The Best Family Phone Plans

If you’re shopping for a phone plan with multiple lines, you’ll find no shortage of options to choose from. In this article, I’ll share my top picks for the best family phone plans including options for two, three and four lines.

I’ve researched more than 70 phone plans to find the absolute best prices and features available with family phone plans. Here, you’ll see six of the best options for families. The first row includes my top three picks for family plans with four lines. The second row includes three of the cheapest phone plans overall; you can purchase any number of lines from these plans with the same per-line, per-month rate.

This article was updated in March 2024 and I review it every six months. Detailed notes on all updates can be found here.

Choosing The Best Family Plan

Shopping for a new family cell phone plan can be overwhelming. Because of each member’s needs and varying coverage throughout the country, the best plan for one family may not necessarily be the best plan for another. 

If a low monthly price is your family’s top priority, you’ll find some of the best prices with cheap single-line MVNOs. If your biggest priority is unlimited data, you’ll also find several affordable options from MVNOs that run on major carriers’ towers as well as truly unlimited family plans directly from major carriers.

Here, you’ll find my top picks for the best and cheapest family phone plans available now: 

• The Cheapest Phone Plans for Four
  • Tello Economy: Cheapest Phone Plan Overall
  • Mint 5GB: Best Value for a Cheap Family Plan
  • Boost 5GB: Cheapest Monthly Prepaid Family Plan
• The Best Unlimited Family Phone Plans for Four
  • T-Mobile Essentials 4 Line Offer: The Best Cheap Unlimited Multi-Line Plan
  • Google Fi Wireless Simply Unlimited: Cheapest Unlimited Family Phone Plan
  • T-Mobile Magenta Max: Best Truly Unlimited Family Plan
• Family Phone Plans for Three
• Family Phone Plans for Two

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The Cheapest Phone Plans for Four

If you’re shopping for the absolute cheapest phone plans available for you and your family, you’ll likely find the right price with a single-line MVNO. Tello Economy is the cheapest option available at $9 per line per month. It includes unlimited talk, text and 1GB of high-speed data. For $15 per line per month, you can get a little more data with Mint Mobile’s 5GB plan. And if you’d rather have a month-to-month prepaid phone plan, Boost Mobile’s 5GB plan is available for $15 per line per month.

Here’s more information about my top picks for the cheapest family phone plans: 

• Cheapest Phone Plan Overall: Tello Economy
• Best Value for a Cheap Family Plan: Mint 5GB
• Cheapest Prepaid Family Plan: Boost 5GB

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Tello Economy

Cheapest Phone Plan Overall

Team Clark’s Review Price: $9/month (plus taxes) Multiline Discounts: No Talk and Text: Unlimited Data: 1GB Data Cap Overage: 1GB Hotspot Data: Free; pulls from monthly data

If you’re shopping for the lowest price possible on a family phone plan, Tello Economy is a great plan to consider. Tello is a T-Mobile MVNO that offers unlimited talk, text and 1GB of high-speed data for $9 per line per month. This makes Tello Economy the cheapest pre-built plan available from any service provider. For a family of four, the bill would be $36 total per month.

Tello’s family plans allow you to add up to four new lines, and you can customize the amount of data and minutes on each. All of the lines in the family plan are on one account with no extra cost per line. In addition to the Economy plan, Tello Mobile also offers plans including 2GB of high-speed data for $10 per line per month and 5GB for $14 per line per month. 

If you’re thinking about switching to a Tello plan, be sure to read our full review first. You may also be able to bring your own phone to save even more money; you can check your phone’s eligibility online.

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Mint 5GB

Best Value for a Cheap Family Plan

Team Clark’s Review Price: $15/month (plus taxes & fees) Multiline Discounts: No Talk and Text: Unlimited Data: Unlimited Data Cap Overage: 5GB Hotspot Data: Free; pulls from monthly data

Mint 5GB
Network	T-Mobile
Price	$15/month (plus taxes & fees)
Talk and Text	Unlimited
Data	Unlimited
Data Cap Overage	5GB

Mint Mobile is another great option to consider when looking for a cheap family cell phone plan. For $15 per line per month, you’ll get unlimited talk and text as well as 5GB of high-speed data. That’s five times the amount of high-speed data that you’d get with Tello Economy for only $5 more per month per line. Speeds will slow after 5GB per line, but data is unlimited with this plan. This offer is for new customers, and to get this price, you’ll have to pay the first three months’ worth upfront. That means you’ll owe $180 for four lines at the time of purchase, but that equals out to $60 per month for four lines. 

