Best wireless carrier in the U.S. 2025

These days, selecting the best wireless carrier takes a bit more effort than simply going for one of the 'Big Three' service providers. Apart from them, there are also numerous MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators) out there, offering a range of plans for you, your family members, and friends. With so many options, things can (and do) often get complicated, which is why we've done all the hard work to help you out.

The network operators detailed here are among the best and have a number of plans catering to just about everyone's requirements and budget. After we go over the picks, we have also given some pointers that should (hopefully) ease things up further.

Here at Android Central, we're of the opinion that Verizon is currently the top overall option for majority of the users, given the carrier's expansive network infrastructure, a wide variety of plans, and deals to help you save some cash. It's worth mentioning here that Verizon has both prepaid and postpaid offerings. Of course, there are many other carriers and plans worth considering as well, which might work better for you.

Patrick Farmer

Patrick is a no-nonsense deal hunter with over 10 years of experience in the eCommerce space. Whether you’re interested in a new wireless carrier, smart home device, or Android phone, Patrick combines hands-on research with practical shopping advice to get you the answers you need.

At a glance

Best overall

It might not be the best in terms of download speeds, but the sheer size of Verizon's network and the overall consistency of connections make it one of the best options for a lot of consumers. While the carrier's 5G deployment hasn't quite kept pace with that of T-Mobile, the combination of nationwide 5G and Ultra-Wideband 5G networks has been making rapid progress. This Ultra-Wideband 5G also includes Verizon's mid-band spectrum, and it has been delivering great download speeds wherever it's available.

Verizon offers a variety of plans, starting with a simple option for basic phones offering unlimited talk and text, and 500MB of data. That said, most smartphone users will be more interested in the carrier's range of unlimited plans that currently start at $65 per month (per line, before auto pay discounts) for the Unlimited Welcome plan. The per line pricing comes down if you add more lines. With this plan, a family of four will pay $30 for each line, before taxes and fees. Apart from unlimited talk, text, nationwide 5G data, you get Mexico and Canada usage as well. However, video streaming is limited to SD (480p) resolution and no mobile hotspot is included.

The two higher plans—Unlimited Plus and Unlimited Ultimate—both feature hotspot data (30GB and 200GB, respectively) and Ultra-Wideband 5G access, and you also get unlimited premium data with both. It's worth mentioning that both of these are also available with streaming services and extra add-ons such as 100GB of mobile hotspot data, Hulu, Netflix, Max, and Apple One.

Best prepaid

Owned and operated by Verizon, Visible is a prepaid carrier that keeps it super simple by having three unlimited plans to choose from. It's worth keeping in mind that Visible only uses the LTE and 5G networks of Verizon, which means there's no roaming access or 3G if the signal ever gets weak. That being said, it won't be an issue for most users, given the operator's incredible LTE network infrastructure.

Visible's base plan, which is simply called Visible, is much like its older plan and offers you access to unlimited nationwide 5G at just $25 per month, including all taxes and fees. You also get unlimited mobile hotspot (capped at 5Mbps), unlimited talk and text to Mexico and Canada, and automatic blocking of spam and robocalls.

If you want something more, we suggest upgrading to the next higher plan, which is called Visible Plus. It costs $35 per month (again, with all taxes and fees included, and before deals) and provides you unlimited access to Verizon's superfast Ultra-Wideband 5G network, unlimited mobile hotspot (capped at 10Mbps), unlimited talk and text to Mexico and Canada, as well as 2GB of high-speed data per day in these two countries, and a few more extras. Then there's the highest plan, called Visible Plus Pro. This costs $45 per month (including all taxes and fees, and before promotional discounts) and includes all the perks of Visible Plus, while also giving you benefits like video streaming at up to 2160p (4K) resolution, unlimited mobile hotspot data (capped at 15Mbps), as well as calls to over 30 countries and unlimited texting to more than 200 countries. No matter the plan you go for, you can choose to pay upfront for an entire year of service to save even more cash. There are quite a few good phones for Visible available as well, including the latest and greatest flagships.

Best budget pick

Mint Mobile is a great option if you're interested in going prepaid. Now fully owned by T-Mobile, this MVNO uses its parent company's awesome 5G and LTE networks to offer expansive coverage at much lower prices, with a unique plan structure that helps you save cash by signing up for multiple months of service in advance.

For new customers, Mint Mobile's plans start at $15 per month (provided you pay for at least three months upfront) for the 5GB plan and go up to $30 per month for the top-tier unlimited plan, which no longer has a data cap. After the initial three months, you can choose to pay for six months or lock-in your original price by paying for a full year in advance. All plans come with unlimited talk and text and even free calling to Mexico and Canada, along with mobile hotspot, and Wi-Fi calling. Also, the highest unlimited plan comes with a dedicated 10GB of mobile hotspot data.

If you're curious about Mint Mobile but are not ready to commit for multiple months or an entire year, the operator even offers a free seven-day trial that runs alongside your existing carrier's plan, thus allowing you to test-run the service without interruptions.

One catch here is that after the trial period, you'll be locked into a minimum of three months of service before you can make any changes via the Mint Mobile app. But, if you're happy with your Mint Mobile experience after the first week, you can just pay for your wireless service in bulk and save a nice chunk of change in the process.

Best plans

AT&T has one of the fastest LTE networks around, with excellent coverage in most parts of the country. The carrier's also been moving ahead with its nationwide 5G network, a low-band, and a mmWave option with nationwide coverage. Its mid-band network now covers more than 230 million users, although majority of the AT&T customers will be covered via its low-band spectrum, which the operator now claims is available to over 300 million users across more than 25,200 cities and towns. Another advantage of going with AT&T is that majority of the best unlocked phones will work on its network, though you might face issues with some devices if they don't support the right bands.

