The Best Unlimited Hotspot Plans

If you aren’t regularly connected to Wi-Fi, you may be looking for a cell phone plan that includes a high allotment of mobile hotspot data.

I’ve researched the phone plans that are currently available from both major providers and low-cost MVNOs to find hotspot plans with the most high-speed data, the best prices and the best features. In this article, I’ll share my top picks for the best unlimited hotspot plans as well as those that offer less data but better prices.

This article was updated in August 2023 and I review it every three months. Detailed notes on all updates can be found here.

Choosing the Best Hotspot Plan

When it comes to choosing the best cell phone plan for you, the amount of hotspot data included is a big factor to consider. If you don’t have a stable connection to Wi-Fi, you may sometimes need to turn your phone into a hotspot so that you can share your data with other devices. 

While it’s nearly impossible to find a completely unlimited high-speed hotspot plan, several providers offer a high allotment of high-speed hotspot data, an unlimited amount at slowed speeds and data-only plans.

Some service providers, such as T-Mobile and Xfinity, advertise free Wi-Fi hotspot locations throughout the country if you already have service with them, but know that you’ll have to be in specific locations to access the free hotspots. If you need hotspot data wherever you are via your phone, these are great plans to consider.

Below, you’ll find my top picks for the best hotspot plans:

• The Best Cheap Hotspot Plans
  • Tello Mobile Data: Best Overall Cheap Hotspot Plan
  • Mint Unlimited: Cheapest Limited Hotspot Plan
  • Visible: Cheapest Unlimited Hotspot Plan
• Best Hotspot Plans from Major Carriers
  • T-Mobile Go5G Plus: Best T-Mobile Hotspot Plan
  • AT&T Unlimited Premium: Best AT&T Hotspot Plan
  • Verizon Unlimited Plus: Best Verizon Hotspot Plan
• The Best Prepaid Hotspot Plans
• The Best Data-Only Hotspot Plans

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The Best Cheap Hotspot Plans

If you’re looking for the cheapest way to add a little bit of hotspot data to your phone plan, there are options beginning as low as $30 per month. For this price, you can get 10GB of hotspot data per line with Mint Unlimited.

For $29 per month, you can get significantly more hotspot data with Tello. With this plan, you can use 25GB of high-speed hotspot data monthly before reduced speeds. If you’re looking for truly unlimited hotspot data, Visible’s cheapest plan costs $25 per month (for new customers) and includes unlimited hotspot data at speeds up to 5Mbps.

Here are my top picks for the best cheap hotspot plans. Below, you’ll also find additional cheap hotspot plans worth considering from Total Wireless, Boost Mobile and more.

• Tello Mobile Data: Best Overall Cheap Hotspot Plan
• Mint Unlimited: Cheapest Prepaid Hotspot Plan
• Visible: Cheapest Unlimited Hotspot Plan

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Tello Mobile

Best Overall Cheap Hotspot Plan

Team Clark’s Review Price: $29/month (plus taxes) Talk and Text: Unlimited Data: Unlimited Data Cap Overage: Speeds will be slowed to 2G after 25GB. Hotspot Data: Unlimited

Tello offers one of the cheapest phone plans you’ll find overall, but it also offers one of the best cheap hotspot data plans. With Tello, you can get unlimited calls, texts and data for $29 per month. The plan includes 25GB of high-speed data and unlimited data at slower speeds after 25GB that you can share via mobile hotspot.

If you’re thinking about switching to Tello, consider bringing your own phone with you to save even more money. You can check your phone’s eligibility online. Be sure to also read our full review of Tello before switching. 

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Mint Unlimited

Cheapest Prepaid Hotspot Plan

Team Clark’s Review Price: $30/month (plus taxes & fees) Talk and Text: Unlimited Data: Unlimited Data Cap Overage: Slower speeds after 40GB Hotspot Data: 10GB

If you’re looking for the cheapest prepaid hotspot plan, it’s hard to beat Mint Mobile. The T-Mobile MVNO offers Mint Unlimited which includes unlimited talk, text and data for $30 monthly plus taxes and fees. It only includes 10GB of hotspot data, but if this is enough for you, the price is hard to beat. Mint Unlimited also includes 40GB of high-speed mobile data. After 40GB, speeds reduce, but you can still continue using unlimited data. Like all Mint Mobile plans, you will have to prepay for three months at a time, which makes this plan $90 total at the time of purchase. 

