Finding the right cell phone plan doesn’t have to be hard. We analyzed dozens of plans to help you find the best value, whether you’re looking for a family plan, a solo plan or a plan with tons of data.
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Best cell phone plans: average user
Smartphone owners currently use 2GB to 5GB per month, on average, according to various industry reports. That figure is expected to climb to nearly 9GB by 2021. We scoped out plans that meet current and future data needs while minimizing costs.
- Plan name: Virgin Mobile 5GB plan
- Price (monthly): $35
- Plan at a glance: 5GB of data, plus unlimited minutes and text messages
- Why we like it: A solid amount of data at a price that can’t be beat. Plus, Virgin Mobile customers can score discounts on flowers, suits, car-sharing services and more.
- Plan name: T-Mobile Simply Prepaid 10GB plan
- Price (monthly): $40
- Plan at a glance: 10GB of data, plus unlimited talk and text
- Why we like it: Mobile hot spot access and unlimited music streaming make this prepaid plan a great value, plus 10GB is more than enough data for most cell phone users.
THINGS TO KNOW
Best cell phone plans: 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 the best family plans.
- Plan name: Boost Mobile Unlimited
- Price (monthly, four lines): $120
- Plan at a glance: Unlimited talk, text and data, plus 30GB of mobile hot spot and HD video streaming
- Why we like it: An unbelievable prepaid deal that’s too good to last. This limited time offer from Boost is available for new and existing customers.
- Plan name: T-Mobile Essentials
- Price (monthly, four lines): $140; $120 with autopay discount
- Plan at a glance: Unlimited data, minutes and text messages
- Why we like it: An affordable, entry-level unlimited plan with bonuses like mobile hot spot (at 3G speeds) and unlimited texting from more than 200 countries.
THINGS TO KNOW
Best cell phone plans: unlimited
Carriers are going all-in on unlimited data. We looked at the current offerings to find the best unlimited plans for single-line users.
- Plan name: Boost Unlimited
- Price (monthly): $50
- Plan at a glance: Unlimited minutes, texts and high-speed data
- Why we like it: Boost’s plan includes more high-speed mobile hot spot data (12GB) than similarly priced plans offered by its competitors.
- Plan name: Sprint Unlimited Basic
- Price (monthly): $65; $60 with $5 autopay discount.
- Plan at a glance: Unlimited high-speed data, minutes and text messages, plus 500MB of high-speed mobile hot spot access
- Why we like it: Bonuses like a Hulu subscription and 5GB of high-speed data to use in Canada and Mexico make this plan stand out. If mobile hot-spot access is more important to you, consider the T-Mobile Essentials plan, which includes unlimited hot spot data (at 3G speeds).
THINGS TO KNOW
Best cell phone plans: basic
Do you miss the good old days, when cell phones weren’t smart? If you want a simple phone and plan, these are the best options.
- Plan name: Republic Wireless No Data
- Price (monthly): $15
- Plan at a glance: Unlimited minutes and text messages; not available on iPhones
- Why we like it: Just minutes and messages for a very low cost, plus data access via Wi-Fi
- Plan name: Tracfone 30 minute airtime card
- Price (monthly): $9.99 per month
- Plan at a glance: Any combination of 30 minutes or texts (sent or received) or megabytes of data
- Why we like it: Simple, affordable service available on a variety of networks.
THINGS TO KNOW
Best cell phone plans: prepaid
Prepaid providers offer great rates and the latest phones — think iPhone and the latest Samsung Galaxy models — to go with them.
- Plan name: Virgin Mobile 5GB plan
- Price (monthly): $35
- Plan at a glance: 5GB of data, plus unlimited minutes and text messages
- Why we like it: A solid amount of data at a price that can’t be beat. Plus, Virgin Mobile customers can score discounts on flowers, suits, car-sharing services and more.
- Plan name: T-Mobile Simply Prepaid 10GB plan
- Price (monthly): $40
- Plan at a glance: 10GB of data, plus unlimited talk and text
- Why we like it: Mobile hot spot access and unlimited music streaming make this prepaid plan a great value, plus 10GB is more than enough data for most cell phone users.
THINGS TO KNOW
Best cell phone plans: international
Want a plan that suits your wanderlust? We scouted out plans that let you use your phone overseas, without paying exorbitant international roaming fees.
- Plan name: Project Fi
- Price (monthly): $20 per month, plus $10 per GB
- Plan at a glance: 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.
- Why we like it: Use your service (texts and data) in more than 170 countries for the same price you pay at home. Calls from overseas are an additional cost.
- Plan name: T-Mobile Magenta
- Price (monthly): $75; $70 with autopay discount
- Plan at a glance: Unlimited talk, text and high-speed data in the U.S. Unlimited talk, text and 5GB of high-speed data in Canada and Mexico. Unlimited texting and 2G data in more than 200 other countries.
- Why we like it: Easy text and data access while overseas, with the option to upgrade to Magenta Plus for faster data speeds and free in-flight Wi-Fi.
THINGS TO KNOW
Best cell phone plans: summary
| Carrier | Details | Get started |
|---|---|---|
| Plan: Virgin Mobile - 5GB Best for: Average users Monthly cost: $35 | |
| Plan: T-Mobile Simply Prepaid - 10GB Best for: Average users Monthly cost: $40 | |
| Plan: Boost Unlimited Best for: Families Monthly cost: $120 (four lines) | |
| Plan: T-Mobile Essentials Best for: Families Monthly cost: $140 (4 lines); $120 with autopay | |
| Plan: Boost Unlimited Best for: Unlimited data Monthly cost: $50 | |
| Plan: Sprint Unlimited Basic Best for: Unlimited data Monthly cost: $65; $60 with autopay | |
| Plan: Republic Wireless No Data Best for: People who want a basic plan Monthly cost: $15 | |
| Plan:Tracfone 30 minute airtime card Best for: People who want a basic plan Monthly cost: $9.99 | |
| Plan: Virgin Mobile 5GB Best for: People who want a prepaid plan Monthly cost: $35 | |
| Plan: T-Mobile Simply Prepaid - 10GB Best for: People who want a prepaid plan Monthly cost: $40 | |
| Plan: Project Fi Best for: International travel Monthly cost: $20 per month, plus $10 per GB | |
| Plan: T-Mobile Magenta Unlimited Best for: International travel Monthly cost: $75; $70 with autopay |
METHODOLOGY
We evaluated more than 200 cell phone plans offered by the following carriers: AT&T, Boost Mobile, Consumer Cellular, Cricket, GreatCall, Google’s Project Fi, MetroPCS, Net10, Republic Wireless, Sprint, Straight Talk, T-Mobile, Tracfone, Verizon Wireless and Virgin Mobile.
To determine the best plans, we looked at the monthly plan price before taxes and fees, the price per gigabyte, and features such as unlimited video streaming or rollover data. We only considered national carriers, which ruled out regional providers like U.S. Cellular. For average users and prepaid users, we looked at plans with 2GB to 5GB. For families, we looked at plans with at least 6GB and calculated pricing for a family of four. Recommendations for heavy data users only factored in plans with at least 10GB of data.
