Looking for a cell phone plan? UpPhone makes it easier than ever to find the cell phone plan that's right for you. Use our tool to find and compare cell phone plans so you can find one with the exact amount of data, messages, and minutes you need.
Sorting through hundreds of plans can be confusing. Click below to learn more about how to choose the best cell phone plan for you.
At UpPhone, we care about your needs when it comes to comparing cell phone plans. Your ideal plan may vary depending on a number of factors, so we've made it simple to narrow down your search based on your situation. Here are a few things that you can do to narrow your search:
When you see plans in the list, you can click on them to view more details about that plan. You can also click compare on several plans to add them to your comparison list.
On the lower right hand corner of your screen, tap the + sign to open the comparison pane. Click view full comparison to see the plan details side-by-side. Remember that you'll need to select some plans to compare before you can try out this feature!
The amount of variety in cell phone plans out there can seem overwhelming, but there's no need to worry. Take our advice and keep cell phone plan shopping simple. We'll help you avoid spending more than you need to for your favorite features data rates.
At UpPhone, we want to empower you with the ability to choose the cell phone plan that they need. Many carriers make their plans intentionally complicated to confuse you and make you rely on them for information. They'll tell you what you want to hear, but they won't tell you that there might be a great alternative just around the corner.
Our goal is to make all the features and details of each plan as transparent as possible so that you can compare them easily to find the one that's best for you. To do that, UpPhone keeps our information as up to date as possible in case the details of any of these plans change.
There are different kinds of cell phone plans, each of them being the best fit for different kinds of people.
Also called individual plans, single line plans are perfect if you are the only person that your plan needs to cover. This is great if you're living alone and don't want to pay extra for lines that you don’t need.
These are plans that are designed to cover multiple lines. Family plans are great because you pay one bill to cover your whole family, and each person has their own dedicated pool of data that they can use each month.
These are a lot like family plans, but instead of each person getting their own dedicated pool of data to use each month, all the data comes from the same pool. When you run out of data on a shared data plan, everyone on the plan is out of data for the month. This is good for families with individuals who may use more data than others.
Shared data plans are a great flexible plan if you don't use a lot of data each month, and still net the benefit of being able to pay to cover your family with only one bill.
These plans let you pay for your data, minutes, and messages before you use them. With prepaid plans, you can buy credit in advance that you can use. If you run out, you'll have to buy more. This is a very flexible plan and you don't need to have a credit check in order to get one.
These are a lot like prepaid plans, but you're paying for data as you use it instead of paying in advance. If you are getting a pay-as-you-go plan, it's likely that you are using a phone that you already own. These kinds of plans are great for those who only want to pay for what they use.
However, pay-as-you-go plans aren't as feature-rich as other kinds of plans and you may encounter some unwanted fees.
It's a common misconception that you need a contract to get a cell phone plan, but this isn't true. There are contract plans available, but they aren't your only choices. There are benefits and drawbacks to contract plans and non-contract plans.
If you get a plan with a contract, you might have to stick with it for several years. You'll have to keep paying every month until the end of your contract, or you can terminate it for a fee. The earlier you cancel, the higher your fee could be.
As you can probably tell, contract plans aren't the greatest because of this lack of freedom. UpPhone's plan comparison tool can help you find the best no-contract plans around.
However, there is one upside to contract plans, which is that you can potentially get a new phone subsidized by the carrier. This will make the phone cheaper in the long run, but you might wind up running into more caveats and fees with the contract than you expected.
With non-contract plans, you can actually expect better service. Since you aren't obligated to continue your subscription, carriers are more motivated to keep you satisfied.
Although you won't get your new phone subsidized like with a contract plan, many carriers offer leasing and financing options so that you can pay off your phone in monthly installments over a set number of months.
Phones are being built to last much longer than they used to. You can expect to get many years of life out of a phone released in the past two or three years. Why buy a new phone when you can use your old one?
This is why bring your own phone plans are becoming more popular. Just bring in your old phone when you get your plan and your carrier can get your old phone connected in a pinch.
Carriers like to make things complicated, but once you break them down into pieces, it becomes very simple. The main components of a cell phone plan are talk, text, data, and special features.
The less of any of these that you have, the cheaper you can expect your plan to be. Try to aim for a plan that fits within your needs and budget so you don't pay extra for data you don't need.
You might hear a carrier advertise this as “unlimited talk”. What they really mean is that you have unlimited minutes for phone calls. With some plans, you only have a limited number of minutes each month, and once those minutes are used up you'll have to pay extra.
Cell phone plans usually have unlimited text messages included, but some plans will only let you send and receive a certain number.
Mobile data is what you use to connect to the Internet and stream music and video with while not connected to Wi-Fi. You only get so much data each month, measured in megabytes (MB) or gigabytes (GB). Most carriers offer plans by GB, but you can also get unlimited data plans.
Keep in mind that your unlimited data plan may not be truly unlimited. After you use a certain amount, your usage might be throttled for a while to keep the network running efficiently. This means that you may experience slower download and upload speeds, but you'll never lose connection entirely.
One important special feature is mobile hotspot, which allows you to use your smartphone as a Wi-Fi access point for other devices like another phone, laptops, or tablets. This is especially helpful when on the go, but certain plans may only allow a limited speed for mobile hotspot.
Talk, text, and data are sold based on rates when you are inside the United States. When you are traveling out of the country, you'll need to make sure that you have access to International roaming. This is what allows you to connect to wireless network towers in other countries.
Some smaller carriers may not offer international roaming at all, while for some larger carriers it may be included in your plan. For most carriers, you can add on international roaming options to your account as you go.
There really is no single “best” cell phone carrier for everyone. Different carriers have different amounts of coverage and one might be better for where you live than another. They also offer different kinds of plans that you'll have to compare to see which one is the best.
Coverage varies on a few factors. Most carriers cover a great deal of the United States already with 3G and high speed LTE. However, 5G coverage is still in its infancy and is only common in some metropolitan areas.
We've built a handy tool here at UpPhone that lets you compare the coverage of different major carriers with a map! Select your carrier and the type of service they provide, and check the map on the page to see if the carrier covers your area.
If your carrier isn't listed, remember that some smaller carriers use another larger carrier's wireless network. For example, Tello Mobile uses Sprint's network. If you are considering getting a plan from Tello Mobile, you should check Sprint's national coverage.
For the longest time, there were only a select few giant carriers that called the shots when it came to mobile data plans. Currently, the largest carriers are Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, and AT&T.
However, other carriers have emerged that provide access to larger carrier networks for different prices. Tello Mobile and Republic Wireless are some examples, and they provide quality service comparable to their larger counterparts. Use our comparison tool to see how they stack up to the giants.
If you're looking to get a cell phone plan and need a new phone, try out our cell phone comparison tool! It works just like our plan comparison tool, so you can compare cell phones to see which one is best for you.
Most phone are available with any carrier, so don't worry about choosing the right one based on carrier compatibility.
