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10.18.24
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A smartphone is only smart if you give it some brain food – AKA data. As of 2023, the average monthly data usage in the U.S is estimated to be around 15 to 20GB/month. That is mostly being driven by streaming, from your favorite shows on Netflix, to helpful how-tos on YouTube, to baby hippos on TikTok.
For that kind of usage, you’re going to want to find an unlimited data plan that can support all that activity– without digging too deep into your wallet (Some unlimited plans can run you $100/month for one line!) That usually means staying away from the “Big 3” – AT&T, Verizon, and TMobile – so we’ve compiled a list of the best phone data plans at any budget, giving you a clear comparison between the different unlimited options.
How do I know how much data I need?
Before starting your data plan shopping, you should first know just how much data you need on a monthly basis. You can check out our guide on how to find out how much data you need, whether you already have a data plan and looking to change it, or never had one before.
Summary: Best unlimited data plans
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Best unlimited data plan overall
Provider: TextNow
Price: $39.99
Network: Nation’s largest 5G network
High-Speed Data Included: 10GB
Perks: Exclusive offers, discounts, and rewards from brands you love
Pros & Cons:
Pros:
Flexible service that won’t cut your service off if you’re unable to make payment (or charge you extra for it) with base Free Essential Data service.
No contracts or commitments
Roaming in Canada & Mexico included
Unlimited calling and texting to Canada & Mexico also included (plus hundreds of other affordable international calling options that also start at $0)
Affordable
Cons:
Not enough high-speed data for heavy data users
Our Take: This is a reliable and affordable option if you average less than 10GB/month on data, or if your data usage doesn’t include heavy streaming without Wi-Fi. The best part is that TextNow’s flexibility allows you to run out of your monthly service, and still stay connected with its Essential Data plan – for free– if you’re unable to pay for another month’s service. If you’re someone with an inconsistent income or have bigger expenses coming up and need more breathing room – this service is for you.
Best unlimited data plan for 1 line
Provider: Total Wireless
Price: $25 (with current BOYP promotion)
Network: Verizon
High-Speed Data Included: Unlimited
Perks: 6 free months of Disney+ (No ads)
Pros & Cons:
Pros:
Truly unlimited data plan that won’t get slowed down after a certain limit or during times of congestion
Roaming to Canada & Mexico, plus 15+ other countries included (up to 10GB)
15GB Hotspot included
Cons:
50% off promotion is only applicable if you bring your own compatible phone, which not all may qualify for
50% off promotion is only applicable if you apply for AutoPay, which would lock you in to a guaranteed monthly payment
Without promotion, $50-$55/month may be too steep of a price.
Our Take: If you have a compatible phone that you can bring (It may be time to check out the current best phone deals while you’re at it), you can enjoy a truly unlimited data plan for less than $30, which is a steal. Beware that you would be locked into AutoPay, which makes budgeting in tighter times less flexible.
Best unlimited data plans for multiple lines
This one was a close contender between two providers, so we picked them both, giving you the option to choose what works best for your specific needs.
*We base these prices on 4 lines.
Provider: Total Wireless
Price: $27.50/line
Network: Verizon
High-Speed Data Included: unlimited
Perks: 6 months free of Disney+
Pros & Cons:
Pros:
No monthly arguments over data overages or top-ups, as these plans are truly unlimited, without slower speeds during times of congestion, or high-speed data limits. Roaming to Canada & Mexico, plus 15+ other countries included (up to 10GB)
15GB hotspot included
Our Take: If you need 4+ lines, this is a packed plan that will give each line exactly what they need. If you need less than 4 lines, however, we’d recommend looking elsewhere for something more affordable.
Provider: Tello Mobile
Price: $25/line
Network: TMobile
High-Speed Data Included: 35GB
Perks: N/A
Pros & Cons:
Pros:
TMobile is currently the fastest wireless provider in North America, so you’d experience faster speeds on Tello (possibly a winning point with any streaming-heavy teens on your plan)
Price is not dependent on contract or AutoPay enrolment.
Affordable
Cons:
Only includes 5G of hotspot data
While 35GB of high speed data is plenty for regular use, it may not be enough for streaming-heavy uses.
