It’s time to check to see if you have one of the best cell phone plans now that all the major spring phone releases are out. If you’re considering upgrading to a Samsung Galaxy S22 or iPhone SE (2022), this could be a chance to get a better deal on your wireless service as well.
After all, many of the best phone companies offer deals on phones that require you to stick with their wireless service. Our research into the best cell phone plans can help you verify that you are getting a good deal from any carrier you choose.
Best Cell Phone Plans: Quick Links
Best Cheap Mobile Plan: Mint Mobile
Best Covering Choice: Verizon
Best Unlimited Plan on a Budget: Visible
Best Family Plan: T-Mobile
Even if you’re not in the market for a new phone, it’s good to see what cell phone plans are available. Carriers switch their options so frequently that the plan you currently have may not be the best option available.
Of course, there is a lot more to choosing the best mobile plan than just choosing the cheapest option. Other than just dollars and cents, you need to think about which phones your wireless carriers support and what coverage and data speeds are in the area where you’ll be using your phone the most. It also helps to get a plan from a major carrier so that your service comes with some solid perks.
To make your decision easier, we’ve looked at the plans of both major wireless carriers and smaller MVNOs to create a list of the best mobile plan for all kinds of different needs. You’ll find our top picks and a few helpful tips on how to choose the plan for you.
cheap cell phone plans
Simply want a mobile plan on a budget? There are plenty of carriers out there that can offer you a cheaper plan if you don’t mind sacrificing your data cap somewhat.
If you’re the type who occasionally uses social media and basic apps like Google Maps, WhatsApp, or general internet browsing, you can get away with a plan that offers anywhere from 1GB to 4GB of data each month. Depending on the wireless service provider you use, you can cut your costs somewhere between $10 and $15. In fact, three of the four plans below hit this price range, and the fourth gets less expensive the longer you spend it on it.
| Transporter | Plan | Monthly cost |
| Mint Mobile | 4GB | $15 |
| Telo | 1 GB | 10 bucks |
| T-Mobile | 3 GB | $15 |
| Verizon | 15 GB | $45 |
Unlimited mobile plans
On the other end of the spectrum for the best cheap phone plans mentioned above, unlimited cell phone plans are often among the most affordable on the market. But if you’re glued to your phone to stream Netflix on the go, scroll through Facebook and run a lot of data each month, the extra cost of an unlimited plan might be worth it.
Realistically, you should expect to pay at least $30 here, although the larger carriers charge between $60 and $90 per month for unlimited data. These more expensive plans include more benefits, such as a free streaming service subscription, increased data for hotspots, and more. The best unlimited data plans often include 5G coverage as well.
| carrier plan | Monthly cost | Feature Highlights |
| Verizon 5G Play More | $80 | Disney Package, Live Broadcast Subscription, 25 GB Hotspot Internet |
| T-Mobile Unlimited Purple | $70 | One year of Apple TV, Paramount Plus, and 5GB of hotspot data |
| Mint Unlimited | $30 | After 3 months, $30 pricing requires a 1-year commitment |
| Unlimited Visibility | $40 | Unlimited mobile hotspot, including taxes and fees |
| AT&T Unlimited Elite | $85 | HBO Max, 40GB of hotspot data |
| Google Fi Unlimited Plus | $65 | Use data when traveling in over 200 countries |
Family cell phone plans
When shopping for the best family cell phone package, cheapest isn’t always best. More expensive options tend to have larger data limits (or unlimited data), better coverage and more perks.
The best value tends to be around the four-line sign but there are also plenty of two-line plans if that works best for you. Realistically, for four lines of data, you should expect to pay upwards of $100 and anywhere up to $200 depending on the plan and carrier.
| carrier plan | data | Monthly cost (4 lines) |
| T-Mobile Magenta | Unlimited | $160 |
| The start of Verizon 5G | Unlimited | $140 |
| Visual Party Plan | Unlimited | $100 dollars |
| Mint Family Plan | 4 GB (per line) | $60 |
Prepaid cell phone plans
For many people, the best prepaid phone plans will be the way to go. They are often some of the more expensive plans, offering flexible contracts that usually don’t have contracts or credit checks.
