Best Cell Phone Plans

Reviews.org does extensive research to compare and contrast prices on cell phone plans—but price isn’t everything. To determine the real value of a good cell phone package, we pay close attention to important factors like the coverage you get and data speeds on the carrier’s network. We go into more detail on these two driving factors and others farther down on this page.

After looking over the fine print for pricing, speeds, high-speed data, and more, we reach out to folks in different areas of the country and scour platforms like Reddit and Quora for firsthand accounts giving us insights into the cellular carriers and plans we want to highlight. We also try to get hands-on experience with cell phone plans when it’s possible to do so. With all those considerations, we can make reliable recommendations.

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Cellular carriers have been leveraging partnerships with streaming companies and other brands to offer “everything but the kitchen sink”-style phone options lately, and T-Mobile’s Go5G Plus is a perfect example. One of T-Mobile’s flagship unlimited plans, it offers truly unlimited high-speed data, 50GB of hotspot data along, and some major perks, including subscriptions to Netflix and AppleTV+ (with 4K streaming), a free one-year AAA membership, and T-Mobile Tuesday discounts.

This is a perfect option for regular travelers and others who regularly need phone and internet while away from home. A Wi-Fi hotspot data cap of 50GB gives you a lot of flexibility for streaming, gaming, and remote work on multiple devices. The plan also includes unlimited texting and 5GB of priority data when you travel internationally—and 15GB of data for Canada and Mexico.

It’s well worth considering a lower-tier T-Mobile unlimited package (such as Go5G or Essentials Saver) if you don’t need all the bells and whistles that come with Go5G Plus. But no other carrier compares to T-Mobile when it comes to mobile perks, and all of the flexibility, firepower, and extras you get on this plan more than justify the higher cost.

If you want to get a good cell phone plan that operates on T-Mobile’s network, you can always opt for a prepaid carrier. Prepaid carriers (otherwise known as MVNO or mobile virtual network operators) use the same networks as the major carriers, but charge significantly less for unlimited plans.

Tello’s unlimited data plan costs only $25 a month and uses T-Mobile’s network for service. Just know that Tello’s unlimited plan comes with a 35GB data cap, and once you pass that data allotment, your speeds slow to an absolute crawl. Stick to Wi-Fi as much as you can, and you shouldn’t come close to passing the data cap.

Verizon has long held a strong reputation for cellular coverage, and it still delivers excellent service across most of the country today. Verizon’s 4G LTE network covers 55% of the country (according to federal data) and it gets the best ratings for coverage experience from Opensignal, an analytics organization that monitors cellular networks. That makes Verizon’s Unlimited Welcome plan the way to go if you need an ultrareliable cellular carrier or live in an area that otherwise gets spotty service.

Francisco Ruiz, an avid road tripper living in Los Angeles told Reviews.org about an experience where Verizon’s coverage made all the difference. “We blew a tire on the I-15 freeway near Barstow and were miles away from the nearest town,” Ruiz said. “I was the only one in our group who used Verizon—and the only one who could get a signal to call AAA.”

The Unlimited Welcome plan also offers discounts and benefits as part of a unique slate of $10 per month add-ons. Services include mobile hotspot data, TravelPass credits, and subscriptions to platforms like Apple One and the Disney Bundle (Disney+, Hulu, & ESPN+). Some of the discounts are pretty slim, and it would be nicer if you could get the benefits for no additional price. But the $10 add-on structure makes it so you can pick and choose. It also brings down the overall price of an unlimited plan, letting you cover all the important fundamentals (like 5G Ultra Wideband access and unlimited high-speed data) at a relatively affordable price.

Verizon’s cell phone plans can be costly, but you can get a cheaper unlimited plan on Verizon’s network with a prepaid MVNO carrier.

Looking for an alternative to Verizon? If you already pay for Spectrum or Cox internet, you can bundle your internet and cell phone packages together for a discounted rate. Going with one of these providers is a great option if you need a simple, low-cost cellular plan that still delivers solid cell service over the best 4G LTE network coverage in the country.