Additional plans from Mint Mobile include 15GB for $20 per line monthly, 20GB for $25 per line monthly and 40GB for $30 per line monthly. However, at the time of writing, Mint Mobile was offering all plans for $15 per line. That means you could get the unlimited plan (40GB) for 50% off!

To add more than one line with Mint Family, each person will have to sign up individually for service and then connect. Once two or more existing Mint users have connected to create a Mint family, the primary user can manage the accounts online.

If you decide to switch to Mint, you may be able to bring your own phone and save additional money. Check your phone’s compatibility here. Also, be sure to read our full review before switching.

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Boost 5GB

Cheapest Monthly Prepaid Family Plan

Team Clark’s Review Price: $15/month (taxes & fees extra online) Multiline Discounts: No Talk and Text: Unlimited Data: 5GB Data Cap Overage: None Hotspot Data: Free; pulls from monthly data

This Boost Mobile plan offers the same amount of data as the Mint Mobile plan I recommended above (5GB) for the same $15/month price. You’ll also get unlimited talk and text as well as mobile hotspot that pulls from your monthly high-speed data allotment. The difference is this: With Boost Mobile, you’ll prepay at the beginning of each month instead of prepaying for three months at a time. That makes this plan a little cheaper upfront. This plan is available only to new customers who bring their own devices; you can check your phone’s compatibility online before switching. 

Boost Mobile is an MVNO that offers prepaid plans on T-Mobile and AT&T towers. With these plans, you won’t have to deal with any contracts, overage fees or credit checks. In addition to the $15 5GB plan, Boost Mobile also offers 30GB of high-speed data for $25 per line per month (marketed as an unlimited plan) as well as two more unlimited plans starting at $40 per line per month. You can mix and match any line to create your own family plan with Boost Mobile.

If you’re willing to commit to the service for 12 months, you can check out Boost Mobile’s new “carrier crusher” plans that start at $100 per line. For this price, you’ll get unlimited talk, text and 1GB of high-speed data per month for a full year. That works out to be $8.33 per month per line plus taxes and fees. However, I recommend trying out a month of service first before paying for a full year. This way, you can make sure that your phone will work with Boost Mobile’s SIM card and that you’ll have service in your area.

If you’re thinking about switching to Boost Mobile, be sure to read our full review first.

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The Best Unlimited Family Phone Plans for Four

If you’re looking for an unlimited family cell phone plan, you can still find options in your price range. T-Mobile’s Essentials 4 Line Offer is a great option with unlimited 5G & 4G LTE plus 50GB of premium data for $100 total per month for four lines (plus taxes and fees). Google Fi Wireless Simply Unlimited offers four lines for $80 total (plus taxes and fees) per month including unlimited talk, text and 35GB of high-speed data before reduced speeds. If you’re looking for truly unlimited data, T-Mobile Magenta Max offers speeds that never slow for $50 per line per month for four lines (taxes and fees included).

Here, you’ll find more information about each plan including its price for two and three lines and other available plans:

• The Best Cheap Unlimited Multi-Line Plan: T-Mobile Essentials
• Cheapest Unlimited Family Phone Plan: Google Fi Wireless Simply Unlimited
• Best Truly Unlimited Family Plan: T-Mobile Magenta Max

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T-Mobile Essentials 4 Line Offer

The Best Cheap Unlimited Multi-Line Plan

Team Clark’s Review Price: $50 per month (plus taxes & fees) Multiline Discounts: $80/month for 2, $90/month for 3, $100/month for 4, $110/month for 5 Talk and Text: Unlimited Data: Unlimited Data Cap Overage: 50GB Hotspot Data: Unlimited at 3G speeds

T-Mobile offers a postpaid unlimited plan for $26.25 per line for four lines called “Essentials.” That works out to $105 per month total plus taxes and fees. Plus, autopay is required to get this rate. At the time of writing, T-Mobile was offering the Essentials 4 Line Offer, which includes all the benefits of the original T-Mobile Essentials plan for a cheaper price ($100 per month for four lines).

You’ll get 50 GB of premium data before slower download speeds as well as unlimited 5G & 5G LTE data. The plan also includes unlimited 3G mobile hotspot and a few international perks. You can check out the plan’s full details on T-Mobile’s website.

You may also be able to bring your own phone instead of having to buy a new one. Before you switch to T-Mobile, be sure to check your phone’s eligibility online.

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Google Fi Wireless

Cheapest Unlimited Family Phone Plan

Team Clark’s Review Price: $50 (plus taxes & fees) Multiline Discounts: $40/line for 2, $25/line for 3, $20/line for 4+ Talk and Text: Unlimited Data: Unlimited Data Cap Overage: 35GB Hotspot Data: Included; data counts towards mobile data allowance. After 5GB, speeds reduce to 256 Kbps.

