Surely you’ve seen commercials for cell phone carriers with lots of fanfare and hype for a plan that costs “only” $40-$50 per month. That’s hardly a bargain.
While it might be tempting to sign up with one of the big four carriers, there’s a whole range of other providers that might work just as well for you — and save you hundreds per year.
These Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) often cost much less per month but still provide the features consumers need. You might not get a ton of extra options like hotspots, free music streaming, or a ton of data, but that’s okay.
Rate Plans
- Cheap cell phone plans that use the Verizon network
- Cheap cell phone plans that use the AT&T network
- Cheap cell phone plans that use the T-Mobile network
- Cheap cell phone plans that use the Sprint network
If you spend a lot of time on Wi-Fi, or don’t travel all that much, we definitely suggest looking into the various MVNO brands.
$20 or Less
Here, we spotlight a collection of phone plans that you can get for just $20 per month, or less. Even better, you can keep the phone you already own and make the switching process almost seamless.
Nearly all of them are standard rates and don’t require any long-term commitment. Only a few are introductory offers or require automatic bill payment; we’ll call them out where applicable.
Mint Mobile – $15*
Our favorite of the bunch is the introductory offer from Mint Mobile. At just $15 per month, it gives subscribers unlimited talk, text, and access to 3GB of 4G LTE. What’s more, the data can be used for mobile hotspot.
Also included in the plan are free calls to Mexico and Canada. Feel free to use any of your existing unlocked phones here as it works on the back of T-Mobile’s network.
The plan goes up to $25 per month after the first 90 days, and it’s still a terrific bargain. But, opt for a 6-month or 12-month commitment and you’ll still come in at $20 or less.
Good2Go Mobile – $20
- Unlimited talk, text
- 6GB 4G LTE data
- Includes $5 Auto Pay credit
- Uses AT&T network
H2O Wireless – $18
- Unlimited talk, text
- 2GB 4G LTE data
- International talk to 50+ countries
- International text
- Includes $2 Auto Recharge credit
- Uses AT&T network
Net10 Wireless – $20
- Unlimited talk, text
- 2GB 4G LTE data
- Uses Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint networks
Republic Wireless – $20
- Unlimited talk, text
- 1GB 4G LTE data
- Uses T-Mobile and Sprint networks
Tello – $19
- Unlimited talk, text
- 4GB 4G LTE data
- Calls to US, Canada, Mexico, China
- Data can be used for mobile hotspot
- Uses Sprint network
Ting – $20
- Up to 500 minutes talk
- Up to 1,000 text messages
- Uses T-Mobile and Sprint networks
Tracfone – $20
- Unlimited talk, text
- 1GB 4G LTE data
- Unlimited carryover data
- Uses Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile networks
Twigby – $15*
- Unlimited talk, text
- Unlimited international texting
- 3GB 4G LTE data
- International calling and texting at no additional charge
- Data can be used for mobile hotspot
- *Introductory rate – goes up to $20 after six months
- Uses Sprint and Verizon networks
Ultra Wireless – $19
- Unlimited talk, text
- 1GB 4G LTE data
- Unlimited calling to 80+ countries
- Data can be used for mobile hotspot
- Uses T-Mobile network
US Mobile – $15
- Unlimited talk, text
- 2.5GB 4G LTE data
- Uses T-Mobile network
