Best unlimited phone plan: T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon compared

“Unlimited” is a Funny term. Unlimited cell phone plans often come with a long list of footnotes, terms, conditions, and exclusions. Fortunately, all three of the big cell companies have, so far, abandoned throttling on their highest-paid tiers and included 5G data access in all of their unlimited plans. However, there are still many differences in the services they provide, and from one layer to another within each company.

The cheaper “Unlimited” tiers offer unlimited talk and text. But they still have rules on how much unlimited data you get before they start reducing your speed, and some “unlimited” plans may reduce your data at any time. Data throttling is the practice of reducing your data speeds after reaching a certain limit of data used within a month or during busy times. It has been an essential part of cell service plans for years.

Below, I’ve highlighted what each of the major carriers offers for individual and family “unlimited” plans to help you figure out which unlimited plan is best for you and your budget.

The best unlimited plan right now: T-Mobile Experience More

T-Mobile basics, experience more, and experience beyond plans

Essentials plan (with autopay, taxes/fees not included): One line for $60 per month | 2 lines $90 | 3 lines $90 | 4 lines $100 | 5 lines $125

Try more (with autopay, taxes/fees not included): One line for $85 per month | 2 lines $140 | 3 lines $140 | 4 lines $170 | 5 lines $200

Experience further (with autopay, taxes/fees not included): One line for $100 per month | 2 lines $170 | 3 lines $170 | 4 lines $215 | 5 lines $260

T-Mobile has the best 5G coverage among the big three, the fastest 5G speeds, the fastest downloads and the best overall reliability, according to an analysis by OpenSignal and Ookla. The telco also claims it wins on value, when you take into account perks that include entertainment packages, in-flight WiFi and emergency satellite data access.

T-Mobile rebranded its unlimited offerings this year but still offers three unlimited talk and text plans: Essentials, Experience More, and Experience Beyond. Only the two trial plans offer true unlimited 5G data without any throttling or deprioritization (i.e., making your phone stand in a data queue behind other, more important phones during peak demand.)

If cost is more important to you than perks, and you don’t travel much internationally,… Plan the basics It is what we recommend for people with large families. It’s no luxuries, just the phone, ma’am, with no subscription money going to streaming services or international carrier fees. Your hotspot is limited to 3G speeds if you’re a laptop fan, which is an important consideration for many, and video streaming has a resolution of 480p. But at its price, Essentials is the only plan that offers premium data (up to 50GB) that won’t be capped. If you have a home WiFi network, this 50GB should be enough for most people. Moreover, it will teach your teens how to budget, and how to request WiFi password instead of using their own data. But take note: data in Canada and Mexico will be so slow that you may have an older phone.