You can also bring your own phone to Mint Mobile to save money instead of buying a new one. To see if your phone is compatible, visit Mint’s website before switching. You can learn more about Mint Mobile in our full review. 

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Visible

Cheapest Unlimited Hotspot Plan

Team Clark’s Review Price: $25/month (taxes & fees included) Talk and Text: Unlimited Data: Unlimited Data Cap Overage: None, but speeds may slow during congestion. Hotspot Data: Unlimited (speeds up to 5Mbps)

If you’re looking for a cheap, completely unlimited hotspot plan, Visible is hard to pass up. However, you won’t have access to high-speed hotspot data. Visible’s basic plan includes unlimited talk, text and 5G mobile data for $25 per month. Visible includes unlimited hotspot data with max speeds of 5Mbps. While it isn’t high-speed hotspot data, it is truly unlimited. 

You may also be able to bring your own phone to Visible and save even more. To see if yours is compatible, visit Visible’s website. Also, be sure to check out our full Visible review for more information before switching. 

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Other Cheap Hotspot Plans To Consider:

• Spectrum Mobile (Review) offers 5GB of high-speed hotspot followed by unlimited 600 kbps hotspot data for $29.99 per month.
• Boost Unlimited (Review) offers 30GB of high-speed mobile data that can be shared via hotspot for $60 per month. If you’re willing to commit for 12 months, you can get 12GB of high-speed mobile hotspot per month for $300 upfront. That works out to be $25 per month before taxes and fees. However, I recommend trying out at least one month of service with Boost Mobile before committing to a full year.
• T-Mobile Essentials Savings offers unlimited hotspot data at 3G speeds for $50 per month for one line.
• Consumer Cellular (Review) offers an unlimited plan with 50GB of high-speed data (including hotspot) for $50 per month. 

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Best Hotspot Plans From Major Carriers

If you’re looking for a bit more high-speed hotspot data, shopping for a phone plan from a major provider may be the best option for you. These plans include 30-50GB of high-speed hotspot data each month before reduced speeds, but you can also expect a higher monthly price. Each of these providers also offers data-only plans for cheaper monthly prices, but these plans don’t include any additional mobile data, minutes or texting.

Here are the plans with the most mobile hotspot from major carriers. In each section, I’ve also included information on each provider’s data-only plans.

• T-Mobile Go5G Plus: Best T-Mobile Hotspot Plan
• AT&T Unlimited Premium: Best AT&T Hotspot Plan
• Verizon Unlimited Plus: Best Verizon Hotspot Plan

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T-Mobile Go5G Plus

Best T-Mobile Hotspot Plan

Team Clark’s Review Price: $90 per month (taxes & fees included) Talk and Text: Unlimited Data: Unlimited Premium Data Data Cap Overage: None Hotspot Data: 50GB high-speed then unlimited 3G speeds

If you’re looking for a large amount of high-speed hotspot data from a major carrier, Go5G Plus offers the most from T-Mobile. This plan offers 50GB of high-speed mobile hotspot data followed by unlimited mobile hotspot data at slower speeds. It also includes completely unlimited mobile data with high-speed access that never slows. The plan also includes additional perks like T-Mobile’s “New in Two” upgrade program and a basic Netflix subscription. It costs $95 per month for one line, plus taxes and fees, with an autopay discount.

Other plans from T-Mobile begin as low as $50 per month for the Essentials Savings plan, which includes unlimited hotspot at 3G speeds, unlimited talk, text and mobile data with reduced speeds after 50GB. Data-only plans from T-Mobile begin at only $5, but offers vary based on location. You can visit T-Mobile’s website to see what data-only plans are available in your area.

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

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AT&T Unlimited Premium

Best AT&T Hotspot Plan

Team Clark’s Review Price: $85/month per line (plus taxes & fees) Talk and Text: Unlimited Data: Unlimited Data Cap Overage: Unlimited with no slowdown Hotspot Data: 50GB high-speed data

AT&T offers a few different unlimited data plans, but the only one that’s truly unlimited with no data cap/slowed speeds is the Unlimited Premium plan. This is also the best hotspot plan from AT&T with 50GB of high-speed hotspot data. For $85 per month for one line, AT&T offers unlimited talk, text and high-speed data that never slows based on usage. This plan includes a six-month subscription to Stadia Pro. 

