The best unlimited data plans used to come with prices nearly as limitless as all that data you were getting. Thankfully, those days are over, as you can find an plan that will cost you $30/month or less — in fact, there are multiple options at that low rate.
I started tracking cell phone plans for Tom's Guide a decade ago, and back then, you could expect to pay around $80/month for unlimited data. You'll still find plans that cost that much, but lower-priced options are more common than ever. The trick is to look beyond the big-name carriers — T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon — to find lower rates. You can also lower your monthly cost by paying for a full year of service in advance. Either way, the best unlimited data plans are no longer out of reach if you're on a tighter budget.
As part of my research into the best cell phone plans overall, I've found that Visible is the best choice for most people when it comes to unlimited data — especially after the carrier cut the rate on my favorite plan. A good alternative to Visible is Mint Mobile, which offers one of the best cheap cell phone plans under $40 that includes unlimited data, though you will have to pay for a year of service in advance to get Mint's best rate.
Among the big-name phone carriers, AT&T has one of the best lower-priced options, while T-Mobile is the place to turn for family plans with unlimited data. That said, I also like the family plan options at Total Wireless if you want unlimited data on the cheap.
Because there's no one-size-fits-all approach to unlimited data, I've included several other options from other carriers at different price ranges that may be more appropriate for your needs and budget, whether you do a lot of traveling, want a guaranteed rate or just like plans with lots of perks.
My name is Philip Michaels, and I oversee all the mobile coverage at Tom's Guide. That includes our look at cell phone plans and what carriers might be charging at any given time for data. I've been at this long enough to remember when unlimited data was restricted to the priciest plans; these days, at some carriers, unlimited data is your only option. When I'm not comparing phone plan prices, I'm busy reviewing handsets, with an emphasis on Apple's iPhones.
The best unlimited data plans you can get today
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The best unlimited data plan overall
The best unlimited plan from a major carrier
The best unlimited plan value
The best unlimited plan for families
The best prepaid unlimited family plan
The most flexible unlimited plan
Best unlimited data plan for travelers
The best unlimited data plan rate guarantee
Best prepaid plan perks
Best unlimited data plans compared
Here's a look at all of the best unlimited data plans we've recommended above, all in one place, so you can compare what a single line of data costs each month. (For plans like Mint's, we've marked where you have to pay for a year of service in advance, and what your total cost would be.) To help families judge how much they'd pay for data, we've included the per-line cost for a 4-line plan — note that 2- and 3-line offerings may have different monthly rates, owing to variable discounts.
The high-speed data allotment lists the amount of data you can consume each month with each plan before you will experience slower speeds for the remainder of the billing cycle.
Unlimited plan | High speed data allotment | Single-line monthly price | Per-line price for 4 lines |
Visible Plus | 50GB | $35 | $35 |
AT&T Value Plus VL | Speeds can be slowed when network congested | $51 | $31 |
Mint Mobile Unlimited Data | Unlimited | $30 (requires a year prepayment) | $30 (requires a year prepayment) |
T-Mobile Go 5G | 100GB | $75 | $38 (3rd line is free) |
Total Wireless Total 5G | Unlimited | $50 | $27.50 (4th line is free) |
Verizon Unlimited Plus | Unlimited | $80 | $45 |
Google Fi Unlimited Premium | 100GB | $65 | $40 |
Boost Mobile | 30GB | $25 | $25 |
Cricket Unlimited + 15GB Mobile Hotspot | Unlimited | $60 | $33 |
How to pick the best unlimited data plan for you
Besides making sure to choose a carrier that offers good service in your area — ask friends and family about the coverage they get — consider both price and perks. With the best unlimited data plans from major carriers ranging in price from $60 to $90 per month, pick the plan that fits in your budget or turn to a discount carrier like Mint or Visible. Also consider what benefits each wireless carrier includes with their different tiers of unlimited data.
Wondering if you need unlimited data? Unless you’re streaming video and music fairly regularly, you probably can get away with a tiered data plan, like the ones offered by AT&T and Verizon. Mint and Tello have less expensive tiered data plans, too.
While we have a separate guide to the best family cell phone plan options, most of the unlimited plans featured here allow you to add extra lines, usually at discounted per-line rates. The exception is Visible, which charges the same rate for each line you add. Mint's approach to family plans is to offer the same discounted rate for each line of data, so unlimited plans would cost $30 per line, assuming you commit to the full year of service.
Frequently asked questions about unlimited data plans
Are unlimited data plans truly unlimited?
That depends. While you do technically get unlimited data on all of these plans, some carriers will impose a restriction somewhere in the plan that limits the amount of high-speed data that you can use.
AT&T reserves the right to start throttling data at 50GB for Unlimited Extra; Unlimited Starter customers can be throttled at any time. Unlimited Premium customers don't have to worry about caps, though, as AT&T has removed that limitation from its most expensive plan. T-Mobile lets you use 100GB of data before throttling can begin on its Go5G plan, but that restriction disappears if you upgrade to Go5G Plus. Our favorite plan — Visible Plus — has a 50GB cap before slowdowns kick in.
But not every plan comes with this limitation. Verizon doesn't put a cap on data usage for any of its unlimited plans, though the cheapest Welcome Unlimited option can experience slower speeds if Verizon's network is congested. Mint just removed the cap on data usage, joining Total Wireless and Cricket in having no caps.
There could also be limits on the quality of video you can stream — some plans restrict video streaming to 480p, requiring you to pay more for HD video streaming. Many plans also impose limits on hotspot data, only allotting a limited amount of high-speed hotspot data. This isn't really as big of an issue as it sounds. For the average person, hotspotting is simply an added benefit and you won't really lose out too much by being limited on it.
What about families looking for unlimited data plans?
Our guide to the best family cell phone plans has specific recommendations on the best options for people who need multiple lines of data, but here's a quick summary on unlimited data for families.
Multiple lines of unlimited data sounds like a costly proposition, and it can be, though there are ways you can keep your monthly bill lower while still making sure each member of your family gets unlimited data. The first thing to do is see which carriers offer discounts as you add more lines to your plan. This is a common practice with plans from AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, but harder to find with prepaid carriers. As good as Visible's unlimited plan is, for example, there's no discount for adding another line of data to your plan. At Total Wireless, in contrast, your per line price drops as you add lines.
Another thing to look out for is whether carriers let you mix and match different plans. At T-Mobile, everyone has to be on the same unlimited plan, while Verizon lets you swap in different plans for different lines. That way, a parent could have the perk-filled (and more expensive) Unlimited Plus plan while their kids could make do with the cheaper Unlimited Welcome option. Mint family plans let some members choose unlimited data while others can opt for tiered data.
Family plans can also get more perks as you add lines. A second line of T-Mobile's Go5G plan makes you eligible for the carrier's Netflix on Us option, where it picks up the cost of the streaming service for you.
