"Unlimited" is a funny term. Unlimited cell phone plans often come with a long list of footnotes, terms, conditions, and exceptions. Mercifully, all of the Big Three cell companies have, by now, ditched throttling on their highest-paid tiers, and include 5G data access in all their unlimited plans. Yet there are still many differences in the services they offer, and from tier to tier within each company.

Cheaper “unlimited” tiers do offer unlimited talk and text. But they still have rules on how much unlimited data you get before they start throttling your speed, and some “unlimited” plans may throttle your data at any given time. Data throttling is the practice of reducing your data speeds after you hit a certain threshold of data used in a month or during times of congestion. It's been a fixture of cell service plans for years.

Below, I've highlighted what each of the major carriers offers for “unlimited” individual and family plans to help you figure out which unlimited plan is best for you and your budget.

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The Best Unlimited Plan Right Now: T-Mobile Experience More

T-Mobile Essentials, Experience More, and Experience Beyond Plans

The Essentials plan (with autopay, taxes/fees not included): 1 Line for $60/month | 2 Lines $90 | 3 Lines $90 | 4 Lines $100 | 5 Lines $125

Experience More (with autopay, taxes/fees not included): 1 Line for $85/month | 2 Lines $140 | 3 Lines $140 | 4 Lines $170 | 5 Lines $200

Experience Beyond (with autopay, taxes/fees not included): 1 Line for $100/month | 2 Lines $170 | 3 Lines $170 | 4 Lines $215 | 5 Lines $260

T-Mobile has the best 5G coverage among the big three, the highest 5G speeds, the fastest downloads and the best overall reliability, according to analysis from OpenSignal and Ookla. The carrier also makes claims to winning on value, when you take into account perks that include entertainment bundles, airplane WiFi, and access to satellite data in emergencies.

T-Mobile has rebranded its unlimited offerings this year but still offers three unlimited talk and text plans: Essentials, Experience More, and Experience Beyond. Only the two Experience plans offer true unlimited 5G data without any throttling or deprioritizing (i.e., making your phone stand in line for data behind other, more important, phones during peak demand.)

If cost is more important to you than perks, and you don't travel a lot internationally, the Essentials plan is what we recommend for people with big families. It's no frills, just the phone, ma'am, with no subscription money going to streaming services or international carrier fees. Your hotspot is limited to 3G speeds if you're a laptop warrior, an important consideration for many, and video streaming is 480p. But at its price point, Essentials is the only plan to offer premium data (up to 50 GB) that won't be throttled. If you've got home WiFi, that 50GB should be sufficient for most people. Besides, it'll teach your teens how to budget, and how to ask for the WiFi password instead of using their own data. But take note: Data in Canada and Mexico will be so slow you might as well have an old flip phone.

For merely occasional jet-setters and those who want consistent phone upgrades, Experience More is the best affordable phone plan among all services. This adds WiFi during flights, 4K video, 60 gigs of high-speed mobile hotspotting, a modicum of international data, free ad-supported Netflix, and cheap ($3) Apple TV. It'll also let you upgrade your phone every two years so random children don't make fun of your ancient iPhone at a rest stop (yes, this has happened to me.)

Do you actually need Experience Beyond? Maybe not, unless you are a true digital nomad or a nomad in general—or just hate the idea of limitation. If this describes you, the Beyond plan offers unlimited high-speed mobile hotspotting, doubles or triples your international data, and lets you upgrade your phone every year so that no one ever has anything you don't. Most essential for backcountry trekkers, Beyond adds access to T-Satellite data, which is to say Starlink data. So if you happen to get mauled by a bear miles from the nearest cell tower, you can still share your location, text 911, and send SMS messages and photos. This service can be added to other plans for a $10 premium.

