Cheap phone plans are easy to find. Cheap phone plans you won’t regret by month four are harder. We read the plan pages of 23 carriers and sorted the real bargains from the ones that only look cheap until taxes, AutoPay rules or an expiring intro price show up. US Mobile took the top slot. US Mobile wrote this comparison; how we did it is in the methodology section.
This is the October 2026 edition of our guide to cheap phone plans that are actually good. For the version we keep up to date, see the main article.
What’s New in the October 2026 Edition
Every price in this edition was read on the carriers’ own sites and FCC Broadband Facts labels on . Where those pages differ from our August 2026 edition, the figures below replace it.
- Our August edition said US Mobile Light was $8/mo; Light is $10/mo month to month, and $8/mo only on the $96 yearly plan, with taxes and fees included.
- Our August edition said Mint Unlimited was $15/mo on a $180 yearly prepay; $180 buys Mint’s 6GB plan, and Unlimited on the 12-month plan is now $30/mo ($360 up front).
- Our August edition said Verizon had dropped its activation fee; Verizon now lists a $40 activation fee per line, plus a $3.78-a-line administrative charge that rises to $4.69 on November 15, 2026.
- T-Mobile’s cheapest plan is now Essentials Saver 2.0 at $50/mo with AutoPay (1 or 2 lines only), and Essentials 2.0 is $60/mo with AutoPay. Metro no longer lists Basic; its cheapest plan is a web-only Unlimited 5G Data plan at $40/mo, taxes included.
- The first-year promo code we quoted for US Mobile Unlimited Starter no longer works. New lines now get Starter for $199 the first year on a yearly plan (then $270/yr), and port-ins with code FBF10 pay $10/mo for 6 months (then $25/mo).
Consumer Reports does not endorse products or services.
Best Cheap Phone Plans by Category
“Cheap” is really four or five different questions. Cheapest at any cost? Cheapest unlimited? Cheapest with a human on the phone? Each has its own winner, so here they are side by side. If you want the whole market, cheap or not, our guide to the best cell phone plans ranks everything.
| Category | Winner | Why it wins | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Overall Cheap Plan | US Mobile BEST VALUE | Consumer Reports Top Rated. Light (2GB) or Unlimited Starter, taxes and fees included, access to all three major networks. | $10/mo |
| Best for Texting Only | US Mobile custom plan | Unlimited texts with no data and no calls. Unlimited minutes on their own are $8/mo. | $6/mo |
| Best Free Plan | TextNow Free | Paid for by ads, with 550MB of data. The SIM costs $3.99 and taxes vary by location. | Free |
| Cheapest Unlimited, Paid Yearly | US Mobile Unlimited Flex | $210 for the year with taxes included. Speeds may slow after 10GB a month. | $17.50/mo |
| Cheapest Unlimited, Month to Month | Visible | Taxes and fees included, no AutoPay needed, unlimited hotspot capped at 5 Mbps. Ties US Mobile Unlimited Starter on price. | $25/mo |
| Best Build-Your-Own | Tello | 2GB with 300 minutes for $8/mo, or 10GB with unlimited talk for $15/mo. Taxes extra. | $8/mo |
| Best Pay-Ahead Deal | Mint Mobile 6GB | $180 up front covers 12 months. Taxes extra. | $15/mo |
| Cheap Plan With Phone Support | Consumer Cellular Basic 1GB | US-based phone support. The price needs AutoPay and eBilling; taxes, a $10 activation fee and a monthly fee are extra. | $20/mo with AutoPay |
| Best for Calling Abroad | Lycamobile $19 plan | Unlimited talk and text to 100 countries with 5GB. $10 per 30 days for the first 12 months, then $19. | $19/mo |
Awards reflect our editorial evaluation against the criteria in the methodology section. The “Best Overall” pick is supported by US Mobile’s Consumer Reports Top Rated designation. See the full ratings. Consumer Reports does not endorse products or services.
Where Cheap Plans Hide the Real Price
Here’s the thing nobody puts on the plan card: two $20 plans can cost you very different amounts by December. The sticker is only the starting point. These are the five places the difference usually hides, with real numbers from this month’s plan pages.
Taxes and fees on top
US Mobile (Unlimited, Light and By the Gig), Visible, Cricket, Metro and Total Wireless put taxes and fees inside the price. Mint, Tello, TextNow, H2O, Ultra Mobile, Straight Talk, Simple Mobile, TracFone, Boost and Consumer Cellular add them at checkout, and Lycamobile’s plan page doesn’t say. Some add their own fee too: Consumer Cellular charges $3.99 a line every month, and H2O adds $1.67 a month on its $20 plan. Google Fi says its taxes and surcharges normally run 10 to 20 percent.
