Best Cheap Cell Phone Plans 2024

Unlimited cheap cell phone plan: Visible $25 Unlimited Plan

Our favorite cheap unlimited plan is Visible’s one and only plan—the $25 Unlimited plan. This is always a great choice for unlimited as it offers the best coverage on Verizon’s network and is one of the cheapest unlimited options available.

Visible Unlimited Plan pros

• Unlimited talk, text, and data
• Great coverage on Verizon’s network
• Includes mobile hotspot

Visible Unlimited Plan cons

• Mobile hotspot speeds limited to 5Mbps and only one device

Runner-up: Mint Mobile Unlimited for $30/month

The runner-up for the best cheap unlimited plan is Mint Mobile’s newest plan which gives you 35GB of high-speed data, unlimited talk and text, 5GB of mobile hotspot, and 5G access. After 3 months of service your monthly price will increase up to $40/month unless you buy a year of service upfront.

Best cheap plan for talk and text: US Mobile Unlimited Talk & Text Plan

The best cheap talk and text plan right now is US Mobile’s Unlimited Talk and Text plan, starting at $7/month with our WhistleOut Exclusive offer. For a limited time only, get $5 off per month for 6 months when you use the promo code WOUT2USM. With most of our time being spent at home these days, it’s a great time to re-evaluate just what you need from a cell phone plan. Chances are, if you’re currently working or studying from home, you won’t need as much mobile data as you used to need.

US Mobile Unlimited Talk & Text Plan pros

Use promo code “WOUT2USM” to get $5 off your plan for 6 months. Or, get a free starter kit when you use the promo code “FREESIM”.

• Unlimited talk and text
• Great coverage on T-Mobile or Verizon’s network
• 14-day risk-free trial

US Mobile Unlimited Talk & Text Plan Cons

• If you do need data, it’ll cost you extra
• Doesn’t include international calling

Runner-up: Tello’s Build-Your-Own Plan

Check your cell phone bill to check how much data you’ve used in the last month. If you’ve used little to no data, then consider Tello’s Unlimited Mins Build Your Own Plan. You can pick the exact number of voice minutes, text, and data you want so tha you don’t overpay for what you don’t use. You can start with as little as 500MB and build up from there.

Cheap cell phone plan with limited data: Mint Mobile’s 10GB 3-Month Plan

Mint’s midrange data plan has been a favorite of ours for a while… but it just got even better after the carrier upped its data allowances on all plans! Where before you got 8GB per month of LTE data, you now get 10GB for the exact same price.

For just $20/month for your first three months, you can get unlimited talk and text, 10GB of data, all on T-Mobile’s strong network. And if you have a 5G-enabled phone, Mint will automatically switch you over to its 5G network where it’s available.

There are a couple of things to be aware of:

• This is an introductory rate for new customers only. After your first 3 months, the plan will cost you $35/month (which is still pretty cheap).
• You have to pay for 3 months at a time.

Even with the above conditions, this Mint Mobile plan is still a great value and that’s why we’ve picked it for this month’s best cheap plan with limited data.

Mint Mobile 8GB Plan pros

• Runs off T-Mobile’s network which offers great 4G LTE coverage
• Great price for 8GB of data
• Use your data as a mobile hotspot

Of the four major carriers, we rank T-Mobile #3 in terms of overall coverage, with 62% nationwide coverage.

Mint Mobile 8GB Plan cons

• Must pay for 3 months at a time
• Price increases to $35/month after your first 3 months

Best cheap 2-line family plan: Tello’s Smart Family Plan

The best cheap plan for a 2-person family (or couple) is Tello’s Smart Family Plan for $38/month. This plan comes with 4GB of high-speed data per line (then slowed) and unlimited calls to Canada, Mexico, China, and Romania.

Tello Smart Family Plan pros

• One of the cheapest family plans available (cheaper than many single line plans!)
• Each line gets 4GB of high-speed data to use each month
• Data can be used as a mobile hotspot
• Unlimited calls to other select countries

Tello Smart Family Plan cons

• Runs on Sprint’s network (not as much coverage)

A Note About Cheap Cell Phone Plans

When signing up for a cheap phone plan, it’s important to know exactly what you need from your plan. Generally, the cheaper a phone plan is, the fewer benefits and perks you’ll get, which shouldn’t be surprising.

The good thing is, however, there are probably a lot of cheap cell phone plans out there that you’ve never even heard of before, and they’re great if you just need the basics—data, talk, and text. Major carriers like Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile who charge upwards of $60/month for their plans also include perks like free Netflix, free HBO, or free Apple Music with their plans. If you don’t need these entertainment extras, then find a cheap phone plan that suits your needs (and budget) better.

Save Money with Less Data

One of the best ways to cut down on your cell phone bill is to get a plan with less data, as they are generally cheaper. The first thing you should do when shopping for a cheap phone plan is to find out how much mobile data you usually use each month. You can usually find this on your cell phone bill or by logging into your phone account and looking at your usage information.

You may be surprised by how much data you actually use each month! You could realize that you’re only using 5GB of data each month but are paying for an unlimited plan, which means, you’re overpaying for your cell phone plan.