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The best cheap cell phone plans offer all the following criteria without compromise: dependable coverage, fast service speeds, and as much data as you need at affordable prices. Affordable plans typically come from budget-friendly carriers called mobile virtual network operators (or MVNOs), and choosing the plan for you will depend on your budget and priorities.
Among the best cheap cell phone plans, and from extensive testing, our top pick for most people is Mint Mobile's introductory three-month plans. This new customer promotion discounts each of our favorite MVNO's three-month prepaid options, including the "unlimited" plan (40GB/month), at $15/month. If you want to extend your savings further, we recommend Tello Mobile's Build Your Own plan, which can cost as low as $5/month.
Our top picks for the best cheap cell phone plans
Best overall: Mint Mobile (Any 3-Month Plan) - See at Mint Mobile
Best overall alternative: US Mobile (Unlimited Starter plan) - See at US Mobile
Best true budget plan: Tello Mobile (Build Your Own plan) - See at Tello
Best unlimited plan: Visible Wireless (Visible Plus plan) - See at Visible
Best international plan: US Mobile (Unlimited Premium plan) - See at US Mobile
Best overall
All of Mint Mobile's three-month plans are now discounted for new customers. For $15/month, you can choose from 5GB up to "unlimited" monthly data (40GB) and gain access to T-Mobile's network for unlimited calls and texts from our favorite MVNO.
- Incredibly good value
- Easy plan management
- User-friendly experience
- Mobile hotspot included
- Free calls to Mexico and Canada
- Less coverage in rural areas
- No option for premium data that isn't affected by network congestion
- No discounts for additional lines
Mint Mobile's prepaid plans for three, six, or 12 months offer affordable options for high-speed data on T-Mobile's network and streamlined plan management, like adjusting data allotments per line at any time. The MVNO's plan variety and overall value make it our first recommendation for a budget carrier.
Your best entry point into the Mint Mobile landscape is its new customer promotion, which sets each three-month prepaid plan at a low entry-level price. You can get 5GB, 15GB, 20GB, or "unlimited" (40GB) monthly data for $15/month. Those transferring from Verizon or AT&T can even add a second line for free to the promotion.
T-Mobile owns Mint Mobile, and the MVNO's plans include high-speed data on T-Mobile's 4G/LTE and 5G networks (subject to deprioritization in congested areas), with slower 3G speeds once you've reached your data cap.
After your promotional three months are up, any of Mint's 12-month plans will provide the most savings, as the monthly price and data remain the same as the three-month plans. Typically, the 5GB ($15/month) and 15GB ($20/month) plans offer the best value considering the MVNO competition and the monthly options from Mint's parent company and other major carriers, as we note in our guides to Mint Mobile vs. T-Mobile and Mint Mobile vs. Verizon.
However, Mint also offers a limited-time discount of half off its annual unlimited plan, which is currently the best prepaid phone plan available.
The overall customer experience also makes Mint stand out in the MVNO market and relative to larger carriers. Its user-friendly setup and app experience, readily accessible support and FAQs, and easy-to-understand language, in addition to its price point, make it an easy recommendation.
Consider your data usage patterns before signing up, but you can change your plan at any time with no added cost through Mint's excellent app or website.
Read our full Mint Mobile review.
Best overall alternative
US Mobile's Unlimited Starter plan includes 35GB of high-speed data, which should be plenty for almost anyone. Unique to US Mobile is the option to run on Verizon's (Warp), T-Mobile's (Light Speed), or AT&T's (Dark Star) networks. Speeds are reduced to 1Mbps after 35GB, which is actually decent compared to other budget-friendly carriers that reduce speeds to frankly unusable speeds.
- Choice between Verizon's, AT&T's, or T-Mobile's networks
- Multi-line discounts rare for budget-friendly carrier
- Speeds reduced to usable 1Mbps after all your data is used
- Good app and responsive customer service
- Annual payment option offers even better value
- Switching networks costs $2 each time after you've switched twice
US Mobile's Unlimited Starter plan for $25/month is a remarkable option among MVNO and budget-friendly plans. It easily meets and exceeds expectations as a value-forward plan with superior and unique features that directly benefit you, the customer.
Like many budget-friendly carriers, US Mobile operates on major carrier networks. However, in this regard, US Mobile is unique. Where you typically only have access to one major carrier's network, US Mobile offers the choice between Verizon's, AT&T's, or T-Mobile's full network, including their fast high-band 5G networks. You can even switch networks as often as you want for a small fee, so you can try which works best for you for everyday use, whether for coverage, data speeds, or for a particular scenario, like traveling.
US Mobile's names for Verizon's, T-Mobile's, and AT&T's networks are "Warp," "Light Speed," and "Dark Star," respectively. Only the Warp network comes with premium prioritized data (labeled "QCI 8") for 5G phones, whereas the base Light Speed and Dark Star networks include deprioritized data. (The Dark Star network offers prioritized data for an additional premium.)
