Only three companies run nationwide phone networks in the U.S.: Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T. Almost every other cell phone company rents space on one of them, and many are owned by them. We took ten of the best-known names and ranked them by our score for each company's best plan, so you can see which brand gets you the most for your money.
The top 10, ranked
| # | Company | Network | Best plan | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US Mobile | Verizon, T-Mobile or AT&T | Unlimited Premium | 9.3 | $44/mo ($32.50 on annual prepay) |
| 2 | AT&T | AT&T | AT&T Prepaid 12-Month Unlimited | 8.5 | $20/mo ($240 a year) |
| 3 | Visible | Verizon | Visible+ | 8.4 | $35/mo |
| 4 | Verizon | Verizon | Unlimited Ultimate | 8.4 | $95/mo |
| 5 | Metro by T-Mobile | T-Mobile | 6-Month Unlimited | 8.3 | $20/mo for 6 months, then $25 |
| 6 | Cricket Wireless | AT&T | 12-Month Unlimited | 8.3 | $25/mo ($300 a year) |
| 7 | T-Mobile | T-Mobile | Experience More | 8.3 | $85/mo |
| 8 | Boost Mobile | AT&T (plus T-Mobile) | Boost Unlimited | 8.0 | $25/mo with AutoPay |
| 9 | Xfinity Mobile | Verizon | Xfinity Mobile Plus | 7.9 | $45/mo |
| 10 | Mint Mobile | T-Mobile | Unlimited | 7.6 | $30/mo on a 12-month term |
How we ranked them
Each company is ranked by the score of its best plan in our reviews. Every plan is scored out of 10 on the same four things: value for money, network and speed, hotspot and features, and customer experience. We used the plan's regular price for one line, bringing your own phone, not a short-term promo. Taxes are noted where they're extra.
The 10 companies in detail
1. US Mobile
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Network | Your pick: Verizon (Warp), T-Mobile (Light Speed) or AT&T (Dark Star) |
| Owned by | Independent |
| Cheapest plan | Unlimited Starter, $25/mo, taxes included |
| Best plan | Unlimited Premium, $44/mo or $32.50 on annual prepay (9.3) |
The best value overall. Each line chooses a network and can switch later, taxes are included, and Premium has unlimited premium data with a big hotspot allowance.
The catch: no stores, and support is online or by phone only. Moving your number out takes a call.
2. AT&T
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Network | AT&T |
| Owned by | AT&T |
| Cheapest plan | AT&T Prepaid 12-Month Unlimited, $20/mo ($240 a year) |
| Best plan | Same plan (8.5); Premium 2.0 is the top postpaid plan at $90/mo |
AT&T's prepaid 12-month plan is one of the cheapest ways onto AT&T's network. Postpaid plans add stores, phone deals and more hotspot.
The catch: the 12-month plan is paid upfront and has 16GB of priority data before slowing. Taxes are extra on every plan.
3. Visible
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Network | Verizon |
| Owned by | Verizon |
| Cheapest plan | Visible, $25/mo, taxes included |
| Best plan | Visible+, $35/mo (8.4) |
Verizon's own budget brand. Prices include taxes, there's no contract, and you can pay for a year to bring the base plan under $23 a month.
The catch: no stores and app-only support. The base plan's data can be slowed when the network is busy.
4. Verizon
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Network | Verizon |
| Owned by | Verizon |
| Cheapest plan | Simplicity, $45/mo (or a promo price) |
| Best plan | Unlimited Ultimate, $95/mo (8.4) |
The most expensive here, but Unlimited Ultimate has the most premium data, a big hotspot allowance and stores everywhere. Strongest in many rural areas.
The catch: you pay far more than Visible for the same towers. Taxes and fees are extra.
5. Metro by T-Mobile
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Network | T-Mobile |
| Owned by | T-Mobile |
| Cheapest plan | Metro $25 Unlimited, $25/mo with AutoPay |
| Best plan | 6-Month Unlimited, $20/mo for 6 months, then $25 (8.3) |
Cheap unlimited on T-Mobile's network with taxes included and thousands of stores.
The catch: the cheapest plans have no high-speed hotspot, and data can slow past 35GB when busy.
6. Cricket Wireless
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Network | AT&T |
| Owned by | AT&T |
| Cheapest plan | 3-Month Unlimited, $15/mo ($45 for 3 months) |
| Best plan | 12-Month Unlimited, $25/mo ($300 a year) (8.3) |
AT&T's budget brand, with taxes included, stores nearby and good family pricing.
The catch: the cheapest plans are prepaid for 3 or 12 months, and hotspot is a paid add-on on most plans.
7. T-Mobile
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Network | T-Mobile |
| Owned by | T-Mobile |
| Cheapest plan | Essentials Saver, $50/mo |
| Best plan | Experience More, $85/mo (8.3) |
The big-carrier pick if you want perks like Netflix and Apple TV, satellite texting and frequent phone deals. New T-Mix plans arrive in November from $55.
The catch: taxes and fees are extra and rose in October. Mint and Metro use the same network for far less.
8. Boost Mobile
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Network | AT&T, with access to T-Mobile |
| Owned by | EchoStar |
| Cheapest plan | Boost Unlimited, $25/mo with AutoPay |
| Best plan | Same plan (8.0) |
$25 unlimited that stays at that price as long as the line is active.
The catch: only 30GB of premium data, and hotspot is a $10 add-on on the $25 plan.
9. Xfinity Mobile
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Network | Verizon |
| Owned by | Comcast |
| Cheapest plan | Xfinity Mobile Select, $30/mo |
| Best plan | Xfinity Mobile Plus, $45/mo (7.9) |
Good value if you already pay for Xfinity Internet, with Wi-Fi hotspots in many areas.
The catch: you must have Xfinity Internet, and taxes are extra.
10. Mint Mobile
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Network | T-Mobile |
| Owned by | T-Mobile |
| Cheapest plan | 6GB, $15/mo on 12 months |
| Best plan | Unlimited, $30/mo on 12 months (7.6) |
Cheap T-Mobile service if you prepay for a year, with free calls to Mexico and Canada.
The catch: shorter terms cost more ($40 a month for Unlimited on 3 months), and taxes are extra.
Other companies worth a look
- Tello: the cheapest carrier we track, from $8 a month, on T-Mobile's network.
- Google Fi: good for travel, with data in many countries included on its top plans.
- Consumer Cellular: popular with people over 50, on AT&T or T-Mobile.
- Total Wireless: Verizon's prepaid brand with a 5-year price lock on some plans.
- Spectrum Mobile: like Xfinity, cheap if you already have Spectrum Internet.
Who owns which brand
| Network | Brands it owns | Other brands that use it |
|---|---|---|
| Verizon | Visible, Total Wireless, Straight Talk, Tracfone, Simple Mobile, Page Plus | Xfinity Mobile, Spectrum Mobile, US Mobile (Warp) |
| T-Mobile | Metro by T-Mobile, Mint Mobile, Ultra Mobile | Tello, Lycamobile, Google Fi, US Mobile (Light Speed) |
| AT&T | Cricket Wireless | Boost Mobile, Consumer Cellular, US Mobile (Dark Star) |
A cheaper brand on the same network usually gets the same coverage as the big carrier that owns the towers. What changes is how your data is treated when the network is busy, whether taxes are included and whether there's a store to walk into.
Which company has the best coverage?
It depends on where you live. One network can be strongest in one town and weakest in the next. Check coverage for your area first, then pick the cheapest company on that network.
Carrier coverage by state and city, with the network that's strongest in each.
See coverage by state →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.