Best Cellphone Plans of 2025: Our Top Picks

This is the time of year when the major phone-makers have released their lineups, but the phone itself is only part of the package -- you need a cellular plan to take full advantage of it. As you're considering the purchase of a new iPhone 17 or Pixel 10 , think about whether your current cell provider is meeting your needs. We've put together recommendations from major carriers like AT&T , T-Mobile and Verizon , as well as smaller services such as Mint Mobile and Google Fi Wireless. For most of our picks, we've included both types of plans: Postpaid plans, where you pay at the end of the month for the data and any other additional charges, and prepaid plans, where you pay a fixed amount at the beginning of a monthly period and no more.

What is the best phone plan overall?

Would that it were so simple. People have all sorts of needs for talk, text and data usage on their phones, which is why we've made recommendations in multiple categories.

As you evaluate phone plans, think about how you use your phone. Are you mostly at home or another location where there's plentiful Wi-Fi? You may be fine with an inexpensive plan with a small amount of cellular high-speed data. Or, if you frequently travel or are out and about all day, having unlimited, unrestricted data and high speeds is likely more important.

For this guide, we're leaning more toward value than seeing how many features we can pack into an expensive plan. You can always look at our picks and then move up the list of what the companies offer to find the mix of features and monthly cost that's the most comfortable for you.

Best value phone plans for a single line

Best value phone plans for a family of four

Best budget plans with limited data

Best phone plan for perks

Best phone plan for seniors

Best phone plan for international travel

T-Mobile Experience Beyond

n/a

See at T-Mobile

Best cellphone plans compared

Recent updates

T-Mobile shook up its plans in early 2025, replacing its Go5G Plus and Go5G Next plans with Experience More and Experience Beyond. And yet, the stalwart Essentials and Essentials Saver plans are still in the lineup as lower-cost alternatives to the bells-and-whistles Experience plans. It also announced that the Starlink-based T-Satellite service is included in Experience Beyond and Go5G Next plans, and available as a $10 a month add-on for other plans (even extended to competing carriers). T-Mobile also introduced its five-year price guarantee on its prepaid plans as well as the postpaid plans.

Since we updated this guide, Verizon has added a three-year price guarantee to its plans.

Also since the the last update, the Google Fi Wireless Unlimited Standard plan replaced Simply Unlimited, boosting the high-speed data from 35GB to 50GB and the hotspot data from 5GB to 25GB before the speed is throttled.

In June 2025 AT&T announced a new plan for seniors, AT&T 55 Plus, which costs $40/month for a single line or $70/month for two lines. However, it's not clear how much high-speed data you'll get -- AT&T says unlimited 5G access is included but that data speeds can be throttled if the network is busy. If you're already an AT&T customer, this could be a good option for reducing your monthly bill. That said, we still think T-Mobile's Essentials Choice 55 plan provides the best overall value.

US Mobile changed the network priority level of its Warp (Verizon) level as of Aug. 18, 2025, to QCI 9 instead of the higher-priority QCI 8. However, anyone on Warp before that date keeps the QCI 8 designation.

Factors to consider

A wireless carrier saying it offers 5G is like me saying I have a car. Good for me -- but what make and model is it? Does it run reliably? Can it actually get up to the top speed on the speedometer or will it sputter when I try to merge onto the freeway? And could I have gotten the same performance if I'd paid less for a model without extras like heated seats and a TruCoat sealant?

As you're evaluating carriers, keep the following things in mind.

Know your area

Wireless coverage can make or break a plan. If you aren't getting reliably fast connections, or if calls often drop or aren't picked up, then you could be paying for more than you're getting. Fortunately, most areas of the US are blanketed by some type of cellular coverage, so there aren't as many dead zones as there used to be. (And now satellite service is starting to fill those holes.) The major companies are also putting a lot of money and effort into broadening their coverage.

On the other hand, even in a dense area, one carrier's network may be stronger than another's, or signals could be reduced due to interference. So the best approach is to ask friends or family members which services they use and if the quality is acceptable. You can also test-drive services to see how your devices work in your area. (See the FAQ below for more on how reliable coverage maps can be.)

Know your deals and discounts

One other thing to keep in mind: discounts. All the carriers offer additional discounts you could be eligible for, depending on your employer, military status, student status or age.

First responders, military members, veterans, nurses and teachers can get discounts on every major carrier. Verizon has discounts for students, while T-Mobile's Work perk could knock 15% off the monthly price of an Experience More or Experience Beyond plan , with AT&T offering a similar program for its  Unlimited Premium PL plan . AT&T also has a promotion for teachers that offers 25% off its latest unlimited plans .

If you're 55 or older, you may also be eligible for a discounted plan: T-Mobile offers discounted plans nationwide for as low as $60 a month for two lines.  Verizon and AT&T offer similar options, but only for Florida residents. 

It's also worth noting that some carriers may advertise different rates geared toward switchers on their websites, for example if you bring your own phone (not trade in and finance a new one on an installment plan). Our recommendations reflect the actual rate outside of these very specific promotions.

How we test

Picking a wireless plan and carrier is a highly personal process. What works for you and your family's needs may be vastly different from what your friends or neighbors are looking for. Even geographically, some areas have better AT&T coverage, while others work best on Verizon or T-Mobile. The picks we make are based on more than a decade of covering and evaluating wireless carriers, their offerings and overall performance. 

Specifically, we take into account coverage, price/value, and perks.

Coverage

Since all three major providers cover most of the country with reliable 4G LTE or 5G, this is largely a toss-up on a macro level. It's why we recommend a variety of eSIM options for figuring out what works best for you in your particular location, so you can best decide what's right for you. Looking at coverage maps on each provider's website will likely show that you get good coverage even if your experience isn't full bars or the fastest speeds.

