Cheapest Unlimited Plan Best Prepaid Unlimited Plan Best Unlimited Verizon Plan
Best AT&T Unlimited Plan Best Sprint Unlimited Plan Best T-Mobile Unlimited Plan
Fastest and Slowest Speeds by State
Let’s Talk wants you to have the best possible cell phone plan for your lifestyle, and that’s why we regularly curate and compare the best plans from more than 35 carriers. Right now, there are hundreds of plans to choose from, but if we’re honest with ourselves, the plans we really want (and sometimes need) are unlimited everything, with an emphasis on unlimited data plans. This can be pricey, but nothing is more annoying than Hulu buffering right when the Bachelor is about to hand out his final rose.
This guide will walk you through the best unlimited data plans and help you find one that’ll help you get the most out of your favorite online activities.
Best Unlimited Data Plans Compared
| Plan | Cost | Hotspot | Extras | Roaming/Global | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheapest Unlimited Plan | Sprint Unlimited Kickstart | $35 | — | — | Free 2G data/free texting |
| Best Unlimited Prepaid Plan | Metro by T-Mobile $60 Unlimited Plan | $60 | 15GB | Google One & Amazon Prime account | $5-$10 add-on |
| Best Verizon Unlimited Plan | Play More Unlimited | $80 | 15GB | Free Apple Music Unlimited 5G Hotspot use (if phone is 5G capable) | Unlimited calling to/from Mexico & Canada |
| Best AT&T Unlimited Plan (for Individual and Family) | Unlimited Elite | $85 | 30GB | HBO subscription, 100GB data deprioritization | Unlimited text, text, data Canada/Mexico, unlimited texting to 120+ countries |
| Best Sprint Unlimited Plan | Unlimited Plus | $60 | 50GB | Hulu + Tidal subscriptions | Unlimited talk/text (+10GB of data) Canada/Mexico |
| Best T-Mobile Unlimited Plan | Essentials | $60 | Unlimited 3G | Will pay $650 of phone bills | Unlimited talk/text to Canada/Mexico |
Get Free Entertainment Subscriptions with Your Plan!
Cheapest Unlimited Plan: Sprint Unlimited Kickstart Plan
Right now no major carrier can compete with Sprint for the least expensive plan, as they are offering unlimited talk, text, and data for only $35/month. Although this might seem like a steal of a deal, you’ll pay for it with potentially frustrating service. However, if you’re looking to save money, this is the plan for you.
Sprint has the least amount of nationwide coverage of the four major carriers—unless you live on the East Coast or in a few states throughout the West, you may want to bypass this plan due to lack of coverage in your area.
Let’s Talk Pros
- Unlimited hihg-speed data
- Free international 2G data
- Free international texting
Let’s Talk Cons
- No mobile hotspot
- New customers only
- No hotspot
Best Unlimited Prepaid Plan: Metro by T-Mobile $60 Unlimited Plan
Because this is a prepaid plan, you will pay for your service before you use it. For $60/month, Metro by T-Mobile is offering unlimited high-speed data (data slows down after 35GB on congested networks) AND 15GB of high-speed mobile hotspot use. With Metro, you’ll get the same coverage as T-Mobile, but for a smaller price. This plan also comes with awesome perks like:
- Free access to Amazon Prime
- Unlimited streaming and ad-free listening with Prime Music
- Unlimited photo storage with Amazon Photos
- Discounts at Whole Foods (also owned by Amazon)
Let’s Talk Pros
- Great price point
- Amazon Prime
- 15GB mobile hotspot
- Unlimited high-speed data
- Google One
Let’s Talk Cons
- International service not included
- Metro customers may notice reduced speeds vs. T-mobile due to prioritization
Best Verizon Unlimited Plan: Play More Unlimited
Because Verizon is the number one carrier in terms of nationwide coverage, you can’t really go wrong picking any of their plans. However, we think their BEST plan is the Verizon Unlimited Plan with free Apple Music, 15GB of hotspot use, and unlimited high-speed data, calling and texting. At $85/month this is the most expensive unlimited plan on our list, but there is a price to pay to be on America’s best network with all of these perks.
Keep in mind that although this plan is pricey there are some that cost even more so, technically, you can still tell yourself you’re saving money with this plan.
