The best prepaid phone plans that will save you hundreds every year

The Big Three carriers — AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon — offer premium experiences with deals on new phones, but for many people, the deals are not worth their high asking prices. Instead, a prepaid plan provides all the speed and coverage most people need for a lot less. And since prepaid carriers use coverage from one or more big carriers, you won’t need to give up coverage to save money. Whether you’re a light user looking for a cheap plan or a heavy user needing an unlimited connection, there’s a prepaid plan for you on every major network.

Save money without giving up coverage with a prepaid phone plan

Mint Mobile took a unique approach to wireless service with its multi-month discounts and simple plans. While many other prepaid carriers have scrambled to offer similar value, Mint has managed to stay ahead of the pack with consistent plan upgrades for new and existing customers. Mint currently offers four plans, all with unlimited talk and text, and lower prices for those willing to sign up for longer. Mint plans come with 5GB, 15GB, 25GB, or 40GB (unlimited) of high-speed data.

Mint’s 15GB plan is a great fit for most people, as it has enough data to stream and browse without worry when you’re away from home. Hotspot usage is included, so you can even use one of the best Chromebooks from the side of a road in a pinch. Mint Mobile is owned by T-Mobile and uses T-Mobile’s network for all of its coverage, including the fastest Ultra Capacity 5G coverage as well as LTE, giving you coverage in most of the country.

For a single line, this plan comes in at $75 when you buy three months, $120 for six months, and $180 when you buy the year. That breaks down to $25, $20, and $15 when broken down per month, so the more you can pay upfront, the better the value.

If you bring two to five lines with Mint Family, you can get the best 12-month rates renewed in three months, making the impact on your bank account more manageable. Keep in mind that Mint charges a recovery fee plus taxes and fees at checkout, so your final price will be a bit higher but still an overall strong value.

Visible is a prepaid carrier owned by Verizon that offers only two plans, both of which come with unlimited data. Unlike many other carriers (like Mint Mobile) that simply label large plans as “unlimited” for marketing, Visible’s data is actually unlimited. This even includes the base Visible plan which comes in at just $30 per month. It’s worth noting that Visible data is treated as a lower priority than postpaid Verizon plans or even Visible+ data, but as long as your area isn’t too congested, it will likely be plenty fast. Still, if you need speedier downloads, you can upgrade to Visible+.

Visible has access to Verizon’s 5G network with nationwide speeds on the base plan and Ultra Wideband on Visible+. Ultra Wideband 5G on Visible+ means unlocked speeds using C-band and mmWave coverage, but the base plan is fast enough for many people. Also, both plans have access to Verizon’s LTE network, making rural coverage strong. And if you want to share your data with other devices, Visible includes unlimited hotspot data at 5Mbps. Of course, this won’t be suitable for online gaming or large downloads, but it’s still nice to have.

If you’re an Apple user, you can add an Apple Watch plan for just $5 per month. Unfortunately, this plan isn’t available for the best Android smartwatches, which is a serious drag. There are also no multi-line savings, so there’s no real benefit in bringing the whole family, but adding the watch plan is good news for single-line users looking for a good deal. Visible even includes taxes and fees in its plan price, so there are no surprises at checkout.

US Mobile has been gaining traction in the prepaid space with its cheap, flexible plan plus two unlimited plans. Although both unlimited plans are totally unlimited on Verizon’s network, for many, the Unlimited Basic plan is the way to go with 40GB of premium data, 5GB of hotspot data, and access to Verizon’s C-band and mmWave 5G coverage.

For a single line, US Mobile Unlimited Basic costs $35 per month plus taxes and fees. If you bring two lines, that comes down to $30, and with four lines, it’s just $20 per month per line. If you want to upgrade to the bigger Unlimited Premium plan, prices increase by $10 across the board, but you also get more premium data at 100GB, more hotspot data at 50GB, and a streaming subscription with three or more lines.

US Mobile also supports T-Mobile coverage and even includes a SIM for the carrier. However, you’ll get the most data and the premium data perks when you use the Verizon network, so if your phone supports it, you should be using Verizon. Still, it’s nice to know with US Mobile you have an option to try out a phone with a little more personality, like the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate.

Cricket Wireless isn’t the best value in terms of data per dollar, but with strong coverage thanks to the AT&T network and totally unlimited data, it’s a good fit for many. Cricket also has multi-line savings for this plan, bringing it down to just $25 per line, including taxes. Cricket also has an advantage that many other prepaid carriers don’t: a lot of brick-and-mortar stores. Some people don’t want to set up everything online or in an app, so it’s nice to have the option to go in and talk to someone in person.

Cricket’s unlimited plan, Unlimited Cricket Core, keeps things simple with no secret data caps, and unlimited talk and text. No hotspot data is included, but if you need it, you can get 10GB for $10 per month, which isn’t bad at all. But if you’ve only got a single line, upgrading to the Cricket More plan for $5 more makes more sense. If you have three or more lines, there’s no reason to get the 5GB or 10GB since they cost the same as Unlimited Core.

