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The best 5G plans in the US: Which carrier is right for you?

Many carriers now include 5G in their unlimited plans, whether you live in a 5G area or not. Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T continue to grow their coverage, while smaller MVNOs are catching a ride on the coattails. While you can find speedy coverage in plenty of places, it all comes down to pricing. Here are the best 5G plans from all of the major US carriers.
Before you jump on the bandwagon, bear in mind that the fastest 5G is still only available in select areas of the United States. Unfortunately, that mainly refers to cities. It will be a while before smaller cities and rural areas get in on the 5G action.
We’ve focused mainly on unlimited data plans in this rundown. While these tend to be pricier with the bigger carriers, there are plenty of more budget-friendly options. And let’s face it; if you’re considering upgrading to 5G, which can reach download speeds of over 1Gbps, you’re not going to want a plan that’s capped at 3GB.
Check out your options below.
Carriers offering 5G plans:
After you’ve decided on your carrier — or maybe before you decide — you should probably take a look at your best options for 5G devices at the bottom of this page.
Editors note: We will keep this list of 5G plans updated as plans change and more launch.
Verizon 5G plans

Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband mobile service is some of the fastest coverage around, and Big Red claims it’s 10 times faster than other 5G networks. However, if you live outside of a major city, you will probably spend most of your time on the 5G Nationwide network.
Check out this table for more on what Verizon offers, both on the prepaid and postpaid side:
myPlan Unlimited Welcome | myPlan Unlimited Plus | Talk & Text Prepaid | 15GB Prepaid | Unlimited Prepaid | Unlimited Plus Prepaid | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cost | myPlan Unlimited Welcome $65 for one line $55 for two lines $40 for three lines $30 for four lines $27 for five lines | myPlan Unlimited Plus $80 for one line $70 for two lines $55 for three lines $45 for four lines $42 for five lines | Talk & Text Prepaid $30 w/ autopay | 15GB Prepaid $35 w/ autopay $5 discount after 3 months $10 discount after 9 months | Unlimited Prepaid $50 w/ autopay $5 discount after 3 months $10 discount after 9 months | Unlimited Plus Prepaid $60 w/ autopay $5 discount after 3 months $10 discount after 9 months |
Talk & Text | myPlan Unlimited Welcome Unlimited | myPlan Unlimited Plus Unlimited | Talk & Text Prepaid Unlimited | 15GB Prepaid Unlimited | Unlimited Prepaid Unlimited | Unlimited Plus Prepaid Unlimited |
Data | myPlan Unlimited Welcome Unlimited 4G LTE 5G Nationwide | myPlan Unlimited Plus Unlimited 4G LTE 5G Nationwide | Talk & Text Prepaid No data | 15GB Prepaid 15GB of LTE/5G access | Unlimited Prepaid Unlimited LTE/5G data | Unlimited Plus Prepaid Unlimited LTE/5G data, including ultra wideband 5G |
Hotspot | myPlan Unlimited Welcome Not included | myPlan Unlimited Plus 30GB 4G LTE or 5G | Talk & Text Prepaid No | 15GB Prepaid Can use up to 15GB | Unlimited Prepaid 5GB of hotspot access, then 600kbps after | Unlimited Plus Prepaid 25GB of hotspot access, then unlimited lower speeds after |
International Service | myPlan Unlimited Welcome Talk & Text in Mexico and Canada Texting in over 200 countries | myPlan Unlimited Plus Talk & Text in Mexico and Canada Texting in over 200 countries | Talk & Text Prepaid $5/day for calls, text, and data in Mexico or Canada | 15GB Prepaid Calling, text, and data in Mexico & Canada | Unlimited Prepaid Calling, text, and data in Mexico & Canada | Unlimited Plus Prepaid Calling, text, and data in Mexico & Canada |
Extra Perks | myPlan Unlimited Welcome 480p streaming Can add perks for $10 each, including 100GB hotspot data, Apple Music, Apple One, Disney Plus bundle, and more | myPlan Unlimited Plus 480p streaming Can add perks for $10 each, including 100GB hotspot data, Apple Music, Apple One, Disney Plus bundle, and more | Talk & Text Prepaid 480p streaming | 15GB Prepaid 480p streaming | Unlimited Prepaid 480p streaming | Unlimited Plus Prepaid 480p streaming |
Verizon offers two unlimited plans: MyPlan Unlimited Welcome and MyPlan Unlimited Plus. The latter of these plans gets you mmWave 5G access, while the former sticks to the slower (but still very fast) nationwide network. The Welcome plan starts at $65 for one line, while the Plus plan starts at $80. Both plans have access to a variety of perks, though each perk will add $10 to your monthly costs.
The Welcome plan doesn’t include hotspot access, but you can add it on for $10. Meanwhile, the Plus plan gives you 30GB of hotspot access.
AT&T 5G plans