If you don’t want to be tied into a contract, this flexibility to cancel at any time is a huge bonus. While these plans tend to focus on affordable, low-cost data contracts, you can also get unlimited data plans or slightly more expensive options with more benefits.
| Transporter | data | Monthly cost |
| Mint Mobile | 10 GB | $20 |
| AT&T | 8 GB | $25 (12 months to be paid in advance) |
| Metro by T-Mobile | 10 GB | $40 |
| cricket | 10 GB | $40 |
How We Choose The Best Cell Phone Plans
Choosing the best cell phone plans requires extensive research on exactly what each carrier offers. This means we check out the plans available at each of the three major carriers as you’d expect, but we’re also expanding our search to include lesser-known virtual carriers, who often offer lower-priced plans.
Once we collect all the data on the available smartphone plans, we extract the least expensive options. But since the best mobile plan isn’t a one-size-fits-all option, we look at the best options from the most popular carriers, as well as attractive values from discount carriers, giving you a variety of options to choose the best plan for you. (More on making that decision in a moment.)
We don’t just see prices for cell phone plans once; Instead, we update our rankings at least once a month, changing our selections as new plans emerge.
How to choose the best mobile plan for you
Price is a big consideration when looking for the best mobile phone packages, especially if you are getting more than one line for other members of your family. Most carriers offer escalating discounts when adding lines, so you’ll need to compare the total cost of your plan based on the number of lines that require service.
However, cell phone plans do more than just the amount in your bill each month. You also need to consider who offers the best coverage in your area and whether it supports the phone you want to use. Our guide to The best phone company It can answer some of these questions, but you’ll also want to ask friends, neighbors, and co-workers about how a particular carrier covers your home and office, if you’re looking to switch wireless providers.
Speaking of switching carriers, the major carriers are willing to incur some cost to get you the switch. These promotions can vary over time, so we suggest keeping an eye on any new carrier deals when you’re considering switching, as you can find additional ways to save money.
Wireless carriers have spent the past several years building their 5G coverage, and if you have a suitable 5G phone, you can take advantage of higher speeds if the carrier offers 5G service in your area. T-Mobile includes 5G coverage with its Magenta plan, and Metro By T-Mobile customers with unlimited plans can also access T-Mobile 5G towers with a compatible smartphone. AT&T asked you to sign up for the most expensive 5G unlimited data plan options, but now any unlimited plan is eligible for coverage. Verizon includes full 5G coverage on three of its four currently unlimited plans, but the cheapest plan, Start Unlimited, lacks 5G Ultra Broadband coverage. AT&T and Verizon have expanded 5G coverage to prepaid customers with unlimited data plans.
What type of cell phone plan do I need?
As you would expect, there is no simple answer to this and the question is more about what is the best plan for you. Obviously, this will depend on a variety of factors.
For those on a tight budget and looking for some flexibility, a prepaid cell phone plan would be an excellent way to go. These are often the cheapest options and the lack of contracts will be a huge bonus, especially if you like to change carriers frequently.
If you frequently stream Netflix on the go, like playing games on your phone or generally draining your data at amazing speeds, an unlimited plan is an excellent way to go — especially since 5G is becoming more and more popular.
Family cell phone plans are an excellent way to save money, especially since many carriers offer discounts when you add more lines to your plan. It wouldn’t be surprising if this was the way the average family should go.
If you’re simply looking for the lowest possible price, carriers including Mint Mobile and Tello can offer you really low costs if you don’t mind sacrificing some data.
Realistically, cell phone plans tend to fall into one of these categories: cheap, prepaid, family, unlimited, kids or seniors. If you’re working on which one works best for you, you can narrow down your search considerably.
MVNOs and Major Carriers: What’s the Difference?
MVNOs are a bit of a strange concept but they make an excellent way to get a mobile plan on a budget. So what are they and how do they differ from the major carriers.
First, it is important to note the major carriers. These are: AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile, which absorbed Sprint in 2020. You can also include US Cellular in this group, although its coverage is still regional compared to the big three carriers. These brands use their own technology and operate their regional cellular networks.
On the other hand, MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators) are brands that do not own and operate their own technology and instead “upload” from the services of one of the above brands. This allows them to be much cheaper than the major carriers but it means that they are the first to be restricted during peak usage periods and do not have access to many additional benefits.
Mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) used to have limited 5G coverage, although that appears to be changing as carriers build their coverage. We posted more about this in our MVNO guide, but the main players are:
- Mint Mobile: Works on T-Mobile
- Metro by T-Mobile: Works on T-Mobile
- Cricket Wireless: Runs on AT&T
- Visible: Works on Verizon
- Boost Mobile: Works on T-Mobile and migrates to AT&T
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