The 8 Best Cell Phone Providers for 2024 (2024)

• Our Top Picks
• Verizon
• T-Mobile
• Mint Mobile
• Republic Wireless
• RedPocket
• Google Fi
• US Mobile
• Xfinity Mobile
• See More (5)

• Bottom Line

• Compare Providers

• What Is a Cell Phone Provider?

• How Can I Get the Best Coverage?

• Can I Port a Landline to a Cell Phone?

• What Does a Cell Phone Plan Cost?

• Methodology

Enjoy business features like a mobile virtual private network (VPN) and go almost anywhere as Verizon networks cover the vast majority of the United States.

With an extensive national network, Verizon is the leading wireless provider. It receives top scores for network coverage, speed, and reliability. Verizon's plan and device flexibility, combined with excellent business features, makes it the clear winner in our best overall cell phone provider category.

In over 50 large cities, Verizon offers its 5G mmWave coverage, while its lower-band 5G has wider availability. Features include:

• Unlimited calling, texting, and data while in Mexico and Canada
• Frequent specials on phones with buy-one-get-one-free offers
• Verizon call filter feature
• Unlimited mobile hotspots, with speeds depending on your plan
• Enhanced security bundle with device management and mobile endpoint security on Pro and Plus plans

Verizon gives extra savings when you add more lines. For example, for one phone line, you'll pay $70 to $95 per month. With five or more lines, the price drops to $30 to $45 per month per line. You can also add international calling for $5 to $15 per month. The following prices reflect a $5-per-month savings for paperless billing and autopay. Verizon business plans consist of:

• Business Unlimited Start: $70 per month for one line or $30 per phone per month for five phones
• Business Unlimited Plus: $80 per month for one line or $35 per phone per month for five phones, 100GB premium network access
• Business Unlimited Pro: $95 per month for one line or $45 per phone per month for five phones, with no throttling.

Travel from coast to coast and get 5G services, available in more than 7,500 cities.

T-Mobile is a well-known cell phone carrier that acquired the Sprint network in 2020, expanding its coverage area. T-Mobile's 5G coverage includes over 7,500 cities. The company claims its 5G network is bigger than both AT&T's and Verizon's 5G networks. Strong 5G coverage and plenty of business features make T-Mobile the best choice for 5G.

T-Mobile offers many standard and available features, such as:

• In-flight Wi-Fi included with some plans
• Unlimited talk, text, and data in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico
• Unlimited international texts and 5GB of international data
• Free Scam Shield service with enhanced caller ID and call blocking
• DIGITS feature allows you to use up to five numbers on your device, which is perfect for business owners covering multiple phone lines
• Unlimited mobile hotspot data

As is typical, the more lines you buy the less you'll play for each line. One phone line ranges from $60 to $95 per month versus five phone lines for $24 to $48 per line per month. The following T-Mobile plans include a discount for autopay:

• Business Unlimited Select: $60 per month for one phone line or $24 per month per line for five lines plus taxes and fees
• Business Unlimited Advanced: $70 per month for one phone line or $32 per month per line for five lines, and all taxes and fees are included in these prices. This plan adds four in-flight WiFi sessions and raises the amounts of high speed data available on a hot spot.
• Business Unlimited Ultimate: $85 per month for one phone line or $40 per month per line for five lines. The price includes all taxes and fees. This plan adds unlimited premium data and unlimited in-flight WiFi sessions.
• Business Unlimited Ultimate+ for iPhone: $95 per month for one phone line and $48 per month for five lines. The price includes all taxes and fees. This plan gives you AppleCare+, Apple Business Essentials, and a higher limit for high speed hotspot data.

Mint Mobile offers one of the lowest prices for unlimited nationwide talk and text, with enormous savings on prepaid plans.

With many prepaid cell phone plans, you pay more for convenience. However, Mint Mobile offers excellent prices, 5G connections, and plenty of device options. Its standout prepaid packages put Mint Mobile at the top of the pack for the best prepaid carrier.

