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Cheap Phone Plans: Best Picks for Singles, Couples, & Families

BestMVNO's guide to the cheapest cell phone plans. This guide covers money-saving plans for singles, couples, families, and seniors across all major networks.
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Best Valued Cell Phone Plans Of 2024

With the cost of goods continually rising, we could all use some ways to save money. Here I’ve put together a list of some cheap cell phone plans that can help you to keep more money in your wallet.

Talk
Text
Data
Price
Boom! Mobile
Promoted
boom! Mobile logo
1200
Unlimited
1GB
$12.99

Special Features:
  • Includes HD Voice calling
  • WiFi calling
  • Visual Voicemail
Boom! Mobile
Promoted
boom! Mobile logo
Unlimited
Unlimited
4GB
$19.99

Special Features:
  • 5G Network capable
  • Visual Voicemail
  • HD Voice Calling
  • WiFi Calling

Best Cheap Cell Phone Plan For Singles

The top 3 carriers in the USA, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless offer their best rates to families and others with multiple lines. Take T-Mobile for instance. The company’s Unlimited Essentials plan costs $60/month with autopay for single lines. But customers with 4-lines can get it for $30/line or $120/month. That’s quite a price difference! And if you are a new customer, you can get the plan even cheaper. New subscribers with 4-lines will pay just $25/line or $100/month. But what about customers that only need a single line?

US Mobile $29 “Unlimited Starter” Plan

Best Cheap Cell Phone Plan For Singles - US Mobile Unlimited Starter Plan
Best Cheap Cell Phone Plan For Singles – US Mobile Unlimited Starter Plan

Customers with a single line may be better served by an MVNO like US Mobile. US Mobile’s $29 “Unlimited Starter” plan is an excellent choice if you only need one line of service. This plan is packed with value and has one of the lowest costs per GB of data on the market. It also includes all taxes and fees in the price.

Subscribers on this plan get 35GB of full-speed 5G data to use, that works out to a cost of 83 cents per GB. After the high-speed data allotment gets consumed, data speeds are reduced to 1Mbps for the remainder of the billing cycle. That’s faster than what 99% of providers on the market offer. Most providers offer throttled data speeds that are 2x to 10x slower. Data speeds at 1Mbps are fast enough to use social media, listen to music, and stream video. However, video streams may take longer to load than you are accustomed to and the resolution will be reduced.

It is available for use on your choice of either the T-Mobile or Verizon networks. To use it on the Verizon network you’ll have to sign up to use it on what US Mobile calls the Warp 5G network. To use it on the T-Mobile network, you’ll have to sign up for their GSM 5G network.

Aside from the generous data allotment, this plan offers several other features that are hard to find elsewhere for the same price. If you use the plan on the Warp 5G network you’ll have premium priority data to use if you have a 5G phone. Premium priority data means that when the network is busy, your data speeds won’t slow down compared to other customers on the network. Your data usage gets prioritized over the usage of other customers. The plan also includes international texting and access to both Verizon’s 5G mmWave and C-band networks.

If you elect to sign up for the plan using the GSM 5G network you won’t get premium priority data access, however, data speeds on the T-Mobile network typically aren’t throttled as hard as they are on the Verizon network when the network is busy. GSM network subscribers get 1GB of data to use while roaming internationally in over 180 countries and 150 minutes and texts to use.

No matter which network you use, your plan will include 10GB of hotspot data and international calling and texting. Additional lines of the same plan are available to add for $27/line with two lines and $25/line with 3+ lines. Single line customers willing to prepay $276 for the plan annually can get it for an average monthly cost of $23, a total savings of $72 vs paying for it monthly.

If you are unsure if this plan is right for you, US Mobile does offer a free 30-day trial with 30GB of high-speed data to use. The trial is available to customers that port their numbers to US Mobile. Alternatively, customers that want to get a new number, can try the $29 Unlimited Starter plan for half off, or $15/month for their first three months of service.

US Mobile Offers Half Off Unlimited Starter Plan To New Lines That Get A New Number
US Mobile Offers Half Off Unlimited Starter Plan To New Lines That Get A New Number

Potential Drawbacks To Consider

Potential drawbacks to this plan include you may actually be paying for more data than you’ll ever use. Other people may find it doesn’t include enough high-speed data and that they need a plan with truly unlimited high-speed data.

To get the cheapest rate on the plan, you’ll have to prepay $276. A big upfront payment can certainly be a drawback. And after making the payment, if you decide it’s not working out for you after a few months and want to leave, you can’t get any money back.

