If you're researching the best unlimited data plans on the market then our list of recommended carriers could be just what you need to find the right one for you. There are, of course, many excellent options on the market right now but we've narrowed it right down to the five carriers we think you should consider, factoring in coverage, speeds, perks, and price. Subsequently, our list of the best unlimited data plans should cover most bases and give you plenty of options regardless of what you're looking for.
As you'd expect, there's no one-size-fits-all best unlimited data plan out there as requirements can differ drastically from user to user. That said, we've got options here for single-line users, families, and those on a budget - like really, really on a budget.
Because of these differing requirements, our best unlimited data plans list factors in options from both the big 'postpaid' carriers and the smaller 'prepaid' carriers. In a nutshell, if you're looking for perks, prioritized data, and don't mind spending a little more then you'll want to check out the bigger carriers like Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. If you're willing to forgo a few creature comforts, however, up-and-coming prepaid carriers like Mint Mobile and Visible are particularly great value right now.
If you've already got an idea of what type of plan you'd like, feel free to use the jumper links provided to skip right ahead. Otherwise, we'll begin with a quick overview of our choices for the best unlimited data plans at the top of the page.
At the bottom of the page, you'll also find some handy tips on saving cash as well as the basics on what these plans offer and advice on how to decide which is for you. If you'd like to see what other types of plans there are this week, then head on over to our main best cell phone plans for plenty more options.
best unlimited data plans: top picks
- Verizon Unlimited Plus - the best all-around
- Visible - the best value unlimited plan
- Mint Mobile - a great alternative cheap pick
- T-Mobile Go5G- the best for families
- AT&T Unlimited Premium - the best for streaming
The Best unlimited data plans this month
While Verizon isn't known for its cheap plans, the carrier's Unlimited Plus plan offers a flexible option for data-hungry users. For a baseline price of $65 per month for a single line, the Unlimited Plus Plan includes all-you-can-eat data on the quickest 5G network possible, a generous 30GB of hotspot data, and access to enhanced BOYD savings and deals on new devices.
By itself, the Unlimited Plus plan offers a great starting point for a decent and relatively cost-effective unlimited data plan. You can, however, add on any number of additional perks thanks to the carrier's new 'myPlan' system, which is a new way of handling unlimited data plans at Verizon for 2023.
Optional perks include the Disney+ bundle, Walmart+ membership, a 3-day TravelPass, and 2TB of cloud storage - all of which will incur an extra cost of $10 per month each. As of writing, there are about ten separate perks to choose from and Verizon has announced plans to add more. Overall, it's a pretty flexible system and works well since Verizon's plans like the Unlimited Plus plan are relatively reasonably priced at a baseline level.
By comparison, the other carriers tend to 'bake-in' their perks for their unlimited data plans. T-Mobile's equivalent Go5G plan (at $75/mo) includes a free Netflix subscription and access to the excellent 'New in Two' bi-yearly upgrade scheme but comes at a higher base-line cost. AT&T's mid-range Unlimited Extra plan (at $75/mo) offers a competitive price but only includes 15GB of mobile hotspot allowance.
Read more in our guide to the best Verizon wireless plans.
Visible has been our top choice for best unlimited data plan for those on a budget since the inception of this guide - and we don't see that changing soon. The carrier has just cut the monthly price of its basic (or standard) Visible plan from $30 to $25, which is absolutely wild value when you consider you get all-you-can-eat unlimited data on the larger Verizon 5G network, unlimited mobile hot-spotting, and no hidden data caps.
All-in-all, the standard Visible Wireless plan is in the sweet spot if you're on a budget but as with nearly all prepaid plans, it's worth noting that it's subject to deprioritization if the local area is busy. Depending on your location, you may not be able to make the most of those 5G data speeds - and your mobile hot spot will also cap out at 5Mbps, which is relatively slow by modern standards.
