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The best cell phone plans offer enough data for your needs. Beyond that, a plan can also include perks and features that are relevant to you, whether it's a discount for a streaming service, multi-line discounts, a discounted separate plan for a connected device, or international features. But remember, an ideal plan becomes useless if the carrier that offers it doesn't cover your area well.
After extensively researching and testing the best cell phone plans from major carriers and budget-friendly providers, we've concluded that Verizon's Unlimited Plus plan is the best option overall. It offers the most data with the most wide-reaching coverage at an unmatched value, especially with more lines on the plan. The best budget option among major carriers is T-Mobile's Essentials plan, which includes a generous amount of premium data for a lower monthly bill that will mean big savings in the long term.
Our top picks for the best cell phone plans
Best overall: Verizon Unlimited Plus - See at Verizon
Best budget plan: T-Mobile Essentials - See at T-Mobile
Best true budget plan: Mint Mobile (Any 3-Month Plan) - See at Mint Mobile
Best international plan: Verizon Unlimited Ultimate - See at Verizon
Best overall
Verizon’s Unlimited Plus plan offers unlimited “premium data,” so you don’t have to worry about data caps or slower speeds when the network is congested. Other carriers also offer this in some of their plans, but Verizon has the best overall coverage, includes excellent perks, and it’s not even the most expensive option.
- Best mix of rural and city coverage
- Truly unlimited “premium data"
- Strong international features
- Excellent perks and discount options
- Pricey for one or two lines
Verizon's Unlimited Plus plan offers the best balance of data and coverage for the vast majority of people. It costs $80/month for a single line, but the monthly cost per line is less with every additional line, up to five lines.
With Verizon's Unlimited Plus plan, you get unlimited premium prioritized data, so your data speeds won't slow down after you've used a certain amount of data when the network is congested. It also includes Verizon's 5G Ultra Wideband network, which runs on the super fast mmWave and C-band spectrums. Verizon also offers a 50% discount for a single connected device plan, whether for a connected smartwatch or tablet.
On top of core wireless services, Verizon's Unlimited Plus plan includes discounts on various other services. Among them, you can save $12/month on the Disney streaming bundle, which includes Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus, or save $7/month on Netflix and Max. Check out Verizon's website for other perks to pick from.
As for international use, the Unlimited Plus plan gets you unlimited talk and text and 2GB of daily high-speed data (before it's slowed to 3G speeds) in Mexico and Canada. It also allows unlimited talk and text from the US to Mexico and Canada and unlimited texting to over 200 countries.
Verizon says video streaming quality on the Unlimited Ultimate plan is limited to 720p, but their fine print says 4K quality is available in 5G Ultra Wideband areas when you activate the 4K streaming option through the My Verizon app or with Verizon's customer service. It also says 1080p resolution can be activated in standard 5G and 4G areas.
No other carrier offers as much for the price, and importantly, Verizon generally has the best-mixed coverage between rural and urban areas.
Verizon Fios internet users who also use Verizon Wireless will also get a discount on their internet service, so it's an especially good choice for Verizon Fios customers.
Best budget plan
T-Mobile’s Essentials plan is the most affordable premium plan out of the major carriers, and it’s a downright bargain with four or five lines on a single plan. It includes a generous 50GB of premium data before T-Mobile slows down your data speeds. Just note that Essentials customers experience slower speeds in general than customers on Go5G Next and Go5G Plus plans.
- Most affordable premium plan
- Incredible value with more lines
- 50GB premium data is sufficient for many
- Decent international features
- Less coverage in rural areas
- Data speeds are slower than pricier plans
- 3G mobile hotspot speeds are limiting
We hesitate to use the word "budget" here, as this plan could also apply to people who simply don't use their phones away from a WiFi connection very often and don't need to spend much on a plan that offers more data.
When it comes to more affordable plans, you forfeit unlimited premium prioritized data, and your data speeds can be affected after reaching a certain limit when your data becomes deprioritized.
Among the three major carriers, T-Mobile's Essentials plans easily offer the best deal in the more affordable, or lower data usage, category thanks to their generous 50GB of premium prioritized data. That means data won't become deprioritized until you've used 50GB of data, even when the network is busy. Meanwhile, AT&T and Verizon don't offer any premium data in their equivalent plans in the same price range.