WIRED: 5G data speeds are available on every tier, as is international texting and unlimited talk, text, and data in Mexico and Canada (possibly nonfunctional 2G data speeds on Essentials, 30 GB of 5G data on Beyond). First responders, military and veteran families, and those aged 55-plus all get discounts. (For those 55 and up, T-Mobile is by far the most economical.) The Essentials plan will not throttle back your data speeds until you've used 50 GB, which is still a lot. Experience plans don't throttle, and offer in-flight Wi-Fi and texting on flights with Gogo. They also offer free or discounted Netflix (with ads) and Apple TV, pls Hulu with ads for the Beyond plan.

TIRED: The Essentials tier still throttles data, and only includes 3G speeds if you use your phone as a Wi-Fi hot spot, which is terribly slow. HD streaming only available for Experience plans. At $15 more per line, the Beyond plan offers only a few perks that'll likely be relevant to most people.

Will your phone work? T-Mobile has a Phone Compatibility Test that lets you search to see whether your phone will work on its network. Most unlocked phones should work.

Best Phone Plan for Video and Gamers: Verizon Unlimited Ultimate

Verizon Unlimited Welcome, Plus, and Ultimate

The Unlimited Welcome plan (with autopay, taxes/fees not included): 1 Line for $55 | 2 Lines $95 | 3 Lines $115 | 4 Lines $100 | 5 Lines $130

The Unlimited Plus plan (with autopay, taxes/fees not included): 1 Line for $70 | 2 Lines $120 | 3 Lines $135 | 4 Lines $160 | 5 Lines $205

The Unlimited Ultimate plan (with autopay, taxes/fees not included): 1 Line for $80 | 2 Lines $145 | 3 Lines $175 | 4 Lines $200 | 5 Lines $255

Verizon is the best situated to compete with T-Mobile, in part by being so modular—allowing its users to sever pretty much all the perks and just buy the data for cheaper. As of mid-December, the carrier is on lower-than-usual rates for unlimited premium data, with the option to lock in the price for 3 years—making this a very good time to pick up Verizon (or renegotiate your rates if you're an existing customer.)

Verizon doesn't compete with T-Mobile on the array of perks included with premium plans, nor on 5G download speed or the overall user experience, according to analysis by OpenSignal and Ookla. But Verizon has a few advantages over T-Mobile. Because Verizon severs perks and entertainment from its premium plan—offering discount streaming instead as an add-on—Verizon's Plus and Ultimate plans are your cheapest path to unlimited 5G data.

Verizon also has the edge on gaming and 5G video experience, according to OpenSignal, with a raft of partnerships with gaming and video companies. And while AT&T might have the best availability in farthest-flung places, Verizon still barely edges it out for best overall coverage. Two decades later, we can still hear you now, bro.

But as for Verizon's lowest cost option, Verizon Welcome? Just as with AT&T, throttling for congestion can happen at any time, and video quality is limited.

WIRED: Like the competition, every plan includes 5G data access (but 5G is slower on the Start plan). Verizon has the best coverage area overall, according to OpenSignal, as well as the best gaming and 5G video experience. 40 percent discounts on streaming services, as well as some international features and better video streaming, can be added as options.

TIRED: The basic Welcome Unlimited plan offers no Wi-Fi mobile hot spot, and Verizon may throttle your internet speed during any “congestion.” It includes 5G access, but not the fast version, and only 480p video. The “unlimited” mobile hotspot and international data on the premium Ultimate plan has some fine print, with lowered data speeds after certain thresholds. In general, check the fine print on each plan: More than other carriers, Verizon deals heavily in asterisks.

Will your phone work? Verizon has a Device Compatibility Check tool you can use to see if your phone is supported on the network.

