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Finding the right cell phone plan doesn’t have to be hard. We analyzed dozens of plans to help you find the best value, whether you’re looking for a family plan, a solo plan or a plan with tons of data.

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Best cell phone plans: average user

Smartphone owners currently use 2GB to 5GB per month, on average, according to various industry reports. That figure is expected to climb to nearly 9GB by 2021. We scoped out plans that meet current and future data needs while minimizing costs.

Plan name: Boost Unlimited

Boost Unlimited Price (monthly): $50

$50 Plan at a glance: Unlimited minutes, texts and high-speed data

Unlimited minutes, texts and high-speed data Why we like it: Boost’s plan includes more high-speed mobile hot spot data (12GB) than similarly priced plans offered by its competitors. Get started

Plan name: T-Mobile Simply Prepaid 10GB plan

T-Mobile Simply Prepaid 10GB plan Price (monthly): $40

$40 Plan at a glance: 10GB of data, plus unlimited talk and text

10GB of data, plus unlimited talk and text Why we like it: Mobile hot spot access and unlimited music streaming make this prepaid plan a great value, plus 10GB is more than enough data for most cell phone users. Get started

THINGS TO KNOW

Boost Mobile This prepaid plan comes with 12GB of mobile hot spot data, but video streaming is limited to standard definition. Boost is owned by Sprint, which recently struck a deal to merge with T-Mobile. That deal includes selling its prepaid service (including Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile) to Dish Network, but the agreement still has several hurdles to clear before it is effective. Until then, it’s business as usual for Boost Mobile customers.

T-Mobile T-Mobile Simply Prepaid includes mobile hot spot access, which draws from the 10GB of 4G LTE data included in the plan. Unlimited music streaming is available via select apps. T-Mobile is hoping to merge with Sprint, but the deal still has several hurdles to clear. Until then, it’s business as usual for T-Mobile prepaid customers.

Best cell phone plans: unlimited

Carriers are going all-in on unlimited data. We looked at the current offerings to find the best unlimited plans for single-line users.

Plan name: Boost Unlimited

Boost Unlimited Price (monthly): $50

$50 Plan at a glance: Unlimited minutes, texts and high-speed data

Unlimited minutes, texts and high-speed data Why we like it: Boost’s plan includes more high-speed mobile hot spot data (12GB) than similarly priced plans offered by its competitors. Get started

Plan name: Sprint Unlimited Basic

Sprint Unlimited Basic Price (monthly): $65; $60 with $5 autopay discount.

$65; $60 with $5 autopay discount. Plan at a glance: Unlimited high-speed data, minutes and text messages, plus 500MB of high-speed mobile hot spot access

Unlimited high-speed data, minutes and text messages, plus 500MB of high-speed mobile hot spot access Why we like it: Bonuses like a Hulu subscription and 5GB of high-speed data to use in Canada and Mexico make this plan stand out. If mobile hot-spot access is more important to you, consider the T-Mobile Essentials plan, which includes unlimited hot spot data (at 3G speeds). Get started

THINGS TO KNOW

Boost Mobile This prepaid plan comes with 12GB of mobile hot spot data, but video streaming is limited to standard definition. Boost is owned by Sprint, which recently struck a deal to merge with T-Mobile. That deal includes selling its prepaid service (including Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile) to Dish Network, but the agreement still has several hurdles to clear before it is effective. Until then, it’s business as usual for Boost Mobile customers.

Sprint Sprint’s Unlimited Basic plan includes a subscription to Hulu, plus 500MB of mobile hot spot data, which is easy to burn through. International features include calls, texts and 5GB of high-speed data to use in Canada and Mexico. Video streams in standard definition. Sprint is hoping to merge with T-Mobile, but the agreement still has several hurdles to clear. Until then, it’s business as usual for Sprint customers.

Best cell phone plans: families

Families can often get more for their money — on a cell phone plan, at least — if they stick together. We used a family of four as our model to find the best family plans.

Plan name: Boost Mobile Unlimited

Boost Mobile Unlimited Price (monthly, four lines): $100

$100 Plan at a glance: Unlimited talk, text and data, plus 30GB of mobile hot spot and HD video streaming

Unlimited talk, text and data, plus 30GB of mobile hot spot and HD video streaming Why we like it: An unbelievable prepaid deal that’s too good to last. This limited time offer from Boost is available for new and existing customers. Get started

Plan name: T-Mobile Essentials

T-Mobile Essentials Price (monthly, four lines): $140; $120 with autopay discount

$140; $120 with autopay discount Plan at a glance: Unlimited data, minutes and text messages

Unlimited data, minutes and text messages Why we like it: An affordable, entry-level unlimited plan with bonuses like mobile hot spot (at 3G speeds) and unlimited texting from more than 200 countries. Get started

THINGS TO KNOW

Boost Mobile Boost is owned by Sprint and uses its network. Sprint struck a deal to merge with T-Mobile that includes selling its prepaid service (including Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile) to Dish Network, but the agreement still has several hurdles to clear before it is effective. Until then, it’s business as usual for Boost Mobile customers.

T-Mobile T-Mobile Essentials includes unlimited mobile hot spot data, but at 3G speeds, which is slightly slower than the 4G data speed you get on your smartphone. International features include unlimited texting while outside of the United States, plus talk, text and 2G data (read: slow) in Mexico and Canada. Unlike other T-Mobile plans, taxes and fees are not included in the price. T-Mobile is hoping to merge with Sprint, but the agreement still has several hurdles to clear. Until then, it’s business as usual for T-Mobile customers.