T-Mobile's Essentials plan starts at $60/month for a single line, with the price per line reducing with every additional line. The Essentials plan supports up to six lines; if you can manage four or more lines, it's a steal. Those who only need up to three lines should opt for T-Mobile's Essentials Saver plan. It's identical to the standard Essentials plan, but pricing is more favorable ($10 less per line) for single and dual-line accounts.
T-Mobile's Essentials plan includes access to the carrier's full and extensive 5G network, including its Ultra Capacity 5G network (mmWave and C-band) and its Extended Range 5G (Sub-6). Despite the inclusion, it's worth noting that data speeds for Essentials customers may be slower overall than other customers on more expensive plans, even when you're using premium prioritized data. Still, data speeds should be fast enough for pretty much anything you do on your phone.
T-Mobile offers unlimited mobile hot spot functionality on its Essentials plan, but only at 3G speeds. It limits you to basic tasks, like emailing, but 3G speeds might be dubiously slow scrolling down photo and video-heavy social media apps or video streaming. If you're looking for at least some flexibility to use your phone as a mobile hot spot, AT&T's Unlimited Starter plan will be the better option. It has 3GB of mobile hot spot data at faster speeds, which can better serve you for light use or in an emergency.
Finally, T-Mobile offers some international perks with its Essentials plan. You get unlimited texting, $0.25/minute calls in 215+ countries, and unlimited international texting from home. In Canada and Mexico, Essentials offers unlimited talk and text but up to 128Kbps data speeds, which is so slow you may even struggle with an email. T-Mobile Travel is also included.
Best true budget plan
All of Mint Mobile's three-month plans are now discounted for new customers. Choose from 5GB to "unlimited" monthly data (40GB) from our favorite MVNO for the same low prepaid cost of $15/month, and gain access to T-Mobile's network for unlimited calls and texts.
- Incredibly good value
- Easy plan management
- User-friendly experience
- Mobile hotspot included
- Free calls to Mexico and Canada
- Less coverage in rural areas
- No option for premium data that isn't affected by network congestion
- No discounts for additional lines
A "true budget" cell phone plan typically comes from a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), which delivers data and connectivity to your phone by piggybacking off a major carrier's network. Worthy plans from these providers offer data at notably lower monthly costs than the least expensive flagship plan from a major carrier, the $50/month T-Mobile Essentials Saver plan.
Overall, Mint Mobile's introductory three-month plans are the best "true budget" option for new customers and our top pick among the best cheap cell phone plans. The promotion offers three-month plans with 5GB, 15GB, 20GB, and "unlimited" (40GB) monthly high-speed data at the same low cost of $15/month, but each plan's data is subject to deprioritization behind T-Mobile customers during network congestion.
As we note in our Mint Mobile review, the service stands out from the competition in the MVNO market for its overall value and through its straightforward app, customer service, and plan management. Mint Mobile is also considerably more affordable than the least expensive plans from its parent company, T-Mobile; see our guide to Mint Mobile vs. T-Mobile for further comparison.
However, if you know that T-Mobile's coverage may not sufficiently cover your area, or if you're looking for high-speed data that is not subject to deprioritization, you may be better served by Verizon, as we detail in our guide to Mint Mobile vs. Verizon. Relative to Mint Mobile, there are also slightly more expensive MVNO plans that run on Verizon's network with allotted prioritized data.
These Verizon-backed plans include the Visible Wireless Visible Plus unlimited plan, which guarantees 50GB of premium data at $45/month (or $35/month for up to two years of service with a limited-time promotion). There's also the US Mobile Unlimited Starter plan at $25/month, which gives you 35GB of prioritized high-speed data on Verizon's network and offers the unique ability to switch from Verizon to T-Mobile's or AT&T's networks within the same service.
Best international plan
Verizon’s Unlimited Ultimate plan has the most comprehensive international features without the need to purchase a separate international plan. It’s ideal if you frequently communicate internationally, whether from the US or abroad.
- No need for a separate international add-on plan
- 10GB monthly data allowance abroad
- 300 minutes/month of calling from the US to one country included
- Truly unlimited premium data in the US
- Excellent perks and discount options
- 2GB daily data allowance in Mexico or Canada can be limiting
- Pricey for those with occasional or rare international communication needs
Without adding a separate international add-on plan, Verizon's Unlimited Ultimate plan offers the most connectivity overall for those who often travel abroad, make calls abroad from the US, or both. It just edges above T-Mobile's Go5G Next and Plus plans. Most AT&T plans don't include international features and require additional $10/day plans for some of the same international features included in Verizon's and T-Mobile's plans.
