Best 5G hotspots 2025

Whether you spend a lot of time in an RV or just don't like being tethered to any place for too long, one of the best 5G hotspots can help keep you connected to the rest of the world without getting tied down with fiber or cable lines. While it has taken some time for 5G coverage to reach most of the country, and it's still lacking in some rural areas, it make sense to have a hotspot that's ready for all of a carrier's wireless bands.

Even low-band 5G can offer speeds superior to LTE when signal is low, and a dedicated hotspot can connect to more simultaneous devices than your phone's built in hotspot. That being said, all of the hotspots on this list support mid-band spectrum, such as band 41 on T-Mobile and Bands 77 and 78 on AT&T and Verizon. Besides that, excellent LTE support helps them keep up when 5G is still out of reach.

While the hotspots available to you are largely carrier dependent, you can find on with the features you need most. For example, a hotspot with Ethernet can be hooked into an existing network if you want to reduce your reliance on Wi-Fi. Some models, such as the Nighthawk M6, will even work with external antennas that can pick up stronger 5G bands.

At a glance

Best overall

The Netgear Nighthawk M6 Pro is the fastest and most capable mobile hotspot from any angle you can think to look at it. It has the latest Qualcomm SDX65 chipset allowing for incredible 5G speeds thanks to support for a large number of 5GNR bands, including mid-band and mmWave.

This hotspot also supports 5x carrier aggregation on LTE and 9x on 5G. Carrier aggregation allows the hotspot to connect to multiple available 5G bands and link them together as a single data connection. This allows for much higher speeds than most phones can deliver. It also supports 2x carrier aggregation for uplink on LTE and 5G for better upload speeds.

To support these advanced speeds, it has a 2.5Gbps Ethernet port on the bottom next to the USB-C port. Unlike some other hotspots, you don't need to choose between a wired network connection and power. It also supports Wi-Fi 6E with an AXE3600 connection. This is a dual-band router so you have to choose either 5GHz or 6GHz, but it's still nice to have the option.

Many people that buy this router may actually choose to disable Wi-Fi altogether. This hotspot is excellent for people that live part-time or full-time on a boat or in an RV. The fast Ethernet port allows you to connect it directly to another router or switch that you already have integrated into your home. You can also use the built-in TS-9 antenna ports to get the best connection possible when off the beaten path.

Best value

What most people are looking for in a 5G mobile hotspot is reliability, battery life, and plenty of 5G bands so you can get the best possible speed on your devices. The JEXtream RG2100 5G Mobile Hotspot available for T-Mobile is a compact hotspot with a color screen. It has a dual-band Wi-Fi 6 connection with 2.4GHz and 5GHz support. With T-Mobile’s 100GB plan coming in at $50, T-Mobile’s hotspot will continue to be the best overall value for heavier users.

It also features a 5,000mAh battery that can keep it running for hours, and can even be used as a power bank to charge your phone if needed.  On the side, a USB-C port can be used to charge the battery or provide power to a connected device. If you have a USB-C to Ethernet adapter, you can also use that with this hotspot. This can be helpful as using Wi-Fi, especially with multiple devices can drain the battery more quickly.

The device is controlled by three navigation buttons just under the 2.4-inch display with a power button on the top to turn it on and off. On the back, opposite of the screen, a removable battery door conceals the rechargeable and replaceable battery. You’ll probably need to open this door at least once with the SIM card being found underneath the battery. This device also supports remote management so you can get into the more precise Wi-Fi settings using a computer and a web browser.

Best on Verizon

The Verizon version of the Inseego MiFi X Pro 5G UW comes with a few upgrades compared to the T-Mobile version allowing it to make use of Verizon's large mmWave network. Verizon invested heavily in the ultra-fast mmWave 5G technology and as a result, quite a few urban areas are covered. This is one of the reasons why many Verizon devices support mmWave while those on other carriers skip it. It also explains this hotspot's higher price.

Powered by the high-end Qualcomm SDX65, this Inseego hotspot supports Wi-Fi 6 with a 2x2 SU-MIMO connection. While the 1201Mbps connection on 5GHz Wi-Fi this allows is quick enough for most people, it's not as fast as Verizon's fastest 5G speeds. Even so, with the Ethernet port and Wi-Fi, this is a very capable mobile hotspot for Verizon's 5G network.

