Most people look to the Three major US cell phone carriers when looking for the best cell phone plans. Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T all offer phone plans that will suit most people’s needs. However, they might not be within everyone’s financial means.
If you’re looking to save a few more dollars off your monthly wireless plan, smaller carriers could be the best way to save even more money on your cell phone bill.
Tello Mobile – Best Overall
Looking to save on your monthly cellular phone service? Then consider a switch to Tello Mobile. Tello allows you to build your own customized plan based on what you exactly need, which gives you full control of your minutes, texts, and data including options for no-data or data-only.
Whether you want a personalized custom plan or unlimited everything for a low monthly rate, Tello could very well be a great fit for you. Not only are the plans affordable, but you also get features like free hotspot access and calling to Canada, Mexico, and China at no extra cost.
Tello also rolling out their new Family plans that allow multi-line customers to mix and match data, minutes & text so that customers can find the perfect phone plan for each family member.
Tello’s plans are all prepaid, so there are no contracts, no early termination fees, and no activation fees for its service.
Another big plus, customers may upgrade or downgrade their plans free of charge, anytime they want. When you change your plan in the middle of the month, they will even carry over your remaining minutes at no extra charge.
If you live in an area where Sprint coverage is strong then Tello could be a good fit for you. If you’re not sure what coverage is like in your area their coverage page will tell you how coverage is at a specific location.
Tello allows you to bring your own phone (Check your phone’s compatibility with Tello here) or purchase one from them. Phone prices are reasonable and they offer many types of both new and refurbished phones from iPhones to Android-based models.
✔ Unlimited Talk & Text
✔ 4G/5G data range 1GB to Unlimited
✔ Free mobile hotspot access
✔ Free international calls to 60+ countries
Xfinity Mobile – A Solid Verizon’s Network
Xfinity Mobile is an MVNO that offers cell phone plans exclusively to Comcast Xfinity internet customers. If you live in a location in the US where Comcast already offers its Internet and cable TV service, you might be able to get its wireless phone service as well. The carrier uses Verizon’s 4G LTE network, giving customers access to great coverage.
Xfinity Mobile combines the Verizon Wireless network with Comcast’s 18 million Wi-Fi hotspots to create affordable cellular service. Mobile hotspot is included with Xfinity Mobile at no additional charge. This allows you to get online by using your mobile data to create an internet connection.
Customers can choose either Xfinity’s “By the Gig” plan or Xfinity’s unlimited data plan. The unlimited plan has a base price of $45 per line each month (capped at 20GB). By the Gig, the plan has three pricing tiers with different data allotments. Additional data can be added to any package for $12 per GB.
Since there are no additional activation or maintenance fees when adding extra lines, you can add up to 4 friends or family members to your account.
The Xfinity Mobile app (Android here, iPhone here) shows you where your data usage is each month, in order to keep your data usage in check.
✔ Unlimited Talk & Text
✔ 4G/5G data range 1GB to Unlimited
✔ Free access to 18 million Wi-Fi hotspots
✔ Multi Line Discount
Republic Wireless – A Good Budget Choice
Republic Wireless is one of the first wireless carriers to use a combination of Wi-Fi calling and cellular for their coverage plans.
In short, Republic Wireless uses a cheaper form of communication (Wi-Fi calling) whenever possible to save money on tower usage fees. And You don’t have to do anything to switch from WiFi to cell or cell to WiFi. The phone does it automatically.
Monthly prepaid plans with Republic Wireless start at $15 before taxes and fees. For that price, you get unlimited talk and text. Data is an extra $5 per GB.
Republic Wireless uses a combination of the Sprint and T-Mobile networks which means you get reliable coverage. If you’re not sure what coverage is like in your area their coverage page will tell you how coverage is at a specific location.
Republic Wireless also offers to Bring Your Own Phone options so you can keep your compatible device and phone number when you switch. You can quickly and easily check if your current phone is compatible by using the Republic’s compatibility checker.
Additionally, Republic Wireless offers a money-back guarantee on all smartphones and services. If for any reason, you decide Republic isn’t for you, you can contact Republic for a full refund on your device and service within the 14-day window.
Republic Wireless remains a good option for cheap phone service, particularly for people who mostly connect to Wi-Fi and can limit their data to below 1GB per month.
✔ Unlimited Talk & Text
✔ 4G/5G data range 1GB to Unlimited
✔ Mobile hotspot access
✔ Unlimited international texting
✔ Wi-Fi calling
✔ Multi line Discount
Twigby – Best for Light Users
Looking for a great Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) with affordable prices and plenty of perks? Twigby may be just what you’re looking for.