For a cheaper AT&T hotspot plan, consider Unlimited Extra for $75 per month for one line with 15GB of hotspot data and 50GB of high-speed mobile data. AT&T also offers data-only plans that can be used as mobile hotspot data starting at $35 for 15GB. These plans don’t include any additional mobile data, talk or text. 

Before you switch to an AT&T plan, be sure to check your phone’s compatibility to see if you can bring it with you to save even more money.

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Verizon Unlimited Plus

Best Verizon Hotspot Plan

Team Clark’s Review Price: $80/month (plus taxes & fees; autopay required to get the best rate) Talk and Text: Unlimited Data: Unlimited Data Cap Overage: None Hotspot Data: 30GB premium data

Verizon recently revamped its wireless plan selection. Now, you’ll only find two unlimited plans to choose from: Unlimited Plus and Unlimited Welcome. Verizon’s Unlimited Plus plan costs $80 per month for one line plus taxes and fees with an autopay discount. The plan includes unlimited mobile data on Verizon’s fastest 5G Ultra Wideband network as well as 30GB of high-speed mobile hotspot. Once you’ve used 30GB, speeds will be reduced for the remainder of the month. 

Verizon’s new plans also allow you to add additional perks at $10 per month per perk. One of the perks is 100GB of Mobile Hotspot, which you can add to increase your monthly high-speed mobile hotspot limit. This perk can be added or removed at any time. 

Data-only plans from Verizon include 5GB for $40, 25GB for $60, 100GB for $80 and $150GB for $100 per month. These plans do not include any mobile data, talk or text, but you can get a discount up to $30 per month if you add an active Verizon Prepaid account.

If you’re thinking about switching to Verizon, you may be able to bring your own phone for additional savings. Simply check your phone’s compatibility online before switching.

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The Best Prepaid Hotspot Plans

Prepaid plans are another great option to consider. With a prepaid phone plan, you won’t need a credit check and you’ll pay only for what you use. Still, you can find prepaid phone plans that offer a significant amount of high-speed hotspot data. You can choose a hotspot plan from a prepaid MVNO or a prepaid data plan from a major carrier. 

Here are my top picks for the best prepaid hotspot plans:

	Visible	Mint Unlimited	T-Mobile Simply Prepaid
	Visible	Mint Unlimited	T-Mobile Simply Prepaid
Price	$25/month (taxes & fees included)	$30/month (plus taxes & fees)	$50/month (plus taxes & fees)
Talk and Text	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited
Network	Verizon	T-Mobile	T-Mobile
Data	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited
Hotspot Data	Unlimited (speeds up to 5Mbps)	10GB	Unlimited at 3G speeds
Data Cap Overage	None, but speeds may slow during congestion.	Slower speeds after 40GB	50GB

The Best Prepaid Hotspot Plans:

• Visible (Review) is the absolute cheapest unlimited hotspot plan available. The standard plan costs $25 per month per line for new customers, and it includes unlimited talk, text, mobile data and mobile hotspot. However, mobile hotspot download speeds are limited to 5 Mbps.
• Mint Unlimited (Review) is a phone plan that allows you to prepay for the first three months of service and then prepay for annual service to keep the same low price. This plan includes unlimited talk, text and data as well as 10GB of mobile hotspot for $30 per month. After 40GB of premium mobile data, speeds will reduce. 
• T-Mobile Simply Prepaid (Review) offers unlimited talk, text and data for $50 per month with unlimited hotspot data at 3G speeds. After you’ve reached 50GB of high-speed mobile data, speeds will be reduced.

Other Prepaid Hotspot Plans To Consider:

• Boost Unlimited (Review) is another prepaid option that offers unlimited talk and text plus 30GB of high-speed hotspot data before reduced speeds for $60 per month. Boost’s Unlimited Annual plan is another great prepaid hotspot plan to consider if you’re willing to commit to the phone service for a full year. This plan costs $300 for 12 months ($25 per month plus taxes and fees) and includes unlimited talk, text and 35GB of high-speed data that can be shared via mobile hotspot. It runs on AT&T’s network.
• AT&T Prepaid (Review) offers 15GB of high-speed data (but not 5G) for $40 per month that can be shared via mobile hotspot.

