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You want a cheap cell phone plan. The problem is, you don’t know where to start. We did the research for you and found some solid options.
The plans we recommend here are relatively cheap, but they might not be the best value for you. If you need more than a gigabyte of data per month, check out our picks for best cell phone plans and best prepaid cell phone plans, which emphasize value over having the lowest price.
If you’re on a government program such as Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income or food stamps/SNAP, you might qualify for free or subsidized plans from various carriers via the federal Lifeline program.
Our recommendations
Cheap prepaid plans with data
Ting and T-Mobile are good options if you want just a little data at a low price, but you might find a better value elsewhere if you need a few gigs.
Ting: Flex plan + 1GB
Price: $10 base price + $5 per GB.
At a glance: Unlimited minutes and texts with 1GB of data.
T-Mobile: Connect plan
Price: $15 per month.
At a glance: Unlimited minutes and texts with 2.5GB of data.
THINGS TO KNOW
'Cheap' postpaid plans with data
Traditional postpaid plans aren’t exactly cheap in 2022, but they do come with some advantages. You can get the latest phones and pay for them in installments. You also get priority access to a carrier's network — a difference from prepaid plans, even with the three largest carriers.
T-Mobile: Essentials plan
Price: $60 with autopay discount.
At a glance: Unlimited minutes, texts and data (premium data up to 50GB).
U.S. Cellular: Basic plan
Price: $55 per month.
At a glance: Unlimited minutes, texts and data.
THINGS TO KNOW
Cheap plans without data
No data? No problem. The most basic cell phone plans on the market come with just a handful of minutes and text messages. Tracfone and Consumer Cellular are good places to start.
Tracfone: 30-minute airtime card
Price: $9.99 per month.
At a glance: Any combination of 30 minutes or texts.
Consumer Cellular: Unlimited Talk Only plan
Price: $15 per month.
At a glance: Unlimited minutes.
THINGS TO KNOW
Cheap plans you can customize
A customizable plan can be an excellent option if you’re a light cell phone user. Ultra Mobile and US Mobile offer cheap choices to consider.
Ultra Mobile: PayGo
Price: $3 per month for 100 minutes, 100 texts and 100MB of data.
At a glance: Additional minutes and megabytes of data are 3 cents each; texts are 1 cent each.
US Mobile: Build your own plan
Price: Starts at $2 per month for 75 minutes, plus selected tier of texts and/or data.
At a glance: Usage is divided into levels, and you select the amount of minutes, texts and/or data you need.
THINGS TO KNOW

More ways than ever to get cheap cell phone service
Selecting cell phone service isn’t as easy as it used to be. Smaller carriers that contract with, or are owned by, the big three have flooded the market in recent years, and the plans they offer tend to evolve by the day. While it takes more time to find the right plan, the influx of options makes cell service a highly competitive space. That’s good for you. So go ahead, shop around. You might just save a buck.
METHODOLOGY
We evaluated cell phone plans offered by popular carriers, considering monthly plan price before taxes and fees.