AT&T's offerings start with a 4GB data plan that costs $50 per month (before taxes and fees) with one line. With it, you get a mobile hotspot, unlimited talk, text, and data with usage in Mexico and Canada. Unfortunately, video streaming is limited to 480p (SD) resolution, but you do get unlimited texting to more than 200 countries. Moving up, AT&T has four unlimited plans starting with the Value Plus plan. This unlimited plan costs $50.99 per month for a single line and offers unlimited talk, text, as well as data, along with 5G access.

Then there are the three higher unlimited plans, starting with the Unlimited Starter plan that costs $65.99 per month for a single line, with the price coming down to just $35.99 per month if you sign up for four lines. This plan has unlimited talk, text and data, along with 5GB of dedicated hotspot data per line per month. Moving up, the Unlimited Extra plan gives you 75GB of high-speed data, 30GB of mobile hotspot data, and 480p (SD) resolution video streaming at a price of $75.99 per month for a single line. Lastly, there's the Unlimited Premium plan that costs $85.99 per month for a single line, and gives you unlimited talk, text, and high-speed data with no reductions in speed regardless of your use. It also offers 60GB of dedicated mobile hotspot data, and video streaming in 2160p (4K) resolution, along with a bunch of other benefits. It goes without saying that all three of these plans come with 5G network access.

Best for customization

US Mobile is a prepaid carrier that uses the networks of both Verizon and T-Mobile to give you high-speed 5G access. When signing up, you can choose whichever SIM will work best with the phone of your choice and provide solid coverage in your area. Even though both networks have reliable coverage across the country, T-Mobile has a more developed 5G network. That said, premium data access via a Verizon SIM will give you great experience as well.

Perhaps the biggest highlight of US Mobile are its two unlimited plans. Of these, the Unlimited Starter plan has a single-line cost of $25 per month (including taxes and fees) and gives you at least 35GB of premium data, at least 10GB of mobile hotspot data, international calls and texts, and more. Moving up, the Unlimited Premium plan is priced at $44 per month (inclusive of all taxes and fees, before discounts) for a single line and gives you unlimited premium data and at least 50GB of mobile hotspot data. With this plan, you're also eligible for multi-line subscription perks that let you add pre-configured bundles of services (e.g., Audible, Hulu, and Xbox Gamepass) with each bundle costing $15 per month, provided you sign up for three lines. There's also an Unlimited Flex plan, but it's only available as an annual option, with the effective price coming to just $17.50 per month. It gives you 10GB of premium data, 5GB hotspot data, and international usage benefits.

Lastly, US Mobile has a lightweight 2GB plan that offers unlimited talk and text and will cost you just $8 per month if you sign up for the entire year. The carrier's 'By the Gig' offerings let you purchase data-addons that can be shared between devices across multiple lines, with the starting 2GB add-on priced at just $10 per month.

Best premium pick

T-Mobile has vastly improved its network over the past few years and continues to get even better, with some of the biggest improvements coming to its 5G network. Using a combination of low-band and mid-band spectrums, the operator has stormed past its competitors to lead the 5G race. The 'un-carrier' claims that its 5G network now covers more than 330 million users across two million square miles. Majority of the customers use the carrier's 'Ultra-Capacity' 5G network.

T-Mobile has a handful of unlimited offerings, starting with the Essentials Saver plan that costs $50 per month (before taxes and fees, and with auto pay discounts) for one line. It includes unlimited talk and text, 50GB of premium data, unlimited 3G hotspot, and no requirement for an annual contract. You also get 480p (SD) streaming with this plan. Oddly, the next Essentials plan offers exactly the same benefits, but costs $60 per month. That said, you do get a third line free with this plan.

Moving up, you have the Experience More and the Experience Beyond plans that have single-line monthly costs (with auto pay discounts, and before taxes and fees) of $85 and $100, respectively. Both these plans include unlimited 5G data access. You also get unlimited premium data, Mexico and Canada use with varying amounts of dedicated high-speed data, as well as in-flight connectivity. Among other benefits are lots of mobile hotspot data, Netflix (with ads) and Apple TV+, and a five-year price guarantee. Both these plans also include video streaming at up to 2160p (4K) resolution.

All of T-Mobile's plans offer multi-line discounts for a maximum of five lines. Also worth noting here is that T-Mobile offers all these plans at discounted prices to senior citizens (aged 55 and above), military personnel and veterans, and first responders.

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How to choose

Should you go with prepaid?

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A Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) is basically a prepaid carrier that provides cellular service by leasing it from one (or more) of the traditional carriers and reselling it to you. This allows for a greater variety of plans on the same networks that may work out better for you. Some of the best MVNOs offer additional savings with longer terms, or even just by cutting out features you don't need, such as video service subscriptions. You can also go for MVNOs that throw in additional features like tethering (hotspot data) with their plans.

The most important thing here is to select the best cell phone plan that gives reliable and consistent network coverage in the area that you live in.

Choose a carrier offering plenty of data and coverage in your area

Most of the Americans will be covered by any of the above-mentioned networks, so the biggest questions are: 1) Which plans are the best fit for you? and 2.) How eager are you to get 5G access? Nationwide 5G is available on all the three big carriers, but you'll need a phone that supports it. Luckily, most of the best Android phones do. Verizon and AT&T are more comfortable charging a premium for their services, thanks to good reputation for having strong networks. Most of the time, however, the best choice isn't the cheapest carrier but the one with the best coverage for you. Luckily, switching is reasonably easy, and you can even keep your existing phone number when you do so.

• Carrier deals: Verizon | AT&T | T-Mobile | Mint Mobile | Visible