Prepaid cellular service is the handshake deal of the phone world. With a prepaid phone plan, you pay up front for a month of service, then you get a month of service—usually up to a specified amount of data. There are no contracts and no obligations to stick around, and even the best prepaid phone plans usually cost less than their postpaid counterparts.
All of that being true, the majority of people in the US use postpaid subscription plans from the big three wireless phone networks (Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile), which often include a contract for service over a set period of months or years. These plans are popular in part because most offer large upfront discounts for a new phone, not to mention plenty of perks, like international roaming, bundled streaming services, and emergency satellite services.
Prepaid plans are often less expensive overall and more flexible. Unlike postpaid plans, which are a hassle to exit if you’re unhappy with the service, you can leave a prepaid cell plan at any time or change your data amount. You can go for unlimited data if you're a heavy user or snag just a couple of gigabytes per month, depending on your short-term needs. It's great.
But prepaid phone services can also feel like the Wild West, with hundreds of carriers to choose from. Most rent bandwidth from one of the three big carriers, and some prepaid carriers have gotten a bad rap over the years because the big carriers tended to throttle or deprioritize their data, making the phones all but unusable in extremely crowded environments, like concerts and airports.
A few years back, the advent of 5G phone service changed that, allowing budget carriers like Tello to thrive by finding room on T-Mobile's large 5G network. Some prepaid networks, like our top pick, US Mobile, can work on multiple networks and grant customers access to premium, unthrottled data—just as the postpaid plans do. I've spent time testing each of these plans, for months in many cases, and can vouch for their service. These are our favorites.
Be sure to check out our other mobile guides, including the Best Unlimited Phone Plans, Best Android Phones, Best iPhones, and Best Cheap Phones.
Updated May 2026: We’ve added renewed testing on our budget prepaid phone plan pick, Tello Mobile; removed Helium Mobile after the plan discontinued its free Zero Mobile service; and added additional context about 5G service and MVNOs. We’ve also confirmed links and prices.
US Mobile is a relatively young MVNO, founded in 2015, and is one of the few that’s independent. The company’s strategy is rather simple: It tries to offer just about everything you could want, from every major cellular network at every price. When I say everything, I mean it. US Mobile offers service from all three major US cellular networks, and each has a code name. Light Speed is T-Mobile, Warp is Verizon, and Dark Star is AT&T. You can choose among them or pay an additional $10 per month for multi-network service.
US Mobile also offers a buffet of plans. Limited data plans start around $10 a month, while the company’s flagship Unlimited Premium (which includes unlimited hot spot, smartwatch data, and international calling and text to over 180 countries) is normally $44 per month. On Dark Star (AT&T) and Warp (Verizon), the Premium plan offers priority, unthrottled data—a rarity among MVNO plans. US Mobile also has annual plans, which are about 25 to 40 percent less expensive than paying monthly, depending on the plan.
US Mobile doesn’t have retail stores, so sign-up and customer service mostly occur through the app or on a customer service phone line. And unlike many MVNOs, its app is great: slick, responsive, and attractive.
My favorite plan for most people is the Unlimited Starter plan, which is $25 per month. When using the Dark Star (AT&T) network, it's uncapped with 20 GB of hot-spot data. It also has 10 GB of domestic data roaming, which lets you switch to another carrier's network if AT&T's is unavailable in your area. The Unlimited Starter plans using the other two carriers max out at 70 GB of high-speed data. International add-ons are available at fair rates ($3 a month for international calling). The plan is affordable yet has enough features to satisfy even fairly heavy users.
Tello Mobile is an Atlanta-based virtual network that runs on the T-Mobile network. Though still quite small, it’s my pick as the best budget plan because of its fast hot-spot capabilities and flexibility in offering extremely low-cost plans that still offer high data speeds and good reception. MVNOs work best with 5G service. And because T-Mobile's 5G coverage is the best among the big carriers, Tello's service remains quite robust.
