Best prepaid phone plans in 2024

The big three wireless carriers — AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon — offer premium experiences with great deals on new phones, but for many people, the deals are not worth their high asking price and multi-year commitments. 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

US Mobile’s Unlimited Starter plan is the plan most people should be considering at the carrier. This plan comes with 35GB of high-speed data and 10GB of hotspot data, which should be plenty for the vast majority of users. Naturally, unlimited talk and texting are also included. International texting from the U.S. is included. If you get the annual plan, you also get 1GB of data to use in Mexico and Canada per month. An add-on is available for monthly customers.

While some people coming from premium unlimited plans may be nervous about going down to just 35GB of high-speed data, realistically, most people won’t use that full amount, especially if they use Wi-Fi at home. The 10GB of hotspot data is a nice inclusion so you can keep other devices like laptops or tablets connected when there’s no Wi-Fi.

US Mobile uses both the Verizon (Warp 5G) and T-Mobile (GSM 5G) networks for connectivity, so you can bring just about any phone to the carrier with strong 5G coverage nationwide. You can swap between the networks, but it will cost you $2 each time. There’s also a network called Dark Star that will be available later in 2024. This plan costs $25 per month, with taxes and fees included, if you pay monthly. If you pay for the year, it comes down to $22.50 per month, or $270 upfront for the year.

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 $25 per month. You can also pay $275 for a year of service, which works out to one month free. 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 includes unlimited calls and texting in the U.S. as well as in Mexico and Canada.

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. Finally, if you can get Verizon Home Internet, either Fios or 5G, you can get $5 off per month with Visible and $10 off with Visible+.

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 $105 when you buy three months, $150 for six months, and $240 when you buy the year. That breaks down to $35, $25, and $20 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. For example, the recovery fee for the 15GB plan for three months comes to $11.50 with under $2 in taxes and fees in my location. The exact cost depends on your location and will show up as soon as you enter your address during checkup, so there should be no surprises.

Visible+ is a very easy plan to recommend, especially to those accustomed to premium unlimited plans from postpaid carriers. Visible+ comes with truly unlimited data on Verizon’s network with 50GB of premium data with access to Verizon’s Ultra Wideband 5G speeds. Visible’s base plan comes with unlimited hotspot data at 5Mbps, but Visible+ doubles that speed to 10Mbps, which is even enough to stream HD video.

When it comes to international features, Visible+ customers get unlimited talks and texts to Mexico and Canada. If you’re traveling, you also get unlimited usage including 2GB of data per day in Mexico and Canada. Calling to 30+ other countries and texting to 200+ countries is included. You also get one Global Pass per month for a day of usage when traveling abroad.

Visible is owned by Verizon and uses the Verizon network exclusively for coverage. For most people, that means great coverage, but some unlocked phones may not work with the carrier. If your phone is compatible with Verizon’s bands, however, you should have no trouble using it.

When you sign up for Visible+ with code “VIP20”, you can get your first month for just $25 per month. After that, the price is $45 per month with taxes and fees included. If you’re willing to pay for the entire year, you pay just $395, which breaks down to just over $32 per month.

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. You can save more by paying for three, six, or 12 months with increasing discounts for each. 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 on 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, plus 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.

If you’re a light user, you shouldn’t have to pay for mountains of unused data and a bunch of perks you won’t even use. US Mobile’s Light Plan could be the perfect fit for a lot of people with 2GB of data and unlimited talks and text. While there are other plans from other carriers that hit this price point, US Mobile’s inclusion of 2GB of data offers a little extra peace of mind so you can send pictures and videos without worrying about usage. Don’t forget, if you use Wi-Fi at home, you won’t even use up your data while connected to it.

US Mobile supports both T-Mobile and Verizon coverage, so you can bring just about any phone you want to the carrier. If you’re looking for a cheap carrier for grandma, or just want something for a backup phone, the Light Plan is a good pick.

The Light Plan comes in at $10 per month for monthly users. International calling can be added for $3 per month as well. If you’re willing to pay for the whole year at once, you can get this plan for just $96 per year, or about $8 per month. The international calling add-on costs $36 per year with this plan. All taxes and fees are included, so what you see is what you pay at US Mobile.

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 5GB and a 30GB plan for $15 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. As we saw in our MobileX review, network performance is strong with access to Ultra Wideband 5G speeds. 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 trade-off 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. An unlocked phone like the Google Pixel 8 supports the AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon networks, so you can bring it with you to just about any prepaid carrier.

For most people, US Mobile’s Unlimited Starter plan is a great starting point, true to its name. If you want something a bit more, Unlimited Premium has all the same perks, with more premium data and hotspot data, plus better international features. For most people, however, Unlimited Starter offers plenty of data with unlimited talk and text. With the choice between the Verizon and T-Mobile networks, you can bring just about any phone to the carrier, with strong coverage nationwide.