We’ve found that Visible Wireless is the best value for a cheap cell phone plan. For only $40 a month, Visible gets you on the wireless network with the best coverage in the country. It’s a simple, effective plan, but you’ll have to watch out for deprioritization (more on that later) in crowded areas. But just because we think Visible is the best value for a cheap cell phone plan doesn’t mean that it’s the best plan for you. Let’s talk about a few factors to consider when choosing the best cell phone plan for you. In general, the more data you want, the more that a plan will cost. If you’re willing to use less or go without data altogether, you can save some serious money on your phone bill. If you live near a city, you should get good service on any of these networks. If you live in a rural area though, you should check out the coverage maps that we provide with our reviews to find out if you’ll get good service where you are. You can still find some good deals on international calling and texting with these plans though. Some companies will also give you extra cash just for signing up with them. That $40 price tag is cheap for a truly unlimited data plan, especially when you consider that it’s on Verizon’s network. You’d have to pay at least $70 to get a similar plan from Verizon itself. There are other companies, like Sprint, that offer slightly cheaper unlimited data plans, but these plans will have data caps. On a road trip? Go ahead, stream the entire first season of The Witcher while your spouse does the driving. Like to game? Don’t worry about getting cut off when you’re in the middle of an amazing streak on PUBG Mobile. Visible customers can expect to get full bars in all metropolitan areas and at least some bars in most rural areas. As for data speeds, they should be fast, unless Visible’s customers are being deprioritized (more on that in a moment). Here’s a look at some of the most popular phones that do work on Visible’s plans. This shouldn’t be a huge deal for most people, most of the time. But it does mean you might have a hard time video-calling your buds when you’re watching the game in a packed stadium.
10% of your monthly bill when you add a second line 15% off your monthly bill when you add a third line 20% off when you add a fourth line or more
So basically, the more phones you add to your family plan, the better the discount at the end of the month. Too bad it caps at 20%, otherwise I would actually consider getting in touch with my weird cousins. The catch is that you’ll have to buy your own phone rather than doing a payment plan directly with Pure TalkUSA. If your family just needs phones to coordinate rides from school and to occasionally look things up on Wikipedia to win an argument, then you can get a super-cheap unlimited talk and text plan with 1 GB of data per line. Here’s what that would look like with four lines. Simple Smarter Family Plan with four lines and 4 GB of shared data Simply Smarter Family Plan with four lines and 24 GB of shared data Simply Smarter Family Plan with four lines and unlimited data You’ll also get discounted calling and texting rates to countries that aren’t free. You can check Ultra’s website for a complete list of rates. Plus, your family and friends abroad can call you for free using Ultra’s aptly named “Call Me Free” program. So, yeah, get ready to hear from all of your long lost cousins. If you buy a device directly from TracFone, then your wireless network will depend on which device you buy. Ultra Mobile’s low-data plan options If you’re looking for a cheap way to keep your whole family connected, see PureTalk up above, or check out our other favorite family plans. Ultra Mobile Unlimited Data Classic Plan If you don’t have anyone to text abroad, then Tello mobile makes a lot of sense.
Best value: Visible Wireless’s $40 plan offers truly unlimited full-speed data on the nation’s best wireless network. Cheapest unlimited plan: Mint Mobile currently offers the cheapest unlimited plan on the market. Best family plan: Pure TalkUSA gets you family discounts that make a family plan much more affordable. Best international plan: Ultra Mobile’s cheap low-data plans are perfect for those who want to stay in touch with loved ones abroad without breaking the bank. Best no-data plan: Gen Mobile has super-cheap cell phone plans without data, and you get international text messages for free too.
Which cheap cell phone plan did you decide on? What has your experience been? Are there any amazing cell phone deals that we’re missing? Let us know in the comments below. If you want to learn more about our research process, you can check out our complete methodology. Plan prices range from $10 for the cheapest plan and $35 for unlimited data. The $10 per month plan is the cheapest phone plan that the carrier offers and comes with 1,000 minutes of talk, 1,000 texts, and 1GB of high-speed data. Other MVNOs like Tello, Visible Wireless, PureTalk, and Cricket Wireless also offer affordable plans under $40 a month.
