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The Best Cheap Cell Phone Plans For February 2024: Options From As A Low As $5 A Month
Cheap cell phone plans: jump links
If you're looking to cut those monthly bills right down to size, let us help you out with a full roundup of this month's best cheap cell phone plans. We've tirelessly researched all the top carrier's in the US to come up with a list that we think, in our humble opinion, not only offers the lowest monthly costs, but also the best overall bang for the buck choices when it comes to cheap cell phone plans.
Of course, it can be tricky to determine which plan is best for you - after all, there are literally hundreds of choices out there and everyone has different needs. To help this, we've taken a pragmatic approach in our assessment of each of these cheap cell phone plans factoring not just costs, but also things like data allowances and handy perks too.
We've also clearly separated out each of our best cheap cell phone plans choices by what application we think they're best for. Put simply, whether you're a single line user, looking for a cheap unlimited plan, or even looking for a cheap family plan alternative to the big carriers - you'll find good options here. Mostly from the excellent selection of prepaid carriers out there right now.
Speaking of prepaid, we highly recommend you go with a prepaid carrier if you're looking for strictly cheap cell phone plans. Not only will you be doing away with those pesky long-term contracts, but these smaller companies quite simply offer bang-for-the-buck that the larger carriers simply can't compete with. Of course, there are a few caveats to going with a prepaid carrier, which we've thoroughly covered in each selection, and in our frequently asked questions section at the bottom of the page.
If you'd like to broaden your scope a little bit, we've got even more options over at our main best cell phone plans page. You can compare these cheap cell phone plans to what the big carriers are offering over at our Verizon plans and AT&T plans pages as well.
Recent updates
Amended entry for Tello (now features lower pricing across most plans)
The best cheap cell phone plans: top picksHere we'll be breaking down our choices and giving a quick analysis on each. You'll find all the basic information you need to know, such as monthly cost, data allowances and also coverage right here.
1. Best value cheap cell phone plans 2. Best unlimited cheap cell phone plans 3. Cheapest of the cheap 4. Verizon coverage 5. AT&T coverage 6. T-Mobile coverage 7. Best pay-as-you-go Cheap cell phone plans: FAQ
Switch to a smaller carrier
Any of the cheap cell phone plans on our list will save you a ton of cash versus the more established brands like AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. While bigger carriers do tend to offer more fully-featured plans overall (with things like streaming service subscriptions), when it comes to value they simply can't compete with the smaller fish. Even if you're going to go with an unlimited data plan, for example, carriers like Visible offer cheaper prepaid alternatives for as low as $25 a month. For context, that's about a third of what you'd expect to pay with Verizon, which is Visible's parent company. Subsequently, it can pay dividends to jump ship to a smaller, up-and-coming cheap cell phone plans company.
Cut out what you don't need
Don't pay for what you don't need! It's a simple adage, but it rings true when shopping around for the best cheap cell phone plans. Data especially is one key area where a simple cut-back can really help reign in those monthly bills - particularly if you're someone who tends to use WiFi more than their cellular data. These days, nearly all cheap cell phone plans carriers offer unlimited talk and text on their service, so the biggest savings tend to be around cutting data rather than other features. Bigger carriers also offer things like bundled-in streaming service subscriptions, which don't tend to be featured on cheaper prepaid plans, but are worth dropping if you're strictly on a budget with a post-paid plan.
Review plan usage and avoid data upcharges
Before you commit to any of the cheap cell phone plans on our list we recommend having a solid idea of how much data you'll use each month, along with requirements for talk and text. Some cheaper carriers tend to have quite strict allowances where they'll either cut off your data, throttle your speed, or even charge you extra for going over your monthly allowance. Note - this upcharging is actually pretty uncommon now, and none of the cheap cell phone plans on our list will charge you if you go over your allowance (without prompting you). Still, it's worth reading any fine print carefully and having a good idea of your data usage before you jump on board with any carrier.
