The best family cell phone plans for 2024

Jump to:

• Top picks
• The best family cell phone plans
• Family cell phone plans: FAQ

If you're currently researching the best family cell phone plans, let us help you out with a well-researched list of recommendations and tips right here on this page. Finding the right one can be a tricky affair with so many choices, and lengthy service contracts to consider, so we've narrowed it right down here to the ones which we think offer the best overall value currently. That said, we know requirements for family cell phone plans can differ wildly from group to group, so we've tried to offer quite a wide array of options here.

Prepaid phone plans: jump links

1. Best family cell phone plans
2. How to decide which family cell phone plan is for you

Price is of course the most important factor for most when considering the best family cell phone plans, but we've also considered plenty of other things too. Coverage, data allowances, and discounts for 2-line or 3-line plans specifically have all been considered here with our recommendations, so hopefully you'll find something that's relevant to your requirements.

Now more than ever you'll also find the market absolutely flooded with fantastic options for the best family cell phone plans. Not only do you have some very competitive discounts on multi-line premium unlimited data plans from the traditional 'big three' carriers (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile), but you've also for some great options from smaller prepaid carriers. Visible and Mint Mobile are especially great options right now for those who are really on a budget and willing to cut out some of the perks and priority data that you'd normally find on the more expensive post-paid options.

And, we're not just weighing in with a simple list of the best family cell phone plans in this article either. If you need any help, guidance, or unbiased advice, you'll find a very helpful frequently asked questions section at the bottom of the page. For more options, we also recommend checking out our main best cell phone plans article, where you'll find a great overview of the market as a whole.

Best family cell phone plans: top picks

1. T-Mobile - best for big carrier value
2. Visible - best for unlimited data value
3. Mint Mobile - best for basic prepaid plans
4. Total Wireless - Great prepaid bespoke family plan
5. Verizon - best for flexibility and coverage
6. Cricket Wireless - best for value on the AT&T network

The best family cell phone plans

1. T-Mobile Go5G

Best for big carrier value

Pricing: $155/mo (4-lines) |external/visible.pxf.io/c/221109/1394244/12909?subId1=trd-us-1184641350653001985&sharedId=trd-us&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.visible.com%2Fplan%2F" data-url="https://www.visible.com/plan/" target="_blank" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" rel="sponsored noopener" data-hl-processed="hawklinks" data-placeholder-url="https://visible.pxf.io/c/221109/1394244/12909?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk-prefix&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.visible.com%2Fplan%2F" data-google-interstitial="false" data-merchant-name="Visible" data-merchant-id="201537" data-merchant-url="visible.com" data-merchant-network="ImpactRad">Visible - best for unlimited data value

Mint Mobile - best for basic prepaid plans

Total Wireless - Great prepaid bespoke family plan

Verizon - best for flexibility and coverage

Cricket Wireless - best for value on the AT&T network

The best family cell phone plans

1. T-Mobile Go5G

Best for big carrier value

Pricing: 5/mo (4-lines) |external/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/MMjLWjzXGkAxBtA3pqEabW-320-80.jpg.webp 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/MMjLWjzXGkAxBtA3pqEabW-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/MMjLWjzXGkAxBtA3pqEabW-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/MMjLWjzXGkAxBtA3pqEabW-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/MMjLWjzXGkAxBtA3pqEabW-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/MMjLWjzXGkAxBtA3pqEabW-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w" sizes="(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)">

3. Total Wireless

Great value bespoke family prepaid plans

Pricing: 5mo - 0/mo (per line) |external/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CxLoQxiYCyzvptAuSNQQhT-320-80.jpg.webp 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CxLoQxiYCyzvptAuSNQQhT-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CxLoQxiYCyzvptAuSNQQhT-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CxLoQxiYCyzvptAuSNQQhT-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CxLoQxiYCyzvptAuSNQQhT-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CxLoQxiYCyzvptAuSNQQhT-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w" sizes="(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)">

6. Cricket Wireless

A great prepaid deal on the AT&T network

Pricing: 0/mo (4-lines) | Data options: Unlimited | Talk & Text: Unlimited | Perks: Unlimited texts to 37 countries | Network: AT&T

Cheapest on the AT&T network

A bespoke prepaid plan for families

Mobile hotspot not included on basic plan

Best for 4-5 line setups

If you happen to get the best coverage on the AT&T network in your area, then a good option for saving on the entirety of your plan is Cricket Wireless - a prepaid carrier that offers a 4-line unlimited plan for just 0 a month. 

