TechEnvoke
It can be difficult to choose an unlimited phone plan, therefore we looked at the most recent and effective solutions for you.
In this article:
- Know your area
- Know your deals and discounts
- Our picks
- More about unlimited data plans and perks
- Unlimited data plans FAQs
No matter if you’re an Apple purist sporting the newest iPhone or a veteran Android user seeking to upgrade to the newest Pixel or Galaxy, you’ll need a strong unlimited data plan to get the most out of your handset. Unfortunately, it can be a little difficult to locate the overall “best” unlimited plan. The majority of people who live in the US have their choice of all the main competitors and carriers, unlike with home internet service, where your selections are frequently constrained by your region. And because there are so many possibilities, it can be difficult to determine which ones are really a good value—particularly because carriers love to make sweeping statements about performance and coverage at various price points.
I’m going to concentrate on the three major carriers — Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T — and search through the various postpaid unlimited plans on offer to find the ones that offer the most benefits and value for single lines and for families of four, so you can find the best plan type for you at a price that fits within your budget.
Explore the Contents
- 1 Know your area
- 2 Know your deals and discounts
- 3 Our picks
- 4 T-Mobile Base Essentials: $45 for 1 line
- 5 AT&T Value Plus Plan: $50 for 1 line
- 6 T-Mobile Essentials: $60 for 1 line, $100 for 4 lines
- 7 Verizon Welcome Unlimited: $65 for 1 line, $120 for 4 lines
- 8 Verizon Play More: $80 for 1 line, $180 for 4 lines
- 9 T-Mobile Magenta & Magenta Max: $70 for 1 line, $140 for 4 lines
- 10 More about unlimited data plans and perks
- 11 Unlimited data plans FAQs
- 12 Why get unlimited?
- 13 Is unlimited data really unlimited?
- 14 Is hotspot included?
Know your area
Make sure you have the coverage you require before moving on to the plans in order to receive the best deal. Because of this, it is quite difficult for us to endorse a certain carrier in general. Although T-coverage Mobile’s in New York may be superb, Verizon is more dependable if you live in a rural area of Iowa.
The good news is that these networks are always expanding and improving, even though your results may vary, especially as the three major players battle to cover the US with 5G. It’s entirely likely that you left a network ten years ago complaining about its poor service, but because of the competition for new subscribers, it has since bolstered itself.
Ask about their experience if you have any local friends or relatives who already use the carrier you’re thinking about. You might also visit a carrier’s location and inquire about any free trial offers they may have before making the switch, like T-Network Mobile’s Pass. Currently, Verizon has a comparable 30-day “Test Drive” programmed, and Cricket, a prepaid service, recently launched its own trial programmed that allows users to test out AT&T’s network.
Know your deals and discounts
Discounts are another thing to consider. Depending on your company, military status, student status, or age, all of the carriers provide additional savings that you might be qualified for.
Every major carrier offers discounts to first responders, members of the armed forces, veterans, nurses, and educators. Student discounts are available from Verizon, while T-Work Mobile’s perk may reduce the cost of a Magenta Max plan by 15% per month. AT&T also offers a similar programmed for its Unlimited Elite and Unlimited Premium plans, which it calls Signature. Additionally, AT&T has launched an offering for educators that provides 25% off its most recent unlimited plans.
You might also be qualified for a cheaper plan if you’re over 55: T-Mobile offers reduced rates across the country for as little as $55 per month for two lines, and Verizon and AT&T also have comparable choices, but solely for residents of Florida.
It is also important to keep in mind that some carriers, particularly Verizon at the moment, occasionally promote various rates on their websites that are targeted towards switchers. The company is now running a promotion that gives customers who switch to Verizon and bring their own phone a discount on the monthly plan (not trading in and financing a new one on an installment plan). Our suggestions below are based on the actual prices, excluding these very limited incentives.
Our picks
T-Mobile Base Essentials: $45 for 1 line
For individuals who don’t require three or more lines, T-Mobile has released a new, less expensive unlimited plan. This plan, known as Base Essentials, offers unlimited call, text, and data, including 5G. Although the amount of data is limitless, only the first 20GB of each month’s usage are at high speed; after that, your speeds will drop to 1.5Mbps for the rest of the billing cycle.
A free year of Paramount Plus, unlimited call, text, and 2G data in Mexico and Canada are included, but extras like a free Netflix subscription or the inclusion of taxes and fees in the retail price are not.
This could be a good choice for people seeking for a single line with no frills because it costs $5 less per month for a single line than AT&T’s Value Plus plan. This plan from the provider also supports multiple lines, with two lines costing $80 per month (if you require three or more lines, you may want to consider one of T-other Mobile’s plans, which may be less expensive due to various discounts the provider frequently offers).