New AT&T subscribers can choose from three unlimited plans, each of which now comes with 5G access. All three have unlimited talk, text, and data in the US, Canada, and Mexico. You also get free texting to over 120 countries, along with suspected spam and fraud alerts. AT&T is also following in Verizon’s footsteps with a few new fees. They’re meant to counteract inflation, but it would be surprising to see the fees go away even when the economy stabilizes.
AT&T’s Unlimited Starter plan costs $65 a month for one line, but it drops to just $35 per line with four connections. Of course, these prices include paperless billing and AutoPay discounts. You won’t get any premium data, and AT&T can slow down your data during times of congestion. The Unlimited Starter plan doesn’t include any mobile hotspot data, and you’re limited to standard definition streaming as well.
Unlimited Starter | Unlimited Extra | Unlimited Premium | |
---|---|---|---|
Cost | Unlimited Starter $65 for one line $60 for two lines $45 for three lines $35 for four lines | Unlimited Extra $75 for one line $65 for two lines $50 for three lines $40 for four lines | Unlimited Premium $85 for one line $75 for two lines $60 for three lines $50 for four lines |
Talk & Text | Unlimited Starter Unlimited | Unlimited Extra Unlimited | Unlimited Premium Unlimited |
Data | Unlimited Starter Unlimited basic 4G LTE 5G access with compatible device | Unlimited Extra 50GB premium 4G LTE Unlimited basic 4G LTE 5G access with compatible device | Unlimited Premium 100GB premium 4G LTE Unlimited basic 4G LTE 5G access with compatible device |
Hotspot | Unlimited Starter Not included | Unlimited Extra 15GB per line | Unlimited Premium 30GB per line |
International Service | Unlimited Starter Unlimited texting to 120 countries | Unlimited Extra Unlimited texting to 120 countries | Unlimited Premium Unlimited texting to 120 countries |
Extra Perks | Unlimited Starter Device security and spam risk alerts Standard definition streaming | Unlimited Extra Device security and spam risk alerts Standard definition streaming | Unlimited Premium Device security and spam risk alerts High definition streaming |
The Unlimited Extra plan costs $75 a month for one line, or you can get a four-line bundle for $160. These prices are with a $10 discount for using paperless billing and AutoPay. 50GB of data usage falls under premium data, meaning that after this allocation, AT&T can throttle your service at any time if the carrier is getting too much traffic. This plan included SD video streaming, plus it throws in 15GB of high-speed mobile hotspot data per month.
The most expensive of the AT&T Unlimited plans is called Unlimited Premium. It costs $85 a month for one line or $200 for four lines. The Elite tier will throw in 50GB of free high-speed mobile hotspot data per month and unlimited premium data. Video streaming leaps to 4K UHD, too.
Unfortunately, as other carriers add more and more streaming options to the mix, AT&T seems to be heading in the opposite direction. It’s stripped away both the HBO Max perk and Stadia Pro from new accounts.
Find out more about AT&T 5G plans via the button below.
T-Mobile 5G plans

