The best prepaid plan for you is going to depend on your priorities, such as data allowance, hotspot, international calling, travel perks, and more. Check out the best prepaid cell phone plans for April 2024 and take advantage of some seriously good deals.
In this guide:
- Best Cheap Prepaid Plans
- Best Unlimited Data Prepaid Plans
- Best Mobile Hotspot Prepaid Plans
- Best Prepaid Plans for International Calling
- Best Prepaid Plans for Traveling
- What to Consider When Choosing a Prepaid Plan
- Benefits of a Prepaid Plan
Prepaid Phone Plans: Quick Look
Prepaid plans are plans that you pay for at the beginning of each billing cycle, as opposed to the end of the month like traditional postpaid plans. Prepaid plans typically allow you to forgo a credit check, and are usually less expensive than postpaid plans, making them a great choice for anyone looking to save money. Major carriers (Verizon and AT&T) and small carriers (Cricket Wireless and Metro by T-Mobile) alike sell prepaid plans.
Best Cheap Prepaid Plans
Not everyone wants to spend an arm and a leg on their cell phone plan, so we’ve compiled a list of the best affordable options, all of which cost $35/month or less.
| Prepaid Plan | High-speed data | Price | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mint Mobile 15GB Plan | 15GB | $25/month (3 months) | Go to Plan |
| Cricket Wireless 10GB Plan | 10GB | $35/month | Go to Plan |
| Twigby 10GB Smartphone Value Plan | 10GB | $17.50/month (6 months) | Go to Plan |
Mint Mobile 15GB Plan
Mint Mobile, a small carrier on T-Mobile’s network, offers three-month package plans. The 15GB Plan costs $25/month for three months for customers switching to Mint Mobile—that’s $10 cheaper than Cricket’s plan below, but with 5GB more monthly data! It also includes:
- Unlimited calls and messages
- 15GB/month of data
- Unlimited calls to Canada and Mexico
- Mobile hotspot
An important note, though: if you want to keep your super low price, you’ll need to renew for a full year to lock in that $25/month rate. After your first three months, this plan price bumps all the way up to $45/month for another three months or $35/month for a 6-month package. Right now, when you switch to Mint Mobile and buy three months, you’ll get three months FREE! This is a perfect time to try out Mint if you’ve been thinking about it.
Cricket Wireless 10GB Plan
Cricket Wireless, a well-known MVNO that runs on AT&T’s robust network, offers cheap prepaid plans and has over 4,000 storefronts across the country. The Cricket Wireless 10GB plan is just $35/month plan and includes:
- Unlimited calls and messages
- 10G of 4G LTE data
- All-in pricing (taxes and fees included)
Twigby 10GB Plan
Twigby, an MVNO that primarily operates on Sprint’s network but also relies on Verizon’s for text and talk, offers customizable plans. The 10GB plan includes:
- Unlimited text and talk
- 10GB of 4G LTE data
- Unlimited international texting
- Unlimited calls to Mexico, China, Canada, UK, India, Australia, and more
Keep in mind that this price of $17.50/month is a limited-time promotion for 50% off the monthly bill for six months. Once the six months are up, the price increases to $35/month. Still, it’s one of the best choices for an affordable prepaid plan.
Best Unlimited Data Prepaid Plans
Some of us want it all, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Here are the best prepaid plans that include unlimited data for all your streaming and browsing needs.
| Prepaid Plan | Data | Price | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tello Unlimited Talk, Text, and Data Plan | Unlimited (25GB LTE) | $40/month | Go to Plan |
| Visible Unlimited Plan | Unlimited (anytime deprioritization) | $40/month | Go to Plan |
| US Mobile Unlimited All with Ludicrous Data | Unlimited (50GB LTE) | $45/month | Go to Plan |
| Mint Mobile Unlimited Plan | Unlimited (35GB LTE) | $30/month | Go to Plan |
Tello Unlimited Data
Tello is a small carrier on Sprint’s network that offers build-your-own plan options so that customers can choose exactly how much talk, text, and data they need. For just $40/month, you get:
- Unlimited talk, text, and data
- 25GB data deprioritization threshold
- Mobile hotspot
- Free calls to Canada, Mexico, and China
This Tello unlimited plan is one of the most affordable unlimited prepaid plans around. If you live on the East Coast where Sprint has to most coverage, this may be the prepaid unlimited plan for you.
