Compare Cheap Cell Phone Plans

We could all use a little bit more savings these days, especially with the economic uncertainties surrounding the coronavirus pandemic. Fortunately, it just so happens there are plenty of ways to save money on your cell phone bill—either by switching to a new plan with your current carrier, or switching carriers all together.

US Mobile | Unlimited Talk, Text, and Ludicrous Data

US Mobile’s Unlimited Talk, Text, and Ludicrous Data plan sits at $42/month, taking advantage of both T-Mobile and Verizon’s network. Not only is the Unlimited Talk, Text, and Ludicrous Data plan affordable, but it also includes great entertainment perks that scale with each additional line you add. Check out a list of potential entertainment features below:

• 2 unlimited lines: Get Slacker, LiveXLive and either Pandora Plus OR Apple TV Plus
• 3 unlimited lines: Keep previously included perks, add Disney Plus, Hulu, and one of the following:
• ESPN Plus
• Audible Membership
• Apple Music Family
• Netflix Standard
• Spotify Family
• 4+ unlimited lines: Keep your first two selected perks and add Playstation Plus OR Xbox Live Gold

In addition to the entertainment perks listed above, take a look at some additional features for the Unlimited Talk, Text, and Ludicrous Data plan below:

• 10GB of mobile hotspot
• 10GB of 4G LTE international roaming
• 50GB of high-priority data (15GB for GSM users)

Visible | $40 Unlimited

Operating on Verizon’s powerful network, Visible’s $40 Unlimited Plan includes unlimited domestic talk, text, and data, at a very affordable price. In addition, if you’re in need of multiple lines, Visible offers what it refers to as “PartyPay”—a family plan alternative, designed to save you money the more lines you add (up to 4 total).

The Visible Unlimited Plan includes:

• Potential data deprioritization at any time
• Unlimited mobile hotspot
• Individual account management for each line (with PartyPay)
• All taxes and fees included

Tello | Unlimited Talk, Text and Data Plan

Tello is an MVNO that operates on Sprint’s network, offering its Unlimited Talk, Text, and Data Plan for only $39/month. It’s worth mentioning that Sprint has the least coverage of the four major carriers, so be sure to use our coverage tool to check if you’re adequately covered before committing to this plan.

The Tello Unlimited Talk, Text, and Data Plan includes: :

• 25GB high-speed data threshold (then slowed to 2G)
• International calling to Canada, Mexico, China, and Romania
• Mobile hotspot
• Up to 10 lines per account

Simple Mobile $50 Unlimited Plan

While the Simple Mobile $50 Unlimited Plan is the most expensive unlimited plan on this list, it has excellent international benefits, as well as great coverage on T-Mobile’s robust network. Plus, you can get it for just $45/month when you enroll in Auto ReUp.

The Simple Mobile Unlimited Plan includes:

• Unlimited talk, text, and data
• Unlimited calls to 60+ countries
• International data in Mexico and 16 Latin American countries
• 5GB mobile hotspot allowance

Note that Simple Mobile customers’ data speeds will be deprioritized in favor of T-Mobile customers’ data, although you will likely only experience noticeably slower speeds during times of heavy network congestion.

Best Cheap Limited Cell Phone Plans

If you’re looking to scale back the cost of your phone bill even more so—or know that you don’t need unlimited data—there are limited plans available that will still get the job done, at a fraction of the price. Compare the best cheap limited data plans below.

Mint Mobile | 3 Month Plan (medium)

For only $20/month ($60 prepaid), Mint Mobile offers its 3 Month Plan (Medium) as a prepaid limited data option—operating on T-Mobile’s growing network. This plan includes 8GB of 4G LTE data, and there are no overage fees—once you use 8GB in a given month, your speeds will slow to 2G until the next billing cycle.

The Mint Mobile 3 Month Plan (Medium) includes:

• Unlimited talk and text
• 8GB/month
• Unlimited calling and texting to Mexico/Canada
• Mobile hotspot capability

Note that the $20/month pricing is an introductory rate for new customers only or for those who prepay 12 months in advance.

T-Mobile |  Connect Unlimited Talk & Text + 2GB Data

As far as major carriers are concerned, T-Mobile offers one of the lowest priced limited plans available with its Connect Unlimited Talk & Text + 2GB Data plan ($15/month). This plan also has a unique feature, where it grants you an additional .5GB of data per year, with an upper limit of 4.5GB/month.

T-Mobile’s Connect Unlimited Talk & Text + 2GB Data plan features:

• Unlimited talk and text
• 2GB of data (hard data cap)
• Data Optimizer (optimized video streaming that can cut down on excess data use)
• No credit check
• No contract

Tello | Economy Plan

When it comes to cheap and affordable cell phone plans, Tello’s Economy Plan is about as good as they come. At only $10/month, the Economy Plan includes unlimited talk and text, in addition to 1GB of high speed data. 1GB of data is pretty low, but if you don’t use much data—apart from basic email and minimal web browsing—1GB will likely work out just fine. Also, keep in mind that Tello operates on Sprint’s network, so be sure to check that you’re adequately covered before making a commitment. Below are a list of Tello’s Economy Plan features:

• 1GB of 4G LTE data
• Unlimited calling (including U.S., Canada, Mexico, China, and Romania)
• Unlimited text messaging

Twigby Unlimited Talk & Text and 5GB Data

Twigby is an MVNO that runs primarily on Sprint’s network but uses Verizon as its secondary network, which means you’re likely to get better coverage than you might on a plan that runs solely on Sprint’s network. The Twigby Unlimited Talk & Text and 5GB Data includes:

• Unlimited talk and text
• 5GB of data
• Unlimited global text
• Unlimited calls to Mexico, Canda, China, UK, India, Australia, and more

Picking the Best Cheap Cell Phone Plan

Picking the best cheap cell phone plan will always come down to choosing the features that are most important to you. Depending on your needs, both unlimited and limited plans are viable options. Some things you’ll want to consider when choosing a new phone plan include:

• Plan price
• Network coverage
• Mobile hotspot
• Data allowance
• International calling and texting
• Travel benefits, such as international roaming

If you find yourself frequently using data-heavy applications, such as Netflix, Hulu, Zoom, Facebook, Tik Tok, Spotify, WhatsApp, and YouTube, you may want an unlimited plan—such as the plans offered by US Mobile, Visible, and Tello. On the other hand, if you feel you can get by with minimal to moderate data use each month, you may be better suited for a limited plan—like those offered by Mint Mobile, Twigby, or T-Mobile.