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2026 could be the year you finally break free from your current cellular phone plan. Or maybe it's time to switch to something with more perks now that you have a new iPhone 17 or Pixel 10 phone.
We have recommendations from major carriers like AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, as well as smaller services such as Mint Mobile and Google Fi Wireless. For most of our picks, we've included postpaid plans, where you pay at the end of the month for data and any other charges, and prepaid plans, where you pay a fixed amount at the beginning of each monthly period and no more.
What is the best phone plan overall?
Would that it were so simple. People have all sorts of needs for talk, text and data usage on their phones, which is why we've made recommendations in multiple categories.
As you evaluate phone plans, think about how you use your phone. Are you mostly at home or another location where there's plentiful Wi-Fi? You may be fine with an inexpensive plan with a small amount of cellular high-speed data. Or, if you frequently travel or are out and about all day, having unlimited, unrestricted data and high speeds is likely more important.
For this guide, we're leaning more toward value than seeing how many features we can pack into an expensive plan. You can always look at our picks and then move up the list of what the companies offer to find the mix of features and monthly cost that's the most comfortable for you.
Best value phone plans for a single line
T-Mobile/CNET Photo Gallery 1/4 T-Mobile/CNET Best for value for a single line T-Mobile Essentials Saver Pros T-Mobile's 5G network is generally robust
Plan includes 50GB of high-speed data in the US
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