The top 5 best Prepaid phone plans for 2024

The top 5 best Prepaid phone plans for 2024

1. Best overall: Visible

Visible offers excellent network coverage at a fraction of the price of standard Verizon plans. 

• Plan details: Enjoy unlimited talk, text, and data. Visible’s entry-level plan is $25 a month, which includes unlimited hotspot use, international calls to Mexico and Canada, and high-risk spam and robocall blocking. For $45 a month, you can add smartwatch service, faster hotspot speeds, additional international coverage, and a discount on Verizon home internet plans.

• Benefits: With no hidden fees, a mobile hotspot, 24/7 assistance, and robust coverage on Verizon's 5G LTE or Ultra Wideband Network, Visible provides exceptional value.

2. Most affordable: Mint Mobile

Mint Mobile is the most budget-friendly choice. If you hate the idea of overspending on your phone plan — who likes overspending at all? — and have a good handle on how much data you use a month, Mint Mobile is worth checking out.

• Plan details: Mint Mobile offers 12 plans, depending on the length of service and the amount of data you want. Those plans start from $15 to $20 for 5GB of data per month, to $15 to $35 per month for unlimited data. You can also select family plans for $15 per person per month for up to five people.

• Benefits: Multi-month plans offer significant savings and free international calls to Mexico and Canada, with low call rates to 160+ countries and free texting to 190+ countries. Mint Mobile runs on T-Mobile’s network, so you’ll get good coverage wherever T-Mobile has good coverage. You get international roaming, free mobile hotspots, and free Wi-Fi calling, too.

3. Best for extra benefits: T-Mobile Prepaid

Skip the annual contract and the credit check — and get extra deals and specials from select partners. With Magenta Status, you’ll get special perks and discounts on travel, movie tickets, shows, and more, just for being a T-Mobile Prepaid customer.

• Plan details: Prepaid lines are $40 to $60 per month for one line. Choose between 10GB of data, unlimited data, and unlimited plus, which offers up to 10GB of high speed data on top of unlimited 5G data.

• Benefits: T-Mobile offers extra discounts on plans for first responders, active military, veterans, and people aged 55 and older. Magenta Status also gets you access to T-Mobile Tuesdays, offering even more specials and discounts at select partners.

4. Best for family plans: AT&T Prepaid

Backed by AT&T’s network, AT&T Prepaid offers reliable service at a reasonable price, and the savings stack up with the more lines you add. If you’re buying phones for yourself, your spouse, and three kids, AT&T knocks $190 per month off the bill. 

• Plan details: Plans start at $25 per month, with additional options for unlimited data. Every plan includes unlimited text from the U.S. to more than 230 countries and fraud call blocking.

• Benefits: Family plans are offered for two to five people with a $10 multi-line discount for every line you add, a $30 Autopay discount that increases as you add more lines, and the flexibility to select different plans per line for even more customization.

5. Best for no-frills flexibility: Cricket Wireless

If you only need a few gigabytes of data or plan to send texts to Mexico, Cricket Wireless has a plan for you. Cricket Wireless’s plans offer a bit less than other carriers — for example, Cricket’s plans support unlimited texting to 37 countries, compared to AT&T’s 230 or T-Mobile’s 215+ — but if you don’t plan to text anyone in the Philippines or Chile, you can go without international texting. 

• Plan details: Plans start as low as $15 per month and go up to $60 per month, depending on the level of coverage you want. There are three tiers of fixed data plans offering 1GB, 5GB, or 10GB of data. Of the three available unlimited data plans, one includes a mobile hotspot and one offers a $360 discount if you pay for 12 months upfront. Add a smartwatch data plan for an additional $10 per month. 

• Benefits: The flexibility to skip the extras you won’t use brings peace of mind for budget-conscious customers. Cricket Wireless also offers multi-line discounts. And since Cricket runs on AT&T’s network, you’ll get the same coverage as other AT&T customers without the plan extras.

Comparing the best Prepaid plans

*Information sourced from provider websites. Pricing, plan details, and coverage information are as of July 2024. All details are subject to change.

Prepaid vs. Contract cell phone plans

Aside from price, prepaid and contract cell phone plans offer a number of differences, including:

• Flexibility: Prepaid plans have no long-term commitments, allowing you to switch providers or plans without penalties at any time. Contract plans normally charge early termination fees and have a lengthy commitment.

• Accessibility: Most prepaid plans don’t require credit checks, making them accessible to a wider range of consumers. Contract phone plans require a credit check.

• Control: With prepaid plans, you’ll likely have restrictions on what you can do with your phone. That may not be an obstacle for you if you know precisely how you plan to use it. 

What to look for in a Prepaid phone plan

These three points can help you narrow down which plan is best for your needs.

• Coverage: Network reliability is paramount for stable phone calls and speedy data.

• Data options: Select the data plan that best reflects how you actually use your phone.

• Pricing: Many providers offer tiered options so you can stick to your budget.

Learn more about prepaid phones in our guide. 

Bring your own refurbished phone to the Prepaid provider of your choice

Choosing the right plan is half the battle. Now, it’s time to buy and bring the smartphone you want to use every day. The key here is to make sure you're buying an unlocked phone, so you have full flexibility on which carrier to choose.

Right now, Back Market is offering an exclusive deal for smartphone customers: buy any unlocked refurbished phone and get a discount on a Visible plan for just $20/month*. That includes:

• Unlimited data, talk & text on Verizon's 5G & 4G LTE Network

• Unlimited mobile hotspot to use your phone as a Wi-Fi connection

• 99% nationwide coverage

We offer refurbished unlocked phones from brands like iPhone, Samsung, Google, and more - just look for “unlocked” in the product description. Our verified refurbished phones operate as like-new devices at a fraction of the price. That’s instant savings for you and your family plus an exclusive discount price for one of the top Prepaid plans in the nation with Visible.

*and then $25/month after 12 months