Best MVNOs that use T-Mobile's network

When you sign up with one of the best MVNOs that use T-Mobile's network, you get to enjoy reliable and consistent coverage throughout the United States, all without having to shell out a fortune. Thanks to its nationwide high-speed 5G and the ever improving (and even much faster) 'Ultra-Capacity' 5G infrastructure, T-Mobile makes perfect sense for some of the best MVNO carriers in the country to base their services on. The network also allows for enhanced device compatibility, which means just about any of the best unlocked phones will work on it sans any issues.

Even though there are quite a few alternative carriers to choose from, Mint Mobile continues to be our top choice as far as the best Mobile Virtual Network Operators using T-Mobile's network are concerned. Fully owned and operated by T-Mobile, Mint Mobile allows you to save by offering service in chunks of multiple months, for which you're required to pay in advance. You can also consider Metro by T-Mobile if you want better multi-line discounts, or even Google Fi Wireless for the finest international goodies, and a few more.

At a glance

Best overall

Having used T-Mobile's network for many years to provide reliable coverage, Mint Mobile is now fully owned and operated by the 'Un-carrier' and continues to be a top-tier option. If you're willing to buy up to a year of phone service upfront, you can get 15GB of monthly data for as little as $20 per month with one line. Apart from that, you get hotspot usage with every plan. The unlimited plan now comes with no data caps (although speeds are reduced if you use more than 50GB in a month) and is ideal if you find yourself running out of data quite often. This plan is the perfect for data-heavy users.

However, Mint Mobile's best rates come via its smaller plans, with the starter 5GB option coming in as low as $15 per month. The 15GB plan costs just a bit more, at a starting price of $20 per month. Then there's the 20GB plan, which starts at $25 per month. Thus, you can save quite a lot with Mint Mobile as a light user. Note that all these prices are before limited-time discounts and regular promotions, so you can save even more.

Still, Mint's Mobile's best savings require you to pay for an entire year of service in advance, which can be daunting, especially if you plan on bringing multiple lines. For multi-line customers, Mint Family offers 12-month rates, but payments are only required every three months. This makes bringing your family members or friends to the carrier easier, even if you can't afford to pay for a year of service for multiple lines in one go.

To learn more, check out our Mint Mobile review.

Best for multi-line discounts

Metro by T-Mobile has three main unlimited plans, with the starter option being available only online at a price of $40 per month. Then you have the next $50 per month unlimited plan having unlimited data on T-Mobile's network, along with 8GB of hotspot data, as well as protection from scam calls. Furthermore, you get 100GB of cloud storage via Google One, 8GB of dedicated hotspot data, and a lot more. It's ideal for heavier users who don't want to worry about how much data they use.

Lastly, there's the $60 per month (after autopay discount) plan that offers 25GB of hotspot data, all other benefits of the cheaper plan just detailed above, as well as unlimited texting to more than 210 countries and destinations across the world. With this plan, you also get Amazon Prime, HD streaming, and some other perks. Apart from these three, there's another web exclusive plan that costs just $25 per month (with autopay discount), provided you bring your own phone. If you can pay upfront for six months, you can get a standard unlimited plan at an effective price of $20 per month. All plans come are backed by a five-year price guarantee, and you can also avail multi-line discounts for up to four lines. The prices are also inclusive of all taxes and fees.

Best international perks

Google Fi Wireless doesn't try to have the lowest prices around; instead, it keeps the focus on making things simple and easy. If you have a top-tier device such as the Google Pixel 10 Pro, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, or even one of the several affordable Android phones, you can not only get T-Mobile's network coverage but enjoy intelligent switching to secure Wi-Fi connections when they are available and stronger. This unique approach allows Google Fi Wireless consumers to stay connected throughout most of the United States with little to no effort. Even if you don't have one of the smartphones needed for this, you'll still be connected through T-Mobile's network anyway. 5G access is available for both 'Designed for Fi' and 'Compatible with Fi' phones, and you even get to travel to more than 200 international destinations without having to worry about data prices.

