Best unlimited data plans in 2024

Visible | Visible Plus | $45/month - The best unlimited data prepaid on a budget
A basic unlimited data plan at Visible starts at $25. But unless a low rate is your top priority, we'd suggest you go with the Visible Plus plan, which costs $45 per month. With Visible Plus, you get access to fast Ultra Wideband 5G coverage on Verizon's network. (Verizon owns Visible.) Visible Plus customers can also use data when traveling in Mexico and Canada while making calls to more than 30 countries from the U.S. at no extra charge. Visible Plus features a one Global Pass day that lets you use your plan for free overseas. Best of all, you can use 50GB of data without seeing your traffic slowed — Visible's cheaper unlimited plan is subject to throttling when Verizon's network is congested.

Visible Plus is even more compelling right now thanks to a promotion at Visible that runs through January. Use code 'SWITCH25' when you sign up, and Visible cuts the rate on Visible Plus to $30/month for the next 25 months. The standard Visible plan drops to $20/month with that same code. For Visible Plus, that works out to some substantial savings over the next two years and change.

I tested Visible's service a while back and found coverage and performance comparable to Verizon's, with the exception of some slower speeds when the network was congested. If Verizon coverage is good in your area, you can expect good service from Visible at a fraction of what you'd pay for unlimited data at a bigger carrier.

Pros: Access to Verizon's fastest 5G coverage, international calling, 50GB of data usage without throttling
Cons: No discounts on additional lines of data

AT&T | AT&T Value Plus VL | $51/month — AT&T's cheapest unlimited plan
As attractive as low-cost unlimited data plans are at services like Visible and Mint, some people just feel more comfortable getting their service from a recognizable name. If that's you, you still don't have to pay top dollar for limitless data. Just turn to AT&T, which has the cheapest plan among the major carriers.

To get AT&T's best rate, look beyond its three main unlimited data plans, which range in cost from $66 to $86 per month for a single line. (Of those offerings, AT&T Unlimited Premium is the best and most expensive, thanks to solid perks like lots of hotspot data, 4K video streaming and the ability to stay connected when traveling in Latin America.) Instead, check out AT&T's Value Plus VL, which costs $51/month. Perks are few and far between, and AT&T can slow your service if its network is busy. But you get relatively cheap unlimited data on a great network.

AT&T used to restrict Value Plus to one line of data, but it is available for families, too, with per-line discounts kicking in once you add a third line. The plan is buried on AT&T's website, so click on the More Plans tab on the page outlining AT&T phone plans to find the Value Plus option.

There's also a prepaid option at AT&T that offers unlimited data at a lower monthly rate, though you will have to make a big upfront payment. For $300, AT&T will provide unlimited data with 16GB of high-speed data each month before your speeds slow down; that works out to a $25 monthly rate, which is lower than what Mint charges for its prepaid plan.

Pros: Cheapest unlimited plan at AT&T, includes 5G coverage
Cons: Data speeds can be slowed, limited multiline discounts on Value Plus option

Mint Mobile | Unlimited data | $30/month - Unlimited data on a budget
With a regular rate of $30/month for unlimited data, this option is already one of the best Mint Mobile plans,. As with any plan at Mint, though, you have to pay for a year in advance to get that low monthly cost.

New customers get a discount right away, with Mint charging $15/month for the first three months of unlimited data (a $45 upfront payment). After that, to get Mint's best monthly rate on unlimited data, you pay $360. That covers you for a year of service, with your monthly costs working out to $30. Only Visible and Tello offer a lower rate on unlimited data without requiring the big upfront payment. If you stick with Mint's 3-month billing cycle, you pay $40/.month, so there's a definite incentive to commit to a full year.

With Mint's unlimited data plan, you can use up to 40GB of data each month before your service is slowed down. Mint also provides 5G access through T-Mobile, which now owns the low-cost carrier.

Pros: One of the cheaper overall unlimited plans, 5G speeds
Cons: Speed restrictions, you must commit to a full year of service to get the lowest rate

T-Mobile Go5G | Unlimited data | $155/month (4 lines) - Best family option with unlimited data
T-Mobile's Go5G is a pretty good choice for individuals as the $75 monthly rate is cheaper than what AT&T and Verizon charge for comparable plans. But add additional lines, and it's the best option for families, especially with T-Mobile currently waiving the cost of a third line. (Even then, four lines of Go5G would cost $180 with an autopay discount in place.)

T-Mobile doesn't skimp on perks with its plans: You get 100GB of priority data — that means your data speed won't be slowed until you consume a lot of data every month — plus 15GB of high-speed hotspot data and coverage when you travel overseas. You can also enjoy six months of Apple TV Plus for free by signing up for Go5G and families get a free Netflix Standard subscription as part of this plan.

