11 Best Cheap Cell Phone Plans

Let’s talk cheap cell phone plans! But not, like, cheapest of cheap. Are there $10 cell phone plans? Yes! In fact, some of the cell phone carriers we’re going to talk about today offer plans starting at just $5/mo.

But those plans tend to come with extremely limited (or even zero) data, and it’s 2023. Most of us are looking for cheap unlimited cell phone plans.

Today, we’ll look at who offers the cheapest unlimited cell phone plans when you’re single, shopping for two lines, or looking to get service for your entire brood. We’ll also look at which plans are truly unlimited and how to hack different discounts and programs that can help you reduce your monthly cell phone bill even further.

Before we review the top 11 cheap cell phone plans, be sure to download The Krazy Coupon Lady app to stay on top of all the most recent savings — including where to get a great deal on an iPhone or other Apple products.

 

1. Kroger Wireless subscribers earn 4X Fuel Points with every plan.

All Kroger Wireless plans are unlimited talk and text. The difference between the plans is how much data you get; the lowest 3 GB, 6 GB, 10 GB, and “unlimited” data (25 GB). If you link your Kroger Rewards account to your Kroger Wireless you can earn 4X Fuel Points, no matter which plans you select. The cheapest Kroger Wireless annual or monthly plan is $15/mo (earn 60 fuel points/mo or 720 fuel points/year) for unlimited talk and text plus 3 GB of data. Kroger’s unlimited talk, text, and data plan cost $45/mo for either the monthly (earn 180 fuel points/mo) or annual plan, which is currently discounted to $36/mo or $432/year (earn 1,728 in fuel points). Note, Kroger Wireless will slow your data after 25 GB, and they don’t carry over monthly text, talk, and data to the next month. You get free shipping on any phone/plan over $299. Monthly plans require a refill of airtime monthly (earn 2X fuel points) via the Kroger app (iOS/Android), by phone, or by airtime cards at any of the following Kroger stores:

• Kroger
• QFC
• King Soopers
• Payless
• Fry’s
• Dillons
• Ralphs
• City Market
• Fred Meyer
• Baker’s
• Owen’s
• Scott’s
• Smith’s
• Gerbes

 

2. Visible has the cheapest unlimited cell phone plan for a single person and 2-line plans.

Visible is owned by Verizon and offers two plans. They both provide unlimited talk, text, and data on a 4G LTE/5G network. Plans start at $30/mo, but if you want premium access to high speeds during times of high traffic, you can pay $45/mo to get 50GB of premium network access.

This more expensive plan also gives you free international calling to 30 countries — up to 500 minutes per month — and unlimited texting to 200+ countries.

Verizon has the most comprehensive stand-alone network in the country. While you can’t get service literally everywhere, their coverage area does include 99% of the U.S. population.

Visible doesn’t require a contract, so you can go month-to-month. They used to offer discounts for family plans and additional lines, but those discounts were sunsetted in August of 2022.

Because taxes and fees are included in the pricing, Visible comes out on top as the cheapest unlimited cell phone plan for single people and those with two lines.

TIP: If it’s Verizon’s network you’re after, you can get access to the company’s own Unlimited plans for the same or lower pricing when you get three to four lines, though these prices don’t include taxes and fees like Visible’s do. If you have a military affiliation, the Verizon military discount can save you even more.

 

3. Tello is a cheap cell phone plan that charges taxes but not fees.

You can get cell phone plans with 100 minutes and free texting with no data for as low as $5/month through Tello Mobile.

But they also have a great deal on their Data Plan, which gives you unlimited talk, text, and data for just $29/mo. Tello operates on 4G LTE or 5G, but after you use 25GB of data on this plan, you’ll be throttled down to 2G.

One major perk of Tello is that all of their cell phone plans come with free international calling to 60+ countries. If you’re traveling a lot or simply have family or friends abroad, this can be huge.

Tello does not require a contract, so you have the freedom to evaluate if you want to stay with them each and every month. While you won’t see any additional fees on your phone bill, taxes are not included in Tello’s pricing. It’s available nationwide, operating off of T-Mobile’s network.

 

4. Mint Mobile offers more high-speed data for a similar price.

Mint Mobile operates off the T-Mobile network, providing plans with 4G LTE or 5G service starting at $15/mo — which gives you 5GB of data.

If you want unlimited data, the lowest you could pay is $30/mo. All plans come unlimited nationwide talk and text with free mobile hotspot capacities (data will be slowed down after 40GB of usage).

All Mint Mobile plans are prepaid, so no locking into a contract like other mobile providers require. New Mint Mobile customers can sign up for the three month plan, regardless of data package. Once your initial three months is up you can then opt to renew for an additional 3, 6, 12 months, etc.

Pricing is the same on 3- and 12-month plans, but you’ll pay $5 – $10 more per month if you opt for six months.

TIP: You won’t get as much free international calling as you would with Tello, but Mint Mobile does offer free calls to Mexico and Canada.

 

5. Google Fi has the cheapest plans for families.

Google Fi is a cell service you can activate from home. There is technically an option to pay for data as you go, but it’s not a good deal. You’ll want to look at the Simply Unlimited Plan or Unlimited Plus plan for the best value.

The Simply Unlimited Plan comes with unlimited 4G LTE/5G data, but your speeds will slow after 35GB of usage. It also includes 5GB of hotspot data.

The Unlimited Plus Plan doesn’t slow until you reach 50GB of data, with unlimited hotspot data. While there’s no international calling with Simply Unlimited (even to Mexico and Canada), you get free international calling with Unlimited Plus to 50+ countries.