The first thing you notice about Visible is the price: An unlimited phone package for only $25 a month is absolute steal. The fact that you get unlimited talk, text, data, and mobile hotspot data for such a low fee makes Visible one of the best value cell phone plans on the market.

As you can read in our full-length Visible wireless review, you do have to accept some limitations with this carrier. The baseline plan operates on Verizon’s network, giving you the best cellular coverage in the United States. However, you don’t get access to the fastest data speeds on Verizon’s Ultra Wideband 5G network—that requires an upgrade to Visible+, which costs $20 more per month.

The hotspot data on this plan is also capped at 5Mbps. But you get unlimited hotspot data, and in a switch from how things used to be, Visible allows you to connect more than one Wi-Fi device at a time. Slow it may be, you still enough speeds to stream in standard definition and browse the internet—a handy option if you’ve got a toddler in the backseat who just has to watch Disney+ on their iPad during a long drive or you need to do some work while at a hotel.

Currently, nobody can beat Mint Mobile’s unlimited plan that costs just $15 per month for the first three months of service. Even after those three months are up, Mint’s $30 unlimited plan still has most cell phone packages beat when it comes to price. If you ever find yourself in a situation where you need good cell phone service for at least a couple of months, look no further.

You won’t always get the fastest data speeds with a prepaid carrier. But since Mint uses T-Mobile’s fast 5G network—the fastest and most widely-available 5G in the country—that means you can get download speeds on your phone up to 50Mbps.

Mint Mobile customers might occasionally see their data speeds throttled during peak-usage periods or when the network gets congested with too many users. If tons of people are accessing the internet at the same time on T-Mobile’s network, the carrier gives priority to its brand-name customers and sends prepaid customers to the back of the line.

You’re much more likely to run into data throttling in a big city or at a crowded concert or sports game. But if you’re out in the suburbs or living in a rural area, you’re less likely to see slowdowns.

On its own, the AT&T Unlimited Starter plan costs $65 a month, but the price per line drops significantly when you add more lines. Three lines or more makes the plan just $50.99 a month per line, and you can get it down to $35.99 a month per line when you get a family plan with four or more lines together.

The total savings on this plan adds up to $380 every month. AT&T has a lot of great cellular plans, but this one hits the sweet spot because you also get unlimited data, 5GB of high-speed mobile hotspot data every month, and you can even get a free phone with the trade-in program. What sets this AT&T family plan apart from similar plans offered by T-Mobile and Verizon is the extra security features. All AT&T plans come with a feature called ActiveArmor that alerts users for suspected fraud and spam. If you’re worried about family members getting scammed, this feature offers some peace of mind.

A prepaid provider running over T-Mobile’s 4G LTE and 5G networks, Tello gets you a simple deal that’s perfect if you make a few calls a week and use your data for standard social media scrolling. T-Mobile has the biggest 5G network in the country and excellent coverage overall, so you can get reliable cell service on this plan for a bargain price.

The plan costs just $19 a month, and while it doesn’t give you as much data as you get from other carriers, 10GB a month is still enough to get a modest streamer or social media scroller through the month. You can also use your phone’s hotspot with this plan; just be careful how often you use it, since the hotspot data comes out of your total 10GB monthly allotment.

If you need more data, you can always upgrade to the unlimited plan, which gives you 35GB of data for just $6 more a month.

Want to know more about Tello? Take a look at our Tello Mobile review.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when deciding on a cell phone plan:

A reasonable price: The average phone user spends $66 a month on a cellular plan from one of the “Big Three” carriers (T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T). But many cellular customers would be just fine paying $39 a month for a prepaid plan from an MVNO like Visible or Mint. Make sure to compare prices and think through what features you really need before committing to a phone plan.