AutoPay prices, and AutoPay prices that expire
Consumer Cellular’s advertised prices already include a $5 AutoPay and eBilling credit. AT&T’s AutoPay discount is $10 with a bank account but only $5 with a debit card. And a few “AutoPay” prices are really short promos: TracFone’s Auto-Refill prices on its smaller plans last the first 2 months, and Straight Talk’s AutoPay prices last the first 3.
Intro prices that end
This is the big one. A lot of the cheapest numbers you’ll see are first-term prices. Read the “then” column before the first one.
| Carrier and plan | Intro price | For how long | Then |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Mobile Unlimited Starter, port-in code FBF10 | $10/mo | 6 months | $25/mo |
| US Mobile Unlimited Starter, yearly plan for a new line | $199/yr | First year only | $270/yr |
| Mint Mobile 6GB, 6-month plan | $10/mo ($60 up front) | First 6 months | $20/mo |
| Mint Mobile Unlimited, 3-month plan | $30/mo ($90 up front) | First 3 months | $40/mo |
| Visible, bring your own phone | $75 for 6 months | Offer ends October 29 | $25/mo |
| Lycamobile $19 Unlimited International (5GB) | $10 per 30 days | First 12 months | $19 per 30 days |
| Lycamobile $33 High Data (18GB) | $7.50 per 30 days | First 6 months | $33 per 30 days |
| Ultra Mobile 4GB, 12-month plan | $120 ($10/mo) | First 12-month term, new customers | Regular 12-month rate, $156 ($13/mo) |
| TracFone Basic (1GB), Auto-Refill | $10/mo | First 2 months | $15/mo |
| Straight Talk Silver Unlimited, Auto Pay | $42.50/mo | First 3 months | $45/mo |
| Xfinity Mobile Select, with Xfinity Internet | Free first line | First year, new customers | $30/mo |
US Mobile’s code FBF10 needs you to transfer in a number and is limited to 5 per household. New-line yearly offers renew at the regular yearly price.
Activation fees
Most prepaid carriers on this list charge nothing to start: Visible, H2O, Google Fi, TracFone, Simple Mobile, Straight Talk, Ultra Mobile and Tello’s Unlimited plan all list $0. Cricket and Metro charge $25 a line only if you activate in a store. Consumer Cellular charges $10 a line, Xfinity $25 a line (waived on a first order through October 30), and the big carriers charge the most: $35 a line at AT&T, a $35-a-line device connection charge at T-Mobile and $40 a line at Verizon. US Mobile: Carrier does not say.
Data that slows to a crawl, or bills by the gig
Cheap limited plans don’t always stop at the limit. Cricket Sensible 10GB drops to 128 Kbps after 10GB, and Straight Talk Bronze to 2G speeds. Google Fi Flexible keeps charging $10 per GB until its Bill Protection kicks in at 15GB. On cheap “unlimited” plans, check the high-speed allowance: 10GB on US Mobile Unlimited Flex, 30GB on Boost Unlimited, 35GB on Metro’s web-only plan, 50GB on Mint and Tello Unlimited. Our cheapest unlimited data plans guide digs further into the caps.
Cheap Phone Plans Compared Side by Side
The cheap end of each carrier’s lineup, one line. The first price is without AutoPay; the AutoPay price, where there is one, is in brackets. For every plan type in one place, see cell phone plans compared.