Pricing depends on how many lines you have. It’s not the best deal around if you only have one line, but Simply Unlimited is the cheapest of them all if you have three or four.

Simply Unlimited pricing is as follows:

• 1 line: $50/mo per line.
• 2 lines: $40/mo per line.
• 3 lines: $25/mo per line.
• 4 – 6 lines: $20/mo per line.

Whereas Unlimited Plus costs:

• 1 line: $65/mo per line.
• 2 lines: $55/mo per line.
• 3 lines: $45/mo per line.
• 4 – 6 lines: $40/mo per line.

Google Fi has a great coverage map, though there are some sparsely populated areas of the West where service is spotty.

 

 

6. US Mobile is another great option for cheap multi-line cell phone plans.

US Mobile has plans starting at just $5/mo, but these low-cost plans also come with extremely limited data — and sometimes limited text and calling capabilities.

Their Unlimited Basic plan is still reasonably priced, though. For $35/mo you get unlimited data, talk, and text with access to 4G LTE/5G. Speeds will be slowed after 40 GB of data usage, and you also get 5GB of hotspot data.

It costs:

• 1 line: $35/mo per line
• 2 lines: $30/mo per line
• 3 lines: $25/mo per line
• 4+ lines: $20/mo per line

Taxes and fees are not included in the pricing.

US Mobile claims to offer coverage in every corner of the country, but it runs off of Verizon’s network.

 

7. T-Mobile Essentials is competitive if you get three lines.

The pricing on T-Mobile‘s unlimited plans doesn’t start getting reasonable until you add several lines. It’s most competitive when you get three lines of the Essentials plan.

The Essentials plan gives you 50 GB of 4G LTE/5G data before your speeds are slowed. It costs:

• 1 line: $60/mo per line.
• 2 lines: $45/mo per line.
• 3 lines: $30/mo per line.
• 4 lines: $26.25/mo per line.
• 5 lines: $24/mo per line.

Pricing for this plan does not include taxes and fees.

The Magenta plan gives you 100GB of data before your speeds are slowed. You’ll also get a free Netflix subscription and 5GB of hotspot data. Pricing for these plans does include taxes and fees:

• 1 line: $70/mo per line.
• 2 lines: $60/mo per line.
• 3 lines: $40/mo per line.
• 4 lines: $35/mo per line.
• 5 lines: $32/mo per line.

There’s also a Magenta Max plan that offers unlimited data without slowing your speed ever, plus a few other perks. But it’s too expensive to include in a roundup of cheap cell phone plans.

TIP: Service member? The T-Mobile military discount can help you save an additional 22% – 47%, which makes pricing way more competitive.

 

8. Metro has the cheapest cell phone plans for truly unlimited everything.

Metro is owned by T-Mobile and operates off their network. All of their unlimited plans come with truly unlimited 4G LTE/5G data so you don’t have to worry about getting slowed down later in the month. The deals on these packages get sweeter the more lines you add. Here are the prices for the cheapest unlimited package:

• 1 – 2 lines: $40/mo per line
• 3 lines: $30/mo per line
• 4 – 5 lines: $25/mo per line

Metro’s prices include taxes and fees, so there won’t be any surprises on your monthly bill. Metro does not require a contract.

TIP: Metro works with the Affordable Connectivity Program, which means you can get up to $30 off your internet bill each month if you meet certain requirements. See all participating mobile providers in your area here.

 

9. Boost Mobile has the cheapest unlimited cell phone plans if you opt into a contract.

Boost Mobile‘s cheapest plan only offers 1GB of data, but it also only costs $8.33/mo. Their most cost-effective unlimited plan is $40 per month with 4G LTE/5G data. After you use 35GB of data, your speeds will be slowed.

There are discounts for additional lines, but the amount of the discount varies by plan. Typically, you can expect to see a $10 discount on your second line and a $5 discount on all other additional lines.

Boost Mobile operates off of T-Mobile’s network, so it has pretty decent coverage. There is no contract required, though you can opt to buy 6-month or 12-month packages for a discount. For example, the Unlimited plan is only $30/mo if you purchase six months, or $25/mo if you purchase 12 months.

If you did enter the 12-month contract, Boost Mobile would be the cheapest option on this list.

 

10. Lively has the best cheap unlimited cell phone plans for single seniors.

Lively is a cell phone service targeted at seniors. Owned by Best Buy, they have special phones and healthcare concierge services which you can purchase at an additional cost.

If you just want an unlimited cell phone plan, you can get one from Lively for $30/mo. There are no discounts for multiple lines. If you use more than 20GB of data in a month, your speeds will be slowed way the heck down from 4G LTE/5G down to 128kbps.

TIP: Consumer Cellular offers a 5% AARP discount, making it much cheaper than Lively if you have multiple lines.

 

11. Consumer Cellular has the most reliable network for a cheap cell phone plan.

Consumer Cellular has a higher base price for their plans, but the value lies in their family plan packages.

The cheapest plan is $20/mo for unlimited talk and text plus 1GB of data. Consumer Cellular’s Unlimited plan is $50/mo. You won’t be charged any extra for your data usage, but you won’t have 4G LTE/5G access after 50GB of usage.

Each additional line costs just $15/mo, which makes it less expensive than other lower-cost carriers if you need service for the whole family. There are no contracts required, regardless of how many lines you put on your plan.

Consumer Cellular contracts with a number of network providers to give their users better coverage than even Verizon’s network on its own.