Best Unlimited Phone Plan for Rural and Military/First Responders: AT&T Unlimited Premium

AT&T Unlimited Starter, Extra, and Premium Plans

The Unlimited Starter plan (with autopay, taxes/fees not included): 1 Line for $66 | 2 Lines $122 | 3 Lines $138 | 4 Lines $144 | 5 Lines $155

The Unlimited Extra plan (with autopay, taxes/fees not included): 1 Line for $76 | 2 Lines $113 | 3 Lines $153 | 4 Lines $164 | 5 Lines $180

The Unlimited Premium plan (with autopay, taxes/fees not included): 1 Line for $86 | 2 Lines $152 | 3 Lines $183 | 4 Lines $204 | 5 Lines $230

If T-Mobile is the king of 5G speed and coverage across the most populated areas of the United States, AT&T offers better coverage for lower-speed 4G LTE in more sparse areas, especially in the American west.

As with T-Mobile and Verizon, AT&T offers three tiers. The lowest-tier Unlimited Starter plan just isn't competitive with T-Mobile's basic Essentials plan. It costs more than T-Mobile or Verizon's low-tier plans, and throttles data during congested times without any premium data ceiling.

AT&T's top-tier, $86-a-month Unlimited Premium includes 4K video streaming capability and has no data throttling. It also rings in at a lower price than T-Mobile's, but doesn't quite offer T-Mobile's breadth of international data (aside from a somewhat random selection of Latin American countries), in-flight, or entertainment options—nor does it offer T-Mobile's unlimited mobile hotspot. On its face, this makes AT&T's top-tier plan a bit more comparable to T-Mobile's less expensive mid-tier plan.

But AT&T's focus on coverage for sparsely populated areas and lower price point for unlimited high-speed data may still make it the plan of choice for many people. I also like that AT&T lets you mix and match different plans for different lines, meaning you can give yourself a Premium line and stick your freeloading 12-year-old with a lower-cost Starter. AT&T's military discounts are also kinda unbeatable, as are first responder discounts through the FirstNet & Family wireless network.

WIRED: Every tier includes 5G data speeds. AT&T's 4G LTE coverage is unmatched in less populated areas. You won't be throttled at all on the Unlimited Premium plan, and on the Unlimited Extra plan, you won't be throttled until you hit 75 GB of data. If you're on the Unlimited Premium, you get a big 60-GB bucket of mobile hotspot to tether to other devices and 4K video streaming. Great discounts for first responders.

TIRED: For the base Starter plan, data throttling could kick in any time there's network congestion, no matter how little data you've already used. The Starter tier also doesn't include any Wi-Fi hotspot, unlike T-Mobile's cheaper basic Essentials plan, which does include unlimited (but slow) 3G-network data. It doesn't have HD video streaming or international data either. The mid-tier plan offers only standard streaming and throttles after 75 GB, unlike T-Mobile's. (Though to be fair, 75 GB is a lot.) No unlimited hotspot option included with any plan.

Will your phone work? AT&T has a Device Compatibility PDF you can use to check your current phones.

Why We Recommend Unlocked Phones

If you bought your phone from your wireless carrier (most people do), it was probably sold to you as a locked device that works only on one wireless carrier until it's paid off. As long as you’ve fully paid for your phone, your wireless carrier is obligated to unlock it for you, though there can be a delay (up to a year per FCC rules, though 60 days is the most common standard). Just take it in or ask about procedures on how to unlock a device. (Read more at FCC.gov.)

If you bought your phone unlocked, there's a chance it will work on every major carrier. Try WillMyPhoneWork.net if you’re unsure of compatibility.

If you need to buy a new phone (or a couple for your posse), we have suggestions. For starters, check our Best Cheap Phones guide for our favorite devices that cost between $100 and $600. We also have guides on our favorite iPhones and favorite Android phones.

How to Check Network Quality in Your Area

If you live in a rural or topographically challenging area, do some research before you switch your carrier. Ask neighbors, friends, and relatives nearby what their coverage is like. But also use the FCC mobile broadband map to track how effective networks are in your area. Just enter your address and you’re good to go. Otherwise, you can download the OpenSignal app to check on your location. Chances are high that all three wireless carriers will work just fine, but it’s smart to check before switching.

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