This plan is rather difficult to find on T-website, Mobile’s but you can do so by going to the “Plans” section and selecting the “lowest-priced plan.”
AT&T Value Plus Plan: $50 for 1 line
The new Value Plus plan from AT&T might be the best option if you only need one line. You have unlimited access to voice, text, and data as well as 5G. There are no extras, such as a hotspot with free data or a free streaming service subscription, and you must only use one line.
However, if all you need is a basic unlimited phone plan, this is $10 less expensive than T-Essentials Mobile’s pricing, $15 less expensive than AT&T’s Unlimited Starter (with this plan including 3GB of hotspot data), not to mention $15 less expensive than Verizon’s Welcome Unlimited and $20 less expensive than Verizon’s 5G Start.
T-Mobile Essentials: $60 for 1 line, $100 for 4 lines
T-Essentials Mobile’s may be the greatest option for anyone hoping to save the most money on unlimited service from the big carriers. All base unlimited plans offered by the carrier include unlimited talk, text, and data. T-choice Mobile’s costs $60 for a single line in our price-focused comparison, which is $5 less per month than AT&T’s Unlimited Starter and $10 less than Verizon’s 5G Start.
T-Essentials Mobile’s gives you a bit more choice and is $5 cheaper than AT&T’s alternative. It also offers unlimited mobile hotspot, but at slower “3G speeds.” All three carriers include 5G access in their entry-level packages. It’s important to remember that Verizon’s 5G Start does not support the fastest 5G variants.
As the three major carriers deploy the most recent upgrades to their individual 5G networks over the following few years, you may always reconsider your alternatives.
The more lines you add, the more noticeable the savings of T-plan Mobile’s are. Essentials charges $90 per month for two lines, compared to $120 per month for an equivalent service from AT&T or Verizon. Due to a deal, three lines will also cost $90 at T-Mobile instead of $135 per month at AT&T or Verizon. T-Mobile charges $100 for the four-line option, while other carriers charge $140.
There are a few restrictions on these prices: Taxes and fees are not included in any of these pricing, which results in the actual total being a little bit higher than with T-Magenta Mobile’s or Magenta Max plans. You must also set up AutoPay and paperless billing for all of the deals.
Verizon Welcome Unlimited: $65 for 1 line, $120 for 4 lines
Verizon’s Welcome Unlimited offering is the carrier’s response to T-most Mobile’s affordable package. With this plan, you won’t get any streaming extras like the Disney Bundle, hotspot data, discounts for new device purchases, or access to Verizon’s ultra-fast 5G networks. The Verizon network, however, is available for $120 a month for four lines, provided that automatic payments are in place.
The Verizon package is still $15 per month more expensive than T-Essentials Mobile’s plan when compared to the competition, but it is $20 per month less expensive than AT&T’s most modest Unlimited Starter plan and Verizon’s own 5G Start. The Welcome plan can be used in conjunction with Verizon’s existing discounts for teachers, nurses, members of the armed forces, and first responders to maximize savings.
Verizon Play More: $80 for 1 line, $180 for 4 lines
With its Play More plan ($80 per month for one line, $45 per month if you have four lines), Verizon has one of the most aggressive packages available if you’re seeking for freebies with your wireless service.
Unlimited call, text, and data are included in Verizon’s Play More plan, along with 25GB of faster 5G and 4G LTE hotspot connectivity. Free Disney Plus, ESPN Plus, and Hulu subscriptions, as well as either an Apple Arcade or Google Play Pass, are among the benefits.
Considering everything, the benefits of using any of these services quickly mount. Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass each cost $5, while the Disney bundle often costs $14 per month.
That might amount to $19 in services per month. Verizon offers these advantages as part of both its Play More and Get More plans, but for the majority of customers, Play More is the better option. Get More adds an additional 25GB of high-speed hotspot internet, 50% off a connected device (such a monthly plan for a tablet or smartwatch), and 600GB of Verizon’s Cloud Storage for an additional $10 per month ($90 per month for a single line, $220 per month for four lines). A $10/month Apple Music membership is also included with Get More.
One thing to keep in mind is that these benefits are frequently restricted to one per account. As a result, only one line on a family plan would be eligible to open a Disney Plus account and receive carrier coverage.
When you have numerous lines, Verizon also allows you to combine and contrast plans.
If there are four people on your family plan, only one of them needs to have Play More in order for the family as a whole to benefit. The remaining lines can be on the less expensive 5G Start, which would reduce the monthly cost for four lines from $180 to $140 if they are all on Play More.
To save a little bit more, you can combine these plans with Verizon’s additional discounts for teachers, nurses, members of the military, and first responders.
