24 of the Best Cell Phone Plans 2022
Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This may influence which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money.
Finding the right cell phone plan doesn’t have to be hard. We analyzed dozens of plans to help you choose, whether you’re looking for a family plan, a solo plan or a plan with tons of data.
Cell phone plans for the average user
Smartphone owners used about 11GB of data per month, on average, in 2020, according to the Ericsson Mobility Report released in June 2021. We scoped out plans that meet data needs while minimizing costs.
AT&T
Plan: Unlimited Starter.
Price (monthly): $75. (You can save $10 with autopay and paperless billing.)
At a glance: Unlimited talk, text and data; 5G network access with a compatible device.
Things to know: Video streaming is limited to standard definition (480p). Data may be temporarily slowed when network is busy.
Boost
Plan: Boost Unlimited.
Price (monthly): $50.
At a glance: Unlimited talk and texts; 35GB high-speed data per month, then speeds are reduced.
Things to know: This prepaid plan comes with 12GB per month of mobile hot spot data, but video streaming is limited to standard definition. Boost’s plan includes more high-speed mobile hot spot data (12GB per month) than similarly priced plans offered by competitors.
T-Mobile
Plan: Simply Prepaid 10GB plan.
Price (monthly): $40.
At a glance: 10GB of data per month, plus unlimited talk and text.
Things to know: T-Mobile Simply Prepaid includes mobile hot spot access, which draws from the 10GB per month of 4G LTE data included in the plan. Unlimited music streaming is available through select apps.
Verizon
Plan: 5G Start.
Price (monthly): $80 per month. ($10 discount available for autopay and paperless billing.)
At a glance: Unlimited talk and text, 5G network access, unlimited data. (Data may be slowed during heavy traffic periods.)
Things to know: Six months of free access to Disney+, Apple Arcade or Google Play Pass, and Apple Music. Talk, text and unlimited data when traveling to Canada or Mexico; unlimited talk and text to both countries when you are in the United States.
Cell phone plans for unlimited data
Carriers are going all-in on unlimited data. We looked at the current offerings to find good unlimited plans for single-line users.
AT&T
Plan: Unlimited Starter Plan.
Price (monthly): $75. (You can save $10 with autopay and paperless billing.)
At a glance: Unlimited talk, text and data in the U.S., Canada and Mexico; unlimited texting from the U.S. to 200+ countries; 3GB per month of hot spot data.
Things to know: Data speeds slow when network is busy. Standard definition video streaming; includes six months of Stadia Pro gaming streaming.
Boost
Plan: Boost Unlimited.
Price (monthly): $50.
At a glance: Unlimited minutes, texts and data.
Things to know: Boost’s plan includes more high-speed mobile hot spot data (12GB per month) than similarly priced plans offered by competitors. This prepaid plan comes with 12GB per month of mobile hot spot data, but video streaming is limited to standard definition.
T-Mobile
Plan: T-Mobile Essentials.
Price (monthly): $65. ($5 autopay discount available.)
At a glance: Unlimited high-speed data, minutes and text messages, plus unlimited 3G mobile hot spot data.
Things to know: Bonuses like 5G network access and unlimited international texting in more than 210 countries make this plan stand out. International features include unlimited calls, texts and data at 2G speeds in Canada and Mexico, plus unlimited texting in over 210 countries. Video streams in standard definition.
Verizon
Plan: Verizon Unlimited.
Price (monthly): Plans start at $80 per month. (Discount available for autopay and paperless billing.)
At a glance: Verizon offers four unlimited plans, each with different benefits: 5G Start Unlimited for $80 per month, Play More Unlimited for $90 per month, Do More Unlimited for $90 per month, and Get More Unlimited for $100 per month. If you opt into paper-free billing and automatic payments, you can save $10 per month, per line, but you have to use a debit card, checking account or Verizon Visa card to get the discount.
Things to know: Unlimited plans include at least six months of Disney+, Apple Arcade or Google Play Pass, and Apple Music at no charge. Cancel subscriptions after the introductory period to avoid charges.
Cell phone plans for families
Families can often get more for their money — on a cell phone plan, at least — if they stick together. We used a family of four as our model to find good family plans.
AT&T
Plan: Unlimited Starter.
Price (monthly): $45 per line; four lines with autopay and paperless billing for $140.
At a glance: Unlimited talk, text and data, plus 12GB per month, per line, of mobile hot spot data and SD video streaming.
Things to know: The plan includes unlimited talk, text, data and partner music streaming, plus ample high-speed mobile hot spot data for a reasonable price.
Boost
Plan: Boost Mobile Unlimited.
Price (monthly, four lines): $140 (includes taxes and fees).
At a glance: Unlimited talk, text and data, plus 12GB per month, per line, of mobile hot spot data and SD video streaming.
Things to know: The plan includes unlimited talk, text, data and partner music streaming, plus ample high-speed mobile hot spot data for a reasonable price.
T-Mobile
Plan name: T-Mobile Essentials.
Price (monthly, four lines): $125; $105 with autopay discount.
Plan at a glance: Unlimited data, minutes and text messages.
Things to know: An affordable, entry-level unlimited plan with bonuses like mobile hot spot (at 3G speeds) and unlimited texting from more than 210 countries.
Verizon
Plan: Verizon Unlimited.
Price (monthly): Plans start at $140 per month for four lines.
At a glance: Verizon has four main unlimited plans that include varying amounts of data, as well as a Just Kids plan, which can be added to any unlimited plan.
Things to know: Unlimited plans include at least six months of Disney+, Apple Arcade or Google Play Pass, and Apple Music at no charge. Cancel subscriptions after the introductory period to avoid charges. You can add Verizon’s Just Kids plan to any unlimited plan for $60 per line.
