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A smartphone is only smart if it can connect you to the rest of the world with data. According to Ericsson, in 2024, the average mobile data usage in the U.S was 22 GB per 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 T-Mobile – 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.
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Summary: Best unlimited data plans
| Category | Provider | Plan Name | Price per Month | Our Take | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Overall |
|
Month Pass | $39.99 |
| |
| Best for 2 or more lines |
|
Total 5G Unlimited | $27.5/line for 4 lines |
| |
| Best for Seniors |
|
Data | $25 |
| |
| Best for New Customer |
|
Base 5G Unlimited | $20* |
| |
| Best for Perks |
|
Welcome Unlimited | $65 |
| |
| Best Prepaid |
|
Unlimited Premium | $44 |
| |
| Best for AT&T, Verizon, or T-Mobile |
|
Essentials | $65 |
|
Best Overall Unlimited Data Plan
TextNow
Price $39.99
Network Nation's largest 5G network
Phone Plan TextNow Month Pass
Talk & Text Unlimited
Data Limit 10GB (high-speed data).
- After 10GB, data remains unlimited, but at slower speeds for the remainder of the billing cycle.
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.
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).
- 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).
- Offers exclusive deals and discounts from popular brands in-app.
- No eSIM support.
Best Unlimited Data Plan for 2 or More Lines
Total Wireless
Price $27.50 per line (Based on 4 lines)
Network Verizon
Phone Plan Total 5G Unlimited
Talk & Text Unlimited
Data Limit Unlimited
Perk
- Get $200 on your next 5G phone after 12 monthly plan payments with Total Rewards
- 6 free months of Disney+
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.
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
- Roaming in Canada & Mexico included, plus 15+ other countries
- 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
- Most reviews note that its customer service is not great
Best Unlimited Data Plan for Seniors
Tello
Price $25
Network T-Mobile
Phone Plan Data Plan
Talk & Text Unlimited
Data Limit 35GB (high-speed data)
- After 35GB, data remains unlimited, but at slower speeds for the remainder of the billing cycle.
Perk N/A
Our Take This plan is a great for seniors who are just figuring out their data needs. The high-speed data included is 35GB, but you won't deal with any scary overage fees past that, they will simply be throttled (experience slower speeds). This can help them manage their screen time and usage to stay under that limit monthly.
Pros & Cons Pros:
- Price is not dependent on contract or AutoPay enrolment.
- Free international calls to 60+ countries
- 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.
Best Unlimited Data Plan for New Customer
Total Wireless
Price $20 with BYOP
Network Verizon
Phone Plan Base 5G Unlimited
Talk & Text Unlimited
Data Option Unlimited (with network deprioritization)
Perk $200 on your next 5G phone after 12 monthly plan payments with Total Rewards
Our Take This is a very affordable price if you can qualify by bringing your own phone. Bonus if Verizon is a network that you're looking to use due to your location.
Pros & Cons Pros:
- Affordable with promotion.
- Unlimited data without a high-speed/premium data limit.
- Promotion price guaranteed for 5 years.
- This base unlimited data plan does not have network priority like their other (more expensive) available plans.
- Only comes with 5GB of hotspot data.
TextNow Tip: If you're planning on taking advantage of BYOP offers, shop around for the best phone deals to maximize your savings.
Best Unlimited Data Plan for Perks
Verizon
Price $65 (with AutoPay)
Network Verizon
Phone Plan Welcome Unlimited
Talk & Text Unlimited
Data Limit Unspecified
Perk You can pick and choose from various eligible perks to add to your line for an additional $10 (included in the $65 "proposed" monthly price). Choose from subscriptions like Walmart+, Disney+, Max, YouTube Premium, and more.
Our Take This is a flexible way to add on subscriptions you would already want at a discounted price, while enjoying Verizon's network for unlimited data. We do acknowledge that the price point may still be too high for those looking for an affordable unlimited data plan.
Pros & Cons Pros:
- Allowed to pick your own perks
- Roaming in Canada & Mexico included
- the "Welcome Unlimited" plan has no priority data, so you may find yourself with slower speeds.
- No mobile hotspot data included.
- SD streaming quality (lower than their other unlimited data plan offerings).
Best Prepaid Unlimited Data Plan
US Mobile
Price $44
Network All 3 (Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T)
Phone Plan Unlimited Premium
Talk & Text Unlimited
Data Limit 100GB of premium data
Perk Apple Watch plan comes included for free
Our Take If you travel frequently and need reliable connection based on your location, this may be the plan for you, as you would have the ability to connect to all three networks without having to carry around multiple phones/SIMs.
Pros & Cons Pros:
- Access to all 3 networks
- 50GB of hotspot data included
- 10GB of international roaming included in select countries
- Apple Watch companion plan included for free
- eSIM compatible
- Price point may still be too high, and their cheaper unlimited plan has less pros than other similarly priced plans
Best Unlimited Data Plan for T-Mobile, AT&T, or Verizon
T-Mobile
Price $65
Network T-Mobile
Phone Plan Essentials
Talk & Text Unlimited
Data Limit 50GB of Premium Data
Perk N/A
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.
Pros & Cons Pros:
- T-Mobile 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
- No additional perks (like a streaming subscription) with this base unlimited plan
- After 50GB, customers' data is deprioritized
- No mobile hotspot included
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 with a talk & text only plan. 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.
Types of data plans
Typically there are 2 types of data plans: Limited and Unlimited.
Limited Data Plan: You purchase a specific amount of data every month and would need to pay extra more once you use more than you buy.
Unlimited Data Plan: You can use the data unlimitedly by paying a flat rate. However, most providers have a fair usage policy restricting high-speed data when you reach a certain threshold; the cap will vary based on their regulations, such as 30GB, 50GB, etc.
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.
How do I know how much data I need?
Know how much data you used.
The average smartphone owner used 26.44 of data per month, according to a study by communication technology company Ericsson.
Understand what are your most used apps.
As you already know, some apps consume more data than others. For example, streaming apps consume more data than music apps.
Calculate the average mobile data you need from your most used apps.
Once you better understand your most used apps, you can calculate the average data consumption from these apps over the past six months to one year to define the total monthly gigabytes required.
Revisit your plan regularly.
After knowing how much mobile data you need monthly, we need to ensure that we monitor and revisit our calculation and adjust the plan based on our changing behaviors.
> Read More : How much data do I need
Which carrier has the best data coverage?
Every big network (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile) has a clever tagline about their coverage superiority, and to be honest, all of them do have some decent coverage.
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, T-Mobile 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 in your area. The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) 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
The main difference between capped and uncapped unlimited data plans is whether there is a data limit for the usage. Technically, an uncapped data plan doesn't have a usage limit, and you don't need to worry if you are overusing your data. However, most carriers still have a restricted policy for high-speed data in uncapped data plans. They will slow down your internet speeds once you reach the threshold.
| Capped Data Plans | Uncapped Data Plans | |
|---|---|---|
| Data limit | Yes | No |
| Cost (monthly) | $15 - $35 | $30 - $90 |
| Contention Ratio | Low | High |
| Coverage | Same | Same |
Contention Ratio
Speaking of slower data speeds, you might come across the term contention ratio when looking up network bandwidth.
Contention ratio is the ratio of the maximum number of users sharing the same bandwidth to the available bandwidth. So, a high ratio would mean that more users are sharing the same bandwidth. What that means for you is that the higher the ratio is (the more users on the same bandwidth), the more likely it is that the connection you're experiencing will be slower during peak usage times.
Data Cost
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 100GB. 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, T-Mobile, 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.
If you have any questions or comments, send us a note at [email protected]!
Frequently asked questions about unlimited data