US Mobile is an online only brand which may be a deterrent for some. There are no stores to go to for customer support or to check out any phones they offer.

See It At US Mobile
Talk
Text
Data
Price
US Mobile Light User
Promoted
US Mobile Logo
Unlimited
Unlimited
2GB
$10

Special Features:
  • Additional data just $2/GB
  • All taxes and fees included in the price
  • Use your data for mobile hotspot
  • Free 30 day trial available with 30GB data plus $50 gift card offer
US Mobile 6GB
Promoted
US Mobile Logo
Unlimited
Unlimited
6GB
$18

Special Features:
  • Taxes and fees included in the price
  • Pause your plan and hold onto your number for just $2/month in service fees
  • Add more data priced at $2/GB
  • Free 30 day trial available with 30GB data plus $50 gift card offer
Talk
Text
Data
Price
Tello
Promoted
Tello Logo
100
Unlimited
1GB
$6

Special Features:
  • Mobile hotspot included!
  • Upgrade or downgrade at anytime with no extra fees. The change is instant, and your remaining balance will roll over for the next 30 days.
  • International calling to over 60 countries included!
Tello
Promoted
Tello Logo
300
Unlimited
1GB
$7

Special Features:
  • Mobile hotspot is included!
  • International calling to over 60 countries included!
  • Unlimited data at 2G speeds once high speed gets used
  • Upgrade or downgrade anytime with no extra fees. The change is instant, and your remaining balance will roll over for the next 30 days.

Affordable Phone Plans For Couples & Seniors

There are plenty of cheap cell phone plans available for couples, and these same plans would also provide a good value to seniors. But two plans from two MVNOS really stand out because of special promotions they currently have running.

Spectrum Mobile $15/Mo Per Unlimited Line

Best Cheap Cell Phone Plan For Couples And Seniors - Spectrum Mobile Unlimited Plan
Best Cheap Cell Phone Plan For Couples And Seniors – Spectrum Mobile Unlimited Plan

If you are in a Spectrum market and a Spectrum Internet customer, then Spectrum Mobile’s Unlimited base plan is something to strongly consider. Spectrum Mobile is a Verizon powered MVNO that’s currently running a promotion for new new lines. Customers can get two unlimited lines for $15/line for 12 months. That’s an unbeatable value. And after the 12 months is up, the price becomes $29.99/month per line which is still a pretty good deal. Taxes and fees are included in the price.

Spectrum Mobile’s plan includes unlimited talk, text, and data with the first 30GB of monthly data available at 5G data speeds. After 30GB of data is used, data speeds are reduced to 1Mbps download and 512Kbps upload for the remainder of the billing cycle. The plan also includes 5GB of full-speed hotspot data (drawing from the plan’s overall 30GB high-speed cap). After 5GB, hotspot data is reduced to a speed of 600Kbps. Free calling to Mexico and Canada is included as is global texting. Taxes and fees are included in the price.

Potential Drawbacks To Consider

One drawback to consider is that you have to be a Spectrum Internet customer to get the plan. If you cancel Spectrum Internet and remain on the plan, the price of the plan will be $10/month higher per line. Autopay billing is also a plan requirement, and there is a one time $10 per line activation charge.

See It At Spectrum Mobile

Xfinity Mobile $29.99 Unlimited Line, BOGO

Xfinity Mobile Buy One Unlimited Line Get One Free For A Year - Best Phone Plan Deal For Couples
Xfinity Mobile Buy One Unlimited Line Get One Free For A Year – Best Phone Plan Deal For Couples

Like Spectrum Mobile, Xfinity Mobile is also offering a second line of unlimited data free for one year. Xfinity Mobile is a bit more expensive though than Spectrum. The Xfinity Unlimited plan costs $30/month but taxes and fees are extra. Like Spectrum, Xfinity uses the Verizon network for coverage.

Xfinity Mobile’s Unlimited plan comes unlimited talk, text, and data. Data speeds are reduced to 1.5Mbps download and 750Kbps upload after 20GB of high-speed data is used in a billing cycle. However, data used while connected to Verizon’s Ultra Wideband network does not count towards the high-speed data cap. Mobile hotspot usage is allowed but limited to speeds of 600Kbps.

Potential Drawbacks To Consider

This plan and BOGO offer does have some pretty big drawbacks to consider. The free line for a year offer is only available to existing Xfinity Internet customers that have had service for at least 90 days. Customers that end up cancelling their Xfinity Internet service and don’t have either Xfinity TV or Voice will have to pay and extra $25/month per line charge for their mobile plan.

