FreedomPop Cell Phone Plans Review

If you’re looking for a cheap and reliable cell phone plan, then Freedom Mobile may be perfect. Just don’t expect a ton of mobile data or perks.

FreedomPop logo
FreedomPop
2.5 out of 5 stars
2.5
  • pro
    Free plan option
  • pro
    Good coverage
  • con
    Pricey mobile data
Easton Smith
Jan 27, 2022
Icon Time To Read6 min read

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Though there are several other companies—like TextNow and US Mobile—that now offer free plans, FreedomPop was first. But is this original free plan right for you?

Here's the bottom line about FreedomPop up front:

FreedomPop’s free plan provides a few minutes, texts, and very little data for a one-time $5 charge for the SIM card. Its other plans can be customized, but the prices aren't great.

FreedomPop doesn’t have family plans, but its parent company, Red Pocket Mobile, does.

We’ll review everything you need to know about FreedomPop, from its plan options to its coverage, so that you can make an informed decision.

FreedomPop unlimited plans

Get a truly free plan or design your own plan, just don’t expect a good deal on data
Pros
  • Free plan option
  • Build your own plan
  • Good network coverage
Cons
  • Data is pricey
  • Limited perks
Compare FreedomPop cell phone plans
Talk
Text
Data
Price
Learn more

250 minutes

Unlimited

1 GB LTE

$15

250 minutes

Unlimited

4 GB LTE

$23

250 minutes

Unlimited

10 GB LTE

$30

Unlimited

Unlimited

1 GB LTE

$17

Unlimited

Unlimited

4 GB LTE

$25

Unlimited

Unlimited

10 GB LTE

$35

Unlimited

Unlimited

Unlimited LTE

$55

What we like

FreedomPop marches to the beat of its own drum. It isn’t really interested in competing with big carriers—like Verizon and T-Mobile—that are increasingly focused on pricey unlimited data plans. Instead, FreedomPop offers cheap and free plans for those that don’t need all the fancy perks.

Let’s take a closer look at what FreedomPop’s plans get right.

Free plans

There are plenty of great affordable phone plans out there. But if cheap isn’t cheap enough, then check out this free phone plan from FreedomPop.

Screenshot of sign-up page for FreedomPop Free Plan and SIM Card

Source: Screenshot taken from FreedomPop.com

This $0.00 plan is truly free. All you have to do is pay $5 when you sign up to get your FreedomPop SIM card in the mail. Put it in your phone, activate your plan, and boom, there it is: free phone service.

As you might expect, this free phone plan has some limitations. You’ll only get 10 minutes of talk, 10 texts, and 25 MB of 4G LTE data. It’s a plan that’s better suited to an emergency phone than your main line. However, those who are very strict about using a Wi-Fi connection for their calls and texts may be able to make it work.

Looking for other inexpensive phone plans?
Money

We’ve rounded up some awesome and affordable plans in our best prepaid phone plans review.

Build your own plan

FreedomPop’s free plan will be far too limited for most customers. But the company has quite a few other plans that offer more minutes, texts, and data. In fact, you can design a plan that works perfect for you on FreedomPop’s website.

Screenshot of FreedomPop Build Your Own Plan

Source: Screenshot taken from FreedomPop.com

Choose between 250 minutes or unlimited minutes. Then pick the amount of data you want. Here’s a look at a couple of plans that we designed.

Screenshot of FreedomPop 1GB Plan
Screenshot of FreedomPop Unlimited Plan

Source: Screenshot taken from FreedomPop.com

As you can see, the unlimited talk, text, and data plan comes in at $55, which is on the high side for a prepaid phone plan. But a FreedomPop plan with unlimited talk and text plus 1 GB of data is just $17, which is a very decent price.

Good network coverage

FreedomPop is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO for short). That means that instead of operating its own cell phone network, it just leases bandwidth from another network. In FreedomPop’s case, that network is AT&T.

This is good news for FreedomPop customers. AT&T runs a reliable nationwide network with fast data speeds. We’ll talk about this more in our coverage section below.

What we don’t like

If phone carriers were movies, FreedomPop wouldn’t be a big blockbuster that has something for everyone. It would be the weird indie flick that only a few people really like. Here are a few big reasons that FreedomPop will never really have mass appeal.

Data is pricey

Mobile data has become more and more important in recent years. You can hardly do anything on a smartphone these days without using some data. So it makes sense that companies are increasingly focused on high data and unlimited data plans.

Unfortunately, FreedomPop hasn’t really caught up with this trend. The company does offer an unlimited data plan, but at $55 it’s really not worth it. You’d be better off going with a company like Visible or Mint.

Looking for an unlimited data plan?
Price Tag

If you want a plan that will let you game, stream, scroll, and post to your heart’s content, then check out these great deals.

Limited perks

There are some premium cell phone plans that have dozens of perks, like free subscriptions and in-flight service. Most people don’t really need all of that. But a few perks—like some mobile hotspot data—are important to many users.

