The best cheap cell phone plans for May 2024

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Cheap cell phone plans: jump links

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Jump straight to phone plans:
1. Our top picks
2. Best value
3. Best cheap unlimited
4. Cheapest of the cheap
5. Carrier alternatives
6. Best pay-go and no-data
Quick tips:
1. How to save money
2. Who has the best coverage

We've rounded up all the best cheap cell phone plans into one handy, easy-to-navigate list right here on this page. If you're looking to cut those hefty bills down to size, let us help you out with a meticulously researched run-down of all the top carriers right now - including options covering everything from the cheapest of the cheap to slightly more premium options.

While nailing down the absolute best cheap cell phone plans for everyone can be tricky, we've made sure to base our recommendations on the most common criteria readers are looking for. It's not just price that we're using as the main metric for value here but important criteria like data allowances and additional perks.

We've clearly separated out each of our best cheap cell phone plans choices by the various criteria they excel at. For example, if you're looking for a cheap unlimited data plan then you'll want to check out Visible Wireless or US Mobile. Those looking for ultimate flexibility will be well served with Tello, while those who simply want to skip the data altogether will find TextNow an amazing option.

As a rule of thumb we highly recommend you go with a prepaid carrier if you're looking for the best cheap cell phone plans on the market. These smaller carriers usually come with unbeatable monthly costs, flexible payment schemes, and the added benefit of no pesky long-term contracts. Of course, there are a few caveats of signing up for a prepaid carrier, which you can read more about in our FAQ 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

Added US Mobile and TextNow as superb low cost unlimited data and no-data options respectively.

The best cheap cell phone plans: top picks

1. Mint Mobile - best value cheap cell phone plans
2. Visible - best cheap unlimited data cell phone plans
3. Tello - cheapest of the cheap cell phone plans
4. Ultra Mobile - best pay-as-you-go cheap cell phone plans
5. Twigby Mobile - a great cheap Verizon alternative
6. Pure Talk - a great cheap AT&T alternative
7. Boost Mobile - a great cheap T-Mobile alternative
8. TextNow - free calls and texts nationwide

The best cheap cell phone plans in the US

Here 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

Mint Mobile | T-Mobile network | 3-12 month plans| 5 - unl. data | $15 - $30 per month
Mint Mobile is a solid all-round pick for the best value cheap cell phone plans; simply because it offers a superb line-up of options at every price point and data allowance. Mint Mobile plans were the first on the market to operate the now common pricing system where you buy plans in allotments of three, six, or twelve months at a time. The annual plans always round-out to the cheapest monthly rates on average with the obvious caveat of being more expensive upfront. If you can spring for a yearly payment, however, you'll be rewarded with some of the best data allowances on the market for the money. For example, the Mint 15GB plan for $20 per month is a superb choice for most users and features a decent helping of data, 5G speeds, and free mobile hotspot. If you need more data, then the Mint unlimited plan for $30 is also one of the cheapest on the market right now and a great choice.

See these fantastic cell phone plans at Mint Mobile

2. Best value unlimited data plan

Visible | Verizon network | 1-12 month plans| unlimited data | $23 - $45 per month
Visible is one prepaid carrier that's really dominating the market right now when it comes to cheap unlimited data plans. It's a Verizon subsidiary and utilizes its parent companies wider 5G network to offer two compelling unlimited data plans, the first of which is an excellent standard plan that comes in at just $25 per month. For the price, the combination of unlimited data and free mobile hotspot is unbeatable - and you can drive that price down to just $23 per month if you pay for a year of data upfront. For the best possible speeds, however, then you'll want to consider the Visible Plus plan for $45 per month, which features a whopping 50GB of premium data on the speediest Verizon 5G wideband network (up to 700Mb/s). The Plus plan is on the pricey side, but you can save a massive $145 in total if you pay for a full year upfront (averages to $32 per month). Check out our Visible wireless plans guide for more info.

Check out Visible's great unlimited data plans here

3. Another great cheap unlimited plan

US Mobile| Verizon & T-Mobile network | 1-12 month plans | unlimited data | $15 - $40 per month
We're spoilt for choice when it comes to cheap unlimited data cell phone plans right now. Consider, for example, US Mobile's excellent lineup of options. This carrier has recently introduced a trio of unlimited plans that cover everything from a super-basic option for $15 per month to a premium plan for $37.50 per month. As with other prepaid carriers, you'll have to pay for a full year of service upfront to secure the lowest rates on average but it's well worth considering US Mobile. The Unlimited Flex plan, for example, is incredibly competitively priced for just $15 per month, even though it only features 10GB of premium data and hotspot is paid extra. For a direct challenger to Visible Plus, consider the US Mobile premium plan, which features a whopping 100GB of unthrottled data for $37.50 per month ($450 upfront for a year).

