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About Rob
Rob has 15+ years experience running price comparison & review websites that empower consumers to find the cheapest cell phone services, cell phone deals, home phone, and internet providers available. He has been published in Forbes, US News, Entrepreneur, Huffington Post, Inc.
Rob's Expertise
5G wireless networks, cell phone plans, cell phone deals, MVNOs, internet services, tablets, comparison shopping, money saving, reviewing telecom products & services
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Chances are your cell phone service runs on one of the largest mobile networks - Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile.
All these providers do their best to convince you their network is the fastest and best cell phone network out there but what are the best value plans?
If you're trying to figure out which network is better between AT&T and T-Mobile you're in the right place.
We'll give you the lowdown and show you how you could save a lot of money while enjoying great service on whichever network you choose.
T-Mobile vs AT&T: Plans
AT&T vs T-Mobile: Plans & coverage comparison
Best cheap T-Mobile phone plan
Mint Mobile 5GB
- T-Mobile 5G & 4G LTE network
- Unlimited talk and text
- 5GB data
This Mint Mobile 5GB plan includes unlimited mins, unlimited texts and 5GB data for only $15 per month. Mint Mobile plans offers wireless coverage on the T-Mobile 5G and 4G LTE network. View Mint Mobile phone plans
Plan |
Data |
Price |
|---|---|---|
Mint Mobile 20GB plan |
20GB |
$15/mo* Only $45 for 3 Months |
Mint Mobile 15GB plan |
15GB |
$15/mo* Only $45 for 3 Months |
Mint Mobile unlimited data plan |
Unlimited |
$15/mo* Only $45 for 3 Months |
Cheapest T-Mobile unlimited data plan
Tello Unlimited
- T-Mobile 5G & 4G LTE network
- Unlimited talk and text
- Unlimited data
This Tello Unlimited plan includes unlimited mins, unlimited texts and unlimited data for only $29 per month. Tello plans offers wireless coverage on the T-Mobile 5G and 4G LTE network. View Tello phone plans
Plan |
Data |
Price |
|---|---|---|
Tello unlimited talk & text plan |
0GB |
$8/mo |
Tello 1GB plan |
1GB |
$10/mo |
Tello 2GB plan |
2GB |
$14/mo |
Tello 5GB plan |
5GB |
$19/mo |
Tello 10GB plan |
10GB |
$24/mo |
T-Mobile unlimited data plans
| Plan | Data | Monthly Price | Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| T-Mobile Magenta | Unlimited | $70 | $840 |
| T-Mobile Magenta Max | Unlimited | $85 | $1,020 |
T-Mobile vs Tello comparison
Keep your T-Mobile phone, number & coverage: Save $492 per year
Carrier |
Network Coverage |
4G/5G Data |
Price |
Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
T-Mobile |
T-Mobile 4G & 5G | Unltd* |
$70/mo |
$840/yr |
Tello |
T-Mobile 4G & 5G |
Unlimited |
$29/mo |
$348/yr |
*Don't waste money on unlimited data - Avg. data usage is only 3-5GB |
Savings |
$41/mo |
$492/yr |
|
Best cheap AT&T phone plan
Boost Mobile 5GB
- AT&T 5G & 4G LTE network
- Unlimited talk and text
- 5GB data
This Boost Mobile 5GB plan includes unlimited mins, unlimited texts and 5GB data for only $5 per month. Boost Mobile plans offers wireless coverage on the AT&T 5G and 4G LTE network. View Boost Mobile phone plans
Plan |
Data |
Price |
|---|---|---|
Boost Mobile 2GB plan |
2GB |
$10/mo |
Boost Mobile unlimited data plan |
Unlimited |
$12.5/mo* 50% Off First Month |
Boost Mobile 15GB plan |
15GB |
$20/mo* $240 for 1 year service |
Cheapest AT&T unlimited data plan
Boost Mobile Unlimited
- AT&T 5G & 4G LTE network
- Unlimited talk and text
- Unlimited data
This Boost Mobile Unlimited plan includes unlimited mins, unlimited texts and unlimited data for only $12.50 per month. Boost Mobile plans offers wireless coverage on the AT&T 5G and 4G LTE network. View Boost Mobile phone plans
AT&T unlimited data plans
| Plan | Data | Monthly Price | Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T Unlimited Extra | Unlimited | $75 | $900 |
| AT&T Unlimited Elite | Unlimited | $85 | $1,020 |
AT&T vs Boost Mobile comparison
Keep your AT&T phone, number & coverage: Save $612 per year
Carrier |
Network Coverage |
4G/5G Data |
Price |
Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
AT&T |
AT&T 4G & 5G | Unltd* |
$75/mo |
$900/yr |
Boost Mobile |
AT&T 4G & 5G |
Unlimited |
$25/mo |
$288/yr |
*Don't waste money on unlimited data - Avg. data usage is only 3-5GB |
Savings |
$50/mo |
$612/yr |
|
Plan features
4G & 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.
