The Best Cheap Phone Plans for 2022
Most Americans have a cell plan from one of the major carrier brands—AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless—or the slightly-less-popular UScellular. However, many more choices are available to US customers looking for a bargain. Dozens of mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) and prepaid carriers offer significant discounts by piggybacking on the major networks to deliver lower prices.
Pay attention to these providers' reputations for customer service and which networks they use. Some MVNOs allow you to choose between different networks, whereas others are tied to a single provider. One company, Google Fi, uses T-Mobile's and UScellular's networks interchangeably on some phones, but for the rest, you have to choose which network you want when you buy your SIM card.
We order our picks by their respective monthly prices so that you can compare the best options within your budget. Remember, these recommendations are for a single line of service. Bundling two or more lines on the same account may help reduce monthly costs on some of the below plans. For the best carrier service where you live, check out our stories on the best mobile networks in the US and Canada.
Editors' Note: These prices and plan details are accurate at press time, but they change frequently. We plan to update this story on a monthly basis.
Some of the smaller carriers do not sell phones at all, or they might limit their selection to low-end phones that work only on their network. Therefore, we recommend purchasing a cheap, unlocked phone that is compatible with multiple carriers. Even if a phone is listed to work with all major carriers, you should still verify that your carrier supports the phone before you buy it: With the growing popularity of 5G,
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