Among Google Fi Wireless's refreshed plans is the 'Flexible' plan, which costs $20 per month for one line. For every 1GB used, you have to pay $10 until you hit 6GB. After that, the cost freezes at $80 per month with the 'Bill Protection' feature. Do note that the total cost and data consumption will vary based on the number of lines on the plan. Then there's the 'Unlimited Essentials' plan, which costs $35 per month and offers 30GB of high-speed data, but not many international features. For that, you'll need to go for either the 'Unlimited Standard' or the 'Unlimited Premium' plan. The 'Unlimited Standard' plan costs $50 per month and offers 50GB of premium data, 25GB of high-speed mobile hotspot data, and usage in Mexico and Canada. Lastly, the 'Unlimited Premium' plan costs $65 per month and includes 100GB of premium data, 50GB of high-speed mobile hotspot data, and free international calls to over 50 destinations. You also get 50GB of roaming data in more than 200 countries, along with 100GB of free cloud storage via Google One and six months of YouTube Premium.

To learn more, check out our detailed Google Fi overview.

Best ultra-affordable

Tello is designed in a manner so that you can choose to have as little or as much data and/or or/and talk time minutes as you need. If you're a very light user, it is almost impossible to beat Tello's 1GB plan, which also bundles unlimited talk and text for just $9 per month. There are no fees or contracts either, so you won't be getting any billing surprises. A fully unlimited option costs a mere $25 per month and packs in 50GB of high-speed data, after which speeds are downgraded. You can add up to four lines to an account if you want to bring over friends or family members, but there are no additional discounts. You also have a nice selection of pre-configured plans to choose from.

Tello is a great option if you have family or friends in Canada, Mexico, or India, as you get free calls to these three and more than 60 other countries. For the other destinations, you'll need to pay by the minute, with the prices being lower than one cent per minute.

You can use your own phone too, as long as it is unlocked and compatible with the T-Mobile network. You can check your device's IMEI number to be sure. Tello sells a few phones through its website, including refurbished flip phones as well as affordable smartphones. If you want something a bit more high-end, such as one of the best Android phones, you'll need to buy one yourself.

To learn more, read our Tello review.

Best for customization

US Mobile has a trio of unlimited plans and some basic options, so you'll be able to find something that suits your requirements and budget. The starter plan has unlimited talk and text, and 2GB of high-speed data at just $10 per month. From there, you can move up to the 10GB 'Unlimited Flex' plan that's only available as an annual option, as well as two unlimited plans. These are usually priced at $25 per month ('Unlimited Starter') and $44 per month ('Unlimited Premium') and come with include international calling and texting. The higher plan also packs in multi-line subscription benefits. It allows you to choose from over ten streaming and gaming services (e.g., Apple Music Family, Hulu, and Xbox Gamepass) at $15 per month, provided you have 3 lines on the plan.

Another interesting offering by US Mobile are its 'By the Gig' plans, which let you have a specific amount of monthly data that can be shared between any number of devices. The 'pool' of data to be shared also covers one line with unlimited talk and text, at no additional charges. Additional lines can be added to this plan, at a cost of $8 per month. There's no restriction on the amount of data you can buy to add to the pool for sharing, with data packs available in capacities of 2GB, 5GB, 10GB, and 20GB.

To learn more, take a look at our US Mobile review.

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How to choose

Save on wireless service with the best T-Mobile MVNOs out there

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There are many great MVNOs using T-Mobile's network that offer a wide range of plans, with everything from just a few minutes of talk time to fully unlimited data thrown into the mix. As such, many of these prepaid carriers are also some of the best MVNOs overall. While more and more consumers are using large amounts of data on their smartphones these days, the availability of Wi-Fi continues to get better, allowing many users to get by with cheaper plans. If you don't require lots of data, there's a certainly a plan available with most prepaid carriers having just a few GBs of data, at a fantastic price.

Now a subsidiary of T-Mobile, Mint Mobile continues to offer lots of data for most users with a pricing structure that immediately makes sense. Mint Mobile's unlimited plan isn't the most feature-laden but for most customers, it's going to be more than enough. Then there's Metro by T-Mobile, which offers a variety of plans having multi-line discounts, bundled subscription services, and a more.

• MVNO deals: Mint Mobile | Metro by T-Mobile | Google Fi Wireless | Tello | US Mobile