None of that are postpaid!

For years, many people have gone on to the massive carriers for cellphone service. However with rising prices and the gradual disappearance of extras like streaming perks, is it time to think about an alternate? Whereas it’s true that Verizon, AT&T, and T-Cellular management the one three cell networks with vast nationwide protection, there are many different carriers that piggyback off this identical infrastructure.

These suppliers can provide less expensive options to conventional postpaid plans, but you’ll nonetheless discover most of the identical options, because the hole between pay as you go and postpaid continues to shrink. Whereas there are dozens of nice pay as you go carriers highlighted in our greatest provider information, I needed to deal with simply 4 that I are inclined to suggest over postpaid.

Whereas there are a number of first rate Verizon options, Seen is my high suggestion if you wish to use Large Pink’s community and are searching for really limitless knowledge. The one actual draw back is that Seen requires a bit extra self-setup and troubleshooting than another carriers on this record. I normally solely suggest it to people who find themselves a minimum of considerably tech-savvy, don’t thoughts wanting up assist on-line, or have a pal or member of the family who might help if wanted.

What you’ll love about Seen

• Precedence entry with Seen Plus: The bottom plan consists of deprioritized knowledge, however the Seen Plus and Plus Professional plans provide the identical prioritization degree as Verizon’s postpaid service. The provider makes a couple of different modifications that may probably result in barely slower speeds than postpaid Verizon, however the distinction will likely be nearly unnoticeable generally.
• Large financial savings with annual pricing: Seen’s pricing ranges from $25–$45 a month, which is already low-cost, however it can save you as much as a further $90 per 12 months with an annual plan.
• Really limitless knowledge with hotspot entry: All plans embrace limitless knowledge and hotspot utilization (hotspot will see usable however throttled speeds).
• Free smartwatch service for Plus Professional members: Add a appropriate smartwatch to your account at no extra value.
• Taxes and costs are included: What you see is what you pay — no hidden costs.

What are the potential downsides? 

• Deprioritization on the bottom plan: If you happen to’re on the bottom plan, you’ll seemingly discover pace slowdowns in high-traffic areas. It’s typically high-quality for gentle use or backup telephones, however may frustrate heavier customers.
• On-line-only help: Seen doesn’t have bodily shops or cellphone help. All customer support is dealt with by way of the app or web site, which can be a barrier for some.

How do its options stack up in opposition to the massive three carriers?

• Worth: You’ll discover higher worth with Seen. The massive three can’t actually examine — Seen is likely one of the greatest worth picks for limitless knowledge out of any provider, together with the pay as you go competitors.
• Telephone choice and offers: The massive three win right here, however Seen nonetheless has stable gives on occasion and has lately provided deep reductions on Pixel telephones.
• Cost and safety plans: Much like the massive three. Whereas the massive three maintain a slight edge, financing is out there by way of Affirm, and Seen Defend gives gadget insurance coverage.
• Perks and extras: The massive three lead by rather a lot. Seen is all in regards to the fundamentals, so that you gained’t discover many extras. The bottom plan features a $5 month-to-month low cost for Verizon 5G House Web and limitless calls/texts to Canada and Mexico. Plus provides worldwide calling options and a $10 low cost on 5G House Web. Plus Professional additionally improves its worldwide roaming options and provides limitless discuss, textual content, and knowledge in Mexico and Canada.
• Information allotments and precedence: Really higher with Seen for the worth. All plans provide really limitless knowledge. Plus and Plus Professional even offer you limitless high-priority knowledge every month, which is kind of on par with Verizon postpaid plans, and but you’ll nonetheless pay a lot much less!
• Customer support: The massive three are higher right here. Brokers are typically useful, however the lack of cellphone or in-person help generally is a downside for some customers.

• Associate community: T-Cellular
• Worth vary: $20–$65 per thirty days, or $17–$40 for 4 or extra strains

Google Fi Wi-fi is one in every of my private favorites, particularly now that its latest plans make it far more aggressive. If you happen to’re searching for a substitute for T-Cellular’s community that also will get the identical precedence degree, you gained’t discover any actual choices outdoors of Google Fi. Even T-Cellular’s in-house manufacturers like Metro and Mint use lower-priority knowledge than its postpaid plans. Google Fi additionally excels with worldwide options, providing higher roaming perks than even the costliest massive three postpaid plans. Large households will admire that Google gives distinctive household reductions too, with charges dropping as little as $23 per thirty days for the bottom limitless bundle in case you have 5 or extra strains.

