12.06.24
If you’re a senior, then I don’t have to tell you how important staying connected is. Your social life doesn’t end the older you get, and with today’s ability to connect in real-time no matter where you are, it’s easier than ever to check in on family, friends, and be easily reachable by banks, doctors, and anyone else who needs your number. To do that, though, you need a phone plan. And no, we’re not talking landlines, but a mobile phone plan for your cell phone, so you can connect through calls and texts and receive pictures of loved ones, participate in video calls, and do so much more. Over the years, we’ve compiled various lists of the cheapest phone plans, the best unlimited data plans, tablet data plans, and talk & text only plans, and we’re taking the best of all of those to put together the list of the best phone plans for seniors – keeping you connected at a reasonable price for the features you want.
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Summary: Best Cell Phone Plans for Seniors
| Category | Provider | Plan Name | Price per Month | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Overall |
|
Smart | $19 | |
| Best for Talk & Text Only |
|
Essentials | $10 | |
| Best for Unlimited Data |
|
Silver Unlimited | $45 | |
| Best Budget |
|
Free Essential Data | Starting at $0 | |
| Best for Senior Discounts |
|
Unlimited for Ages 50+ | $50 | |
| Best for Multiple Lines |
|
Unlimited 55+ | $80 (for 2 lines) |
Best Overall Phone Plan for Seniors
Tello
Price $19/month
Network T-Mobile
Phone Plan Smart
Data Limit 10GB
Our Take Tello is a great, no-fuss service that allows you to easily customize your experience at an affordable price. We picked the 10GB option as a good data limit for moderate-data users, but you can easily pick something smaller or bigger for a small change in price.
Pros & Cons Pros:
- Affordable.
- Unlimited talk & text included.
- Free upgrades or downgrades.
- No hotspot support (unless you pick the unlimited data plan).
- No retail stores/online only.
Best Talk & Text Only Plan for Seniors
Red Pocket
Price $10/month
Network Choose from AT&T, Verizon, or T-Mobile
Phone Plan Essentials
Data Limit 1GB
Our Take Red Pocket Mobile’s Essentials plan for unlimited talk & text is a great choice as it also comes with 1GB of 5G (or high-speed) data. This will allow for picture and video messaging, as well as regular text messaging without the cost of a big data plan.
Pros & Cons Pros:
- Allows you to pick from all 3 networks for the best coverage in your area.
- International calling to 20 select countries included.
- 1GB of data included.
- No retail stores/online only.
Best Unlimited Data Plans for Seniors
Straight Talk
Price $45/month
Network Verizon
Phone Plan Silver Unlimited
Data Limit Unlimited
Our Take Straight Talk is an easy way to pick up a SIM card with an unlimited plan (talk & text included) over Verizon’s network that doesn’t involve a lot of fine print or gimmicky features.
Pros & Cons Pros:
- 10GB of hotspot data included.
- Includes international calling and texting to Canada & Mexico.
- Available at Walmart for ease of use/support.
- Price point may be too high for some.
- Doesn't include a Walmart membership like the higher tier unlimited plans.
Best Budget Phone Plan for Seniors
TextNow
Price Starting at $0/month
Network Nation's largest 5G network
Phone Plan Free Essential Data
Data Limit Up to 10GB high-speed data
Unlimited data at slower speeds after
Unlimited data at slower speeds after
Our Take If you’re looking for flexibility and affordability, TextNow is the best choice. Its base plan includes unlimited talk & text, plus 1GB of data for essential apps like email, maps, and rideshare (Uber & Lyft) for $0/month. You can easily add on more data when needed, whether for an hour ($0.99), a day ($4.99), or the whole month ($39.99), giving you the ability to use data when you actually need it, and not pay for it when you don’t.
Pros & Cons Pros:
- Free nationwide phone service.
- Includes weekly discounts and offers from popular brands as part of a Perks program.
- Number easily accessible on multiple devices (phone, tablet, computer).
- Unlimited calling & texting to Canada and Mexico included.
- No retail stores/online only.
- Free phone service is supported by in-app ads, which some may not tolerate.
Best Phone Plan for Senior Discounts
Consumer Cellular
Price $50/month
Network AT&T
Phone Plan Unlimited for 50+
Data Limit 50GB high-speed data
Unlimited data at slower speeds after
Unlimited data at slower speeds after
Our Take Consumer Cellular’s plan for 50+ is the only unlimited data plan offered, plus, they offer an additional 5% discount for AARP members.
Pros & Cons Pros:
- No contract.
- Senior plan is available nationwide (not limited to locations like Florida).
- Physical locations available inside Target and Walmart stores, as well as standalone Consumer Cellular stores.
- No hotspot support included.
- Price may still be too high.
Best Multiple Line Phone Plan for Seniors
AT&T
Price $80/month (for 2 lines)
Network AT&T
Phone Plan Unlimited 55+
Data Limit Unlimited
Our Take If you’re looking for reliability at a decent price, AT&T’s 2-line unlimited plan for seniors is a great find.
Pros & Cons Pros:
- Includes cellular (and data) access in Mexico and Canada.
- Includes unlimited texts to 200+ select countries.
- Best network coverage.
- Can only activate plan in-store, which may be inconvenient for some.
- Unclear whether you can expand this plan to more than 2 lines.
Methodology: How we picked out the best senior phone plans
Phones have certainly gotten more complicated over the years, and the service plans that enable them also followed suit. It’s important to find the right plan that gives you the features you need, without unnecessary frills and jargon. So, to find the best plans, we considered the following:
Price. There are better things for you to spend your hard-earned (retirement) money on, and a phone plan is not one of them.