Mint Mobile is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), meaning it uses T-Mobile networks to provide phone and data services. This network delivers reliable service and 5G access in over 7,500 cities. On Mint Mobile’s excellent prepaid packages, you’ll get features such as:

• Free calls to U.S., Mexico, and Canada
• Complimentary mobile hotspot
• Unlimited talk and text
• Free 3-in-1 SIM card

Mint Mobile offers three, six, and 12-month prepaid plans, based on your data requirements. You can buy up to four plans per order. The following packages don't include taxes and fees and reflect your total for a three-month prepaid plan:

• 5GB: $45
• 15GB: $60
• 20GB: $75
• Unlimited: $90

If you need to buy phones for your remote or on-site staff, Republic Wireless provides the basics for a low price.

Republic Wireless, owned by Dish, is an MVNO that runs on the reliable and nationwide T-Mobile wireless network. The plans are best for those looking to save money without a lot of extra features. With Republic Wireless, your teams can take business calls from anywhere without breaking the bank, which is why it's the best basic option.

This phone carrier keeps its prices low by offering a basic service that includes WiFi calling without a lot of bells and whistles. Two of their three plans have unlimited data. The cheapest plan includes 1GB of data, but only charges $5 per GB after that. All plans come with essential features such as:

• Unlimited talk and text with all plans
• WiFi calling capability
• 30-day money-back guarantee

Republic Wireless offers three different plans. Two of them come with unlimited calling, texting, and data in the U.S. The first one only comes with unlimited texts and calls. Their plans are not the best for international calling or data use. Prices below are for one line. You'll pay less per line if you buy more lines. The following prices don't include fees or taxes:

• By The Gig: $19.99 per month, unlimited talk and text, 1GB of data included, $5 per GB for additional data
• Unlimited: $29.99 per month, unlimited talk, text, and data, 10GB of mobile hotspot data, unlimited international texting
• Unlimited Plus: $39.99 per month, unlimited talk, text, and data, 20GB mobile hotspot data, unlimited international texting, unlimited calling with Canada and Mexico, 2GB data in Canada and Mexico

With plans starting at $2.50 per month and the ability to mix and match your networks, RedPocket is the best deal online.

Since 2006 RedPocket has worked out agreements with all major networks to provide nationwide coverage at low prices, making it an excellent choice for business owners needing the best value for their money.

RedPocket is an MVNO that offers coverage using T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon networks. Cell phone services include:

• Free international calls to over 80 countries
• Unlimited text on most plans
• Available mobile hotspots
• Free SIM card
• Free international text messaging except on Verizon networks
• Wi-Fi calling on select phones

RedPocket offers various plans on its website, or you can purchase packages on eBay. All plan prices are actual prices before any current deals, and pricing doesn't include taxes or fees. RedPocket has monthly, annual, and eBay plans, and one special offer plan with limits. The following packages are RedPocket's monthly and annual plans:

• 3GB of 5g: $20 monthly or $180 annually ($15 per month) for unlimited talk, text, and data, plus 3GB of 5G data
• 10GB of 5g: $30 monthly or $270 annually ($22.50 per month) for unlimited talk, text, and data, plus 10GB of 5G data
• 25GB of 5g: $40 monthly or $360 annually ($30 per month for unlimited talk, text, and data, plus 25GB of 5G data
• 50GB of 5g: $50 monthly or $450 annually ($37.50 per month) for unlimited talk, text, and data, plus 50GB of 5G data

The following plans are available through eBay:

• 200 MB Plan: 200 minutes, 1,000 texts, and 200MB of the highest speeds for $2.50 per month
• 500 MB Plan: 100 minutes, 100 texts, and 500MB of the highest speeds for $5.00 per month
• 1 GB Plan: 1,000 minutes, unlimited texts, and 1GB of the highest speeds for $8.25 per month
• 3 GB Plan: Unlimited minutes, unlimited texts, and 1GB of the highest speeds for $15.00 per month
• 8 GB Plan: Unlimited minutes, unlimited texts, and 1GB of the highest speeds for $20.00 per month
• 20 GB Plan: Unlimited minutes, unlimited texts, and 1GB of the highest speeds for $30.00 per month

There is also a plan from RedPocket called "special offer" that includes 500 minutes, 500 text, and 500MB of high speed data for $10 per month.

