MoneySavingPro independently researches the products & services to bring you our recommendations. We may earn money when you click our links - disclosure policy.
Struggling to decide which cell phone plan to choose? With our cell phone plans comparison, you can group together three at a time to help find the best deal for you.
We know that choosing a new plan can be confusing with so many choices, but at MoneySavingPro, we not only like to save you money but make the decision-making process easy.
You can compare three plans at a time side by side, including review ratings and features. And when you've chosen your favorite carrier, you can compare all of their available low-cost plans.
Cheap phone service comparison in 2024
What are the benefits of cheap cell phone carriers?
By switching to a Mobile Virtual Network Operator, or MVNO, you're giving yourself a ton of freedom. Freedom to switch whenever you want, freedom from contracts, and financial freedom. It's just a few of the reasons why we love them.
- Same great nationwide coverage: Operating on the very same networks as the big guys, cheap cell phone carriers give you the coverage you can rely on.
- Much lower prices: Save up to $600 per year on your cell phone plan. How come MVNOs are cheaper? They don't have the huge overhead, and advertising costs the big guys do.
- No contracts: You can forget getting stuck in a two-year agreement. You decide when to switch carriers.
- Same cell phone service: You may be paying less, but this doesn't mean you're sacrificing great features. You can find unlimited everything plans easily. Usually, a prepaid phone plan comes with unlimited talk and text as standard, high-speed data, and mobile hotspot data features.
- Keep your phone and number: Bring your own phone plans are great because they allow you to keep your phone and number so you can cut out pricey device payments.
- Customize your plan: There's a huge amount of choice. Decide how much data you need, and opt for unlimited or no data, unlimited data plans come at a much better price with an alternative carrier. You can pick a plan to fit your budget and your usage - not one your carrier says you need.
- Great customer support: Happy customers are what smaller mobile providers want. And they're known for giving them their full attention. You can forget feeling like an anonymous number, lost in the crowd.
Compare T-Mobile cell phone service
| Plan | Data | Monthly Price | Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| T-Mobile Essentials | Unlimited | $65 | $780 |
| T-Mobile Magenta | Unlimited | $75 | $900 |
| T-Mobile Go5G | Unlimited | $80 | $960 |
| T-Mobile Magenta MAX | Unlimited | $90 | $1,080 |
| T-Mobile Go5G Plus | Unlimited | $95 | $1,140 |
The best phone service on T-Mobile
- T-Mobile 5G & 4G LTE network
- Unlimited talk and text
- 15GB data
T-Mobile vs Mint Mobile comparison
Keep your T-Mobile phone, number & coverage: Save $675 per year
| Carrier | Network Coverage | 4G/5G Data | Price | Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-Mobile | T-Mobile 4G & 5G | Unlimited | $75/mo | $900/yr |
| Mint Mobile | T-Mobile 4G & 5G | 15GB | $20/mo | $225/yr |
| Savings | $55/mo | $675/yr | ||
Compare the cheapest T-Mobile phone plans
Compare Verizon cell phone service
| Plan | Data | Monthly Price | Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verizon Unlimited Welcome | Unlimited | $70 | $840 |
| Verizon Unlimited Plus | Unlimited | $75 | $900 |
| Verizon Unlimited Ultimate | Unlimited | $85 | $1,020 |
The best phone service on Verizon
Compare the cheapest Verizon phone plans
Compare AT&T cell phone service
| Plan | Data | Monthly Price | Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T Unlimited Starter | Unlimited | $65 | $780 |
| AT&T Unlimited Extra | Unlimited | $75 | $900 |
| AT&T Unlimited Premium | Unlimited | $85 | $1,020 |
The best phone service on AT&T
- AT&T & T-Mobile 5G & 4G LTE networks
- Unlimited talk and text
- Unlimited data
AT&T vs Boost Mobile comparison
Keep your AT&T phone, number & coverage: Save $600 per year
| Carrier | Network Coverage | 4G/5G Data | Price | Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T | AT&T 4G & 5G | Unlimited | $75/mo | $900/yr |
| Boost Mobile | AT&T 4G & 5G | Unlimited | $25/mo | $300/yr |
| Savings | $50/mo | $600/yr | ||
Compare the cheapest AT&T phone plans
Compare network service coverage
| NETWORK | OVERALL | RELIABILITY | SPEED | DATA | CALL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verizon Coverage | 95 | 96 | 94 | 96 | 94 |
| AT&T Coverage | 94 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 92 |
| T-Mobile Coverage | 86 | 88 | 82 | 89 | 82 |
Source: RootMetrics RootScore 2022 report
When it comes to 5G network coverage T-Mobile scores the highest according to the J.D. Power 2023 wireless network study.
Find the best cell phone service in your area
Enter your zip code below to find your area's best cell phone service.
Compare carrier customer service
| CARRIER | TRUSTPILOT USER RATING |
|---|---|
| Reach Mobile TrustPilot score | 4.9 |
| Tello TrustPilot score | 4.6 |
| US Mobile TrustPilot score | 4.6 |
| T-Mobile TrustPilot score | 1.5 |
| Verizon TrustPilot score | 1.3 |
| AT&T TrustPilot score | 1.2 |
Cell phone plans comparison chart
| Carrier | Network | Data | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tello 2GB plan | T-Mobile 5G/4G Coverage | 2GB | $10/mo |
| Mint Mobile unlimited data plan | T-Mobile 5G/4G Coverage | Unltd | $15/mo |
| Visible unlimited data plan | Verizon 5G/4G Coverage | Unltd | $20/mo |
| Tello unlimited data plan | T-Mobile 5G/4G Coverage | Unltd | $25/mo |
| Total Wireless unlimited data plan | Verizon 5G/4G Coverage | Unltd | $40/mo |
Cell phone companies list
| T-Mobile MVNOs | Verizon MVNOs | AT&T MVNOs |
|---|---|---|
| Mint Mobile | Red Pocket | Red Pocket |
| Red Pocket | Total Wireless | Cricket Wireless |
| Tello | Twigby Mobile | Freedompop |
| Ultra Mobile | Visible | PureTalk |
| Metro by T-Mobile | Spectrum Mobile | Straight Talk |
| Straight Talk | Straight Talk | Tracfone |
| TextNow | Tracfone | US Mobile |
| Tracfone | US Mobile | Good2Go Mobile |
| US Mobile | Xfinity Mobile | Boost Infinite |
| Good2Go Mobile | Affinity Cellular | |
| Reach Mobile | Cox Mobile | |
| Lycamobile | MobileX | |
| Kroger Wireless | ||
| Optimum Mobile | ||
| Boost Infinite | ||
| WOW! Mobile | ||
| Gotalk Wireless |
Compare cell phone service FAQs
The best cell phone service will vary depending on where you live. You can check cell phone coverage in your area with our ZIP code checker.
MVNOs offer the best value cell phone service. With plans as low as $5 per month, they operate on the major wireless networks, so you'll still have the same nationwide coverage.
Recap: What is the best cell phone service?
Comparing cell phone plans can be confusing, but checking them out side by side can make it easier to find the most suitable plan.
Finding the best deal can come down to a number of factors, including the best cell phone coverage in your area and if you're looking to bring your own device, you'll need to check your phone is compatible with the carrier.
Once you've chosen your carrier, you can check out all of their cheap cell phone plans that can save you up to $600 a year.
