Get one of the best prepaid phone plans, and you'll no longer have to worry about a bigger-than-expected wireless bill surprising you at the end of each month. With a prepaid plan, you're paying a fixed rate for service to start each month, keeping your costs under control
Even better, most of the prepaid options that have caught my eye also happen to be among the best cell phone plans overall, thanks to their low cost and generous amounts of data.
I've spent a decade writing about different cell phone plans for Tom's Guide, and in that time, I've noticed that prepaid plans have gotten more attractive. You no longer have to choose between a lot of data and a low monthly bill — many of the best prepaid phone plans offer unlimited data for less than you might expect.
The trick is to consider mobile virtual network operators, or MVNOs. These companies use the networks of other carriers for their service, which allows them to charge less for coverage. (MVNOs can also cut back on perks to keep costs down, though to be honest, you don't get a lot of those anyhow when you opt for a prepaid phone plan.)
To find a great prepaid phone plan, I look at how much data is available for how much money as well as what happens when you use up all your data in a given month. (Do your speeds slow down, or do you have to buy additional data?) In the case of MVNOs, I also look at what cell phone network they use for their service.
Looking to save even more than the options here? Check out our guide to the best cheap cell phone plans under $40 if price is your biggest consideration. Otherwise, if you're in the market for the best prepaid phone plan, let me tell you all about the options from Mint, Verizon and AT&T that top my picks.
The quick list
15GB for $20 at Mint Mobile
Any one of Mint's four prepaid phone plans would be an excellent choice depending on your needs, but 15GB is plenty of data for most people. After the first three months of service, you pay for a full year to keep Mint's lowest rate.
15GB for $35 at Verizon
Verizon's best prepaid plan offers the best data-to-price ratio of any big carrier. You get the $35 monthly rate on Verizon's 15GB plan when you sign up for autopay. You'll get 15GB as part of the deal, with 5G coverage included.
Unlimited for $25 at AT&T
AT&T's plan features unlimited data, letting you use a generous 16GB of high-speed data before slowing down your speeds. But the low monthly rate of $25 requires you to pay for a full year of service upfront. If you can afford to spend $300 all at once, you get a big pile of data to use on a very good network.
Unlimited data for $45 at Visible
The $45/month Unlimited Plus option is the better of Visible's two plans, thanks to faster 5G coverage and the ability to make overseas calls. Taxes and fees are included in the $45 rate so your costs are fixed.
Unlimited data (four lines) for $110 at Total Wireless
Families of four should look at the unlimited options at Total Wireless. The Verizon-owned carrier gives you your fourth line for free through escalating discounts as you add lines.
Unlimited data for $25 at Boost Mobile
Boost Mobile matches the low price of other prepaid unlimited data plans. And if you enroll in autopay, you'll lock in that $25 monthly rate for as long as you remain a Boost customer.
My name is Philip Michaels, and I oversee all the mobile coverage here at Tom's Guide in my role as the managing editor for mobile. In addition to reporting on and reviewing mobile devices, I also look at cell phone plans — a lot of them. Since I've been tracking wireless phone plans for a decade, I know chapter and verse on what carriers charge for their different plans. I'm also well aware of the perks included with different plans that separate the good ones from the great ones.
The best prepaid phone plan overall
The best prepaid plan from a big carrier
Best annual prepaid plan
The best prepaid unlimited data plan
The best prepaid plan for families
Best price-lock guarantee
Prepaid phone plans compared
Here's how our best prepaid phone plan picks compare. Prices reflect the monthly cost of one line of data. (Note that the Mint and AT&T options require a full year payment upfront.)
Total's plan may seem like the most expensive prepaid option on this list, but keep in mind that per line rates fall as you add more lines, with a family of four paying $27.50 per line. (That's $110 total for the month.) Visible's $45 Plus plan is also on the pricey end, but there is a $25 option at the carrier that also offers unlimited data.
