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If you're feeling overwhelmed when evaluating all the phone plan options out there, you're not alone -- and it's not an accident. Carriers need to appeal to every type of customer, from people who want all the options to those who need only a small slice of features on a budget. We've put together 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 both types of plans: Postpaid plans, where you pay at the end of the month for the data and any other additional charges such as a day of international roaming, and prepaid plans, where you pay a fixed amount at the beginning of a monthly period and no more. When looking at the following recommendations, consider data limits, travel limits, hotspot availability and access to streaming services.
What is the best phone plan overall?
If only 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
James Martin/CNET Photo Gallery 1/3 James Martin/CNET Best value for a single line (postpaid) T-Mobile Essentials Saver Pros T-Mobile's 5G network is generally robust
Plan includes 50GB of high-speed data in the US
Phone can be used as a hotspot
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