Joe Maring / Digital Trends
There was once a time when prepay cell phone plans imply get down only basic calling feature and limited data . Thankfully , that ’s changed . Many of today ’s prepay programme offer many of the same core feature of speech of the best cell postpaid earpiece plans , including high - speed5 constant of gravitation datum , straight-out career and texting , and even international roaming — all without the need to commit to a contract .
Not only that , but you’re able to often find prepaid plans at far lower price , even if you ’re only setting up a single line . While traditional immune carrier plans give their best discounts for families and other groups , many prepaid programme leave with their good price decent out of the logic gate .
Plus , since today ’s prepaid plans run on the crowing three carrier networks , you ’ll enjoy the same great coverage and reliability as if you signed up like a shot with T - Mobile , Verizon , or AT&T. The only catch is that your speeds may sometimes be throttled to give rightfield - to - way to those carriers ’ own customers . However , with the capacity propose by innovative 5 GB networks , that find a flock less often than you might think in most places .
Nevertheless , with so many prepaid programme out there , it can be a challenge to forecast out which is the respectable for your needs . We ’ve fill out up a few of the best choice and highlighted what each offers to help you determine . Let ’s dive in .
Best value prepaid phone plan
Mint Mobile Unlimited
Since it runs onT - Mobile ’s 5 G Ultra Capacity web , Mint Mobile is one of the fastest and most reliable prepay 5 GB plans useable . However , it ’s also one of those ironical berth where you ’ll only get the skilful deal by form a foresighted - terminal figure committal .
Unlike most postpaid plans , Mint Mobile does n’t run month - to - month ; instead , you prepay for a three- , six- , or 12 - calendar month package , and the longer the subscription , the great the saving .
Mint Mobile also get it really easy to get up and extend if you ’re lark a smartphone that uses aneSIM , such as aSamsung Galaxy S23,iPhone 15 , orGoogle Pixel 8 , as you could sign on up entirely online and have your plan active on your phone within minutes . However , even if you need a traditional SIM , Mint Mobile will send you one at no special charge — you ’ll just call for to wait for it to arrive .
The Mint Mobile Unlimited plan still has a 40 GB information cap , which means you ’ll experience slower f number if you use more than that in a month . The same is dead on target for its 5 GB , 15 GB , or 20 GB plans , so you could save a spot more money if you know you wo n’t want as much high - speed data on a regular basis . fluid hotspot access is also included on all plans , although the Unlimited plan caps that at 10 GB , which is odd considering that the 15 GB and 20 GB plan do n’t have a disjoined mobile hot spot limit , so you may want to consider opting for one of those if you design to tether a lot .
Best budget prepaid phone plan
Visible
One of the groovy thing about seeable is its focus on provide simple , no - nonsense plans to get you online with no hidden fee and a lower limit of fuss . Choosing a plan on Visible is easy , as the prepaid flattop only extend two option : Visible and Visible+ , both of which run onVerizon ’s 5 G web .
If you ’re on a budget , seeable is the one to get . You ’ll pay only $ 25 per calendar month for5Gaccess , truly unlimited data , and no long - term commitment . It even includes light fluid hotspot capabilities and straight-out talk and texting to the U.S. , Canada , and Mexico .
However , it ’s deserving noting that the standard seeable plan will only give you access to Verizon ’s slower5 G Nationwidenetwork , so you wo n’t get the fastest 5 gravitational constant speeds usable . Do n’t be scared aside by that , though , as you should still be able to get up to 56Mbps — which is more than enough for surfing , cyclosis , and hanging out on social media .
Unlike most carriers , seeable does n’t have a specific threshold where it will slack down your data speed . Although mobile hot spot speed are capped at 5Mbps and only allow for a single connected twist , surfing from your smartphone will always operate at the fastest 5 deoxyguanosine monophosphate speeds available on Verizon ’s 5 G Nationwide connection . However , you may sometimes see slowdowns during busy times of the day to make direction for Verizon customer .
If you do require faster velocity , the $ 45 / month Visible+ programme will give you admittance to Verizon ’s faster5 G Ultra Widebandnetwork , with 50 GB of “ premium ” data at the debauched possible speeds each month , plus unlimited talk , text , and data stray in Canada and Mexico .
Best prepaid phone plan for perks
Metro by T-Mobile Unlimited
As you could probably think from the name , Metro by T - Mobile is the postpaid offset of the well - known “ uncarrier . ” This means you ’re operating onT - Mobile ’s expansive and fast 5 deoxyguanosine monophosphate web , so you may rest assured that reporting wo n’t be a problem ; T - Mobilerecently declare that its 5 G Ultra Capacity web now covers over 300 million people — that ’s 90 % of the U.S. universe .
However , Metro is n’t the only prepaid carrier that uses the T - Mobile electronic internet , so what you ’re really mother here over competing options is many of the same perks that T - Mobile postpaid customers can enjoy . For $ 50 / month ( with AutoPay rebate ) , you get inexhaustible high - speed 5 G information , 8 GB of lower - priority wandering hotspot data , a 100GBGoogle Onemembership , and a one - twelvemonth subscription to Vix Premium . Unlike most postpaid carriers , this price also drops if you sign up for multiple lines .
