Being a student means making a budget your middle name. What better place to start than with your cell phone plan?
College is an expensive experience I’m sure all of you would love to save a few extra bucks here and there and it’s important to be aware of your options – there are several different network providers, different types of plans, and a wide range of costs, so consider what kind of plan is best for you. Check out the plans below to find the best cell phone plans for college students.
Tello Mobile - Most Affordable Service
Tello is one of the most popular MVNOs in the US on Sprint with flexible plans, allowing you to truly customize your own personal plan to meet your needs.
Tello’s plans are as low as $5/mo. up to $39/mo. And it doesn’t really matter which plan you start with because Tello customers can upgrade or downgrade their plan for free, anytime. All Tello’s plans come free calls to Canada, Mexico, and China, plus mobile hotspot access with WiFi calling through their application at no extra cost.
Tello doesn’t charge any hidden fees, activation fees, or early termination fees. This is a huge advantage.
Tello allows you to bring your own phone or purchase one from them. If you decide to keep your phone all you need to do is to enter your device ID which is an IMEI to check if your phone is compatible with their network
Tello is a great option for anyone that can use Sprint service in their area, so before you decide to sign-up with Tello, you’ll want to be sure that the coverage is good in your area.
✔ Unlimited Talk & Text
✔ 4G/5G data range 1GB to Unlimited
✔ Free mobile hotspot access
✔ Free international calls to 60+ countries
Visible - Best Value for Money
Visible is a great option if you live in an area with a superior Verizon network and want to save money. Visible is a new cell phone carrier that offers unlimited talk, text, and data with no contracts for only $40 a month.
Visible offers just one phone plan, which comes with unlimited calling, unlimited texting, and unlimited high-speed data. The plan also allows for unlimited free hotspot use and mobile tethering, but data speeds while tethering will be capped at 5Mbps.
Visible is now offering a new Party Pay group discount. Join a party of up to 4 people and save up to $15 off Visible’s unlimited plan. With four people, each person pays just $25 per month for unlimited LTE data. You won’t have to worry if someone else in your party slips up one month. Everyone in your party has an individual account so you won’t have to manage anyone else’s service.
Visible is actually encouraging its customers to find people to create a party with, be it a friend, family member, or acquaintance. Users can choose to leave the group at any time without approval or penalty. Other members will be notified via an email or push notification and granted a grace period before the next billing cycle to invite a new member.
With Visible, you can either buy one of their phones to use with their plans or use your own phone. To bring your own phone to Visible, just check if it’s compatible on the Bring Your Own Device page.
Visible Extreme Value Yet Affordable
✔ Unlimited Talk & Text
✔ Unlimited 4G/5G data
✔ Free mobile hotspot
✔ Free calls to Mexico and Canada
✔ Multi line Discount
Twigby - Most Flexible Plans for Students
Twigby is one of the newest prepaid carriers offering reliable and cheap service, they run on both Sprint or Verizon networks wherever available, giving them better coverage than other providers.
Plans are selected by first choosing your designated calling minutes with free unlimited global texting to 180 countries, and international calling to Canada, Mexico, and China. The second choice is a data package ranging between 200MB and 10GB, with the addition of a “WiFi Only” option.
Currently, Twigby offers 25% off all plans for the first six months and makes the provider one of the most affordable cell phone plans in the market.
All voice packages include unlimited domestic and international texting to over 180 countries. All data plans include unlimited 2G data once the high-speed usage gets consumed.
Twigby is on Sprint’s cellular network for voice calls, texting, and data, and it uses Verizon’s network as a backup for calls and texting. 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.
Twigby has the option to bring your own device, you just need to check if your device is compatible by entering its IMEI ID on Twigby Compatibility Checker.
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
Republic Wireless - Best for Wi-Fi Campus
Republic Wireless is a low-cost MVNO cell phone carrier that combines the traditional cellular tower calling with Voice over IP technology that allows you to place calls over Wi-Fi when you’re connected to a network.
Republic Wireless has only one basic plan which includes unlimited talk and text for 15/month. If you need cellular data (WiFi is always free), each Gigabyte (GB) of cellular data is a flat $5/month, and you can add additional data any time during the month.
Republic uses T-Mobile or Sprint network to provide service. So, one thing to remember is that the coverage you experience with Republic Wireless could vary depending on where you’re located.
Republic Wireless allows you to bring your own phone or purchase one from them. To bring your own phone to Republic, just check if it’s compatible on the Bring Your Own Device page.
Republic Wireless allows you to control your plan right from your app. You can add/subtract data each month based on your usage of the previous month. The app will also notify you when you’re running low on data so you can better conserve it.
With no contracts, very flexible payment plans, and a 14-day money-back guarantee, Republic Wireless can be a good solution for some consumers. Republic Wireless might be a solid option for students who live on a Wi-Fi-blanketed campus or you want to fork over less cash to the big four wireless carriers. The carrier’s straightforward approach to data pricing is also appealing.
✔ Unlimited Talk & Text
✔ 4G/5G data range 1GB to Unlimited
✔ Mobile hotspot access
✔ Unlimited international texting
✔ Wi-Fi calling
✔ Multi line Discount
Ting - Pay For What You Use
Ting saves you money in a few ways. The biggest way they save you money is by only charging you for the minutes, text messages, and data that you use each month.
Ting wireless plans are unlike any other mobile carrier’s pricing. Ting doesn’t have conventional rate plans where customers pick from a number of options. Instead, they’re charged based on usage in a postpaid manner, meaning they’re based on tiered rates for what you use each month.
