Best T-Mobile cell phone plans in 2024

If you're looking for the best T-Mobile cell phone plans, you're certainly not in any danger of running out of options. The carrier lists five different unlimited plans, three options for seniors over 55 years old and a trio of prepaid plans aimed at people on strict budgets. So which one is right for you?

Because I spend a lot of time researching the best cell phone plans overall, I'm very familiar with what T-Mobile offers and what separates one plan from the others. So I can tell you how the Go 5G options differs from Go 5G Plus, and which plan would be better for your particular needs.

There's some good news if you're considering T-Mobile as your phone carrier. The Uncarrier provides some of the best unlimited data plans as well as the best family cell phone plan, so you're going to get good value in exchange for your monthly payment.

At the moment, most people will find the best mix of perks and price from the Go5G plan, though don't overlook T-Mobile's Connect plans if you want to keep your monthly costs down. Read on to find out more about those plans as well as some of the other best T-Mobile cell phone plan options available right now.

The quick list

Philip Michaels

My name is Philip Michaels, and as the managing editor for mobile devices at Tom's Guide, I oversee our smartphone coverage. That includes looking at phone carriers in the U.S. and the various cell phone plans they provide. I've been doing this for nearly a decade now, so I'm quite familiar with wireless carriers big and small — including T-Mobile and all the lower-profile carriers that use T-Mobile towers for their cell phone coverage.

The best T-Mobile cell phone plan overall

T-Mobile Go5G | unlimited data | $75/month - T-Mobile's best plan plan
With few exceptions, T-Mobile plans mean unlimited data, and the best of the bunch is T-Mobile's Go5G offering. At $75 for a single line, it includes more perks than what you might see from similarly priced plans at Verizon and AT&T. You get 15GB of hotspot data and 10GB of data for use when traveling in Mexico and Canada. Go5G customers are also eligible for the same upgrade offers available to new customers, making it easier to switch to a different phone.

Pros: Ample hotspot and roaming data; Easily to upgrade device
Cons: More expensive than T-Mobile's Essentials plan

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Best value plan at T-Mobile

T-Mobile Connect | 5GB data | $15/month — Best low-cost T-Mobile cell phone plan
T-Mobile's Connect plan is a great option if you're on a tighter budget and don't need a lot of data. The plan has grown to 5GB of data, thanks to annual boosts from T-Mobile. (Data increases end in 2025, though.) This plan only costs only $15 a month, but once you hit your data cap, you can't use any more for the rest of the billing cycle.) If you have bigger data needs, try T-Mobile's Connect plan with 8GB of data for $25/month.

Pros: Low costs, 500MB data boosts annually
Cons: Out of data once you hit your cap

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The best T-Mobile cell phone plan for families

T-Mobile Go5G | unlimited data | $180/month (4 lines) - T-Mobile's best family plan
Families should also turn to the Go5G plan, as discounts for every line you add help keep the cost lower than family plans at other carriers, not to mention T-Mobile's own plans. You get the same hotspot and travel benefits a single line of Go5G enjoys, and once you add two or more lines, T-Mobile includes a free Netflix subscription with your plan. T-Mobile frequently runs a promotion that waives the price of the third line of data, brining the cost of this plan down to $155 for four lines.

Pros: More hotspot and roaming data than Magenta; Includes Netflix subscription
Cons: Families an't mix and match different T-Mobile plans

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The best T-Mobile cell phone plan for seniors

T-Mobile | Essentials Choice 55 senior unlimited plan | 2-line plan | $60/month — Best value unlimited senior plan
If you're 55 or over, you can get a T-Mobile unlimited data plan for lower price and with a few changes to some of the perks. The best price for seniors comes with the Essential Choice 55 plan, which includes two lines of unlimited data for $60/month after a $5 price hike. (A single line now costs $30.) This comes with unlimited data, calls, and texts with no speed restrictions, 3G mobile hotspot speeds, and scam protection. However, you are limited to SD streaming, and if you're in Mexico or Canada, you can only use 2G data. You can sign up for T-Mobile's senior plans no matter where you live in the country; AT&T and Verizon have senior options that are limited to Florida residents.