In our testing of the Light Speed (T-Mobile-backed) network, we can't say we've felt much of an impact from chance deprioritization, nor can we directly tell, as there's no indication or notification specifying as much. Whichever network you pick, US Mobile's Unlimited Starter monthly plan price stays the same even if you "teleport," or switch, between networks, which the MNVO allows you to do twice without an additional fee (and for only $2/teleport afterward).
The Unlimited Starter plan's 35GB of high-speed data should be more than enough for the vast majority of users. If you do end up using more than 35GB, US Mobile reduces your data speeds to 1Mbps until the end of the billing cycle. 1Mbps is significantly faster and more usable than the reduced speeds on other carriers, which vary between dubiously slow 40 and 256Kbps speeds.
To be sure, some carriers like Visible don't include any data caps for speed. Instead, they offer deprioritized data that can potentially slow down without warning when the host network is experiencing congestion. That's a great proposition, but US Mobile's option to switch between networks at any time, along with the other benefits listed here for the Unlimited Starter plan, makes it more valuable overall.
US Mobile also offers multi-line discounts, unique among budget-friendly carriers and ideal for families or groups. You get even more value with the annual payment option, which reduces US Mobile's Unlimited Starter monthly price to $22.50/month ($270 for the year). And to top it all off, taxes and fees are included, so the price you see advertised is the price you pay.
Read our full US Mobile review.
Best true budget plan
Backed by T-Mobile's network, Tello's unique Build Your Own plan allows you to customize your data and voice minutes to your specific needs and offers a low base price of $5/month.
- Data and voice minutes customization per line
- Exceptional budget value
- Free hotspot tethering
- No multi-line discounts
- Not ideal for high-data users
The varied plans from Tello Mobile are the cheapest options we can recommend, and they offer the most customization.
With Tello's Build Your Own plan, in particular, you can adjust the minutes and data allotment for each line on your account, making it a great choice to cover the basics for kids, grandparents, students, or anyone who uses a minimum amount of data or is simply on a budget.
Like an even less expensive (and comparatively bare bones) version of Mint Mobile, Tello is an MVNO that runs on T-Mobile's network. Its data speeds are likewise universally subject to deprioritization at any time behind the major carrier's higher-paying customers. For a comparative analysis of the two budget carriers, see our Mint Mobile vs. Tello guide.
As you build a plan on Tello, you choose your monthly data amount (from no data to 1GB, 2GB, 5GB, 10GB, 15GB, or unlimited) and your monthly minutes (none, 100, 300, 500, or unlimited), the combination of which adds up to $5/month at the cheapest and $25/month at the most expensive.
The Build Your Own plan is particularly enticing if you want to specify a data allotment on a per-line basis, such as setting data limits for kids who just got their first phone while allowing them unlimited minutes.
Read our full Tello Mobile review.
Best unlimited plan
If you're looking for a large amount of high-speed monthly data at a reasonable price, the Visible Plus plan from Visible Wireless stands alone among budget carriers in offering up to 50GB of guaranteed premium data for $45/month (or $395/year). A limited-time discount brings the monthly rate to $30/month for up to 25 months.
- Dependable coverage on Verizon's network
- 50GB of guaranteed high-speed monthly data
- High-speed data still unlimited after 50GB (with deprioritized status)
- Unlimited hotspot data
- Smartwatch cellular connectivity included
- No discounts for multiple lines
For truly unlimited data and extensive coverage, Verizon's budget-friendly carrier, Visible Wireless, offers an excellent option with its Visible Plus plan. While it typically costs $45/month, the Visible Plus plan has a current promotion for a discounted monthly rate of $30/month for up to 25 months of service.
Even with the discount, the Visible Plus plan has the highest monthly price point of all the MVNOs we've included in this guide, but it provides by far the most high-speed monthly data and the closest approximation to an "unlimited" plan. It guarantees 50GB of premium prioritized data while your phone is connected to Verizon's basic 5G and LTE networks before you experience any form of artificial data deprioritization. The Visible Plus plan also offers unlimited premium prioritized data while your phone is connected to Verizon's fast high-band 5G "Ultra Wideband" network.
Though Visible Plus deprioritizes data after you've used up 50GB of monthly data, you shouldn't notice a difference in data speeds or usability unless you're in an area experiencing heavy network traffic at the specific time you're using your phone. Even if your data is actively being deprioritized, you may not even notice.
For those who use a lot of data and warrant a truly unlimited plan, that's an enticing proposition, as some MVNOs and budget-friendly carriers dramatically reduce speeds to frankly unusable speeds until the next billing cycle if you exceed your plan's allotted data.
