Most cell phone owners understand that not all phones work with all cell phone carriers. For example, if you're on the Verizon or Sprint network, then you likely can't bring your mobile phone to AT&T or T-Mobile and vice versa.
Why? Because the four major carrier networks use two different technologies - GSM and CDMA. While Verizon and Sprint utilize the CDMA network, AT&T and T-Mobile use GSM phone networks.
However, just because you can't bring your CDMA phone to a GSM network carrier doesn't mean you're stuck choosing only from the big guys. There are lots of smaller CDMA phone carriers to consider switching to.
These lesser-known providers are called Mobile Virtual Network Operators, or MVNOs for short. MVNOs lease 4G LTE coverage from the major cellular networks, meaning that you'll receive solid service no matter what carrier you select.
The Best CDMA Carrier Plans of April 2020
- Best Sprint Carrier: Tello 4GB - $19/mo
- Best Verizon Carrier: Reach Mobile 5GB - $30/mo
- Cheap Sprint Carrier: Red Pocket 3GB - $19/mo
- Cheap Verizon Carrier: US Mobile Talk & Text Only - $10/mo
- Best Overall Carrier: Reach Mobile 5GB - $30/mo
CDMA Carrier Plan Comparison Chart
| Carrier | Coverage | Data | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tello | Sprint 4G LTE | 4GB | $19 |
| Reach Mobile | Verizon 4G LTE | 5GB | $45 |
| Red Pocket Mobile | Sprint 4G LTE | 3GB | $19 |
| US Mobile | Verizon 4G LTE | 0GB | $10 |
Best Sprint CDMA Carrier: Tello
Pros
- Flexible plans up to 10 GB of high-speed data
- Free texting with all plans
- Change your plan any time
- Unlimited 2G data
Cons
- Only CDMA or global phones compatible
- No unlimited data plan
Best Value CDMA Plan: Tello 4GB
| Network | Sprint |
|---|---|
| Data Speed | 4G LTE |
| 3G Network | CDMA |
| Mobile Hotspot | Yes |
| Bring Your Phone | Yes |
| Keep Your Number | Yes |
| Contract | No - prepaid |
|---|---|
| Credit Check | No |
| Customer Service | 24/7 |
| International Calls | Yes - Includes Mexico, Canada & China |
| Money Back Guarantee | Yes - 3 days |
Sprint National 4G LTE Coverage Without Sprint Prices
Sprint vs Tello Price Comparison
Keep your Sprint phone, number & coverage: Save $492 per year
| Carrier | Network Coverage | 4G LTE Data | Price | Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sprint | Sprint 4G LTE | Unltd* | $60/mo | $720/yr |
| Tello | Sprint 4G LTE | 4GB | $19/mo | $228/yr |
| *Don't waste money on unlimited data - Avg. data usage is only 3-5GB | Savings | $41/mo | $492/yr | |
Best Verizon CDMA Carrier: Reach Mobile
Pros
- Good pricing for lower data users
- Unlimited talk and text
- Unlimited data plan available
- User-friendly website and app
Cons
- No international service
- Does not sell devices
- Expensive for heavy data users
Best Value CDMA Carrier: Reach Mobile 5GB
| Network | AT&T, Verizon |
|---|---|
| Data Speed | 4G LTE |
| 3G Network | GSM & CDMA |
| Mobile Hotspot | n/a |
| Bring Your Phone | Yes |
| Keep Your Number | Yes |
| Contract | No |
|---|---|
| Credit Check | No |
| Customer Service | 24/7 |
| International Calls | n/a |
| Money Back Guarantee | n/a |
Verizon National 4G LTE Coverage Without Verizon Prices
Verizon vs Reach Mobile Price Comparison
Keep your Verizon phone, number & coverage: Save $465 per year
| Carrier | Network Coverage | 4G LTE Data | Price | Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verizon | Verizon 4G LTE | Unltd* | $80/mo | $960/yr |
| Reach Mobile | Verizon 4G LTE | 5GB | $45/mo | $495/yr |
| *Don't waste money on unlimited data - Avg. data usage is only 3-5GB | Savings | $35/mo | $465/yr | |
Cheap Sprint CDMA Carrier: Red Pocket Mobile
Pros
- Unlimited talk and text with most plans
- Unlimited 2G data
- Family plan option
- Annual plans available at a discount
Cons
- Less data in CDMA plans at the same price as GSM
- No international roaming
Best Cheap CDMA Plan: Red Pocket Mobile 3GB
| Network | AT&T, T-Mobile, Verzion, Sprint |
|---|---|
| Data Speed | 4G LTE |
| 3G Network | CDMA & GSM |
| Mobile Hotspot | Yes |
| Bring Your Phone | Yes |
| Keep Your Number | Yes |
| Contract | No - prepaid |
|---|---|
