Independent since 2019 · No paid placement, ever Prices re-checked weekly
Plan review

Tello Starter Review

Two gigabytes, two gigabytes of hotspot, and unlimited talk and text for ten dollars a month.

At a Glance

Price
$10/mo, billed monthly
Network
T-Mobile 5G + 4G LTE
Data
2GB
Hotspot
2GB — Tello matches hotspot to the plan's data allowance
Talk & text
Unlimited, plus free calls to 60+ countries
Term
None — change plans free at any time
Taxes & fees
Extra — amount not published

How Tello Starter Scores

We scored Tello Starter against the same four pillars we use for every plan. Here’s how it broke down.

Value for money 8.6
Network & speed 7.5
Hotspot & features 5.8
Customer experience 7.8

Pricing: ten dollars, monthly

<strong>$10 a month with no term.</strong> Tello does not require a multi-month prepay to reach this rate, which is what separates it from Ultra Mobile and Lycamobile at similar prices.

Taxes and fees are extra and Tello does not publish the amount.

What You Get

✓2GB of hotspot on a $10 plan, matched to the data allowance
✓Cheaper than Twigby's 2GB tier at its standing rate
✓Unlimited talk and text with free calls to 60+ countries
✓No term, no activation fee, free plan changes

What You Don't Get

−2GB is modest for anything beyond messaging and maps
−Taxes and fees extra and unpublished
−Deprioritized during congestion
−Online only

How Tello Starter compares

The nearest comparison outside Tello is Twigby's 2GB tier on Verizon's network.

Feature Tello Starter Twigby 2GB
Price $10/mo $15/mo standing
Data 2GB 2GB
Network T-Mobile Verizon
Hotspot 2GB Draws from plan data
Term None None

Who should choose Tello Starter

✓You use very little cellular data and live mostly on Wi-Fi
✓You want a hotspot allowance on a cheap plan
✓You want to pay monthly rather than prepay a term
✓You call internationally

Who should skip it

−You stream or navigate daily — 2GB will not cover it
−T-Mobile is the weak network at your address
−You want all-in pricing with taxes included
−You want a store to walk into

Final Verdict

The plan most people looking at Tello should actually buy. Two gigabytes covers maps, verification codes and messaging, the hotspot allowance matches the data rather than being withheld, and nothing has to be paid upfront. It is not a plan for streaming, and it is not the cheapest thing Tello sells — but it is the cheapest one that behaves like a normal phone.

See plan details →

Other Tello plans we’ve reviewed

Same carrier, same network — different price and data. Here’s how the rest of the Tello lineup scored.

Browse all carriers →

Same budget, different carrier

Plans priced within a few dollars of Tello Starter, from carriers we rate independently. Worth a look before you commit.

Compare these side by side →
Independent since 2019 · No paid placement, ever Prices re-checked weekly
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JG Reviewed by Jean Gilles · How we rank

At a Glance

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See plan details →

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