Unlimited-talk and -text plans range from $10 to $25 a month, depending on how much data you want, plus nominal fees. (Technically, you can get plans for as low as $5 a month if you don't want any cellular data at all.)
Tello is best for those who are often near Wi-Fi and don't use a bunch of data. Lower-tier plans are hard-capped, meaning the data simply stops flowing: $10 nets you 2 gigs, $15 is 10 gigs, and $20 is 20 gigs. The $25 unlimited plan offers 50 gigs of high-speed data, 10 gigs of 4G-speed mobile hot spot data, and limitless terrible 2G data. Lower-data plans also offer hot-spot data that comes out of the total data allowance But what's nice about Tello is that your unused data balance rolls over each month, and you can bank up to 100 GB.
I was curious about how Tello's service compares to T-Mobile's speeds, so I carted around two phones for weeks—one on T-Mobile's main network, and one on Tello. I never encountered congestion throttling, even when hanging out near a sold-out soccer stadium. Where 5G service prevailed, download speeds were comparable, and mobile hot-spot speeds were actually faster on Tello than on T-Mobile. And, at least in my city of Portland, Oregon, data loss was nil, and speeds soared well above the threshold needed to run true 4K video. Latency was a little higher on Tello than T-Mobile, however, which matters for gamers and low-reception calls.
The only exception was in lower-reception areas and places where 5G service failed. In zones with 4G or worse, Tello's deprioritized bandwidth seemed to matter a lot more—and speeds choked. This cropped up only in forested or hilly areas. In urban spaces, or areas along highways, T-Mobile's 5G infrastructure allowed Tello to get great service.
Tello, like most prepaid phone plans, is not set up for cheap international travel, with international roaming data costing about $10 a gigabyte. You're billed monthly, with no option to prepay for more than the month ahead, which means you should stay on top of your payments if you want to keep your phone number. But while there are certainly no frills, this is the best service we've found at the lower prices. —Matthew Korfhage
Most prepaid services renew every month, but some offer annual plans. One such top choice for an annual prepaid plan is available directly through AT&T. This plan provides 16 GB of premium data, after which data speeds slow to 1.5 Mbps. That’s not a ton of premium data, but it’s sufficient for an average smartphone user. The plan has solid extras, too, which is why I recommend it so highly. It includes 10 GB of mobile hot-spot data and unlimited texting to 230 countries. While some competitors have similar pricing for more data, they lack the extras.
Buyers should be aware that, according to AT&T’s plan information, the annual Unlimited plan is much better than the company’s month-to-month Unlimited plan. While, as mentioned, the annual plan offers up to 16 GB of uncapped data, the month-to-month plan caps data to 3 Mbps at all times, which is very limited. It's also notable that AT&T maintains a major retail store presence—a nice bonus if you want to go face-to-face with a customer-service rep.
As a direct descendant of Nextel, Boost Mobile is of noble lineage, though now it's owned by EchoStar (after its Dish acquisition). I use this line for WIRED business, which means that literally anyone who contacts me on it is trying to converse about some … work (my deepest apologies to the rapper Maceo).
I've accessed Boost on a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, often at the same time as I've used my personal iPhone on Visible (see below) and my daughter’s phone on Tello (see above). Coverage has been steady in rural areas, and this device consistently has the fastest speeds in tough environments, like busy events. I often have coverage on my work phone when my personal phone can’t connect, and I have even tethered my personal iPhone to my work Android to get a signal.
I pay on an annual basis and have not had to put Boost’s customer service to the test, even after 16 months of testing, which is its own endorsement. Boost has a large network of physical stores, which is a boon. The $25-per-month price for the unlimited plan with 30 gigs of premium data is steeper than some prepaid plans, though cheaper than others, and it has met my needs in the time I’ve had it. The plan also provides a device discount on select phones, which is rare for a prepaid service.