Who has the best coverage?All of the cheap cell phone plans featured in this article are offered by MVNO companies using the bigger carrier networks of Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile. They all have good coverage nationwide but you'll definitely want to determine which one's best for you by using the coverage checkers on their websites.
Here are some quick links to the various pages where you can check your coverage directly. Simply enter your zip code or pinpoint your location on the provided maps to see which big carrier has the best coverage in your local area.
How are these cell phone plans so cheap?Smaller carriers (MVNOs) don't run their own networks for cellular coverage, instead opting to 'piggyback' off one of the four major carriers networks instead. This has the primary benefit of the MVNO not having to pay costly upkeep on maintaining the physical infrastructure needed for a cellular network but still enabling them to have great coverage. That saving means they can operate with much lower overheads and offer cheaper cell phone plans overall to their customers.
All this does come with a catch however, as the big carriers like to prioritize their own customer's connections when the network is seeing heavy traffic overall. This can lead to what's called 'de-prioritization' for the customers using a sub-carrier, which essentially results in a slower connection over LTE (non WiFi internet). That said, the potential savings of going with a smaller carrier tend to outweigh the disadvantages of a potential slower connection for most people. In general, the market tends to call these types of plans prepaid plans, as opposed to the usual postpaid (unlimited) options at the likes of Verizon and such.
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Mint Mobile Plans Guide: Prices, Unlimited Data, And Which One Is Right For You
Mint Mobile plans: quick links
If you're wondering which of the current Mint Mobile plans are best for you, then you've landed on the right page. Everyone's different in regards to budget and use case so we've rounded up a ton of handy tips as well as our thoughts on the current Mint Mobile plans lineup to help you choose the right one. Surprisingly for a prepaid carrier, there's actually a ton of choices at Mint Mobile - including both cheap and unlimited options.
As a rule of thumb, less data equals cheaper rates with Mint Mobile plans, but of course you'll want to consider how much data you'll actually need. We've included recommendations for each plan based on general usage requirements like browsing, social media, and video streaming.
All Mint Mobile plans feature the carrier's somewhat unique pricing system. In a nutshell, you have the choice between buying your data in allotments of three, six, or twelve months - with the longer plans averaging out to lower monthly plans. With Mint Mobile you pay for your plans upfront - so be prepared to spend quite a bit at once to get the best rates overall.
While paying upfront can be a bit of a bummer for some when it comes to Mint Mobile plans. It does come with the advantage of having long periods of service where you literally don't pay anything at all - and all without having a contract too. It's worth it in our eyes, especially since Mint Mobile offers some of the best prepaid plans out there right now when it comes to value.
Speaking of value, it's not just price that sets Mint Mobile plans apart from the competition right now. The service also offers free 5G access, mobile hot-spotting, and even free calling to Mexico and Canada on all plans. Recently, the carrier also bumped up its data allowances across all of its plans - a nice little bonus considering all the prices remained the same.
Note, all GSM (T-Mobile and AT&T compatible) phones work with Mint Mobile too, so there's a wide selection of Mint Mobile phones that simply just need a SIM card to work.
Recent updates
Amendments to the 'other carriers' section. Checked all prices and information for accuracy and clarity.
Mint Mobile plans Mint Mobile plan pricing explainedAs you can see from the information above, you've got a choice of 4 data plans, each of which can be bought in chunks of 3, 6, and 12-months respectively with a special one-off introductory offer also available for new customers specifically.
While there's a lot of data to read here the concept is fairly simple - buy your plan in a yearly segment to get the cheapest monthly rate on average. Remember, at Mint Mobile you'll be buying your subscription upfront, even for a yearly plan, so even though you'll be saving more money in the long run expect to pay more upfront for the cheapest plans. The only exception to this rule is if you're buying a family plan of two lines or more - which will always be on the cheapest 'yearly' rate, even though they only run for three months at a time.
