you want to save further, you can pay by the year instead of by the month.
From $15/mo. at Republic Wireless
Mint Mobile
Mint Mobile offers four distinct…