After paying the flat $6 per device monthly fee, you’ll only add on the services you use each month in order to come to your payment amount.
Ting charges you for minutes, text messages, and data separately. Also, it allows you to make calls to more than 60 countries. You can find those rates on the Ting website. They also have an easy-to-use dashboard which will help keep you on top of your usage and allows you to place alerts and restrictions on use to avoid any billing surprises.
If you’re interested in bringing your own, check your existing phone IMEI to see whether it’s compatible with its service. For those who want to purchase a phone, Ting has a fairly well-rounded selection of devices. Ting uses both Sprint’s and T-Mobile’s networks, depending on what coverage is strong in your area. You can use Ting’s handy coverage map to see if your address is in their zone of service for calls or data.
Ting Mobile You Pay for What you Use
✔ Unlimited Talk & Text
✔ 4G/5G data range 1GB to Unlimited
✔ Free mobile hotspot access
Unreal Mobile - Best Bulk Savings
UNREAL Mobile, a new MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator), offers Sprint-based or AT&T-based services. Unreal Mobile offers no-contract plans at very affordable rates. All plans include a 30-day guarantee for your money back.
Monthly pricing is straightforward and affordable. There are no hidden fees or “gotchas” fees. Unreal Mobile offers contract-free plans starting from $10 per month. The base plan includes unlimited calls and texts as well as data. It also comes with 1GB of high-speed data which can be rolled over from month to month. You can also choose from a $20 per month plan which increases your data to 3GB or a $30 plan with 5GB.
All plans include ad blocking, VPN, live support, and rollover data. Any high-speed data that is not used will be added to your total pot. Unreal allows you to use your number on your tablet or computer, as well as your phone.
The online dashboard for Unreal Mobile is easy to use and informative. It is easy to upgrade or downgrade your plan. You can also see your usage history, by month and day. Unreal Mobile offers a variety of smartphones that you can use with your data plan. You can also bring your phone to the network if it is compatible with either Sprint or AT&T networks.
✔ Unlimited Talk & Text
✔ 4G/5G data range 2GB to Unlimited
✔ Free international calls
✔ Mobile Hotspot Access
✔ WiFi call and text
Eco Mobile - Best Budget Pick
ECO Mobile, a growing MVNO, focuses on providing affordable international service, in addition to domestic text and voice. These plans are split up between the three networks that ECO Mobile uses.
Unlimited talk, text, and 100MB data plans start at $20 Upgrading to 2GB of data and unlimited text is $30 per month. International calling costs $30. All plans include voicemail, caller ID, and call waiting. They also come with unlimited talk and text, voicemail, voicemail, and MMS (picture-and-video messaging), as well as domestic calling. You can get service on the Sprint network if you choose a pay-as-you-go cell phone plan. All services are available at a fractional price, including minutes (domestic and international), texts, 4G Data, MMS, and minutes.
EcoMobile uses the network of Sprint, Verizon, and T-Mobile. Either bring your phone to Eco Mobile to change the APN settings or purchase an unlocked smartphone. On the ECO Mobile website, you can check compatibility, view coverage, and compare plans.
✔ Unlimited Talk & Text
✔ 4G/5G data range 2GB to Unlimited
✔ $3 International Calling Credit
✔ Unlimited Calling to 100+ Countries
FreedomPop - Free Basic Service
FreedomPop offers a totally free mobile plan, which includes enough minutes, text messaging, and data for light users. FreedomPop offers a basic plan, which is 100% free. Yes! Yes, you can get a monthly cell phone service absolutely free. It’s limited to 200 minutes, 500 text messages, and 500 MB of data per month. You will be charged $20 to activate your phone, and $10 to transfer your number to the carrier.
FreedomPop offers a range of phone plans that include unlimited text and talk, at a very affordable price. You can get data up to 10GB monthly at a very affordable price. The “12-month prepaid” plan will give you the best value for money. However, if you want a true monthly plan, your monthly cost will skyrocket.
FreedomPop is an unusual carrier because you get a massive discount depending on how many months you pay upfront. You can save even more if you are able to pay for a full year. FreedomPop offers the possibility to bring your device into its network. To ensure your device is compatible with FreedomPop’s networks, check the compatibility page.
✔ Unlimited Talk & Text
✔ 4G/5G data range 1GB to Unlimited
✔ Free Unlimited WiFi calls
GoSmart Mobile - The Best For Heavey Facebook Users
T-Mobile founded GoSmart Mobile in 2012. Later, it was sold to TracFone. It is one of many prepaid wireless brands currently owned by TracFone. T-Mobile still provides service.
GoSmart mobile offers data plans in five sizes, with unlimited text, talk, and Facebook data. All other data will require you to use the plan’s allowance. GoSmart starts at $15 per month and allows unlimited text, talk, and 250 MB of 3G data. For an additional $10, GoSmart adds mobile hotspot connectivity for $10.
GoSmart is a great, no-contract mobile service. Every plan offers unlimited talk and text as well as international calling and roaming in Latin America.
GoSmart Mobile allows you to bring your own device. However, first, check the Bring Your Own Phone Page. This will let you know if your phone is compatible. The system will guide you through a simple process to determine if your phone is compatible.
GoSmart Mobile Best For Heavey Facebook Users
✔ Unlimited Talk & Text
✔ 4G/5G data range 1GB to Unlimited
✔ Mobile Hotspot Access
These are the top cell phone plans available for college students in the US. Once new options are available, we’ll add them to this list.
