Best T-Mobile Plans: How to Choose and Which Ones to Pick in 2025

T-Mobile plans look a lot different than they did a few months ago. The carrier hasn't just retired the name "Go5G." It's added services, introduced a five-year price guarantee and improved its 5G infrastructure, which has led it to being named the Best Wireless Network in the US by Ookla. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.) T-Mobile has also added the T-Satellite texting service powered by Starlink satellites, removing geographic limits to how you can get connected. If you're looking for perks, the company is still committed to its Magenta Status perks like T-Mobile Tuesdays and a new DoorDash deal that offers a year of DashPass delivery. On the downside, none of the current plans include taxes and fees, which get tacked on above the listed plan prices.

Read more: Our Guide to the Best Cell Phone Plans

Recent updates

T-Mobile shook up its plans (again) 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 will be 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).

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. T-Mobile's Work perk could knock 15% off the monthly price of an Experience More or Experience Beyond plan .

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 $55 a month for two lines.

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.

T-Mobile plans FAQs

Why not go for the Experience Beyond plan?

The main advantages of T-Mobile's highest-tier plan are T-Satellite and Hulu with ads included, unlimited hotspot data, 30GB premium data in Canada and Mexico, and 15GB high-speed data in other supported countries. Another nice addition is a $5 per line cost for a cellular-enabled smartwatch or tablet; some carriers require another full line just for these limited devices. By contrast, the Experience More plan includes 60GB of hotspot data, 15 GB of high-speed data in Canada and Mexico and 5GB of the same in the other countries.

But with Experience More, you can add T-Satellite for $10 a month, and you can subscribe to Hulu separately for $11 a month, which also includes Disney Plus. At that point you're less than $10 in range of the higher-priced plan. If the larger capacities of high-speed hotspot and international data are important, then the price jump of Experience Beyond is probably worth it. Beyond also lets you get a new phone on a line each year, versus every two years on Experience More, which is nice if you want to upgrade to the latest models as soon as they come out.

But for most people, those aren't constant needs worth paying for every month, making the Experience More plan the better deal overall.

Do I need to change my T-Mobile plan when I upgrade my phone?

You don't necessarily need to change plans when you upgrade your phone, but you may need to move plans if you want the carrier's best deals. 

T-Mobile has been reserving some of its best deals for folks who are on its priciest plans. For instance, its top iPhone 16 Pro deals generally require the priciest Experience More or Experience Beyond plans (and potentially for you to add a new line or switch from a different carrier). 

Are there discounts to lower my T-Mobile bill?

Yes. Like its rivals, T-Mobile offers a variety of discounts depending on your age, employer or profession. Teachers, military, first responders and more can take advantage of various programs that could save them significant money on their bill. The carrier also offers special pricing for folks age 55 or above (though with a max of two lines on an account).

It's worth noting that these discounts are often for the whole account. If you have three lines and one of those users is a first responder or a teacher, your entire family can benefit from the savings. 

Some of these discounts have caps on the amount of lines that can benefit, so make sure to check the details when signing up.

How does satellite texting work?

When your phone is outside the range of a cellular or Wi-Fi network, it can't connect to the outside world. There are still many "dead zones" in the US where you can't get a signal. Satellite texting makes it possible to have limited connectivity, though different options are out there. If there's no other signal, T-Mobile's T-Satellite service can connect automatically to the network of hundreds of Starlink satellites in low Earth orbit. It also works with most smartphones made within the last four years; other services, such as that offered on Apple phones, require separate built-in satellite transmission hardware.

Satellite data is extremely limited, however, which is why text messaging is the main form of communication between phones and satellites. It's fine for texts and alerting someone that you've gone out of normal cellular range, but don't expect much more for the time being. Later in 2025, T-Mobile will roll out support for apps that have been updated to work with the narrow satellite data stream.

More important, though, satellite texting can be invaluable during an emergency. T-Mobile says 911 emergency texting via satellite will be available to all T-Mobile customers, even if they don't pay for the T-Satellite service.

You can read more about T-Satellite , including how T-Mobile is making it a paid service even for customers of other mobile carriers.

How reliable are coverage maps?

The three major companies in the US -- T-Mobile, AT&T 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")

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 T-Mobile's Essentials Saver or AT&T's $51 per month Value Plus VL. 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.