Boost also has a $50-per-month plan. For that price—double the monthly rate—you get only 40 gigs of premium data (that's 10 more than the $25 plan) plus international coverage and the option of using your phone as a hot spot. The plans also provide a device discount on select phones, which is rare for a prepaid service. —Martin Cizmar
Google Fi is a prepaid service that works on T-Mobile. It’s a premium service that’s packed with features, though priced accordingly, with single-line plans that are quite expensive. When it comes to international travel, though, the Unlimited Premium plan is hard to beat.
The Unlimited Premium plan includes 50 GB of high-speed data in over 200 countries. Even if you manage to use that in a month, you’ll still have service, though only at a data rate of up to 256 Kbps. It also includes data in Mexico and Canada, so you have access to the plan’s full 100 GB of high-speed data in those countries.
Keep in mind that while the plan includes calls from the US to many countries, calls made while traveling internationally are charged at 20 cents per minute. However, all prepaid services have some kind of fee for international roaming. Google Fi is not meant for long-term visitors or permanent international residents, so your mobile data will only work internationally for up to 80 days. (You will be warned after 50 days, then cut off 30 days after that.) The cap resets after you’ve been back in the US for at least 30 days.
You’ll typically pay more for international service from other companies. US Mobile’s best plan, for example, provides only 20 GB of international data in slightly fewer countries, though it does include 200 minutes of calling. US Mobile charges additional international data over the cap at $15 for 1 GB, which adds up if you’re a heavy user.
Google Fi’s family plan also stands out from the crowd, and I’m keen on the Unlimited Standard plan, which is priced at $100 per month for four lines. In addition to the usual unlimited talk and text, this plan includes 50 GB of high-speed data per line and 25 GB of hot-spot data per line. It even provides smartwatch connectivity, though that’s limited to select Android smartwatches.
If you pay more for the Unlimited Premium family plan, which is $160 for four lines, you’ll also get all the international data perks previously described. That’s a stellar deal if you often travel abroad with family. If you’re on a budget, the Essentials plan is solid, at $90 for four lines and with 30 GB of high-speed data per line, though it lacks hot spot and smartwatch support. While Google Fi’s family plan is good, note that it’s still a traditional family plan. One person is the “owner” of the plan. That person is responsible for payment and also has the ability to see many details about how others are using the plan.
Those looking for a plan to share with friends might consider Visible’s Inner Circle. It knocks $5 per month off the price of a plan for members of a circle, but the plans are otherwise independent. Still, it’s hard to beat the sheer value of Google Fi’s family plan. Plenty of family plans fall in the same price range as Google Fi, but they don’t offer nearly as much high-speed data.
Visible or US Mobile
Many prepaid cellular services don’t offer support for smartwatches or, if they do, support is limited. Visible supports 5G service on the latest 5G compatible smartwatches, including Apple Watch, Google Pixel Watch, and Samsung Galaxy Watch models, which is notable. US Mobile offers competitively priced smartwatch plans, but as of May 2026, it doesn’t support 5G for smartwatches (coverage is limited to LTE).
Visible bundles smartwatch service with the Visible Pro+ plan, which is usually $45 per month and can be even less expensive when promotional pricing is available. Alternatively, you can pay $10 per month to add a smartwatch to a plan. Unfortunately, Visible only lets you use a smartwatch with a mobile phone plan. That’s where US Mobile comes in. US Mobile has a stand-alone smartwatch plan for $6.50 per month (it’s also included with the Unlimited Premium plan). The downside is that, as mentioned, your data will be limited to slower LTE speeds.
How Do Prepaid Plans Work?
Unlike postpaid plans that carry multiyear contracts, prepaid plans are usually structured as limited-term agreements. Prepaid plan customers pay in advance for a specified amount of data, plus access to talk and text networks.
Prepaid cellular services almost universally use the same networks as the big three wireless phone carriers: Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. How? Infrastructure that provides cellular service often delivers more network capacity than necessary at any particular point in time. Instead of leaving the network unused, companies that build new cellular networks can rent out the excess.
