So, you’ve finally come to terms with the fact that you’ve got to buy your child a cell phone, and with it, an affordable cell phone plan. We’ve sifted through all the phone plans out there and have compiled a list of the best phone plans for kids. These plans offer great coverage and budget-friendly prices.

The best phone plans for kids and teens include:

The best cheap phone plans for kids are prepaid plans, offered by major and small carriers alike. Prepaid plans tend to be less expensive than postpaid plans, and MVNO prepaid plans are often even cheaper than those offered by major carriers.


Verizon Just Kids

Verizon’s Just Kids plan is an affordable, child-specific phone plan that grants you parental control. It’s a great starter plan that can give parents peace of mind and includes unlimited talk and text to 20 trusted contacts, plus 5GB of data. The feature that makes the Verizon Just Kids plan extra appealing to parents is the Just Kids Smart Family Premium, which you can use to set boundaries for your child’s cell phone use. For example, you can:

  • Pause the internet
  • Filter content
  • Set alerts for data use and purchases
  • Set alerts for when your kid arrives to school or home
  • Allow your kid to view your location

The only catch is, you can’t sign up for a Just Kids plan on its own—you must add it to your existing Verizon unlimited plan. The cost will depend on how many lines you have on your account, with it costing less, the more lines you have.


Cheap phone plans for kids

We decided to separate the best cheap phone plans for kids into two categories:

The best phone plans for kids are those that allow you and your child to stay in touch without breaking the bank. All of the plans on this list are also no-contract plans, meaning you can always switch if you decide you want a different plan for your child.


Basic cell phone plans for kids: talk & text only

Basic cell phone plans for kids are typically best for younger kids who may be getting a phone and plan for the first time. They likely don’t need data yet, as the main reason for having a phone is to be able to get ahold of you whenever necessary.

Twigby Unlimited Talk & Text Plan

Twigby’s Unlimited Talk & Text Plan costs just $13/month and it includes:

  • Unlimited minutes and messages
  • Unlimited global texting
  • Calling to China, Canada, Mexico, UK, India, Australia, and more
  • WiFi calling and texting

This plan is a great starter plan if you want your child to be able to call or text you without worrying about whether they’ve gone over their minutes or messages. Plus, if you’ve got relatives or older children who frequently travel, your little one can also shoot them a text to see how their trip is going. Not to mention, Twigby runs on both Sprint and Verizon’s networks so your child will get great coverage.

Good2Go Unlimited Talk & Text Plan

The Good2Go Unlimited Talk & Text Plan is a great bare-bones plan for your child. It costs just $10/month and includes:

Ultra Mobile Talk & Text Single-Month Plan

Ultra Mobile’s Talk & Text Single-Month Plan costs $16/month and includes:

  • Unlimited talk and text
  • Unlimited global text
  • Unlimited calls to 80+ destinations

Ultra Mobile, which operates on T-Mobile’s robust network, boasts excellent coverage, so you won’t have to worry about your kid losing service.


Budget data plans for teens

Chances are, a talk and text only plan isn’t going to cut it for your adolescent or teenager, which is why we’ve created a list of the best affordable plans for older kids—these plans include unlimited talk and text, plus various data allowances up to 5GB/month.

Red Pocket $19 Monthly Plan (CDMA)

This Red Pocket $19/month plan runs on Verizon’s powerful network and includes:

  • Unlimited talk and text
  • 3GB of 4G LTE data
  • Calling to 70+ countries

Once your kid has used up the 3GB of data, speeds will be slowed to 2G, which means you won’t have to worry about overage fees. Your kid will likely still be able to use their phone for basic activities, like checking email or searching on Google.

Mint Mobile 3GB 3-Month Plan (Small)

Mint Mobile, which runs on T-Mobile’s excellent network, has an unbeatable intro offer for new customers. This plan costs $15/month for 3 months and includes:

  • Unlimited talk and text
  • 3GB of data per month (then slowed)
  • Unlimited calls to Canada and Mexico
  • Mobile hotspot

After the 3 months of service ends, the plan cost increases to $25/month, which is still a great price. However, if you are confident this is the plan you’ll want for your kid for at least a year, you can pay for 12 months of service in advance and keep the pricing of $15/month for that entire period.

T-Mobile Connect Unlimited Talk & Text + 5GB

T-Mobile has shaken up the wireless game with its recent affordable plan options—the T-Mobile Connect plans. This prepaid plan costs $25/month and includes:

  • Unlimited minutes and messages
  • 5GB of 4G LTE data
  • Mobile hotspot (3G speeds)

Keep in mind, the 5GB is a hard data cap, so your kid’s data will be cut off if they use 5GB within one month, and they will have to wait until the next billing cycle before they can resume using data. That said, 5GB is typically enough for most kids.

Let’s Talk Tip: Before choosing the right phone plan for your child, you’ll want to make sure that your kid will receive solid coverage where you live and where they frequent (school, friends’ houses, etc.). Enter your address into our coverage tool to check which carriers offer great coverage in your area.


The best family plans

If you’d prefer that everyone in your family have the same carrier, you may want to consider signing up for a family plan and adding your child that way. A family plan is a great way to get service for less—most cell phone carriers offer discounts for additional lines you add to your plan. You can save a lot of money in the long run by switching to a family plan. Consider the fact that family plans (with unlimited data) start as low as $55/month—that’s only $13.75/month per line. Furthermore, you can also monitor your kid or kids’ cell phone usage on a family plan. It’s a win-win!