The best cheap prepaid phone plans and sales in December 2024

The best prepaid phone plans out there usually provide solid, dependable service while nixing some of the more premium features major carriers and subscription plans provide. Jumping to a prepaid plan, however, has its perks and downfalls for those who just want a simple phone plan.

While you'll get a lower bill, there can be trade offs like missing out on free streaming services, slower data speeds or reduced roaming capabilities. Prepaid phone plans are usually a lot cheaper due to this, offering a fair trade for users who don't need all the bells and whistles of the latest plans or smartphones. That's not to say that new phones aren't part of prepaid offers, just look at the new iPhone 13 and some of prepaid offers out there!

Some of the cheapest prepaid phone plans out there are among the best phone contracts for students, too. The reduced pricing make them a no brainer for those looking to stick to a budget, and they offer enough coverage, data limits and features to handle the basics. So here are some of the best prepaid phone plans you can check out right now.

Cheapest Prepaid Phone Plans

• Cricket Wireless: plans starting at $30/month per line
• Mint Mobile:  plans starting at $15/month per line
• Tello: plans starting at $6/month per line
• T-Mobile: plans starting at $40/month per line
• Verizon: plans starting at $25/month per line
• Visible: plans starting at $25/month per line

Best Prepaid Phone Plans Today

Mint Mobile offers the best overall value for the price, featuring nationwide 5G coverage via T-Mobile's wireless network. Along with some very enticing prices for unlimited plans, Mint also features plenty of prepaid phone plan deals and offers for new customers looking to switch.

They even offer a 7 day free trial that lets you give Mint a shot before you buy, a critical thing considering that their service may not be the best depending on where you live.

Offering premium wireless service for as low as $15/month for both single lines and family plans, those looking to save a bit on their phone bill are sure to be satisfied with what Mint has to offer. The coverage may not be ideal in more rural areas of the country, but that seems to be a problem with just about every mobile service provider out there.

You may not have heard much about Tello, but to sum it up in one word: cheap. Tello offers probably the cheapest prepaid phone plans in the US right now, with ultra simple setup and wireless plans starting at just $5 a month. You're going to get exactly what you'd expect here, a super basic phone plan that delivers standard coverage on T-Mobiles 4G LTE / 5G networks.

While Tello does provide some great perks, such as free international calls to over 60 different countries, free mobile hotspots, and more, if you want to jump up to an unlimited plan you'll be paying around $14/month. Not a bad price at all, but if you're looking to go unlimited their may be a better option out there for you.

If you're looking for absolute cheapest prepaid phone plan for the price, however, Tello is your wireless service. They feature a solid range of phones to choose from, but unfortunately you won't find any of the latest devices for sale. The good news is you can bring your current phone in most situations, but you'll need to check compatibility before hand.

Best Prepaid Phone Plan

Mint Mobile
Offering the best value on prepaid phone plans right now, Mint offers both 6 month and 12 month prepaid options. These plans start for as low as $20/month and feature unlimited talk, text and nationwide coverage.

Verizon
Verizon prepaid plans come in a variety of shapes and sizes, all of which are customizable to the users budget and needs. You can either bring an old phone or buy a brand new one, choose the amount of data and features you need and setup a payment method. It's that easy!

Tello
With the lowest prepaid plan starting at just $10/month, Tellos is by far the most affordable service to go with. This does come at a cost, however, including very limiting data caps and speeds. Still, this makes for a great option for those looking for the cheapest prepaid phone plans today.

AT&T
With plans starting as low as $30/month for unlimited talk, text and 5GB high-speed data, AT&T is one of the more reliable networks to check out. They offer plans with speeds up to 15GB of data per month, all at a very fair price and with solid network coverage.

Sprint
Sprint's prepaid phone plans do have a limit on things such as data and video streaming quality, but for the price it's a fair trade off. For those who want a no-hassle, inexpensive and easy way to get a cheap prepaid phone plan up front, Sprint is a great service provider to check out.

Boost Mobile
With plans starting as low as $15/month, Boost Mobile offers some very affordable plans for the budget-conscience out there. While their coverage isn't always the best, the price more than makes up for it with some plans offering 5G 35GB high-speed data for just $60/month.

Visible
Visible offers plans for as low as $40/month, but offers different ways to save. The most enticing being their Party Pay, which is Visible's "friends and family" plan that can drop your costs down to just $25/month per user if you have at least 4 people on it.

How to find the best prepaid phone plan for you

To find which prepaid phone plan will work best for you, you'll want to consider a few things including your budget as well as data needs.

Prepaid plans come with a lower price tag due to cutting out more premium features likes free streaming apps, higher data caps and more, so you'll want to know going into a prepaid plan that you won't have all the bells and whistles.

With this in mind, figure out the type of monthly budget you're looking to stick to and go from there. With options as low as $10/month, it's easier than ever now to grab a cheap phone plan that provides the bare essentials for communicating.

Newer prepaid phone plans now also feature 5G coverage, too. This may not be necessary for those looking for just a simple prepaid phone option, but it can help with network speeds and call quality greatly if you can grab a plan with it.

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