Last but not least, Verizon offers an Apple One package as part of its “One Unlimited for iPhone” plan, which is targeted towards Apple devotees (Apple Music, Apple TV Plus, Apple Arcade and iCloud storage). However, the cost of that plan ($90 per month for a single line, $200 per month for four lines) is higher than that of Play More, and the One plan does not allow the transfer of additional lines to more affordable plans. When those two things are considered together, the Play More approach is the better choice.
T-Mobile Magenta & Magenta Max: $70 for 1 line, $140 for 4 lines
T-Mobile comes in second place for benefits. One hour of in-flight Wi-Fi on many airlines, weekly giveaways from T-Mobile, unlimited international data (albeit at slow “2G speeds”) while travelling to more than 210 countries, and the inclusion of Netflix’s Basic plan, which costs $10 per month and only allows for one screen at a time, are a few advantages. Additionally, it now provides a free year of Vex Plus from Televise Unison, a free year of Paramount Plus’s $5-per-month Essentials plan, and six free months of Apple TV Plus.
With its more expensive Magenta Max plan ($85 per month for one line, $170 per month for four lines), you can upgrade your Netflix subscription to the more widely used $15.49 per month Standard plan, which allows for simultaneous 1080p HD streaming on up to two screens. You also get 40GB of hotspot data, an additional 5GB of high-speed international data, and unlimited Wi-Fi on a variety of flights, including those operated by American, Alaska Airlines, Delta, and United. Additionally, you receive a complete Apple TV Plus membership as well as a free year of Vex Plus and Paramount Plus Essentials.
Unlike the Essentials plans we previously reviewed, the pricing of T-Magenta Mobile’s and Magenta Max plans also includes taxes and fees.
More about unlimited data plans and perks
The benefits of AT&T’s unlimited plans have diminished significantly. Prior to early June, the carrier’s highest Unlimited Elite plan, which costs $85 for one line and $50 per month for four lines, included a complimentary subscription to HBO Max.
It is also important to note that carrier benefits, such as Verizon’s Disney package or T-Netflix, Mobile’s Paramount Plus, Vex Plus, and Apple TV Plus offerings, frequently have a limit of one subscription per account, rather than one for each line you have.
Unlimited data plans FAQs
Why get unlimited?
All T-Mobile plans come with unlimited data, and new Verizon customers may no longer sign up for shared data plans. The only provider of tiered data plans is AT&T.
Although everyone has different wireless demands, we believe that unlimited plans are the most sensible for the majority of people, especially when switching plans.
The AT&T choice isn’t very good. For $50 per month for one line ($160 for four lines), it offers a 4GB per line package. Each of these lines comes with 4GB of data, but if you use more than that in a month, you’ll have to pay $10 for every 2GB. Access to AT&T’s 5G networks is also excluded from the company’s strategy.
Unlimited Starter, the company’s entry-level unlimited package, costs $65 per month for one line or $140 for four lines.
You might be fine with one of these plans if you have one or two lines and don’t use a lot of data, but if you only have one line, we advise switching to AT&T’s $50 Value Plus plan or T-Base Mobile’s Essentials. That T-Mobile plan for two lines costs $80 a month, $10 less than AT&T’s 4GB plan for two lines, and it doesn’t require you to keep track of how much data you use.
For most people, we really do believe unlimited is the best choice when choosing a new plan.
Is unlimited data really unlimited?
It is, but the speeds you experience may change based on your plan and the amount of data you consume each month. In the past, carriers would reduce or “throttle” your speeds if you exceeded a certain threshold (often more than 22GB of data in a month), but today, all three major providers claim they’ll only do that in exceptional circumstances.
In order for the majority of the aforementioned plans’ data speeds to be lowered, you must:
1. Used over 50GB of data in a month.
2. Be in a location where there is “congestion,” “high traffic,” or “busy” on the network. Tens of thousands of people may be uploading and sharing images and videos at a sporting event or concert, as examples of this.
According to all providers, your data should only be slowed “temporarily” in these situations. However, your threshold for when your data slows down and how long it lasts can be different if you have an earlier unlimited plan.
Is hotspot included?
Depending on the plan you have, you may or may not be able to use your phone as a hotspot to share its connection with other devices. Others, like AT&T’s Unlimited Starter and T-Essentials Mobile’s and Magenta, offer only a little amount of high-speed connectivity before capping your hotspot performance to “3G” or “2G” rates. Some plans don’t even include it at all, including Verizon’s 5G Start and AT&T’s Value Plus.
Depending on the plan you have, you may or may not be able to use your phone as a hotspot to share its connection with other devices. Others, like AT&T’s Unlimited Starter and T-Essentials Mobile’s and Magenta, offer only a little amount of high-speed connectivity before capping your hotspot performance to “3G” or “2G” rates. Some plans don’t even include it at all, including Verizon’s 5G Start and AT&T’s Value Plus.