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The Best Data-Only Hotspot Plans

If you just need hotspot data but don’t need talk, text or mobile data, there are a few data-only hotspot plans worth considering. These plans range from 1-100GB of monthly mobile hotspot data, which means you may be able to use your smartphone as a hotspot without purchasing a separate hotspot device. Be sure to check device compatibility online before purchasing a plan. 

Keep in mind that data-only hotspot plans aren’t an affordable replacement for home internet; you’ll likely find a better overall price with Wi-Fi depending on how often you use the internet at home. If you already have a phone plan, you may be able to access free hotspot locations, like libraries and coffee shops, throughout the country. 

If you are looking for hotspot data that you can share from your own device, these data-only plans are worth considering:

	Tello Mobile	Verizon Plus	AT&T Prepaid
Price	$6 per month	$40 per month	$90 per month
Network	T-Mobile	Verizon	AT&T
Hotspot	1GB	50GB	100GB

The Best Data-Only Hotspot Plans:

• Tello Mobile (Review) offers a data-only plan beginning at $6 per month for 1GB of mobile hotspot data. If you’re looking for the cheapest option available, Tello Mobile is worth considering. 
• Verizon Plus offers 50GB of mobile hotspot data for $40 per month. This is a great price for a significant amount of hotspot data.
• AT&T Prepaid offers 50GB of mobile hotspot data for $55 per month or 100GB for $90 if you need even more. If you need a large amount of hotspot data, this is a great prepaid data-only plan worth considering.

Other Data-Only Hotspot Plans To Consider:

• Cricket Wireless (Review) offers 20GB of hotspot data for $35 per month.
• Metro by T-Mobile (Review) offers 30GB of hotspot data for $40 per month.
• Verizon Premium Hotspot Plan offers 150GB of premium mobile hotspot data then unlimited lower-speed data for $110 as a standalone plan. Verizon customers with a smartphone on an eligible unlimited plan can add the Premium Hotspot plan for $80 per month.

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Team Clark’s Methodology

For the purposes of this review, Team Clark determined that the top things customers care about when it comes to hotspot plans are price, network reliability/coverage, hotspot data allotment and overall satisfaction.

Various staff members tried out each of these popular cell phone providers to get a feel for their reliability and service. We have linked to Clark.com’s individual reviews of those providers.

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
• Monthly data hotspot allotments and speeds
• “Bring your own device” availability
• Deals and discounts (loyalty, autopay, additional lines, etc.)
• Online reviews from real customers

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Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for a cell phone plan with hotspot data, you can find plans as cheap as $25 per month. For this price, you can get truly unlimited hotspot data with a max speed of 5Mbps with Visible. Mint Mobile’s unlimited plan includes10GB of hotspot data per line. For $29 per month, you can use 25GB of high-speed hotspot data with Tello.

Phone plans from major carriers will give you a higher allotment of hotspot data, but they also come with a higher price. T-Mobile Go5G Plus is one of the best at $90 per month with 50GB of high-speed hotspot followed by unlimited mobile hotspot at slower speeds. However, AT&T Unlimited Premium has recently raised its hotspot allotment to 50GB, which makes it a slightly better deal for $85 per month. Verizon’s Unlimited Plus plan includes 30GB of premium hotspot data followed by unlimited at slower speeds for $80 per month, and you can add 100GB of high-speed mobile hotspot for $10 more per month at any time.

Prepaid plans and data-only plans are also great options to consider when hotspot is your biggest priority. For these plans, check out Visible, Mint Mobile, T-Mobile, Boost Mobile and Cricket Wireless for some of the best deals.

Keep in mind that data-only hotspot plans aren’t an affordable replacement for home internet; you’ll likely find a better overall price with Wi-Fi depending on how often you use the internet at home. Also, some service providers like T-Mobile and Xfinity advertise free hotspot locations throughout the country if you already have service with them, but know that you’ll have to be in specific locations to access the free hotspot.

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.