Best unlimited data plans in 2023

Visible | Visible Plus | $45/month - The best unlimited data prepaid on a budget
Visible's basic unlimited data plan now starts at $25, after a permanent price cut. But unless you need the lower rate, we'd steer you toward the Visible Plus plan, which costs $45 per month. With Visible Plus, you get access to fast Ultra Wideband 5G coverage on Verizon's network. (Verizon owns Visible.) You can also use your data when traveling in Mexico and Canada while making calls to more than 30 countries from the U.S. at no extra charge. Best of all, you can use 50GB of data without seeing your traffic slowed — Visible's cheaper unlimited plan is subject to throttling when Verizon's network is congested.

Pros: Access to Verizon's fastest 5G coverage, international calling, 50GB of data usage without throttling
Cons: No discounts on additional lines of data

Mint Mobile | Unlimited data | $30/month - Unlimited data on a budget
There's never been a better time to check out Mint Mobile's unlimited data offering. Normally $30, Mint is dropping the cost to $15 per month for the first three months of service. After that, the rate returns to the still affordable $30 rate, provided you pre-pay for a full year. With Mint, you can use up to 40GB of data each month before your service is slowed down. Mint also provides 5G access through T-Mobile, which is buying up the low-cost carrier.

Pros: One of the cheapest overall unlimited plans, 5G speeds
Cons: Speed restrictions, price increases after 3 months unless you commit to a full year of service

T-Mobile Magenta | Unlimited data | $70/month - Best value unlimited plan from a main carrier
T-Mobile gives you a choice between its Magenta ($70) and Go5G ($75) if you want unlimited data. Magenta is the cheaper offering, with 100GB of priority data — that means your data speed won't be slowed until you consume a lot of data every month. Magenta also includes 5GB of LTE hotspot data with unlimited hotspot data at 3G speeds. Go5G increases hotspot data to 15GB and lets you use more data when traveling in Mexico and Canada. Both plans give you six months of Apple TV Plus. (Apple TV Plus is included with the more expensive Magenta Max/Go5G Plus options.) Families should opt for Go5G, as T-Mobile is currently waiving the cost of a third line, making four lines of data cheaper than Magenta's cost.
 
Pros: Attractive perks, affordable price, benefits for additional lines
Cons: HD video streaming costs extra

Verizon | Unlimited Plus | $80/month - Most flexible unlimited plan
Verizon's Unlimited Plus is the more value-packed option among Verizon's current unlimited plan offerings. You'll play $15 less each month for Welcome Unlimited, but that plan offers little more than nationwide 5G coverage. (Both Plus and Welcome add additional discounts to your monthly rate if you bring your own device.) With Unlimited Plus, you get faster Ultra Wideband 5G where available, plus 30GB of hotspot data and a three-year price guarantee. Also, you can use up to 30GB of data each month before Verizon slows your data speeds. Add-ons can layer on additional perks for an extra $10/month. These include packages like Disney's streaming services, Travel Passes for international travel and an Apple services bundle.

Pros: Excellent coverage including Ultra Wideband 5G, includes hotspot data
Cons: $10 add-ons can quickly add up, T-Mobile has cheaper plans

Xfinity Mobile | Unlimited Intro plan | $45/month - Best unlimited plan for Comcast customers
If you're already getting internet service from Comcast — and there's a good chance you are, since it's the nation's largest ISP — consider bundling in phone service through Xfinity Mobile. The price is certainly right, at $45 a month for unlimited data on a single line. (Once you add extra lines, the cost falls to $30 for each line, so two lines of unlimited data for $60/month is a pretty compelling deal for a two-person household that also gets internet service from Comcast.) Xfinity also includes Plus ($55/month) and Premium ($65/month) tiers alongside Unlimited Intro; they offer faster hotspot data, higher-resolution video streaming and more generous data caps before your speeds are throttled. But the $45 tier should be good enough for most customers.

Pros: Low cost, uses Verizon's network
Cons: Only available to Xfinity internet customers

AT&T | Value Plus Plan | $50/month - AT&T's best price on unlimited data
AT&T touts three main unlimited plans, but there's a fourth option that's the most affordable of the bunch, and even less expensive than Verizon's $65 Welcome Unlimited option. From AT&T's wireless plan page, click on More Plans and you can find out about AT&T's Value Plus Plan, which costs $50 a month. Value Plus Plan subscribers can see their speeds slowed if there's a lot of traffic on AT&T's network. You also give up perks like hotspot data, though with AT&T no longer offering free HBO Max if you sign up for its most expensive plan, maybe that's not much of a sacrifice. Value Plus is only available for single lines, so families will need to look elsewhere.

Pros: Low-cost unlimited plan, includes 5G, can use service
Cons: Can't add multiple lines, no hotspot data

Tello | Unlimited data | $29/month — A cheap unlimited alternative to Mint and Visible
Tello beats the $30 prices offered at Mint by $1,  and you don't need to commit to a full year of service like you do at Mint. (Visible now undercuts both services on price.) Don't expect many perks from Tello's unlimited data plan — you can make free calls to 60-plus countries and use your phone as a hotspot, but that's about it. Tell also slows down your data after 25GB of use, which is a less generous cap than Mint's 40GB ceiling. If you don't need unlimited data, Tello offers even cheaper plans.

Pros: The lowest cost for unlimited data, includes free calling to 60-plus countries
Cons: Not many perks

Google Fi | Unlimited Plus plan | $65/month - Best unlimited plan for traveling
Google Fi's main unlimited plan is not one of the most affordable plans, though Google has recently cut the price. For travelers, though, the Unlimited Plus plan is the perfect option. Google doesn't charge you extra for texting or using data in more than 200 countries. There are other benefits to Google Fi's plan too, like a year of YouTube Premium. If you have a Pixel 7a, Pixel 7, Pixel Fold or any one of a number of select devices from Samsung and Motorola, you'll be able to switch seamlessly between cellular networks and Google's Wi-Fi hotspots. However, any handset can use Google Fi and any 5G-enabled phone can connect to the faster network where available. If $65 a month is too much, Google features a $50 plan, though you give up the international coverage.

Pros: Great international coverage, supports lots of phones now, includes YouTube Premium
Cons: Some features limited to select phones

Cricket Wireless | Unlimited + 15GB Mobile Hotspot | $60/month - Best alternative prepaid unlimited plan
Among prepaid carriers, Metro by T-Mobile charges less than Cricket with an unlimited plan starting at $40 a month. Yet, we like Cricket's plan because you can reduce the cost by $5/month when you enroll in autopay, bringing your total cost to $55. This Cricket plan also comes with perks like 15GB of hotspot data, 150GB of cloud storage and access to HBO Max with ads. (That's not even available from AT&T any more.)  As an AT&T-owned MVNO, Cricket subscribers can access 5G coverage from AT&T.

Pros: Uses AT&T's network, good perks for a prepaid plan
Cons: Expensive for a prepaid option