Phone plans compared: Visible, Cricket and other budget carriers vs Verizon and AT&T

An unlimited phone plan can cost $25 a month or $90, and much of the difference comes down to who owns the network, how much "priority" data you get and whether taxes are included. Budget carriers like Visible, Cricket and Total Wireless run on the same Verizon and AT&T networks as the big names, for a fraction of the price.

We've compared unlimited plans from prepaid and budget carriers with Verizon and AT&T, for one line and for a family of four, using the carriers' own plan pages, checked on October 27, 2026. Mint Mobile's, T-Mobile's and Metro by T-Mobile's websites blocked us, so we haven't listed their prices rather than rely on unchecked figures. Promotions change often, so check the price on the carrier's site before you switch.

At a glance

• Cheapest unlimited for one line: $25 a month at Visible, Boost Mobile, Tello and Total Wireless (bring your own phone), with taxes and fees included at Visible and Total Wireless.
• Cheapest for a family of four: Total Wireless Starter at $95 a month, or $100 at Visible, Cricket, Boost and Google Fi.
• Cheapest big-network plan: Verizon's new Simplicity plan at $45 a line with Auto Pay, or Verizon myPlan Welcome and AT&T Value 2.0 at $30 a line on four lines.
• Price guarantees: Total Wireless guarantees its tax-inclusive monthly rate for five years for new customers, and Boost says its $25 Unlimited price never changes while you stay active.
• Watch for: intro prices that rise later, such as US Mobile's $25 Unlimited Premium, which renews at $44 after six months.

Unlimited plans compared

Prices are per month with Auto Pay where a carrier offers a discount for it. Four-line prices are the carrier's own family price where it publishes one, or four single lines where it has no multi-line discount.

Budget carriers

Visible, owned by Verizon, charges $25 a month for its basic unlimited plan, with taxes and fees included and unlimited hotspot at 5 Mbps. Data may be slowed in busy times, and video streams at 480p. Visible+ ($35) gives premium data that isn't slowed and access to Verizon's 5G Ultra Wideband, and Visible+ Pro ($45) adds 4K video and a smartwatch line. Annual plans cost $275, $375 and $450. There's no family discount, so four lines are simply four plans.

Cricket Wireless runs on AT&T. Select Unlimited is $35 a month with Auto Pay, and four lines cost $100. Smart Unlimited ($45, or $110 for four) adds 15GB of hotspot, and Supreme Unlimited ($55, or $130 for four) gives high-speed data that isn't slowed and 50GB of hotspot. Taxes and fees are included, with a $25 activation fee in stores.

Total Wireless uses Verizon's network, including 5G Ultra Wideband. Its Starter plan costs $35 for one line or $95 for four, and MAX 5G is $25 if you bring your own phone. New customers get a five-year guarantee on the tax-inclusive monthly rate, though that doesn't cover the $5 Auto Pay discount or promotions.

Boost Mobile charges $25 a month with Auto Pay for Unlimited, with 30GB of premium data before speeds drop, and says the price never changes as long as you don't pause or cancel. Taxes and fees are extra. Tello, on T-Mobile's network, charges $25 a month for Unlimited with 50GB of high-speed data and 10GB of hotspot.

US Mobile lets you choose between three networks. Unlimited Starter renews at $25 a month, and Unlimited Premium, with priority data and unlimited hotspot on one network, renews at $44 after a $25 introductory price for people switching their number. There are no multi-line discounts. Google Fi drops to $25 a line on Unlimited Standard with four lines ($100), or $90 for four lines of Unlimited Essentials, but taxes and fees are extra.

Verizon and AT&T

Verizon launched Simplicity on June 16, 2026: $45 a line with Auto Pay and paper-free billing, or $55 without, with unlimited 5G Ultra Wideband data and 10GB of hotspot. There's no multi-line discount, so four lines cost $180, though Verizon offers people switching from another carrier $15 off a line. Verizon's myPlan is cheaper for families: with four or more lines and Auto Pay, Welcome is $30 a line, Plus $45 and Ultimate $60, including a $10 monthly credit for 36 months.

AT&T replaced its plans with Value 2.0, Extra 2.0 and Premium 2.0 in March 2026. With four lines, Auto Pay and paperless billing, they cost $30, $40 and $55 a line, so a family of four pays $120 for Value 2.0. Value includes 5GB of high-speed data and 3GB of hotspot, Extra 100GB and 50GB, and Premium unlimited high-speed data with 100GB of hotspot. AT&T's website didn't show us one-line prices.

Taxes and fees are extra on both, so your bill will be higher than the plan price.

Which to choose

• One line, lowest price: Visible or Total Wireless (own phone) at $25 with taxes included.
• Family of four: Total Wireless Starter at $95 or Cricket Select at $100, both with taxes included.
• Heavy hotspot use: Visible's unlimited 5 Mbps hotspot, or Cricket Supreme's 50GB.
• Big-carrier perks and phone deals: Verizon myPlan or AT&T 2.0 plans on four lines, from $30 a line plus taxes.

How to switch

1. Check coverage where you live and work on the carrier's own map, and which network it uses.
2. Make sure your phone is unlocked and compatible. Each carrier has a checker on its site.
3. Get your account number and transfer PIN from your current carrier so you can keep your number.
4. Check for installment balances. If you're paying off a phone, switching may make the balance due.
5. Note when intro prices end and set a reminder.

FAQs

Are budget carriers slower?

They use the same networks, but many give their customers lower priority in busy areas, so speeds can drop when the network is congested. Plans described as premium or priority data, such as Visible+ or Cricket Supreme, aren't slowed this way.

Why aren't Mint Mobile and T-Mobile in the table?

Their websites blocked us when we checked, and we only list prices we've seen on a carrier's own pages. Check their sites directly for current prices.

Do I need Auto Pay?

Not always, but it often saves $5 to $10 a line. Cricket, Boost and Total Wireless include an Auto Pay discount in their headline prices, and Verizon's Simplicity is $10 more a month without it.

Sources: Visible: plans, Cricket Wireless: plans, Cricket Wireless: unlimited data, Total Wireless: plans, Boost Mobile: plans, Tello: Unlimited plan, US Mobile: plans, Google Fi: plan prices, Verizon: Simplicity FAQs, Verizon: Simplicity launch, Verizon: myPlan, AT&T: wireless plans, AT&T: plans compared