| Carrier | Plan | Price | Data | Taxes included? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Mobile | Custom: unlimited texts | $6/mo | No data, no calls | Carrier does not say |
| US Mobile | Light | $10/mo ($96/yr on a yearly plan) | 2GB | Yes |
| US Mobile | By the Gig 5GB | $15/mo | 5GB | Yes |
| US Mobile | Unlimited Flex | $210/yr ($17.50/mo, yearly only) | Unlimited; may slow after 10GB | Yes |
| US Mobile | Unlimited Starter POPULAR | $25/mo | Unlimited | Yes |
| TextNow | Free (with ads) | Free | 550MB | No |
| Tello | Custom: 2GB + 300 min | $8/mo | 2GB | No |
| Tello | 2GB | $10/mo | 2GB | No |
| TracFone | Basic | $15/mo | 1GB | No |
| Mint Mobile | 6GB | $15/mo (12 months up front, $180) | 6GB | No |
| Tello | Everyday | $15/mo | 10GB | No |
| TextNow | Plus Monthly | $18.99/mo | Unlimited, no streaming or gaming | No |
| Ultra Mobile | 4GB | $19/mo | 4GB | No |
| Lycamobile | $19 Unlimited International | $19/mo ($10 intro price for 12 months) | 5GB | Carrier does not say |
| Consumer Cellular | Basic 1GB | $20/mo with AutoPay | 1GB | No |
| H2O Wireless | $20 Plan | $20/mo ($18) | 10GB | No |
| Google Fi | Flexible | $20/mo + $10/GB | Pay per GB | No |
| Mint Mobile | 17GB | $20/mo (12 months up front, $240) | 17GB | No |
| Simple Mobile | $25 Plan | $25/mo ($23.75) | 15GB | No |
| Visible | Visible | $25/mo | Unlimited | Yes |
| Tello | Unlimited | $25/mo | Unlimited; 50GB at full speed | No |
| Boost Mobile | Unlimited | $30/mo ($25) | Unlimited; 30GB premium | No |
| H2O Wireless | $30 Unlimited | $30/mo ($27) | Unlimited; 30GB premium | No |
| Mint Mobile | Unlimited | $30/mo (12 months up front, $360) | Unlimited; 50GB premium | No |
| Cricket Wireless | Sensible 10GB | $35/mo ($30) | 10GB | Yes |
| Straight Talk | Bronze 10 GB | $35/mo | 10GB, then 2G speeds | No |
| Google Fi | Unlimited Essentials | $35/mo | Unlimited; 30GB high-speed | No |
| Consumer Cellular | Unlimited 50+ | $35/mo with AutoPay | Unlimited; 35GB high-speed | No |
| TextNow | Monthly Unlimited | $35.99/mo | Unlimited (label lists 20GB) | No |
| Metro by T-Mobile | Unlimited 5G Data (web only) | $40/mo | Unlimited; 35GB premium | Yes |
| Total Wireless | Total Starter | $40/mo ($35 with Auto Pay from month two) | Unlimited | Yes |
| Cricket Wireless | Select Unlimited | $40/mo ($35) | Unlimited | Yes |
| Straight Talk | Silver Unlimited | $45/mo | Unlimited | No |
| Optimum Mobile | Unlimited | $45/mo | Unlimited; 20GB premium | No |
| T-Mobile | Essentials Saver 2.0 (1 or 2 lines only) | $55/mo ($50) | Unlimited; 50GB premium | No |
| AT&T | Value 2.0 | $60/mo ($50) | Unlimited; 5GB high-speed | No |
| Verizon | Unlimited Welcome | $75/mo ($65) | Unlimited; deprioritized | No |
US Mobile
Consumer Reports Top RatedUS Mobile is where we’d start if you want cheap without the plan feeling cheap. Light is $10/mo for 2GB of data with unlimited talk and text, or $96 for a year, which works out to $8/mo. Unlimited Starter is $25/mo, or $270 for the year ($22.50/mo). Taxes and fees are included on both, and neither needs AutoPay or a contract.
Every line gets access to all three major US wireless networks, branded as Warp 5G, Dark Star, and Light Speed. You pick one at signup, and you can move your line to a different network later from your account dashboard. Want more than one network on the same phone? The Multi-Network add-on is $10/mo per line, or $7.50/mo on an annual plan.
Need even less than Light? The build-your-own option sells the pieces separately: unlimited texts alone are $6/mo, and unlimited minutes alone are $8/mo. That’s a handy way to keep a number alive on a backup phone. Our how to build a cheap cell phone plan guide walks through it. By the Gig plans run $15/mo for 5GB, $20 for 10GB and $35 for 20GB, and each extra line is $8 and shares the data, so two lines on 5GB come to $23/mo.
At the top end, Unlimited Premium is $44/mo and adds unlimited priority data, unlimited hotspot on one of its networks, 20GB of roaming in 180+ countries, international calling and texting, and a free smartwatch plan on select networks. There’s no multi-line discount on Unlimited plans: each line costs the same whether you have one or five. Three or more monthly Premium lines do earn one subscription perk worth up to $15/mo.
One thing to watch with the free trial. New customers who transfer a number get 30 days and 30GB on select networks, and unless you change plans, the line then renews on monthly Unlimited Premium at $44/mo. If Light or Starter is what you came for, switch before day 30.
US Mobile is named a Consumer Reports Top Rated Cell Phone Service Provider. See the full ratings.
Consumer Reports does not endorse products or services.
