The Best Cell Phone Plans in June 2025

The best cell phone plans primarily include sufficient data for your needs. Additionally, a plan can offer relevant perks and features, including bundled discounts on streaming services, multi-line discounts, inexpensive plans for connected devices, or international features. However, the ideal plan is useless if the carrier backing it doesn’t adequately cover the areas you frequent.

An ideal cell phone plan also largely hinges on how many lines you want. Solo users are often stuck with a daunting monthly bill with the major carriers, but if you’re looking for three or more lines, then prices start to come crashing down, unlocking premium data and perks for all.

After extensively testing options from major carriers and budget-friendly providers, if you’re just looking for a single line and don’t have gargantuan data needs, we’d recommend Mint Mobile first, as its short-term contracts are a steal from just $15 a month.

If you’re looking to take out multiple lines, or don’t mind the high cost for a single one, Verizon’s Unlimited Plus plan is our top pick. It offers the most data with the most comprehensive coverage at an unmatched value, especially with more lines on a plan. Our top budget recommendation from a major carrier is T-Mobile’s Essentials plans, which include a generous amount of premium data for a lower monthly bill that nets significant long-term savings.

Our top picks for the best cell phone plans

Best budget buy (solo plan users)

A so-called “true budget” cell phone plan typically comes from mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), which deliver data and connectivity to your phone by piggybacking on a major carrier’s network. Worthwhile plans from these providers offer data at notably lower monthly prices than the least expensive flagship plan from a major carrier, the $50/month T-Mobile Essentials Saver plan.

Mint Mobile’s introductory three-month plans are the best “true budget” option for new customers and our top pick among the best cheap cell phone plans. The promotion offers three-month prepaid plans with 5GB, 15GB, 20GB, or unlimited monthly data for discounted rates, starting at just $15/month. However, each plan’s data is subject to deprioritization behind T-Mobile customers during network congestion.

Those who have already tried and valued Mint Mobile should opt for the carrier’s 12-month plans, which offer the best value at the same rates as the introductory three-month promotion. For a limited time, Mint Mobile’s 12-month unlimited plan is discounted to $20/month from $30/month, enhancing its position among the best unlimited data plans and best prepaid phone plans for a budget value.

As we note in our Mint Mobile review, the service stands out from the competition in the MVNO market for its long-term value and straightforward app, customer service, and plan management. Mint Mobile is also considerably more affordable than the least expensive plans from its parent company, T-Mobile. See our guide to Mint Mobile vs. T-Mobile for further comparison.

For even cheaper access to T-Mobile’s network, you might consider Tello Mobile, which offers customizable plans for limited data and minutes for as low as $5/month (with major reductions in minutes and data). Read our Tello Mobile review and Mint Mobile vs. Tello guide to help decide between the two MVNOs.

However, if you know that T-Mobile’s coverage may not sufficiently cover your area, or if you’re looking for high-speed data not subject to deprioritization, you may be better served by Verizon’s network, as we detail in our guide to Mint Mobile vs. Verizon. Relative to Mint Mobile and Tello, slightly more expensive MVNO options run on Verizon’s network with allotted prioritized data.

These Verizon-backed options include the Visible Plus plan from Visible Wireless, which offers unlimited prioritized data for $30/month with a current discount. Read our Visible Wireless review and Mint Mobile vs. Visible guide for further comparison.

Best overall

Our testing and extensive experience show that Verizon’s Unlimited Plus plan offers most people the best balance of data, coverage, and additional features. Though a single line costs $80/month (with auto-pay and paper-free billing enabled), the monthly cost per line is less with every additional line, up to five lines.

With Verizon’s Unlimited Plus plan, you get unlimited prioritized data, so your data speeds won’t slow down after you’ve used a certain amount of monthly data when the network is congested. It also includes Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network, which runs on the super-fast mmWave and C-band spectrums. Verizon also offers a 50% discount for a single connected device plan, whether for a connected smartwatch or tablet.

In addition to the carrier’s core wireless services, Verizon’s Unlimited Plus plan includes discounts on various other services. Among the deals, you can save $7/month on a Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus bundle or $8/month on a Netflix and Max bundle. Check out Verizon’s website for the other available perks. 

For international use, the Unlimited Plus plan gets you unlimited talk and text and 2GB of daily high-speed data (before it’s slowed to 3G speeds) in Mexico and Canada. It also allows unlimited talk and text from the US to Mexico and Canada, and unlimited texting to over 200 countries.

Verizon says video streaming quality on the Unlimited Plus plan is limited to 720p, but their fine print says 4K quality is available in 5G Ultra Wideband areas when you activate the 4K streaming option through the My Verizon app or with Verizon’s customer service. It also says 1080p resolution can be activated in standard 5G and 4G areas. 

Verizon Fios internet users who also use Verizon Wireless will also get a discount on their internet service, so it’s an especially good choice for Verizon Fios customers.

No other carrier offers as much for the price if you set up multiple lines, and Verizon generally has the best coverage mix between rural and urban areas. See our Verizon review for more details.

Best budget (multiple lines)

When it comes to more affordable plans, you start to forfeit unlimited premium data, as your data speeds can be affected after reaching a certain limit or when network congestion leads to deprioritization.