Most major carriers, except AT&T, support unlimited talk, text, and a set amount of data while traveling in 210-plus countries in their plans. Verizon's Unlimited Ultimate plan offers more monthly data (10GB) than T-Mobile (5GB). AT&T only supports 20 Latin American countries if you don't add a supplemental international plan.
Verizon's Unlimited Ultimate plans also include 300 minutes/month of calling time from the US to a country of choice from a list of 140 countries. Verizon charges a country-specific rate for all other countries. AT&T and T-Mobile charge a country-specific rate when calling any country from the US and don't have the free 300-minute calling option on Verizon's plan.
All major carriers support unlimited calling and texting to Mexico and Canada from the US. If you're in Mexico or Canada, AT&T's plans actually offer the most with unlimited talk, text, and the same amount of data as your domestic US plan. Verizon and T-Mobile also offer unlimited talk and text in Mexico and Canada, but Verizon has a 2GB/day data limit, and T-Mobile has a 15GB/month data limit.
If you rarely or just occasionally travel or communicate internationally and don't need pricey plans that include international features, you could simply add an international add-on plan to a more affordable plan. These usually range from $5 to $10 per day, which seems pricey in the short term, but they're likely cheaper in the long run, at least for those who don't need international features as often.
How we test cell phone plans
Our testing procedure involves general day-to-day personal use, like making calls, sending messages, and using data-light and data-heavy apps, from browsing the web to streaming videos and scrolling through content-rich social media apps. We also test data speeds in various locations on different networks, including LTE, basic 5G, and high-band 5G. For data speed testing, we also conduct tests in varying signal strengths.
We've experienced every major carrier ourselves in personal use and testing scenarios to assess data speeds and coverage, and we compare them to the carrier's claims. Coverage and data speeds differ so much in different locations that we can't accurately claim that one network is better for specific areas. However, based on our experience with the major carriers in rural, suburban, and urban areas, we are confident in making a general assessment.
After assessing a carrier's overall quality based on coverage and data speeds, we look at a plan's offerings and monthly price. These criteria include data amount, whether premium-prioritized data is used or deprioritized, what happens after reaching a data limit, mobile hot spot features, whether a plan includes fast high-band 5G connectivity, multi-line discounts, international features, and extra benefits.
We've also tested several MVNO and budget-friendly carriers but haven't tested them all. Having tested all major carriers, we generally know how MVNOs and budget-friendly carriers perform in terms of coverage and data speeds, as they operate on major carrier networks. See our guide to the best cheap cell phone plans for other top options we've tested in the MVNO landscape.
What to look for in a cell phone plan
The perfect plan doesn't make sense if the carrier has poor network coverage in your area. First, you might narrow your options by determining which carrier has good coverage wherever you frequent and use your phone the most. One way to do so is by asking neighbors and locals in person or on social media like Nextdoor.
After you've figured out which carriers have the network coverage you need, the core plan feature to look for is sufficient data for a worry-free experience when using your phone without WiFi, especially when scrolling through data-heavy social media apps, streaming video, or video calling.
We like plans that offer you the most "premium data'' with no data limits before a carrier slows down your speeds. We also like plans where your data isn't affected when a carrier's network is congested. That way, you can do whatever you want on your phone without thinking about the time of day, like rush hours.
After that, it's a question of your monthly budget. Pricier plans offer unlimited premium data, but you may have to settle for a plan with limited premium data if your budget doesn't allow it. One way to reduce your monthly bill is to join a plan with friends and family, as the monthly cost per line gets lower as more people are on a plan.
The following plan features are more subjective.
If you often work on your laptop away from a familiar or secure WiFi connection and use your phone as a mobile hot spot, you'll want a plan that offers as much mobile hot spot data as you need. If this feature is incredibly important to you, it could dictate which plan you get.
If you often travel or communicate with friends and family abroad, you'll want to consider a plan's international features. Alternatively, carriers offer international add-on plans at an extra cost on top of your usual monthly bill. You can apply these as needed.
Perks are nice add-ons that could tip you toward a specific carrier as long as that carrier has good coverage in your area. Things like discounts on streaming service bundles, your home internet service, or discounts on separate plans for data-connected smartwatches or tablets could make the difference.
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Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our partners. We may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at reviews@businessinsider.com.