Save $5 on your monthly Verizon bill by enrolling in autopay
Let’s Talk Pros
- Great network
- Apple Music
- 15GB hotspot use
- 5G Capable
Let’s Talk Cons
- Price
Best AT&T Unlimited Plan and Family Plan: AT&T Unlimited Elite
To see other family plans, and find the best deals, check out our regularly updated guide: The Best Family Plans
AT&T is trying really hard to win you over by offering great perks and stellar pricing for this plan. The Unlimited Elite plan is their best plan overall. In fact, it’s so good, we made it our Let’s Talk Editor’s pick AND top choice for Best Unlimited Family plan. At $85/month, it’s the same price as Verizon’s best plan and offers way more perks—HBO, 100GB data deprioritization (this is OUT OF THIS WORLD), 30GB hotspot, unlimited talk, text, and data in Mexico and Canada, unlimited texting to over 120 countries, and HD streaming.
This plan gets even better as a family plan as AT&T discounts additional lines saving you more than $100/month on a plan with four lines
Let’s Talk Pros
- AT&T network (great coverage!)
- Included entertainment streaming account
- 30GB hotspot
- Calling, texting, and data use in Canada/Mexico
Let’s Talk Cons
- Price
Best Sprint Unlimited Plan: Unlimited Plus
Sprint’s plans are priced well below their competitors, but that’s because they have to make up for their spotty service. Having said that, their best plan, Unlimited Plus, is very tempting with free Hulu and Tidal subscriptions, unlimited service to and from Canada and Mexico, and 10GB of data to use abroad all for only $60/month.
Let’s Talk Pros
- Price
- Hulu + Tidal subscriptions
- International data allowance
Let’s Talk Cons
- Sprint network (least amount of nationwide coverage)
- No hotspot
Best T-Mobile Unlimited Plan: Essentials
T-Mobile’s pricing isn’t very competitive, and neither are their perks, however, this plan does give you the basics for a somewhat reasonable price. Although you won’t get a free Netflix subscription like T-Mobile’s more expensive plans, they will cover your remaining phone payments (up to $650), which will save you money IF you have a phone to pay off.
Let’s Talk Pros
- Price
- Covers $650 in phone payments
Let’s Talk Cons
- No free subscription accounts
Which States Offer the Fastest (and Slowest) Mobile Data Speeds?
It’s good to live in the northeast if you rely heavily on your phone for browsing, streaming, shopping, and other internet-related activities. Test results indicate that New Hampshire has the fastest cellular data speeds in the country, followed by Rhode Island and Connecticut. Iowa, West Virginia and Arkansas are home to the slowest speeds (respectively).
New Hampshire’s 28.9 megabits-per-second average download speeds are a full 3.5 megabits faster than Rhode Island’s. Rhode Island (25.4), Connecticut (25.1) and New Jersey (24.4), meanwhile, are far closer to one another. South Dakota is the only non-northeastern city to make the top five.
States with the Fastest Mobile Data
| State | Average Download Speed (Mbps) | Rank |
| New Hampshire | 28.9 | 1 |
| Rhode Island | 25.4 | 2 |
| Connecticut | 25.1 | 3 |
| New Jersey | 24.4 | 4 |
| South Dakota | 23.3 | 5 |
States with the Slowest Mobile Data
| State | Average Download Speed (Mbps) | Rank |
| Montana | 6.7 | 1 |
| Mississippi | 8.1 | 2 |
| Arkansas | 9.6 | 3 |
| West Virginia | 10.5 | 4 |
| Iowa | 10.8 | 5 |
How Let’s Talk Collected the Data
The Let’s Talk team analyzed data from ~100k mobile speed test results taken on HighSpeedInternet.com and ranked the states according to that data. Vermont and North Dakota were excluded from the ranking because of insufficient data.
Download vs Upload Speed
Uploading constitutes a relatively small fraction of our overall internet activities; downloading is what we’re mostly doing when we load a web page, stream a video, or play a game. That’s why download speeds are important to consider when analyzing cellular data, and why we’ve highlighted them in our report.
About Let’s Talk
Let’s Talk simplifies the search for the perfect cell phone plan—say goodbye to reading fine print, comparing dozens of plans side by side, and interpreting confusing language. Our experienced team of writers take a fine-tooth comb to all of the phone plans and phone deals out there to discern what the best cell phone plans are. We compile the top results in highly-organized and easy-to-read articles that we update on a regular basis according to market changes. When you land on one of our pages you can rest assured that you’re getting timely information.
