If you have a low income, check the FCC's Lifeline program first; it takes up to $9.25 a month off phone service. For most people paying full price, Visible is the best value at $25 a month on Verizon's network with taxes included, US Mobile is best if coverage is the issue, and Mint Mobile has the lowest intro price. Choose by which network works where you live, then compare the total monthly cost with taxes and any prepay terms.
This guide is for anyone picking a phone plan for one line or a family. Most plans now include unlimited talk and text, so the real differences are the network, how much fast data you get, and what you pay once taxes, fees and promotions are counted.
Many low-cost brands run on the same three networks as AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon. Paying the carrier directly gets you perks and phone deals, while prepaid brands cut the price, sometimes in half for a single line.
Below you will find our picks, a price table, a checklist for choosing, the difference between prepaid and postpaid service, and how to apply for Lifeline.
Free and low-cost phone service: Lifeline
Before you pay for a plan, check whether you qualify for Lifeline, an FCC program that lowers the monthly bill for phone or internet service from participating providers.
- Discount: up to $9.25 a month, or up to $34.25 on Tribal lands.
- Who qualifies: households at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, or that take part in SNAP, Medicaid, Federal Public Housing Assistance, SSI, Veterans Pension benefits or certain Tribal programs.
- Limits: one Lifeline benefit per household, and you must recertify every year.
- How to apply: online through the National Verifier at lifelinesupport.org, by mail, or through a participating provider. Texas and Oregon residents use their state’s process.
Use the Companies Near Me tool linked from the FCC page to find Lifeline providers in your area. For help, USAC’s Lifeline Support Center is at 1-800-234-9473.
How much a cell phone plan costs
Prepaid brands that use the big three networks cost far less than the carriers’ own plans, especially for one line.
| Company |
Lowest unlimited price listed |
Taxes |
| US Mobile |
$199 for the first year (about $16.58 a month), then $270 |
Included |
| Mint Mobile |
$10 a month for 6 months (intro), $30 a month on 12 months |
Extra |
| Visible |
$25 a month |
Included |
| Tello Mobile |
$25 a month (50 GB high speed) |
Extra |
| Spectrum Mobile |
$30 a line (first line free 1 year with Spectrum Internet) |
Extra |
| Verizon |
$30 a line after AutoPay and switch discount |
Extra |
| Cricket Wireless |
$35 a month with AutoPay |
Included |
| T-Mobile |
$55 for one line before AutoPay |
Extra |
Prices as listed October 2026. Check whether the price needs AutoPay, a switch discount or prepaying several months.
How to choose a cell phone plan
- Start with coverage. Find which network works best where you live and work. Every pick runs on AT&T, T-Mobile or Verizon, even when the brand is different.
- Count your data. Many people need far less than unlimited. Tello and Mint sell smaller plans.
- Compare the total. Add taxes and fees. Visible, Cricket and US Mobile include them in the price.
- Check the payment terms. Mint and US Mobile’s best prices need several months or a year paid up front.
- Read the Broadband Facts label. Every mobile broadband plan must have one, showing the price, fees, data limits and typical speeds.
Prepaid brands vs. the big carriers
Prepaid brands (Visible, Mint Mobile, US Mobile, Tello Mobile, Cricket Wireless) are paid in advance and use a big carrier’s network. They usually cost less but may slow your data before the carrier’s own customers when a tower is busy, and some limit video quality.
Carrier postpaid plans (T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T) bill you after the month, often with phone financing and perks such as streaming or international data. Prices drop a lot with three or more lines.
Cable mobile plans (Spectrum Mobile, Xfinity Mobile) run on Verizon’s network and are only sold to that company’s internet customers.
Red flags when choosing a plan
- An advertised price that needs AutoPay, a switch discount and several lines, with the single-line price hard to find.
- Intro prices that end after a few months, without the renewal price shown.
- “Unlimited” plans that slow after a set amount of data. Look for the number on the Broadband Facts label.
- Device credits spread over 36 months that you lose if you leave early.
- Websites offering a “free government phone” that ask for your Social Security number before you have confirmed they are a Lifeline provider.
In 2024 the FCC fined AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon nearly $200 million combined for sharing customers’ location data without consent.
Other options we compared
AT&T postpaid Unlimited Your Way plans start at $30 a line with four lines on Value 2.0, after AutoPay and paperless billing discounts, and AT&T Prepaid starts at $25 a month with no annual contract or credit check, as listed October 2026. See our AT&T review.
Xfinity Mobile runs on Verizon’s network for Xfinity Internet customers, with Mobile Select at $30 a month after an intro offer. See our Xfinity Mobile review.
Cox Mobile is no longer offered to new customers. Charter, which runs Spectrum, completed its deal with Cox on August 20, 2026, and cox.com now sells Spectrum Mobile.
Terms to know
- Lifeline
- An FCC program that discounts phone or internet service for eligible low-income households.
- MVNO
- A mobile virtual network operator, a brand that sells service on another company's cell network.
- Prepaid
- Service paid before the month starts, usually with no credit check.
- Postpaid
- Service billed after the month, often with phone financing and a credit check.
- Premium data
- High-priority data that is not slowed first when the network is busy.
- Deprioritization
- When a carrier slows some customers' data during congestion to keep the network running.
- Broadband Facts label
- An FCC-required label showing a plan's price, fees, data limits and typical speeds.
