“Unlimited data, streaming video perks, and special offers and discounts every Tuesday.” Best Value: Cricket Wireless Unlimited 2 Plan “Outstanding value with a nationwide network that piggybacks off AT&T’s 4G LTE network.” Best Prepaid: Metro by T-Mobile “Excellent deal for customers who want to pay upfront for their cellphone service.” Best Coverage: Verizon Wireless Unlimited Plans “You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better offering because Verizon has a solid LTE network and plenty of other plan perks like a Disney+ membership. Best for Two People: Boost Mobile “Offers a nationwide 5G network along with no annual service contracts.” Best for Cost: Ting “Lets you customize a rate plan specifically tailored to your needs.” Best International: Google Fi “Flexible plan charges $10 per 1 GB in over 200 countries when traveling internationally.” Once you decide which needs are important, it’s time to look at the different carriers. T-Mobile Magenta is perfect for any family that streams a multitude of videos. On top of the extensive amount of deals it runs annually, T-Mobile offers unlimited data inside of its family plan. If your family strictly uses Androids and loves to travel, look into Google Fi. This provider charges $10 per 1 GB while abroad. The best family cellphone plan will look different for each family, but there is one out there to suit your needs. Starting at $120 for three lines, the lengthy list of T-Mobile perks makes it hard to pass up, although T-Mobile’s coverage in your area will certainly play a factor. If it’s good, you’ll receive unlimited SD streaming with the option to upgrade to HD for a fee, unlimited mobile hotspot data, and unlimited in-flight Wi-Fi on all Gogo-enabled flights. Adding a tablet or wearable (think Apple Watch) costs an extra $20, which falls right in line with the rest of the industry. If you want streaming video perks, and special offers and discounts every Tuesday with the downloadable T-Mobile Tuesday app on iOS and Android, the T-Mobile Magenta plan is calling your name. If you’re looking for an even more robust option, T-Mobile’s Magenta MAX plan takes things up a notch with unlimited premium data, an additional Netflix screen, 40 GB of high-speed mobile hotspot data, up to 4K UHD streaming, and more. Magenta MAX runs $140 per month for three lines. Familiarize yourself with what cellphone plans are if you are unsure of how they work. As a value offering, the difference is notable since data speeds are limited to 8 Mbps, although that limitation drops if you choose lower-priced data plans available in buckets of 5 GB and 10 GB, which offer faster speeds due to their more limited use. The lower-tier rate plans offer unlimited texts to 37 countries worldwide from the U.S. Looking to save money? Check out our picks for the best cheap cellphone plans. Breaking down to about $30 per line overall, all four users will have the opportunity to stream millions of songs, share on social media, and watch their favorite shows, all without skipping a beat. Another highlight is that taxes and fees are already included, making your $120 price exactly $120, so it’s easy to budget every month. Ultimately, as a prepaid line, there are no equipment installment plans monthly, so purchasing a phone means doing so at the full price upfront, which can quickly add up if you want the latest and greatest (although you can bring your own compatible device at no extra cost). For more options like this, check out our roundup of the best prepaid cellphone plans. The 5G Start plan offers four lines for $35 each while scaling down video to DVD-quality streaming at 480p on both smartphones and tablets. The higher tiers, 5G Play More and 5G Do More, jump up in pricing to $45 per line for four lines for a total of $180 per month, which gives you 720p video streaming on smartphones. There’s also a 5G Get More plan at $55 per line for four lines that adds even more perks. Regardless of which plan you pick, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better offering because Verizon has a solid LTE network and plenty of other plan perks like a Disney+ membership. Boost offers a nationwide 5G network along with no annual service contracts (and taxes and fees are included), so you can count on a set rate every month. Additionally, you can tack on extras such as international roaming and BoostTV for live programming. The Flex plan costs $10 per month per line, and you pay $5 per GB of data you use. The Set 5 Plan is $25 per month per line and includes 5 GB LTE/5G data and unlimited talk and text. The Set 12 Plan is $35 per month and includes 12 GB LTE/5G data, and unlimited talk and text. There are also Unlimited and Unlimited Pro plans that start at $45 per month per line. Operating off three major U.S. mobile networks, Ting offers the latest devices available for purchase outright or for a monthly installment. The Google Fi Unlimited Plus plan offers unlimited calls, texts, and data usage (high-speed up to 22 GB and slowed after that) for just $110 for two lines or $45 each for four or more lines ($160 per month for four people). You’ll also be able to make free calls to 50 countries and take advantage of mobile hotspot tethering. The news gets even better when you travel abroad. Google Fi charges only $10 per 1 GB in over 200 countries when traveling internationally in its Flexible plan. That’s far and away one of the best rates around, and while you have to do a little piecemeal work to set up a family plan, the international roaming rate is hard to pass up. In the Unlimited Plus tier, you get free high-speed data in more than 200 destinations. If you’re still unsure of what to choose, check out our list of the best cellphone plans of the year.
