The cheapest phone carriers are small brands that rent space on Verizon, T-Mobile or AT&T's networks, so you get the same towers for a fraction of the price. The cheapest plans start under $10 a month for talk, text and a little data. For unlimited data, $25 a month is the going rate, and some carriers include taxes in that. Below: the cheapest plan at each carrier, what you'll really pay once taxes and promo prices are counted, and the cheapest option for families, seniors and heavy hotspot users.
The short answer
- Cheapest overall: Tello, from $8 a month for talk and text, or $10 with 2GB of data.
- Cheapest unlimited with taxes included: Visible or US Mobile Unlimited Starter, $25 a month.
- Cheapest if you can prepay: Cricket 3-Month Unlimited at $15 a month, or AT&T Prepaid 12-Month Unlimited at $20.
- Cheapest with a store: Metro by T-Mobile, $25 unlimited with taxes included.
Cheapest plan at each carrier
| Carrier | Cheapest plan | Price | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tello | Talk & Text | $8/mo | T-Mobile |
| Red Pocket | Essentials (3GB) | $10/mo | Your pick of three |
| Twigby | Talk & Text | $10/mo | Verizon |
| Ultra Mobile | Talk & Text | $10/mo | T-Mobile |
| Page Plus | $12 (100MB) | $12/mo | Verizon |
| Mint Mobile | 6GB | $15/mo on 12 months | T-Mobile |
| Tracfone | $15 (1GB) | $15/mo | Verizon |
| Cricket Wireless | 3-Month Unlimited | $15/mo ($45 for 3 months) | AT&T |
| Metro by T-Mobile | 6-Month Unlimited | $20/mo ($120 for 6 months) | T-Mobile |
| AT&T Prepaid | 12-Month Unlimited | $20/mo ($240 a year) | AT&T |
| Visible | Visible | $25/mo, taxes included | Verizon |
| US Mobile | Unlimited Starter | $25/mo, taxes included | Your pick of three |
| Boost Mobile | Boost Unlimited | $25/mo with AutoPay | AT&T (plus T-Mobile) |
Cheapest unlimited plans, month to month
If you don't want to prepay, these are the lowest monthly unlimited prices on each network.
| Network | Plan | Price | Taxes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verizon | Visible | $25/mo | Included |
| Verizon | Total MAX 5G BYO | $25/mo with AutoPay | Included |
| T-Mobile | Tello Max | $25/mo | Extra |
| T-Mobile | Metro $25 | $25/mo with AutoPay | Included |
| AT&T | Boost Unlimited | $25/mo with AutoPay | Extra |
| Your pick | US Mobile Unlimited Starter | $25/mo | Included |
What you'll really pay
Two plans with the same price can cost different amounts. Some carriers include taxes and fees; others add them at checkout. And some of the cheapest prices only last for your first term.
| Plan | Advertised | Taxes and fees | What you pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visible | $25 | Included | $25 |
| US Mobile Unlimited Starter | $25 | Included | $25 |
| Tello Max | $25 | Extra, amount varies by state | About $27 to $29 |
| Straight Talk StraightSAVINGS! | $25 | Extra | About $28 to $30 |
| Consumer Cellular 5GB | $25 | About $4.88 a line plus state tax | About $29 to $31 |
| Mint Unlimited (12 months) | $30 | Extra | About $32 to $34 |
Where the cheap prices end
- Mint's best prices are for your first term. Unlimited renews at $30 a month on 12 months, $35 on 6 and $40 on 3.
- Metro's 6-Month Unlimited is $20 a month for the first six months, then $25.
- Cricket's 3-Month Unlimited and AT&T Prepaid's 12-Month plan are paid upfront; when the term ends you buy another or move to a monthly plan.
- US Mobile's lowest Starter price is on annual prepay in the first year.
- Boost's $25 plan stays at $25 as long as the line stays active.
Cheapest by situation
Families
Cricket Select Unlimited is $100 a month for four lines ($25 a line) with taxes included. Metro and T-Mobile's Essentials also come down to about $25 a line at four lines. For two lines, Visible and US Mobile are $50 with taxes included.
Seniors
Consumer Cellular's 1GB plan starts at $20 a month, with US-based support and stores inside Target. Mint 55+ is $15 a month for 5GB, sold in 3-month terms. For a basic phone, Tello Talk & Text is $8.
No credit check
Every prepaid carrier here skips the credit check: Tello, Visible, Mint, Metro, Cricket and the rest. You pay before you use the service, so there's nothing to check.
Hotspot
Visible's $25 plan has unlimited hotspot at 5 Mbps, fine for email and browsing. For faster hotspot on a budget, Mint Unlimited includes up to 20GB at high speed, and US Mobile Unlimited Starter has 20GB on AT&T's network.
Light users
If you're on Wi-Fi most of the day, Tello Starter ($10 for 2GB) or Red Pocket Essentials ($10 for 3GB) cover the basics.
What you give up with a cheap carrier
- Your data may be slowed when the network is busy, while the big carrier's own customers aren't.
- Video usually streams in SD.
- Few or no stores. Most cheap carriers are online only.
- Some of the lowest prices need you to pay for 3, 6 or 12 months upfront.
- Phone deals are smaller than at the big carriers.
For most people, none of that matters much. Coverage does: a cheap plan on the network that's strongest where you live beats an expensive one on a weaker network.
How to pick
- Find the network that works best at home and work. Free trials let you test before you switch.
- Check how much data you use in your current carrier's app.
- Pick the cheapest plan on that network that covers your data, and check whether taxes are included.
Frequently asked questions
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Jean Gilles has researched personal finance, consumer technology, and wireless pricing for over a decade. He founded ShopCellPlans in 2019 and writes every review on the site.