Pros: Attractive perks, affordable price, benefits for additional lines
Cons: HD video streaming costs extra

Total Wireless Total 5G | Unlimited data | $110/month (4 lines) - Best prepaid unlimited plan for families
It's hard to find discounts on multiple lines of data at prepaid carriers, but Verizon-owned Total Wireless is one of the notable exceptions. And its discounts can help families save big on unlimited data. The carrier's Total 5G plan costs $50 for a single line of data, but add up to four lines and the per line cost drops to $27.50, for a total monthly bill of $110. It helps that Total waives the price of a fourth line for this particular plan.

You'll find better prepaid perks with Cricket Wireless' unlimited offering, but some of Total's adds-on are appealing. You get roaming data in 15-plus countries in Central and South America, and the plan comes with six months of Disney Plus. Total also promises a $200 credit on your next phone purchase if you make 12 monthly payments.

Pros: Cheap per line price for families, access to Verizon's Ultra Wideband 5G network
Cons: Other carriers offer more perks

Verizon | Unlimited Plus | $80/month - Most flexible unlimited plan
Unlimited Plus is the more value-packed option among Verizon's top phone plans. You'll play $15 less each month for Welcome Unlimited, but that plan offers little more than nationwide 5G coverage. (Both Plus and Welcome add additional discounts to your monthly rate if you bring your own device.)

With Unlimited Plus, you get faster Ultra Wideband 5G where available, plus 30GB of hotspot data and a three-year price guarantee. Also, you can use up to 30GB of data each month before Verizon slows your data speeds. I'm a Verizon customer myself, and I subscribe to Unlimited Welcome, because I don't need the faster Ultra Wideband speeds, so you can get by with the cheaper option if you want to save some money on your bill.

Add-ons can layer on additional perks for an extra $10/month. These include packages like Disney's streaming services, Travel Passes for international travel and an Apple services bundle. You can drop add-ons in months where you don't need them — I currently don't have any as part of my plan — giving you some control over the cost of your wireless bill. But you do have to be pro-active about managing those add-ons so the costs don't skyrocket.

Pros: Excellent coverage including Ultra Wideband 5G, includes hotspot data
Cons: $10 add-ons can quickly add up, T-Mobile has cheaper plans

Google Fi | Unlimited Plus plan | $65/month - Best unlimited plan for traveling
Google Fi's main unlimited plan is not one of the most affordable plans in or rankings. For travelers, though, the Unlimited Plus plan is the perfect option. Google doesn't charge you extra for texting or using data in more than 200 countries.

There are other benefits to Google Fi's plan too, like a year of YouTube Premium. If you're getting a Pixel 9, have an existing device like the Pixel 8a or purchase any one of a number of select devices from Samsung and Motorola, you'll be able to switch seamlessly between cellular networks (mostly T-Mobile's) and Google's Wi-Fi hotspots. However, any handset can use Google Fi and any 5G-enabled phone can connect to the faster network where available. If $65 a month is too much, Google features a $50 plan, though you give up the international coverage.

Pros: Great international coverage, supports lots of phones now, includes YouTube Premium
Cons: Some features limited to select phones

Boost Mobile | Unlimited | $25/month - Best guaranteed rate
Boost Mobile is looking to establish itself as another nationwide carrier with its very own network (though it uses AT&T and T-Mobile towers to augment its coverage). One of the ways it's doing that is with an aggressively priced unlimited data plan for $25/month. (A current promotion cuts the rate in half for your first month of service.) That matches the low rates offered by Tello and Visible, but Boost takes it one step further with a "lifetime" guarantee for as long as you stick with the carrier. You get 30GB of data each month before your speeds slow down.

Pros: Lifetime guarantee on rate, low price
Cons: Lacks the upgrade and hotspot perks of other Boost plans

Cricket Wireless | Unlimited + 15GB Mobile Hotspot | $60/month - Best prepaid unlimited plan perks
Among prepaid carriers, Metro by T-Mobile charges less than Cricket with an unlimited plan starting at $40 a month. Yet, we like Cricket's plan because you can reduce the cost by $5/month when you enroll in autopay, bringing your total cost to $55. This Cricket plan also comes with perks like 15GB of hotspot data, 150GB of cloud storage and access to the ad-supported Max streaming serivce. (That perk's not even available for AT&T customers any more.) As an AT&T-owned MVNO, Cricket subscribers can access 5G coverage from AT&T.

Pros: Uses AT&T's network, good perks for a prepaid plan
Cons: Expensive for a prepaid option