Best MVNO carrier 2025

When you go for the best MVNO carriers, you get to avail (nearly) all the advantages generally offered by mainstream network operators, but at much lower prices. These alternative service providers usually 'lease' network infrastructure from one (or more) traditional carriers (e.g., T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T), resulting in affordable wireless service(s) via a range of prepaid plans.

As such, these MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators) offer plans that don't have added goodies like streaming services and multi-line discounts. There are no complicated contracts either; all you have to do is go online, pick a plan of your choice from a prepaid carrier that you prefer, and you're all set. Moreover, if your smartphone supports eSIM functionality, the entire process takes just about a few minutes.

Although there are numerous feature-laden MVNOs out there, Mint Mobile still remains our top choice. Fully owned and operated by T-Mobile, it lets you choose from four incredible plans. With Mint Mobile, you save by paying upfront for multiple months of service. There are lots of other options as well, so keep reading to know all about them.

At a glance

Best overall

Although it's been owned and operated by T-Mobile for a while now, Mint Mobile still remains the best prepaid carrier. Offering excellent coverage via four flexible plans at affordable prices, Mint Mobile is a unique MVNO because it requires you to purchase at least three months of service in advance. It also manages to keep it fresh by consistently updating its plans to meet the changing requirements of consumers. Although Mint Mobile has many of the same network strengths and weaknesses as other T-Mobile-based MVNOs, but for the most part, its coverage should be solid for majority of the customers. Fortunately, T-Mobile's network is easily one of the fastest in the United States, and now with 5G, among the most advanced too.

You can purchase service for up to a year, which is how you can save the most, at an effective price of $25 per month for 20GB of data. If you only need 5GB of data, you can go for the base plan that costs $15 per month. On the other hand, if you're one of the few users who require more data each month, you can get the unlimited plan that now has unlimited high-speed data and 10GB of hotspot data. This plan has an introductory rate of $30 per month for three months, with renewals costing $35 per month. But if you sign up for a year, you can lock in this introductory rate (before limited-time promotional discounts) for the full year.

You can bring your own T-Mobile device to Mint Mobile as long as it supports 4G LTE and VoLTE. If you're not certain, you can confirm through the carrier's online compatibility checker tool, but most unlocked GSM-network phones should work fine. Once you get your SIM card, you can activate it using the Mint Mobile app on your phone. If you want to buy a new phone you can do that too, as the carrier sells a variety of phones ranging from budget options to flagships.

Best cheap pick

Tello is a straightforward prepaid service provider that lets you configure data and talk time minutes for your plan. You get unlimited texts on all of the plan combinations and as we saw in our Tello review, phone compatibility is also strong, thanks to the T-Mobile network. If you mostly use Wi-Fi at home and just need a little data for some situations, the 1GB plan can be a great option. Even when paired with unlimited calling, it'll cost you less than $10 per month.

For heavy users, the 10GB 'Smart' plan is a solid place to start, with enough data for light streaming, browsing social media, and some messaging. If you need even more, the unlimited 'Data' plan takes that allotment to 35GB (maximum cap), which should be more than sufficient for most use cases. Even if you use it all, you're not cut off; just the speed is reduced. While it may not be fast enough for YouTube, you can text and email just fine.

Tello's plans can be customized but if you want to keep things easier, you can just pick from one of the four pre-configured plans. Among them, 'Economy' is $10 per month with 2GB of data, and unlimited talk and text. Moving up, you have 'Value' with 5GB and 'Smart' with 10GB at a monthly cost of $14 and $19, respectively. The unlimited 'Data' costs $25 per month and has a maximum high-speed data cap of 35GB. That said, do note that all prices are before taxes and fees.

Best for unlimited

Visible by Verizon keeps it simple by offering a trio of incredible unlimited plans to pick from, and very little to complicate your decision. The base plan (which is just called Visible) is comparable to the carrier's old plan that we tested in our Visible review. It offers completely unlimited data on Verizon's LTE and 5G networks, although the data gets a lower priority than other traffic on the carrier. Even then, speeds should be sufficiently high for most consumers to use their phones without any noticeable restrictions. There's a good reason Visible has one of the best cell phone plans out there, thanks to unlimited talk, text, and data. It also includes unlimited hotspot data at a speed of 5Mbps.

The next plan (called Visible Plus) adds unlimited premium data to keep speeds as fast as possible even in congested areas. Visible Plus also offers access to Verizon's 'Ultra-Wideband' 5G for blazing-fast speeds with C-band or mmWave coverage. It also adds some international roaming options and international calling options, upgrades the unlimited hotspot data speed to 10Mbps, and up to 1080p video streaming. Finally, there's the recently introduced highest plan (called Visible Plus Pro) that has unlimited hotspot data at 15Mbps, smartwatch service (only available with Apple Watch), calling to over 85 countries as well as unlimited texting to more than 200 countries, and up to 4K video streaming.

