Tello Starter, at $10/mo
Tello lets you build your own plan on T-Mobile's network with no contract. The $10 a month Starter plan includes unlimited talk and text, 2GB of data and 2GB of hotspot, plus taxes. You can change plans month to month as your needs change. For light users who spend most of the day on Wi-Fi, it's the cheapest plan with data you can buy one month at a time.
The catch: 2GB goes fast off Wi-Fi. Tello Everyday is $15 for 10GB, and Tello Max is $25 for 50GB at full speed. Taxes are extra.
Check price at Tello →Not sure a cheap plan will cover you? Test a carrier free before you switch with our free carrier trials guide: activate an eSIM, check coverage 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 $180 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
Cheapest unlimited for the first year
Also Worth Considering
Plans that didn’t make the ranking but are the right answer in a narrower case.
$45 for 3 months ($15 a month) of unlimited on AT&T's network, taxes included. New single lines with your own phone.
Read more →$17 a month on a 12-month plan, on T-Mobile's network, with international calling included.
Read more →$108 for 12 months ($9 a month), or $23 month to month, on T-Mobile's network.
Read more →$15 a month for the first 3 months, then $25, on Verizon's network. Taxes are extra.
Read more →$25 a month with AutoPay and a 5-year price lock on Verizon's network, taxes included. New customers pay $20 a month online.
Read more →$25/mo for 23GB on T-Mobile with 12 months upfront, the step up when 17GB feels tight.
Read more →AARP discounts and easy US-based phone support on AT&T/T-Mobile towers, with cheap low-data tiers.
Read more →$20 a month plus $10 per GB you use, so it suits very light or very uneven use. Taxes are extra.
Read more →Genuinely free talk and text with tiny data over a major network: a real backup-line option.
Read more →Cheap unlimited sold in Walmart nationwide with fast AT&T-network speeds.
Read more →How to Choose
The questions that decide it, in the order worth asking them.
Check your current bill or phone settings for your monthly cellular data. Under 2GB: a $10 to $15 low-data plan (Tello, Mint 6GB) saves the most. 2 to 10GB: a mid tier like Tello Everyday ($15 for 10GB) or Mint 17GB. Over 10GB or you stream on cellular: a flat unlimited plan ($25 Visible or Boost) is cheaper than paying per gig.
The cheapest plan on a network with weak coverage at your home, work, or commute is a false economy. Match the plan to the strongest network in your area: Verizon (Visible, Total, US Mobile), AT&T (Cricket, Straight Talk), or T-Mobile (Tello, Mint), and test it free before you port your number.
Some of the lowest rates (Mint, US Mobile annual, Lycamobile, Ultra Mobile, Cricket 3-Month) need 3 to 12 months paid upfront. If you want the rock-bottom price and can commit, prepay. If you'd rather stay month-to-month, Tello, Visible, and Boost give you their best rate with no upfront block.
The very cheapest plans are usually app-first. If you want a store or an easy phone line, Cricket (AT&T retail) and Consumer Cellular (US-based phone support) are worth a few dollars more. If you're comfortable self-serving in an app, the digital-only carriers save the most.
The two cheapest headline rates are first-year promos. US Mobile Unlimited Starter is the cheapest first-year rate in our database but steps up to $22.50 in year two, and Mint's intro pricing does the same. If you want a price that never moves, Visible's flat all-in rate is the one to buy.
Hotspot is where cheap plans differ most. Cricket's cheapest tiers include none. Mint pulls hotspot from your plan's data. US Mobile Starter gives a separate 20GB bucket, and Visible includes unlimited hotspot at reduced speed: the most generous option at this price.
Best Plans by Use Case
$10 a month for unlimited talk and text plus 2GB on T-Mobile's network, plus taxes: the cheapest plan with data you can pay month to month.
Runner-up: Mint Mobile 6GB at $15/month billed annually.
$25/month flat, all-in, unlimited on Verizon's network with no promo expiration.
Runner-up: Boost Unlimited at $25 a month with AutoPay, plus taxes.
Per-line prices drop sharply at 3 and 4 lines on AT&T's network, taxes included, with stores for help.
Runner-up: US Mobile multi-line on Verizon or T-Mobile.
AARP discounts, cheap low-data tiers, and genuinely easy US-based phone support.
Runner-up: Tello's build-your-own low-data plan for tech-comfortable seniors.
Free ad-supported talk and text with a little data: a true $0 second line.
Runner-up: Tello Starter at $10 for a cheap paid backup with real data.
The lowest first-year unlimited rate in our database, with multi-network choice and a separate 20GB hotspot bucket.
Runner-up: Mint Mobile Unlimited at $30/mo on a 12-month term.
$25/mo all-in on Verizon's network, billed monthly, no annual block to buy and no promo to expire.
Runner-up: Boost Unlimited at $25 a month with AutoPay, also billed monthly.
Frequently Asked Questions
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