Looking for a new phone plan? Choosing from seemingly countless plans offered by various companies can be a daunting task, but it’s important to remember what is right for your unique needs to get the most out of a phone plan. Keep in mind that a cheaper price doesn’t always mean you’re getting a good deal. Plans that offer a great mix of affordability, features, data, coverage, and more are what you should be looking for. While one particular plan option may have a cheaper price or more add-on features than a competitor, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a better plan for you. With that in mind, take a look at the phone plans listed below that are worth their weight in gold.
For the frugal customer: AT&T Unlimited Starter and T-Mobile Essentials
When it solely comes down to price, T-Mobile’s Essentials and AT&T’s Unlimited Starter plans get you the best bang for your buck. These are the most basic T-Mobile and att unlimited plans. While both plans will deprioritize your data during high-traffic periods, T-Mobile gives you 50GB of prioritized data to use before you will experience slower data speeds. Unless you use a ton of data each month, most people will never exceed this limit, letting you enjoy faster speeds for less. Keep in mind that these are the third-tier unlimited plans from the service providers, and if you have some flexibility in your budget to get their next best offering, AT&T’s Unlimited Extra plan includes 50GB of prioritized data plus some add-ons like Stadia Pro Gaming, SD streaming, and 15GB of hotspot data.
Best data plan: T-Mobile Magenta Max and AT&T Unlimited Elite
If you use a lot of data or have multiple lines that you want to bundle into one plan, then the top-tier plans offered by T-Mobile and AT&T are presumably the best option for you. Although they are the most expensive option, both plans offer truly unlimited premium data, meaning you’ll never get deprioritized. If you’re unsure about choosing the top pick consider what it is that you want more–strictly unlimited call, text, and data or more storage and streaming quality with better coverage.
T-Mobile is likely the best option if you have one to three lines on your plan, but once you reach four lines, T-Mobile and AT&T are the same price. At this point, all you have to decide on is which additional perks and coverage works best for your family. If unlimited data isn’t a necessity, but still want enough to never worry about getting deprioritized, T-Mobile’s Magenta and AT&T’s Unlimited Extra plans offer huge premium data caps (100GB and 50GB) which are great options if you don’t want to pay for the extra that you’ll likely never use.
For the customer looking for coverage: AT&T Unlimited Plans and T-Mobile Unlimited Plans
Measuring network coverage isn’t as easy as the maps may suggest. Most of the time, it boils down to individual factors that differ from person to person. While it’s not possible to tell to any degree of certainty what your experience will be like on one phone plan versus another, both will offer better coverage depending on what you’re looking for. When it comes to nationwide 4G coverage, Verizon is the clear winner with covering 70% of the nation and has been shown to work better in more remote areas of the United States. Still, if you’re more interested in 5G coverage, AT&T offers 12% more coverage nationally. While AT&T has rural pockets with excellent coverage, nationally Verizon does much better. Both networks have great coverage in densely populated metropolitan areas.
Features focused plans: T-Mobile Magenta Max and AT&T Unlimited Extra
If additional features are what you’re looking for, top-tier plan options will pique your interest. Nearly all tiers across Verizon and AT&T have cool add-ons and features. If you want access to streaming services and the data to ensure you can always watch, listen, or play, Verizon and AT&T offer great options depending on your taste. Verizon offers their Disney Bundle–including Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN–alongside Apple music and Arcade, Google Play Pass, and one TravelPass day a month. AT&T’s Unlimited Elite plan offers better streaming quality, Stadia Pro Gaming for six months, and HBO Max included. Considering the similar price points, it comes down to if you want a particular streaming service.
For the mid-tier plans AT&T offers six months of Stadia Pro Gaming streaming. Verizon offers a wider range of add-ons depending on what you prefer. Their Play More plan still includes their Disney Bundle, while Apple Music, Apple Arcade, and Google Play Pass become 6- or 12-month subscriptions. The Get More plan includes everything in the Play More plan, plus 1 TravelPass day a month.
When it comes to the low-tier plans, Verizon offers a six month free trial of Disney+, Apple Arcade or Google Play Pass plus Apple Music and AT&T offers six months of Stadia Pro Gaming streaming.
