T-Mobile Essentials Plan

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By
Rob Webber
Rob Webber

Rob Webber

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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.

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- Last updated on March 28th, 2023

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Between Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile's unlimited starter phone plans, T-Mobile's Essential plan offers premium data, extended 5G range, and ultra capacity 5G.

For an unlimited plan direct with one of the three major carriers, it's one of the better deals, but do you want a deal that saves you money without any sacrifices?

T-Mobile MVNOs (also known as Mobile Virtual Network Operators) are low-cost carriers offering affordable phone plans while operating on the same T-Mobile network.

Curious as to the unlimited phone plans T-Mobile MVNOs offer? We've put together the best T-Mobile MVNO plans below with carriers including Mint Mobile, Tello, and Ting. Comparing them against T-Mobile's direct plans so you can choose the best deal for you.

T-Mobile Essentials Plan

T-Mobile Essentials features

  • Extended range & ultra capacity 5G

  • Unlimited talk & text

  • 5G & 4G LTE data speeds

  • 50GB premium data

  • Unlimited mobile hotspot data at 3G speeds


Compare 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

T-Mobile Essential alternatives

Cheapest T-Mobile phone plans

Carrier

Network

Data

Price

Tello SIM card - Horizontal Tello

T-Mobile

1GB

$10/mo

US Mobile SIM card - Horizontal US Mobile

T-Mobile

2GB

$12/mo

Boost Mobile SIM card - Horizontal Boost Mobile

T-Mobile

5GB

$15/mo

Mint Mobile SIM card - Horizontal Mint Mobile

T-Mobile

15GB

$20/mo

Boost Infinite SIM card - Horizontal Boost Infinite

T-Mobile

Unltd

$25/mo


Compare T-Mobile 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

Mint Mobile family plans

Plan 1 line 2 lines 3 lines 4 lines
Mint Mobile 20GB $25 $50$25/line $75$25/line $100$25/line
Mint Mobile 15GB $20 $40$20/line $60$20/line $80$20/line
Mint Mobile 5GB $15 $30$15/line $45$15/line $60$15/line
Mint Mobile Unlimited Data $30 $60$30/line $90$30/line $120$30/line

T-Mobile Essentials FAQs

Is the T-Mobile Essentials plan really unlimited?

Unlimited isn't actually unlimited. There's typically a data cap at which your download speeds will slow to 2G data or 3G speeds. So be sure to read the terms and conditions.

How much is the T-Mobile Essentials plan?

The T-Mobile Essentials plan costs $60 per month directly through the carrier. The cheapest option is with a low-cost carrier on the T-Mobile network, such as Mint Mobile and Tello, with unlimited data plans priced at around $30.


Recap: Is the T-Mobile Essentials plan worth it?

If having unlimited calls, texts, and data is important, you can save hundreds of dollars with an unlimited plan from T-Mobile MVNOs like US Mobile.

With these low-cost carriers, you'll find the same T-Mobile coverage as they operate on their main network, but being online-based means MVNOs don't have the expensive overheads of physical stores, sales staff, or advertising, so they can pass on the savings to their customers.

Do you really need unlimited data with your plan? Because of the prevalence of Wi-Fi, on average most people only use between 3GB and 5GB of data.