Going with one of the best cheap data plans is a great way of saving on your phone bill, while still being able to get loads of high-speed data access. Generally, these plans don't come with some of the bundled extras (e.g., subscription services) that you get with proper unlimited plans, but all the essentials are still there.
While majority of these affordable plans are offered by some of the best MVNO carriers available out there, some are also available through the 'Big Three' service providers. Since an MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) basically 'leases' network infrastructure from one (or more) mainstream carriers, it doesn't have to incur the related operation and maintenance expenditure. Consequently, an MVNO is able to pass on those savings to its consumers, usually in the form of prepaid plans that don't involve any pesky contracts.
My overall pick still remains Mint Mobile, an affordable yet feature-laden MVNO that's fully owned and operated by T-Mobile. It lets you save by providing service in chunks of multiple (e.g., three, six, or 12) months. Tello is another solid choice, since it allows you to fully customize the plan according to your needs and budget. There are numerous other great options too, so make sure you read all about them!
Patrick is an experienced deal hunter with a particular interest in helping people save money on their phone bills. Whether you're switching to an affordable MVNO or upgrading to one of the Big Three, utilizing Patrick's years of experience in the eCommerce space can help you cut through the noise and find the carrier that works for you.
At a glance
Best overall
Along with 5GB high-speed data, the base plan of Mint Mobile gives you unlimited talk and text, mobile hotspot functionality, and free calling to Mexico and Canada.
Best unlimited
Visible Plus not only gives you unlimited talk and text, but also unlimited mobile hotspot (capped at 10Mbps), automatic spam and robocall blocking, and unlimited premium data on Verizon's network.
Best affordable
Tello features a customization option that lets you configure exactly what you want in your mobile plan. From nothing to unlimited minutes and from no data to unlimited, you can mix and match things up as you like.
Best for seniors
With T-Mobile Essentials Choice 55, you get unlimited talk and text, 50GB of premium data, 5G access, spam and robocall blocking, SD streaming, and more. Hotspot use at 3G speeds is also included.
Best for data sharing
US Mobile lets you buy data in chunks (e.g., 2GB, 10GB) that can be shared between devices across multiple lines. Whatever you choose, the price includes first line, as well as all the taxes and fees. All plans also offer hotspot functionality too.
Best for families
T-Mobile Experience More is a feature-laden plan that comes with unlimited premium data, 60GB mobile hotspot data, roaming benefits in Mexico and Canada, and in-flight connectivity benefits. It's also eligible for multi-line discounts.
Best overall
Many Americans use significantly less data than they think. If that includes you, why not consider reducing your monthly bill by getting just what you need from your cell phone plan and getting rid of the extra stuff?
Mint Mobile's 5GB base plan is arguably the best cheap cell phone plan overall, offering enough data for most light users, along with unlimited talk and text. Mint Mobile is an MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) that starts you off with a three-month plan at a low introductory price. You can choose to keep this rate if you renew the service for a year, though you have to pay the entire amount in advance. After that, you can opt for a shorter renewal period, but doing so will slightly increase your monthly price.
Mint Mobile is fully owned by T-Mobile and uses its parent carrier's 5G infrastructure to give you nationwide coverage. You can buy a phone through the carrier too, but if your existing device is already paid off and unlocked, you can easily bring it to Mint Mobile, and it'll work without any issues. In any case, we still recommend that you check your phone's compatibility on Mint Mobile's website before moving ahead.
Mint Mobile also allows you to share your data allotment via a hotspot, and calling to Mexico and Canada is included with this plan as well. If you need more data, you can either add 1GB (priced at $10) or 3GB (priced at $20) at a time or simply upgrade to a higher plan by paying the price difference.
Note: Mint Mobile has now removed the 40GB data cap from its highest Unlimited plan, making it an even better value. Also, as part of a limited-time offer, you can get any of Mint Mobile's four plans at just $15 per month, provided you sign up for at least three months as a new customer.
Best unlimited
People rely on their phones these days more than ever, and many just want tons of data without having to think about how much they've used up. Luckily, there are quite a few unlimited options to pick from. While most of these plans will likely reduce your speeds if you use too much data, your connectivity won't be completely cut off. Even so, hitting these upper limits is pretty difficult.
Visible uses the nationwide LTE and 5G network infrastructure of its parent company Verizon to offer solid coverage, and its prices are inclusive of all taxes and fees. You will need a compatible phone with VoLTE support on Verizon to get going, but majority of the new devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and the Google Pixel 9 support it.
While the base plan is still good enough for most users, we recommend upgrading to the middle Visible Plus plan. Now priced at an even better $35 per month (before any promotional discounts), it not only offers unlimited talk and text, but also unlimited premium data on Verizon's super-fast 'Ultra-Wideband' 5G network. Some other perks include unlimited hotspot use at 10Mbps speed, talk and text to Mexico & Canada with 2GB of daily roaming data, 500 minutes of talk time to over 30 countries, unlimited texting to more than 200 countries, and 1080p video streaming. If you want even more, you can go for the newly introduced Visible Plus Pro plan, which has all the benefits of Visible Plus, along with hotspot use at 15Mbps speed, smartwatch service, as well as 4K video streaming.
Best affordable
Sometimes less is more, and that is often the case with data too. There might be users who don't even need 2GB of data per month, or those who just want a few minutes of talk time. If that sounds someone like you, we recommend getting Tello, as it can help you save a whole lot on your phone bill.
Tello lets you customize your phone plan almost exactly how you want, both in terms of talk time minutes and data allotment. From just 1GB to unlimited data and from 100 minutes to fully unlimited talk time, there are several options you can mix and match via the carrier's 'Build Your Own Plan' configurator on the website. You can even go for no data or no talk time at all. Some other goodies offered by Tello include free hotspot usage, free texts, and hassle-free upgrade/downgrade at any time.
