Our roundup of the best cell phone plans in the US will help you find the right plan – no matter your budget or location.
Navigating the world of data, minutes, perks and prices can sometimes be a real hassle for those looking to make the switch. That’s why we’ve put together this guide to this month’s best cell phone plans to arm our readers with the know-how to make the right decision for them. We’ve tirelessly researched all the top companies, carriers, and services to come up with a list of recommendations based on what we think most people are looking for in regards to the best cell phone plans. At the very top of the page, you’ll see a very quick summary of our choices with links to the relevant pages and sites for those who are just looking for a starting point for their own research. If you’re looking for a really detailed breakdown of each selection, however, we’ve gone in-depth with specific user sections just below. We’re covering topics like the best cheap unlimited plan, best value plans overall, best plans for seniors, and even the best family plans in their own sections. So, if you have a solid idea of what you need, feel free to skip to the section that’s relevant for you. First, it’s worth looking at who the best cell phone providers in the US are, and why they’re good. If you already know what you’re looking for, you can head straight to the provider that best suits your needs. Generally speaking, phone plans are split into cheaper ‘prepaid’ options and more expensive ‘postpaid options’. While the lines have blurred significantly in recent years, prepaid plans offer smaller data packages and are billed at the beginning of the month, while postpaid normally feature unlimited data and are billed at the end. We’ve covered both in this article, so if you happen to be undecided or want to shop around, we’ll fill you in on any details you need to know. It’s a great time to be shopping around for the best phone plan, with so many great options. Here, we explain what each type of phone plan involves, and show you our best picks in each category. You’ll also find pro advice on how to save money and choose exactly the right phone plan for you further down the page. In our roundup of the best cheap cell phone plans, we show you our top pick for each big network – so even if you’re constrained by coverage requirements, you’ll still find an option for you here. We’ve focused not just on the outright cheapest phone plans, but on plans that also offer the best value for most users on a budget. That means you’ll still be able to bag a little bit of data for WhatsApp or Messenger with these cheap cell phone plans. When it comes to picking up a cheap cell phone plan your options are limited to smaller subsidiary carriers (MVMOs) which use the bigger carrier networks’ cell reception. While this does mean that the big carriers (like Verizon) will sometimes slow down your connection in favor of their own customers when the network gets busy, all that money saved from not directly maintaining the network means these NVMOs can offer much, much cheaper plans. See our main cheap cell phone plans article for even more great options. ^ Back to top Prepaid plans bill you at the end of the month, offer set allowances, and generally have no contract obligations or credit checks. They’re also generally cheaper than most postpaid plans since they’re offered by mostly smaller companies (NVMO). Prepaid is a great option if you want some fixed data each month but the flexibility to cancel your subscription if needed. These plans are often consumer-friendly, allow you to bring your own phone, and sometimes have options to tailor a plan to your own needs, which can make them cost-effective if you have a good idea of your level of data usage. Pricing-wise, you’ll be looking at spending around $20 – $30 a month on average but prices can range up to $50 in some cases. Generally speaking, the more you pay the better perks and value you’ll get – especially in regards to data allowances. MVMO’s tend to be king here and you generally drop the big perks from the main carriers for some added flexibility. You can, of course, get no-contract prepaid plans from the big carriers, but they don’t tend to have as much value as those from the smaller companies. The main drawbacks, aside from missing out on the previously mentioned perks (free streaming services, international roaming), is that most of these services are subject to deprioritization when the parent network is experiencing heavy traffic. This is mostly because the big networks (Verizon, AT&T, etc) tend to prioritize their own postpaid users as opposed to third party services. This isn’t always the case though, and direct users on the big networks can suffer from slowdowns as well, depending on their plan and personal usage. See our main page on the best prepaid plans for more excellent options. ^ Back to top When it comes to truly unlimited data plans, going with a postpaid plan on one of the big networks will generally give you the best service and speeds.
