The Best 5G Phone Carriers in 2023

Which is the best 5G carrier?
Find cheap plans in your area
Cheap cell phone plans starting at $10/mo -Compare Now
By
Rob Webber
Rob Webber

Rob Webber

Founder

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

- Last updated on January 13th, 2023

MoneySavingPro independently researches the products & services to bring you our recommendations. We may earn money when you click our links - disclosure policy.

Cheap 5G service
T-Mobile network
1GB 4G/5G data
$10 /mo
Prepaid 5G service
T-Mobile network
5GB 4G/5G data
$15 /mo*

View Plan

* Only $45 for 3 Months
Family 5G service
Verizon & T-Mobile networks
15GB 4G/5G data
$20 /mo

View Plan

* 100 Days FREE Trial
Unlimited 5G service
T-Mobile network
Unltd 4G/5G data
$29 /mo
Individual 5G service
AT&T & T-Mobile networks
5GB 4G/5G data
$5 /mo* $15/mo

View Plan

* $15 for 3 months service

5G carriers

Find cheap plans in your area
Best 5G Phone Carriers
Tello SIM card vertical

Tello: Best cheap 5G carrier

T-Mobile wireless network coverage

Unlimited mins

Unlimited texts

1GB 4G/5G Data

$10/mo
5
Pros
  • 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

Cons
  • 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 plans
  • 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

See Tello phone plans

Mint Mobile SIM card vertical

Mint Mobile: Best prepaid 5G carrier

T-Mobile wireless network coverage

Unlimited mins

Unlimited texts

5GB 4G/5G Data

$15/mo*

* Only $45 for 3 Months

4.5
Pros
  • Offers the latest phones with 0% finance

  • Prepay months in bulk for more savings

  • Reliable network coverage

  • Works with most GSM phones

Cons
  • No family plans

  • Minimum 3 months

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. Read Mint Mobile review

Mint Mobile plans
  • 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

See Mint Mobile phone plans

US Mobile SIM card vertical

US Mobile: Best 5G carrier for families

Verizon & T-Mobile wireless network coverage

Unlimited mins

Unlimited texts

15GB 4G/5G Data

$20/mo

* 100 Days FREE Trial

4.5
Pros
  • Flexible, no contract plans

  • 24/7 customer service

  • 5G coverage available

Cons
  • No international calling

  • Phone selection

US Mobile 15GB plan includes unlimited mins, unlimited texts and 15GB data for only $20 per month. US Mobile plans offers wireless coverage on the Verizon & T-Mobile 5G and 4G LTE networks. Read US Mobile review

US Mobile plans
  • 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

See US Mobile phone plans

Tello SIM card vertical

Tello: Best 5G carrier for unlimited

T-Mobile wireless network coverage

Unlimited mins

Unlimited texts

Unlimited 4G/5G Data

$29/mo
Boost Mobile SIM card vertical

Boost Mobile: Best 5G carrier for one person

AT&T & T-Mobile wireless network coverage

Unlimited mins

Unlimited texts

5GB 4G/5G Data

$5/mo*

* $15 for 3 months service

4.5
Pros
  • Nationwide coverage on AT&T & T-Mobile

  • 5G & 4G LTE data speeds

  • Buy online and no credit checks

  • Bring your own phone

  • Cheapest unlimited data plan

Cons
  • No data only plans

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 & T-Mobile 5G and 4G LTE networks. Read Boost Mobile review

Boost Mobile plans
  • Boost Mobile 5GB plan: $5/mo

  • Boost Mobile 1GB plan: $8/mo

  • Boost Mobile 2GB plan: $10/mo

  • Boost Mobile unlimited data plan: $12.50/mo

  • Boost Mobile 15GB plan: $20/mo

See Boost Mobile phone plans

5G 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 carrier with T-Mobile 5G coverage

Mint Mobile 15GB plan * Only $45 for 3 Months

Unlimited mins

Unlimited texts

15GB

4G/5G data

$15 /mo*

$20/mo

T-Mobile wireless network

T-Mobile vs Mint Mobile comparison

Keep your T-Mobile phone, number & coverage: Save $615 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

15GB

$20/mo

$225/yr

*Don't waste money on unlimited data - Avg. data usage is only 3-5GB

Savings

$50/mo

$615/yr

Compare: T-Mobile 5G plans


Best carrier with Verizon 5G coverage

US Mobile 15GB plan * 100 Days FREE Trial

Unlimited mins

Unlimited texts

15GB

4G/5G data

$20 /mo

Verizon & T-Mobile wireless networks

Verizon vs US Mobile comparison

Keep your Verizon phone, number & coverage: Save $720 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

15GB

$20/mo

$240/yr

*Don't waste money on unlimited data - Avg. data usage is only 3-5GB

Savings

$60/mo

$720/yr

Compare: Verizon 5G plans


Best carrier with AT&T 5G coverage

Boost Mobile 5GB plan * $15 for 3 months service

Unlimited mins

Unlimited texts

5GB

4G/5G data

$5 /mo*

$15/mo

AT&T & T-Mobile wireless networks

AT&T vs Boost Mobile comparison

Keep your AT&T phone, number & coverage: Save $750 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

5GB

$15/mo

$150/yr

*Don't waste money on unlimited data - Avg. data usage is only 3-5GB

Savings

$60/mo

$750/yr

Compare: AT&T 5G plans


5G carrier features

  • 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.


Cheapest 5G carriers

Carrier

Network

Data

Price

Tello SIM card - Horizontal Tello

T-Mobile

1GB

$10/mo

Twigby SIM card - Horizontal Twigby

Verizon

4GB

$20/mo

Boost Mobile SIM card - Horizontal Boost Mobile

AT&T & T-Mobile

5GB

$15/mo

Mint Mobile SIM card - Horizontal Mint Mobile

T-Mobile

20GB

$25/mo

Mint Mobile SIM card - Horizontal Mint Mobile

T-Mobile

Unltd

$30/mo

5G 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

MONTHLY PRICE

COVERAGE

US Mobile

4.7

$10-35

Verizon 5G & 4G LTE

Tello

4.4

$10-29

T-Mobile 5G & 4G LTE

Red Pocket Mobile

4.2

$10-50

AT&T 5G & 4G LTE

T-Mobile

1.5

$70-90

T-Mobile 5G & 4G LTE

AT&T

1.3

$75-90

AT&T 5G & 4G LTE

Verizon

1.2

$80-90

Verizon 5G & 4G LTE

How to switch to a cheap 5G carrier

It's never been easier to switch. Let's break it down.

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

5G carriers list

T-Mobile MVNOs

Verizon MVNOs

AT&T MVNOs

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


5G carriers FAQs

What carriers have 5G coverage in my area?

You can check cell phone provider coverage where you live with our ZIP code checker.

Which 5G phone carrier is the best?

The best cell phone carrier will depend on the features you're looking for and getting value for money. Find a range of plans from the top low-cost carriers.


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.