Check out Visible's great unlimited data plans here

4. Cheapest of the cheap

Tello | T-Mobile network | 1 month plans| 1mb - unlimited data | $5 - $25 per month
Tello is a pretty amazing prepaid carrier if you're on the hunt for cheap cell phone plans. Not only has it reduced its prices across the board recently (late 2023) but it still features a fantastic build-your-own plan system that allows you to really tailor a plan to your needs - and switch it up on a monthly basis if you want. Plans start at just $5 per month for a 1GB no-texts no-calls option and range up to $25 per month for an unlimited data plan, which is one of the most competitively priced plans on the market currently.

Configure your ideal cheap cell phone plan at Tello

5. Cheap Verizon alternative

Twigby Mobile | Verizon network | 1-month plans | 2GB - 20GB data | $15 - $35 per month
Twigby Mobile is a great option for those who get the best coverage from Verizon in their area but want to go with a cheaper prepaid option. Its plan layout is similar to other prepaid options, with five distinct tiers of data allowance ranging from 2GB to 20GB per month. All plans feature unlimited talk, text, and 5G data until you hit your allowance (unlimited 2G speeds thereafter). Plan prices are a little higher than some similar options on the market currently but Twigby Mobile has the advantage of not having to pay for multiple months of usage upfront (like Mint, for example). Twigby Mobile is also giving new customers a $10 per month discount right now on their first three months of usage, which gives it a low barrier to entry if you want to just try it out.

Compare all the plan options at Twigby Mobile

6. Cheap AT&T alternative

Pure Talk | AT&T network | 1 month plans | 3GB - unlimited data | $20 - 65 per month
Cheap cell phone plan alternatives for AT&T tend to be pretty rare as not many prepaid carriers actually operate on the network. That said, options do exist, and our top pick this month is Pure Talk - a prepaid carrier that offers a ton of flexible data options. Right now this carrier is also giving away the first month for half-price so it's quite cheap to simply try them out. You'll also find a myriad of cheap iPhone deals on its phone shop page, including savings of up to $250 upfront for new customers on devices like the iPhone 14.

Compare all the prepaid plan options at Pure Talk

7. Cheap T-Mobile alternative

Boost Mobile | T-Mobile network | 1-12 month plans| 1GB - unlimited data | $8.33 - $60 per month
You're really spoilt for choice when it comes to cheap cell phone plan alternatives on the T-Mobile network as both Mint Mobile and Tello operate on this network. That said, Boost Mobile is another fantastic option that's recently adopted a new lineup of plans that put it neck-and-neck with the likes of Mint and Visible. For example, you can now get a completely unlimited data plan for just $25 per month at Boost, which undercuts Mint by a whole $5. The catch here, however, is that you'll cap out at 30GB for 5G data speeds versus the 45GB at Mint, and you'll also skip out on Mobile hotspot allowance, unless you upgrade to the $40 per month Boost unlimited plan. Still, Boost is a fantastic option that's easy to recommend for value.

Compare all the prepaid plan options at Boost Mobile

8. Best pay-as-you-go

Ultra Mobile | T-Mobile network | 1-12 month plans| 100Mb data | $3 per month
Are you a light user? You could consider cutting it right down to the basics and opt for a pay-as-you-go SIM card. Ultra Mobile is a prepaid carrier (sister to Mint Mobile) that operates under the T-Mobile network and offers a great option for just $3 a month. For that small sum, you'll get 100MB of data, 100 texts, and 100 minutes of call time thrown in. After that, you'll be charged 3 cents for every minute of call time or MB of data usage, and 1 cent per text, making it a very cheap option for a light user. Note - Tello also operates a similarly fantastic pay-as-you-go plan.

Compare all the prepaid plan options at Ultra Mobile

9. Best non-data option

TextNow| T-Mobile network | no contract | free for texts and calls (data extra)
Thrifty low-data users take note - TextNow is a superb carrier that lets you sign up for free texting and calling nationwide. For just $5 you can get a SIM card sent directly to your location, after which you'll pay no fees to infinitely call and text to your heart's content. TextNow also offers limited-time data passes for one hour, one day, or one month at a time - which can be handy if you're in a bind without any WiFi options. Note, however, that the data pass costs can quickly outstrip other set-data plan options if you're regularly relying on them. The one-day pass, for example, costs $5, which can quickly add up versus simply paying for a set-data plan at a more traditional prepaid carrier.

Sign up for free text and calling at TextNow

Cheap cell phone plans: FAQ

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How do I save money with a cheap cell phone plan?

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.

Alex is deals editor at TechRadar. With over three years of experience on-site and eight years working in e-commerce, Alex has made it his personal mission to share all his favorite tips, bargains, and deals with our readers here at TechRadar. At work, he specializes in computing, phones, and covering huge sales events like Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day. Outside of work, you'll find him indulging his keen love of photography and PC gaming, or down at the local climbing gym hanging off boulders far too difficult for his abilities. His editorial bylines also include contributions to T3 and GamesRadar.

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