{"id":2341,"title":"The Best Cheap Cell Phone Plans 2026","slug":"the-best-cheap-cell-phone-plans-2026","lang":null,"description":"If you want the best cheap cell phone and don't mind paying for a full year of service, Mint Mobile has the most attractive plans — and reliable service on T-Mobile's network to boot. But if you'd prefer unlimited data and the flexibility of monthly payments, check out Visible's Visible Plus plan.\n\nTurn to one of the best cheap phone plans that we've discovered, and you won't have to worry about rising costs affecting your phone bill. These plans all cost less than $40 a month, with more than enough data to go around — and in some places, those low rates are locked in for the foreseeable future.","content":"

The secret to getting a cheap cell phone plan is to look beyond the big names in wireless to lesser-know carriers. Normally, there's no difference in connection quality, so you're not forced to put up with substandard coverage for a low monthly rate.

Our top picks, Mint Mobile and Visible, rely on the networks of other carriers for their coverage (T-Mobile and Verizon, respectively), with no appreciable difference in speed. That's what makes their low-cost plans so appealing, whether you opt for Mint's pay-in-advance approach or go month-to-month with Visible.

We have looked at price to make these picks, but also considered who provides the wireless coverage for each plan, since many of the featured carriers don't have have cellular towers of their own. And while low-cost plans usually mean giving up perks, we also look at the extras that do come with each plan besides talk, text and data. Read on, as we explore the choices for the best cheap cell phone plans under $40.

The best cheap cell phone plan overall

$\"Mint$

(Image credit: Mint Mobile)

1. Mint Mobile

Top pick

Specifications

Monthly cost: $15

Data: 6GB

Network provider: T-Mobile

When you hit your limit: Data slowed to 128 Kbps

Plan perks: Mobile hotspot data, free calling to Canada and Mexico

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See Mint plans

Reasons to buy

Very affordable range of plans
Reliable service from T-Mobile's network
No fees for going over data limit

Reasons to avoid

Best rate requires big upfront payment

Note: Mint upgraded all its plans in June 2026, adding more data to its three standard plans, and more hotspot data to its unlimited plan.

Mint Mobile has a whole host of cheap cell phone plans, with all the different options costing under $40 a month. We recommend the 6GB plan since that's Mint's lowest-priced offering, and it includes a decent amount of data alongside unlimited talk and text. New customers get a low rate for their first three months of service. In the case of the 6GB plan, that'd be $15/month or $45 total.

After those three months are up, you need to pay for a full year of service to keep Mint's best rate. That's a $180 payment for the 6GB plan.

Having tested Mint's service, we found the data speeds and connectivity to be very reliable — no surprise, given that parent company T-Mobile provides the network for Mint. If T-Mobile's coverage is strong in your area, you'll enjoy an equally good experience on Mint, but you'll pay less for the privilege.

The best cheap unlimited data plan

$\"Visible$

(Image credit: Visible)

2. Visible

Cheap unlimited data

Specifications

Monthly cost: $35

Data: Unlimited

Network provider: Verizon

When you hit your limit: Speeds slowed after 50GB

Plan perks: Mobile hotspot, Ultra Wideband 5G, coverage in Mexico and Canada, 1 Global Pass day each month

View Visible plans

Reasons to buy

Low price for unlimited data

Uses Verizon's extensive network

Taxes and fees included in rate

Reasons to avoid

Minimal discounts on multiple lines

Best perks require the most expensive plan

Visible has three unlimited data plans, with the cheapest starting at $25/month. But the carrier's Visible Plus plan is the better buy at $35/month as it requires you to make fewer trade-offs for your unlimited data.

For starters, the entry-level Visible plan can see slower speeds at any time, while Visible Plus gets 50GB of high-speed data guaranteed. 5G coverage is also faster, thanks to Verizon's Ultra Wideband network. (Visible is owned by Verizon and uses its parent company's towers for coverage.) Visible Plus subscribers can also use their data plan when traveling in Canada and Mexico, and a Global Pass lets you use your plan for one day for free when you're overseas.

Having tested Visible's service, we found it to be pretty reliable — certainly equal to Verizon's coverage. And we like the fact that you can pay on a monthly basis instead of having to buy a year of service up front like you would with Mint's $30/month unlimited data plan. For what it's worth, my colleague John Velasco swears by Visible's service.