What you’ll love about Google Fi

• Finest-in-class worldwide advantages: Limitless Premium consists of free worldwide knowledge in over 200 international locations. Even the Versatile plan, which costs $10/GB overseas, is cheaper than most postpaid journey choices. (Be aware: Not all plans are designed with worldwide journey in thoughts; for instance, the Limitless Necessities plan solely gives knowledge within the US.)
• Cheaper than postpaid: Limitless knowledge begins at $35/month—nonetheless lower than postpaid and similar to different premium-tier pay as you go companies. It’s arguably a greater expertise than each for some customers.
• Glorious cellphone offers: Most pay as you go carriers don’t provide nice gadget offers, however Google Fi typically has beneficiant promotions, generally together with free telephones. One of the best offers are usually for Google Pixel followers.

What are the potential downsides? 

• Restricted knowledge: Google Fi has the very best T-Cellular-based prioritization. In my expertise, speeds are very similar to postpaid T-Cellular service, however you’re restricted to about 30–100GB of knowledge relying on the plan. Go over, and the plan successfully shuts off your knowledge—256Kbps is barely sufficient to verify emails.
• No Apple telephones offered straight: iPhones work nice on Google Fi, however you’ll have to carry your personal, as Google doesn’t promote them straight.

How do its options stack up in opposition to the massive three carriers?

• Worth: Google Fi is a greater worth. It could possibly prevent critical cash over the massive three whereas additionally providing some nice perks like superior worldwide roaming, but it surely’s pricier than some pay as you go companies.
• Telephone choice and offers: Pretty shut. Google Fi may be very aggressive right here, even when it doesn’t provide Apple merchandise. You’ll discover a number of Samsung and Google telephones, together with occasional free cellphone promotions.
• Cost plans: Related, however carriers provide higher insurance coverage choices. Google Fi gives zero-percent financing and free cellphone offers through invoice credit, which is pretty near the massive three, even when the choice is a little more restricted. You’ll want third-party insurance coverage, as Google Fi now not gives its personal gadget safety plan.
• Perks and extras: Fewer than the massive three, however what’s there may be stable. You’ll get spectacular journey options, six months of YouTube Premium, and everlasting additional Google One storage.
• Information and precedence: Very related. You’ll get high-priority limitless knowledge that’s basically the identical as postpaid T-Cellular service—but you’ll pay much less for it.
• Customer support: Inferior to the massive three. Whereas Google Fi gives first rate customer support, the dearth of in-store help and a latest decline in total high quality imply the massive carriers nonetheless have a slight benefit.

If you would like AT&T’s community with the best precedence doable, Cricket is a secure alternative. You’ll get the identical service prioritization as AT&T’s base postpaid plans, and the provider is definitely owned by AT&T. Like Google Fi, Cricket feels rather a lot like a standard provider: you’ll discover free cellphone gives, multi-line reductions, streaming perks, and lots of different extras you’d count on from a postpaid plan. Whereas I personally haven’t used Cricket as my each day driver in 4 or 5 years, a number of relations (together with my very own mom) are fairly pleased with it.

What you’ll love about Cricket 

• Seems like a standard provider: Cricket gives extras like streaming perks and discounted (generally free) telephones on choose plans, plus multi-line reductions.
• Excessive precedence on AT&T’s community: On choose plans, you get the identical service precedence as AT&T’s mid-tier or increased postpaid plans. Nevertheless, Cricket’s most cost-effective limitless plan has decrease precedence, identical to AT&T’s price range postpaid choices.
• Brick-and-mortar places: Particularly essential for many who are much less tech-savvy and will use in-person assist.

What are the potential downsides? 

• A bit expensive for solo customers: A single limitless line begins at $55/month — or $60 in order for you higher-priority knowledge and 15GB of hotspot entry. Multi-line reductions carry the lower-priority limitless plan right down to $25/month, and even the costliest plan drops to $32.50 per line for 4 customers. Bear in mind, Cricket consists of taxes in its pricing, however T-Cellular doesn’t.

How do its options stack up in opposition to the massive three carriers? 

• Worth: Cricket gives higher worth than postpaid — on some plans. You’ll normally save slightly over postpaid, however there are small trade-offs within the total expertise.
• Telephone Choice and Offers: Extra mid-range than the massive three. Cricket typically has free or low-cost telephones, however the catch is you’ll have to lock into the provider for an prolonged interval. There are additionally loads of new buyer offers and a large cellphone choice, not that totally different from AT&T itself.
• Cost and Safety Plans: Much like postpaid. Cricket Defend insurance coverage begins at $8/month and gives free or low-cost fixes in your gadget, plus 16GB of free on-line picture/video storage. For fee plans, Cricket companions with Affirm.
• Perks and Extras: Really fairly stable. Solely T-Cellular now gives free streaming companies, although Verizon nonetheless has discounted streaming perks. Cricket stands out, as its highest-end plan provides you the Max streaming service totally free.
• Information Allotments and Precedence: Matches or beats postpaid for the worth. You get higher-priority AT&T service than AT&T’s most cost-effective pay as you go and postpaid plans on choose tiers. Many pay as you go companies cap their limitless knowledge and throttle you after, however Cricket gives really limitless knowledge.
• Buyer Service: Similar to postpaid. With each brick-and-mortar and on-line/cellphone help, Cricket’s service is sort of equal to postpaid, a minimum of based mostly alone and my household’s expertise.