Best unlocked

Even the best carriers have some dead zones and if you live or travel a lot in an RV, you've probably found some. The Netgear Nighthawk M6 is a fast and capable mobile hotspot that you can get unlocked. Getting a device unlocked means that you aren't stuck using one carrier. If you need better coverage, you can swap in a SIM for a different network. This hotspot is certified to work with AT&T and T-Mobile so if you want to be sure, stick to a carrier using one of those network.

The Nighthawk M6 has a lot in common with the M6 Pro on AT&T but falls short in a couple of areas. First, there's no mmWave support and the Qualcomm chipset takes a step back to the SDX62. It also only supports Wi-Fi 6 but this will be a nonissue to most people using this device. What may be a bigger deal is the gigabit Ethernet port. If you plug your Nighthawk M6 into another router, the best speed you'll get is 1Gbps. That's far from a hardship but with the M6 Pro proving that multi-gig mobile networking is a reality, its a bit of a shame.

Finally, it's worth noting that the unlocked variant of the Nighthawk M6 is very expensive. If you only plan to use it on AT&T, you could save quite a bit of cash by buying the AT&T version. This hotspot also support TS-9 antennas connections so you might be able to overcome coverage issue with an external antenna. If you really want the T-Mobile network in your pocket with the option to change as needed, the unlocked version is the way to go.

Best value AT&T

The Franklin A50 5G hotspot at AT&T looks an awful lot like the JEXtream RG2100 hotspot above, and that’s for a very good reason. The two devices are essentially identical apart from branding, and some band support differences in the specifications provided by AT&T and T-Mobile. They both use the Qualcomm SDX62 platform, however, so they should be very capable devices for their respective carriers.

Like the above, the Franklin A50 has a 5,000mAh battery with the ability to charge other devices. IT also supports dual-band Wi-Fi 6 with support for up to 20 devices at once. On the side there’s a USB-C port used for charging that also supports a USB-C to Ethernet adapter for wired connections. Keep in mind that the battery depletes faster with multiple Wi-Fi connections at once, so if you’re looking to stretch your battery, only connect the essentials.

This hotspot has a 2.4-inch display that can show your your current connection status, the connected devices, and gives you access to your settings. If you’re looking to make some changes, however, using remote management in a web browser will give you better access to settings in an easy-to-use environment. 

Best value with Ethernet

If you use your hotspot for internet in an RV, cabin, or similar, it makes sense to pair it with a compact Wi-Fi 6 router to save the battery and make getting your devices connected easier. The TCL Linkzone 5G UW has a USB-C port for charging right next to a full RJ45 Ethernet port that can connect directly to a computer or a router with no adapters. No Ethernet on your PC? Simply connect the USB-C directly to your PC for a pass-through connection.

To manage your device, you can use the touch screen on the device for basic quick settings. If you want more control, the TCL Connect app will allow you to configure the Linkzone as well as connecting with a web browser using a computer that’s already connected. While the SIM from Verizon will already be installed, you can access it under the battery door. This is also where you’ll be able to access the removable rechargeable battery.

TCL has also managed to support all of Verizon's most important 5G bands including mmWave, so if you're in a city with strong Verizon Ultra Wideband 5G coverage, you should be able to get some excellent speeds. With Wi-Fi 6 for your device, you should be able to get most of that speed directly to your devices.

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How to choose

Get the right hotspot for your carrier

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One thing to remember about mobile hotspots like this is they require a specific plan to use. So if you've signed up for one of the best cell phone plans with hotspot data, you'll need to share that connection from your phone. Not only that, but to get the most out of these hotspots, you'll need to have solid 5G coverage in your area. Still, with nationwide 5G networks on the big three carriers, there's a good chance you can get covered.

If you're looking to save, the JEXtream RG2100 on T-Mobile and Franklin A50 on AT&T are strong values coming in right around $200. While they don't have Ethernet, they have quick Wi-Fi 6 connections with 5GHz support. If you just need internet on your laptop and don't want to waste battery on Wi-Fi, you can also connect them to your PC using USB-C.

If you're ready for the upgrade, the Netgear Nighthawk M6 Pro is the best choice overall thanks to its unparalleled feature set and fast speeds. With an included 2.5Gbps Ethernet port and a fixed mode to run all the time, this hotspot is the fastest option available.