If you'd like a bit more advice about which plan to go for, we've covered both how much data you'll need and how many months you should buy in the FAQ section just down below.
What Mint Mobile Plans includeAll Mint Mobile plans, regardless of how much data or how many months you buy include the following:
Unlike other carriers, Mint Mobile plans don't tend to come with an array of freebies or perks like subscription services - which are fairly common bundle item with a lot of cell phone plans. That said, the features Mint Mobile does offer are pretty generous - especially for the money.
For starters, all Mint Mobile plans offer unlimited talk and text as standard, so you don't need to worry about running out when you have those long discussions with the family. You can also call free of charge to Mexico and Canada with all Mint Mobile plans, and they also have free mobile hot-spotting (with a 5GB cap on the unlimited plan). As always, you'll definitely want to make use of those WiFi connections where applicable, and luckily Mint Mobile also supports full WiFI texting and calling.
Another excellent perk is that all Mint Mobile plans offer 5G connectivity. This is definitely becoming more common now across even prepaid carriers, but it's definitely nice to see. So, if you have a 5G smartphone at the ready, get ready for some extremely speedy data.
Mint Mobile plans: frequently asked questions
Good question! This is easily the most important factor to consider when narrowing down which of the Mint Mobile plans is going to be best for you. While data usage differs drastically from user to user, it's luckily quite easy to figure out how much you're using each month and also to plan ahead for the future. Here's what we'd initially recommend for data allowances as a general rule of thumb:
To narrow it down further, you'll want to check your data usage via your cell phone settings, which is slightly different for Apple or Android users, but possible on both types of devices. Checking this should tell you how much of your data usage is cellular as opposed to via WiFi - which can really help you determine how much you'll need. Most carriers also offer data usage reports via their websites if you have a login for an account.
If you're someone who's going to be making ready use of a WiFI connection, then you may be surprised at how little cellular data you'll need - especially if you're just going to be checking your emails and messages. For that, the 5GB Mint Mobile plan should suffice, although it's definitely worth bumping it up to the 15GB allowance if you're going to be doing a ton of browsing or a spot of music streaming. If you're going to be streaming video or checking a data-heavy social media feed (like Instagram), then you'll probably want to invest in the 25GB plan. Alternatively, if you're a really heavy user with no access to WiFI, then the unlimited data plan might just be for you.
Does Mint Mobile have family plan options?Yes. New for early 2022 at Mint Mobile is the option for a family plan of up to five lines. How it works is like this - you'll mix and match each line according to your data requirements then pay for three months per line upfront. Each line will be on the equivalent 'yearly' price as if you paid for a full year as a single-line user. Essentially the cheapest rate possible with the added benefit of a shorter commitment.
So, let's say you want a three line unlimited plan at Mint Mobile. Under the current setup you'll pay $30 per month, per line, for three months - which equates to $270 upfront. It's quite a bit upfront, but as previously stated, you're basically getting the same price here as if you paid for a full year of each plan separately.
Is the Mint Mint Mobile unlimited plan really unlimited?As with all Mint Mobile plans, the Mint Mobile unlimited data plan has a few caveats you'll want to be aware of before you jump in and pay for that whole year's worth of data at once.
Firstly, there's a soft-cap on data usage - which means that speeds will begin to be throttled right down to 128KB/s after 45GB of usage. That's still a very, very generous allowance, but compared to the 4G / 5G speeds you'll get initially each month, that 128KB/s isn't much. For context, it's enough to check and send messages and maybe a bit of light browsing, but not much else.
Your mobile hotspot allowance also has a soft cap of only 5GB of 5G/4G speeds as well, and Mint limits your video streaming quality to standard definition only - that's 480p specifically, not 1080p like high-definition.
Being a prepaid carrier, Mint Mobile plans are also subject to 'deprioritization' when the parent network is busy. This will heavily depend on your local area's traffic, but T-Mobile may deem it necessary to slow down your data if there's a lot of congestion to ensure its own customers get the best possible speeds.
