The 10 Best Prepaid Cell Phone Plans Comparison Chart
A lot of consumers have been looking for an alternative that will help them lower their cell phone bills every month. The best-prepaid phone plans enable you to maintain your smartphone costs minimal while offering you what you exactly need depending on your budget. With the prepaid cell phone plans comparison chart, you can be able to identify the best plan that suits you at a glance without following a complex analysis.
However, prepaid service is the ultimate methodology for controlling your monthly cell phone bills. For every month you recharge your account, you have the freedom to decide on how much data you need and how much money you want to spend. As a result, this makes prepaid plans ideal for users on a variable budget or with unsystematic phone usage. Interestingly, there are no excess consumption fees or any other surprise fees.
Moreover, many prepaid carriers provide the option to bring your own phone over to their service. Alternatively, there are cell phone plans with free phones that you can subscribe to and choose your favorite device from the select phones. Additionally, prepaid plans have the standard feature of unlimited talk, and text, with as little as 1GB data or as much as 50GB, or more. Some prepaid plans come with additional perk like multi-plan discounts or data-free music streaming.
What Do You Consider When Choosing a Prepaid Plan?
With so many prepaid carriers in the U.S., it can be tricky knowing where to begin. Below is a list of some factors you need to consider:
i) Plan Price
You need to set a maximum cost within your budget that you are willing to pay for your prepaid plan.
ii) Network coverage
There’s no logic in acquiring a cell phone plan if it can’t help you. Each provider has a coverage map that enables you to input your address and check if confirm if coverage is in your area.
iii) Full-speed data
The four major carriers deliver full-speed data 4G speeds, but there is rolling out of 5G in select cities, accessed by those with a 5G-compatible device. However, some MVNOs deprioritize user data speeds in favor of customers using their parent networks, such as Verizon or AT&T.
iv) Amount of data
Depending on your data usage, you can choose between the limited data for light users and unlimited data plans for data-hungry consumers.
v) Mobile hotspot
Some plans allow you to connect your data with other devices to the internet, while others pack dedicated hotspots. However, some people like unlimited mobile hotspot plans, while others don’t equally need it.
Why Choose a Prepaid Cell Phone Plan?
The benefits of choosing a no monthly contract prepaid cell phone plan include:
- No credit check- It doesn’t matter whether you have a bad credit score or not, you’ll still qualify for a prepaid phone plan.
- Flexibility- You can change and switch your cell phone plan anytime with no termination fees or whatsoever fee
- No contracts- This kind of service provider provides no contracts cell phone plans, so you are not entangled in a plan for a specified period.
- Family’s support-Prepaid plans now accommodate multiple lines on a single account that family members can share, and save you a lot of money.
Comparison Chart For The 10 Best-Prepaid Cell Phone Plans
| Carrier | Best Plan | Cost | Best for | Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verizon | 6 GB high speed data | $35 per month | Average data user | Unlimited talk and text. 6GB data allotment. Global texting to 200+ countries. Mobile hotspot capability. |
| AT&T | Prepaid unlimited plus | $65 per month | High speed data | Unlimited high speed data. 10GB mobile hotspot. HD video streaming. Includes talk, text and data in Canada and Mexico. |
| T-Mobile | Simply prepaid unlimited | $50 per month | Unlimited everything | Unlimited talk and text. 10GB data. Wi-Fi calling. Pay-as-you-go international add-ons. Unlimited hotspot data. Unlimited music streaming service. |
| Boost Mobile | Boost mobile 35GB plan | $50 per month | Unlimited plan | 12 GB hotspot data Pay-as-you-go international add-ons. Includes music streaming. |
| Cricket wireless | Unlimited data plan | $60 per month | Unlimited everything | Unlimited talk, text and picture messages to and from Mexico, Canada and US. 15 GB mobile hotspot. Includes data |
| Sprint | $80 GB data plan | $80 per month | Mobile hotspot | Priority customer care. 1080p HD video streaming. Gaming up to 8Mbps. Unlimited talk, text and data. |
| Straight talk | Basic plan | $30 per month | Budget users | 10GB mobile hotspot. Unlimited text,1500 minutes talk. 100MB 4G LTE data. |
| Metro by T-Mobile | Unlimited LTE data | $50 per month | Unlimited everything | 5GB hotspot. Free Google one membership. Unlimited music streaming. 100GB cloud storage. Unlimited talk, text and data. |
| H2O wireless | H20 wireless $30 unlimited data | $30 per month | International features | Unlimited talk to more than. 50 countries. Unlimited international texts. $10 international talk credit. 5GB data. Pay-as- you- go prepaid plans. |
| Qlink wireless | Lifeline pan | $0 | Lifeline members | 1GB high speed monthly data. 1000 minutes talk time. Unlimited text messages. No contract. |
What Are The 10 Best-Prepaid Cell Phone Plans 2021?