Visible $40 Unlimited Plan
Visible, a no-frills MVNO running on Verizon’s powerful network, offers just one phone plan—a $40/month Unlimited plan. And for a limited time, Visible is offering a deal in which you get the first month for just $25 when you switch. This is clearly one of the best unlimited prepaid plans on the market today. This stellar plan includes:
- Unlimited talk and text
- Unlimited data (speeds slowed anytime during congestion)
- Hotspot
- All-in pricing
For a limited time, new customers pay just $25 for the first month when switching to Visible. There’s no way around it; that’s a darn good deal.
US Mobile Unlimited All with Ludicrous Data
US Mobile is a top contender for one of the best unlimited prepaid carriers on the market, and with good reason. For just $45/month, you get:
- Unlimited talk and text
- Insanely fast Ludicrous data speeds (up to 250Gbps)
- A seriously high 50GB data deprioritization)
- Your pick of plenty of entertainment perks with each line you add
Plus, you get 10GB of international roaming data, free 5G access, and coverage on both Verizon and T-Mobile’s excellent networks.
Mint Mobile Unlimited Plan
Mint Mobile has come out swinging with a cheap unlimited plan that seriously rivals the bigger names in the market. Its new Unlimited plan provides coverage on T-Mobile’s 4G LTE and 5G networks, plus a bevy of attractive features including:
- Unlimited talk, text, and data
- 35GB data deprioritization threshold
- 5GB of 4G LTE hotspot
- Free calling to Mexico and Canada
- Free SIM kit
Mint’s Unlimited Plan is just $30/month for the first three months… that’s a heck of a deal. You can lock in that cheap price by signing up for a full year; otherwise your price will go up for another 3-month or 6-month package. Just note that with Mint Mobile’s plans, you have to pay for the full three, six, or 12 months upfront.
Best Mobile Hotspot Prepaid Plans
Not many prepaid plans include dedicated mobile hotspot allowances, but we’ve done the research so that you don’t have to and found the top hotspot prepaid plans.
| Prepaid Plan | Data | Hotspot | Price | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boost Mobile $60 Go Unlimited Plan | Unlimited (35GB LTE) | 30GB | $60/month | Go to Plan |
| T-Mobile Simply Prepaid Unlimited Plus | Unlimited (50GB LTE) | 10GB | $60/month | Go to Plan |
| Cricket Wireless More Unlimited + 15GB Mobile Hotspot Plan | Unlimited (anytime deprioritization) | 15GB | $45/month | Go to Plan |
Boost Mobile $60 Go Unlimited Plan
Boost Mobile, a small carrier operating on the combined Sprint/T-Mobile network, is one of the few MVNOs offering dedicated hotspot allowances with their plans. The Go Unlimited plan at $60/month includes:
- Unlimited talk and text
- 35GB of high-speed data (then slowed to 2G speeds)
- 30GB of 4G LTE hotspot
- HD streaming
- All-in pricing
- Six months of TIDAL
T-Mobile Simply Prepaid Unlimited Plus Plan
T-Mobile’s Simply Prepaid Unlimited Plus Plan costs $60/month and includes:
- Unlimited talk, text, and data
- 50GB data deprioritization
- 10GB of 4G LTE hotspot
Cricket Wireless More Unlimited + 15GB Mobile Hotspot Plan
Cricket Wireless’ More Unlimited + 15GB Mobile Hotspot Plan costs $55/month and includes:
- Unlimited talk, text, and data (slowed anytime)
- 15GB of 4G LTE hotspot
- Unlimited texts to 37 countries
- Unlimited calls to Mexico and Canada
As with the other Cricket deal, they’re currently offering 10GB of bonus data for the first two months of service.
Best Prepaid Plans for International Calling
If your loved ones live abroad, you may want to look for a prepaid phone plan that includes international calling or has a cheap calling add-on for the country or countries you want to call. Before choosing one of these plans, you’ll want to check which countries are included. Here are the plans with the top international calling features.
| Prepaid Plan | Data | Price | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ultra Mobile Unlimited Data 3-Month Plan | Unlimited (32GB LTE) | $46/month | Go to Plan |
| Red Pocket $40 Monthly Plan | Unlimited (22GB LTE) | $40/month | Go to Plan |
| Simple Mobile $40 Unlimited Plan | Unlimited (15GB LTE) | $40/month | Go to Plan |
| Ting Unlimited Plan | Unlimited (22GB LTE) | $40/month | Go to Plan |
Ultra Mobile Unlimited Data 3-Month Plan
Ultra Mobile runs on T-Mobile’s network and this three-month plan, which costs $46/month, includes unlimited calling to 80+ countries. It also features:
- Unlimited talk and text
- 32GB of high-speed data (then slowed to 2G data speeds)
- Unlimited international text
- Mobile hotspot
Red Pocket $40 Monthly Plan
Red Pocket, which runs on all four major networks, offers an excellent $40/month plan with unlimited calls to 70+ countries. You also get:
- Unlimited messages and calls
- 22GB of 4G LTE data
- Unlimited calls to 80+ countries
For a limited time, when you switch to this plan, you’ll get 15GB of bonus data (they don’t specify how many months this deal is good for, so you should take advantage now).