Best cell phone plans: basic

Do you miss the good old days, when cell phones weren’t smart? If you want a simple phone and plan, these are the best options.

Plan name: Republic Wireless No Data

Republic Wireless No Data Price (monthly): $15

$15 Plan at a glance: Unlimited minutes and text messages; not available on iPhones

Unlimited minutes and text messages; not available on iPhones Why we like it: Just minutes and messages for a very low cost, plus data access via Wi-Fi Get started

Plan name: Tracfone 30 minute airtime card

Tracfone 30 minute airtime card Price (monthly): $9.99 per month

$9.99 per month Plan at a glance: Any combination of 30 minutes or texts (sent or received) or megabytes of data

Any combination of 30 minutes or texts (sent or received) or megabytes of data Why we like it: Simple, affordable service available on a variety of networks. Get started

THINGS TO KNOW

Republic Wireless Republic uses a combo of Wi-Fi and cellular networks for calling, texting and data. This is different from most carriers, which rely primarily on cell towers. Republic’s unique approach doesn’t work with every phone, so you’re limited to the handful of devices the carrier offers.

Tracfone With Tracfone’s 30-minute airtime card, incoming calls and texts count toward your 30 total, as do calls to access your voicemail. Tracfone contracts with each of the big four nationwide carriers — AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon. The network you use will depend on where you live and the phone you activate.

Best cell phone plans: prepaid

Prepaid providers offer great rates and the latest phones — think iPhone and the latest Samsung Galaxy models — to go with them.

Plan name: Boost Unlimited

Boost Unlimited Price (monthly): $50

$50 Plan at a glance: Unlimited minutes, texts and high-speed data

Unlimited minutes, texts and high-speed data Why we like it: Boost’s plan includes more high-speed mobile hot spot data (12GB) than similarly priced plans offered by its competitors. Get started

Plan name: T-Mobile Simply Prepaid 10GB plan

T-Mobile Simply Prepaid 10GB plan Price (monthly): $40

$40 Plan at a glance: 10GB of data, plus unlimited talk and text

10GB of data, plus unlimited talk and text Why we like it: Mobile hot spot access and unlimited music streaming make this prepaid plan a great value, plus 10GB is more than enough data for most cell phone users. Get started

THINGS TO KNOW

Boost Mobile This prepaid plan comes with 12GB of mobile hot spot data, but video streaming is limited to standard definition. Boost is owned by Sprint, which recently struck a deal to merge with T-Mobile. That deal includes selling its prepaid service (including Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile) to Dish Network, but the agreement still has several hurdles to clear before it is effective. Until then, it’s business as usual for Boost Mobile customers.

T-Mobile T-Mobile Simply Prepaid includes mobile hot spot access, which draws from the 10GB of 4G LTE data included in the plan. Unlimited music streaming is available via select apps. T-Mobile is hoping to merge with Sprint, but the deal still has several hurdles to clear. Until then, it’s business as usual for T-Mobile prepaid customers.

Best cell phone plans: international

Want a plan that suits your wanderlust? We scouted out plans that let you use your phone overseas, without paying exorbitant international roaming fees.

Plan name: Project Fi

Project Fi Price (monthly): $20 per month, plus $10 per GB

$20 per month, plus $10 per GB Plan at a glance: Unlimited talk and text in the U.S. Unlimited texting while abroad. High-speed data is a flat $10 per gigabyte, even when roaming internationally.

Unlimited talk and text in the U.S. Unlimited texting while abroad. High-speed data is a flat $10 per gigabyte, even when roaming internationally. Why we like it: Use your service (texts and data) in more than 170 countries for the same price you pay at home. Calls from overseas are an additional cost. Get started

Plan name: T-Mobile Magenta

T-Mobile Magenta Price (monthly): $75; $70 with autopay discount

$75; $70 with autopay discount Plan at a glance: Unlimited talk, text and high-speed data in the U.S. Unlimited talk, text and 5GB of high-speed data in Canada and Mexico. Unlimited texting and 2G data in more than 200 other countries.

Unlimited talk, text and high-speed data in the U.S. Unlimited talk, text and 5GB of high-speed data in Canada and Mexico. Unlimited texting and 2G data in more than 200 other countries. Why we like it: Easy text and data access while overseas, with the option to upgrade to Magenta Plus for faster data speeds and free in-flight Wi-Fi. Get started

THINGS TO KNOW

Project Fi You only pay for the data you use with Project Fi, and your usage is free after you hit a certain threshold — 6GB for one line, 10GB for two lines, 12GB for three lines, 14GB for four lines and 16GB for five lines. So the most you would pay for five lines is $240, or $48 per line, plus taxes and fees. Project Fi is owned by Google and prioritizes Wi-Fi calling using secure Wi-Fi hotspots, switching over to the cellular networks only as a backup.

T-Mobile T-Mobile Magenta’s price includes taxes and fees, but add-ons such as insurance or device payments are still assessed. You can upgrade to Magenta Plus for $15 per month, per line to get extra features, including HD video streaming, 20GB of mobile hot spot data, faster international data speeds and free in-flight Wi-Fi via Gogo. T-Mobile is hoping to merge with Sprint, but the deal still has several hurdles to clear. Until then, it’s business as usual for T-Mobile prepaid customers.

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