Those in need of priority data can consider the Visible Plus plan, which is a relatively new addition to the carrier's plan lineup. At $40 per month, this one is significantly more expensive but comes complete with 50GB of priority data on the Verizon Wideband 5G network, which means it essentially resembles a Verizon unlimited data plan minus the streaming perks and various device deals (but is still way cheaper).
Read more about this carrier in our Visible wireless plans guide.
Mint Mobile is another great prepaid choice if you're looking for the best unlimited data plan on a budget. At $30 per month, it's a little pricier than Visible's basic plan but it operates on the T-Mobile network, which may provide better coverage for some depending on your local area.
Mint Mobile operates a unique pricing scheme that offers the lowest rates for those customers who buy their data upfront for multiple months, with the lowest average rate being for those who buy a whole year at once. This slightly offsets that prepaid advantage of not having lengthy contracts, but it does mean Mint can offer dirt-cheap plans all around. No credit checks either, as you're buying in an upfront purchase.
With all that said, Mint Mobile's unlimited data plan is subject to some restrictions when compared to Visible Wireless. First up, your 5G data speeds will cap out at 45GB of usage per month. After this, you'll be reduced down to just 128KBps, which is sufficient for light browsing and messaging only. Your mobile hotspot allowance is also capped at 10GB of usage per month, unlike Visible Wireless which features no usage caps (only a 5MBps speed cap). Still, Mint is a great value choice right now and one that will likely get even better as the cheap unlimited data plan market is getting more competitive as of mid-2023.
Read more in our guide to this month's best Mint Mobile plans.
T-Mobile's always been a great choice for families thanks to its 'get-a-third-line' free deal - a perk that's been offered for a few years now and has been carried over to its new 'Go5G' plans for 2023. If you're looking for a sensibly priced multiple-line plan for your family, then the mid-tier Go5G plan is a good place to start.
While it's a little pricier than the 'Magenta' plan that it's recently replaced but you're still getting 100GB of priority 5G data, a free Netflix Basic subscription (standard definition, 1 screen), and unlimited data hotspotting - albeit at 3G speeds only after you've used your first 5GB of 5G data. Those are great perks, although the main selling point here is definitely that incredibly competitive pricing for the T-Mobile Magenta plan after three or more lines are added.
At just $38 per line at four users ($155), the Go5G plan comes in at around $5 cheaper than the equivalent plans from AT&T and Verizon while offering a good selection of perks
Coming in at $85 per month makes AT&T's Unlimited Plus plan (previously the Unlimited Elite plan) the most expensive on our list. However, with a hefty 100GB of priority 5G data, 50GB of hotspot allowance, and unlimited 4K UHD streaming it's also one of the most feature-laden.
By far the biggest perk with the Unlimited Plus plan is the high-definition streaming, which makes it a good choice for those who watch a lot of content. One slight bummer with this one is that this plan tier, previously called the Elite plan at AT&T, used to come with a free HBO Max subscription, although that's no longer available as of early 2023.
Because of this, you may prefer to opt for the similar T-Mobile Go5G Plus plan with Netflix ($90/mo), or the Verizon Unlimited Plus plan with a Disney+ addon ($90/mo). Both are also strong choices, although they are a little heavier on the pocket than the equivalent AT&T plan, which offers less perks for a slightly better monthly cost.
Read more in our guide to this month's best AT&T plans.
Best unlimited data plans: FAQ
Best unlimited data plan: deciding what’s right for you
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When considering what carrier to go for and which unlimited data plan is best for you, we strongly recommend you first determine what you value the most in the plan - cost, speed, coverage, and perks being the most commonly used criteria.
Cost is definitely the easiest criteria to start with - simply determine your upper budget each month and browse away. Remember, however, to factor in the cost of your handset alongside your plan as that can really depend heavily from carrier to carrier.