Many prepaid phone plans are run by a mobile virtual network operator (MVNOS) that buys access to a major phone carrier's network (see more below on MVNOS.) The major cellular networks also offer their own prepaid services, and a series of acquisitions over the past 10 to 15 years has led to a situation where most MVNOs are actually owned by a network operator: Verizon, T-Mobile, or AT&T.
What Is an MVNO Phone Carrier?
An MVNO, or mobile virtual network operator, is a phone carrier that does not own its network infrastructure. Instead, the MVNO buys bulk access to another carrier's network and charges customers to use data and service. This structure accounts for the majority of prepaid phone plans.
Most MVNOs buy access to only one network, and they are often deprioritized on that network. The exception is WIRED's top pick, US Mobile, which buys access to all three major carrier networks in the United States and can switch among them. US Mobile also offers plans with priority (non-throttled access) to protect against that deprioritization.
This arrangement has grown increasingly complicated as the big cellular networks snap up many prepaid MVNO brands to reduce competition with their own services. T-Mobile owns Mint Mobile, Ultra Mobile, UScellular, and Assurance Wireless. AT&T owns Cricket Wireless. Verizon owns Visible Mobile, plus a number of brands operating under the TracFone umbrella. These include Total Wireless, Straight Talk, and Simple Wireless.
Are Prepaid Phone Plans Slower Than Postpaid Plans?
Sometimes, though often much less so than you would expect, and other times, not slower at all. Customers of the major cellular network operators often receive priority over prepaid users who bought service from a third-party MVNO.
That’s not universally true, though. Verizon’s Visible prepaid service, for example, promises to deliver network speeds virtually identical to Verizon’s subscription plans. Different MVNOs negotiate their own terms for their prepaid plans. Put more simply, mobile data rates available from prepaid cellular services are usually more than adequate for even heavy users—if you choose a top-rated service provider.
Are Prepaid Phone Services Reliable?
Prepaid phone services are usually as reliable as other types of service, as they use the same cellular network infrastructure. But there can be some situations where prepaid service is less reliable.
Prepaid plans are less likely to include domestic roaming. If your plan doesn’t have domestic roaming, your phone won’t be able to switch to an out-of-network cellular signal when you are out of the coverage area your service provides. That’s rarely a problem in urban and suburban areas because all mobile cellular networks have broad coverage in heavily populated locales, but a lack of roaming can lead to gaps in coverage in more rural areas.
Some prepaid providers, like US Mobile, get around this by offering service on multiple networks and the option to switch between them.
Can I Port Phone Numbers to and From a Prepaid Service?
Yes, you can port a number to or from a prepaid cellular service. The exact details can vary from one service to the next, but it’s usually a quick process—especially if you have a device with an eSIM, which is what many modern mobile phones use.
What Happens if I Leave a Prepaid Phone Plan?
You pay for prepaid service before you use it, so if you choose to leave at any time, the service provider is less concerned. You’ve already paid them for the service, after all. But there's a bit of a delicate dance: You generally want to switch services just a few days before your current service period ends. This will protect you from paying for multiple services simultaneously, while still granting a grace period to ensure you can successfully port your phone number.
How WIRED Tests Prepaid Cellular Services
This guide is informed by the personal experience of multiple WIRED reviewers who have used prepaid cellular services as their primary mobile service for years. I signed up for prepaid cellular services that WIRED staffers and contributors hadn’t previously used, such as US Mobile and Helium. I tested their services on an iPhone 16 Pro, which supports multiple eSIM connections. I was able to simply switch between services within seconds to see how various options differ.
While the reliability and speed of service were important, I also paid attention to the ease of signing up for a service and the level of features available. I prefer services that offer a wide range of features, including hot-spot support and some form of international calling, over those that exclude such extras (so long as the add-ons did not add much to the price).
Speaking of, price is a huge factor—perhaps the largest. Because prepaid cellular services generally rely on the same networks, the price to access the service deserves a lot of consideration.