Unlike traditional cell phone companies, Twigby gives you the ability to create your own custom, prepaid plan, without a contract or an unnecessary activation fee. And right now all new customers with a 25 percent discount for their first six months of service.
Twigby operates on Verizon and Sprint networks wherever available, casting a larger network across the United States. Twigby also provides overage protection along with family phone plans to keep the whole family covered under the same account.
With Twigby, you can either buy one of their phones to use with their plans or use your own phone. To bring your own phone to Twigby, just check if it’s compatible with the Bring Your Own Device page. Twigby is one of the best cell phone plans for seniors in 2022
Twigby Best for Light Users
✔ Unlimited Talk & Text
✔ 4G/5G data range 1GB to Unlimited
✔ Get 50% OFF for 6 Months
✔ Free international texting to over 180 countries
Visible – Extreme Value Yet Affordable
Visible is an excellent choice for those looking for a no-contract, unlimited data experience using Verizon’s vast network.
While most carriers have a variety of phone plans to fit most people’s budgets, Visible takes a much more simple approach, offering only a single Visible unlimited phone plan for $40 a month (taxes and fees included).
Visible get more affordable as you add additional lines on the Party Pay plan. Each additional line you add trims $5 off your bill for each phone, with a maximum discount of $15 per line when you have a total of four phones in use. This makes the final cost just $25 per line.
What’s different about Visible Party Pay is each person still has their own account. Instead of grouping people together under one account with one bill, Visible keeps everyone separate and applies the group discount to each line individually.
Visible has a few limitations: hotspot speeds are throttled, a limited set of devices are compatible, and subscribers have low priority during periods of network congestion. Visible also has the option to bring your own device, you just need to check if your device is compatible by entering its IMEI ID on Visible’s Compatibility Checker.
Visible Extreme Value Yet Affordable
✔ Unlimited Talk & Text
✔ Unlimited 4G/5G data
✔ Free mobile hotspot
✔ Free calls to Mexico and Canada
✔ Multi line Discount
Ting Mobile – You Pay for What you Use
Ting offers a unique pricing structure. It’s not like traditional cell phone plans, but it’s different from prepaid plans. While you still have to pay monthly for your service, you only pay what you actually use.
The four sections of a bill are the number and length of the lines, the minutes that a customer will text or talk, and the data they will need each month. Family members can add additional lines to Ting at $6 per line. This includes pooling minutes, text messages, and data.
Ting users have the opportunity to call more than 60 countries at no extra cost. No matter if you’re calling the US, Canada or Mexico, UK, Puerto Rico, or any other country, all minutes count the same.
Ting allows you to bring your device. You can also check the compatibility of your phone with Ting on the Ting website.
Ting subscribers can choose between Sprint and T-Mobile’s networks. The coverage page will show you the coverage in your specific area.
Ting also offers both Android and iOS dashboard apps that allow you to monitor your usage and make changes directly from your smartphone. You have complete control over all devices in your account via the online dashboard. Simply click a toggle switch to turn on or off any feature. Ting offers usage alerts as well as individual line limits.
Ting Mobile You Pay for What you Use
✔ Unlimited Talk & Text
✔ 4G/5G data range 1GB to Unlimited
✔ Free mobile hotspot access
Metro by T-Mobile – Best for Heavy Users
Metro by T-Mobile offers prepaid cell phone plans that come with no contracts. All fees and taxes are included in the advertised price, which is a benefit for budget customers. For prepaid customers who want to be in a well-known network, Metro is a great option.
Metro by T-Mobile offers three plans: Unlimited High-Speed Data, 10GB, and Unlimited Data with Prime. Every package comes with different benefits, including unlimited music, Google One, and Amazon Prime.
Metro by T-Mobile makes it simple to make one of their prepaid plans a family affair. With each addition, you can save more on unlimited data plans and the 10GB limited plan.
Either bring your compatible device to the carrier, or you can purchase one at Metro by T-Mobile. Metro’s Compatibility Tester will check if your device meets the requirements.
T-Mobile’s network will provide great service. T-Mobile’s network has a solid foundation and is rated highly for its reliability and speed.
Metro by T-Mobile has the fastest network speeds and coverage in America without high prices. The plans are straightforward and include four options. Each includes all charges.
