Tello vs. Mint Mobile

Price: which is cheaper?

It depends on how you want to pay. Tello bills monthly. Mint Mobile sells service in 3, 6 or 12 month blocks paid upfront, and its lowest prices require 12 months.

On a 12-month plan, Mint charges $15 a month for 6GB, $20 for 17GB, $25 for 23GB and $30 for Unlimited, or $180 to $360 upfront. Tello’s monthly plans are 2GB for $10, 10GB for $15, 20GB for $20 and Unlimited for $25, and custom plans start at $5. Tello gives you more data per dollar on most tiers without tying up a year of payments.

Mint’s 3 and 6 month prices are introductory. Its regular 3-month prices are $25, $35, $45 and $40 a month, so a new customer on a short plan should expect a higher renewal.

Both add taxes. Mint’s broadband labels list a monthly recovery fee of about $1.75 to $2.58 plus government fees. Tello’s cost recovery fee is up to 30 cents plus taxes. That gap alone can be worth $15 to $25 a year in Tello’s favor.

Mint offers a 7-day money back guarantee on plans bought directly from Mint. After that, prepaid time is generally not refunded. Tello has no termination fee, so you can stop at the end of any month.

Network and data

Both use T-Mobile’s network, and T-Mobile has owned Mint since May 2024. Coverage, 5G access and indoor signal will be the same at your address. As resellers, both can get lower priority than T-Mobile’s own postpaid customers on busy towers.

On unlimited, the data rules are close. Tello’s $25 plan includes 50GB of high-speed data and then slows. Mint says Unlimited users may see slower speeds after 50GB when the network is busy and that video streams in standard definition.

Hotspot favors Mint. Its Unlimited plan includes up to 20GB of hotspot data, compared with 10GB on Tello’s Unlimited. On smaller plans, both let hotspot use count against your regular data allowance.

For calls abroad, Mint includes calls to Mexico, Canada and the UK. Tello includes free calls to more than 60 countries on plans with minutes, and its home page advertised free roaming in Europe through January 31, 2027. Check either carrier’s destination list before you travel.

Neither runs on Verizon or AT&T, so if T-Mobile is weak where you live, neither will fix it.

Customer service and complaints

Tello has the cleaner record. Its BBB profile shows an A+ rating and 92 complaints in three years. Mint Mobile has a B- rating, isn’t accredited and has 2,132 complaints in three years, though it serves far more customers. On Trustpilot, Tello averages 4.6 out of 5 and Mint 3.0, with 23% of Mint’s reviews at one star.

Mint does better in J.D. Power’s 2026 study, where it scored 711 out of 1,000, the highest among prepaid MVNOs. Tello wasn’t among the scores reported. Mint’s app also rates 4.7 out of 5 in the App Store from more than 262,000 ratings.

The complaint themes overlap: activation and eSIM trouble and number transfers that stall. Mint reviewers also mention hard-to-reach support and surprise at renewal prices. Tello reviewers mention new numbers with spam calls or blocked verification codes.

Tello offers phone support at 611 or a toll-free number, plus email and chat. Before you switch to either, confirm your phone is unlocked and compatible, and keep your old line active until the number transfer completes.

Which one fits you

• You want monthly billing: Tello. Mint doesn’t sell month-to-month plans.
• You want unlimited data: Tello at $25 a month, unless you need Mint’s 20GB hotspot.
• You use 10GB or less: Tello’s 10GB for $15 a month beats Mint’s 6GB for $15 on a 12-month plan.
• You want a fixed price for a year: Mint’s 12-month plans lock in the price you pay upfront.
• You want the best satisfaction score: Mint, per J.D. Power.
• You want the fewest complaints: Tello, per the BBB and Trustpilot.

If you split the difference, the deciding factors are billing style and complaint history rather than coverage. Because the network is the same, you won’t gain or lose coverage by switching between them. If you try Mint, use its 7-day guarantee window to test service before your prepaid time becomes non-refundable. If you try Tello, start with a small plan for one month, then move up to unlimited once you know the signal is good at home and work.