See It At Xfinity Mobile

Runner Ups

As a runner up, the previously discussed US Mobile $29 Unlimited plan ($27/line for two lines) would be a great option for couples. And for Senior couples aged 55+, T-Mobile’s own Essentials plan would be a good option. The plan includes unlimited talk, text, and 5G data for $55/month or $27.50/line plus taxes and fees.

If you are a 55+ couple with an AARP membership, Consumer Cellular’s 2 lines for $55 plan might fit your bill. Consumer Cellular’s plan includes 50GB of shared 5G monthly data before speeds are slowed to 1.5Mbps. The company has opened a small number of stores and has partnerships with Target and Walmart that can help to provide customer support.

Best Money-Saving Family Plan

Family phone plans are typically priced by carriers or their prepaid brands at a minimum rate of 4 unlimited lines for $100 or higher. But this next pick, significantly undercuts that price point (Update: Google has sadly raised the price of this plan to $100 for 4-lines, so I’ll be adding a new top pick soon.)

Google Fi Simply Unlimited 4-Lines For $80

Google Fi Wireless 4-Unlimited Lines For  $80/Month - Best Cheap Unlimited Plan For Families
Best Cheap Unlimited Plan For Families – Google Fi Wireless 4-Unlimited Lines For $80/Month

If you’re unaware, Google actually offers wireless plans under the brand name Google Fi Wireless. Google Fi SIM cards can be found in stores at major national retail outlets including Best Buy, Target, Walmart, and even Sam’s Club. At $80/month plus taxes and fees, Google Fi Wireless’s 4-line family plan is a great value for families. And it’s only $20/month per line more for up to two additional lines.

This plan includes unlimited talk, text, and data from within the USA, Canada, and Mexico. The first 35GB of data per line per month is available at 5G data speeds before being slowed to 256Kbps for the remainder of the billing cycle. A total of 5GB of data can be used for mobile hotspot. Google Fi also allows connectivity for select smart watches and provides additional family friendly features including spam blocking, location sharing and contact controls. A VPN for private online internet browsing is also included.

If you are unsure if Google Fi is right for you, a free eSIM trial is available. The 7-day free trial comes with unlimited talk and text, and 10GB of full speed data.

Google Fi Wireless provides service to customers by using the T-Mobile network for coverage. The MVNO also has US Cellular as a roaming partner to provide coverage in areas where T-Mobile does not have a network.

Potential Drawbacks To Consider

Pick your favorite forum format, whether it’s Reddit, Google’s own forums, questionable review sites like Trustpilot, or elsewhere and you’ll see plenty of complaints about Google Fi Wireless’s customer support or lack thereof. They just aren’t known for being particularly helpful.

Although T-Mobile has the largest 5G footprint in the USA, its overall network footprint including 4G LTE coverage is smaller than either AT&T or Verizon. So this could be an issue for you depending on where you live. So be sure you check Google Fi’s coverage map out before signing up, or use a third party coverage checker like the FCC’s Broadband map (which relies on carrier provided coverage data as well as crowdsourced data), or Compare Wireless Carriers which will show you coverage and signal strength in your zip code and surrounding areas.

See It At Google Fi Wireless

Best Budget-Friendly Plan On The AT&T Network

I’m not a big fan of paying just once a year for an annual phone plan for reasons I outlined in this post about Mint Mobile, but it’s hard to deny the value provided by this next top pick. And surprisingly, it’s not from an MVNO.

AT&T Prepaid $25 Annual Plan

AT&T Prepaid 16GB Annual Plan - Best Value Plan
Best Budget Friendly Plan On AT&T Network – AT&T Prepaid’s 16GB Annual Plan

AT&T Prepaid’s $25 annual plan is packed with value and the reason why it’s the top pick here. The plan comes with unlimited talk, text, and data. The first 16GB of data every month is available at up to 5G data speeds. After that, data seeds are reduced to a very usable 1.5Mbps until the next 30-day plan cycle kicks in.

AT&T Prepaid’s annual plan offers wireless service for 360 days for $300 or an average cost of $25/month. Taxes and fees are extra. AT&T considers a monthly plan cycle to be equal to 30 days.

The plan allows for 10GB of data to be used for mobile hotspot. Video streaming is capped at a rate of 2Mbps. Talk and text usage while traveling in Canada and Mexico is included at no extra cost. International texting to over 230 countries is also included.

Potential Drawbacks To Consider

Potential drawbacks to this plan include that you have to prepay for a year in advance. If you find the plan doesn’t work well for you, you’re going to lose a good amount of money if you have to switch to another provider. This plan is also an online only offer and it is not available to customers with multi-line accounts.

