Here’s how you can pay less for more with T-Mobile
Best T-Mobile Prepaid Plans
You pay your cell phone bill every month. So shaving a few bucks off the cost of your plan really adds up. That’s exactly what you can do when you switch to a prepaid plan.
There are some great deals for all kinds of users. We’ll go through everything you need to know in this review of the best T-Mobile prepaid plans.
First, here’s a look at every prepaid plan that T-Mobile offers, so you can get an idea of what’s out there.
Prepaid Unlimited Plus: Best unlimited data plan
- Cheaper than traditional plans
- Hotspot data
- 50GB high-speed data cap
- Pricier than other prepaid plans
What we like
T-Mobile’s Unlimited Plus plan is like the Cadillac of prepaid plans: it’s got everything you need (and a few things you don’t need but really want). We’re talking unlimited talk, text, and data, hotspot data, and other perks like HD video streaming. Let’s dive into the details.
Cheaper than traditional plans
The Unlimited Plus prepaid plan acts a lot like the top-tier postpaid plans on the market. But it’s actually significantly cheaper at just $60 a month.
When you compare the price to Verizon’s $90/month Unlimited Ultimate plan, which offers similar data and perks, the hassle of paying at the beginning of the month doesn't feel like a big deal.
Hotspot data and other perks
Most prepaid plans do away with special features and perks, but not this T-Mobile plan. With the Unlimited Plus prepaid plan, you’ll get up to 10GB of high-speed 4G LTE hotspot data.
Hotspot data is awesome for folks who work on the road or like to stream to the laptop while they’re waiting in the airport (or anywhere else).
It’s not just the mobile hotspot data that makes this plan a cut above other prepaid plans. The Unlimited Plus prepaid plan also gives you access to T-Mobile’s quickly expanding 5G network.
It’s no secret that T-Mobile’s network isn’t quite as robust as Verizon or AT&T, but that doesn’t mean it's terrible. In fact, the company’s speed and reliability performance is just barely behind Verizon and AT&T, especially since its merger with Sprint.
50GB high-speed data cap
Pretty much every plan in the world—including unlimited plans—has what’s called a data cap. Once you’ve used a certain amount of data and hit your cap, your data speeds will be reduced. It’s called throttling.
Many unlimited plans are always at risk of being throttled. Others have a high-speed data cap, usually around 30GB, after which your speeds will be slowed. But the prepaid Unlimited plan matches other high-level plans with a 50GB cap, which is more than enough for most users.
What we don’t like
You don’t get something for nothing. So what’s the catch with this powerful prepaid unlimited plan? The short answer is price.
Pricier than other prepaid plans
While the Unlimited Plus prepaid plan from T-Mobile may be cheaper than postpaid alternatives, it’s still pretty pricey for a prepaid plan.
It’s significantly more expensive than other plans with 5–10GB of data. Meanwhile, you can get an unlimited data plan from a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), like Visible, for just $20 less. The Visible plan may not have as many perks or operate on T-Mobile's network (Visible is powered by Verizon), but it gets the job done.
For those who want to pay less than $60 on their monthly phone bill, check out the next two plans in our lineup of the best T-Mobile prepaid plans.
With an MVNO (mobile virtual network operator), mobile users can get the same coverage for a lot less. By renting existing cell phone towers, MVNOs can offset consumers' costs and offer more competitive discounts and pricing.
For the cheapest unlimited plan on T-Mobile's network, check out Mint Mobile. You'll get unlimited talk, text, and data for only $30/month. At half the price of T-Mobile's Unlimited Plus prepaid plan, which includes 50GB of fast data and 10GB of hotspot data, Mint's Unlimited plan offers 40GB of priority data and also 10GB of hotspot data. No need to sacrifice service while cutting down on your cell phone bill.
For cheap, limited data plans, check out Tello. With Tello, you can get a 5GB plan with unlimited talk and text for only $14/month. Tello's plans are super customizable, so depending on how much data you want, plans can be as cheap as $9/month and cap out at $25/month.
Alternative picks
You don’t want to choose your cell phone plan without comparing other options first. So we’ve rounded up some plans that are similar to the Unlimited Plus prepaid plan. Check it out.
Prepaid 10GB Plan: Best value
- Affordable
- Enough data for many users
- Unlimited music streaming
- Not unlimited data
What we like
T-Mobile’s Prepaid 10GB Plan is a pretty great middle-of-the-road plan for those who don’t need unlimited data. Here’s everything we love about the plan.