✔ Unlimited Talk & Text
✔ 4G/5G data range 5GB to Unlimited
✔ Multi line Discount
✔ Mobile Hotspot Access
✔ 100GB Cloud One
Red Pocket – The Best Value for Money
Red Pocket Mobile is a well-known prepaid carrier that offers plans starting at $2.50 per month. Red Pocket Mobile is one of the few mobile virtual network operators that offer wireless service on all four major networks (Verizon AT&T Sprint and T-Mobile). This allows you to keep your coverage while saving huge on your monthly cell phone bills.
Red Pocket plans are straightforward and have no hidden fees. Customers are given a range of prepaid plans so they don’t have to worry about unexpected charges. Red Pocket Mobile’s cheapest plans start at $10 per month (500 minutes, 500 texts, and 500MB data) or $15 per month (1, 000 min, unlimited texting, 1GB data). Additional texts, minutes and LTE can be purchased.
All plans, $30, $40, and $60, include unlimited talk and text, unlimited text, 7GB, 15GB, and unlimited LTE data. You also get unlimited data on data plans, including unlimited 2G data if you run out of high-speed data. Red Pocket is like most prepaid carriers and doesn’t charge activation, termination, contracts, or fees to use more data than you have allotted.
Red Pocket Mobile’s 360-Day Plan is a great way to save big on your service. It allows you to pay upfront for an entire year of service. There are a few plans that you can choose from. The Basic Plan offers 100 minutes, 100 text messages, 500MB of data, and costs $60 per month. It goes up to the XL Plan, which provides unlimited data and 15GB for $360 ($33.25 per month).
Red Pocket’s lowest data plans make the best financial sense, as higher data plans can be quite expensive. Red Pocket’s 10GB plan costs $60. You could also get unlimited plans on other carriers for the same price.
Red Pocket’s greatest advantage is compatibility with all major U.S. carriers. This allows you to bring your phone (BYOP), to the network, regardless of which carrier it was previously.
Red Pocket Best Value for Money
✔ Unlimited Talk & Text
✔ 4G/5G data range 3GB to Unlimited
✔ Free International Calling Worldwide
Start at $20/monthStart at $40/month
Ultra Mobile – The Best Bulk Savings Carrier
Ultra Mobile is one of the many Mobile Virtual Network Operators that T-Mobile has. You can lease T-Mobile’s network, and they will sell it to your company as an alternative carrier. This means that you get great coverage and a lower price.
Ultra Mobile plans can be purchased prepaid. This means that you have to pay for the service before you actually use it. Plans starting at $14 with 1GB of high-speed data are available. Unlimited starts at $49 per month with 2GB or 5GB plans. Mint Mobile, which is part of the same company, offers plans that can be purchased in 3 to 6 or 12-month terms.
All Ultra Mobile plans include unlimited talk to more than 80+ international destinations (landlines or mobiles, depending on the country). You can find the complete list on ultramobile’s website.
Ultra Mobile is a T-Mobile customer. They use T-Mobile’s mobile towers so if your area has good T-Mobile coverage, they may be a good fit. Ultra Mobile allows you to choose whether to buy one of their phones or your own phone. Click here to see if your phone is compatible.
Ultra Mobile is different from other budgets MVNOs in that it offers free international text and talk. Ultra Mobile’s plans are among the most affordable in the industry, and they allow you to keep in touch with family and friends around the world without having to spend a lot.
Ultra Mobile Best Bulk Savings Carrier
✔ Unlimited Talk & Text
✔ 4G/5G data range 250MB to Unlimited
✔ Mobile hotspot data
✔ Free WiFi Calling & Texts
✔ Free Unlimited Global Text
✔ Free Unlimited Talk to 80+ INTL Countries
Straight Talk – The Best for All Users
Straight Talk, a well-known mobile virtual operator (MVNO), is owned by TracFone. It leases wireless service from all four Big Four networks, which include AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile.
Straight Talk offers individuals no-contract plans on 30-day refills. These plans start at the basic talk, text, and limited data and go up to unlimited data. Except for a monthly payment plan, there are no contracts.
Plan prices start at $30 per month for 1500 minutes, unlimited texting, and 100MB of data. $55/month will get you 5GB 4G LTE, unlimited text and talk, and unlimited data. Straight Talk also offers discounted 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month data plans.
Straight Talk can be used to save money. You can also save some money by signing up for auto-refill. This option is available at any time and you can cancel it at any moment.
✔ Unlimited Talk & Text
✔ 4G/5G data range 5GB to Unlimited
✔ Global calling add on
These are the top cell phone plans you can get in 2021. Once new options are available, we’ll add them to this list.
