Here are the six best cell phone plans for kids:
Mint Mobile (limited time): Get 3 months FREE when you buy any 3-month plan
When you are looking to get a cell phone plan for your child, there are four things you are looking for:
For many parents, getting a line for their child is an added monthly expense.
That is why price is so important.
You want a cell phone plan that is affordable and also gives your child the features they need. Many parents want their children to be able to reach them in case of an emergency. Or be able to use Google Maps to navigate home. Or be able to share their location.
Thankfully, all plans in this article include unlimited calls and texts so your child will always be able to reach you.
Another important factor is how much high-speed data is included.
The amount of high-speed data is basically how much your child can use the Internet on their phone.
Unlimited data plans will let your child watch an unlimited amount of YouTube videos, TikToks, Instagram reels, and send unlimited Snapchats. Plans with smaller data amounts, such as 0.5GB, 2GB, or 5GB, will still let your child use the Internet and benefit from all the features they need, but the plans will not be suitable for consuming as much video content.
Additionally, some parents may be interested in parental controls for their child’s first cell phone plan.
Luckily, parental controls are typically made available directly on the device, the iPhone or Android phone you choose to give your child, and are independent of the cell phone plan.
Google lets you mange your child’s screen time if you created their account using Family Link, and Apple lets you set screen time limits on any iPhone or iPad. Additionally, you can use third party apps such as Freedom to automatically block certain apps or Internet access at specified times on any device.
Making sure your child has excellent coverage is another important aspect to consider.
You always want your child to be able to reach you in the areas they visit most.
How can you make sure your child has the coverage they need to reach you at the places they visit most?
You can check self-published coverage maps made available by AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon directly. You can also check third-party websites, such as CoverageMap.com, which are building crowd-sourced maps of cellular coverage.
One of my favorite features is the check coverage page on CoverageMap.com.
You just enter your ZIP code and the website tells you the number one carrier in your area.
All of the cell phone plans mentioned in this article will use either AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon for coverage.
I have been reviewing cell phone plans since 2014, when I was a student in high school. That is almost a decade of experience signing up for different carriers, testing the service, and creating review videos on my YouTube channel with over 100,000 subscribers.
I take recommending cell phone plans seriously.
I want you to feel confident in a choice that not only meets your needs, but also meets your budget.
I have tested all of these cell phone plans personally, and that is how I know I can recommend them.
One of my favorite plans right now is the US Mobile Unlimited Starter plan.
It is just $25 per month, and it includes everything your child needs.
The plan comes with unlimited minutes, unlimited texts, and 35GB of high-speed data. After 35GB, you still get unlimited data, but the speeds are slowed to 1 Mbps. You can use up to 10GB of data as hotspot data, too.
In terms of coverage, US Mobile runs off either the AT&T, T-Mobile, or the Verizon networks.
You choose what network you want when you sign up.
I also love US Mobile because they have a well-designed mobile application that makes it easy to manage your account, view your data usage, and manage your settings.
US Mobile Unlimited Starter Pros:
US Mobile Unlimited Starter Cons:
11 things to know about US Mobile before you sign up
If I were going to get my kid a plan, it would be US Mobile’s 2GB data plan.
Why?
It has all the essentials at a great price.
The plan is just $10 per month, taxes included. It comes with unlimited minutes, unlimited texts, and 2GB of high-speed data. You can use all of that data as hotspot data, too.
As with US Mobile’s other plans, you can choose to use this plan on either T-Mobile or Verizon for coverage.
Competing unlimited plans range from $14 per month from Tello to $30 per month from Cricket Wireless.
So $10 for 2GB is a fantastic value.
You may be wondering, is 2GB enough data?
To put things into perspective, my first data plan as a high-school student had 2GB, and I was perfectly fine. I only went over my 2GB limit maybe one or two months out of the multiple years I had the plan.
Granted, TikTok was not a thing yet, but I still believe any child would be able to use the features they need with 2GB per month.