Best under $40

$\"Verizon$

(Image credit: Verizon)

3. Verizon Wireless Unlimited Plans

Best option under $40 at a major carrier

Specifications

Monthly cost: $35

Data: 15GB

Network provider: Verizon

When you hit your limit: Speeds slow to 128 Kbps

Plan perks: Hotspot data included, plan works when traveling in Canada and Mexico

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View at Verizon

Reasons to buy

Unbelievably fast speeds

Competitive rate for base unlimited plan

Sprawling coverage

Premium data access

Reasons to avoid

Performance drop-offs outside of 5G UW

No subscription service perks

Verizon deserves its reputation for reliability and premium performance, especially if you need a data plan from a network that consistently outpaces the budget MVNOs. We’ve found that Verizon’s prepaid 15GB offering to be the right balance between price and flexibility.

For one, Verizon promises a three-year lock on this plan's pricing, making sure there are no surprise increases in your monthly spending for some time. You are also allowed to use your 15GB of data for hotspotting, or when roaming in Canada or Mexico for no extra cost.

Since this plan doesn't offer Verizon's top Ultra Wideband network, speeds drop closer to what you’d expect from standard MVNOs, which may make the above average cost for this much data look like less of a generous deal.

All the same, if you want the peace of mind that comes with major-carrier reliability — and you’re comfortable paying a little more for it — Verizon’s prepaid plans could still be the right choice for you.

Best guaranteed rate

$\"Boost$

(Image credit: Boost Mobile)

4. Boost Mobile

Lifetime price lock

Specifications

Monthly cost: $25

Data: Unlimited

Network provider: Boost

When you hit your limit: Speeds are slowed after 30GB of use

Plan perks: None significant

View Boost plans

Reasons to buy

Lifetime price guarantee

Nationwide coverage

Reasons to avoid

No real perks with this plan

30GB cap on high-speed data

Today's cheap cell phone plan is tomorrow's rate increase, but that's not a concern with the $25 Forever plan at Boost Mobile. This offering comes with unlimited data for $25/month — a low rate that matches Visible's cheapest plan and beats the best monthly rate that Mint has to offer. Even better, Boost will keep that rate in place for as long as you stick with the company.

There are some trade-offs to opting for the $25 monthly option. More expensive Boost Mobile plans come with more perks, including hotspot data and rates that include the cost of taxes or fees; that's not the case with this plan. Your speeds will also be slowed if you used more than 30GB of data in a given month.

Boost has built out its own network, using AT&T and T-Mobile only to extend coverage where its towers don't reach. My colleague John Velasco tried out Boost's service for 30 days and found coverage to be fast and reliable on the Boost network. He also found getting set up on the network to be relatively easy.

Best annual plan savings

$\"AT&amp;T$

(Image credit: AT&T)

5. AT&T

Lowest annual rate

Specifications

Monthly cost: $20

Data: Unlimited

Network provider: AT&T

When you hit your limit: After 16GB, speeds are slowed to 1.5Mbps

Plan perks: 10GB hotspot data, unlimited texting to 230 countries, free calling to Canada and Mexico

View AT&T plans

Reasons to buy

Low monthly rate on unlimited data

Hotspot data include with plan

Reasons to avoid

Big upfront payment

Low cap on high-speed data

Like Mint Mobile, AT&T has an option where you can pay for a year of service in advance to get a lower monthly rate. But AT&T's option is cheaper than Mint's, with a $240 upfront payment getting you unlimited data for a year. That works out to $20/month.

AT&T's plan comes with more restrictions, as your speeds slow down should you use more than 16GB of high-speed data. Mint has no cap on high-speed data and the Visible Plus unlimited data plan lets you use 50GB.

You do get some perks with AT&T's prepaid plan: 10GB of hotspot data, 5G coverage where available, unlimited texting to 230 countries and calls to Canada and Mexico from the U.S. So for people not put off by the size of the annual payment who live in areas with strong AT&T coverage, this deal is definitely worth it.

If paying for a full year of service in advance is too much to spend at once, AT&T does have a prepaid unlimited data plan that costs $25/month, with payments on a month-to-month basis. You get a higher cap on high-speed data — 30GB — than with AT&T's annual plan.