Whereas I are inclined to suggest the three carriers above probably the most, they aren’t for everybody. In that case, US Cellular is usually my subsequent suggestion as a “better of all worlds” choice. US Cellular is presently the one pay as you go provider within the US that not solely gives service throughout all three main networks, but in addition allows you to change between them. (Pink Pocket technically helps all three too, however US Cellular’s implementation is far more polished.)

Let’s break down what makes it stand out, the place it falls brief, and the way it compares to postpaid choices.

What you’ll love about US Cellular

• A few of the most cost-effective limitless charges round: US Cellular’s Flex limitless plan begins at simply $17.50/month, however you’ll have to pay for a full 12 months upfront.
• Blazingly quick Verizon and AT&T speeds: US Cellular has a singular relationship with Verizon, providing prioritization almost similar to postpaid Verizon and AT&T accounts — one thing we’ve personally verified.
• True community flexibility: Verizon sometimes offers one of the best expertise for US Cellular prospects, but it surely’s good to have the ability to change between AT&T and T-Cellular as wanted. There’s even an optionally available add-on that allows you to use two networks without delay.
• Taxes and costs included in plan price: No surprises — it’s $17.50/month plan is just like Mint’s 5GB plan (which doesn’t embrace taxes/charges).

What are the potential downsides? 

• Deprioritization at peak instances: Like most pay as you go choices, speeds can sluggish throughout peak instances, particularly on T-Cellular. Nevertheless, these points are uncommon should you follow AT&T or Verizon.
• Customer support is normally good, however not excellent: Most prospects are comfortable, however on-line opinions and Reddit sometimes point out delays with referral payouts, slower-than-promised characteristic rollouts, or gaps between bulletins and execution. Luckily, these points are uncommon and don’t sometimes have an effect on nearly all of US Cellular customers.

How do its options stack up in opposition to the massive three carriers?

• Worth: US Cellular is a greater worth total. You’ll save a great quantity over the massive three.
• Telephone Choice and Offers: Not pretty much as good — US Cellular principally focuses on mid-range or price range gadgets, however you will see some flagships just like the Google Pixel 9 collection (generally with hefty reductions).
• Cost Plans & Insurance coverage: Gives zero-percent financing through Affirm, however you’ll want third-party insurance coverage—no in-house protection.
• Perks: Not many streaming perks, however there are some good extras: multi-line community help, a free smartwatch plan, and first rate worldwide options.
• Information & Precedence: Almost matches the massive three. You gained’t get high-priority knowledge by way of T-Cellular, however choose plans provide it by way of Verizon or AT&T.
• Buyer Service: Not as strong — no brick-and-mortar shops, however responsive on-line and phone-based help.

There are lots of stable selections within the pay as you go world, and whereas the three carriers above are those I like to recommend most, it actually will depend on what you’re searching for. Listed below are a couple of different carriers I typically counsel for particular varieties of customers:

• Metro by T-Cellular: If you would like a premium provider that’s owned by T-Cellular straight, Metro could possibly be value a glance. Simply remember you’ll get lower-priority knowledge than you’ll with Google Fi or T-Cellular postpaid.
• Complete Wi-fi: Complete is owned by Verizon, identical to Seen, however focuses extra on household plans and premium options as a substitute of low-cost single strains. There are additionally some bodily shops, streaming perks with choose plans, and extra.
• Mint Cellular: Excellent should you’re searching for inexpensive, no-frills service on T-Cellular’s community and don’t thoughts decrease precedence ranges or paying yearly for one of the best charges.
• Tello: Nice for these searching for a second line, like a senior who desires a backup for his or her landline, or for youths and teenagers who want primary service.

What should you reside in an space the place all three networks work properly?

If community connectivity is stable throughout Verizon, AT&T, and T-Cellular, the sport modifications a bit. Right here’s what I’d suggest:

• For worth, simplicity, and reliability: Seen stays my high choose should you don’t care which community you’re on. Simply bear in mind, you’ll have to be a bit extra hands-on with troubleshooting, or have somebody that can assist you.
• If you would like a standard provider really feel: Contemplate Google Fi Wi-fi. You gained’t get really limitless knowledge, however pricing will be simply as aggressive (particularly for households), and also you’ll discover higher customer support choices plus barely higher perks.