Ease of Use. It’s important that the set-up and activation is simple, and the features listed under each plan are easy to understand and use.
Customer Support. Whether you run into an issue or just have questions, having good customer support is essential, whether that’s in-store, online, or even just easily accessible support pages/articles.
Each of these factors are considered with their own weight, leading to a score that helps us determine the best picks.
Beginner's guide to senior cell phone plans
What is a senior cell phone plan?
A senior cell phone plan is no different than any other cell phone plan, which is the service agreement between a customer and a mobile carrier that provides access to a cellular network for calls, texts, and (optional) data. These plans determine how much you pay and what services you get.
Types of senior cell phone plans
Before you start looking into specific phone plans, it’s important to first determine whether you’d prefer a postpaid plan or a prepaid plan. In a postpaid plan, you are billed after the month of service, and these plans tend to be more expensive – but with priority data and better coverage. A prepaid plan is paid for before the month of service, is more flexible (without a contract), but also usually runs on a deprioritized network.
Read More -> Pros & cons of prepaid vs postpaid plans.
After choosing a postpaid or prepaid plan, you can then further classify senior cell phone plans for a more customized experience:
No data plans (or talk & text only plans). Self-explanatory, these cell phone plans either don’t come with any data access, or a very limited amount (1GB).
Limited data plans. These plans do come with some data access, but it’s capped at limits like 5GB, 10GB, 15GB, even 20GB. These plans are great for those who do need to access the internet away from their home Wi-Fi, but aren’t heavy streamers or gamers, so they only need enough to be able to access pictures, videos, social media feeds, news, and other essential apps. Note: These do also come with unlimited talk & text, so you don’t need to pay extra for those features!
Unlimited data plans. These plans come with unlimited data (as well as unlimited talk & text), which is great for seniors who travel a lot, or don’t have reliable home internet access. Note that some (prepaid especially) unlimited data plans do have a high-speed data limit, which means that you’ll only be able to enjoy internet access at high mobile data speeds up to a certain limit. After that limit is reached, you will continue to have access, but at slower speeds (for example, videos may not load as fast, or buffer more.)
If you’re a senior, it’s also beneficial to note that some phone providers do have separate phone plans for seniors (usually starting at 55 years old) that are simply discounted, or have a special plan feature, like 15GB of data (not offered otherwise in their regular plans) for a discounted price.
What kind of phone do I need for a senior cell phone plan?
The type of phone you can use with a senior cell phone plan will depend entirely on the type of plan you’re getting. If you need any kind of data, then you can only use a smartphone: a phone that can install and use apps and is either 4G LTE or 5G compatible.
If you only need talk & text (no data), then you can use either a smartphone or a “dumb” phone: a phone traditionally made with a physical keyboard, no touchscreen, that can’t install or access any apps. These are cell phones that are more commonly referred to as “flip phones,” and can only access calling and regular SMS text.
Senior cell phone plan alternatives
There are a few senior cell phone plan alternatives, if you’re looking for something more specific:
Tablet data plans.
These plans typically don’t include any talk & text, as they just provide data for internet access for your tablet. Ideal to use if you connect with family & friends through other messaging apps and would prefer the bigger screen.
TextNow Tip: If you were relying on Skype for your calling & messaging, there are better Skype alternatives you can find now that it’s officially shutting down on May 5, 2025.
Government phone plans. There are government-funded plans through services like Lifeline that will either subsidize phones plans or offer them entirely for free for those who qualify.
Home phone plans. Some carriers do still offer home phone or landline phone plans. Ideal for those who don’t have a cell phone, or don’t want one, and just need a home phone number for essential services and basic communication.
How to select the best senior cell phone plan
To determine which senior cell phone plan is best for you, make sure it meets these criteria:
Budget.
Before you go on your search, make sure you set a clear budget that makes sense for your monthly expenses/savings goals. If you’re looking for a postpaid plan specifically, beware that they tend to be more expensive ($50+/month), so look for discounted senior plans, like Verizon’s 55+ plan, or AT&T’s 55+ plan.Data.
It’s important to also know if you’ll be needing any data with your phone plan, and if so, how much. You might think that you don’t need data, but note that MMS messaging, unlike regular texting, does require an internet or data connection. This means that you won’t be able to see any pictures or videos or listen to any voice notes you’re sent over text unless you’re connected to Wi-Fi or mobile data.
TextNow Tip: Surprisingly, a lot of talk & text only plans do also come with some data (usually 1-2GB), so you’d still be able to enjoy any media files sent to you without paying for a big data plan.
Network.
Another important consideration is the coverage in your area. Not all carriers have the same network coverage, and it’s important you know which one will work best in your area. You can check the FCC’s coverage maps ahead of time to know which network to stick with.
TextNow Tip: AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon cover most of the area in the United States, but they’re not the only providers to consider. Most prepaid carriers lease their networks from those “Big 3,” giving you the same coverage for less.
Health services.
You (or a family member) might feel more at ease if your phone plan included a health alert system. The good news is that those services do exist, and can be easily added on/accessed even without a phone plan, as they're run by an app, or through your phone directly (for example, Apple's Health app on iPhones).Ease of use.
Lastly, be honest about the level of assistance that you’d need. If you’re not comfortable with cell phones, then look for a phone plan from a provider that has a retail store near you. If you are more comfortable, you can expand into online retailers (giving you more options) but test out their customer service options beforehand to determine how easy it is to get support when needed.
Got questions or comments? Send us a note at [email protected]!