US Mobile cheap-plan pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Yearly plan | First-year offer | Data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custom: unlimited texts | $6/mo | Not offered | None | No data, no calls |
| Custom: unlimited minutes | $8/mo | Not offered | None | No data, no texts |
| Light | $10/mo | $96/yr ($8/mo) | None | 2GB |
| By the Gig 5GB | $15/mo | Not offered | None | 5GB, shared across lines |
| By the Gig 10GB | $20/mo | Not offered | None | 10GB, shared across lines |
| By the Gig 20GB | $35/mo | Not offered | None | 20GB, shared across lines |
| Unlimited Flex | Yearly only | $210/yr ($17.50/mo) | None | Unlimited, may slow after 10GB; 5GB hotspot |
| Unlimited Starter POPULAR | $25/mo | $270/yr ($22.50/mo) | $199 first year, then $270/yr | Unlimited; 20GB hotspot |
| Unlimited Premium | $44/mo | $390/yr ($32.50/mo) | $299 first year, then $390/yr | Unlimited priority data |
Taxes and fees are included on Unlimited, Light and By the Gig plans. First-year offers are for new lines and renew at the regular yearly price. Right now, if you port in your number, code FBF10 makes Starter $10/mo and code FBF20 makes Premium $20/mo for the first 6 months, then $25/mo and $44/mo (limit 5 per household). Starter’s high-speed data is unlimited on one of its networks and may slow after 70GB a month on the others.
Pros
- Light at $10/mo ($8/mo paid yearly) with taxes and fees included
- Access to all three major US wireless networks on one plan
- By the Gig data is shared, with each extra line $8
- Texts-only ($6/mo) and minutes-only ($8/mo) lines for backup phones
- No contract, and no AutoPay needed for the listed price
- 30-day free trial with 30GB for new customers who transfer a number
Cons
- No multi-line discount on Unlimited plans
- No retail stores
- Light’s 2GB goes fast if you stream away from Wi-Fi
- The free trial rolls into Unlimited Premium at $44/mo unless you switch plans
Bottom line: if you want a plan that’s cheap on the bill and not just on the banner, US Mobile is the clearest pick. See US Mobile plans.
Mint Mobile
Mint doesn’t do month to month. You buy 3, 6 or 12 months at once, and the 12-month plan is where the low prices live: 6GB at $15/mo ($180 up front), 17GB at $20/mo ($240), 23GB at $25/mo ($300) and Unlimited at $30/mo ($360). Taxes and fees are extra on all of them. Worth saying plainly, because it gets muddled a lot: the $15 price buys 6GB, not Unlimited.
The shorter terms are where the intro pricing hides. On the 6-month plan, every tier is $10/mo for the first six months ($60 up front), then 6GB renews at $20/mo and Unlimited at $35/mo. On the 3-month plan, Unlimited starts at $30/mo and then goes to $40/mo. Mint Unlimited includes 50GB of premium data and 20GB of hotspot. Mint’s own label says the 12-month price isn’t an introductory rate, though it doesn’t say what that plan renews at.
| Plan | 3 months (first term) | 6 months (first term) | 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6GB | $15/mo, then $25/mo | $10/mo, then $20/mo | $15/mo ($180) |
| 17GB | $20/mo, then $35/mo | $10/mo, then $25/mo | $20/mo ($240) |
| 23GB | $25/mo, then $45/mo | $10/mo, then $35/mo | $25/mo ($300) |
| Unlimited | $30/mo, then $40/mo | $10/mo, then $35/mo | $30/mo ($360) |
Weighing Mint against the other big budget name? See Mint Mobile vs Visible. See Mint Mobile plans.
Visible
Visible runs on Verizon’s network and keeps the bill refreshingly boring: the base plan is $25/mo with taxes and fees included, no AutoPay required, no activation fee. Pay $275 for a year and it’s about $22.92/mo. Hotspot is unlimited but capped at 5 Mbps, and Visible says data may be temporarily slower than other traffic when the network is busy. There are no stores.
Visible+ ($35/mo) and Visible+ Pro ($45/mo) add 5G Ultra Wideband and faster hotspot caps. Right now there’s also a limited-time deal for people who bring their own phone: 6 months for $75, ending October 29.
| Plan | Monthly | Yearly plan | Hotspot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visible | $25/mo | $275/yr | Unlimited (5 Mbps) |
| Visible+ | $35/mo | $375/yr | Unlimited (10 Mbps) |
| Visible+ Pro | $45/mo | $450/yr | Unlimited (15 Mbps) |
With code 5OFF5, Visible+ is $30/mo and Visible+ Pro is $40/mo for 5 years on monthly billing, then the regular price.