Best cheap plan under $20

$\"Tello$

(Image credit: Tello)

6. Tello

Coverage under $20

Specifications

Monthly cost: $13

Data: 10GB

Network provider: T-Mobile

When you hit your limit: Must refill data

Plan perks: Free calling to 60-plus countries

View Tello plans

Reasons to buy

Lots of data plans for low prices

T-Mobile provides the service

Reasons to avoid

Have to refill data when you hit your limit

Minimal perks

Tello features a wide range of plans starting at $6 for 2GB and going all the way up to $25 for unlimited data. (That matches Visible's cheapest option for unlimited data.) For most people, the 10GB plan should hit the sweet spot, as it delivers more than enough data for most people. Also, it comes in at just under $20/month, although so does the 20GB option if you're happy to pay more.

All plans include unlimited talk by default, but if you scale back the amount of talk minutes — your options are 500 minutes, 300 minutes, 100 minutes and no talk minutes at all — you can lower your monthly fee ever so slightly. A 10GB plan with 300 minutes of talk brings the cost down to $14/month, just as an example.

Perks are limited with Tello, though you can make calls to 60-plus countries with your plan. You coverage comes via T-Mobile's network, including that carrier's 5G service. Should you hit the data cap, you'll either need to refill your plan or purchase add-on data, though Tello lets you upgrade or downgrade your line whenever you need to.

Best cheap plans compared

Here's what each of our top picks for best cheap data plan charge and how much data you get in return. We've also listed what happens if you use all your data, whether in a tiered data plan or you hit the high-speed data cap on an unlimited offering.

Row 0 - Cell 0	Cost	Data	Data cap reached
Mint Mobile	$15/month (requires $180 upfront payment)	5GB	Data slowed to 128 Kbps
Visible	$35/month	Unlimited	Speeds can be slowed after 50GB
Verizon	$35/month	15GB	Data slowed to 128 Kbps
Boost Mobile	$25/month	Unlimited	Data slowed down to 512 Kbps
AT&T	$20/month (requires $240 upfront payment)	Unlimited	Data slowed to 1.5 Mbps after 16GB
Tello	$13/month	10GB	Data refill required

Other cheap cell phone plans to consider

Our research has turned up a few other cheap cell phone plans under $40 that deserve some attention, even if they didn't make the cut for our top picks. We're including them here so that you can see what they cost compared to our favorite cheap cell phone plans and what you get in return.

Consumer Cellular: For $35/month, you can get 10GB of data on the networks of AT&T or T-Mobile. AARP members get a 5% discount, making this a top choice for seniors. Anyone 50 years and older is also eligible for a $40/month unlimited data plan at Consumer Cellular.
Cricket: A 10GB plan costs $30/month on this AT&T-owned prepaid carrier. (That rate includes an autopay discount; you'll pay $35 for your first month.) Like AT&T, Cricket lets you pay in advance for an unlimited data plan, where your one-time payment works out to $25/month — nice if you can afford that $300 upfront.
Google Fi: Google starts off its trio of unlimited data options with an Unlimited Essentials plan that costs just $35/month with 30GB of high-speed data. However, the Essentials plan misses out on the overseas travel benefits that makes Google Fi's $65 Premium plan so appealing.
Metro by T-Mobile: Metro's Starter Plus plan promises unlimited data for $40/month with a 5-year price lock. That plan is only available online, though you can bring your own number or get a new one from Metro.
Now Mobile: This low-cost service from Comcast provides an unlimited data plan for $25/month, with taxes and fees included in that rate. You will need to get your broadband service from either Xfinity or Now to sign up for Now mobile coverage.
TextNow: Pay nothing for talk and text at TextNow and use Wi-Fi for your data connection. Need cellular data? Prices range from 99 cents for an hour of data to $40 for a month of unlimited data, though TextNow's free plan includes some data for essential tasks like checking email and accessing ride-sharing apps. One TG staffer used TextNow to set up a mobile phone for my elderly mother, who doesn't need very much data for her phone usage.
Total Wireless: Verizon's renamed prepaid service has a Base 5G Unlimited plan that hits our $40/month limit for cheap phone plans. You get some pretty good perks like 5GB of hotspot data and a $200 credit on a 5G phone purchase after 12 months of service. John Velasco tried out Total Wireless and came away impressed.
Twigby Mobile: Twigby is a carrier that uses Verizon's network while charging much less for data. Plans range from $15/month for 2GB of data to $35/month for an unlimited data plan. Speeds were comparable to Verizon's in my testing, but you get very few perks.
Ultra Mobile: If you haven't checked out Ultra Mobile lately, it may pay to do so, as the carrier has boosted the amount of data you can get for a low monthly rate. Plans start at $19/month for 4GB of data and you can get up to 24GB of data while staying under our $40 spending cap. You can lower your rate even further by paying for 3-, 6- and 12-month blocks of service in advance. Like Mint, Ultra is owned by T-Mobile.

