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Prepaid plans have come a long way since we began this list in 2012. It’s now 2020 and prepaid is no longer just for those with poor credit or tight finances, it’s perfect for those that want more flexibility or the freedom to switch carriers as soon as a better deal comes around.
When it comes to the best prepaid carriers, there is no one size fits all approach. Some options offer the best pricing, at the cost of less extensive customer service. Others focus on unlimited data or other special features. There are literally dozens of prepaid carriers in the US, so picking the right one for you isn’t always easy. Below we discuss some of the best options.
Mint Mobile is an ideal carrier for most Americans, based on national averages. Mint operates on the vast T-Mobile network, and you can try it for three months for as little as $15 per month. There are no long contracts or hidden fees, just simple and affordable plans to match your data needs. The introductory rates are great, and if you don’t find that Mint is for you after your first three months, you can just walk away.
If you want to find out more about the plans and phone deals on offer from Mint Mobile, hit the button below.
Mint Mobile is a top prepaid solution. Read on to find out more about the competition.
Before you jump into picking a prepaid carrier it is best to know what you are getting into. There are basically three types of carriers when it comes to prepaid:
A Mobile Virtual Network Operator is the most common type of prepaid carrier. An MVNO is a cellular network that doesn’t technically own its equipment or network, instead, they have a contract with another carrier like Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, or AT&T. MVNOs tend to be way cheaper than a carrier owned by a major cellular network but also tend to have compromises like less comprehensive customer support, restricted data speeds, and so on. Our absolute favorite MVNO is Google Fi, though we also highly recommend US Mobile or Mint.
A traditional carrier owns its own network and equipment, which typically means that you’re going to get the best customer service, speeds, and possibly a bunch of extras you won’t find with other prepaid carriers. On the flip side, traditional carriers tend to be more expensive than other prepaid options. T-mobile is probably our favorite traditional prepaid carrier, thanks to a great mix of value and features.
Want more features and better options than you’re seeing from most MVNOs but don’t want to pay the traditional carrier price? There is a third door, and that’s a carrier owned by a major network. Basically, this is a carrier that doesn’t own its own network, but its parent does. For example, Cricket is owned by AT&T, and Visible is owned by Verizon. This relationship means you get an experience that’s a bit of a mix between an MVNO and a traditional carrier. Visible, Cricket, and Metro are easily the best options in this category.
Despite having its own prepaid sub-brand (Metro), T-Mobile still offers prepaid plans directly. T-Mobile has three prepaid plans to choose from.
The first is called Simply Prepaid which offers a limited amount of high-speed data a month. The second plan is Simply Unlimited Prepaid, which offers unlimited 4G data speeds. T-Mobile’s highest-level prepaid plan is called Simply Unlimited Plus which offers unlimited 4G LTE data and 10GB of LTE hotspot. There’s also a prepaid data-only option for tablets, smartwatches, and hotspots.
Here’s a quick look at what you can get with T-Mobile Prepaid:
For a deeper look at all of T-Mobile’s prepaid plans, you’ll want to visit our full guide or head here for a look at all the current promotions offered by the carrier.
Like T-Mobile, AT&T has its own sub-brand (Cricket), yet still offers five prepaid plans directly under its main brand. Two plans offer a limited amount of high-speed data for your smartphone, and the others offer unlimited 4G LTE data. There’s also a fifth plan that offers no data for people who still want to use a feature phone.
Here’s what you can expect from AT&T’s prepaid plans:
For a deeper look at all of AT&T’s prepaid plans, you’ll want to visit our full guide or head here for a look at all the current promotions offered by the carrier.
Boost Mobile is now owned by Dish Network — a first for the company. It has a few plans to choose from, along with discounts if you add more than one line to your account. It also offers a standalone Wi-Fi hotspot plan as well, along with add-on international calling plans. Boost offers some pretty great plans, especially for those who are looking to save.