If you’re looking for the cheapest price on a four-line family phone plan, Google Fi Wireless’ Simply Unlimited is hard to beat. For 4-6 lines, you can get Simply Unlimited for $20 per line plus taxes and fees. That works out to be $80 per month for four lines!

Simply Unlimited includes unlimited talk, text and data, though you can expect slower download speeds after you’ve used 35GB in one billing cycle. It also includes 5GB per month of mobile hotspot plus data, calls and texts within the U.S., Canada and Mexico. 

You can check out the plan’s full features on the Google Fi Wireless website and read our full Google Fi Wireless review before you decide to make the switch. You may also be able to bring your current phone for even more savings; you can check your phone’s compatibility online here.

Other Plans To Consider:

• Visible (Review) offers its basic unlimited plan for $25 per line per month on any number of lines. It includes unlimited talk, text and data on Verizon Wireless’ network and unlimited mobile hotspot (up to 5Mbps).
• Straight Talk Wireless (Review) recently launched a new family plan (Silver Unlimited) that includes four lines for $100/month. The plan includes unlimited high-speed data and 10GB of mobile hotspot per line.
• Cricket Wireless (Review) offers four lines for $25 each on its cheapest unlimited plan. The plan includes unlimited talk, text and high-speed data, but mobile hotspot costs an additional $10.
• H2O Wireless (Review) also offers four lines for $25 each. The plan includes 10GB of high-speed data followed by unlimited slower speeds plus unlimited talk and text.
• Metro by T-Mobile (Review) offers the same four-line deal for $25 each ($100/month). Each line gets unlimited talk, text and data (35GB high-speed).
• Total by Verizon (Review) is now offering its four-line family plan for $25/month per line to new customers in-store or online. The plan includes unlimited talk, text and data as well as 10GB of mobile hotspot.

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T-Mobile Magenta Max

Best Truly Unlimited Family Plan

Team Clark’s Review Price: $85/month (taxes & fees included; autopay required to get best rate) Multiline Discounts: $140/month for 2, $170/month for 3, $200/month for 4, $230/month for 5 Talk and Text: Unlimited Data: Unlimited Data Cap Overage: Unlimited Hotspot Data: 40GB high-speed data

If you’re shopping for a family cell phone plan that includes truly unlimited high-speed data with no data cap, T-Mobile Magenta Max is one of the best. This plan includes unlimited talk, text and high-speed data that never slows for $50 per line per month for four lines with autopay. That makes the total bill $200 per month with taxes and fees included. Magenta Max also includes a standard Netflix subscription and 40GB of high-speed mobile hotspot data before unlimited 3G speeds and up to 4K UHD streaming. The same plan is available for three lines for $57 per line per month and two lines for $70 per line per month. 

You can check out additional T-Mobile plans here. You may also be able to bring your own phone instead of having to buy a new one. Before you switch to T-Mobile, be sure to check your phone’s eligibility online.

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Family Phone Plans for Three

If you’re shopping for a family plan with three lines instead of four, the prices will change a little. Single-line plans from MVNOs like Tello, Mint and Boost will offer the same prices, but prebuilt family plans for three lines will be a little pricier per line per month. In this section, I’ll highlight a few of the best family cell phone plans for three lines.

	Google Fi Wireless	T-Mobile Essentials	T-Mobile Magenta Max
Price for Three	$30 per line	$30 per line	$57 per line
Network	T-Mobile	T-Mobile	T-Mobile
Talk and Text	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited
Data	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited
Data Cap Overage	35GB	50GB	None

• Google Fi Wireless (Review) offers three lines for $30 per line per month for unlimited talk, text and data. You’ll get 35GB of high-speed data before reduced speeds. Still, this is a great deal for $90 total for three lines!
• T-Mobile Essentials (Review) is also available for $30 per line for three lines, which works out to be $90 total per month. It includes 50GB of high-speed data before reduced speeds and unlimited access to 3G mobile hotspot.
• T-Mobile Magenta Max (Review) is a little pricier at $57 per line per month for three lines, but if you’re looking for truly unlimited data that never slows, it’s a great family phone plan. The total bill for three lines comes out to be $170 monthly.

Other Plans to Consider:

• Visible (Review) offers a plan for $25 per line monthly. It includes unlimited talk, text and data.
• Straight Talk Wireless (Review) announced a new family plan (Silver Unlimited) that includes three lines for $90/month ($30/line) with unlimited talk, text and high-speed data on Verizon’s network.
• Cricket Wireless Unlimited (Review) offers unlimited talk, text and data for $30 per line per month. That makes the total monthly bill $90 for three lines!