US Mobile 2GB Pros:
US Mobile 2GB Cons:
11 things to know about US Mobile before you sign up
{{mint-mobile="/beta/deals"}}
If you never want to worry about your child’s cell phone bill (or even your cell phone bill!) for an entire year, Mint Mobile is a great option for you.
Mint Mobile is like the Costco of cell phone carriers.
Instead of selling plans month-to-month at high prices, Mint offers their plans in bulk 3-, 6-, or 12-month packages.
The more you buy, or the longer you sign up for, the more money you save on your cell phone bill.
Mint Mobile’s 5GB plan starts at $25 per month for 3 months. Then it drops to $20 per month for 6 months. And then it drops to just $15 per month for 12 months.
New Mint Mobile customers get an intro offer where the plan is $15 per month for your first 3 months of service.
After your first 3 months, you’ll have the option to renew your plan for 3, 6, or 12 months at the regular rates.
Mint Mobile’s 5GB plan includes unlimited minutes and texts, 5GB of high-speed data, 4K video streaming, and mobile hotspot support. After 5GB, you get unlimited data at 128 Kbps (which is pretty slow).
Another nice feature of Mint Mobile is that you can manage multiple lines from a single account by setting up a Mint Mobile family.
Mint Mobile 5GB Pros:
Mint Mobile 5GB Cons:
{{mint-mobile="/beta/deals"}}
11 things to know about Mint Mobile before you sign up
Want the cheapest, best-value unlimited data plan currently available?
Look no further than Visible Base.
For $25 per month (taxes and fees included), Visible Base includes unlimited high-speed data on the Verizon network, unlimited hotspot data, and unlimited minutes and texts.
It is a great value.
It does have some caveats though. Data speeds are limited to a maximum of 200 Mbps. The data is deprioritized, which may lead to slower speeds during times when the network is busy. And the hotspot data is capped at 5 Mbps.
Still, for $25 for an unlimited data plan for your kid, Visible Base is awesome.
Visible Base Pros:
Visible Base Cons:
{{visible="/beta/deals"}}
If you want to get your child a phone to go with their new cell phone plan, then you may be interested in Boost Mobile's offering.
Boost Mobile will give you a free iPhone 16 and an unlimited plan for just $65 per month.
Yep.
$65 per month for both a free new iPhone, with no trade-in required, and an unlimited data plan.
It’s not a bad deal.
The $65 Infinite Access for iPhone plan includes 30GB of high-speed data, 480p video streaming, and unlimited talk, text, and 5GB of data roaming in Canada and Mexico.
After 30GB, you get unlimited data at 512 Kbps.
The cool part is you can trade in the iPhone 16 you get this year for a free iPhone 16 next year. This makes Boost Infinite a great option if your child enjoys having the newest iPhone every year.
{{boost-infinite="/beta/deals"}}
Boost Mobile will give you coverage on either the AT&T, T-Mobile, or Dish Wireless network when you sign up.
Boost Mobile Infinite Access for iPhone Pros:
Boost Mobile Infinite Access for iPhone Cons:
11 things to know about Boost Mobile before you sign up
US Mobile 12GB is a fantastic option for families who know about how much data they need.
Here is how it works:
You sign up for the US Mobile 12GB plan for $24 per month. Then, you can add as many extra lines as you want for just $8 per line. For a hypothetical family of three, that would be $40 total per month, or just $13.33 per line.
The cellular data is shared, so each line’s usage would be pulled from the pool of 12GB.
Many lighter data use families would be perfectly fine with 12GB (I know mine would!), and US Mobile has a great website and mobile application for monitoring your data usage in near real-time.
All taxes and fees are included in the price.
It is also worth mentioning that you can activate your US Mobile service on either the T-Mobile or Verizon network. This can be especially great if some people want coverage on T-Mobile, while others prefer service on Verizon.
Families can also intentionally mix and match what networks they choose to increase the likelihood of at least one line having service when you travel throughout the country.