Coming from a big carrier? Our AT&T vs Visible comparison runs the first-year math. See Visible plans.
Cricket Wireless
Cricket runs on AT&T’s network and includes taxes and fees in its prices, which already puts it ahead of most “cheap” plans on this page. AutoPay takes $5 off. Sensible 10GB is $35/mo ($30 with AutoPay); once the 10GB is used up, speeds drop to 128 Kbps unless you buy more at $10 per GB. It has no hotspot, and video is limited to SD.
Select Unlimited is $40/mo ($35 with AutoPay), with hotspot only as an add-on and video in SD. Every line on an account has to be on the same plan, and activating in a Cricket store costs $25 a line, so sign up online if you can.
| Plan | Regular monthly | With AutoPay | Data | Hotspot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sensible 10GB | $35/mo | $30/mo | 10GB, then 128 Kbps | Not available |
| Select Unlimited | $40/mo | $35/mo | Unlimited | Add-on only |
| Smart Unlimited | $50/mo | $45/mo | Unlimited | 15GB |
More detail in Cricket Wireless vs US Mobile. See Cricket plans.
Boost Mobile
Boost Unlimited is $30/mo, or $25/mo with AutoPay, with 30GB of premium data; past that, speeds can drop to 512 kbps. Global Connection is $45/mo ($40 with AutoPay) with 40GB of premium data, global talk and text, and 1GB of global roaming, which makes it the Boost plan to look at if you call abroad. Taxes and fees are extra.
New customers who bring their own phone can get Unlimited for $10/mo for the first few months. Boost’s own page lists that offer as both 3 and 6 months, so confirm the length at checkout.
| Plan | Regular monthly | With AutoPay | Premium data | Hotspot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unlimited | $30/mo | $25/mo | 30GB | Carrier does not say |
| Global Connection | $45/mo | $40/mo | 40GB | Carrier does not say |
Metro by T-Mobile
Metro no longer lists the Basic plan we covered in August. Its cheapest plan now is a web-only Unlimited 5G Data plan at $40/mo, with taxes and fees included, no AutoPay needed and 35GB of premium data. Above it, Unlimited 5G Data is $55/mo ($50 with AutoPay) with 8GB of hotspot, and Unlimited Premium 5G Data is $60/mo ($55) with 25GB of hotspot. All three come with a 5-year price guarantee. Activation is free online and $25 a line in a store.
| Plan | Regular monthly | With AutoPay | Premium data | Hotspot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unlimited 5G Data (web only) | $40/mo | No AutoPay discount listed | 35GB | Carrier does not say |
| Unlimited 5G Data | $55/mo | $50/mo | 50GB | 8GB |
| Unlimited Premium 5G Data | $60/mo | $55/mo | Unlimited | 25GB |
Consumer Cellular
Consumer Cellular is the cheap plan for people who’d rather talk to a person, with US-based phone support. Basic 1GB is $20/mo, 5GB is $25/mo and Unlimited 50+ is $35/mo (the account holder has to be 50 or older; two lines are $60/mo). Each of those prices already includes a $5 AutoPay and eBilling credit, and AARP members take another 5% off.
Then the extras land: taxes, a $10 activation fee per line and a $3.99 operational compliance fee per line every month. So Basic 1GB is really $23.99 a month before taxes. Unlimited 50+ slows after 35GB on a single line. For more plans built around older users, see our senior phone plans roundup.
| Plan | 1 line (AutoPay) | AARP member | Data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic 1GB | $20/mo | $19/mo | 1GB |
| 5GB Data | $25/mo | $23.75/mo | 5GB |
| Unlimited 50+ | $35/mo | $33.25/mo | Unlimited; 35GB high-speed |
Google Fi
Fi’s Flexible plan is $20/mo for one line plus $10 for every GB you use, and data works in 200+ destinations. Bill Protection stops the data charges at 15GB, after which speeds slow to 256 kbps. That’s great if you live on Wi-Fi and lousy if you don’t: use 1GB and the bill is $30 before taxes, use 2GB and it’s $40, at which point Unlimited Essentials ($35/mo, 30GB of high-speed data, no hotspot) is already cheaper.