See It At AT&T Prepaid

If this plan doesn’t meet your needs you can always check out this AT&T MVNO list to see other options.

I should also add here that both Boost Mobile and Boost Infinite provide better value on the AT&T network if you can get a SIM card or eSIM to use that network with either of them. Both have a $25 plan with 30GB of high-speed data. However, it’s tough to name either brand as a top or best option. Under DISH’s ownership the Boost Mobile brand has continually lost subscribers every quarter. And not just a little. Take 3Q23 for an example, DISH lost a whopping 225k wireless subscribers.

Overall consumer sentiment for Boost brands, and Boost Mobile in particular have been poor. Plenty of complaints about customer support and other issues can be found online and they are real given the subscriber losses. Until DISH fixes the issues it has, I can’t name either Boost brand a top pick even though they do provide great value from a price to GB’s of data included stand point.

Most Affordable Phone Plans On The T-Mobile Network

When it comes to T-Mobile’s network, consumers have a lot of choices to pick from for a phone plan. But the top pick to me has got to be US Mobile’s $25 Unlimited Starter plan with 30GB of high-speed data. I’m not going to rehash all the plan details here, as it was also named the best plan for singles. So go back and read that section if you haven’t already.

Runners Up: Tello Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile

As a runner up, Tello Mobile is a great option with several low-cost plans available. In fact, I have some low data using family members on Tello Mobile’s $10/mo 2GB plan. Tello also has a 5GB $14/mo plan, 10GB $19/mo plan, and 35GB $25/mo plan that would be good choices for low to moderately high data-using customers. The company even offers data rollover if you don’t enable autopay billing. They are the only company I’m aware of to offer this. Their plans all include international calling to over 60 countries.

See It At Tello

Metro by T-Mobile is also a good runner up option but only if you have your own device to bring over to their network. Metro by T-Mobile offers a $25/month plan to new subscribers only that have their own devices. The plan includes unlimited talk, text, and 5G data. This plan isn’t always publicly available and does come and go. So that’s something to keep an eye out for.

For other plans on the T-Mobile network, be sure to check out this list of T-Mobile MVNOs and phone plans.

Many may also find Mint Mobile to be a great value here. And they are, but having to get an annual plan to get a great rate just isn’t my cup of tea. And the provider’s already mentioned don’t require annual plans to get comparable value to Mint Mobile which has annual plans priced at 5GB for $15/mo, 15GB for $20/mo, 20GB for $25/mo and 40GB for $30/mo.

Best Budget-Friendly Plan On The Verizon Network

Verizon’s network, unfortunately, doesn’t have as big of a selection of independent MVNOs as it once did. That’s because Verizon bought all of the Tracfone brands from América Móvil, including Simple Mobile, Tracfone, Straight Talk Wireless, NET10 (which Verizon decided to close), Page Plus Cellular, Walmart Family Mobile, and Total Wireless (rebranded to Total by Verizon) among others. Verizon already had its own prepaid brands prior to acquiring Tracfone, including Verizon Prepaid, and Visible by Verizon. So Verizon owns many prepaid brands now. Despite all of its brands though, not to sound like a broken record, but I think US Mobile’s previously discussed $29/month Unlimited Starter plan is the top value plan on Verizon’s network. But there are some close runner-ups to consider.

See It At US Mobile

Runner-Up: MobileX

I like MobileX as a runner up here. MobileX has a plan with 30GB of high-speed data before throttling. Throttled data speeds are half that of US Mobile’s and are at 512Kbps. MobileX’s plan may cost slightly more for some people. The base price of the plan is $24.88/month, but taxes and fees cost extra. US Mobile’s pricing is inclusive of taxes and fees but does cost $29/month.

MobileX does have a leg up on US Mobile in that MobileX allows you to use all of your plan’s data for mobile hotspot if you’d like, instead of the 10GB that US Mobile allows. MobileX also allows you to add more high-speed data at any time billed at a rate of $2.10/GB, something not available on US Mobile’s Unlimited Starter plan. MobileX SIMs and plans can be found online and also in Walmart stores. One thing to be aware of is that MobileX does use a cloud based platform with Verizon’s network and you may have varying ping times depending on how close you are to one of their cloud servers.

