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Cheapest phone carriers

Cheapest phone carriers in 2023

Tello: Best cheap prepaid phone carrier
T-Mobile wireless network coverage
No contract. No bulk buying.
24/7 friendly customer support
4G LTE/5G nationwide coverage
Free Hotspot & Wi-Fi Calling
Free international calls to 60+ countries
No roaming
Coverage in rural areas
Tello 1GB plan includes unlimited mins, unlimited texts and 1GB data for only $10 per month. Tello plans offers wireless coverage on the T-Mobile 5G and 4G LTE network. Read Tello review
Tello unlimited talk & text plan: $8/mo
Tello 1GB plan: $10/mo
Tello 2GB plan: $14/mo
Tello 5GB plan: $19/mo
Tello 10GB plan: $24/mo
Tello unlimited data plan: $29/mo

US Mobile: Best cheap phone carrier for families
Verizon & T-Mobile wireless network coverage
* 100 Days FREE Trial
Flexible, no contract plans
24/7 customer service
5G coverage available
No international calling
Phone selection
US Mobile 5GB plan includes unlimited mins, unlimited texts and 5GB data for only $15 per month. US Mobile plans offers wireless coverage on the Verizon & T-Mobile 5G and 4G LTE networks. Read US Mobile review
US Mobile 500MB plan: $5/mo
US Mobile unlimited talk & text plan: $8/mo
US Mobile 2GB plan: $12/mo
US Mobile 5GB plan: $15/mo
US Mobile 15GB plan: $20/mo
US Mobile 25GB plan: $25/mo
US Mobile unlimited data plan: $35/mo
US Mobile unlimited data plan: $45/mo

Mint Mobile: Best cheap phone carrier for unlimited data
T-Mobile wireless network coverage
* Only $45 for 3 Months
Offers the latest phones with 0% finance
Prepay months in bulk for more savings
Reliable network coverage
Works with most GSM phones
No family plans
Minimum 3 months
Mint Mobile Unlimited plan includes unlimited mins, unlimited texts and unlimited data for only $15 per month. Mint Mobile plans offers wireless coverage on the T-Mobile 5G and 4G LTE network. Read Mint Mobile review
Mint Mobile 20GB plan: $15/mo
Mint Mobile 15GB plan: $15/mo
Mint Mobile 5GB plan: $15/mo
Mint Mobile unlimited data plan: $15/mo

Ultra Mobile: Best cheap phone carrier for 5G coverage
T-Mobile wireless network coverage
Simple account dashboard
Unlimited international talk and text
Nationwide coverage
Customer service
Ultra Mobile 2GB plan includes unlimited mins, unlimited texts and 2GB data for only $14 per month. Ultra Mobile plans offers wireless coverage on the T-Mobile 5G and 4G LTE network. Read Ultra Mobile review
Ultra Mobile unlimited talk & text plan: $10/mo
Ultra Mobile 2GB plan: $14/mo
Ultra Mobile 6GB plan: $25/mo
Ultra Mobile 15GB plan: $30/mo
Ultra Mobile unlimited data plan: $30/mo

