This page last changed 2024.09.01 09:12 [3 times today, 10 times yesterday, and 674 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/ | 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.