Best T-Mobile cell phone plans in 2023

Best T-Mobile cell phone plans
(Image credit: Julian Sullivan/Getty Images)
How to get T-Mobile on a budget

T-Mobile is one of the more affordable options among the major carriers, but a number of MVNOs offer better prices on their monthly plans — and one of those is Mint Mobile, which is now owned by T-Mobile after a $1.35 billion purchase in March 2023.

Mint specializes in low cost plans while also relying on T-Mobile's network to provide its wireless service. That means you can get T-Mobile's speeds, coverage and 5G performance at a much cheaper price by opting for Mint Mobile.

Find out more about Mint Mobile at the bottom of this page.

Searching among the best T-Mobile cell phone plans for the right option for your needs just became a little bit more complicated. 

It's not that T-Mobile doesn't offer some of the best cell phone plans out there — T-Mobile features great unlimited deals in addition to a low-cost Connect Plan that ranks as one of the best cheap cell phone plans if you're on a budget. Rather, the problem is that T-Mobile has expanded the number of unlimited plans you can pick from.

In April 2023, T-Mobile launched two additional unlimited plans joining offerings that already ranked as some of the best unlimited data plans you could sign up for. So which one should you pick? That all depends upon your needs.

Luckily, we can help you find a great option at T-Mobile, wether you need one of the best family cell phone plans or you're interested in a low-cost prepaid plan that still delivers good value. And as affordable as T-Mobile is, you can enjoy the benefits of its network through an even lower-cost option in the form of Mint Mobile, a virtual network mobile operator (MVNO) that uses T-Mobile's towers for its cellular coverage.

If T-Mobile cell phone plans sound like something that would work for you, we've broken down the best T-Mobile cell phone plans below.

Unlimited and family T-Mobile plans

T-Mobile offers five different unlimited data plans, with Go5G and Go5G Plus joining the established Essentials, Magenta and Magenta Max offerings. You can get a plan for just one person or you can add additional lines for the best prices.

If you add extra lines, T-Mobile's different unlimited options stand out as some of the best family plans out there. The Essentials option is aimed at those on a tighter budget, while then the two Magenta plans offer some more luxuries for a higher monthly price. The Go5G Plans are T-Mobile's most expensive plans, but they have the best benefits.

Finally, T-Mobile also has an unlimited plan for any senior customers that ranks as one of the best cell phone plans for seniors.

T-Mobile Essentials| unlimited data | $60/month or $100 for four lines — Cheapest unlimited plan from T-Mobile

T-Mobile Essentials| unlimited data | $60/month or $100 for four lines — Cheapest unlimited plan from T-Mobile
The cheapest of T-Mobile's unlimited data plans, Essentials will only cost you $60 a month or $100 a month for a four-line plan; those price reflect discounts for enrolling in autopsy. 

That price gives you unlimited calls, texts and 5G LTE data. However you will only get 50GB of premium data (where you are a prioritized customer getting the fastest speeds). You will also be limited to SD video streaming and while you get an unlimited hotspot, it will be limited to 3G speeds. Unlike T-Mobile's Magenta plans, Essentials doesn't fold in taxes and fees to the cost of your plan.

Pros: Affordable price; No caps on data; Great family discount
Cons: Only 3G hotspot; Limited to SD video streaming; Prices don't include taxes and fees

T-Mobile Magenta | unlimited data | $70/month or $140 for four lines — Best value unlimited plan

T-Mobile Magenta | unlimited data | $70/month or $140 for four lines — Best value unlimited plan
The middle of T-Mobile's unlimited data plans and the overall best value, Magenta will cost you $70 a month for a single line or $140 for four lines once autopay discounts are accounted for. (Normally, that cost is $160 for four lines, but T-Mobile is waiving the fee on adding a third line of service as of this writing.) As with the Essentials plan, you get unlimited calls, texts and data and you're still limited to SD video streaming. However, you now get 100GB of priority data, 5GB of high-speed data on your hotspot and Netflix Basic thrown in for free when you have two or more lines. The Magenta plan also qualifies for a year of Paramount Plus and sis months of Apple TV Plus. When you travel overseas, you can use your data, capped at 256 kbps speeds, except in 11 European countries where you can enjoy 5GB of high speed data.