Ting: Best cheap carrier for talk & text
T-Mobile & Verizon wireless network coverage
Unlimited mins
Unlimited texts
0GB 4G/5G Data
* $5 extra per GB
Simple plans for light phone users
Customer service
Nationwide LTE and 5G coverage
Good selection of handsets
Not for the data hungry user
Ting 0GB plan includes unlimited mins, unlimited texts and 0GB data for only $10 per month. Ting plans offers wireless coverage on the T-Mobile & Verizon 5G and 4G LTE networks. Read Ting review
Ting unlimited talk & text plan: $10/mo
Ting 1GB plan: $15/mo
Ting 5GB plan: $25/mo
Ting 12GB plan: $35/mo
Ting unlimited data plan: $45/mo
Cheap carrier benefits
Same great nationwide coverage: These cell phone carriers operate on the very same networks as the big three carriers.
Much lower prices: Save up to $600 per year on your cell phone plan. Why are MVNOs so much cheaper? They don't have the huge overhead and advertising costs the big guys do.
No contracts: Don't get trapped into a two-year agreement. Switch carriers when you decide to with a no contract phone plan.
Same cell phone service: Just because you're paying less, that doesn't mean you have to scrimp on features. Plans with unlimited everything are easy to find from these prepaid carriers. Usually, a low-cost carrier plan comes with unlimited talk and text as standard, high-speed data, and even mobile hotspot data features.
Keep your phone and number: You can bring your own phone and keep your phone number. No need to sign up for pricey device payments.
Customize your plan: You decide how much data you need. Choose to pay as you go, opt for unlimited or no data, minimal minutes, or unlimited talk text and data. Unlimited data plans come at a much better price with an alternative carrier. Pick the plan options that fit your budget - not the one your carrier thinks you need.
Great customer support: Smaller mobile providers are known for their attention to their customers. Stop feeling like an anonymous number getting lost in the crowd! Check out our carrier user reviews before switching.
Best cheap carrier on T-Mobile
Unlimited mins
Unlimited texts
5GB
4G/5G data
$15 /mo*
T-Mobile vs Mint Mobile comparison
Keep your T-Mobile phone, number & coverage: Save $660 per year
Carrier |
Network Coverage |
4G/5G Data |
Price |
Annual Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|
T-Mobile |
T-Mobile 4G & 5G | Unltd* |
$70/mo |
$840/yr |
Mint Mobile |
T-Mobile 4G & 5G |
5GB |
$15/mo |
$180/yr |
*Don't waste money on unlimited data - Avg. data usage is only 3-5GB |
Savings |
$55/mo |
$660/yr |
Compare: cheapest T-Mobile carrier plans
Best cheap carrier on Verizon
Unlimited mins
Unlimited texts
5GB
4G/5G data
$15 /mo
Verizon vs US Mobile comparison
Keep your Verizon phone, number & coverage: Save $780 per year
Carrier |
Network Coverage |
4G/5G Data |
Price |
Annual Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|
Verizon |
Verizon 4G & 5G | Unltd* |
$80/mo |
$960/yr |
US Mobile |
Verizon 4G & 5G |
5GB |
$15/mo |
$180/yr |
*Don't waste money on unlimited data - Avg. data usage is only 3-5GB |
Savings |
$65/mo |
$780/yr |
Compare: cheapest Verizon carrier plans
Best cheap carrier on AT&T
Unlimited mins
Unlimited texts
6GB
4G/5G data
$25 /mo*
AT&T vs Good2Go Mobile comparison
Keep your AT&T phone, number & coverage: Save $600 per year
Carrier |
Network Coverage |
4G/5G Data |
Price |
Annual Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|
AT&T |
AT&T 4G & 5G | Unltd* |
$75/mo |
$900/yr |
Good2Go Mobile |
AT&T 4G & 5G |
6GB |
$25/mo |
$300/yr |
*Don't waste money on unlimited data - Avg. data usage is only 3-5GB |
Savings |
$50/mo |
$600/yr |
Compare: cheapest AT&T carrier plans
Cheap carrier plan features
4G LTE & 5G data speeds: Since MVNOs operate on the big three cellular networks you'll pay less without sacrificing speed. More and more are adding 5G coverage all the time so you can expect high-speed data.
Unlimited talk and text messaging: Finding a new unlimited plan has never been easier. Virtually all small carriers include unlimited text and calls in their plan options. Compare cheap talk and text plans with or without data.