Using T-Mobile's network infrastructure, Tello also offers some pre-configured plans to save you the trouble of having to set things up yourself. The base Economy plan gives you 2GB of data and unlimited talk and text for just $10 per month. The highest Data plan is true to its name and includes unlimited data (capped at 35GB), all while costing a mere $25 per month. You even get free calls to Mexico, India, Canada, and many other countries. Tello's selection of phones is somewhat limited and includes mostly refurbished and pre-owned options, but you can bring most of the best unlocked phones over to the network.
Best for seniors
Many carriers offer discounts on the best phone plans for seniors, and it can be a good way (for eligible consumers) to avail wireless service at lower prices. As such, if you are someone who simply doesn't care much about data or a laundry list of features, these plans guarantee that you'll only get what you actually need.
As one of the 'Big Three' carriers in the United States, T-Mobile offers a trio of plans for users aged 55 and above. Of these, the least expensive is the Essentials Choice 55 plan, which costs $45 per month (taxes and fees extra) with autopay discounts. It also offers a discount of $5 per line, for a maximum of six lines.
Speaking of benefits, T-Mobile Essentials Choice 55 gives you 50GB of premium data on the carrier's incredible 5G network, complete with unlimited talk and text, mobile hotspot usage at 3G speeds (optional high-speed available), video streaming (at up to 480p quality), unlimited talk, text, and data in Canada and Mexico (at up to 128Kbps), and unlimited texting in over 215 countries and destinations across the globe. You also get spam call protection, and there are no service contracts to get into either.
Best for data sharing
Using the network infrastructure of both T-Mobile and Verizon, US Mobile is easily one of the best MVNO carriers in the United States. Its portfolio has three unlimited plans having loads of data (with the starter plan only available as an annual option), but what if you want to share data with multiple devices?
This is where US Mobile's 'By the Gig' offerings come into picture. Basically, this feature lets you buy data in chunks of 2GB, 5GB, 10GB, and 20GB, at monthly prices of $10, $15, $20, and $35, respectively (for one line). This data pool can be shared between different devices (including tablets) across multiple lines.
It's worth mentioning that all the above-mentioned prices include one line, as well as all the taxes and fees. You can add more lines at a price of $8 per line, and each line gets unlimited talk and text, premium data, and hotspot functionality. The more lines you get, the more you can save.
As mentioned before, US Mobile offers three unlimited plans as well, and you can pay for an entire year of service for more savings. All these plans come with unlimited talk, text, and data, lots of dedicated mobile hotspot data, and much more.
Best for families
Signing up for multiple lines for the entire family can be a great way of saving on your phone service. While most of the prepaid carriers need you to pay the full price for the first line, postpaid operators such as T-Mobile offer significant discounts if you bring in multiple members of your family to the network as well.
T-Mobile's Experience More plan is among the best family-oriented wireless service options out there. At $85 per month (taxes and fees included) per line with autopay discounts, it's certainly not as cheap as some plans offered by competitors, but there are numerous goodies thrown into the mix that make the price almost seem justified.
Each line on the Experience More plan gets not only unlimited premium data, but also 60GB of dedicated mobile hotspot data. After you use that allotment, unlimited hotspot usage is available at 3G speeds. You also get multi-line discounts (with third line being free), unlimited talk, text, and 15GB of high-speed data in Canada and Mexico, full in-flight connectivity, six months of Apple TV+ and Netflix (with ads), and more. This plan comes with a five-year price guarantee, and of course, you can choose from the best T-Mobile phones to fully enjoy all the benefits that the plan has.
How to choose
How much data do you really need?
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Before choosing a carrier and/or a wireless plan, it's important to take time for thinking about your requirements. The vast majority of plans now offer unlimited talk and text, so the primary factor to take into account is data. Fortunately, most (if not all) modern phones can tell you how much data you typically use in their settings. If not, you can simply take a look at your past bill and get an estimate of your mobile data (not Wi-Fi) usage.
If you use a significant amount of data (e.g., more than 30GB) in a month, it might be a good ideal to go for an unlimited plan such as Visible Plus. Its unlimited premium data allotment should be sufficient for all your needs, and you'll get super-fast speeds on Verizon's Ultra-Wideband 5G network. There's also mobile hotspot functionality, as well as a few nice international perks.
Of course, Mint Mobile's 5GB plan is an easy recommendation as our top choice, but only if you don't use up too much data. If you're over the age of 55, you can go for the T-Mobile Essentials Choice 55 plan. For just $45 per month, it offers 50GB of premium data, texting while abroad, and more.
The second important thing to consider is device compatibility. If you've already got an unlocked phone, you're one step ahead and can just start looking at the plans. On the other hand, if you're stuck with a carrier-locked phone or/and are ready to get a new phone, you can purchase almost any phone unlocked and get it activated on the new carrier of your choice. From affordable options to some of the best Android phones, there are plenty of options in the market.
Get the plan that's ideal for your requirements
It goes without saying that the best plan—no matter how much (or how little) data or talk time it offers—will be the one that works out best for you, and that's not always going to be the cheapest option. Saving money is important, but if you go for a plan that offers too little for your needs, you may find yourself running out of data when you actually need it. Similarly, there's no point getting an unlimited plan if you mostly stay at home and your device is always connected to your Wi-Fi network. You should select a plan that matches your usage, rather than adjusting your usage to your plan.
- Carrier deals: Verizon | AT&T | T-Mobile | Mint Mobile | Visible
