Switching wireless providers isn’t easy. Although there are three major networks in the US, the actual number of wireless carriers and plans is significantly higher. Sifting through this big, confusing mess can be overwhelming, but we want to help make this process a little easier. Here’s how to choose a cell phone plan in 2024.
In the US there are three major networks: AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon. All three offer services directly and have robust nationwide networks that offer 4G LTE (fast) and 5G (really fast) data. The most important aspect of choosing a network is finding one that works in your area. This makes it hard for us to give a blanket recommendation of any one carrier. For example, T-Mobile’s service in New York may be excellent, but if you’re in rural Iowa, Verizon is more reliable. While your mileage may vary, the good news is that these networks are growing and improving all the time, particularly as the three major players continue to try and blanket the US with 5G. It’s quite possible that a decade ago you left a network complaining about its sparse service, but now it has beefed itself up because of that arms race to acquire customers. If you know any friends or family in your area that already use the carrier you’re considering, ask about their experience.
You could also go to a carrier’s store and see if they offer any free ways to try out the service before switching over, such as T-Mobile’s Network Pass which lets you sample T-Mobile’s service for free for three months. Verizon offers a similar 30-day “trial” program while the Cricket prepaid service has its own trial offering that lets you try out parent AT&T’s network. Then, of course, there are the plans themselves. Below is a comparison of some of the latest plans from AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon. For this chart, we focused on each carrier’s cheapest plan, as well as their respective “middle” options that we think could make sense for most people. It is worth noting that some plans, like T-Mobile’s Go5G include streaming perks like Netflix while Verizon lets you add perks like the Disney Bundle (Disney Plus, ESPN Plus and Hulu) for $10 per month if you have its latest Unlimited Welcome, Plus or Ultimate plans. Most Verizon and AT&T unlimited plans (with the notable exception being AT&T’s Value Plus VL) also don’t require you to have every line on the same plan, so if only one of your family plan’s lines needs extra hotspot data, you can drop the others down to cheaper options and save a little there.