Price/value

Value is factoring in the total experience you might get, such as how much high-speed data you get and what's included in the sticker price. We also take into account whether a plan includes typical taxes and fees, or whether those are charged separately, inching your monthly bill up higher.

Perks

Perks are add-ons beyond the core components of wireless service (talk, text and data). This could range from bundling in or discounting streaming services, to extra hotspot data, or the ability to use your phone internationally.

Phone plan FAQs

How reliable are coverage maps?

The three major companies in the US -- AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon -- offer services directly and have robust nationwide networks that offer 4G LTE (fast) and 5G (even faster) data. They all promise coverage that blankets most of the US, and they're actively trying to build up 5G coverage everywhere they can.

But maps are one thing and experience is another. That's why it's impossible to say that one carrier is objectively better than another. For example, T-Mobile's service in New York may be excellent, but Verizon is more reliable in rural Iowa. Or you may have basic 5G coverage but not faster millimeter wave 5G.

If possible, ask neighbors, friends or family near you about which carriers they use and how fast or reliable the wireless service is. And don't forget to take into consideration not just where you live, but the places you frequent: Your house might get a clear connection, but your workplace could be in a cellular black hole.

You may also be able to test-drive a network -- go to a carrier's store and ask if there are free ways to try out the company's service. T-Mobile offers a free three-month  Network Pass , Verizon has a  30-day "trial" program , and AT&T has its own  30-day eSIM free trial program .

What to know about 5G

"5G" is an umbrella term that encompasses the current fifth-generation cellular wireless network technologies. All the major carriers and phones support 5G connections, which can offer faster data speeds than older technologies such as 4G LTE or 3G.

Essentially there are  three types of 5G :  Millimeter-wave  (mmWave), which can be fast but has limited range;  low-band  5G, which has slower speeds but works on a broader range; and  midband , which is a balance between the two that's faster than low-band but also covers a larger range than millimeter-wave. Midband also incorporates  C-band , a batch of spectrum auctioned off by the Federal Communications Commission in 2021.

Your phone's 5G connection depends on which type blankets the area you're in, as well as other factors, such as population density and infrastructure. For instance, mmWave is super fast, but its signals can be thwarted by buildings, glass, leaves, or by being inside of a structure.

When your device is connected to a 5G network, it can show up as several variations such as 5G, 5G Plus, 5G UW or others, depending on the carrier. Here's a list of icons you see at the top of your phone for the major services:

AT&T:  5GE (which isn't actually 5G, but rather a sly marketing name for 4G LTE),  5G (low band),  5G Plus (mmWave, midband)

Verizon:  5G (low band, also called "Nationwide 5G"),  5G UW/5G UWB (midband and mmWave, also called "5G Ultra Wideband")

T-Mobile:  5G (low band),  5G UC (midband and mmWave, also called "Ultra Capacity 5G")

There's also 5G Reduced Capacity (5G RedCap), which is a lower-power, smaller-capacity branch of 5G used by devices such as smartwatches and portable health devices; the Apple Watch Ultra 3, for example, connects via 5G RedCap.

Just around the corner is 5G Advanced, promising much faster speeds due to carrier aggregation, or combining multiple spectrums.

What's the difference between 'prepaid' and 'postpaid' plans?

When you're choosing a phone plan, there are generally two main options: a postpaid carrier like AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile (plus cable options like Spectrum Mobile and Xfinity Mobile) and prepaid providers such as Mint Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile, Google Fi Wireless and Cricket. 

The difference boils down to this: With postpaid, you're paying for your plan after you've used your service, while prepaid lets you buy that allotment in advance. 

Prepaid providers are generally cheaper than postpaid options, though they're also often (but not always) more limited when it comes to additional streaming perks, hotspot data or device discounts. To get a several-hundred-dollar trade-in credit toward a new iPhone, Pixel or Galaxy, you often will need to commit to a postpaid plan from one of the big three carriers and be willing to stay with that provider for 24 to 36 months. 

All three of the major wireless carriers also offer various discounts on the plan pricing depending on age, employment, military or veteran status or if you or someone on your family plan is a nurse, teacher or first responder. You can find details here for  AT&T , T-Mobile  and  Verizon . 

Why consider an unlimited plan?

Unlimited plans were once rarities, but now nearly all plans -- especially postpaid plans -- offer unlimited data. If you're on T-Mobile, all your plans are unlimited, and Verizon no longer lets new users sign up for a shared data plan. Only AT&T still offers some tiered data plans where the flow of data stops when you've reached the limit.

Though everyone's wireless needs are different, we think unlimited plans are the best option for most phone users, especially when it comes to choosing a new plan. 

For example, the AT&T 4GB plan isn't great. It has a 4GB per line plan that runs $50 a month for one line ($160 for four lines). Each line here gets 4GB of data, but if you go over that threshold in a month, you're paying $10 for every 2GB. AT&T's plan also doesn't include access to its 5G networks. 

The company's basic unlimited plan, Unlimited Starter, is $65 a month for one line or $140 for four lines.

If you have one or two lines and don't use a lot of data, you may be fine with one of these plans, though if you have just one line, we'd recommend switching over to AT&T's $51 per month Value Plus VL or T-Mobile's Essentials Saver. Two lines of that T-Mobile plan run $80 a month, which is still $10 cheaper than two lines of AT&T's 4GB plan, and you won't have to worry about how much data you're using. 

For most people, we really do believe that unlimited is the best choice when choosing a new plan.