Pros: Attractive perks; Affordable price; Benefits for additional lines
Cons: No HD video; Limits on premium data

T-Mobile Magenta Max | unlimited data | $85/month or $170 for four lines — T-Mobile's feature-filled unlimited plan

T-Mobile Magenta Max | unlimited data | $85/month or $170 for four lines — T-Mobile's feature-filled unlimited plan
T-Mobile's truly unlimited plan costs $85 a month or $200 for four lines. (As with the Magenta plan, T-Mobile is waiving the cost of a third line of data, so four lines currently cost  $170 per month.) At that price, Magenta Max is quite an investment but you get unlimited calls, texts and data and no limits on premium data. You also both Netflix Basic for one line of data or a Netflix Standard account for two or more lines. An Apple TV Plus subscription is now included with Magenta Max plans, which also features one year of Paramount Plus. Hotspot data increases to 40GB of high-speed data, and you can stream in up to 4K UHD. Travel benefits include 5GB of high-speed data in 210 countries. If you're not worried about costs, this is T-Mobile's best option.

Pros: Netflix Standard; Unlimited priority data; 4K UHD streaming; Apple TV Plus now included with plan
Cons: Expensive

T-Mobile Go5G | unlimited data | $75/month or $180 for four lines - T-Mobile's latest unlimited plan

T-Mobile Go5G | unlimited data | $75/month or $180 for four lines - T-Mobile's latest unlimited plan
Think of T-Mobile Go5G as a super-sized version of the carrier's Magenta plan. It's $5 more for a single line (or $20 each month if you have four lines), but you 15GB of hotspot data instead of the 5GB you get with Magenta. Additionally, you can use 10GB of data when you travel in Mexico and Canada, which is 5GB more than Magenta allows. The other reason to get Go5G is to be eligible for the same upgrade offers available to new customers, making it easier to upgrde your phone.

Pros: More hotspot and roaming data than Magenta; Easily to upgrade device
Cons: More expensive than Magenta

T-Mobile Go5G Plus | unlimited data | $90/month or $220 for four lines - The ultimate T-Mobile plan

T-Mobile Go5G Plus | unlimited data | $90/month or $220 for four lines - The ultimate T-Mobile plan
As the Go5G plan is a stepped-up version of Magenta, Go5G Plus is the super-sized version of Magenta Max. The same benefits such as Apple TV Plus and Netflix subscriptions are here, but T-Mobile ramps up the amount of hotspot data (50GB, up from 40GB) and data you can use when traveling in Canada and Mexico (15GB, instead of 10GB). You're also eligible for a new phone every two years under Go5G Plus.

Pros: T-Mobile's best benefits
Cons: T-Mobile's most expensive plan

T-Mobile | Essentials 55+ senior unlimited plan | 2-line plan | $55/month — Best value unlimited senior plan

T-Mobile | Essentials 55+ senior unlimited plan | 2-line plan | $55/month — Best value unlimited senior plan
If you're 55 or over, you can get one of the above options for a lower price and with a few changes to the features on board. The best-price comes on the Essentials 55+ plan. You can get two unlimited lines for just $55 a month ($27.50 per line). This comes with unlimited data, calls, and texts with no speed restrictions, a 3G mobile hotspot, and scam protection. However, you are limited to SD streaming, and if you're in Mexico or Canada, you can only use 2G data. Seniors can upgrade to Magenta 55+ or Magenta Max 55+ too for an added cost.

Pros:
Affordable price; No annual contract; 5G at no extra cost
Cons: Limited to 2G in Mexico/Canada; Only SD streaming

T-Mobile prepaid plans

If you don't need unlimited data, T-Mobile also has some great prepaid options. These come at much lower costs, which also means you will also receive a lot less data and fewer perks.

T-Mobile Connect | 3.5GB data | $15/month — Low cost cell phone plan from a big name carrier

T-Mobile Connect | 3.5GB data | $15/month — Low cost cell phone plan from a big name carrier
This is a great option from T-Mobile if you're on a tighter budget. You'll now get 3.5GB now that T-Mobile has made its annual 500MB increase at the start of the year. That data pool costs only $15 a month. Be aware that with this prepaid plan, once you're out of data, you've hit your cap and can't keep using data, even at slower speeds. You can upgrade to T-Mobile's connect plan with 6.5GB of data instead for $25/month, while there's a 1GB option available for just $10/month. (That latter plan remains capped at 1GB.)