Affordable
This plan isn’t priced low enough to make the list of the best cheap cell phone plans, but at $40 a month it’s probably cheaper than your current bill (or about the same). And it gives you a lot of bang for your buck.
Plenty of data for many users
Unlimited data plans are all the rage these days, but many people don’t truly need that much data. 10GB of data is actually quite a lot—it’s enough to stream every episode of the Umbrella Academy in standard definition, for example.
So if you’re the type of person who uses mobile data to stream and game every once in a while when you’re out of the house but you connect to Wi-Fi at home, you might be just fine with this plan’s 10GB.
How much data do you need to stream the new Walking Dead episode? How much does Spotify use? Read our guide to cellular data to learn more about how data works, and how much you need.
Unlimited music streaming
Speaking of data usage: you won’t have to worry about your data cap when you’re streaming music. That’s because T-Mobile allows unlimited streaming when you’re using Pandora, iHeartRadio, iTunes Radio, Rhapsody, Spotify, Slacker, or Milk Music.
What we don’t like
As usual, we have a few complaints. Well, actually, we just have one: this plan doesn’t come with unlimited data.
Not unlimited data
We were just talking about how 10GB of data is enough for plenty of people. And, while that’s true, it’s also true that unlimited data is better because it’s … well … unlimited!
If you’re considering spending $40 a month on a cell phone plan, there are a few MVNOs that might actually offer a better deal with more data.
Alternative picks
It’s time to take a look at the competition. Here are some other prepaid plans with at least 10 GB of data from alternative carriers.
Connect Unlimited Talk & Text + 6.5GB Data: Best budget
- Cheap
- Includes all the basics
- Limited data
What we like
When you’re just trying to save money, you don’t care much about fancy perks like HD video streaming. You just want a cheap, simple, reliable option. In this cast, that’s the Connect Unlimited Talk & Text + 6.5GB Data plan (it’s simpler than the name sounds).
Cheap
At $25 a month, this plan isn’t just affordable. It’s downright cheap. In fact, it was introduced by T-Mobile in response to the COVID-19 crisis because the company knew people affected would want a cheap option.
Of course, there is one cheaper plan in the T-Mobile prepaid lineup. It’s $15 and comes with 3.5GB of LTE data. But we think this plan is a better deal overall.
If you’re excited about cutting down on your monthly phone bill, then you’ll probably be excited about saving a few hundred bucks on a new iPhone. You can see the best discounts and promotions in our monthly cell phone deals roundup.
Includes all the basics
This T-Mobile plan gives you all the basics: unlimited talk and unlimited text. That may not sound like much, but there was a time (back in the early 2000s) when it would have been a luxury plan.
You’ll also get 5 GB of high-speed LTE data. That should be plenty of data for those who just need to use Google Maps and email every once in a while (making this a great plan for kids).
What we don’t like
We can’t wrap this up without telling you what we don’t like about this plan, even though it should be pretty obvious: there’s not much data.
Limited data
6.5GB of data is what many people (myself included) use in a week. So if you’re a heavy, or even a moderate, phone user, this plan won’t cut it for you. The good news is that there are plenty of other cheap data plans, like Mint Mobile’s, that can get you hooked up with more data for less money.
Alternative picks
As always, we’ll take a peek at the competition. Here are some similar plans with unlimited talk and text and at least 5GB of data.
Recap: Which prepaid plan is best for you?
We’ve reviewed the best T-Mobile prepaid plans here, but which one is the best for you? We’ll do a quick recap to help you decide.
- Best unlimited data plan: The Unlimited Plus prepaid plan is a monster plan that offers everything you could need, and it only costs $60. That includes unlimited talk, text, and data, plus great perks for hotspot data. It’s not the cheapest prepaid plan, but it’s pretty amazing if you can afford it.
- Best value: Those who want a cheaper plan that still includes a decent amount of data will want to look at the Prepaid 10GB Data plan. This plan gets you a decent amount of data and includes unlimited music streaming, so you can throw on your power song while you save a few bucks.
- Best budget plan: Check out the Connect Unlimited Talk & Text + 6.5GB Data if you’re looking to save a lot of money and still get the basics. It’s not the fanciest plan around, but it’s only $25 a month.
If you don’t see your dream plan here, be sure to check out the best prepaid plans from AT&T and Verizon.