1) Verizon Wireless
Verizon has three prepaid plans at $35 for 6GB, $45 for 16GB, and $65 per month for unlimited high-speed data with the $5 autopay discount. All the phone plans feature unlimited talk and text, plus unlimited text to over 200 countries outside the U.S.
Besides, the $65 per month plan supports unlimited calling to Canada and Mexico. During network congestion, data may be slow, and immediately after your high-speed data get used (including the hot spot), you experience 2G speeds for the rest of the month. Also, the best cell phone family plans are available up to 10 lines.
2) AT&T
AT&T provides four basic prepaid plans including $35, $50, $65, and $85 per month, with autopay. If you choose Autopay, you can save between $5 and $15 off. The two cheaper plans $35, $60 offer 1GB and 8GB data respectively that rolls over and includes;
- Mobile hot spot
- 1080p HD streaming video
- Unlimited text to 100 countries
- Multi-line discount
However, the two top expensive plans include unlimited data, with the $65 plan having no hot spot, while the $85 plan packs a 10GB hot spot for U.S. only. AT&T throttles data speeds when the network gets congested and if you consume all your high-speed data allotment, the data speed slows down to 128Kbps.
3) T-Mobile
Mobile avails two monthly prepaid plans that include Simply Prepaid and T-Mobile One Prepaid. Both plans feature unlimited talk and text, no overages, Wi-Fi calling, and unlimited music streaming. Simply Prepaid begins at $50 per month for a single line and provides up to 10GB of domestic 4G LTE data.
Additionally, T-Mobile prepaid plan another plan costs $50 per month for a single line and packs unlimited 4G LTE. Besides, the two prepaid plans can support five lines and include hot spots. T-Mobile add-ons include;
- International calling and texting
- For $5 a month, you enjoy unlimited data, calling, and texting in Canada and Mexico.
- For $15 a month, you enjoy unlimited international texting, unlimited calling to landlines in 70+ countries, and mobile numbers in 30+ countries.
- A data pass gets you 4G LTE and a mobile hot spot.
4) Boost Mobile
Boost Mobile provides four types of monthly prepaid phone plans featuring LTE high-speed data. However, after finishing your plan’s data allotment, speeds get reduced to 2G for the rest of the billing cycle. The plan’s lowest plan starts at 3GB and goes up to 35GB. You can add up to five lines on one account, which reduces the cost per line.
5) Cricket Wireless
Cricket Wireless is a subsidiary of AT&T and provides five plans starting from $25 per month to $60 per month. The lowest price plan features talk and text, but no data. The unlimited talk and text with 2GB cost $30 per month, and 5GB of data costs $40 per month. The unlimited data plans are $55 and $60 per month with the cheaper option limited to 8Mbps and the most expensive option at 4G LTE.
Additionally, the $60 per month option includes data and unlimited calls, texts, and picture messages to and from Mexico, Canada, and the US. and unlimited texts to 37 countries. The $40-per-month plans can leverage the company’s Group Save option, which provides discounts for two or more lines. Cricket Wireless Prepaid plans have;
- 2GB of LTE, unlimited talk and text for $30/month
- 5GB of LTE, unlimited talk and text for $40/month
- Unlimited data at up to 8Mbps for $55/month
- Unlimited data +15GB mobile hotspot for $60/month
All plans except for the 2GB plan are eligible for a discount with up to five lines. You can receive a $5 credit on your monthly bill by signing up for AutoPay (not available with the Group Save Discount).
