We’ve narrowed down the four best cell phone plans under $20 that will give you the most bang for your buck. Now that we got all the jargon out of the way, let’s get to the good part. With the Mint Mobile Small plan, you get all of this stuff for $15 a month:
Unlimited talk Unlimited text 3 GB of data
You can text and call as much as you want, and you still get enough data to use your GPS and check Instagram. That being said, with 3 GB of data, you probably can’t stream constantly or do a ton of online gaming on your wireless connection. But hey, you can always use a Wi-Fi connection for those things. Let’s say that you (a Mint Mobile user) and a friend (a T-Mobile user) attend a concert together. You take a rad video of yourself crowd-surfing, but your phone suddenly can’t get a signal strong enough to post the moment to your Instagram story. Meanwhile, your friend already posted the video of their crowd-surfing exploits. You’d think that since Mint Mobile shares T-Mobile’s network, you would both enjoy the same coverage. Wrong! You were deprioritized on T-Mobile’s network so that your friend could have all the data to post their story. That’s so nice of you. Deprioritization tends to rear its ugly head in more crowded and congested areas. Hopefully, it won’t be something that you experience too often, but deprioritization has a habit of showing up at the most inconvenient times. The only catch is you need to be an Xfinity residential internet customer to sign up for Xfinity Mobile. But if you’ve already got an Xfinity internet plan (or if you’re considering signing up), you’re ready to join this somewhat exclusive club that includes cheap cell phone plans that include 5G service. It starts with 1 GB of data each month, and you simply pay for any extra data you use over that initial amount. Plus, Xfinity service comes with access to more than 18 million Wi-Fi hotspots across the US, so chances are you’ll be able to hop on Wi-Fi instead of using your precious cellular data. That said, if you use more than 3 GB of data in a month, we recommend the Xfinity Mobile unlimited plan instead. But both the Unlimited Data plan and the By the Gig plan come at fantastically cheap prices. There is a caveat, though: Verizon is lagging behind T-Mobile and AT&T in terms of 5G coverage. So if you’ve got a 5G device, Xfinity Mobile’s coverage might not bump your signal up to the coveted 5G icon at this time. The major things to watch out for with Xfinity Mobile are deprioritization and data speed throttling. That means slow speeds could be in store. Thankfully, deprioritization doesn’t tend to be an issue unless you’re sitting in a crowded area and using your cell phone to hurl disgruntled birds at snarky pigs. But that doesn’t mean data deprioritization won’t show up like an uninvited guest. Best 4G coverage Best 5G coverage: Verizon offers 8% more 4G coverage than third-place T-Mobile. This network really shines in more rural areas, so if you’re an avid camper, you can count on getting calls and texts whilst in the wilderness. In a sense, you have unlimited data with Tello, but you only have a certain amount of high-speed data. Don’t plan on being able to comfortably use your GPS app or scroll through Instagram after you pass that 5 GB of high-speed data, but you should be able to open up a web page with some patience. Remember, you can always use Wi-Fi to save your high-speed data. For example, you may notice that your data speeds grind to a halt during your commute home from work. This can happen because tons of other people are doing the same thing you are: streaming Spotify while driving home. As a Tello user, you sadly get last dibs of T-Mobile data when things get congested.
Best value plan: Mint Mobile offers 4 GB of data and unlimited talk and text on a reliable network. Somehow it all costs $15. All that value easily makes it our top recommendation for a cell phone plan under $20. Best mobile bundle: Xfinity Mobile requires you to have an Xfinity internet plan, sure. But it offers cheap plans that run on Verizon’s extensive network in return. Best unlimited talk and text plan: US Mobile offers a super affordable unlimited talk and text plan on the best wireless network. You should have no problem getting calls and texts out wherever you roam. Best data plan under $20: Tello mobile hooks you up with 5 GB of data every month for under $20. You won’t find a plan that beats 5 GB data at that price.
What cell phone plan under $20 has you the most intrigued? What do you care about the most, unlimited talk, unlimited text, or unlimited data? Let us know in the comments below.