T-Mobile claims to have more 5G coverage than AT&T and Verizon combined, with stronger signals covering thousands of miles rather than just city blocks. If T-Mobile didn’t already sound like your best bet for a 5G plan, it gets sweeter — 5G access is included free of charge on every T-Mobile plan.
A few prepaid plans are available from T-Mobile, including the Connect plan, which starts from as little as $15 per month. You’ll struggle to find a cheaper plan that offers 5G capability, but you’d burn through the 2GB of data quickly, so let’s focus on unlimited data plans. The one prepaid plan which offers unlimited data is $50 per month (not including taxes and fees). As unlimited data plans go, it’s pretty bare-bones — 3G hotspot is a good example of this — but you’ll get a 5G unlimited data plan that may only get slowed after using 50GB of data per billing cycle.
In terms of postpaid plans, you’ve got a range of unlimited data options depending on your needs. The headline plans are the Essentials, Magenta, Magenta Max, and Go5G plans. You can get a better breakdown of their postpaid and prepaid options via the ch
Essentials | Magenta | Magenta Max | Go5G | Go5G Plus | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cost | Essentials Prices per line: $50 for one line $40 for two lines $30 for three lines $25 for four lines | Magenta Prices per line: $70 for one line $60 for two lines $47 for three lines $40 for four lines | Magenta Max Prices per line: $85 for one line $70 for two lines $57 for three lines $50 for four lines | Go5G Prices per line: $75 for one line $65 for two lines $43 for three lines $39 for four lines | Go5G Plus Prices per line: $90 for one line $75 for two lines $50 for three lines $46 for four lines |
Unlimited Talk & Text | Essentials Yes | Magenta Yes | Magenta Max Yes | Go5G Yes | Go5G Plus Yes |
Unlimited 4G Data | Essentials Yes, but might slow down during congestion after 50GB per month | Magenta Unlimited 5G & 4G LTE with 100GB of Premium Data | Magenta Max Unlimited 5G & 4G LTE with Unlimited Premium Data | Go5G Unlimited 5G & 4G LTE with 100GB of Premium Data | Go5G Plus Unlimited 5G & 4G LTE with 100GB of Premium Data |
5G data included | Essentials Yes | Magenta Yes | Magenta Max Yes | Go5G Yes | Go5G Plus Yes |
Mobile Hotspot | Essentials Unlimited 3G | Magenta 5GB of 4G LTE, then unlimited 3G | Magenta Max 40GB of 4G, then unlimited 3G | Go5G 15GB of high-speed hotspot data, then unlimited 3G | Go5G Plus 50GB of hotspot data |
Netflix perk? | Essentials No | Magenta Netflix Basic, one SD screen for two or more accounts | Magenta Max Netflix Basic, one SD screen for one accounts. Netflix Standard, two HD screens for two or more acccounts | Go5G Netflix Basic, one SD screen | Go5G Plus Netflix Basic, one SD screen |
Apple TV perk? | Essentials No | Magenta Apple TV+ free for 6 months | Magenta Max Included | Go5G Apple TV+ free for 6 months | Go5G Plus Apple TV+ free for 6 months |
Unlimited video streaming | Essentials SD streaming | Magenta SD streaming | Magenta Max Up to 4K UHD streaming | Go5G SD Streaming | Go5G Plus SD Streaming |
55 Plus Plan | Essentials Yes | Magenta Yes | Magenta Max Yes | Go5G Yes | Go5G Plus Yes |
Military Plan | Essentials No | Magenta Yes | Magenta Max Yes | Go5G Yes | Go5G Plus Yes |
First Responder Plan | Essentials No | Magenta Yes | Magenta Max Yes | Go5G Yes | Go5G Plus Yes |
Hit the button below to get more details about the T-Mobile plans, all 5G ready.
UScellular 5G plans

UScellular is often left far behind the big three US carriers, but it powers the fourth-largest standalone US network with nearly five million subscribers. It doesn’t boast the largest 5G network around — access is only available in parts of Iowa, Wisconsin, and the midwestern United States. That said, UScellular is still a good way to go if you’re in one of those select locations. It typically offers more affordable rates than the larger carriers, and you can get several recent phones on the cheap.
UScellular offers three main postpaid plans — Basic, Everyday, and Even Better if you want to get signed up while the 5G network continues to grow.
See also: The best UScellular deals
The Basic plan starts at $55 per month for a single line, though the price drops each time you add a line. It’s a simple plan with unlimited talk, text, data, and little else. You can stream in standard definition, but there’s no hotspot access or priority data available.
If you’d rather have the full power of UScellular behind you, either the Everyday plan or the Even Better plan is better. The Everyday option starts at $65 per month, and Even Better will run you $75, but both include hotspot, HD or Full HD streaming, and even a payback perk. As long as you can stay below 3GB per month, UScellular will kick $5 or $10 back to you, depending on your plan.
Check out the button below for some UScellular 5G information.
MVNOs

