Free plan
TextNow · 1 line
- 0 GB data
- 1 line
- T-Mobile
- No contract
$0/mo$0first year
How to choose a phone plan
A short method: measure your data use, pick the network, then compare the 12-month cost.
Prices on this page were last verified on .
12 plans in the catalogue currently match this brief. Monthly prices in this selection run from $0 to $15.
Ranked on the real cost over 24 months, the best option today is the TextNow Free plan: $0.00 a month, or $0.00 a month on average once the promotional period and any activation fee are included ($0.00 over two years).
Matching plans (12)
12 Months of Light Plan
US Mobile · 1 line
- 2 GB data
- 1 line
- Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile
- No contract
$8/mo$96first year
Light Plan
US Mobile · 1 line
- 2 GB data
- 1 line
- Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile
- No contract
$10/mo$120first year
Starter 2 GB
Tello · 1 line
- 2 GB data
- 1 line
- T-Mobile
- No contract
$10/mo$120first year
Essentials
RedPocket · 1 line
- Unlimited data
- 1 line
- Network not stated
- No contract
$10/mo$120first year
Unlimited International Plan — 5 GB
Lyca Mobile · 1 line
- 5 GB data
- 1 line
- Network not stated
- No contract
$10 for the first 12 months, then $19 · 47% below the standard rate
$10/mo$120first year
1 GB
AirVoice Wireless · 1 line
- 1 GB data
- 1 line
- AT&T
- No contract
$12/mo$144first year
Talk & Text Plan — 3 months prepaid
Ultra Mobile · 1 line
- 0.5 GB data
- 1 line
- T-Mobile
- No contract
$13/mo$156first year
Everyday 10 GB
Tello · 1 line
- 10 GB data
- 1 line
- T-Mobile
- No contract
$10 for the first 3 months, then $15 · 33% below the standard rate
$10/mo$165first year
1 GB — 30-day plan
Tracfone · 1 line
- 1 GB data
- 1 line
- Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile
- No contract
$10 for the first 2 months, then $15 · 33% below the standard rate
$10/mo$170first year
Unlimited 10
MobileX · 1 line
- Unlimited data
- 1 line
- Verizon
- No contract
$14.88/mo$178.56first year
6GB — 12 months prepaid
Mint Mobile · 1 line
- 6 GB data
- 1 line
- T-Mobile
- No contract
$15/mo$180first year
Open this selection in the full comparator
We are funded by advertising, not by the plans we list. No operator pays for a position in this comparison. How we work.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the first thing to check before comparing prices?
- Coverage at the two addresses where you spend most of your time. A cheap plan on a network that does not reach your street is not cheap, and coverage is the one thing you cannot change after signing up.
- How much data do I actually use?
- Your current carrier’s app shows the last three months. Use the highest of the three rather than the average, because a holiday month or a week of travel is what pushes people over the cap.
- Why compare the 12-month cost instead of the monthly price?
- Because promotional rates expire. A plan advertised at $20 that rises to $40 after three months costs more over a year than a flat $32 — and the 12-month column on each card already reflects that.
- Is unlimited always the safe choice?
- Only if you use more than 15 to 20 GB. Below that, a metered plan on the same network is usually cheaper, and the “unlimited” label hides a high-speed allowance that is smaller than it sounds.
Related guides
Best prepaid phone plans under $25
Every plan we track at $25/month or less, ranked by the real 12-month cost.
Best phone plans under $20 a monthThe cheapest plans in the catalogue, with the 24-month cost for each.
Cheapest unlimited phone plansUnlimited plans ranked by what you pay over 24 months, not the headline rate.