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Family Phone Plans for Two

If you’re shopping for a family plan with only two lines on it, you’ll find higher pricing per month per line with most phone plans than you would with four lines, but your total monthly bill should be much lower. Here, I’ll highlight a few of the best family phone plans for two lines. For more options and information on the best phone plans for two, check out our guide. 

	Mint Mobile	H2O Wireless	T-Mobile Essentials Saver
Price for Two	$15 per line	$25 per line	$40 per line
Network	T-Mobile	AT&T	T-Mobile
Talk and Text	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited
Data	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited
Data Cap Overage	5GB	10GB	50GB

• Mint Mobile (Review) offers a great value. You can easily purchase two single lines to get the same great deal. It includes unlimited talk, text and 5GB of high-speed data for $15 per month per line. You will have to pay three months in advance when you first sign up in order to get this price.
• H2O Wireless (Review) offers a plan for $25 per line per month that includes unlimited talk, text and data. Each line also gets 10GB of high-speed data before reduced speeds.
• T-Mobile Essentials Saver (Review) is available for $40 per line monthly and also includes unlimited talk, text and data. It includes access to high-speed data up to 50GB before reduced speeds, which makes it an excellent choice for an unlimited data plan for two.

Other Plans to Consider:

• Tello Economy (Review) is a plan I’ll recommend for anyone who wants the cheapest phone plan available. You can get unlimited talk, text and 1GB of high-speed data with Tello Economy for $9 per line per month.
• T-Mobile Magenta Max (Review) is a great choice for a truly unlimited phone plan with high-speed data that never slows. For two lines, it costs $70 per month per line ($140 total including taxes and fees). It also includes unlimited talk and text, a standard Netflix subscription and 40GB of high-speed mobile hotspot per line. 
• Visible (Review) offers unlimited talk, text and data for $30 per line monthly for two. While data is completely unlimited, speeds do slow with congestion.
• Xfinity Mobile (Review) offers two lines of unlimited for $30 per line. This deal is exclusively available to Xfinity internet customers. It includes 20GB of high-speed data before deprioritization (slower speeds) kicks in, though data is unlimited.
• AT&T Prepaid (Review) offers two lines from $25 each for 5GB per line. 
• Cricket Wireless (Review) offers plans for two beginning at $30 per line for 5GB, $35 per line for 10GB or $40 per line for unlimited high-speed data.
• Spectrum Mobile (Review) offers Spectrum Unlimited to Spectrum customers. The plan costs $15 per line per month for the first 12 months. It includes unlimited talk, text and data (speeds slow after 30GB). It also includes mobile hotspot tethering with reduced speeds after 5GB. 
• Straight Talk Wireless (Review) announced a new family plan (Silver Unlimited) that includes two lines for $75/month ($37.50/line) with unlimited talk, text and high-speed data on Verizon’s network.

For more plans to consider, check out our guide on the best phone plans for two.

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Team Clark’s Methodology

Various members of our staff tried out each of these popular cell phone providers to get a feel for their reliability and service. We have individual reviews of those providers available on the website.

For the purposes of this review, I researched more than 70 phone plans at the time of writing and analyzed the following characteristics when determining the “best” options for each category:

• Price
• Network reliability
• Network coverage
• Monthly data allotments
• “Bring your own device” availability
• Available deals and discounts (loyalty, autopay, additional lines, etc.)
• Online reviews from real customers

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Final Thoughts

When it comes to choosing the best family cell phone plan, be sure to consider your family’s individual needs. If you’re looking for the cheapest overall price, check out Tello Economy. It includes unlimited talk, text and 1GB of data for $9 per line per month. You can find additional cheap cell phone plans from Mint Mobile and Boost Mobile. 

If having unlimited data is your family’s biggest priority, you can find affordable unlimited plans with Google Fi Wireless and T-Mobile Essentials Savers. For a truly unlimited family phone plan, T-Mobile Magenta Max offers the best perks for a slightly higher monthly price ($50 per line per month for four lines). If you’re shopping for two or three lines instead of four, you’ll likely find higher prices per line, but a lower overall monthly bill. 

MVNOs with four-line plans for $100 include Visible, Cricket Wireless, H2O Wireless, Metro by T-Mobile, Straight Talk Wireless and Total by Verizon.

For even more options, be sure to read our guide on the best cell phone plans and deals available now. Once you’ve decided on a new phone plan and you’re ready to make the switch, check out this guide that we put together to take you step-by-step through the process.

Did we miss a plan on our list or did you find a better deal? Let us know in our Clark.com Community or check out the latest conversations around cell phones.