MVNOs usually offer simpler and more affordable plans without the long contracts of the big four carriers, but 5G access is still available if you know where to look. Here’s a quick summary of some MVNOs that offer 5G access.
Metro by T-Mobile
As part of the T-Mobile network, all Metro plans have access to 5G. Unlimited plans start from $40 per month, and all of them offer some integration with the ACP (Affordable Connectivity Program). On that plan and the $60 unlimited plan, you get 100GB of cloud storage with Google One. The $60 plan even includes an Amazon Prime membership.
Google Fi
Also on the T-Mobile network, Google’s Fi plans offer 5G coverage. Where these plans are a bit pricier than Metro, they’re also more flexible. One user can get a plan for as little as $20 per month, though you pay $10 per GB of data. The Unlimited Plus plan is $70 per month, but you can make big savings when adding more than one line. For example, it’s $150 per month for three unlimited lines. If you’re hoping to save some cash, the Simply Unlimited plan is $60 per month and skips international access.
US Mobile
US Mobile now offers 5G access baked into all plans at no extra cost. You can still build your perfect plan, but the unlimited options make better use of the premium speeds. Unlimited options start as low as $40 per month, and you still get the opportunity to choose streaming perks when you add two or more lines.
Mint Mobile
All Mint Mobile plans have access to the T-Mobile 5G network, and they couldn’t be simpler. You can choose from 4GB, 10GB, 15GB, or unlimited data, and the initial three-month plans start from just $15. You’ll be able to roam the United States, and Mint will keep you on 4G or 5G — whichever is stronger.
5G-ready phones

Not all new phones come 5G ready, though it seems like we’re well on our way to that point. Many flagship options now pack the feature, while some budget devices do not. However, it does mean that you’ll still have to remain vigilant when you’re shopping for your next device. If you don’t see a 5G indicator in the name, you may have to look elsewhere for a capable device. You can also check out the best 5G devices right here.
If you’d rather save a bit of time, here are the 5G devices supported by the four main carriers. Most MVNOs should have at least some overlap as they run on the same networks.
Verizon
- Samsung Galaxy A53, A42, Galaxy S22, S22 Plus, S22 Ultra, S21 FE, S20 FE, Galaxy Z Fold 4, Galaxy Z Flip 4
- iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max, iPhone SE
- Google Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro
- Motorola Edge Plus, Edge, One 5G Ace, G Stylus 5G
- TCL 10, 30 V 5G
- Nokia 8V
- Orbic Myra
- Kyocera DuraForce Ultra
See also: The best Verizon phones
AT&T
- Samsung Galaxy A53, A52, A51, A32, A13, Galaxy S22, S22 Plus, S22 Ultra, S21, S21 Plus, S21 Ultra, S21 FE, S20 FE, Galaxy Z Flip 4, Galaxy Z Fold 4
- iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max, iPhone SE
- Google Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro
- Motorola One, Moto G Stylus
- AT&T Fusion 5G
See also: The best AT&T phones
T-Mobile
- Samsung Galaxy A71, Galaxy A53, A52, A32, A13, Galaxy S22, S22 Plus, S22 Ultra, S21, S21 Plus, S21 Ultra, S21 FE, Galaxy Z Flip 4, Galaxy Z Fold 4
- OnePlus Nord N20, N200, 8, 9, 10 Pro
- Google Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 4a 5G
- iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max, iPhone SE
- Motorola Razr, One 5G Ace, Moto G, Moto G Stylus
- Revvl V Plus
- Nokia X100
- TCL Stylus, 30 XE
See also: The best T-Mobile phones
UScellular
- Samsung Galaxy A71, A53, A52, A32, A13, Galaxy S20 FE, S21 FE, Galaxy S22, S22 Plus, S22 Ultra, Galaxy Z Flip 3
- iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max, iPhone SE
- Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro
See also: The best UScellular phones