What is the best MVNO for Android users? We tested the top-rated prepaid carriers, and this is what we found

Going with one of the best MVNO carriers is arguably the easiest way of saving on your phone service, that too without having to give up (most of) the benefits that you get with the 'Big Three' service providers. An MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) essentially "leases" network infrastructure from one or more mainstream carriers (e.g., AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon), which allows it to offer its service at very competitive prices through a range of prepaid plans.

While you don't get extras such as streaming services with these plans, they are ideal if you just want reliable wireless connectivity and couldn't care less about the additional stuff. Oh, and since there are no contracts, you're free to make the switch from one carrier to another whenever you feel like.

At a glance

Best overall

Fully owned and operated by T-Mobile, Mint Mobile remains the finest prepaid carrier out there. It offers excellent coverage via four flexible plans, all available at extremely affordable prices. Mint Mobile is a unique MVNO, since you're required to purchase at least three months of service in advance. It also manages to keep things fresh by regularly updating its offerings to meet the ever-changing needs of consumers. Although Mint Mobile has basically the same network strengths (and weaknesses) as most other T-Mobile-based MVNOs but for the most part, its overall coverage should be solid for majority of the customers. Fortunately, T-Mobile's network is easily one of the fastest in the country, and with 5G, among the most advanced too.

You can purchase service for up to a year, which is how you get to 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 require more data each month, you can get the unlimited plan that now has unlimited high-speed data and 10GB of dedicated hotspot data. This plan has an introductory rate of $30 per month for first three months, with renewals costing $35 per month. But if you sign up for an entire 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 has 4G LTE as well as VoLTE support. If you're not certain, you can confirm it via the carrier's online compatibility tool, but most unlocked GSM phones should work just fine. Once you get your SIM card, you can activate it using the Mint Mobile app. If you want to buy a new phone you can do that as well, as the carrier sells a variety of phones ranging from budget options to flagships.

Best cheap pick

Tello is a simple and straightforward prepaid carrier that lets you configure data and talk time minutes for your plan, exactly the way you want. You get unlimited texts on all the plan combinations and as we saw in our Tello review, the overall compatibility is also quite strong, thanks to T-Mobile's network. If you primarily use Wi-Fi at home and just need a little data for some situations, the 2GB 'Economy' plan can be a great option. Even when paired with unlimited calling, it'll cost you just $10 per month.

For heavy users, the 10GB 'Smart' plan is a solid place to start, with just enough data for casual streaming, browsing social media, and some messaging. Should you require more, the unlimited 'Data' plan takes your data allotment to 50GB (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 speeds are reduced. While it may not be fast enough for YouTube, you can text and email just fine. You also get 10GB of dedicated hotspot data with this plan.

Tello's plans can be customized but if you want to keep it simple, just pick one of the four pre-configured plans. Among them, the 'Economy' plan detailed above costs $10 per month, with 2GB of data and unlimited talk and text. Then there's the 'Value' plan with 5GB and 'Smart' plan with 10GB data, at monthly costs of $14 and $19, respectively. The unlimited 'Data' plan costs $25 per month and has a maximum high-speed data cap of 50GB, as mentioned above. That said, all the prices detailed above are before taxes and fees.

Best for unlimited

Owned and operated by Verizon, Visible keeps things simple by offering a trio of incredible unlimited plans to pick from, and very little to complicate your choice. The starter plan (just called Visible) is quite comparable to the carrier's old plan that we tested in our Visible review. It offers fully unlimited data on Verizon's LTE and 5G networks, although data gets a lower priority than other traffic on the carrier. Even so, the speeds should be sufficient for most consumers to use their smartphones sans any noticeable restrictions. There's a good reason Visible has one of the best cell phone plans out there, all thanks to unlimited talk, text, and data. It also packs unlimited hotspot data at a speed of 5Mbps, and all this costs just $25 per month, before any limited-time discounts.

The next plan (called Visible Plus) adds unlimited premium data to keep speeds as fast as possible even in congested areas. Visible Plus has a regular price of $35 per month before discounts and also gives you access to Verizon's faster 'Ultra-Wideband' 5G for blazing-fast speeds with C-band or mmWave coverage. It adds some international roaming and international calling options too, upgrades the unlimited hotspot data speed to 10Mbps, and has up to 1080p video streaming. Finally, there's the newest top-of-the-line plan (called Visible Plus Pro) that has unlimited hotspot data at 15Mbps, bundled smartwatch service, calling to more than 85 countries and unlimited texting to over 200 countries, along with up to 4K video streaming. Priced at $45 per month before any promotional discounts, it's perfect if you need lots of data.

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 of the required bands with the carrier. Majority of the top-selling Android phones will work on Visible just fine, but some older or a bit more obscure phones may or may not be compatible, so make sure you use the carrier's BYOD tool before moving forward.

Best for customization

US Mobile starts things off with a fairly basic 'Light' plan that's priced at just $10 per month and comes with 2GB of premium data, complete with unlimited talk and text. You can also add international calling to this option. Then you get three unlimited plans offering a wide range of goodies. However, the base plan that's called Unlimited Flex, is only available for a full year at an effective price of $17.50 per month.