Unfortunately, FreedomPop’s service is about as basic as it gets. You get talk, text, and data, but nothing fancy. No free rewards or Netflix subscriptions. Sorry folks!

How do FreedomPop’s plans compare?

No review would be complete without taking a look at the competition. So, how do FreedomPop’s plans stack up against other discount MVNOs? Let’s take a look at some middle-of-the-road plans that other companies offer.

Talk, text, and data plan comparison

FreedomPop family plans

FreedomPop doesn’t offer family plans, but Red Pocket does

Normally, this is the section where we’d talk about FreedomPop’s family plans. But, sadly, the company doesn’t actually offer any family plans or bundle deals. Instead, when you try to look up “FreedomPop family plans” you’ll find a website directing you to Freedom Pop’s parent company called Red Pocket Mobile.

Screenshot of Red Pocket Family Plan signup page

Source: Screenshot taken from FreedomPop.com

Red Pocket Mobile family plans

If you are interested in getting a family plan from FreedomPop’s parent company, Red Pocket Mobile, here’s a look at the options.

Looking for the best deals on family cell phone plans?
Bullhorn

Honestly, we’re not all that impressed with Red Pocket’s family plans. If you’re looking to save money on multiple cellular lines we suggest looking at these plans instead.

FreedomPop coverage and performance

Decent coverage and data speeds, but beware deprioritization

Like we said above, FreedomPop is an MVNO that uses AT&T’s network. That means you’ll get good coverage and fast data speeds. Just take a look at this map. (You can zoom in using the map to see how good the coverage is in your specific area.)

Here's how AT&T stacks up in terms of upload and download speeds.

Data deprioritization

One issue that you will have to worry about when using an MVNO carrier like FreedomPop is deprioritization. When the network is congested (during times of peak use or in areas where lots of people are close together) your data speeds may be slowed.

Choosing to opt for a plan directly from a network owner like AT&T, Verizon, or T-Mobile is the best way to avoid running into deprioritization. 

FreedomPop cell phones and devices

Bring your own device or buy a brand new iPhone

FreedomPop loves to advertise that you can bring almost any phone to their plans. That old beat-up iPhone 8 you’re still using? Check. That Samsung Galaxy S7? Check. You just need to make sure you’re getting the right FreedomPop SIM card to match your phone.

But if you want to buy a new device from FreedomPop your options will be much more limited. In fact, the company sells only Apple phones. Here’s a quick look at the models that are available for purchase right now.

Screenshot of FreedomPop iPhone Shop

Source: Screenshot taken from FreedomPop.com

FreedomPop customer service

Let’s just mark this one “needs improvement”

Telecommunications companies like FreedomPop are not known for having the best customer service. The bar is pretty low. But there’s still some things we’d like to see FreedomPop improve on when it comes to customer care.

For instance, many customers have complained about the company’s lack of transparency and surprise charges. Some who are on the company’s free plan have been charged with $15 automatic “Top-Up” charges. (You can turn these automatic charges off, but most customers don’t know how).

We’d also like to see the company revamp their website to make it easier to see what different plans offer and how much they cost. In short, don’t expect much more than the bare minimum when it comes to FreedomPop’s customer service.

Recap: Is FreedomPop right for you?

The final verdict? FreedomPop is not for everyone. But, if you’re looking for a very cheap (as in free) plan that gets you a phone number and a few basic services, then it might be the perfect fit. Here’s a quick recap of our review to help you make your final decision.

  • Plans: FreedomPop’s free plan will get you a few minutes, texts, and a smidgen of data for just a one-time charge of $5 (for the SIM card). The company's other plans are customizable, but the prices aren’t the best when compared to other carriers.
  • Family plans: FreedomPop doesn’t actually have any family plans. But it will direct you to some that are offered by its parent company, Red Pocket Mobile.
  • Performance: With FreedomPop you’ll be on AT&T’s powerful nationwide network. Just be aware that you may experience data slowdowns due to deprioritization.

Thanks for sticking with us through this FreedomPop review! We hope we’ve helped you figure out if a truly free cell phone plan is right for you, or if it’s worth shelling out a few bucks for a more powerful plan.

Compare FreedomPop cell phone plans
Talk
Text
Data
Price
Learn more

250 minutes

Unlimited

1 GB LTE

$15

250 minutes

Unlimited

4 GB LTE

$23

250 minutes

Unlimited

10 GB LTE

$30

Unlimited

Unlimited

1 GB LTE

$17

Unlimited

Unlimited

4 GB LTE

$25

Unlimited

Unlimited

10 GB LTE

$35

Unlimited

Unlimited

Unlimited LTE

$55
Easton Smith
Written by
Easton Smith
Easton has worked as a freelance writer and researcher for several years, reviewing health, lifestyle, and technology products. He has probably read more Terms of Use contracts than any human alive. When he’s not sitting in front of a computer, Easton spends his time camping, climbing, and volunteering with humanitarian aid organizations.

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