This page last changed 2025.03.20 15:31 [5 times today, 6 times yesterday, and 1224 total times]
Questions to help you decide what cell service you need
Robots.tech tells how to cancel your Verizon Wireless and my advice: do it via chat and not a phone call.
Cell phone service providers and their per-month costs after any first-few-months promo. Promo in 'other'. These prices gathered 8/30 to 9/21/2024.
FYI, MVNO=Mobile Virtual Network Operator, which refers companies that purchase minutes and data from AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon.
DISCLAIMER: I'm only collecting information I've found on the Internet for the companies I've listed. I have no relationship with any of them other than from a consumer's point of view.
REQUEST: Please let me know at steve+cellphoneinfopage@toku.us of any information that's incorrect or missing. Thank you.
Ratings come from Trustpilot.com. For example, 4.2* (62% 4&5* on 5,403) means their trustpilot rating is 4.2, and 62% of the 5,403 people rating gave 4 or 5 star reviews.
I've sorted these by their TrustPilot rating as of 9/20/2024.
| Provider | Rating | Network | cost for one line | other | 2 lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USMobile https://usmobile.com/ Plans Summary | 4.6* (93% 4&5* on 3,796) | Verizon(warp) T-Mobile(lightspeed) AT&T(darkstar) you choose when sign up, you can switch (“teleport”) twice for free, then it's $2 per teleport | $17.50/unlimited premium data; sharable data $10/2Gb; $15/5Gb; $20/10Gb/ $35/20Gb. Add $8 per additional line sharing data; includes international calling and texting from US. $8/2Gb premium data without free teleport, hotspot, Int'l calling, etc Prices include taxes and fees. | prepay 12 months. 30 days free to try it out. When international, calls/data costs extra (on carriers supporting it), Int'l eSIMs cost extra Data cut-off (stops working) when you use up all shared data. | Unlimited data $35; 2Gb shared $18; 5Gb shared $23; 10Gb shared $28 includes taxes&fees |
| Tello Mobile https://tello.com/ | 4.5* (90% 4&5* on 11,335) | T-Mobile | No-data plans: $5/100 mins ($6/1GB 100min), $8/unlimited mins Data plans w/unlimited mins; $9/1GB; $10/2GB; $14/5GB; many more plans | no advance payment; free calls to Canada, Mexico, India, Switzerland, and many more. Upgrade/downgrade anytime n/c | |
| Red Pocket https://redpocket.com/ | 4.4* (85% 4&5* on 3,600) | all 3 networks | $8/1GB, $15/5GB, $25/20GB, $30/Unlimited per month paid annually includes international calling (1GB & 5GB plans 20 countries, others 80+ countries) | if go over data, service slows; no overage fee or cut-off. | |
| Consumer Cellular https://consumercellular.com/ | 4.2* (62% 4&5* on 5,403) | AT&T or T-Mobile | $20/1Gb; $25/5Gb; $35/10Gb; $50/unlimited Plus taxes & fees | AARP member discount. Add $15 per additional line sharing data. Auto upgrade e.g. 1Gb to 5Gb if you use more. | $35/1Gb shared $40/5Gb shared ($50.97 with taxes&fees and AARP discount) $50/10Gb shared. plus taxes & fees. |
| Hello https://hellomobile.com/ | 3.9* (74% 4&5 on 3,382) | T-Mobile | $17.50/mo unlimited (6 mo paid in advance) $5/500MB, $10/1GB, $15/4GB, $20/5GB | free unlimited int'l calling from US to Canada, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Switzerland, UK; total 60+ countries; land lines, some countries to cell phones. | |
| Mint Mobile https://mintmobile.com/ | 3.3* (74% 4&5* on 1,293) | T-Mobile | $15/5Gb $20/15Gb $25/20Gb $30/unlimited Plus taxes & fees ($2.82/line for 5GB, $3.02/line for 15GB) | $15/month for unlimited first 3 months; then rates are per month prepay 12 months; data and plan is per-line. Mobile Hotspot n/c pulls from monthly data, limited to 10GB on unlimited plans free calls to Canada & Mexico. If go over data, service slows: no overage fee or cut-off; data add-on available if you need more. | |
| Ting https://ting.com/ | 2.7* (74% 4&5* on 303) | T-Mobile | $25/5GB(all can be hotspot), $35/12GB(max 8GB hotspot) | After monthly data allotment, speed is reduced to 128kbps; get more fast data for $5/GB. unused fast data you add carries to next month. | |
| Freedompop https://freedompop.com/ | 2.4* (52% 4&5* on 1,721) | AT&T | $10/1GB(int' calling to 20 countries), $30/10GB(int'l calling to80+ countries) | implies that if go over data allotment, service slows | |
| Metro by T-Mobile https://www.metrobyt-mobile.com/ | 1.8 (13% 4&5* on 70) | T-Mobile | $40/10GB ($45 first month) | ||