See It At MobileX
MobileX’s 30GB unlimited plan is, in fact, postpaid priority QCI 8 data.
byu/Ethrem inNoContract

Some of you may argue that Visible by Verizon’s $25 unlimited plan is the best value on Verizon’s network. And that’s a reasonable argument to make. But I didn’t pick them here for a few reasons. You will have a better customer support experience with US Mobile and will likely have a better in-app experience with both US Mobile and MobileX. And Visible by Verizon’s plan does not include priority premium data like the other two do. But I do think Visible by Verizon’s plan is a better fit for a different category.

For other plans on the Verizon network, be sure to check out this list of Verizon MVNOs and phone plans.

Top Affordable Truly Unlimited Data Plan

All the major carriers try and push expensive unlimited plans onto their customers by playing off their customers’ fear that they’ll never have enough data for their needs. It is certainly understandable that many will find comfort in knowing that their plan is truly unlimited. But is that really what YOU need?

The truth is, most don’t need an unlimited data plan. According to the June 2023 Ericsson Mobile Report, the average smartphone user in North America in 2022 consumed 20GB of data per month. While a study released by Opensignal in June of 2021, showed that smartphone users in the USA average 9.6GB of monthly data. Of course, those usage numbers are likely tilted upwards a bit thanks to the small number of people that consume a disproportionately high amount of data. In fact, a couple of other studies show this likely to be the case.

In 2018, it was reported that the average consumer used 6.1GB of cellular data per month, however, excluding unlimited users, the number fell dramatically to 1.6GB per month. And a 2020 article from The Wirecutter, showed that in 2019, US smartphone owners averaged 9.4GB of data used per month. However, the median usage number was just 4.3GB. Directly quoting the article, “The overall average figure has been skewed up by a relatively small group of heavy users.”

But if you absolutely need a cheap unlimited data plan, there is one that stands out above the rest based on its price.

Visible by Verizon $25 Unlimited Starter Plan

Visible by Verizon’s $25/month Unlimited Starter plan offers industry best pricing for a truly unlimited high-speed data plan. Taxes and fees are included in the price. The plan comes with unlimited 5G data, and unlimited mobile hotspot although hotspot data speeds are limited to a maximum of 5Mbps. As a bonus, the plan also includes unlimited calling to Mexico and Canada and a spam call blocker. A 15-day free trial with no payment method needed is also available with eSIM capable devices including iPhones, Samsung Galaxies, and Google Pixels.

Potential Drawbacks To Consider

As previously mentioned earlier in the article, this plan does not include any premium priority data. So when Verizon’s network gets congested with traffic, your data speeds may be greatly slowed down compared to customers on the network who do have premium priority data. The plan’s terms state that it does not include access to Verizon’s 5G UW (Ultra Wideband) network. However, users report it does include access but with no UW symbol showing in their phone’s status bar. Lastly, Visible by Verizon isn’t known to offer a great customer support experience.

See It At Visible by Verizon

Metro by T-Mobile’s $25/month unlimited plan is a good alternative to Visible by Verizon’s plan. But as previously mentioned, the plan is for new BYOD customers only and it’s a promotional offering that isn’t always available.

Best Cheap Cell Phone Plan For Low Data Users

If you are a low-data user, as we’ll define as someone using 5GB of data or less per month, the market is full of options for you. But two provider plans really stand out to me, US Mobile’s shareable pay as you go data plan and MobileX’s personalized plans built for you through the use of machine learning.

US Mobile’s shareable pay as you go data plan starts at $10/month, includes unlimited talk and text with 2GB of data and all taxes and fees included in the price. You can add additional data as needed priced at $2/GB and it will rollover for one billing cycle. It can be used on either the Verizon or T-Mobile network.

See It At US Mobile

MobileX personalized plans are similarly priced to US Mobile’s but more customizable to your data needs. MobileX charges $4.50 for unlimited talk and text, plus $2.10/GB but you can have a data plan personalized to you to have as little as 0.05GB. Taxes and fees are extra though. A 2GB plan will cost you $10.68 plus tax. Unused data rolls over with a rollover credit. The MobileX app states “All the data you pay for is yours! Any data you don’t use gets counted as a credit on your next bill. So if you find yourself not using as much data as predicted you will pay less next month. The data will be calculated and then applied as a credit to your next service period.”

You can top-up your MobileX custom plan at any time. Any top-up data you buy is yours to use forever. Mobile hotspot use is permitted.

See It At MobileX

Agree or disagree with the picks? Drop a comment below. I’d love to hear your top picks.

If none of the plans in this list meet your needs, don’t worry. BestMVNO tracks hundreds of phone plans from over 50 providers. You can easily search and filter plans to find one for your needs using the BestMVNO phone plan finder tool.



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