The best no-contract phone plans

Everyone needs a smartphone these days, there's just no getting around it. But a phone isn't much use without some kind of data plan, and not everyone needs a traditional plan from one of the big carriers.

AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint/T-Mobile

• These large carriers no longer have a formal contract; they do still have arrangements that lock you into a specific plan, at a specific price, for a specific amount of time, however. They're also "post-paid" plans, in that you agree to be held to specific terms and then pay your bill at the end of the month.

Smaller carriers, MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operators)

• MVNOs and other companies offer similar plans—often on the same networks maintained by T-Mobile and other large carriers—but without the strings attached. That means you can more easily jump from one carrier to another if your situation changes or, you want to move to a different plan as your needs develop.

Though it's impossible for us to test every carrier in every location, these are the best no-contract and prepaid plans on the highest-quality networks that we could find. They won't be perfect for everyone, but we think these are the best no-contract phone plans available.

Visible

Sign up for Visible starting at $25/line

Cost per month: Starting at $25 Data per month: Unlimited Restrictions: Video limited to 480p, traffic can be de-prioritized if network is congested Best for: Unlimited data, families

Most of the pre-paid carriers here are actually owned by one of the big three network operators (AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile/Sprint). Visible is owned by Verizon, so you're getting unlimited access to the network that has consistently ranked as having the best 4G coverage for years.

Visible sets itself apart from the competition here in a few key ways.

The biggest benefit in our book is that it's among the cheapest unlimited data plans you can get right now at just $25 per month for a single line. For $45 per month, you can opt for Visible's "plus" plan, which includes 50GB of premium data and better international calling and texting. Even if you opt for Visible's least expensive plan you get free calls to Canada and Mexico, Anywhere in the United States, Puerto Rico and Guam.

There are a couple of restrictions to be aware of, but they're the standard stuff: your traffic can be de-prioritized if the network is congested. Also, video streaming on your plan is restricted to 480p (DVD quality), though even the big carriers do this and it's not that noticeable on a small phone screen.

You can use your Visible data to act as a hotspot for another device, though speeds are limited to 5Mbps and you can only tether one device at a time. Otherwise, for both single lines, this is the best prepaid phone plan right now.

Google Fi

Sign up for Google Fi starting at $50/line

Cost per month: $50 for one line, $80 for four lines (plus fees) Data per month: Unlimited Restrictions: Video limited to 480p Best for: International travel, heavy hotspot users

Google Fi bills itself as "a different kind of phone plan"—though in truth it's more of a pre-paid phone plan that comes with a few extra perks. The most notable ones: unlimited full-speed hotspot usage and unlimited international texts and data. Those aren't all that common on postpaid phone plans, so getting it with absolutely no contract is a nice deal.

The only hitch? Fi is more expensive than competing plans. A single unlimited line costs $50. And while your fifty bucks gets you unlimited calls and data, you should know that your data speed will be throttled, each month, after you hit 35GB. That said, the cost of using Google Fi gets lower, the more lines you sign up for. If you have two lines, the cost drops to $40/line (plus fees), $20/line if you have four people, and so on.

Google Fi's coverage is very good, as your data can ride on the T-Mobile/Sprint network—including 5G if your phone supports T-Mobile's 5G bands. It's a nice plan, but the monthly price really only pays off if you are going to take advantage of its international calling, roaming, and hotspot perks.

Tello

Sign up for Tello starting at $10/line

Cost per month: $10/line for 1GB of data, $29/line for unlimited data Data per month: Varies, $14 for 2GB, $19 for 5GB, $29 for unlimited Restrictions: Speed is throttled after hitting data limit Best for: People that want the cheapest service possible

There are a ton of cheap prepaid phone plans, but Tello offers a lot for a minimal monthly cost. You can build your own plan, starting with unlimited calls and texts, and 1GB of data per month for just $9. That's not likely to be enough for most people, but it's a great low-cost option if you rarely use your smartphone. You can upgrade to a more manageable 2GB of data and unlimited calls and texts for just $10/mo, or 5GB of data for $19/mo. Your data moves through the T-Mobile network. You can even opt for "Unlimited" data, though that's just 25GB before it dips to 2G speeds.

Oh, and if you're rocking a dumbphone (a surprising number of folks still do,) Tello has a data-free, unlimited talk and text plan for just $8 per month. They also have plans that come with limited talk time: 500GB a month, for example. But We feel that these can be a bad value as you'll pay through the nose for overages.

The one hangup (sorry) with Tello is that you'll need a phone that supports T-Mobile or another GSM network. Tello will sell you plenty of them, though we think an unlocked, GSM-compatible phone like the iPhone 15 Plus offers the best value. Buying an unlocked smartphone costs more upfront. But if you're unhappy with Tello or any other carrier's service, you'll be free to switch to another provider with minimal fuss.

Metro by T-Mobile

Sign up for Metro by T-Mobile starting at $40/line

Cost per month: $40 for one line, $100 for four lines (limited time) Data per month: Unlimited Restrictions: Video limited to 480p Best for: People who want the cheapest service possible

Formerly MetroPCS, this is now T-Mobile's in-house prepaid brand. The plans are pretty similar to the T-Mobile-branded plans. They use the same network and offer a mix of unlimited data, hotspot features, and significant discounts if you sign up with multiple lines.

A single line of unlimited talk/text/data will run you $50/mo and includes 8GB of hotspot usage. But Metro really begins to pay dividends if you look to the higher-end plans, especially if you're switching over multiple lines. Metro offers a wide range of promotions, phone discounts, and other perks, like a 100GB Google One membership on some plans, to sweeten the pot.

If you find the right mix, you can get a lot for your money. For example, four lines of the top-tier plan get you unlimited everything, 100GB Google One Membership, Free Vix streaming, a free Amazon Prime membership, and 25GB of hotspot usage for just $175/mo.

Boost Mobile

Sign up for Boost Mobile starting at $25/line

Cost per month: $25 for 1 line, $100 for four lines (limited time) Data per month: Unlimited, depending on plan Restrictions: Video limited to 480p Best for: Groups looking for a discount

Boost (at least in the US) is another T-Mobile-owned carrier—yes, there are a few of them—but that does give you access to one of the best mobile networks. Boost isn't the best in any one area, but it offers an attractive mix that will appeal to anyone who wants unlimited data, an affordable price, and a ton of hotspot data.

Boost starts at $25/mo for a single line of unlimited talk/text/data, which is the same as Visible but cheaper than Google Fi. It also has excellent group discounts right now, including four unlimited data lines for $100, and three lines for just $90/mo. If for some reason you prefer the T-Mobile network to Verizon, then this isn't a bad backup plan.