Mint Mobile plan add-onsMint Mobile doesn't have much in the way of service add-ons, but it does have a couple ways for you to get a little bit more out of your service when you need it.
If you've run out of your high-speed data allotment for a month, Mint offers a way to top up with a data add-on. These will give you the option to add an extra 1GB for $10 or 3GB for $20, and that extra data allotment will be available to you during that current 30-day plan cycle.
If you're planning to go abroad, Mint Mobile can continue to provide you with service, but you'll have to pay extra for it. The rates vary by country. You'll be able to add a international roaming balance to your account with an add-on service called UpRoam, and the unused balance won't expire even if you don't use it all within a month.
Should I get 3-months, 6-months or a year?It's a little tricky figuring out the best way to pay for service from Mint Mobile because the prices can vary significantly depending on whether you pay for a few months at a time or pay for a year upfront. And, though Mint's monthly prices are low, you'll have to be able to make a larger upfront payment no matter whether you choose a 3, 6, or 12-month plan.
Our advice is to try the initial introductory 3-month period on the lowest rate, then decide whether you're willing to commit to a full year of service. If you're happy after that and decide you're in it for the long haul, then definitely go for a year.
The price advantage is significant by paying for service 12 months at a time. For example, if you choose any 6-month plan and use it for a year (i.E., paid for the 6-month plan twice), you'll end up paying as much or more than you would have paid if you'd selected the next higher tier plan and paid for 12 months upfront. The price you'll pay over the course of a year can almost double if you choose to pay for 3 months at a time instead of annually.
Paying up front may be more difficult financially though, so you might try to start with a smaller plan to lower your mobile bill for three months, and then use what you've saved in that period to help pay for one of the longer, higher value plans.
Mint Mobile plans: other carriers
While excellent, Mint Mobile plans aren't the only cheap prepaid service you should consider if you're weighing up your options. We're always comparing the best cell phone plans on the market here at TechRadar, so here are some honorable mentions.
Visible Wireless plans offer a really, really compelling alternative to Mint if you're looking for a cheap prepaid unlimited plan specifically. Visible has two distinct tiers of prepaid unlimited plans that are perfect depending on your needs. The first is a basic tier that comes in at $25 per line and offers unlimited data, text, minutes, and mobile hotspot, albeit on the standard Verizon 5G network (subject to deprioritization). The second tier is the Visible Plus plan, which includes 50GB of priority data per month on the Verizon 5G wideband network, ensuring the quickest possible data speeds. Both are great choices and the stiffest competition the Mint Mobile unlimited plan currently faces on the market.
Metro by T-Mobile is another price-competitive option if you're looking for a network that operates under the main T-Mobile network. At $40 for its basic unlimited plan, Metro is indeed a little pricier than Mint, but you get completely unlimited access to the T-Mobile 5G network, T-Mobile Tuesdays perks, and a free 1-year subscription to Vix Premium. The catch here is that the basic unlimited data plan at Metro doesn't include mobile hotspot allowance, so you'll have to upgrade your plan to the more premium tiers if you need that specific feature.
If you're signing up for a family plan with three or more users, then you can also consider T-Mobile's Go5G unlimited plan. While bigger carriers don't tend to offer great value, T-Mobile throws in the third line for free on all family plans and offers quite hefty discounts - coming out at just $38/person with four lines or $36 with five lines. This slightly edges out both Verizon's and AT&T's cheapest unlimited plans since those carriers also charge taxes and fees on top, and you're also getting slightly better streaming service perks with T-Mobile too. As always, the main benefit of going with T-Mobile over Mint is that you'll secure 'priority' 5G access and won't have your connection slowed down when traffic is heavy. Of course, this will depend on your local situation, and most would the lower prices on prepaid plans as more than a worthwhile trade for slower speeds.
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