The best unlimited phone plans are the ones whose limit you will not reach, because every one of them has a limit. “Unlimited” means the data never stops. It does not mean the speed stays the same. This page lines up the cheapest unlimited plan from each brand we track with the number that brand prints in its own small print.
We have not tested any of these. The figures are each carrier’s own, read on October 8, 2026.
The cheapest unlimited plan from each brand
Prices are for one line, per month, before automatic-payment discounts.
| Brand and plan | Price | The limit behind “unlimited” |
|---|---|---|
| Visible | $25, taxes included | Video at 480p. Hotspot unlimited at up to 5 Mbps |
| Tello Max | $25 | 50 GB at full speed, then reduced |
| AT&T Prepaid | $25 | Never faster than 3 Mbps. Slowed to 1.5 Mbps after 30 GB |
| Straight Talk StraightSAVINGS | $25 | Bring your own phone only |
| US Mobile Unlimited Starter | $25, taxes included | Described as unlimited high-speed data |
| Boost Mobile Unlimited | $30 | 30 GB, then as low as 512 kbps |
| Google Fi Essentials | $35 | 30 GB, then 256 kbps |
| Cricket Select Unlimited | $40 | May slow when the network is busy. No hotspot |
| Metro by T-Mobile | $40, taxes included | Slower after 35 GB when the network is busy |
| Mint Mobile Unlimited | $40, or $30 paid yearly | May slow after 50 GB |
| Total Wireless STARTER | $40, taxes included | 10 GB of hotspot |
| Straight Talk Silver Unlimited | $45 | 10 GB of hotspot |
| T-Mobile Prepaid Unlimited | $50 | 50 GB of premium data. Hotspot at 3G speeds |
| Verizon Prepaid Unlimited | $60 | 5 GB of hotspot |
Three kinds of limit
Read down the last column and three patterns appear.
A cap, then slow. Boost gives 30 GB, Google Fi 30 GB, Tello and Mint 50 GB. After that the speed drops, in Fi’s case to 256 kbps. If you use 10 GB a month this never touches you.
Always slow. AT&T Prepaid’s $25 plan runs at no more than 3 Mbps from the first gigabyte. It is unlimited and it is never fast.
Slower when busy. Cricket and Metro do not give a number you will hit. They say your data may slow when the network is crowded. Metro is explicit that its speeds may be reduced against T-Mobile’s own customers.
Which one to pick
If you use your phone as a hotspot, look at the hotspot figure before the price. Visible’s is unlimited and slow. Verizon Prepaid’s is 5 GB.
If you travel to Mexico or Canada, the cheapest plan is usually the wrong one. Cricket’s Select Unlimited excludes both. The plan above it includes them.
If you want the simplest bill, Visible, US Mobile, Metro and Total Wireless include taxes and fees in the price they advertise.
And if you use less than 15 GB a month, you may not need unlimited. Several brands sell 10 to 20 GB for $15 to $20. See the cheapest plans.