Like most prepaid carriers on our best family cell phone plans list, Cricket Wireless is a pretty stripped-down affair and also subject to deprioritization when the network is busy. We do, however, think it's a really compelling alternative to AT&T's current line-up of prepaid plans when you consider it's the same price as the AT&T 12-month unlimited plan. While you're not saving any cash by going with Cricket, you're getting the added flexibility of not having to pay a wad of cash upfront for your plan and a plan that's essentially bespoke for a four-line setup. You're also saving on average per month per line when compared to the cheapest AT&T unlimited post-paid plan.

Family cell phone plans: FAQ

Deciding which family cell phone plan is best

Data allowances
It's always a wise policy to have an idea of your family's monthly data usage while you're shopping around for a family cell phone plan. While most of the family cell phone plans on our list are unlimited - at least on paper - most of them do have soft caps on data usage. While you won't be shut off from your cellular connection, you could be downgraded to 3G speeds or worse if you exceed your soft cap - which is often around 35GB to 50GB, depending on the plan. Most carriers make data usage reports readily available via their customer sites, so you should be able to find the information you need fairly easily by logging into your existing account.

Perks
While subjective, the number of perks offered by a carrier can really make or break the overall value of the plan. Things like included subscription services, international calling, and big mobile-hotspot allowances can be a neat bonus for some, but a necessity for others. If you think your family is going to make full use of that Hulu, Netflix subscription, or 5G mobile hotspot allowance, then it could be worth it to spend a little more and go with one of the bigger carriers as opposed to the more stripped-down prepaid plans.

Parental controls
Most Android and iPhone devices have parental control features directly accessible via the phone settings, so you don't necessarily have to have a bespoke child-friendly cell phone plan to get some protection. That said, if you do want to easily monitor your child's usage, or want that extra level of protection, then the Verizon Just Kids plan is the only plan on this list to feature that for free. AT&T also offers a Secure Family app and T-Mobile also has a

If you happen to get the best coverage on the AT&T network in your area, then a good option for saving on the entirety of your plan is Cricket Wireless - a prepaid carrier that offers a 4-line unlimited plan for just 0 a month. 

Like most prepaid carriers on our best family cell phone plans list, Cricket Wireless is a pretty stripped-down affair and also subject to deprioritization when the network is busy. We do, however, think it's a really compelling alternative to AT&T's current line-up of prepaid plans when you consider it's the same price as the AT&T 12-month unlimited plan. While you're not saving any cash by going with Cricket, you're getting the added flexibility of not having to pay a wad of cash upfront for your plan and a plan that's essentially bespoke for a four-line setup. You're also saving on average per month per line when compared to the cheapest AT&T unlimited post-paid plan.

Family cell phone plans: FAQ

Deciding which family cell phone plan is best

Data allowances
It's always a wise policy to have an idea of your family's monthly data usage while you're shopping around for a family cell phone plan. While most of the family cell phone plans on our list are unlimited - at least on paper - most of them do have soft caps on data usage. While you won't be shut off from your cellular connection, you could be downgraded to 3G speeds or worse if you exceed your soft cap - which is often around 35GB to 50GB, depending on the plan. Most carriers make data usage reports readily available via their customer sites, so you should be able to find the information you need fairly easily by logging into your existing account.

Perks
While subjective, the number of perks offered by a carrier can really make or break the overall value of the plan. Things like included subscription services, international calling, and big mobile-hotspot allowances can be a neat bonus for some, but a necessity for others. If you think your family is going to make full use of that Hulu, Netflix subscription, or 5G mobile hotspot allowance, then it could be worth it to spend a little more and go with one of the bigger carriers as opposed to the more stripped-down prepaid plans.

Parental controls
Most Android and iPhone devices have parental control features directly accessible via the phone settings, so you don't necessarily have to have a bespoke child-friendly cell phone plan to get some protection. That said, if you do want to easily monitor your child's usage, or want that extra level of protection, then the Verizon Just Kids plan is the only plan on this list to feature that for free. AT&T also offers a Secure Family app and T-Mobile also has a