6) Sprint
Sprint’s prepaid plans got shifted to Boost Mobile. Boost Mobile provides plans with unlimited talk, and text starting from $35 per month for 3GB of data to $50, $60, and $80 per month with unlimited data, talk, and text. The $50 per month plan features a 12GB hot spot, while the $60 per month provides a 30GB hotspot, and the $80 per month plan offers a 50GB hot spot. Besides, you can add a line to the $35 plan for a cost of $60 per month. Plans include;
- 3GB of LTE with a hotspot for $35/month
- 6GB of LTE with a hotspot for $35/month (Walmart exclusive)
- 35GB + 12GB hotspot for $50/month
- 35GB + 30GB hotspot for $60/month
Moreover, the $80 plan features music up to 1.5Mbps, HD video streaming up to 1080p, and gaming up to 8Mbps. additionally, the $80 plan delivers “Priority Customer Care,” which lacks in the cheaper plans. Sprint Family plans cost $120 for up to four lines and pack unlimited talk, text, and data plus streaming for gaming, music, and video.
7) Straight Talk
Straight Talk offers coverage across all four major networks in the U.S. such as AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, and Verizon. The carrier’s monthly prepaid plans start from basic for $30 a month, which packs 100MB of 4G LTE data, unlimited texts, and 1,500 minutes of talk.
However, Straight Talk plans costing $35, $45, and $55 per month provides 3GB, 25GB, and unlimited data plus 10GB of hot spot use, with speeds slowing to 2G when you hit the limit.
8) MetroPCS by T-Mobile
Metro operates on T-Mobile’s LTE and 5G network. The plan pricing depends on how much high-speed data you consume monthly. Besides, the MetroPCS by T-Mobile are no annual contracts, plus taxes and fees get included in the price. Prepaid plans include;
- 2GB of high-speed data — $30/month
- 10GB of high-speed data — $40/month
- Unlimited LTE data+ 5GB hotspot — $50/month
- Unlimited LTE data + 15GB hotspot — $60/month
Music streaming gets unlimited on the 10GB plan that provides a great way of saving data. You also access to T-Mobile’s nationwide 5G network with a capable device. The unlimited data plans feature a free Google One membership, with 100GB of cloud storage on Google Drive, and the $60 plan features an Amazon Prime membership and Metropcs free phone upgrade.
9) H2O Wireless
H2O Wireless operates under AT&T’s 4G LTE network, which provides wide coverage throughout the US. Additionally, this Mobile virtual network operator provides a variety of pay-as-you-go prepaid plans. The best-prepaid cell phone plan is H2O Wireless plan has $30 Monthly Unlimited 5GB of data.
You enjoy plenty of 4G LTE data, alongside unlimited talk and text. Interestingly, H20 Wireless prepaid plan includes international features that are;
- Unlimited talk to more than 50 countries
- Unlimited international texts
- A $10 international talk credit
10) Qlink Wireless
Qlink Wireless provide their service to more than 29 states, and when you join Qlink Wireless, you can receive a free cell phone with 1000 minutes of talk time, unlimited text messages, and 1GB high-speed monthly data. The plan has no activation fees, no credit check, and no longer contract.
This carrier offers the best plan for members who qualify for a free government phone, and you can have additional minutes and data at a minimum cost. However, you can also purchase additional data if need be, and the data plan is below:
- $1 for 100MB high-speed data valid for 30 days
- $5 for 500MB high-speed data for 30 days
- $10 for 1GB high-speed data for 30 days
- $20 for 2GB high-speed data for 30 days
- $25 for 3GB high-speed data for 30 days
- $30 for 4GB high-speed data for 90 days
- $35 for 5GB high-speed data for 90 days
- $40 for unlimited high-speed data for 30 days.
Bottom line
One way of minimizing your monthly cell phone bills is through adopting prepaid services. This type of plan offers flexibility in terms of how much data you need and the amount of money you want to spend on a plan. Moreover, there are no credits checks neither required nor contract requirements.
You only pay upfront for the amount of package you need. The comparison chart above, plus the well-researched discussion, will enable you to make a quick choice on the best-prepaid plan that matches your data, text, and talk requirements.