Our Take: The $25/month is the standard price for this plan, so you can easily support as little or as many lines as you need at an affordable price, but we would recommend first finding out how much data each line would need before committing to this plan.
Cheapest unlimited data plans
Best unlimited data plans under $50
Provider: TextNow
Price: $39.99
Network: Nation’s largest 5G network
High-Speed Data Included: 10GB
Perks: Exclusive offers, discounts, and rewards from brands you love
Pros & Cons:
Pros:
Flexible service that won’t cut your service off if you’re unable to make payment (or charge you extra for it) with base Free Essential Data service.
No contracts or commitments
Roaming in Canada & Mexico included
Unlimited calling and texting to Canada & Mexico also included (plus hundreds of other affordable international calling options that also start at $0)
Affordable
Cons:
Not enough high-speed data for heavy data users
Our Take: This is a reliable and affordable option if you average less than 10GB/month on data, or if your data usage doesn’t include heavy streaming without Wi-Fi. The best part is that TextNow’s flexibility allows you to run out of your monthly service, and still stay connected with its Essential Data plan – for free– if you’re unable to pay for another month’s service. If you’re someone with an inconsistent income or have bigger expenses coming up and need more breathing room – this service is for you.
Provider: Mint Mobile
Price: $40
Network: TMobile
High-Speed Data Included: 40GB
Perks: N/A
Pros & Cons:
Pros:
As a new customer, you can pay for 3 months at a time upfront and get a deep 50% discount ($15/month) for the first 3 months.
Mobile hotspot included up to 10GB
Cons:
You can only renew in 3-month increments (minimum), which isn’t as flexible
Our Take: This is a decent plan for new customers, and/or if you are confident this service works for you and are able to pay for 12 months’ worth of service at a time to maintain the discounted monthly price. Otherwise, there aren’t enough additional perks or benefits to justify the 3-12 month incremental pricing, which isn’t flexible enough for most people’s incomes.
Best unlimited data plan under $30
Provider: Visible
Price: $25
Network: Verizon
High-Speed Data Included: Unlimited
Pros & Cons:
Pros:
Unlimited data at an affordable price
Unlimited mobile hotspot also included
Spam protection (screens incoming calls and filters spam)
Cons:
Network does get deprioritized in times of congestion, so you may notice slower speeds
Video streams in SD only
Our Take: This is an affordable unlimited plan that will work great for most people. However, there are complaints about the network due to the deprioritization, so we would recommend to look into reviews in your own local area to determine if this plan will work for you.
Best unlimited data plans: AT&T, Verizon, TMobile
When it comes to any phone service provider, but especially the big ones, the most important thing you need to know is fine print. When reviewing the unlimited data plans from AT&T and Verizon, it took me a a minute to realize that the price I was seeing was per line if I was buying 4 lines. Otherwise, the price doubled for just 1 line. For that reason, we picked TMobile for its simpler Essential Savers plan.
Provider: TMobile
Price: $55
High-Speed Data Included: 50GB
Pros & Cons:
Pros:
TMobile is the current largest and fastest 5G network, so you can expect great coverage and superior speeds.
50GB of high speed is more than enough for regular users
Cons:
no additional perks (like a streaming subscription) with this base unlimited plan
after 50GB, customers' data is deprioritized
no mobile hotspot included
Our Take: This entry unlimited plan is a great way to enjoy service from one of the "big 3" without paying over $100/month.
If you're looking for the other perks you'd typically get from a big provider like free subscriptions, know that you'll be opting in for a more expensive monthly bill as well.
Methodology: How to best evaluate the best unlimited data plans
Most unlimited data plans are going to give you exactly what you need: unlimited high-speed data for streaming, posting, scrolling, and everything else in between. But to pick out the best from the overwhelming pack, we look specifically at network (speed + coverage), real user reviews, and the best value – we want your money to work for you.
Beginner's guide to unlimited data plans
What is a data plan?
Phone service used to be simple – you pay for minutes and texts, and use it as an actual phone, to stay connected to the rest of the world. Nowadays, that connection also means liking your coworker's pregnancy announcement on Instagram, or cringing at your great aunt's Facebook posts.
