Finding the perfect individual cell phone plan can seem like a challenge.
However, when you broaden your search beyond options offered by only the big three networks, you can often find a plan that gives you freedom while saving serious money.
| Best cheap plan for one | Tello |
| Best prepaid plan for one | Mint Mobile |
| Best 5G plan for one | Mint Mobile |
| Best unlimited plan for one | Visible |
| Best student plan for one | Tello |
| Best pay as you go plan | Boost Mobile |
| Best talk & text plan | Tello |
Best cheap phone plan for one person
- Minutes
- Unlimited
- Texts
- Unlimited
- Data
- 1GB
- Price
- $10/mo
Tello 1GB plan includes unlimited mins, unlimited texts and 1GB data for only $10 per month. Tello plans offer wireless coverage on the T-Mobile 5G and 4G LTE network. To learn more about why this is one of the best cell phone plans, check out MoneySavingPro's Tello review
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
Benefits
Service on the nationwide T-Mobile network
Money-back guarantee on phones (no refunds on plans)
Prepaid - no contract, credit check, or activation fee
Bring your own phone or choose from a modest selection of new or refurbished devices
Keep your current phone number
Use of your plan data as a mobile hotspot through your phone is allowed
Use your minutes to call Canada, China, and Mexico
Minutes to other countries available as add-on
24/7 customer service
Best prepaid phone plan for one person
- Minutes
- Unlimited
- Texts
- Unlimited
- Data
- 4GB
- Price
- $15/mo** Only $45 for 3 Months Service
Mint Mobile 4GB plan includes unlimited mins, unlimited texts and 4GB data for only $15 per month. Mint Mobile plans offer wireless coverage on the T-Mobile 5G and 4G LTE network. To learn more about why this is one of the best cell phone plans, check out MoneySavingPro's Mint Mobile review
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
Benefits
Operates on the nationwide T-Mobile network
7-day money-back guarantee
Prepaid - no contract, credit check, or activation fee
Bring your phone or buy a Mint Mobile device
Keep your phone number
Using your phone as a mobile hotspot is permitted
Free calling to Canada & Mexico, affordable rates to 160+ other locations
Flat-rate international roaming available as an add-on feature
Customer service by phone on weekdays and weekends, 24/7 by virtual chat
Best 5G plan for one person
- Minutes
- 0
- Texts
- 0
- Data
- 10GB
- Price
- $20/mo** Only $60 for 3 Months Service
Mint Mobile 10GB plan includes 0 mins, 0 texts and 10GB data for only $20 per month. Mint Mobile plans offer wireless coverage on the T-Mobile 5G and 4G LTE network. To learn more about why this is one of the best cell phone plans, check out MoneySavingPro's Mint Mobile review
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
Benefits
Operates on the nationwide T-Mobile network
7-day money-back guarantee
Prepaid - no contract, credit check, or activation fee
Bring your phone or buy a Mint Mobile device
Keep your phone number
Using your phone as a mobile hotspot is permitted
Free calling to Canada & Mexico, affordable rates to 160+ other locations
Flat-rate international roaming available as an add-on feature
Customer service by phone on weekdays and weekends, 24/7 by virtual chat
Best unlimited data plan for one person
- Minutes
- Unlimited
- Texts
- Unlimited
- Data
- Unlimited
- Price
- $30/mo
Visible Unlimited plan includes unlimited mins, unlimited texts and unlimited data for only $30 per month. Visible plans offer wireless coverage on the Verizon 5G and 4G LTE network. To learn more about why this is one of the best cell phone plans, check out MoneySavingPro's Visible review
Pros
Great pricing
Unlimited talk, text, and data
Taxes and fees included in price
Simple plan
User-friendly website
Cons
Only one plan
Data speed is capped at 5 Mbps
Limited phone compatibility
App-based service
Benefits
Coverage provided by its parent company, Verizon Wireless
Prepaid - no contract, credit check, or activation fee
Bring your own compatible device or buy a Visible phone
Keep your phone number
Mobile hotspot/tethering supported
No international use supported
Customer support available by chat 7am to 12am EST weekdays and 10am to 10pm weekends, and by phone by request
Best student phone plan for one
- Minutes
- Unlimited
- Texts
- Unlimited
- Data
- Unlimited
- Price
- $29/mo
Tello Unlimited plan includes unlimited mins, unlimited texts and unlimited data for only $29 per month. Tello plans offer wireless coverage on the T-Mobile 5G and 4G LTE network. To learn more about why this is one of the best cell phone plans, check out MoneySavingPro's Tello review
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
Benefits
Service on the nationwide T-Mobile network
Money-back guarantee on phones (no refunds on plans)
Prepaid - no contract, credit check, or activation fee
Bring your own phone or choose from a modest selection of new or refurbished devices
Keep your current phone number
Use of your plan data as a mobile hotspot through your phone is allowed
Use your minutes to call Canada, China, and Mexico
Minutes to other countries available as add-on
24/7 customer service
Best pay as you go plan for one
- Minutes
- Unlimited
- Texts
- Unlimited
- Data
- 5GB
- Price
- $5/mo** 66% Off for 3 Months
Boost Mobile 5GB plan includes unlimited mins, unlimited texts and 5GB data for only $5 per month. Boost Mobile plans offer wireless coverage on the AT&T & T-Mobile 5G and 4G LTE networks. To learn more about why this is one of the best cell phone plans, check out MoneySavingPro's Boost Mobile review
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
Benefits
Owned by Dish and runs on T-Mobile's nationwide network
Prepaid service - no contract, credit check, or extra fees
Bring your own phone (GSM compatible) or choose from a wide selection of new phones
Mobile hotspot allowance with all plans
International service and roaming available as add-on packs
Customer support available by phone - 4am - 8pm PST Monday to Friday, 4am - 7pm weekends
Best talk & text plan for one person
- Minutes
- Unlimited
- Texts
- Unlimited
- Data
- 0GB
- Price
- $8/mo
Tello 0GB plan includes unlimited mins, unlimited texts and 0GB data for only $8 per month. Tello plans offer wireless coverage on the T-Mobile 5G and 4G LTE network. To learn more about why this is one of the best cell phone plans, check out MoneySavingPro's Tello review
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
Benefits
Service on the nationwide T-Mobile network
Money-back guarantee on phones (no refunds on plans)
Prepaid - no contract, credit check, or activation fee
Bring your own phone or choose from a modest selection of new or refurbished devices
Keep your current phone number
Use of your plan data as a mobile hotspot through your phone is allowed
Use your minutes to call Canada, China, and Mexico
Minutes to other countries available as add-on
24/7 customer service
Best cell phone plans for one in 2022
Individual phone plan benefits
Think you're not familiar with Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs)? You might be surprised to learn you probably are. Boost Mobile and Cricket Wireless are just two of the many MVNO choices.