T-Mobile vs AT&T: Coverage
T-Mobile coverage map
AT&T coverage map
Compare network performance
NETWORK |
OVERALL |
RELIABILITY |
SPEED |
DATA |
CALL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
94 |
94 |
95 |
96 |
92 |
|
86 |
88 |
82 |
89 |
82 |
Source: Rootmetrics
T-Mobile vs AT&T: Family plans
T-Mobile family plans
| Plan | 1 line | 2 lines | 3 lines | 4 lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-Mobile Magenta | $70 | $120$60/line | $120$40/line | $140$35/line |
| T-Mobile Magenta Max | $85 | $140$70/line | $141$47/line | $172$43/line |
AT&T family plans
| Plan | 1 line | 2 lines | 3 lines | 4 lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T Unlimited Extra | $75 | $130$65/line | $150$50/line | $160$40/line |
| AT&T Unlimited Elite | $85 | $150$75/line | $180$60/line | $200$50/line |
T-Mobile vs AT&T: Data plans
T-Mobile data plans
Carrier |
Network | Data |
Price |
|---|---|---|---|
T-Mobile 5G/4G Coverage | 12GB |
$0/mo $25/mo |
|
T-Mobile 5G/4G Coverage | 5GB |
$5/mo $15/mo |
|
T-Mobile 5G/4G Coverage | 1GB |
$5/mo |
|
T-Mobile 5G/4G Coverage | 500MB |
$5/mo |
|
T-Mobile 5G/4G Coverage | 1GB |
$6/mo |
AT&T data plans
Carrier |
Network | Data |
Price |
|---|---|---|---|
AT&T 5G/4G Coverage | 5GB |
$5/mo $15/mo |
|
AT&T 5G/4G Coverage | 1GB |
$5/mo |
|
AT&T 5G/4G Coverage | 2GB |
$10/mo |
|
|
AT&T 5G/4G Coverage | 2GB |
$10/mo |
AT&T 5G/4G Coverage | 1GB |
$10/mo |
T-Mobile vs AT&T: Phone deals
T-Mobile phone deals
| Device | 64GB | 128GB | 256GB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple iPhone SE 3 (2022) (T-Mobile) | $21/mo | - | - |
| Apple iPhone 13 (T-Mobile) | - | $35/mo | - |
| Apple iPhone 14 (T-Mobile) | - | $40/mo | - |
| Apple iPhone 14 Pro (T-Mobile) | - | $48/mo | $53/mo |
| Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max (T-Mobile) | - | $53/mo | - |
| Apple iPhone 12 (T-Mobile) | $200 | - | - |
AT&T phone deals
| Device | 64GB | 128GB | 256GB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple iPhone SE 3 (2022) (AT&T) | $18/mo | $20/mo | $24/mo |
| Apple iPhone 13 mini (AT&T) | - | $26/mo | $30/mo |
| Apple iPhone 12 mini (AT&T) | $26/mo | $28/mo | $32/mo |
| Apple iPhone 15 (AT&T) | - | $29/mo | $33/mo |
| Apple iPhone 12 (AT&T) | $30/mo | $32/mo | $37/mo |
| Apple iPhone 13 (AT&T) | - | $30/mo | $35/mo |
| Apple iPhone 15 Plus (AT&T) | - | $33/mo | - |
| Apple iPhone 12 Pro (AT&T) | - | $33/mo | $37/mo |
| Apple iPhone 14 (AT&T) | - | $35/mo | - |
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro (AT&T) | - | $37/mo | - |
T-Mobile vs AT&T: Customer service
NETWORK |
TRUSTPILOT RATING |
|---|---|
1.2 |
|
1.5 |
T-Mobile vs AT&T FAQs
Which is better T-Mobile or AT&T?
AT&T has better nationwide 4G LTE coverage, but T-Mobile's data speeds are better.
Is T-Mobile coverage as good as AT&T?
T-Mobile's coverage comes third, behind AT&T, covering around 62% of the country, with their 5G coverage covering around 30%. AT&T covers around 68% of the US.
Recap
There's no longer any reason to pay exorbitant fees to stay on the best cell phone network regardless of whether you decide that's AT&T or T-Mobile.
You can easily check your phone's compatibility on the carriers' website.
Finally, use our comparison tool to find a cheap cell phone plan.
MoneySavingPro methodology
We're here to bring transparency to telecoms, putting power back in your hands. This guides everything we do.
We've got high standards. We use our industry expertise to find carriers that reach these standards. We all deserve the best value for money, choice, and customer experience.
We care about accuracy. MoneySavingPro is run by cell phone geeks and money-saving obsessives. Our content team researches everything thoroughly so that information you read here will give you the whole picture. Everything we do is backed up by the data.
We keep things simple. It's our job to break down what you need to know, so you can make informed choices.
