Best prepaid phone plans on the Verizon, T-Mobile, or AT&T networks
Now that Verizon is acquiring TracFone, the largest independent prepaid phone provider in the US, and T-Mobile offloaded brands like Boost or Virgin, the no-contract plan sands have shifted tremendously in the US.
Fret not, as we are here to guide you through the wonderful world of prepaid that may see your monthly phone bill in half if you are willing to part with extra services like HBO Max or Netflix you might not shed a tear over, and no, we aren't talking about sacrificing 5G network connectivity anymore.
*prepaid plan prices are after an auto-pay discount, where available
*prepaid plan prices are after an auto-pay discount, where available
The best phones you can buy on Cricket Wireless
This one is an odd bird - owned by the largest US MVNO, TracFone. It has agreements with all four major networks, and, since the service has become synonymous with Walmart, whose stores carry it, is extremely popular as far as prepaid goes.
Not only is Straight Talk cross-platform, ensuring the best coverage, but its $50 unlimited with 10GB hotspot can hardly be beaten, as it comes with a very high 60GB throttling cap, compared to the other offerings. Since Verizon is buying TracFone, though, the sweet multi-network connectivity may soon be gone.
Fret not, as we are here to guide you through the wonderful world of prepaid that may see your monthly phone bill in half if you are willing to part with extra services like HBO Max or Netflix you might not shed a tear over, and no, we aren't talking about sacrificing 5G network connectivity anymore.
- T-Mobile vs Verizon vs AT&T unlimited 5G plan prices comparison
- Best Verizon phone deals
- Best AT&T phone deals
Best prepaid phone plans on the Verizon network
Best prepaid single line plan on Verizon
- Verizon prepaid at $55 after a year w/ 10GB hotspot
- Visible unlimited 5G at $40 a month + 5Mbps hotspot
- Straight Talk at Walmart for $50 with 60GB cap and 10GB hotspot
Best prepaid family plan on Verizon
- Visible 4 lines for $100 w/ 5GB hotspot and up to 200Mbps 5G speeds
Best prepaid phone plans on the T-Mobile network
Best T-Mobile prepaid single line plan
- Mint's unlimited 5G for $30 if you prepay for a year w/ 5GB hotspot
Best T-Mobile prepaid family plan
- Metro by T-Mobile's 4 lines for $140 5G unlimited w/ 15GB hotspot
Best prepaid phone plans on the AT&T network
Best prepaid single line plan on AT&T
Best AT&T prepaid family plan
T-Mobile vs Verizon vs AT&T prepaid phone plan prices
Check out the current Verizon vs AT&T vs T-Mobile prepaid plan prices for easier comparison when you shop around the big three for whichever is the one that covers your area best.
| Verizon | AT&T | T-Mobile | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 GB | $40 ($25 after a year) | $30 | $25 |
| 8 GB | - | $25 when prepaid for a year | - |
| 10 GB | - | - | $40 |
| 15 GB | $50 ($35 after a year) | $40 | - |
| Unlimited | $65 ($50 after a year) 10GB hotspot +$5 | $50 5GB hotspot +$10 | $50 3G speeds hotspot |
| Unlimited Plus | $75 ($60 after a year) 5G UWB mobile hotspot and 10GB 5G Nationwide hotspot | $60 5G and 10GB hotspot and 1080p video | $60 10GB 4G hotspot |
| Extras | Unlimited US Talk & Text - Talk, text & 0.5GB/day data to Mexico & Canada (for unlimited plans) SD video streaming Unlimited texting to 200+ countries | Unlimited US Talk & Text Rollover data Talk & text in Mexico & Canada SD video (except $60 unlimited) Unlimited text to 100+ countries | Unlimited US Talk & Text - Talk, text & data in Mexico & Canada (+$5) SD video streaming Each add'l line: $30 |
Metro vs Cricket vs Visible, Straight Talk, Mint, and Google Fi prepaid plan prices
While the carriers are killing when it comes to sales, encroaching on the prepaid niche even, the MVNOs that they have launched or acquired still have a fighting chance asa they offer much lower prices by cutting a few auxiliary services.