The two higher unlimited offerings are called Unlimited Starter and Unlimited Premium, and these are priced at $25 and $44 per month (before any limited-time promotional savings), respectively, offering everything from unlimited talk and text to loads of premium and hotspot data. They're also available annually for more savings, if you prefer that. If you get three lines with the top-tier plan, you can also go for a subscription bundle (priced at $15 per month) that offers services such as Audible, Hulu, and PlayStation Plus. It's also worth mentioning that both unlimited plans have discounts if you sign up for multiple lines.

Another interesting offering by US Mobile lets you buy 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 uses the networks of all the 'Big Three' carriers to provide its wireless service, and its prices include all the taxes and fees as well.

Best for families

There are three major carriers in the U.S., with each having a largely similar level of network coverage by the numbers. However, if you reside or work out in the country, there might be some areas where AT&T's network reaches a bit better in comparison to those of Verizon and T-Mobile. If that's the case, you (and your family!) can still take advantage of prepaid savings with Cricket Wireless. Owned and operated by AT&T, this carrier gives you four main phone plans, starting out with a 10GB 'Sensible' plan, then three unlimited options. All but the base plan have multi-line discounts, but you get autopay savings with all plans.

The $45 per month middle 'Smart Unlimited' plan keeps things straightforward with unlimited talk, text, and data. It offers 15GB of hotspot data, 100GB of cloud storage, Mexico and Canada usage, and unlimited texting to over 200 countries and territories. And if you want even more, the top-tier $55 per month 'Supreme Unlimited' plan upgrades your hotspot data to 50GB, and gives 150GB of cloud storage along with ad-supported HBO Max. All of these plans can access AT&T's nationwide 5G network. There are also two multi-month plans available at $15 and $25 per month, provided you sign up for three or 12 months, respectively. These include unlimited talk, text, and data, Mexico and Canada usage, and 2GB of cloud storage.

AT&T's network is compatible with most of the unlocked phones so if you have a device, there's a good chance you can bring it aboard. That said, the carrier also sells a range of mid-range devices, including both Android phones and iPhones, so if you want a high-end device, you'll have to buy or finance it unlocked.

Best international perks

Majority of the 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 great overall coverage. While just a few phones are compatible with its 'Designed for Fi' feature (for automatic switching to open Wi-Fi networks whenever they are available), if you happen to have a compatible device like the Google Pixel 10 or the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, you should get solid network range with full 5G access.

Google Fi Wireless offers a trio of unlimited plans called Unlimited Essentials, Unlimited Standard, and Unlimited Premium. These offer 30GB, 50GB, and 100GB of high-speed data, respectively. You also get connectivity for select smartwatches, Google's VPN, and other features like spam blocking. Of these, the higher two plans come with loads of dedicated hotspot data, international data usage in Mexico and Canada, and more. If you get the highest plan, you get international data usage in more than 200 countries, 100GB of cloud storage via Google One, and a free six-month subscription of YouTube Premium. Apart from these, there's also a Flexible plan that costs just $20 per month. With this plan, you still only pay for the data you use up and never for more than 6GB (for one user), thanks to the 'Bill Protection' feature. After 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.

The biggest feature that sets Google Fi Wireless apart is international service on the Unlimited Premium plan. If you're traveling in any of the over 200 supported countries, your data cost will be the same as it is at home. You'll also be getting unlimited texts but will need to pay $0.20 per minute for calls, along with 50GB of high-speed data.

Best for students

If you're a student and want to save on phone service, Ultra Mobile is arguably among the best options you can go with. This MVNO uses T-Mobile's network infrastructure to offer reliable nationwide coverage and gives you six affordable prepaid plans to choose from. The base plan comes with 4GB of high-speed 5G data, unlimited talk and text, Mexico and Canada usage, shared mobile hotspot, and more, all for just $19 per month. Going up, the higher plans offer anywhere from 8GB to unlimited (capped at 35GB) high-speed 5G data, with the top two plans also offering up to 10GB or 25GB of dedicated mobile hotspot data.

All of Ultra Mobile's plans include unlimited talk to more than 90 international destinations around the world. In addition to that, the starter plan has $1.50 of international calling credit (monthly), and $5 of international roaming credit (one-time), with the top-tier plan increasing both of these credit allotments to $15. This makes Ultra Mobile a solid choice for international students wanting to stay in touch with friends and family back home. You can also pay upfront for a longer service duration (three, six, or 12 months) to save even more.

Apart from these primary plans, Ultra Mobile also offers a lightweight plan that includes goodies like unlimited talk service to over 90 international destinations across the globe, and 500MB of high-speed data, at an effective price of $13 per month. However, this plan is only available if you pay upfront for at least three months of service.

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FAQ

Should I switch to an MVNO?

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Moving away from the 'Big Three' carriers is a good way of saving on your phone bill by stripping away services you don't need. You can find an MVNO that offers good coverage in your area and uses a base 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, without spending too much money or time moving over numbers.

What is the best MVNO?

Overall, Mint Mobile continues to be among the best choices, as long you don't mind paying upfront 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 service renewals a lot more manageable by offering you 12-month rates at three-month renewals. Now that it's fully owned by T-Mobile, we might see some changes in the future but at least for now, we can recommend Mint Mobile to most users.

How do I switch to an MVNO?

Signing up with an MVNO is as easy as going online and selecting a plan that suits your requirements. Majority of the phones come with eSIM support these days, so you can get your service activated in a matter of minutes. Many MVNOs will also offer exclusive deals to new customers, so be sure to check each carrier's site carefully before you commit to one.

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