Use your Google Fi service with data and text while visiting more than 200 countries.

Google Fi is an MVNO that uses T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, and Sprint networks. With Google phones or compatible third-party devices, you can seamlessly switch between networks to ensure you have coverage everywhere.

Business travelers appreciate features like:

• Unlimited calls and texts
• Free international texting
• Data works in other countries
• Free calls to over 50 countries and territories on one plan
• Calls are 20 cents per minute when traveling outside of the U.S., Canada, and Mexico

With Google Fi, you can choose between three plans. Prices drop when you add more users, but pricing doesn't include taxes or fees. Google Fi packages include:

• Flexible: $20 per month for one phone or $16 per month per phone for five phones, plus $10 per 1GB of data both internationally and in the U.S.
  
• Simply Unlimited: $50 per month for one phone or $20 per month per phone for five phones for unlimited data only in the U.S. However, no service (no data, texts, or calls) when traveling outside the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
  
• Unlimited Plus: $65 per month for one phone or $40 per month per phone for five phones for unlimited data including international data, free international calling to over 50 countries and territories, and a Google One membership that includes 100GB of cloud storage that you can share with up to five family members

Save money and only pay for what you use with custom plans from US Mobile.

US Mobile is an MVNO that uses T-Mobile and Verizon networks, making it a reliable cell phone provider. But the real appeal of US Mobile is how you can create plans that fit each of your employees. US Mobile is the only carrier offering personalized packages, making it the best choice for customization.

Use the US Mobile tool to design your order based on minutes, text, and data needs. Standard features on unlimited plans include:

• Unlimited talk and text
• Free perks like audio and video streaming services
• Unlimited international calling
• Up to 10GB of international roaming data

You'll find tons of variety in plans, from a single phone to group packages. US Mobile offers many packages, a few examples are:

• 2GB data plan with unlimited minutes and text for $12
• 5GB data plan with unlimited minutes and text for $15
• 15GB data plan with unlimited minutes and text for $20

However, the standout packages are the build-your-own plans. Simply select the amount of data, minutes, and text you want, then tally up your total. À la carte options include:

• Add zero, 75, 150, 300, 500, 1,000, or unlimited minutes with prices ranging from $0 to $8 per month
• Add zero, 50, 100, 300, 1,000, 2,000, or unlimited texts with costs ranging from $0 to $6 per month
• Add zero, 50MB, 100MB, 500MB, 2GB, 4GB, 6GB, or 15GB of data with prices ranging from $0 to $26 per month

Bundle high-speed internet and your choice of mix-and-match phone plans to get top speeds at low prices.

Xfinity Mobile uses the Verizon network and Xfinity hotspots to deliver stable and fast cell service. It comes bundled with Comcast's Xfinity internet services, a top internet service provider (ISP) available from coast to coast. Xfinity Mobile's affordable pricing and robust internet services make it the best choice for phone and internet.

Cell phone plans offer available features such as:

• Unlimited data, calls, and text
• Personal hotspots
• LTE data savers help reduce data consumption
• Competitive rates when calling in other countries
• Verizon network offers 5G network access

With Xfinity Mobile, you can mix and match plans to give each employee what they need to do their job. With the following programs, your data is sharable. You can add extra data for $15 per 1GB or unlimited calls to Mexico and Canada for $10 per month. The Xfinity Mobile plans below don't include fees or taxes:

• By the Gig (Shared Data): $15 per month for 1GB, $30 per month for 3GB, and $60 per month for 10GB, includes high-definition streaming
• Unlimited Intro (Per-Line Data): $20 per month for 20GB, unlimited talk and text, SD video streaming and unlimited hotspot data at 600Kbps
• Unlimited Plus (Per-Line Data): $30 per month for 30GB, unlimited talk and text, HD video streaming and 5G of unlimited hotspot data at high speeds
• Unlimited Premium (Per-Line Data): $40 per month for 50GB, unlimited talk and text, HD video streaming and 15G of unlimited hotspot data at high speeds

Xfinity internet services and prices are based on your location.