Best Cheap Phone Plans for May 2024 - CNET

Visible, which is owned by Verizon and runs on its network, has updated its plans again and added a new annual option. When you pay up front, this service runs $275 for a year and gets you Visible's namesake base plan. Included in this option is unlimited talk, text and data in the US (though without full access to Verizon's fastest 5G UW networks), unlimited hotspot (though speeds are capped at 5Mbps), and unlimited talk and text -- but no data -- in Mexico and Canada.

At $275 for a year, it breaks down to $22.91 per month, which is a small discount from the regular monthly rate of $25. It's also slightly cheaper than US Mobile's Unlimited Starter, our previous pick in this spot, which runs $23 per month (when purchased using its annual option, otherwise it's $29 monthly). US Mobile, however, includes 35GB of high-speed data (including on faster 5G networks) and 10GB of hotspot data, with 1GB of international data.

Both US Mobile and Visible include taxes and fees with their pricing, and either choice is solid. We give the edge to Visible because its data speed doesn't drop to 1Mbps after the high-speed data is used up, and it includes unlimited hotspot data, even if speeds are capped at 5Mbps.

US Mobile, which runs on Verizon's network for its "Warp 5G" service and T-Mobile's for its "GSM" offering, has recently updated its plans again. Now its cheapest Unlimited Starter option starts at $23 per line, per month when purchased annually. That's slightly cheaper than our previous pick in this spot, Boost Mobile's $25 per month unlimited plan.

Taxes and fees are included in the sticker price, and you'll now get 35GB of high-speed data and 10GB of hotspot data. To add more high-speed data, international roaming or streaming perks, you'll need to step up to the carrier's pricier Unlimited Premium plans.

If you don't want to prepay for a year, you can get Unlimited Starter for $29 per month.

Boost Mobile has added an unlimited plan that offers unlimited talk, text and data to users for $25 a month with taxes and fees included. Unlike Mint Mobile's 12-month plan, our previous pick in this slot, Boost's plan isn't tied to 12-month increments. You do need to be a new Boost customer, or an existing user who brings their own phone or buys one at full price, to get the offer. 

The plan includes 5G access and 30GB per month of high-speed data (if you blow through that, your data will slow until your next billing month starts). Hotspot is included as well, with that data pulling from your high-speed allotment. One thing worth noting: You need to set up automatic payments to get the $25 monthly rate. Without it, it's $35 per month.

Google's phone service got a pricing revamp that makes it a much more appealing alternative to major providers. For a family of four, you can now get its Simply Unlimited plan for $80 per month ($20 per month, per line), which includes not only unlimited talk, text and 35GB of high-speed data but also 5GB of mobile hotspot use. There also is free roaming in Canada and Mexico, although taxes and fees aren't included in the sticker price. 

Google Fi Wireless runs largely on T-Mobile's network and its service includes 5G access.

US Mobile, which runs on Verizon's network for its "Warp 5G" service and T-Mobile's for its "GSM" offering, recently changed its plans again. Now its cheapest Unlimited Starter option starts at $25 per line, per month, which is a $5 increase per line compared with its prior Unlimited Basic offering, which for a family of four would run $80 per month (without including taxes or fees). 

Taxes and fees are now included in the sticker price, and (after another recent change) you will now get 30GB of high-speed data (down from 40GB on Basic) and 5GB of hotspot data. To add more high-speed data, international roaming or streaming perks, you'll need to step up to one of the carrier's pricier Unlimited Essentials or Unlimited Premium plans.

AT&T's prepaid brand has a decent deal if you're looking for four lines: $25 a month for unlimited talk, text and data. A single line is $55 a month, but Cricket gives a solid discount if you're willing to add more lines to the account. 

Unlike Visible, this is a traditional-style family plan, where one person pays for all the lines, so you may want to do this with people you know and can rely on to pay on time. Although it's nearly identical in price, Visible's plan includes unlimited hotspot data, giving it the edge over Cricket. Like Visible, Cricket includes taxes in the price. 

Cricket's T-Mobile rival, Metro, has a similar four lines for $100 a month unlimited deal. At the moment, it's back online as a promotional offer, but if that disappears, you may need to buy the plan in-store and switch providers to get the deal.

If you're looking for service for a backup phone that's rarely used, TextNow has a free plan. Running on T-Mobile's network, the service offers free unlimited talk and unlimited texting, though ads are placed in its app that you use to call and text people. There isn't any data included with this option, and removing the ads without adding data would run you $10 a month. If you want to watch YouTube, FaceTime or surf the web, you'll need to connect to Wi-Fi. 

Text messages are also done through the company's TextNow app, not through iMessage or WhatsApp, which makes sense because those services require data. A recent change from TextNow lets you get unlimited talk and text (through its app) as well as 1GB of data per month for a handful of apps, like Gmail, Waze, Uber, Lyft, Outlook, Apple Maps and Google Maps. All you need to do is buy a TextNow SIM card, which is a one-time $5 charge.

If you need more data, well, things will get expensive quickly. An unlimited data hour pass runs $1 per hour, a day pass is $5 and a month is $40. If you need data, you're better off going with a different provider than TextNow.

US Mobile has a good option for 5GB of data for $15 a month, which beats comparably priced offers from Mint ($15 a month for 4GB of data), Boost Mobile ($15 for 2GB of data) and others. 

Boost has a $100 deal for new customers that offers 1GB of data per month for a full year. That breaks down to $8.33 a month if you prepay for a year. Boost offers service on AT&T and T-Mobile's networks today, although parent company Dish is in the process of building out its own wireless network. 

If you don't have Boost, you largely use Wi-Fi (but still want some data), and price is the biggest driver for you, then this is the go-to pick for a new service. To find this plan, choose the 12-month option on Boost's page.