Most of the bigger prepaid carriers, for example, may offer deals on handsets alongside their unlimited data plans, which could really help you bag a flagship device for cheap if that's important to you. That's contrasted by the smaller prepaid carriers, which don't tend to offer discounts on devices, instead opting for cheaper monthly rates and flexible 'bring your own device' options.
Speed and coverage are two criteria that are going to depend heavily on your locale. Coverage especially should be checked over at the major carrier sites (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile) if you've got your eye on a 5G plan as you might not be covered if you live outside a major city.
Speed-wise, all the carriers featured on our best unlimited data plans list feature speedy 5G connections, but as a rule of thumb, the cheaper the plan, the more likely it is to be slowed down during peak traffic hours. This is especially true of prepaid carriers like Mint Mobile and Visible, which operate as sub-carriers on the various networks.
What types of unlimited data plans are there?
As with most cell phone plans, the best unlimited data plans fall into two loosely defined groups - postpaid plans and prepaid plans.
Postpaid plans are those generally offered by the bigger carriers and more or less feature lengthy 2-year+ contracts (with credit checks), big or unlimited data allowances, deals on handsets, and bill your account at the end of the month. These are all quite loose criteria, but generally speaking, these are your pricier of the two options but look to offer a more premium service all around.
Prepaid plans, on the other hand, are the more basic option. For a lower monthly price, you'll generally get fewer perks, data allowances, and a service that's liable to caps on speed if the network's busy. If you're more of a light user or on a budget, these are likely your best bet, and they also come with the bonus of generally needing no credit check and simpler pricing schemes.
Do I really need an unlimited data plan?
If you're looking to save money on your monthly phone bills, The quickest way to cut down your monthly costs is to forgo an unlimited data plan and go for a more restricted or prepaid plan instead.
Most people can check their monthly data usage by accessing their phone's network settings. Here's a quick guide on how to do that:
- For iPhone:
- Open your Settings app
- Tap Cellular menu
- Tap individual apps to see monthly data usage
- For Android:
- Open your Settings app
- Tap 'Connections'
- Tap 'Data Usage'
Checking your data usage directly on your device is especially useful because it will tell you how much of your data has been used via WiFi instead of a cellular connection. If you can't find the above settings on your device, then most carriers also have data usage reports that can be easily accessed by logging into your account on their sites.
If you don't have access to such a tool, we'd generally say, as a rule of thumb, if you’re streaming video every day, making regular video calls, or are always on the move and therefore don’t have access to WiFi, then you’ll probably want an unlimited data plan.
Here's a quick overview of common apps average data usage per hour, referencing Whistleout's excellent article.
- TikTok & Instagram - 800Mb per hour
- Youtube & Netflix - 300Mb per hour
- Music streaming - 150Mb per hour
- Facebook - 80Mb
- Web browsing - 60Mb
Is unlimited data really unlimited?
Hidden in the fine print of most carrier plans are caps on data usage, speeds, or other caveats you should be aware of. Unlimited data plans are no exception to this, despite the namesake.
A common usage cap for unlimited data plans, for example, is mobile hotspotting - which carriers love to charge that little bit extra for. You'll also find soft-caps on data usage each month, where the carrier will look to slow down your speeds after you pass a certain threshold - anywhere from 30GB to 100GB being fairly common.
On paper, these data caps can seem like a real bummer, although in reality, not many users are likely to use up to 100GB of data in a month unless they're constantly streaming high-definition content on their device. However, the mobile hotspotting caps can be more of a restriction since they tend to default to 3G speeds after their allowance is up.
What's the cheapest cell phone plan with unlimited everything?
Visible is technically the cheapest carrier to offer a truly unlimited plan, with no speed bumps based on data usage or mobile hotspotting allowance. That said, its mobile hotspot speeds are indeed capped at 5Mps, which is half that of Verizon and AT&T after they cap out, and being a prepaid carrier, it's also subject to deprioritization overall.
For more inexpensive options, we recommend checking out our page on this month's best cheap cell phone plans specifically.