MVNOs rent storage and service from AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. Because MVNOs get bulk rates, they can turn around and sell extremely low-priced prepaid plans to consumers.
Like the idea of keeping more of your hard-earned dollars and cents?
You owe it to yourself to learn more about MVNOs and their advantages:
- They offer the same 4G LTE mobile networks you use now.
- They rarely offer contracts and don't check your credit, which means they won't ding credit scores.
- They are structured to allow you to pay for the services you need, not for ones you don't.
- They make signing up easy.
- They allow you to keep your phone and/or phone number by just replacing your current SIM card.
How are the MVNOs saving enough money to offer shockingly affordable packages and good customer service? In general, they don't spend a fortune on TV advertising, they also don't have storefronts to run. All they need is a robust website to keep customers happily enjoying having a mobile hotspot and unlimited data plans for less.
Ready to start looking for the best MVNO for your needs and learn to save money? Read on for some top picks.
Best T-Mobile plan for 1 line
Unlimitedmins
Unlimitedtexts
10GB
4G/5G data
$20/mo*
$2 per GB
Powered by: T-Mobile
T-Mobile vs Mint Mobile comparison
Keep your T-Mobile phone, number & coverage: Save $600 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 | 10GB | $20/mo | $240/yr |
| *Don't waste money on unlimited data - Avg. data usage is only 3-5GB | Savings | $50/mo | $600/yr | |
Compare: T-Mobile plans for 1 line
Best Verizon plan for 1 line
Unlimitedmins
Unlimitedtexts
12GB
4G/5G data
$20/mo
$1.67 per GB
Powered by: Verizon & T-Mobile
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 | 12GB | $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 plans for 1 line
Best AT&T plan for 1 line
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 plans for 1 line
Best cell phone plans for 1 line
| Carrier | Data | Network | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tello 1GB plan | 1GB | T-Mobile | $10 |
| Mint Mobile 4GB plan | 4GB | T-Mobile | $15** Only $45 for 3 Months Service |
| US Mobile 12GB plan | 12GB | Verizon & T-Mobile | $20* Free 10 Day Trial |
| Mint Mobile 15GB plan | 15GB | T-Mobile | $25** Only $75 for 3 Months Service |
| Visible unlimited data plan | Unltd | Verizon | $30 |
Customer service comparison
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 |
How to switch to a cheap plan for one
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.
Comparing phone plans for 1 line
As you begin your search for a great individual cell phone plan, be sure to keep some thoughts in mind.
- Coverage Location. To get started, map out where you live or frequently travel for work or during personal time. You'll want to know that the which network has the best coverage in those regions.
- Data Needed. How much data do you plan to use on your phone? Will 1 GB of data do? Need a plan with 10 GB of data usage instead? Not sure? Use a handy online data usage calculator to help decide.
- Phone Desired. Do you already have a phone, or will you be purchasing a new one with your plan? As you might suspect, your answer will affect your carrier choices.
- Budget Preferred. Whether or not this is your first individual phone line, you likely have a budget in mind. Don't worry if your preferred number seems low: There are cheap cell phone plans available if you're willing to go with a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO).
Cheap phone companies list
Phone plans for one FAQs
What is the best phone plan for one person?
Low cost carriers that run on the main US networks, AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile provide the cheapest plans. With plans starting from as low as $10.
Who has the cheapest unlimited plan for one?
You'll find unlimited plans from MVNOs like Mint Mobile and Tello starting from around $30 a month.
Recap
It's difficult to justify paying $70-80 per month for a cell phone plan when there are so many better options available today.
Compare cheap cell phone plans from numerous low-cost carriers. Switch and save up to $600 per year on your phone bill without sacrificing service quality or coverage.
One thing is for sure, finding a cheaper cell phone plan has never been easier.
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.
| Carrier | Best for... | Mins | Texts | Data | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Tello | Best cheap plan for one | Unlimited | Unlimited | 1GB | $10/mo |
 Mint Mobile | Best prepaid plan for one | Unlimited | Unlimited | 4GB | $15/mo |
| Mint Mobile | Best 5G plan for one | 0 | 0 | 10GB | $20/mo |
 Visible | Best unlimited plan for one | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | $30/mo |
| Tello | Best student plan for one | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | $29/mo |
 Boost Mobile | Best pay as you go plan | Unlimited | Unlimited | 5GB | $15/mo |
| Tello | Best talk & text plan | Unlimited | Unlimited | 0GB | $8/mo |