Simple Mobile $40 Unlimited Plan
Simple Mobile, another MVNO operating on T-Mobile’s network, is an excellent choice for anyone looking to make frequent international calls. This $40/month ($37.50/month with Auto Reup) plan includes unlimited international calls to landlines in 60+ countries, and mobile phones in select destinations. Other features include:
- Unlimited talk and text
- 15GB of high-speed data before throttling
- Mobile hotspot
- Unlimited international texts
- Roaming in Mexico and other Latin American countries
Ting Unlimited Plan
Ting runs on T-Mobile’s networks and offers build-your-own plans in which customers can choose their talk, text, and data allowances, and you only pay for what you use. The Ting Unlimited Plan costs $40/month and includes:
- Unlimited talk and text
- 22GB of high-speed data then slowed to 2G
- Mobile hotspot capability (up to 12GB)
Best Prepaid Plans for Traveling
Most carriers charge exorbitant prices for international roaming, which is why it’s important to choose a prepaid plan that includes travel perks if you often travel to other countries, particularly to Mexico or Canada. Check out our list of the best prepaid travel plans.
| Prepaid Plan | Data | Price | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Fi Unlimited Plan | Unlimited (22GB LTE) | $70/month | Go to Plan |
| AT&T Prepaid $65 Monthly Plan | Unlimited (anytime deprioritization) | $65/month | Go to Plan |
Google Fi Unlimited Plan
Google Fi runs on T-Mobile, Sprint, and U.S. Cellular’s networks and the $70/month unlimited plan includes:
- Unlimited talk, text, and data
- 22GB data deprioritization
- Unlimited texts in 200+ countries
- Unlimited data in 200+ countries
- Calls cost $.20/min abroad
- Mobile hotspot
AT&T Prepaid $65 Monthly Plan
For a limited time, AT&T is discounting their $65 Prepaid Plan by $15, meaning you pay just $50/month for great features, such as:
- Unlimited talk, text, and data (slowed anytime)
- Unlimited talk, text, and data in Mexico and Canada
- Unlimited text to 100+ countries
What to Consider When Choosing a Prepaid Plan
With over one hundred prepaid carriers in the U.S. alone, it can be hard to know where to start. To help jumpstart your search, you may want to write down a list of your wireless priorities. Here’s a list of some things to consider:
- Plan Price: Set a maximum price you’re willing to pay for your prepaid plan.
- Network coverage: There’s no point in getting a cell phone plan if you can’t use it. Our coverage search tool allows you to input your address and check if you get coverage in your area.
- Full-speed data: All four major carriers offer full-speed data (typically 4G speeds, although they’ve begun rolling out 5G in select cities, accessible to those with a 5G-capable device). Conversely, some MVNOs deprioritize customer data speeds in favor of customers on their parent network, such as Verizon or AT&T.
- Amount of data: Some people do just fine with limited data, while others prefer unlimited data plans.
- Mobile hotspot: Some plans are hotspot-capable, meaning you can use your data to connect other devices to the internet, while others have dedicated hotspots. While some people prefer hotspot plans, others don’t necessarily need it.
- International calling: If you have family or friends living outside the U.S., international calling capabilities may be a top priority. Some plans include free international calling while others offer cheap add-ons or pay-as-you-go rates.
- Travel benefits: If you travel frequently, especially to Canada or Mexico, you may want to search for a prepaid plan offering international roaming—otherwise, you may incur huge roaming charges.
Benefits of a Prepaid Plan
Although postpaid plans often include fun features like premium streaming subscriptions, travel perks, and more, prepaid plans are great options as well. Prepaid plans are extremely attractive options for many different reasons, including:
- No credit checks (usually)
- Flexibility (many carriers offer build your own plan options)
- Tend to be cheaper than postpaid plans
- Can be a great option for children