A data plan is what allows you to connect to the rest of the apps and services on your phone that require internet (which is basically every app). It's like Wi-Fi for your phone that you can use when you don't have access to your home internet.
How does a data plan work?
A data plan is only able to connect to your phone via a SIM card. The SIM card connects to your provider's network through signals (that connect to the carriers' towers) to be able to pass on that data (internet) access back to your phone.
Types of data plans
We've covered unlimited data plans a lot here, but alternatively, there are also limited data plan options. These have a hard limit on high-speed data that's significantly lower (eg. 1GB, 5GB, 10GB).
TextNow Tip: Almost all data plans come in monthly allotments – you pay for the service for a whole month. But TextNow is the only service that allows you to pay for an hour ($0.99), or a day ($4.99), as well as a month. If you're mostly around Wi-Fi and only need data every once in a while, these are great, affordable options!
Which carrier has the best data coverage?
Every big network (AT&T, Verizon, TMobile) has a clever tagline about their coverage superiority, and to be honest, all of them do have some decent coverage. But let’s break it down further:
According to Allconnect, If you’re looking for the best all-purpose LTE coverage in the U.S, that would be Verizon with its 4G LTE service available to 70% of the nation.
For 5G coverage, however, Verizon has the least amount of coverage. Instead, TMobile has the best with 54% of national coverage, the most out of any providers.
Which carrier has the best data coverage in my area?
Regardless of the stats above, you should first determine how any of these providers’ coverage looks like in your area. Luckily, the FCC put together a mobile map that allows you to see all the carriers’ coverage in your area, so you can easily compare.
Capped vs. Uncapped unlimited data
If you’re wondering how a prepaid carrier is able to provide an unlimited data plan for half the price of someone like Verizon or AT&T, it’s because not all unlimited data is the same, and it's not all truly unlimited.
The FCC recently mandated that all carriers provide broadband fact sheets, which you’ll find under each provider’s plans page (they look like the nutritional values tables you'd see on the back of packaged food). If you look closely at those broadband fact sheets, you’ll notice that each plan stipulates exactly how much high-speed data is provided with that plan, whether any additional charges apply to going over that data limit, and what the download and upload speeds are. A lot of those “unlimited” data plans actually do have a high-speed limit. We’ve seen it range from 10GB to 50GB. All that means is that once you reach that cap, you will continue with “unlimited” data, but it will be at slower speeds for the duration of the service month.
And while some prepaid carriers do actually offer unlimited without a high-speed cap, they also proclaim that during times of congestion, their speeds will be slowed down temporarily (how long is another question entirely). So to find truly unlimited data, without experiencing slower speeds, your best bet is to sign up for an unlimited plan with AT&T, TMobile, Verizon, or Total Wireless.
How to pick out the best unlimited data plan
The best unlimited data plan really depends on what a data plan means to you. Follow this simple checklist to find the right one:
Price
Set a budget that makes sense for your monthly expenses. Do not go above it, and make sure that the price you see includes any other additional fees and taxes. Also confirm that any promotional prices you’re getting as a new customer do not expire after a month.Speed
If you’re using an unlimited data plan for streaming and/or gaming, data speed is going to be very important to you. Make sure that you’re finding a plan that doesn’t slow down during times of congestion and has a large enough high-speed data cap to satisfy your phone needs. Bonus if the plan offers HD streaming (as some will only offer SD).Coverage
You can get the best, most affordable data plan there is, but if the coverage in your area (specifically 5G coverage if you’re looking for speed) isn’t great, you’re never going to be able to get your money’s worth. Look up the coverage first, then decide on a plan based on the network that’s available in your area.High Speed Data
Lastly – and I know I probably beat this to death by now – but look at the high speed data you’re getting with each unlimited plan. Find out how much data you actually need, and based on that, how much is enough for you, and where that fits in your budget!
How to activate an unlimited data plan
All you need is a SIM card – whether physical or eSIM – from the provider you choose your plan from.
To get that SIM, head over to the provider's website (or go in store where applicable) to purchase your desired plan and the subsequent SIM for activation.
Frequently asked questions about unlimited data