Enough high-speed data to last you the month: About 10GB of high-speed data a month is a great start for many users, but you may need more or less depending on how often you use your phone to go online. Many cell phone plans are advertised as “unlimited,” but they come with a cap on high-speed or “premium” data that gives you a fast connection over 4G LTE and 5G networks. You may need to look at the fine print to figure out how much high-speed data you’re getting.

Adequate coverage for where you live: Not all mobile providers have reliable service in every part of the United States. Verizon has the best 4G LTE cellular coverage in the country, but T-Mobile has the biggest and fastest 5G network. See our breakdown on the best carriers for coverage to get a sense of which carrier works best for you.

Mobile hotspot data (if you need it): Do you like taking your laptop and working on the beach? Some cell phone plans offer designated high-speed hotspot data every month, and you can also sign up for a separate data plan that lets you power a mobile hotspot device capable of hitting faster speeds and connecting more devices.

A discount for two lines or family plans: Many carriers offer a discount per-line when you open two lines or more on a package, giving you a break on the overall cost of your monthly bill. This is usually referred to as a family plan discount, but you can add anyone you want on an extra line—including friends or even neighbors.

Verizon has the best cell phone coverage for 4G LTE users nationwide, while T-Mobile gets the best 5G coverage.

Analytics company Opensignal credited Verizon for offering the best 4G LTE coverage in the country. Those results track with our experience comparing the top cell phone coverage in the United States. While usage of 5G phones is on the upswing, 4G coverage is still more prevalent than 5G. So you’re best off with a plan on Verizon’s network over AT&T and T-Mobile for coverage.

Opensignal’s “coverage experience” rating measures “the extent of mobile networks in the places people live, work and travel,” according to its report. Taking in both percentage of land and population covered by cell service, the rating reflects the users’ experience as they travel around areas where cell service should be readily available.

Every cell phone plan we recommend uses at least one of the Big Three major networks: AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon. These networks stretch across the United States but can offer wildly different experiences depending upon your exact location. For example, a Verizon customer in Des Moines, Iowa might get better cell reception than a T-Mobile customer in the same city.

The best way to find out what coverage to expect in your neighborhood is by entering your zip code in our coverage map and swap between the networks to see what network offers the best coverage for you.

T-Mobile gets the fastest data speeds on average, according to Opensignal. The analytics company rates speed through the Download Speed Experience metric, which measures users’ everyday experiences with 4G and 5G wireless networks—and T-Mobile blows the competition out of the water.

Faster internet speeds mean you can download and upload files faster and watch YouTube videos without buffering. But fast speeds also make it possible to do more things on one device. For example, fast speeds mean you can download an app in a shorter time while also getting up-to-date traffic info on your GPS app in between streaming YouTube videos.

There isn’t really a one-size-fits-all best cell phone plan. That’s why we break down our recommendations into categories. Here are our best-in-choice cell phone plans for our top six categories:

1. Best unlimited plan: T-Mobile’s Go5G Plus plan offers unlimited high-speed data, including 50GB of hotspot data, for $90/month per line. Go5G Plus customers also unlimited international texting, 5GB of international high-speed phone data, free subscriptions to Netflix and AppleTV+, and a free AAA membership for a year. And with T-Mobile Tuesday deals, Go5G Plus’s perks are practically unlimited.
2. Best coverage: Verizon offers the most reliable coverage no matter where you go in the country.
3. Best overall value: Visible gets you unlimited hotspot data (with max speeds of 5Mbps) for just $25 a month, making this a nice plan for small families and road trippers.
4. Best deal for new customers: Mint Mobile offers its unlimited talk, text, and data plan to new customers at half the price for the first three months of service plus a free six-month Paramount+ Essentials subscription.
5. Best family plan: The AT&T Unlimited Starter SL costs $65 a month on its own, but the price plummets down to $35 monthly if you get a family plan together with four or more lines.
6. Best value phone plan for a single line: Tello’s 10 GB Data + Unlimited Talk & Text only costs $19 a month and gets you a solid little chunk of data and excellent coverage over T-Mobile’s 4G LTE and 5G networks.