Among the three major carriers, T-Mobile’s Essentials plans easily offer the best value in the “budget” (or relatively lower priced) category, thanks to its generous 50GB of premium prioritized data on the carrier’s full and extensive 5G network, including its Ultra Capacity 5G network (mmWave and C-band) and Extended Range 5G (Sub-6).

Data for Essentials customers shouldn’t become significantly deprioritized until they’ve used 50GB monthly. However, during particularly intense congestion, they may experience slower speeds than those on T-Mobile’s high-end plans. Meanwhile, AT&T and Verizon don’t offer any premium data in their equivalent plans of the same price range.

T-Mobile’s Essentials offerings start at $50/month for a single line through the Essentials Saver plan. This plan is identical to the standard Essentials plan but with more favorable pricing ($10 less per line) for single- or dual-line accounts. The Essentials offerings support up to six lines, with reduced pricing for additional lines; it’s a steal if you manage four or more lines. Those who only need up to three lines should opt for the Essentials Saver plan.

(Older adults can find further savings through T-Mobile’s Essentials Choice 55 plan. As our top pick among the best cell phone plans for seniors, the Choice 55 option brings the same standard Essentials plan to $45/month for a single line or $60/month for two lines for those ages 55 and over.)

T-Mobile offers unlimited mobile hot spot functionality on its Essentials plan, but only at 3G speeds. It limits you to basic tasks, like emailing, but 3G speeds might be dubiously slow scrolling down photo and video-heavy social media apps or video streaming. If you’re looking for at least some flexibility to use your phone as a mobile hot spot, AT&T’s Unlimited Starter plan will be the better option. It has 5GB of mobile hot spot data at faster speeds, which can better serve you for light use or in an emergency. 

Finally, T-Mobile offers some international perks with its Essentials plan. You get unlimited texting, $0.25/minute calls in 215+ countries, and unlimited international texting from home. In Canada and Mexico, Essentials offers unlimited talk and text but at up to 128Kbps data speeds, which is so slow you may even struggle with an email.

Want to know more about the carrier service? Check out our full T-Mobile review to see if it’s the right pick for you.

How we test cell phone plans

Our testing procedure for cell phone plans involves day-to-day personal use, like making calls, sending messages, and using data-light and data-heavy apps, from browsing the web to streaming videos and scrolling through content-rich social media apps. We test data speeds on various networks in different locations, including areas projected for LTE, basic 5G, and high-band 5G speeds. We also conduct our tests in varying signal strengths for data speed testing.

We have extensive experience with every major carrier in personal use and testing scenarios for assessing data speeds and coverage, and we compare our results to the carrier’s claims. Coverage and data speeds differ significantly in different locations, so we can’t accurately claim that one network is better for specific areas we haven’t tested. However, we are confident in making general assessments based on our years of experience with the major carriers in rural, suburban, and urban areas, which have consistently supported reputational trends for coverage in those respective areas.  

After assessing a carrier’s overall quality based on coverage and data speeds, we look at a plan’s offerings and monthly price. These criteria include data amount, whether premium-prioritized data is used or subject to deprioritization, what happens after reaching a data limit, mobile hot spot features, whether a plan includes fast high-band 5G connectivity, multi-line discounts, international features, and extra benefits or perks. 

We’ve also tested many MVNOs and budget-friendly carriers, but haven’t tested them all. Having tested all major carriers in the US, we generally know how MVNOs and budget-friendly carriers perform in terms of coverage and data speeds as they operate on the networks of said major carriers. See our best cheap cell phone plans guide for other top options from our testing in the MVNO landscape. 

What to look for in a cell phone plan

The perfect cell phone plan doesn’t make sense if a carrier has inadequate network coverage in your area. First and foremost, you should narrow your options by determining which carrier has the best coverage in whichever locations you frequent. One way to do so is by asking neighbors and locals in person or through online forums like Nextdoor, Reddit, or Facebook.

After you’ve figured out which carriers have the network coverage you need, the core plan feature to look for is sufficient data for your needs, allowing a worry-free experience when using your phone without WiFi, especially when scrolling through data-heavy social media apps, streaming video, or video calling. 

We prefer plans that offer you the most “premium data” with no data limits before a carrier slows down your speeds. We also like plans where your data isn’t affected when a carrier’s network is congested. That way, you can do whatever you want on your phone without thinking about the time of day, like rush hours.

After that, it’s a question of your monthly budget. Pricier plans offer unlimited premium data, but you may have to settle for a plan with limited premium data if your budget doesn’t allow it. One way to reduce your monthly bill is to join a plan with friends and family, as the monthly cost per line gets lower as more people are on a plan. See our guide to the best family cell phone plans for the top options from our testing.  

The following plan features are more subjective.

If you often work on your laptop away from a familiar or secure WiFi connection and use your phone as a mobile hot spot, you’ll want a plan that offers as much mobile hot spot data as you need. If this feature is incredibly important to you, it could dictate which plan you get.

If you often travel or communicate with friends and family abroad, you’ll want to consider a plan’s international features. Alternatively, carriers offer international add-on plans at an extra cost on top of your usual monthly bill. You can apply these as needed. 

Perks are nice add-ons that could tip you toward a specific carrier as long as that carrier has good coverage in your area. Things like discounts on streaming service bundles, your home internet service, or discounts on separate plans for data-connected smartwatches or tablets could make the difference.