Mint Mobile is a prepaid service that uses the T-Mobile network known best for it ubiquitous ads starring former equity stakeholder Ryan Reynolds. T-Mobile acquired the company in 2024, and Mint uses T-Mobile's network, Plans start at $15 for 5 GB, though there's an Unlimited tier at $30 (and sometimes that’s on sale for less). Mint’s rates are low, but the company’s plans have quite a few restrictions on service and data, and Mint doesn’t offer smartwatch plans at all. International calling and data are expensive.
Cricket Wireless is a prepaid service owned by AT&T. It offers unlimited plans starting at $35 a month, though the entry-level plan does not include hot-spot data (it’s sold as an extra). Line discounts are decent for up to five lines, so Cricket can be good for family plans. Cricket Wireless has many stores in the US, which is unusual for a prepaid phone service provider, and makes Cricket a solid pick if you prefer to speak with a customer representative face-to-face.
Metro is owned by T-Mobile. The company’s Unlimited 5G plans, available at $25 per month or $20 per month (when billed on a six-month cycle), are solid, as Metro provides 35 GB of high-speed data along with unlimited talk and text. However, these plans lack hot-spot support, and even the most basic international support is an add-on service. Metro has a five-year price lock promise, but Boost has a “forever” price promise. Like other T-Mobile brands, Metro has many retail locations, which might be nice if you want face-to-face service.
Helium Mobile was a previous top pick in light of its Zero Mobile free wireless plan, which offered painfully slow data for a very good price. This free plan was discontinued suddenly in April 2026. Helium now offers a $15 plan with 10GB data, and a $30 “unlimited ”plan with 36 gigs of high-speed and 5 gigs of hot spot. These are less compelling offers but still reasonably priced in the landscape of prepaid plans.
Straight Talk is owned by Verizon and is often marketed in Walmart locations. It has unlimited talk, text, and data plans starting at $45 per month. These plans have 10 GB of hot-spot data and unlimited international calling to Mexico and Canada. However, US Mobile and Verizon-owned Visible offer plans with better value and more features, like bundled smartwatch support, at the same price.
TracFone is a Verizon-owned prepaid cellular service. Like the monthly postpaid service Consumer Cellular, its marketing focuses heavily on older users. And much like Consumer Cellular, the plans aren’t the best value. On a more positive note, many TracFone plans include rollover data, which is unusual. This could be attractive if you mostly don’t require much data, but occasionally use much more than usual.
Ting Mobile is a prepaid cellular service that uses the Verizon network. It used to use T-Mobile, and it’s owned by Boost. Ting offers Unlimited plans, though many of the Unlimited plans have rather low high-speed data limits. All plans include hot-spot data, but not international data, for which you'll be charged. Smartwatches are not supported. I personally used this as my primary service five years ago, but switched as its plans became less competitive.
MobileX is a prepaid service on the Verizon network that has a range of pay-as-you-go and unlimited plans. The unlimited plans don’t strike me as compelling, given their limits on data and international use.
RedPocket Mobile is a prepaid mobile carrier with access to Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile (users choose the network at sign-up). It has a simple plan system with just three tiers, from 3 GB to 50 GB of premium data. Only the premium tier offers hot spot. All plans include some degree of international coverage in 80-ish countries, with 100 minutes, 100 texts, and a decent chunk of data (1 GB to 10 GB). These features make RedPocket a decent pick for people who travel internationally but don’t use enough data to justify the more expensive Google Fi Unlimited Premium plan. I was frustrated by RedPocket Mobile’s app, which proved buggy and often threw errors claiming that my personal information was incorrect, but did not say what specifically was wrong.
Total Wireless is also owned by Verizon and offers unlimited plans starting at $40 per month. They’re reasonable plans, but once again, the alternatives from US Mobile and Verizon’s own Visible are more compelling overall.
UScellular was, until recently, the oldest independent MVNO in the US, but it was acquired by T-Mobile in 2024, and T-Mobile plans to integrate the company into T-Mobile. So, while you can still technically purchase a plan from the company, it makes more sense to go to T-Mobile.
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Source: Wired