Pros: Low costs, 500MB data boosts annually
Cons: Out of data once you hit your cap

T-Mobile prepaid plan | 10GB data | $40/month or $130 for four lines — A strong amount of data for the cost

T-Mobile prepaid plan | 10GB data | $40/month or $130 for four lines — A strong amount of data for the cost
This prepaid plan boosts your data up to 10GB instead of the 3.5GB found above. And while the cost is quite a jump to $40 a month, there are a few key differences in plans. You get scam-blocking protection and caller ID, plus you get Music Unlimited allowing you to stream certain music streaming services without eating into your data cap. Finally, you get a mobile hotspot, though it draws from your 10GB data allotment. Like the unlimited plans further up, you can also add lines for a family plan.

Pros: Music unlimited; Affordable price
Cons:
Limited data; Mobile hotspot and regular data shared

T-Mobile Unlimited prepaid plan | Unlimited data | $50/month or $140 for four lines — Unlimited data at a reduced cost

T-Mobile Unlimited prepaid plan | Unlimited data | $50/month or $140 for four lines — Unlimited data at a reduced cost
While similar to the unlimited plans above, this prepaid option holds a few key differences. While you still get unlimited data, calls and texts, you'll save $10 a month with this plan compared to a single line of T-Mobile's Essentials plan. You don't get international texting or unlimited data in Mexico or Canada though — a feature found on all three unlimited plans further up this guide. You can also upgrade to the Plus version of T-Mobile's unlimited prepaid plan. This is almost identical except a boost of 10GB 4G data on your mobile hotspot.

Pros: Affordable unlimited; Security features; Unlimited hotspot
Cons:
Expensive; Limited to 3G mobile hotspot

Is T-Mobile a good carrier?

T-Mobile cell phone plans

(Image credit: Oscar Wong)

T-Mobile is not just a good carrier — it's currently the runner-up in our best phone phone carriers rankings. This position comes down to a couple of benefits and factors T-Mobile does very well.

When it comes to terms of plans and offers, T-Mobile is one of the most diverse options. It offers a wide array of prices that span family plans, unlimited data choices, prepaid plans and more.

Past that, our LTE network testing showed that T-Mobile is one of the faster carriers available, and subsequent testing by third parties backs that claim. In Ookla's most recent testing, T-Mobile was rated the fastest mobile operator in the U.S. with the best download and upload speeds.

T=Mobile also ranks well in 5G performance testing by third parties, with RootMetrics currently rating T-Mobile tops for 5G speeds and availability. (Verizon's 5G is judged to be more reliable.) T-Mobile's 5G service reaches more than 325 million people and through its incorporation of Sprint, 5G speeds have increased further by adding Sprints 5G into the spectrum. Some 265 million people now have access to T-Mobile's higher-speed 5G, and that number should grow to 300 million in 2023.

T-Mobile also has weekly giveaways and a host of incentives for its customers. For instance, this year, it's offering T-Mobile customers the MLS Season Pass that streams ever Major League Soccer match through the Apple TV Plus streaming service. Overall, T-Mobile finishes in the runner-up spot among phone carriers thanks to its blend of affordability, features, the number of options and its great coverage; the carrier has been the victim of several embarrassing data breaches, though.

Getting T-Mobile on a budget: Mint Mobile

Mint Mobile coverage map

(Image credit: Mint Mobile)

T-Mobile itself is an affordable carrier but you can get its services cheaper. As we said above, Mint Mobile is a popular network that uses the connections, coverage and speeds of T-Mobile to provide wireless service at a discount. Mint proved so compatible with T-Mobile that the Uncarrier is buying the discount mobile service.

This means that you will experience the exact same coverage and speeds as T-Mobile customers both for 4G and 5G. However, Mint customers could get throttled in peak times.

The benefit of choosing Mint over T-Mobile is its affordability. Mint for example can offer unlimited data for $30 a month, 20GB for $25 a month or even 5GB for $15 a month. (Those data allotments reflect new Mint Mobile plans that went into effect on April 14 offering more data at the same rates.) However, Mint does its contracts slightly weirdly. You actually pay for your service upfront. When you get Mint, you get a 3-month intro price which, for example, would be how you get the unlimited data for $30 a month.

While the 5GB plan says $15 a month, you are actually paying $45 for that period. When that time period's up, you then sign up for three, six or 12 months and pay the cost upfront. The longer you sign on for, the better the price.

If you can afford to pay for your cell phone plan upfront, Mint offers some of the cheapest prices out there, and it recently expanded service to include family plans. You can read more about the service in our guide to Mint Mobile as well our analysis of whether Mint is still worth it after the T-Mobile acquisition.

Alex is an editor at Future with a focus on phones and broadband. With an eye on the best prices across both of these areas, Alex is bringing you the must-have bargains right now.