Fi charges no activation fee, but taxes and government surcharges are extra; Fi says they normally run 10 to 20 percent. New Pixel owners can get 50% off for 12 months on the unlimited plans, an offer that ends October 31, 2026.
| Plan | 1 line | 2 lines | High-speed data | Hotspot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flexible | $20/mo + $10/GB | $35/mo + data | Billed up to 15GB, then 256 kbps | Included |
| Unlimited Essentials | $35/mo | $60/mo | 30GB | None |
Big 3 Cheapest Plans
The big carriers’ cheapest plans aren’t cheap next to everything above, but they’re the benchmark most people are leaving, so here’s what they cost. Prices are for one line with AutoPay, before taxes and fees. For the full head-to-head, see AT&T vs Verizon vs T-Mobile.
T-Mobile Essentials Saver 2.0
$50/mo with AutoPay ($55 without), and T-Mobile only shows it at 1 or 2 lines; two lines are $80 with AutoPay. Essentials 2.0, sold at any line count, is $60/mo ($65 without). Both include 50GB of premium data, unlimited hotspot at 3G speeds and no streaming perks. If you’re 55 or older, Essentials Choice 55+ 2.0 is $45/mo with AutoPay, or $60 for two lines. On top of all of them: a $5.49-a-line fee, government surcharges (typically $0.08 to $4.57 a line) and a one-time $35-a-line device connection charge. T-Mobile plans. Comparing the big two? See T-Mobile vs Verizon.
AT&T Value 2.0
$50/mo with AutoPay and paperless billing, but only if you pay with a bank account or AT&T’s own card. AutoPay with a debit card takes $5 off instead of $10, so it’s $55; without AutoPay, $60. Only the first 5GB is full speed, after which your data may slow when the network is busy, and hotspot is 3GB. Add taxes, a fee of up to $4.99 a line and a $35 activation fee. AT&T plans.
Verizon Unlimited Welcome
$65/mo with Auto Pay and paper-free billing, $75 without. No hotspot, and its data is deprioritized, so it may be temporarily slower than other traffic during congestion. Verizon adds a $40 activation fee per line, a $3.78-a-line administrative charge that rises to $4.69 on November 15, 2026, and surcharges it says can add 16% to 58% to your monthly charges.
Verizon also advertises a Simplicity Plan at $30 a line. That’s the best case, though: it needs Auto Pay and paper-free billing plus switching in from another carrier, and Verizon doesn’t print the full price on the page. It includes 10GB of hotspot. Verizon plans.
Other Cheap Plans Worth Considering
Smaller carriers and bundle-only plans that earn a spot for one specific reason. If you’d rather filter by prepaid first, our best prepaid phone plans list does that.
Tello
Build-your-own, and properly granular. 2GB with 300 minutes comes to $8/mo; the preset plans are 2GB for $10, 10GB for $15, 20GB for $20 and Unlimited for $25 (50GB at full speed, then slowed, with 10GB of hotspot). Any calling plan includes free calls to 60+ countries. Taxes and surcharges are added at checkout, plus a cost recovery fee of up to 30 cents. Tello plans.
TextNow
Free really is $0 a month, paid for with ads, with 550MB of data. You still pay $3.99 for the SIM, and taxes vary by location. Plus Monthly ($18.99/mo) drops the ads and gives unlimited data without streaming media or gaming; Monthly Unlimited ($35.99/mo, or $8.99 a week) allows both. Both list 20GB of data on their Broadband Facts labels. TextNow plans.
Lycamobile
Every plan includes unlimited talk and text to 100 countries, which is the whole pitch. The $19 plan (5GB) is $10 per 30 days for the first 12 months, then $19; the $23 plan (8GB) is $15 for the first 12 months, then $23; the $29 plan (15GB) has no intro price. Lycamobile’s plan page doesn’t say whether taxes are included. Lycamobile plans.
H2O Wireless
The $20 Plan has 10GB and 2GB of hotspot for $20/mo, $18 with AutoPay, or $192 if you prepay 12 months ($16/mo). The $30 Unlimited plan has 30GB of premium data and 5GB of hotspot ($27 with AutoPay, $24/mo prepaid for a year). Taxes are extra, plus a small monthly regulatory fee. H2O Wireless plans.
Ultra Mobile
Built for calling home: every plan includes unlimited talk to 90+ international destinations, plus unlimited talk and text in Mexico and Canada. 4GB is $19/mo; on the 12-month term, new customers pay $120 ($10/mo) for the first term against a regular $156 ($13/mo). There’s also a talk-and-text plan sold only on multi-month terms, $120 for 12 months. No activation fee; taxes extra. Ultra Mobile plans.
Straight Talk
Bronze 10 GB is $35/mo and drops to 2G speeds after 10GB; Silver Unlimited is $45/mo. The AutoPay prices ($34 and $42.50) only last the first 3 months, and taxes are extra. Straight Talk plans.