FAQs

Is Mint Mobile or Visible better for a cheap phone plan?

While Mint Mobile is our best cheap phone plan overall, that doesn't mean Visible isn't worth considering.

Mint Mobile offers mobile hotspot data, as well as free calling to Canada and Mexico for prices as low as $15 per month. However, it only offers 6GB of data per month, and once you use this up, you'll be limited to 128 Kbps-speed data.

On the other hand, Visible offers unlimited data (although your data speeds will be slowed after 50GB). It also offers a mobile hotspot, Ultra Wideband 5G, coverage in Mexico and Canada, and a 1 Global Pass day each month. However, it is more expensive than Mint Mobile at $35 per month.

Is an annual prepaid phone plan worth it?

Some mobile providers, like AT&T, offer annual plans. These plans allow you to pay for a year of service in advance to get a lower monthly rate.

This is worth it if you're looking for the absolute cheapest plan overall, but you should be aware that, as it is an annual plan, you will need to pay for a full year up front. This may not be feasible for some users.

Whether or not a prepaid annual plan is worth it depends on whether its benefits outweigh its restrictions. For example, while AT&T will slow down your data speeds if you use more than 16GB of high-speed data per month, it also offers 10GB of hotspot data, 5G coverage where available, unlimited texting to 230 countries, and calls to Canada and Mexico from the U.S.

Additionally, whether or not you have strong coverage from the provider you're considering is key. There's no use getting a cheap phone plan if you can't use it.

What is the cheapest unlimited phone plan?

On a per-month price alone, the cheapest unlimited phone plan is from AT&T. It works out at $20 per month; however, as it is an annual plan, you will need to pay $240 upfront.

If you don't want to shell out for an annual plan but still want unlimited data, consider Boost instead. With Boost's plan, you get unlimited data for $25 per month. This is pretty much it, though — Boost doesn't offer any more significant perks with its plan.

With this being said, if you're looking for the best value plan, Visible offers unlimited data for $35 per month (taxes and fees included), as well as a mobile hotspot, Ultra Wideband 5G, coverage in Mexico and Canada, and 1 Global Pass day each month.

How much phone data do I need each month?

How much data you need each month completely depends on what you're using your cell phone for and how often you're using it outside the house per month.

If you rely on data to stream music, TV shows, or movies when you're out of the house, especially if you do so frequently, you'll need a data plan that supports this. If you don't need a plan with a smaller amount of data, like Mint Mobile or Tello (which offer 5GB and 10GB of data per month, respectively) should suit you just fine.

At the end of the day, if you're concerned about data limits, you could always go for a phone plan from Boost, AT&T or Visible, all of which offer unlimited data.

Which network do Mint Mobile, Visible and other cheap carriers use?

This network used by cheap phone carriers varies from plan to plan. While Mint Mobile and Tello both use T-Mobile, Visible and Verizon both use Verizon. Similarly, Boost and AT&T both use their own networks.

Do cheap phone plans include hotspot data?

Some, but not all, cheap phone plans include hotspot data. Of those featured in this guide, Mint Mobile, Verizon, Boost, and AT&T all allow you to either use your data as hotspot data, or include a hotspot data allowance.

Will a cheap phone plan work when travelling to Canada or Mexico?

Whether or not your phone plan works when travelling to Canada and Mexico depends on which provider you're with.

For example, Visible and Verizon offer coverage in Mexico and Canada. The other providers on this list do not, although both AT&T and Mint Mobile do offer free calls to Mexico and Canada.

Can I keep my phone number and use my current phone with a cheap phone plan?

Generally, yes, you should be able to keep both your current cell phone and your cell number, even of you do switch to a cheaper cell phone plan. However, you should keep in mind that your phone needs to be compatible with your new carrier's network.

You can easily check this using the carrier's online compatibility network using your phone's IMEI. You should do this before you sign up for a new cell phone plan.

You can transfer your cell phone number between carriers by contacting your old carrier, who will give you a code or PIN to give to your new carrier. This will allow your number to be transferred between the two. It's important that you don't cancel your old service until your number has been transferred onto your new plan.

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