International calls to Canada and Mexico: International calling is a must for many people. Luckily MVNOs offer some of the best international phone plans, with free calling to certain countries like Canada and Mexico, and discounted rates on others.
Multiline discounts: Low-cost carriers also offer some of the cheapest family cell phone plans, with multi-line discounts.
Wi-Fi calling: This feature is handy when you're out of your service area, allowing you to make calls over the internet instead of on your cellular connection.
Tethering/hotspot data: Many low-cost carriers allow you to use your phone as a hotspot. Pick an MVNO with the best mobile hotspot plans so you can share your mobile hotspot data with other devices.
HD video streaming: Just like the big guys, some MVNOs offer HD video streaming and some don't. Read the fine print to find the option you want.
Best cheap phone carrier plans
Carrier |
Network | Data |
Price |
---|---|---|---|
T-Mobile | 1GB |
$10/mo |
|
Verizon | 4GB |
$20/mo |
|
AT&T & T-Mobile | 5GB |
$15/mo |
|
T-Mobile | 20GB |
$25/mo |
|
T-Mobile | Unltd |
$30/mo |
Cheap carrier coverage
Which prepaid carrier is best for you? That depends on which network has the best coverage in your area.
Whether you go with a GSM carrier (T-Mobile and AT&T) or a CDMA carrier (Verizon) you'll enjoy national coverage, just like with the major carriers.
Network performance ratings
NETWORK |
OVERALL |
RELIABILITY |
SPEED |
DATA |
CALL |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
95 |
96 |
94 |
96 |
94 |
|
94 |
94 |
95 |
96 |
92 |
|
86 |
88 |
82 |
89 |
82 |
Source: Rootmetrics
Cheap carrier customer service
Concerned that low-cost carriers won't have good customer service? Don't be, on average MVNOs score much higher customer ratings than the big networks as you'll see in the comparison chart below:
CARRIER |
TRUSTPILOT USER RATING |
---|---|
Reach Mobile |
4.9 |
Tello |
4.6 |
US Mobile |
4.6 |
T-Mobile |
1.5 |
Verizon |
1.3 |
AT&T |
1.2 |
Switch to a cheap carrier
It's never been easier to switch. Let's break it down.
Customize your plan. Whether you're looking for a truly unlimited plan, or in the market for something more basic, choose a plan to suit your cell phone needs.
Prepare to make the switch. Make sure your old bills are paid up and your phone is unlocked. If you're getting a new device, transferring data from one to another is simple. Even if you're going from an iPhone to Android, and vice versa.
Set up your new plan. Keep your current carrier account open until your number has ported over. Once you're sure your new plan is up and running, cancel your old account. If you've got a new device with your Tello plan, it should be ready to use when it arrives. If you're bringing your own phone then you'll need to follow the instructions with the new SIM card kit that Tello will send to you in the post.
Cheap carriers list
Boost Mobile | US Mobile | Red Pocket |
US Mobile | Red Pocket | Good2Go Mobile |
Ultra Mobile | Twigby | PureTalk |
Tello | Affinity Cellular | H2O Wireless |
Red Pocket | Reach Mobile | Straight Talk |
Mint Mobile | Spectrum Mobile | Tracfone |
Consumer Cellular | Total by Verizon | Kroger Wireless |
Republic Wireless | Ting | Optimum Mobile |
Simple Mobile | ||
Lycamobile | ||
Gen Mobile |
Best cheap cell phone deals
Device | 32GB | 128GB | 64GB |
---|---|---|---|
Motorola Moto G7 REVVLRY | $9/mo | - | - |
Samsung Galaxy A03s | $9/mo | - | - |
Motorola Moto E | $11/mo | - | - |
Samsung Galaxy S10e | - | $11/mo | - |
Motorola Moto G Stylus | - | $11/mo | - |
Motorola Moto One Ace | - | - | $11/mo |
Nokia G50 | - | $11/mo | - |
OnePlus Nord N10 | - | $11/mo | - |
Motorola Moto G Power | $12/mo | - | - |
Motorola Moto G Pure | $12/mo | - | - |
Best cheap carriers FAQs
Which cell phone carrier is the cheapest?
The best value cell phone carrier varies depending on your needs and your budget. There's a range of options available from low-cost MVNOs.
Which is the best cheap carrier forunlimited data?
For unlimited everything on a budget, Mint Mobile offers a low-cost option on the T-Mobile network.