In the US, prepaid plans have never been as popular as their postpaid counterparts. All of the major US carriers advertise their postpaid plans front and center, with their prepaid options tucked away as an afterthought. But this doesn't mean prepaid plans aren't worthwhile.
Prepaid plans offer numerous benefits, the major one being that they're usually cheaper than postpaid plans. The trade off, however, is that you'll often need to buy your phone outright, but there are plenty of incredible budget phones the don't cost an arm and a leg. If you're thinking about making the jump, we've done the hard work for you. We've looked at pricing, read the fine print, and checked our subscriber's perceptions of all the major MVNOs and boutique plans. Here are our top prepaid phone plan picks.
All prices stated in this article are for single-line plans only.
Connect is a prepaid service offered by T-Mobile, offering four affordable plans. While there's a $10 a month option, the $15 a month plan is a much better value. You get unlimited calls and data, plus 3GB of data. The data cap is low, but for those who rarely use it, Connect is an affordable option.
For those on the $15 and $25 plans, Connect raises your monthly data cap by 500MB each year. Unfortunately, once you hit your data cap, that's it, and you'll have to wait until the next month for more data.
Visible recently reworked its plans, now offering two different tiers depending on your needs. Its cheapest plan starts at just $30, offering unlimited calls, texts, and data on Verizon's 4G and 5G networks. Visible also provides users with unlimited mobile hotspot at speeds up to 5Mbps. That said, if you want the best performance, the $45 plan is where it's at. Not only do you get access to Verizon's UWB network for improved 5G performance, but you'll also receive 50GB of premium data each month, offering an experience that isn't slowed down when network traffic is heavy.
Unfortunately, Visible recently discontinued its Party Pay feature, which brought prices even lower as you added more lines. It does, however, make switching simple by letting you set up new service immediately if your phone supports eSIM.
Tello offers unlimited data for $29 a month, making it the most affordable way to get unlimited data on a prepaid plan. The service comes with free international texts to dozens of countries, so it's a great option if you travel a lot or have family abroad. Tello also offers a "build your own plan" feature, where you can customize your plan to suit your calling, texting, and data preferences. You can technically get as low as $5 a month, although there's a data cap of 500MB and only 100 minutes of calling.
Unfortunately, Tello's definition of unlimited means you'll get 25GB of 4G/5G data on all plans. Once you've knocked out 25GB, you're getting unlimited 2G service for the rest of the month.
MVNOs usually offer the best prepaid plans, but AT&T's prepaid option is worth a gander. For $25 a month plus taxes and fees, you get 16GB of high-speed data, unlimited texts and calls, and unlimited international texts. There's just one catch: you have to pay $300 plus taxes and fees for a year's worth of service upfront.
Unfortunately, 5G only comes with AT&T's Unlimited plan, which costs $50 a month. However, if you've tried AT&T's 5G service recently, you'll know you're not missing out on much. As an added perk, the prepaid plan also comes with unlimited international calling to Canada and Mexico.
At $10 a month, Red Pocket offers 500MB of data, 500 minutes, and 500 texts. If you're interested in unlimited data, you can upgrade to unlimited talk, text, and data for $20 a month. This also comes with 3GB of 5G data. Best of all, you can choose your network to get the best coverage in your area. This is great if you're confused about where the different networks offer 5G coverage.
For only $12 a month, you can get 1GB of data and unlimited calls and texts with US Mobile. It's a fantastic deal, and if you want unlimited data, you can get it for $35/month. US Mobile offers free international roaming for unlimited plans or as low as $4 a month for capped plans.
US Mobile has a limited selection of phones, so it's best if you bring your own device. The sheer number of plans is also somewhat confusing, so take your time before you proceed.
Google Fi's Unlimited plan isn't particularly competitive, but it offers a unique feature for its Flexible plan. This costs $20 a month, with $10 for every GB of data you use. Some prepaid plans have similar features, but Google's is particularly convenient. It's also a great option if you plan to add multiple lines, where its Unlimited plan swiftly becomes more competitive.
Prepaid plans can be confusing and you'll want to read all the fine print. Typically, you'll find prepaid carriers undercut the Big 3 substantially, and the savings comes few compromises. If, however, you're in the market for one of the top flagship phones and want to pay for your device over time, you'll probably want to stick with traditional carrier.