Visible, at $25/mo
Visible runs on Verizon's network and gives you unlimited data, talk and text for a flat $25 a month, taxes and fees included, with no promo end date and no contract. It isn't our highest-scoring plan, but nothing else gets you Verizon coverage this simply at this price.
The catch: Support is app-only with no retail stores, and data deprioritizes behind Verizon postpaid in heavy congestion.
Check price at Visible →New to prepaid and worried about coverage? Test a carrier free before you commit with our free carrier trials guide: activate an eSIM, check signal at home and work, and only port your number once you're sure.
At a Glance
What a year costs
Every plan on this page, annualised. Top to bottom, the gap is $480 a year.
Why These Plans Win
Every plan is scored against the same four pillars. Here is why each one made the ranking, who it fits, and what to watch for.
US Mobile Unlimited Starter
Most flexible
Also Worth Considering
Plans that didn’t make the ranking but are the right answer in a narrower case.
$25 a month unlimited with AutoPay, for life while the line stays active, on Boost's own 5G network with AT&T and T-Mobile roaming.
Read more →The cheapest easy way onto Verizon's network with true unlimited and multi-line deals.
Read more →Custom low-data plans from $10 on T-Mobile's network: unbeatable for light users.
Read more →Cheap unlimited on Verizon's network, sold in Walmart stores nationwide.
Read more →AARP discounts and easy US-based phone support on AT&T/T-Mobile towers.
Read more →Data billed per gig, so it suits very light or very uneven use.
Read more →How to Choose
The questions that decide it, in the order worth asking them.
Pick the plan whose underlying network is strongest at your home, work, and commute: Verizon (Visible, US Mobile, Total), AT&T (Cricket, Straight Talk), or T-Mobile (Mint, Metro, Tello). A cheap plan on a weak network is a false economy. Test it free before you port your number.
The lowest prices are usually digital-first. If you're comfortable self-serving in an app, Visible, Mint, and US Mobile save the most. If you want a store or an easy phone line, Cricket and Metro (retail) and Consumer Cellular (phone support) are worth a few dollars more.
Some of the best rates (Mint, US Mobile annual, Metro and Cricket multi-month plans) need several months paid upfront. If you can commit, you'll get the lowest price. If you'd rather stay flexible, Visible and Boost give you their best rate month to month with nothing to prepay.
If you're bringing your own phone, the digital MVNOs (Visible, Mint, US Mobile) are cheapest. If you want a free or discounted phone bundled in, Metro and Cricket run the most aggressive switch-and-save promos. Just read the porting and trade-in requirements before you count on the deal.
Best Plans by Use Case
Flat $25/month unlimited on Verizon's network, all-in, with no promo expiration or contract.
Runner-up: US Mobile Unlimited for pick-your-network flexibility.
$15 a month for 6GB on T-Mobile's network when you buy 12 months upfront, plus tax: the lowest headline price in prepaid.
Runner-up: Tello build-your-own from $10 for light users.
Per-line pricing drops sharply at 3 or 4 lines on AT&T's network, with retail support for the whole family.
Runner-up: US Mobile multi-line on Verizon or T-Mobile.
Free-phone offers when you switch to a monthly plan, or $20 a month on the 6-Month Unlimited if you bring your own phone.
Runner-up: Cricket for AT&T coverage with a store to visit.
AARP discounts, cheap low-data tiers, and genuinely easy US-based phone support.
Runner-up: Tello's low-data build-your-own for tech-comfortable users.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Affiliate disclosure: ShopCellPlans earns a commission on qualifying signups through some of the links on this page. Our rankings reflect editorial judgment, not commercial relationships. Read our methodology.