We've compared the current offerings from a few major MVNOs (virtual operators that piggyback on the big four networks), and maybe there is one for you, too, so check out the current prepaid plan prices of Metro by T-Mobile, Cricket, Visible, Straight Talk, Mint, and Google's Project Fi, for easier choosing when you shop around.
| Cricket Wireless (AT&T) | Metro by T-Mobile | Straight Talk (all carriers) | Visible (Verizon) | Mint (T-Mobile) | Project Fi (T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2GB | $30 | $30 | $15 | - | - | $40 |
| 5GB | $40 (8 Mbps) | - | $35 | - | - | - |
| 10GB | $40 | $40 | - | - | $20 (if prepaid for a year, 5G) | - |
| Unlimited (1 line/4 lines) | $55/$100 (8Mbps) | $50/$140 5GB hotspot | $50 10GB hotspot 60GB throttling cap | - | $30 (if prepaid for a year) 5GB hotspot | - |
| Unlimited Plus (1 line/4 lines) | $60/$130 15GB hotspot | $60/$120 15GB hotspot 35GB throttling cap | $60 20GB hotspot | $40/$100 5Mbps hotspot speeds up to 200Mbps 5G | $70/$180 |
Visible by Verizon
Verizon's fairly new MVNO player offers connectivity to the best network in the US at rock bottom prices that include just one simple unlimited plan at $40 for a single line, and the unbeatable $100 for a party of four deal. The caveat? Anytime throttling, just 5Mbps hotspot speeds and a 200Mbps 5G speed 'limit'. If you can live with those, Visible is currently one of the best values in prepaid wireless.
Cricket Wireless by AT&T
Piggybacking on the second-largest US network, Cricket made a name for itself for offering what AT&T does in terms of coverage at cheaper pricing, but with some important omissions that may or may not be your cup of tea. To reach the $55 price of its unlimited data plan, for instance, Cricket limits video streaming quality and speeds to 8Mbps.
Straight Talk, Walmart's prepaid phone plans
This one is an odd bird - owned by the largest US MVNO, TracFone. It has agreements with all four major networks, and, since the service has become synonymous with Walmart, whose stores carry it, is extremely popular as far as prepaid goes.
Not only is Straight Talk cross-platform, ensuring the best coverage, but its $50 unlimited with 10GB hotspot can hardly be beaten, as it comes with a very high 60GB throttling cap, compared to the other offerings. Since Verizon is buying TracFone, though, the sweet multi-network connectivity may soon be gone.
Metro by T-Mobile
T-Mobile prides itself on having a slightly faster 4G network than Verizon on average, though with much fewer users on it, compared to Big Red. That's good news for Metro by T-Mobile, as it relies on the latter for its call and data duties.
The virtual career gives you unlimited for $60, and with 15GB hotspot to boot, but at times of network congestion, T-Mobile customers will have a priority. On the plus side, Metro's top unlimited plan offers Amazon Prime media streaming, and 100GB Google One cloud storage for free. Its limited time family promo for 4 lines at $120/mo is unsurpassed, too.
Project Fi - Google coraling international prepaid
Google's collective uses a strange mix of bedfellows, relying on T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular networks for coverage, depending on the area. While it may be paying less in fees this way, that certainly doesn't translate to the pricing very well, as it has one line of unlimited for $70, and with 22GB throttling cap at that. There are a lot of perks that come with Fi, though, especially if you are traveling internationally, or using wireless hotspots on a regular basis.
Mint Mobile - cheapest unlimited 5G prepaid plan when you prepay
Formerly Mint SIM, this T-Mobile MVNO takes the most affordable route by asking you to prepay for 3, 6 or 12 months. Prices start at just $15/mo if you prepay for 3 months, and include 5G network connectivity. If you can't join them, beat them.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
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