Best International Cell Phone Plans

You need an international phone plan if you travel regularly and need to make calls and access internet data over a reliable cellular network. It’s an especially worthy investment for business trips and other high-stakes undertakings where making VoIP calls over a cafe’s shaky Wi-Fi simply won’t suffice. 

“A top-notch international cell phone plan has broad coverage, reasonable prices, and clear pricing. It should be possible to stay connected in many places without having to pay crazy roaming fees,” advises Rajesh Namase, co-founder of tech publication TechRT. “Check to see if the plan includes cheap texting and calling other countries. Pay attention to what other customers say about the quality of the service and the help they get.”

Keep in mind that you may not need an international cell phone plan at all, even if you’re planning a long trip overseas. That’s because it’s very easy to communicate with a simple internet connection, and it’s not too hard to find decent Wi-Fi wherever you travel.

Most tourists and backpackers can stick to apps like WhatsApp, Viber, and even iMessage, especially for short trips or jaunts across multiple countries. These services are web-based and allow you to message and call your friends and family. Of course, your friends and family need to use the same apps and services for you to connect with them.

There are also voice over internet protocol, or VoIP, services (like Google Voice) that allow you to make actual phone calls over the internet. However, these services usually aren’t free—we talk more about them later in the piece.

Although it’s pretty easy to find Wi-Fi in most major cities, you still might not want to rely on being able to find those services. A bucket-list vacation can easily turn into a drag if you spend half your day running around looking for a cafe with Wi-Fi just to respond to a text or search on Google Maps.

A relatively inexpensive data-only plan from a phone carrier specific to the region you're traveling to might be perfectly fine. Getting a low-cost SIM or eSIM is extremely easy in most countries, and you can get connected in a matter of minutes if you have a phone with eSIM capability.

I regularly use Airalo to buy inexpensive data-only eSIMs for when I travel, which allow me to use web services even without Wi-Fi. Simply using an eSIM like this or buying a cheap SIM when you get to your destination may be the easiest way to travel. Still, perhaps you don’t want to bother with all that—maybe you just want a single phone plan that you know will work internationally. In that case, read on.

Google Fi has long been a darling for world travelers, thanks to its massive flexibility that builds international usage into its plans.

Google Fi is an MVNO (mobile virtual network operator), which operates on T-Mobile’s network in the United States and offers unlimited 5G. You get high-speed, mmWave data in areas where T-Mobile offers it, so long as you have a compatible 5G phone. Google Fi is technically currently named Google Fi Wireless, but most still refer to it as simply Google Fi.

As it relates to international usage, Google Fi is flexible. The Google Fi Unlimited Plus plan is the best one for international users, boasting unlimited data with unlimited hotspot tethering. That data can be used in over 200 countries, without any additional fees. Google stipulates that its unlimited international data is not intended to be used for over 90 consecutive days—so you may run into some issues if you happen to have a trip planned for over three months. Usage in Mexico and Canada is just like it is in the United States, so you don’t have to worry about paying a fee for calls in North America.

Google Fi Unlimited Plus offers some additional perks too. For starters, customers get six months of YouTube Premium, as well as 100GB of Google One storage. And, the price includes full connectivity for select smartwatches. That’s without having to pay additional fees for the connectivity of those watches.

Despite offering unlimited data and unlimited text internationally, calls are a little more restricted. Although you get unlimited talk to 50+ countries, you have to pay $0.20 per minute for any calls you make from those countries when you travel outside North America. You may want to stick to making VoIP calls with Google Fi when you’re traveling. Google also says that it will throttle data speeds after 50GB.

Notably, Google Fi also doesn’t officially support a huge range of phones. Its list of supported phones has expanded over the years—and it does support iPhones—but it’s best to use Google’s tool to check if your phone is supported before signing up.

The list of supported smartwatches is much more limited. It’s nice that Google offers free connectivity for certain supported smartwatches, but there are only four watches currently on that list—including the Google Pixel Watch, Google Pixel Watch 2, Samsung Galaxy Watch5 Pro, and Samsung Galaxy Watch6. Despite iPhone support, you can’t use cellular on your Apple Watch on Google Fi, unfortunately.

Mint Mobile may be mostly famous because it’s partly owned by Ryan Reynolds, but this plucky, T-Mobile-connected MVNO actually has a lot going for it. Ideal for budget users, it offers up inexpensive plans, with multiple options based on data usage. All plans offer unlimited domestic talk and text, and you can purchase an international pass (or Minternational Pass, as Mint calls it) for traveling abroad. Prices start at $5 for a one-day pass, but you can also upgrade to a 10-day pass for $20. For longer trips, you need to buy additional passes.

Here’s a handy chart to outline what you get from the main passes.

Mint Mobile is quite flexible when it comes to domestic use, and customers can change plans on a month-to-month basis, based on the amount of data they think they’ll use. This extends to international plans, too—you can buy “Minternational Passes” whenever you need, depending on how long you plan on traveling.

Although Mint’s international passes are decently priced, they’re not the most cost-effective option if you plan on traveling for a long period. If you’re trekking across Europe for a month, for example, you’ll need to buy three 10-day plans. That’s $60 in one month on top of your base Mint plan.

Also, there really aren’t additional perks available on Mint plans. Look elsewhere if you’re interested in a free streaming service subscription or a discount on an internet bundle.

Visible has grown in popularity as Verizon’s budget brand, but for many it’s a better way to go than Verizon. That’s because its plans are so cheap, but still offer unlimited perks. Visible’s base plan is $25 per month, and includes unlimited talk, text, and data in the United States.