Carrier | Data amount | Monthly payment, 1 line | Notes |
Mint | 15GB | $20 | Requires annual payment to get lowest monthly rate |
Verizon | 15GB | $35 | Price features autopay discount |
AT&T | Unlimited | $25 | 16GB of high-speed data; upfront payment required |
Visible | Unlimited | $45 | Visible plus plan has more perks, including faster data; 50GB of high-speed data |
Total Wireless | Unlimited | $50 | Four lines of data costs a total of $110; no cap on high-speed data |
Boost Mobile | Unlimited | $25 | 30GB of high-speed data; lifetime price guarantee |
What is a prepaid phone plan?
There are two kinds of cell phone plans — prepaid and postpaid. With a prepaid plan, you pay for data at the beginning of the month; that way, you know your precise costs for budgeting purposes. (Prepaid plans also don't require credit checks, so it's easier to get service if you've got a low credit score.)
Should you use up your allotted data for a month, many carriers will just slow down your data speeds for the rest of the billing cycle. In some cases, you'll need to top off your plan with data. That's why it's important to pick a prepaid phone plan with the right amount of data for your needs.
Many phone carriers prioritize traffic from postpaid customers, so it's possible that data rates can be slowed if you're using a prepaid plan. That's especially true when you use a mobile virtual network operator, or MVNO, such as Mint, Metro by T-Mobile or Cricket, where your phone service is piggy-backing on another carrier's network. (Mint and Metro use T-Mobile's network; Cricket relies on the network of parent company AT&T.)
Best prepaid phone plans: What you should consider
When shopping for a prepaid phone plan, price is paramount. That’s because prepaid plans don’t often come with the kind of benefits postpaid cell phone plans offer. That said, some carriers — notably, Metro By T-Mobile — do work in a few perks, so be aware of those when picking your plans.
You'll also want to pay attention to discounts and special offers. Often, larger carriers like AT&T and Verizon will adjust the size of their autopay discount, which can make a pricier plan more attractive. Some carriers, like Total Wireless, will lower the per-line cost as you add more lines, making them a good choice for families.
Besides price, one of the most important things to consider is what carrier offers the best coverage around your home and workplace. That’s true even if you look beyond the Big Three carriers for service. MVNOs use the cellular networks of AT&T, T-Mobile or Verizon for their coverage. So if Verizon’s network is particularly strong where you are, for example, MVNOs that use Verizon’s network for coverage will perform well, too. As we mentioned above, MVNOs can see their traffic slowed if a carrier’s network gets too crowded.
5G coverage is included with most MVNO service by now. For example, Metro by T-Mobile subscribers can access T-Mobile's 5G with an eligible phone, as can Mint Mobile customers. Visible has added 5G access on Verizon's network, and Cricket customers can now use AT&T's 5G connectivity with any of that MVNO's plans.
The best prepaid phone plans and free trials
Some prepaid carriers offer free trials, in which you can test out their service on your current phone without having to switch carriers first. It's a convenient way of seeing if a prepaid carrier's coverage is strong in your area.
Mint Mobile's free trial lets you sample the service for seven days. You're given 250MB of data, 250 minutes of talk time and 250 texts to see what Mint's service is all about.
A free trial at Cricket, which AT&T owns and operates, runs for 14 days and lets you use up to 3GB of data.
Visible's free trial lasts 15 days. In addition to iPhones, it's now open to Samsung and Google Pixel devices that can support eSIM.
Boost Mobile offers a 30-day money back guarantee in which you get your service fees returned if you cancel within 30 days of activation.
How we pick the best prepaid phone plans
Finding the best prepaid phone plans means widening our search beyond the major carriers, though AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon all have prepaid offerings. We also research plans from smaller carriers who use the Big Three's cellular towers to provide their coverage. As smaller carriers usually offer their service at a discount, they make up a majority of the candidates that we consider for best prepaid phone plans.
When we pick the best plans, we put a premium on the monthly price, though we also pay attention to how much data comes with that plan. After all, a carrier may not charge you a lot for data, but it also may not provide enough data for your needs. We're picking plans that offer the best mix of cost and data. We also consider a wide variety of data allotments, since some people can get by very happily using just a couple gigabytes of data each month, while others need an unlimited plan.
As noted previously, prepaid plans don't offer much in the way of perks. That said, we do take note of any special add-ons included with the best prepaid plans, as those can add value to a plan above and beyond its monthly cost.