Simple Mobile
The $25 Plan is 15GB for $25/mo ($23.75 with Auto Pay); $30 gets you 20GB and $40 gets 30GB. Taxes and fees are extra. Simple Mobile plans.
TracFone
Basic is $15 for 30 days with 1GB, and the $10 Auto-Refill price only covers the first 2 months. From there it’s 4GB for $20, 10GB for $30, 20GB for $40 and Unlimited for $50 with 15GB of hotspot. Taxes and fees extra. TracFone plans.
Total Wireless
On Verizon’s network, with taxes and fees included and a 5-year price guarantee. Total Starter is $40 for the first month, then $35/mo with Auto Pay, and includes 10GB of premium hotspot (then up to 5 Mbps). The Auto Pay discount is one per account, not per line. Total Wireless plans.
Optimum Mobile
Unlimited is $45 for one line, with 20GB of premium data and 5GB of hotspot, and gets cheap fast with more lines: $60 for two, then $20 a line from three. Optimum’s plan page doesn’t say you need Optimum Internet, and it advertises a $20 a month internet credit when you add Mobile. Pricing assumes good credit; taxes extra. Optimum Mobile plans.
Spectrum Mobile
Needs Spectrum Internet and AutoPay. New customers get the first Unlimited line free for a year. After that, Spectrum’s own pages disagree: the plan card says $30 a line, but the FAQ puts a single line at $40; two lines are $60. 30GB of premium data and 5GB of hotspot. The activation fee is extra and Spectrum doesn’t state the amount. Spectrum Mobile plans.
Xfinity Mobile
Needs Xfinity Internet. Mobile Select is $30/mo, a price that already includes a $10 internet-customer discount, and new customers get the first line free for a year. 15GB of hotspot. There’s a $25 activation fee per line, waived on a first order through October 30; taxes extra. Xfinity Mobile plans.
How Much You Can Save by Switching to US Mobile
Same-tier comparisons: entry unlimited against entry unlimited, premium against premium. Big 3 prices are their single-line AutoPay rates, the cheapest price they advertise. US Mobile prices are the regular monthly rate, no promo code.
| Currently on | Their monthly | Switch to | US Mobile monthly | Monthly savings | Yearly savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verizon Unlimited Welcome | $65/mo | Unlimited Starter | $25/mo | $40/mo | $480/yr |
| AT&T Value 2.0 | $50/mo | Unlimited Starter | $25/mo | $25/mo | $300/yr |
| T-Mobile Essentials Saver 2.0 | $50/mo | Unlimited Starter | $25/mo | $25/mo | $300/yr |
| Verizon Unlimited Ultimate | $95/mo | Unlimited Premium | $44/mo | $51/mo | $612/yr |
| T-Mobile Experience Beyond 2.0 | $100/mo | Unlimited Premium | $44/mo | $56/mo | $672/yr |
| AT&T Elite 2.0 | $110/mo | Unlimited Premium | $44/mo | $66/mo | $792/yr |
Only need a couple of gigs? Light at $10/mo isn’t in the table because none of the Big 3 plans we priced this month is a same-size match, so there’s nothing fair to line it up against. See US Mobile plans.
Which Cheap Phone Plan Is Right for You?
- Best for most people who want cheap and good: US Mobile. Light at $10/mo or Unlimited Starter at $25/mo, taxes included, with access to all three major networks.
- You barely use your phone: a US Mobile texts-only line at $6/mo or minutes-only at $8/mo, Tello’s 2GB and 300 minutes at $8/mo plus taxes, or TextNow Free with ads. Just a few gigs? See $10 mobile phone plans.
- You want unlimited and can pay for a year: US Mobile Unlimited Flex at $210 ($17.50/mo), taxes included. It slows after 10GB a month, so it suits light users who hate watching a meter.
- You want unlimited, month to month: US Mobile Unlimited Starter or Visible, both $25/mo with taxes included. More in our best unlimited data plan roundup.
- You want a person on the phone: Consumer Cellular Basic 1GB at $20/mo with AutoPay, plus its monthly fee and taxes.
- You call abroad a lot: Lycamobile (100 countries on every plan), Ultra Mobile (90+ destinations, from $19/mo) or Tello (60+ countries with any calling plan).
- You already pay for home internet: Spectrum Mobile, Xfinity Mobile or Optimum Mobile, which tie their best prices to it.
- You need to stay with a Big 3 carrier: T-Mobile Essentials Saver 2.0 and AT&T Value 2.0 are both $50/mo with AutoPay, before taxes and fees.