| Credit Check | No |
| Customer Service | 24/7 |
| International Calls | Yes - Includes 70 countries |
| Money Back Guarantee | Yes - 14 days |
Sprint National 4G LTE Coverage Without Sprint Prices
Sprint vs Red Pocket Mobile Price Comparison
Keep your Sprint phone, number & coverage: Save $492 per year
| Carrier | Network Coverage | 4G LTE Data | Price | Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sprint | Sprint 4G LTE | Unltd* | $60/mo | $720/yr |
| Red Pocket Mobile | Sprint 4G LTE | 3GB | $19/mo | $228/yr |
| *Don't waste money on unlimited data - Avg. data usage is only 3-5GB | Savings | $41/mo | $492/yr | |
Cheap Verizon CDMA Carrier: US Mobile
Pros
- 99% of phones are compatible
- Super flexible, customizable plans
- Unlimited data plan option
- Three data speed choices
Cons
- Larger data plans are a bit pricey
- Hotspot usage costs extra
Best Cheap CDMA Plan: US Mobile 0GB
| Network | T-Mobile & Verizon |
|---|---|
| Data Speed | 4G LTE |
| 3G Network | GSM & CDMA |
| Mobile Hotspot | Yes |
| Bring Your Phone | Yes |
| Keep Your Number | Yes |
| Contract | No - prepaid |
|---|---|
| Credit Check | No |
| Customer Service | 24/7 |
| International Calls | No |
| Money Back Guarantee | No |
Verizon National 4G LTE Coverage Without Verizon Prices
Verizon vs US Mobile Price Comparison
Keep your Verizon phone, number & coverage: Save $840 per year
| Carrier | Network Coverage | 4G LTE Data | Price | Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verizon | Verizon 4G LTE | Unltd* | $80/mo | $960/yr |
| US Mobile | Verizon 4G LTE | 0GB | $10/mo | $120/yr |
| *Don't waste money on unlimited data - Avg. data usage is only 3-5GB | Savings | $70/mo | $840/yr | |
Best Overall CDMA Carrier: Reach Mobile
Best Value CDMA Plan: Reach Mobile 5GB
| Network | AT&T, Verizon |
|---|---|
| Data Speed | 4G LTE |
| 3G Network | GSM & CDMA |
| Mobile Hotspot | n/a |
| Bring Your Phone | Yes |
| Keep Your Number | Yes |
| Contract | No |
|---|---|
| Credit Check | No |
| Customer Service | 24/7 |
| International Calls | n/a |
| Money Back Guarantee | n/a |
Why Choose an MVNO?
It's a good question and one that certainly needs to be addressed! Compared to the big four carriers - AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile - these low-cost carriers offer cheap cell phone plans along with several other benefits:
- Save money: Thanks to lower overhead and marketing costs, MVNOs are able to offer you much lower rates on your cell phone plans.
- Customized plans: It's unfortunate, but the big guys mainly offer plans surrounding unlimited 4G LTE data. While that sounds fantastic on paper, customers tend to use less than 3GB of data per month, meaning they're paying an arm and a leg for data their not even taking full advantage of. Well, MVNOs are much more customer-centric; they let you pay for what you need, with no strings attached. In fact, several MVNOs offer build-your-own plans, so you can choose the minutes, texts, and data!
- No contracts or credit checks: MVNOs are prepaid cell phone carriers, so if you are unhappy with the wireless carrier's service for any reason whatsoever, you can drop the service whenever you'd like. Even more tempting is that you'll never have to deal with a credit check or two-year commitment.
- Keep your freedom: With bring your own phone programs offered by MVNOs, you can keep your phone without adding an extra $10 - $30 to your cell phone bill for phone financing. And that financing, after a year, tallies up to between $120 and $360.
Recap
If you have a preference for CDMA carriers but are tired of dealing with the prices charged by Sprint or Verizon, then you should certainly consider CDMA MVNOs, which only takes unlocked CDMA devices and a CDMA SIM card.
There are lots of CDMA carriers out there, with plans that are better suited for you rather than the carrier. Textnow, Twigby, US Mobile, and Tello are our highly recommended picks, but there are dozens more MVNOs out there for you to choose from.
So with that being said, you should take a moment to compare cheap cell phone plans to see how much you can really save each year.