Metro by T - Mobile also still offer some“Heritage ” plansthat may be worth tally out if you ’re looking for other fringe benefit , include one that includes an Amazon Prime membership . However , you ’ll have to reach customer Robert William Service or visit a store to sign on up for these .
While Metro prepaid customer will have to make way for T - Mobile user , which could result in slowdown during peak menstruation , that ’s unlikely to be a job in most space ; there ’s a reason why T - Mobile predict its truehearted 5 G networkUltra mental ability .
Best prepaid phone plan for families
Cricket Unlimited
Much like Visible is to Verizon and Metro is to T - Mobile , Cricket Wireless is AT&T ’s prepaid subsidiary , and while it ’s traditionally been a bit behind the breaking ball with its data caps , it ’s been catching up with the others . Its plans are particularly attractive for those who desire good 5 g-force speed for the whole family .
At $ 50 with an AutoPay deduction , the individual - line limitless programme is n’t anything to drop a line home about . However , this drop to $ 80 for two lines ( $ 40 / line ) or $ 100 for four ( $ 25 / line ) . You also get unlimited data on AT&T ’s 5G+ meshing with no strangling other than the usual connection prioritization for actual AT&T customers , plus free texting and calling to and wander in Canada and Mexico .
As Cricket say , this is a “ no - furbelow ” plan , so you wo n’t get a wandering hotspot without pay up for an redundant add - on , but it does include inexhaustible texting to 37 land and 2 GB of cloud computer memory for your photos . you may also step up to the next tier up for an extra $ 5 / month for a exclusive line or $ 30 / month more for four line to get 15 GB of nomadic hotspot data , 150 GB of cloud storage , and a bundled Max with Ads subscription .
The biggest downside to Cricket Wireless is that you ’re run on AT&T ’s web , where you ’ll get expansive but slowlow - band 5 GB coveragebut are much less likely to find yourself take reward of its fastest 5G+ service . This could make confine a bigger problem , reckon on where you live and how many AT&T customers are online at any given meter .
Best prepaid phone plan for light users
Tello
Tello can spare you a bundle if you ’re looking for a very affordable plan and only call for introductory connectivity for call and calorie-free datum usage . For only $ 10 / month , you may get a introductory plan that provides 1 GB of data and unlimited career and texting to over 60 countries .
While that ’s not a destiny of data point , it ’s enough to ensure you could get electronic mail and messages while you ’re out and about and even engage in some light euphony cyclosis , and you wo n’t want much more than that if you drop most of your time on Wi - Fi . Like most carrier , you wo n’t get cut off or charged more if you go over your allotment ; thing just slow down down to “ 2 G ” speeds , which is enough to keep you colligate to email and messaging help .
Since Tello ’s plan are customizable and there are no contracts , you’re able to also easy switch things up from calendar month to month as your needs change . $ 14 / calendar month will get you 2 GB of data , while you’re able to go unlimited for $ 29 / month . That higher tier is n’t necessarily competitive with the other options on our leaning , but it has the reward that you could move up to that for a single month if you love you ’re going to be out and about a mickle in the summer and then step back down to the $ 10 / month program when you ’re crouch down at home groundwork for the winter .
Tello also usesT - Mobile ’s meshing , so you ’ll get large 5 g-force coverage nearly everywhere in the county . However , it goes without say that you ’ll be playing second - violin to T - Mobile ’s higher - precedency customer , so do n’t expect the same head - botch hurrying .
Best prepaid phone plan for travelers
Google Fi Wireless Unlimited
One of the best prepaid plans out there occur from an unlikely recess . Google , the company well make love for things like search and Gmail , catch into the fluid bearer byplay a few years ago , and it offers one of the best plans you may get if you ’re a serious world traveler .
Google Fi ’s Unlimited Plus plan run onT - Mobile ’s networkin the U.S. , which means you ’ll get the good 5 G speeds and insurance coverage useable on just about any other prepaid carrier . However , where it really differentiate itself is in its tramp agreement . Unlike most carriers , which will bill you more if you stray outside of North American coverage , Google Fi offer unlimited datum in over 200 countries and regions around the world .
That means you ’ll be able to get online almost anywhere you land without the hassle of change out your SIM or adding a new eSIM . The unlimited data point allocation is also the same across the circuit card ; you ’ll only be throttle to dense speeds after you ’ve used 50 GB in a given calendar month , whether you ’re using that data at home base or afield .
You also get unlimited standard cellular calls and texts in the U.S. , Canada , and Mexico , Wi - Fi calling back to North America while traveling , 100 GB of Google Drive storage and VPN service with Google One , and a year of YouTube Premium thrown in .
In addition to mobile hotspot data that allows for up to 10 Wi - Fi devices to bring together in , there ’s full connectivity for your Google or Samsung smartwatch , such as theGoogle Pixel Watch 2orSamsung Galaxy Watch 6(as long as you ’re using it with an Android machine , of course ) , and the power to share your data pail with up to four tablets or other machine that use data - only SIMs at no extra mission .