While T-Mobile has made up a lot of ground and Verizon has strong rural coverage, the AT&T network is still the most consistent in the countryside for most. Phone support is strong thanks to the AT&T network working with a wide range of phones, so there’s a good chance you’ll be able to keep using your phone as long as you’ve paid it off or purchased it unlocked.

One thing to remember is that Cricket only comes with access to nationwide 5G on AT&T — that’s low-band 5G with LTE-like speeds. On the other hand, if you want AT&T’s best mid-band and high-band 5G speeds, you’ll need a premium postpaid plan. Still, AT&T LTE and basic 5G are more than enough for most people.

Boost Mobile was sold to DISH Wireless when T-Mobile purchased Sprint, and the company has since undergone quite a few changes behind the scenes. For one, Boost Mobile now uses a combination of coverage from T-Mobile and AT&T for the majority of its coverage. DISH Wireless is also working hard to expand its own 5G network and has coverage in multiple cities and suburbs across the country. While it will likely be years before DISH can claim coverage numbers close to that of the Big Three, it’s nice to see another carrier pushing to build a nationwide network.

Boost Mobile’s 1GB plan is fairly simple, with unlimited talk and text and 1GB of high-speed data on whichever network your phone and SIM support. This plan is only available by the year, so you’ll be paying $100 upfront to get connected, but that breaks down to just $8.33 per month, making it a good option for a backup phone or someone who just needs the basics. It can also be a good plan for someone with constant access to Wi-Fi or who just never really got into tech. And only needing to cut a check once a year for phone service makes it easier to stay connected.

One annoying thing about this plan is that it’s only available to new customers. Tip: If you’re already a Boost Mobile customer and want to save some money by moving to a smaller and cheaper plan, you can find a similarly affordable plan by switching to a carrier like MobileX.

MobileX feels like more of an app than a carrier, and that’s not really a bad thing. The company uses its app to allow customers to try its service for free for 30 days while it works on a prediction for how much data you need. The idea is that you probably need less data than you think, and if you’re on an unlimited plan, you could be wasting money. Still, it has two larger plans — a 15GB and a 30GB plan for $20 or $25 per month, respectively, if you need it.

MobileX uses the Verizon network and can be set up in just a few minutes with an eSIM-compatible phone and the MobileX app. If your phone is not eSim-compatible, a free physical SIM will be shipped to you in a day or two. While it’s impossible to tell exactly how much your plan will cost, it will likely come in under $10 per month with unlimited talk and text and 1GB of data. If you don’t make many calls, you can save even more by dropping to 150 minutes, 50 minutes, or no talk and text at all.

If it turns out you need more data, you can add more for around $2 per gig at any time, but you probably won’t need it since your unused data will carry over to the next month, building up a buffer for heavier user periods. MobileX’s flexible plan stops making sense around 10GB of usage, and the app will refer you to its 15GB and 30GB plans.

Google Fi has been popular with the nerdier crowd for years, with special features tailored specifically to Android users in Google’s ecosystem. Google Fi also offers some of the best international coverage options of any carrier, with the Unlimited Plus plan including free data in over 200 destinations. If you find yourself traveling internationally more than a few times a year, Google Fi could be the right choice for you. Although the Unlimited Plus plan is a bit pricey at $65 for a single line and $160 for four lines, if you can make use of the features, it could very well be worth it. Just keep in mind that taxes and fees are extra.

Google Fi Unlimited Plus comes with 50GB of high-speed data, unlimited hotspot usage, and data for other devices; you can use your data on another device with a free data-only SIM and even activate an Android smartwatch for no additional cost. Beyond that, Fi throws in 100GB of cloud storage with Google One and a year of YouTube Premium. This is all on top of Google Fi’s VPN service, which allows you to make the most of public Wi-Fi.

Google Fi mostly uses the T-Mobile network for coverage in the U.S. with full 5G support. In the past, Fi also had UScellular coverage in some areas but has since terminated that deal. It also has agreements with Wi-Fi providers in a few cities to keep your data moving quickly when things get congested. One thing to remember if you’re bringing the family is that iPhone support is a bit behind with some extra configuration required, though 5G support on iPhone was finally added in early 2023 with iOS 16.4.

No matter how much data you need, there’s a prepaid option for you

There’s a reason AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon offer huge discounts on new phones. No, it’s not to reward you for years of loyalty but to lock you into one of their expensive plans for years as you pay off your new phone. While the tradeoff will be worth it to some, pairing one of the best budget Android phones, purchased unlocked, with a prepaid plan will work out cheaper in the long run. If you still want to use one of the best Android phones with all the latest hardware, you can buy it outright or set up a payment plan with the manufacturer to get it unlocked and then use it on any carrier you want.

Mint Mobile’s 15GB plan comes with more than enough data for most people, and it’s quite affordable if you’re willing to pay for a year of service. With 5G coverage on T-Mobile’s massive network, you might even see better performance than AT&T or Verizon outside the city. In addition, Mint Family allows you to bring multiple lines to make the renewal fees more palatable with Mint’s best rates for three months at a time.