Take a look at what you can expect from Boost Mobile’s prepaid plans:
For a deeper look at all of the Boost prepaid plans and promotions, you’ll want to visit our Boost deal guide.
Cricket Wireless is an AT&T-owned carrier running on the AT&T network. You can bring your own device, assuming it’s compatible, or you can choose from one of Cricket’s own prepaid phones. Keep in mind that if you buy a phone from the carrier, you will have to keep it on the network for six months before you are allowed to unlock the phone and use it on another network.
Let’s go over what you can expect from Cricket Wireless and its prepaid plans.
T-Mobile purchased MetroPCS a few years ago but recently decided to rebrand MetroPCS to more closely associate it with the main Tmo brand. The prepaid carrier is now called Metro by T-Mobile. It offers plans that use Tmo’s network and offer some extras on its plans that are similar in tone to the ones that its parent company provides. You can also get discounts on those plans if you add more than one line to the account.
Here’s a look at the plans that are currently offered with Metro by T-Mobile.
If you love the idea of customization and flexibility from your prepaid plan, US Mobile is a solid choice. Not only are the plans flexible, but the carrier even lets you pause a line for $2 a month — perfect for those that travel to the US and want to maintain a number there, or simply for those times when you’re tight on money but don’t want to risk losing your number.
With US Mobile you can choose exactly how much talk, text, and data you need. Big talkers can get unlimited talk, while having cheaper text or data plans. Don’t talk much? You can get the base talk package (50 minutes) for $2 a month, and focus your plan on texting and/or data.
At a glance, here’s what to expect from US Mobile:
We’ve gone into more detail of the US Mobile Prepaid plans in our comprehensive guide.
Google Fi is Google’s attempt at being an MVNO mobile carrier. It uses T-Mobile, Sprint, and US Cellular to provide a pretty decent coverage map. The service is compatible with most Android phones, and even iPhones. However, only a few handsets (like the Pixel family) support all of Google Fi’s features. All plans include access to cell coverage in more than 170 countries, Wi-Fi tethering, and more.
Here’s what you can expect when you sign up for Google Fi:
Straight Talk Wireless is an MVNO that’s actually owned by Walmart, and uses Verizon’s or Sprint’s network for CDMA phones, along with T-Mobile’s or AT&T’s GSM network for its compatible phones. While it does sell phones on its own, Straight Talk’s main marketing push is for people who already own their phones to sign up and use its service.
Read more: best Straight Talk phones
Let’s go over what Straight Talk Wireless’ plans are like:
CHECK OUT STRAIGHT TALK WIRELESS
US Cellular is the nation’s fifth-largest standalone wireless carrier. It’s a CDMA-based carrier with LTE coverage, so that means you’re mostly stuck with phones offered directly from the carrier. This carrier is particularly common in rural areas, often offering service where there are few other decent options. It also has great free-roaming that extends its coverage to more of the US when traveling.
Take a look at what you can get from the prepaid plans at U.S. Cellular:
Verizon Wireless is still the nation’s biggest cellular carrier. While it doesn’t have a huge marketing push for its prepaid plans, it does offer a number of different options. You can either purchase your phone direct from Verizon or bring one of your own. Keep in mind that Verizon is a CDMA-based carrier so if you do want to bring your own phone, make sure it’s compatible with its network.
With that said, let’s go over what you can expect from Verizon’s prepaid plans. These all include the $5 discount you get for enabling AutoPay:
Visible is a recently launched carrier that is essentially owned by Verizon and therefore utilizes its 4G network. It tries to do something different in that it has just one plan to choose from, with no other options or add-ons to make things confusing. There’s also no store to visit; Visible is only available on its official web site or on its Visible app.
Our own Andrew Grush gave Visible a shot. You can read about his experience right here.
Here’s a quick look at what makes Visible different:
These are the best prepaid plans you can get in the US right now. We’ll update this list with new options once they launch.