Basic cell phone plans
Do you miss the good old days, when cell phones weren’t smart? If you want a simple phone and plan, these are good options.
U.S. Mobile
Plan: Build your own plan; limited minutes.
Price (monthly): Starts at $2 for 75 talk minutes, plus selected tier of texts and/or data.
At a glance: You select the usage level with the number of minutes, texts and data you need.
Things to know: Monthly tiers start at $2 for 75 talk minutes, $1.50 for 50 texts and $1.50 for 50 MB of data. You can change your plan from month to month.
Ting
Plan: Flex plan.
Price (monthly): $10.
At a glance: Unlimited minutes and texts.
Things to know: Ting contracts with T-Mobile and Verizon, so you'd use one of those networks. Flex plan excludes data in the initial cost; you can easily add a gig for an extra $5.
Consumer Cellular
Plan name: Unlimited Talk Only plan.
Price (monthly): $15.
At a glance: Unlimited minutes.
Things to know: Consumer Cellular contracts with multiple network providers. It offers a plan with unlimited talk, text and 1GB of data for another $5 per month.
Google Fi
Plan: Flexible for 1 plan.
Price (monthly): $20.
At a glance: Unlimited minutes and texts.
Things to know: Partners with T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular, so customers use those networks when Wi-Fi isn't available. Unlimited international texting is included; you can add data to your service for $10 per gig.
Prepaid cell phone plans
Prepaid providers offer great rates and the latest phones — think iPhone and the latest Samsung Galaxy models.
AT&T
Plan: AT&T 8 GB 12-month.
Price (monthly): $25 (before taxes and fees), but you must prepay for 12 months to get this price, and the $300 prepayment is nonrefundable.
At a glance: 8GB per month of high-speed data (unused data rolls over to next month), unlimited texts to more than 230 countries and HD streaming.
Things to know: Once 8GB of high-speed data is used, speeds slow. Deal is online-only.
Boost
Plan: Boost Unlimited.
Price (monthly): $50.
At a glance: Unlimited minutes, texts and data.
Things to know: Boost’s plan includes more high-speed mobile hot spot data (12GB per month) than similarly priced plans offered by competitors. But video streaming is limited to standard definition.
T-Mobile
Plan: T-Mobile Simply Prepaid 10GB plan.
Price (monthly): $40.
At a glance: 10GB of data per month, plus unlimited talk and text.
Things to know: Includes mobile hot spot access, which draws from the 10GB per month of 4G LTE data included in the plan. Unlimited music streaming is available through select apps. Comes with Music Unlimited, which doesn’t count toward your data usage.
Verizon
Plan: Verizon Prepaid.
Price (monthly): $40 for talk and text, $45 for 5GB per month of data, $55 for 15GB per month of data, and $70 for unlimited data. ($5 autopay discount available at the second month; additional $5 loyalty discount after three months.)
At a glance: Variety of plans based on level of service you desire.
Things to know: You can add up to 10 devices on a prepaid family account. Strong nationwide network; multi-line discount available with some plans.
Cell phone plans for international use
Want a plan that suits your wanderlust? We scouted out plans that let you use your phone overseas, without paying exorbitant international roaming fees.
AT&T
Plan: AT&T International Day Pass.
Price (daily): $10 for first line, $5 for additional lines used in the same 24-hour period, on top of your regular phone plan cost. Requires an AT&T unlimited, AT&T 4 GB, or Mobile Share plan.
At a glance: Calls from and between the U.S. and included countries are free.
Things to know: Once you have signed up, it activates automatically when you travel.
Boost
Plan: International Connect PlusBoost Unlimited.
Price (monthly): $150 per month when added to any plan.
At a glance: Unlimited calling to landlines and mobile phones in Mexico and Canada, as well as to landlines in 70+ other countries; 200 minutes to mobile phones in 50+ countries and reduced minute rates to 200+. Unlimited texting to Mexico, Canada and 200+ destinations.
Things to know: Boost’s plan includes more high-speed mobile hot spot data (12GB per month) than similarly priced plans offered by competitors. But video streaming is limited to standard definition.
Project Fi
Plan: Fi Flexible.
Price (monthly): $20, plus $10 per GB of data.
Unlimited talk and text in the U.S. Unlimited texting while abroad. High-speed data is a flat $10 per gigabyte, even when roaming internationally, but speeds are slower after 15GB of use.
Things to know: Texts and data in more than 200 countries for the same price you pay at home. Calls are an additional cost. Flexible plan includes bill protection, where usage is free after you hit a certain monthly threshold — 6GB for one line, 10GB for two lines, 12GB for three lines, 14GB for four lines and 16GB for five lines. Project Fi is owned by Google and prioritizes Wi-Fi calling using secure Wi-Fi hotspots, switching over to the cellular networks only as a backup.
T-Mobile
Plan: T-Mobile Magenta.
Price (monthly): $75 ($5 autopay discount available).
At a glance: Unlimited talk, text and high-speed data in the U.S. Unlimited talk, text and 5GB of high-speed data per month in Canada and Mexico. Unlimited texting and data at 2G speeds in more than 200 other countries.
Things to know: Price includes taxes and fees, but add-ons such as insurance or device payments are still assessed. You can upgrade to Magenta Plus for $15 per month, per line to get extra features, including 4K UHD video streaming, 40GB of mobile hot spot data, faster international data speeds and unlimited in-flight Wi-Fi via Gogo.
METHODOLOGY
We evaluated cell phone plans offered by popular carriers, considering plan prices and features such as unlimited video streaming or rollover data. We only considered national carriers, which ruled out regional providers like U.S. Cellular.