The Visible Plus plan also provides extended coverage with 5G "Ultra Wideband" areas, though Verizon's standard coverage (and the Visible base plan's coverage) is already very good. Before signing up, check Visible's coverage map to ensure you're covered. If you aren't covered well by Verizon and don't mind the occasional data lag from deprioritization, you might be better served by the comparatively inexpensive, T-Mobile-backed unlimited plans from Mint Mobile or Tello. See our guides to Mint Mobile vs. Visible and Tello vs. Visible for comparative breakdowns of the MVNOs.
Visible updated its plans in 2024 to include an annual payment option (versus the standard monthly payment option), which reduces the Visible Plus plan's price to $33/month (totaling $395/year). It's incredible value and should be considered if making an annual payment is an option.
Read our full Visible Wireless review.
Best international plan
US Mobile's Unlimited Premium plan includes 100GB of data and 50GB of mobile hotspot, which should be more than enough for anyone. You can switch between Verizon's (Warp), AT&T's (Dark Star), and T-Mobile's (Light Speed) networks to take advantage of US Mobile's enticing international options, which vary by country and network. Frequent travelers will get the best value with the Unlimited Premium plan.
- Choice between Verizon's, AT&T's, and T-Mobile's full networks
- Multi-line discounts rare for budget-friendly carrier
- Speeds reduced to usable 1Mbps after all your data is used
- Good app and responsive customer service
- Annual payment option offers unrivaled value
- Up to 10GB of data and 1,000 minutes/texts in 180 countries
- May be cost prohibitive
It's surprising that so many budget-oriented carriers and plans have international features, and some have pretty decent ones. However, none are as comprehensive as US Mobile's Unlimited Premium plan.
In addition to an expansive domestic offering of 100GB of monthly data and 50GB of hotspot data, the US Mobile Unlimited Premium plan offers unlimited calling and texting from the US to more than 200 countries. If you're traveling abroad to one of the more than 180 supported countries, you get up to 10GB of data and 1,000 minutes and texts, depending on the country and which of US Mobile's major carrier-backed networks you plan to use.
You can check the MVNO's supported countries list to see whether its "Light Speed" (T-Mobile), "Dark Star" (AT&T), or "Warp" (Verizon) network offers the best assortment of benefits for a particular destination and choose a network before you travel. Notably, the Unlimited Premium plan allows you to "teleport" or switch between networks an unlimited number of times each month. In contrast, all other US Mobile plans are limited to two all-time teleports without additional fees.
No doubt, at $44/month, US Mobile's Unlimited Premium plan is on the pricier side when thinking about "cheap" phone plans, but keep in mind that US Mobile offers an annual option that reduces the price to $32.50/month (totaling $390/year).
If the premium price tag is out of reach, US Mobile's Unlimited Starter plan offers a minimalist international data package with 1GB of monthly data through its annual payment option.
Alternatively, if you don't need as much domestic data as the Unlimited Premium plan offers in a typical month, you can sign up for US Mobile's Unlimited Starter plan on a monthly basis, so you pay less when you're at home and only upgrade to the Unlimited Premium plan for the times you're traveling.
Read our full US Mobile review.
How we test cheap cell phone plans
As with our testing for the best cell phone plans overall, we spend at least a week with a specific plan from a budget phone carrier, often longer, and primarily assess the quality of the plan and carrier by the following criteria:
- Plan offerings and flexibility: We consider the pricing and features included in a carrier's range of plans and assess its flexibility in allowing you to switch out of or between plans.
- Coverage area: For MVNOs, we note the approximate coverage area provided by the network or networks backing a budget carrier and evaluate whether particular locations consistently match their purported coverage type (e.g., 5G or 4G/LTE).
- Service reliability and speeds: In consistent testing locations, we assess the reliability of phone and video calls, note how fast videos and apps load over cellular data, and, with MVNOs, mark any apparent effects of deprioritization on service speeds.
- Customer support: We make a holistic assessment of a carrier's customer support system and online (or in-person) user experience for setup, use, and troubleshooting.
We also take into account secondary considerations such as ongoing discounts and any other notable perks or outstanding features.
What to look for in a cheap cell phone plan
If you aren't in the market for plans from major carriers, you have no shortage of options for spending less on a phone plan, as affordable carriers have proliferated in recent years.
The best cheap cell phone plan for you will primarily reflect your needs for monthly data and minutes, the constraints of your budget, and the coverage of your local area by the network or networks backing a particular plan.
We set a few baseline criteria in choosing plans for this guide, in that all the plans listed above cost no more than $50/month and, as with most MVNO plans, do not require a contract.
Before signing up for a service, take a granular look at the coverage map that an MVNO should make readily accessible on their website — marking the US network range of its backing carrier — and appraise the coverage of your location to ensure dependable service.
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Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our partners. We may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at reviews@businessinsider.com.