| Cricket Wireless https://www.cricketwireless.com/ | 1.7 (15% 4&5* on 376) | AT&T | $30/5GB, $40/10GB | $70/10GB | |
| Visible by Verizon https://visible.com/ | 1.5* (8% 4&5* on 1,117) | Verizon | $22.92/unlimited data (paid $275 annual, Visible); $32.92/unlimited premium data (paid $395 annual, Visible+) prices include taxes & fees | if switch f/T-Mobile price $15/mo for 5 years. Unlimited talk&text to Mexico and Canada. Visible: save $5/mo on Verizon home internet, smartwatch $10/mo Visible+ faster data, save $10/mo on Verizon home internet, hotspot twice as fast as Visible, available to use in Mexico and Canada, calls to 30+ countries and text to 200+, smartwatch service included | Visible: 45.83/mo (pay 550/yr) Visible+ 65.83/mo (pay 790/yr) taxes and fees included |
| Boost Mobile https://boostmobile.com/ | 1.4 (7% 4&5* on 466) | Boost, AT&T, T-Mobile | $25/mo unlimited data ($5 autopay discount. Add $10 ea for: hotspot, high-speed data; and many more add-ons available for a cost. | DISH Wireless d/b/a Boost Mobile | |
| Credo Mobile https://credomobile.com/ | 1.4 (6% 4&5* on 144) | Verizon | $35/1GB per line | they donate to nonprofits every month | |
| T-Mobile https://t-mobile.com/ | 1.3* (9% 4&5* on 5,690) | T-Mobile | $30/line for 2 lines age 55+ | other more $ plans offer better streaming, more hotspot, services abroad. | |
| AT&T https://att.com/ | 1.3* (6% 4&5* on 7,659) | AT&T | $30/5GB or $25/10GB prepay 12 months | Prices start at $25/line but you must have 4 lines. | |
| Verizon Wireless https://verizonwireless.com/ | 1.2* (5% 4&5* on 5,358) | Verizon | $35/line/15GB, first month $45, autopay (prepay?), $5 or $10 discount after 3 or 9 months of service Other plans start at $65/month for 1 line, $55/month/line for 2 lines | ||
| Google Fi https://fi.google.com/ | 1.2 (2% 4&5* on 390) | T-Mobile | $20/10GB plus taxes&fees | see comments, below | $35/10GB shared plus taxes&fees. |
[from Glenn, regarding Google Fi, 12/31/2024]
I was somewhat surprised by the abysmal TrustPilot rating for Google Fi, but all the 1-star ratings point to bad experience with their customer service, and few complaints about the actual cellular communication. I tend to agree that their customer service is poor (scripted and unhelpful), but I haven’t needed to use it for anything lately since it all seems to work just fine for us.
Here are some resources to consider.
(Thanks ChatGPT) Assuming that phone1 accepts eSIM and phone2 doesn't and would need a physical SIM card.
Again thanks to ChatGPT for initial information that I've edited.
| Feature | Mint Mobile | US Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Network | T-Mobile | Choice of Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile |
| Pricing | Cheaper but requires prepaying for 3–12 months | Flexible monthly plans, slightly higher cost |
| eSIM Support | Yes | Yes |
| Physical SIM Support | Yes | Yes |
| Data Plans | 5GB, 15GB, 20GB, or Unlimited | Customizable plans with pooled/shared data |
| Premium Data | No priority data | Priority data available (on Verizon) |
| Hotspot | Included (limited speed) | Full-speed hotspot available |
| International Roaming | Limited (pay-per-use) | Available with add-ons |
| Trial Option | 7-day money-back guarantee | 100-day free trial (for some plans) |
Prices monthly for annual plan. Taxes and fees included.
HS=High Speed
| Plan | Cost/mo | Data | Talk&Text | Hotspot | Int'l Data | Int'l call&text f/US |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USMobile Plans 2/26/2025 taxes & fees included | ||||||
| Unlimited Flex | 17.50 | Unlimited (HS to 10GB) | Unlimited | 5GB | add-on | Yes |
| Unlimited Starter | 22.50 | Unlimited (HS to 35GB) | Unlimited | 10GB | 90+ countries | Yes |
| Unlimited Premium | 32.50 | Unlimited Priority. | Unlimited | Unlimited | 90+ countries | Yes |
| By the Gig | 10 +8/add'l line | 2GB shared | Unlimited | Yes | not yet | Yes |
| By the Gig | 15 +8/add'l line | 5GB shared | Unlimited | Yes | not yet | Yes |
| By the Gig | 20 +8/add'l line | 10GB shared | Unlimited | Yes | not yet | Yes |
| Light plan | 8 | 2GB | Unlimited | ? | ? | add-on |
| Mint Mobile Plans 2/27/2025 cost per plan; +est taxes/fees | ||||||
| 5GB | 15+2 | 5GB | Unlimited | yes | ? | Mexico & Canada |
| 15GB | 20+2.3 | 15GB | Unlimited | yes | ? | Mexico & Canada |
| 20GB | 25+2.5 | 20GB | Unlimited | yes | ? | Mexico & Canada |