Device compatibility on Visible is a bit more limited than some other carriers, as your phone will need to be compatible with VoLTE on Verizon and support all the required bands with the carrier. The majority of the top-selling Android phones will work on Visible without any issues, but some older or a bit more obscure phones may not be fully compatible, so make sure you use the carrier's BYOD tool before moving forward.

Best for customization

US Mobile starts things off with a basic 'Light' plan that has just 2GB of data with unlimited talk and text, at a mere $10 per month. You can also add international calling add-on to this option. Moving up, there are two unlimited plans that offer a wide range of goodies.

These unlimited plans—Unlimited Starter and Unlimited Premium—are priced at $25 and $44 per month (before factoring limited-time promotional savings) respectively and offer everything from unlimited talk and text to oodles of premium and hotspot data. They're also available annually for more savings, if you prefer that. If you get three lines with the higher of the two plans, you can also go for a subscription bundle (priced at $15 per month) offering services like Audible, Hulu, and PlayStation Plus. It's worth mentioning that both unlimited plans offer discounts if you sign up for multiple lines.

Another interesting offering by US Mobile lets you buy multiple chunks of data (e.g., 2GB at $10 per month), which can be then shared across lines (the first line's price is included) on multiple devices, including tablets. US Mobile utilizes the networks of both T-Mobile and Verizon to provide its service, and its prices include all taxes and fees.

Best for families

There are three major carriers in the U.S., and each one of them offers a largely similar level of coverage by the numbers. However, if you live out in the country, there might be certain areas where AT&T's network is better, in comparison to Verizon and T-Mobile's networks. If that's the case, you (and your family!) can still take advantage of prepaid savings with Cricket Wireless. Owned by AT&T, the carrier gives you four main phone plans starting with a 5GB plan, then 10GB, and two unlimited options. All but the base plan come with multi-line discounts as well as autopay savings.

The lower $55 per month unlimited plan keeps things straightforward with unlimited talk, text, and data. It has hotspot data as an optional add-on but offers nationwide 5G access, unlimited data, and 2GB of cloud storage. If you want even more, the $60 per month plan upgrades your unlimited data to premium so your speeds can stay higher on a crowded tower. It also comes with 15GB of hotspot data, 150GB of cloud storage, and ad-supported Max. All of the plans can access AT&T's nationwide 5G network.

AT&T's network is compatible with most unlocked phones so if you already own a phone, there's a good chance you can bring it aboard. Cricket Wireless sells a solid range of mid-range devices as well, including both Android phones and iPhones, so if you want something high-end, you'll have to buy or finance it unlocked.

Best international perks

The majority of best MVNO carriers are lower-cost alternatives that don't offer a lot more when compared to their base carrier(s). However, Google Fi Wireless uses the T-Mobile network in the United States for solid overall coverage. While just a few phones are compatible with its 'Designed for Fi' feature (for automatic switching to open Wi-Fi networks when they are available), if you have a compatible device such as the Google Pixel 9 or the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, you should have reliable service with full 5G access.

Google Fi Wireless has three plans called Flexible, Simply Unlimited, and Unlimited Plus. Even if you don't have an unlimited plan, you'll still pay only for the data used up and never pay for more than 6GB (for one user) of data, thanks to 'Bill Protection' feature. After the 15GB on the Flexible plan, your data speeds will be reduced, but you can always add more high-speed data at that time for $10 per GB. With the top-of-the-line unlimited plan, your data speeds will be reduced after 50GB of usage.

The biggest feature that sets Google Fi Wireless apart is international service on the Flexible and Unlimited Plus plans. If you're traveling in any of the more than 200 supported countries, your data will cost the same as it does at home. You'll also get unlimited texts but will need to pay $0.20 per minute for calls. Do keep in mind that the Simply Unlimited plan doesn't come with most of these international usage perks, nor does it include shareable data.

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How to choose

Trying out the best MVNO carriers is easier than ever

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Getting away from the 'Big Three' carriers can be a good way of saving cash on your phone service by stripping away services you don't need. You can find an MVNO that offers great coverage in your area and utilizes a network you already know, such as Verizon or T-Mobile. It can also be a good way to try a new network with one of the best Android phones, all without spending too much money or time moving over numbers.

A carrier like Google Fi Wireless manages to pack in extra features for someone who wants great coverage and data abroad. At the same time, Visible focuses on offering data without limits. We also quite like Tello, which lets you customize your plan as you want and is easily among the most affordable prepaid service providers in the market. With these MVNOs, you get to try out different networks with no hassles as there are absolutely no contracts to deal with.

Overall, Mint Mobile continues to be among the best choices, as long you don't mind paying in advance for at least three months of service. Mint Mobile's offerings come in four sizes so just about anyone should be able to find something that fits their needs well. On top of that, Mint Mobile's family plans make your renewal costs a bit more manageable by offering you 12-month rates with three-month renewals. Now that it's fully owned by T-Mobile, we might see some changes in the future but for now, we can easily recommend Mint Mobile to most consumers.

• MVNO deals: Mint Mobile | Visible | Boost | Tello | Cricket Wireless