If you’re looking for the best family cell phone plan, keep your eyes peeled for one that offers unlimited data. The bigger your family, the more data you’re going to consume. And fortunately, the major wireless carriers — AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon — are happy to accommodate you with a host of unlimited data plans offering big value to families. Even better, adding lines for each family member usually lowers the cost per line.
The best family cell phone plans at a glance
The question, then, is which unlimited data plan should families choose? That’s especially tricky, because each carrier offers different variations on unlimited data, with each plan offering specific perks and benefits. That means the best cell phone plans for families will depend on how much you’re willing to spend, if you need to hotspot and a host of other factors.
The best family cell phone plans from the major carriers feature escalating discounts as you add more lines, allowing you to compete with the best cheap cell phone plans for the lowest prices.
Families of four can expect to pay between $120 to $220 a month for four lines from the major wireless carriers. If that seems like a wide range, that’s because benefits can increase on higher-priced plans. The average plan costs between $160 and $180 for four lines of data, with the best option depending on which carrier offers the best coverage in your area and which features best fit your wireless needs.
Here’s a closer look at the best family cell phone plans depending on your needs.
The best family cell phone plans
Best overall value family plan
T-Mobile Magenta | 4-line family plan | $140/month – Best value family plan
T-Mobile is arguably the best overall value family plan you can get. That’s because every family member will get unlimited 5G data on all the plans. And despite this, T-Mobile really isn’t that expensive. The first line will cost $70 if you sign up for auto-pay then the second costs $50 and any extra lines costs just $20. T-Mobile currently waives the $20 cost on your third line, bringing the total cost down to $140 from $160. Taxes and fees are included in the price. For family plans, T-Mobile will cover the cost of a $9 Netflix subscription, and you get 5GB of LTE hotspot data. The two obvious issues with this plan is the limit to 480p streaming and the fact you can’t mix and match plans.
Pros: Third line for free, free Netflix, 5G available
Cons: Can’t mix-and-match unlimited plansView Deal
Best family plan for coverage and speeds
Verizon Play More Unlimited | 4-line family plan | $180/month – Best family plan for coverage
It’s not the least expensive plan Verizon offers, but the Play More Unlimited plan easily has the best perks. Play More subscribers get access to Disney’s streaming services as part of their plan, and 5G coverage is included — even access to Verizon’s faster Ultra Wideband service. You also get 15GB of LTE hotspot data and a year’s subscription to either Apple Arcade or Google Play Pass. (An identically priced plan, Do More, scales back the streaming service perks in favor of cloud storage and discounts on add-on plans for tablets and watches.) You can save $40 a month with the cheaper Start Unlimited plan at Verizon, and if coverage isn’t a concern for you, the T-Mobile offer above is going to be the better value option. Verizon even lets you mix and match its different plans, letting you pick different options for different members of the family.
Pros: Excellent coverage, unlimited hotspot on all plans
Cons: T-Mobile’s plan offer more valueView Deal
An alternative option for non-families
Visible Party Pay | 4-line plan | $100/month – A family plan for non-families
Visible’s family plan stands out for being… well, not for families necessarily. Visible’s Party Pay plan allows you to bundle up with multiple Visible users — whether they’re related to you or not —getting a discount on all your lines. Each person gets their own bill which makes it very flexible for both families and groups of friends. The savings can get pretty impressive with prices dropping all the way down to just $25 a month. (For just a single line of unlimited data, Visible charges $40.) And under a Bring a Friend promotion, you can pay just $5 a month for the month after you refer a new customer to Visible.
Pros: Big discounts available, don’t have to be a family
Cons: 5G speeds are cappedView Deal
Best family plan for Comcast customers
Xfinity Mobile | 4-line plan | $120/month – A good deal for Comcast customers
Xfinity Mobile just became a much more attractive option for families by offering discounts when you add multiple lines on its unlimited plan. A single line of unlimited data normally costs $45, but escalating discounts reduce the cost for a family of four to $30 per line, or $120 total each month. Xfinty uses Verizon’s next, including 5G, so you can expect fast coverage.
Pros: Discounts on multiple lines, uses Verizon’s network
Cons: Only available to Xfinity internet customersView Deal
Best family plan for streaming
AT&T | Unlimited Elite 4 line plan | $200/month – AT&Ts streaming family plan
This is a great option from AT&T if you don’t mind spending a bit more on your family plan. The main benefit here is that you get HBO Max included. It also offers 5G service, 40GB of LTE hotspot data and HD video streaming — something a lot of unlimited plans limit. In fact, AT&T updated its plan to allow for 4K streaming when that option is available. Plus, AT&T no longer slows speeds for Unlimited Elite users regardless of how much data they consume. AT&T also offers an Unlimited Extra plan with more benefits or a Starter option with fewer benefits. The starter option can secure you 4 lines for just $140. Like Verizon, AT&T lets you mix and match plans to come up with the best combination for your family.
Pros: Unlimited 5G data, free HBO Max, mix-and-match plans
Cons: ExpensiveView Deal
How to pick the best family cell phone plans
Picking the right cell phone plan comes down to balancing the costs of multiple lines of data with the perks each carrier offers. If you do a lot of video streaming, for example, you’ll want to pick a plan that not only throws in a streaming service as a perk (Netflix with T-Mobile, multiple streaming services with Verizon or HBO Max with AT&T’s priciest plan) but also doesn’t slow your data if you consume a lot of data in a given month.
Because the thing about unlimited data is that, with the exception of one plan, it’s not truly unlimited. AT&T’s Unlimited Extra customers will enjoy a 50GB cap, just like three of Verizon’s four unlimited plans. T-Mobile has doubled the cap on its Magenta plan to 100GB, while the more expensive Magenta Max plan does away with caps entirely for a truly unlimited plan; AT&T followed Magenta Max’s lead with its Unlimited Elite plan.
The lowest-priced plans at Verizon (Start Unlimited) and AT&T (Unlimited Starter) allow your data speeds to be slowed whenever there’s network congestion. As for Visible, we’ve noted that its speeds don’t always match Verizon’s in the same away, as traffic can be slowed when the Verizon network is congested; Visible no longer caps data speeds outside of hotspot usage and 5G.
We’ve focused on unlimited plans, but both AT&T and Verizon offer tiered data options, too. AT&T offers a single 4GB plan, while Verizon lets you choose between 5GB and 10GB tiers. Families draw from the same pool of data at both carriers. Unless you’re only adding two lines and don’t need a lot of data, the costs savings from unlimited data plans aren’t really substantial. For example, four lines of Verizon’s 10GB data plan will cost you $140 a month, which is the same amount as four lines of the carrier’s Start Unlimited plan.
For all the latest Technology News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.