Pros: Affordable price; No annual contract; 5G coverage at no extra cost
Cons: Limited to 2G in Mexico/Canada; Only SD streaming

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Best T-Mobile cell phone plan for travelers

T-Mobile Go5G Plus | unlimited data | $90/month or $220 for four lines - Best T-Mobile plan for travel
If you do a lot of travelling, you'll want to pay up for the Go5G Plus, a super-sized offering that packs in more perks. Even single lines of data qualify for a Netflix subscription as well as Apple TV Plus, and you get 50GB of hotspot data. Travel perks includ 15GB of data for use in Mexico or Canada, plus the ability to use 5GB of high-speed data in 215-plus countries. (Data is slowed to 3G speeds after that.) In-flight Wi-Fi is also included where available. As with many T-Mobile plans, the cost of a third line of data is often waived, lowering the amount families of four need to pay.

Pros: Extensive travel benefits; Free streaming services
Cons: Expensive, particularly for families

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The best T-Mobile cell phone plan for streamers

T-Mobile Go5G Next | unlimited data | $100/month or $260 for 4 lines
Go5G Next is T-Mobile's most expensive plan, and it has all the perks of Go5G Plus. So why pay extra? If you're a streamer, you get the ad-supported tier of Hulu with Go5G Next to go along with Netflix and Apple TV Plus. Those extra streaming services can save you money elsewhere in your budget. You also get to upgrade your phone every year under Go5G Next.

Pros: Lots of streaming perks; Extensive travel benefits; Ability to upgrade phone every year
Cons: T-Mobile's most expensive option

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Other T-Mobile plans

We're highlighting the best T-Mobile cell phone plans for particular situations, but these aren't your only option at the Uncarrier. Here's a quick summary of the other plans currently on offer at T-Mobile.

T-Mobile unlimited data plans

• Essentials ($60/month): This used to be T-Mobile's cheapest unlimited data plan, with only 3G speeds for hotspot data and few other perks. Your data speeds can be slowed if you use more than 50GB in a month.
• Essentials Saver ($50/month): If you need only one line of data and can bring your own phone, you can sign up for this cheap unlimited plan, which otherwise has the same perks as Essentials. This is the only option families can't sign up for.

T-Mobile senior plans

• Go5G Next 55 ($130/month for two lines): The senior version of Go5G Next, this plan lets you upgrade your smartphone every year.
• Go5G Plus 55 ($110/month for two lines): Anyone 55 years or older can get a discounted rate on the Go5G Plus plan, while receiving the same streaming and travel benefits included with unlimited data.

T-Mobile prepaid plans

• 12GB plan: T-Mobile's most expensive prepaid plan costs $35/month.
• 8GB plan: Like the 5GB connect plan, T-Mobile has increased the amount of data while keeping the price the same. This plan costs $25/month.

Low-cost T-Mobile alternatives

Pricing on the best T-Mobile cell phone plans compares very well to comparable service at AT&T and Verizon, particularly when it comes to unlimited data plans. But there's a way to get T-Mobile service for even less — turn to a discount carrier that uses T-Mobile's network to provide low-cost coverage.

Such a service is known as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), and there are plenty that use T-Mobile for coverage. Our favorite happens to be Mint Mobile, which T-Mobile now owns. Mint offers four plans, ranging in price between $15 (5GB) and $30 (unlimited data) per month. You get those low rates by paying for your service in advance — prepaying for a year of data gets you the very best rate at Mint. A frequent promotion at Mint drops the month cost of every plan to $15 for the first three months, if you're looking for additional savings.

Mint's a popular choice because it includes full coverage on T-Mobile, including 5G speeds if you've got a comparable phone. As with any MVNO, you do risk seeing your traffic slowed if the network is congested and T-Mobile prioritizes its own customers.

Other MVNOs using T-Mobile's network include Tello, TextNow, Ultra Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile. The latter two services are also owned by T-Mobile.

Is T-Mobile a good carrier?

T-Mobile is not just a good carrier — it's currently the runner-up in our best phone phone carriers rankings. This position comes down to a couple of benefits and factors T-Mobile does very well.

When it comes to terms of plans and offers, T-Mobile is one of the most diverse options. It offers a wide array of prices that span family plans, unlimited data choices, prepaid plans and more.

Past that, our LTE network testing showed that T-Mobile is one of the faster carriers available, and subsequent testing by third parties backs that claim. In a July 2024 report, testing firm Opensignal rated T-Mobile as the best network overall and concluded that the carrier "remains untouched for 5G availability." Another testing firm, RootMetrics, puts T-Mobile behind Verizon and AT&T for overall performance during the first half of this year, but a separate report on 5G performance says that T-Mobile has the widest availability for 5G coverage. (Verizon took overall honors in RootMetrics' report.)

T-Mobile also has weekly giveaways and a host of incentives for its customers. The carrier's blend of affordability, features and coverage make it a top choice if you're looking for a wireless provider who offers something more than just a low monthly bill.