- You’re buying for more than one person: see the best family phone plan, best cell phone plans for 2 lines or phone plans for kids. Just you? Try best phone plans for one.
Still deciding whether cheap is the right filter at all? The best phone plans roundup weighs perks and price together.
How We Evaluated These Cheap Phone Plans
US Mobile wrote this comparison, and it’s in it. To keep that honest, every price here was read on the carrier’s own plan page or its FCC Broadband Facts label on , and we saved screenshots of those pages. Prices are for one line without AutoPay unless we say otherwise; “/mo” on a yearly or multi-month plan is the up-front price divided by the months it covers. Where a carrier doesn’t publish something, we say “Carrier does not say” rather than guess.
For cheap plans specifically, we weighted the price you’ll actually pay (taxes, carrier fees, activation and AutoPay conditions), what you get for it (data before slowdowns, hotspot, international calling) and what happens after any intro price ends. A plan that’s cheap for three months and pricey for the next nine didn’t win anything.
Savings comparisons match tiers (entry with entry, premium with premium) and are labelled where they cross from prepaid to postpaid. We don’t rate network speed or coverage ourselves. For customer ratings, see Consumer Reports; Consumer Reports does not endorse products or services. For speed and coverage, independent sources include Ookla’s Speedtest reports and Opensignal, and the FCC’s wireless consumer guides explain your rights as a customer.
US Mobile coverage details live on the plans page and the network coverage page. The previous edition is the August 2026 edition, and the main article is updated as prices change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has the cheapest phone plans?
It depends how little you need. US Mobile sells unlimited texts on their own for $6/mo, and Tello’s 2GB plan with 300 minutes is $8/mo plus taxes. US Mobile Light is $10/mo for 2GB, or $96 a year ($8/mo), with taxes and fees included. TextNow Free costs nothing but runs on ads, with 550MB of data and a $3.99 SIM.
What are the best cheap phone plans?
For most people, US Mobile. Light is $10/mo for 2GB and Unlimited Starter is $25/mo, taxes and fees included, with access to all three major US wireless networks. US Mobile is named a Consumer Reports Top Rated Cell Phone Service Provider. See the full ratings. Consumer Reports does not endorse products or services. Runner-up: Visible, $25/mo with taxes included.
Is there a free phone plan?
Yes. TextNow Free costs $0 a month because ads pay for it. You get unlimited talk and text and 550MB of data, enough for messages and the odd map but not much more. The SIM costs $3.99 and taxes vary by location. Spectrum and Xfinity also give new home-internet customers a free first line for a year.
Are cheap phone plans worse than Big 3 plans?
Not by default. Most cheap carriers rent space on the same national networks, so the real differences sit in the fine print: high-speed data before slowdowns, hotspot, data priority, support and whether taxes are included. US Mobile is named a Consumer Reports Top Rated Cell Phone Service Provider. See the full ratings. Consumer Reports does not endorse products or services.
Do cheap phone plans include taxes and fees?
Some do. US Mobile (Unlimited, Light and By the Gig), Visible, Cricket, Metro and Total Wireless include taxes and fees in the price. Mint, Tello, TextNow, H2O, Ultra Mobile, Straight Talk, Simple Mobile and TracFone add them at checkout, and Google Fi says its taxes and surcharges normally run 10 to 20 percent. The Big 3 add taxes plus their own monthly fees.
Can I keep my current phone and number with a cheap plan?
Usually, yes. Most cheap carriers let you bring your own phone if it’s unlocked and works on their network, and moving your number works the same way it does at the big carriers: you’ll need your account number and transfer PIN. US Mobile even rewards it: port in a number with code FBF10 and Unlimited Starter is $10/mo for 6 months, then $25/mo.
Why do some cheap phone plans go up in price?
Because the headline is often an intro price. Mint’s 6-month plan is $10/mo for the first term, then 6GB renews at $20/mo. Lycamobile’s $19 plan is $10 for the first 12 months. TracFone Basic is $10 with Auto-Refill for 2 months, then $15. Compare the price you’ll pay after the intro ends, not the first bill.
What’s the cheapest phone plan for international calls?
Tello, Lycamobile and Ultra Mobile are the cheap options built for it. Any Tello calling plan, from $8/mo plus taxes, includes free calls to 60+ countries. Every Lycamobile plan includes unlimited talk and text to 100 countries, from $10 per 30 days for the first 12 months ($19 after). Ultra Mobile’s 4GB plan is $19/mo with unlimited talk to 90+ destinations.
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