The upgraded Visible+ plan, which costs $45 per month, is the way to go. Visible+ offers more premium data (high-speed data over 4G and 5G), $10-per-month savings on Verizon’s Home Internet, and unlimited hotspot usage at twice the speeds of the standard Visible plan.

For international users, Visible+ offers one free Global Pass day per month. Visible’s Global Pass allows for international talk, text, and data on that day in 140 countries around the globe. Normally, Global Pass days cost $10 each. So, if you tend to take ultra-short trips for work, you could get by without having to pay too much for international usage.

Of course, Visible has other advantages. Its plans are relatively cheap in the first place and work on Verizon’s network, which is the largest in the U.S.

As you might have picked up on, Visible’s Global Pass is helpful in only limited scenarios—if you need international usage for more than one day per month, you need to pay for it. The Global Pass costs $10 per day, which isn’t cheap, and depending on how often you need it, you could end up paying a lot more than on other plans. Thankfully, if you only really travel within North America, you can get Global Pass for $5 per day.

Visible doesn’t offer all that much in the way of extra perks, except for $10 per month off of Verizon Home Internet plans. That might be useful for some, but not all that many customers will take advantage of it.

As you might expect, Verizon offers some great international perks of its own—for a price. Verizon Unlimited Ultimate is the carrier’s latest top-tier plan, boasting unlimited talk, text, and data internationally (with some limitations). The plan offers a ton of additional perks too. Hotspot users get 60GB of high-speed data and unlimited data at 600 Kbps. This plan also includes discounts on an Apple One subscription, which includes services like Apple Music and Apple TV+. Individual Apple One subscriptions cost $10 per month on this plan (instead of $19.95 per month), while family plans cost $20 per month (instead of $25.95).

When it comes to international usage, Verizon Unlimited Ultimate has a lot going for it. Customers get unlimited talk, text, and data on this plan, though there are limitations. You can’t really do much better in terms of international support, so those who travel often can get dependable service without having to juggle plans. Usage in Mexico and Canada is better too—you get up to 2GB of high-speed data per day, and after that, you get unlimited data on 3G speeds.

Verizon Unlimited Ultimate throttles international data usage after 10GB. Many modern customers use more than 10GB of data in a month, so it might be worth keeping your phone on low data mode when you travel. Thankfully, after 10GB, you don’t lose data access—you’re just throttled to 2G speeds.

Of course, as you might expect, Verizon Unlimited Ultimate is expensive: $90 per month (with AutoPay) for one line. That’s more than the majority of plans on this list, though the trade-off is that you don’t have to worry too much about buying international passes or running out of minutes.

The T-Mobile Go5G Next plan is T-Mobile’s most expensive plan right now, but it offers the most perks. T-Mobile’s network isn’t quite as large as Verizon’s, but it’s enough for the vast majority of users and it has a larger 5G network. The plan continues T-Mobile’s tradition of bundling great perks with its plans, and it includes access to a range of streaming services. That, of course, is on top of the excellent international plan features.

With Go5G Next, you get a range of international features that don’t cost more than the base fee for the plan. Notably, the plan offers unlimited international data, with up to 15GB of high-speed data. That’s 50% more than the Verizon plan, so if you’re a heavy data user, this could be a better pick. On top of the unlimited international data, the plan also has unlimited international texting.

There are lots of perks here too. Notably, you get three streaming services with Go5G Next: Apple TV+, Netflix, and Hulu. In the case of Netflix and Hulu, you get subscriptions with ads. But between all three, you’re saving a decent amount of cash.

The main reason you might want to go with Verizon Unlimited Ultimate over Go5G Next is that T-Mobile’s plan doesn’t offer free calling. On the contrary, you pay $0.25 per minute to make calls while traveling, unless you’re calling to or from Canada or Mexico. That can get expensive, so if you rely on phone calls, it may be worth going for an alternative or looking into VoIP calling services. 

You don’t necessarily need an international phone plan to make international calls. That’s thanks to the existence of Voice Over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, services. These services essentially use data to make calls instead of cell service.

There are plenty of great VoIP services out there, but many of them charge money for international calls. Perhaps the most famous VoIP service is Google Voice, which charges a different rate per minute depending on the country you’re calling. Other top VoIP services include the likes of RingCentral, which costs $20 per month with an annual subscription.

Of course, if you’re just calling friends and family, you don’t necessarily need to pay for a VoIP service, if your friends and family use the same apps and services as you. WhatsApp, for example, offers calling features for free—as do services like Viber and Facebook Messenger.

There are plenty of international phone plans out there, however keep in mind the fact that you may not need one at all. You may be able to get by with a data-only SIM or even intermittent Wi-Fi access.

If you do find that you need an international phone plan, there are many options. The best for most users is Google Fi, thanks to its unlimited test and data and reasonable price. If you’re on a budget, you can save money with prepaid carrier Mint Mobile. And if you want the works, you can pay a premium for unlimited everything with Verizon Unlimited Ultimate.

At Reviews.org, we’re constantly testing phone plans and cell services. We understand that a great cell service can be hugely important – and that’s even more true for international users who may rely on their service to stay connected with friends and family in a new location.

I personally have used a number of the services on this list, and as someone who was born in Australia, lived in Europe for five years, and has attended a lot of tech events, I travel a ton. Often, I rely on an international phone plan to stay connected while I travel, and while most recently I’ve been buying a low-cost eSIM data plan from Airalo when I travel, I know what makes an excellent international phone plan.

In putting together this guide, I conducted extensive research on phone plans, both from the major carriers, and from smaller companies alike. I looked at the particular features that make a phone plan great for international and made sure each plan was a solid option for when you’re home too. I also scoured the web, and even got insight from some travel bloggers and influencers to ensure that the plans included were worth paying your hard-earned cash for.