The Best No-Contract Phone Providers

You’ve got an awesome smartphone with a great display and slick new features? You probably don’t want to just use it as a tiny tablet, so you’re going to need a phone provider. Contracts aren’t for everyone: some people just want phone service and don’t want to be bound by contractual obligations. Which phone providers do we recommend? Read on!

Cricket Wireless

Using AT&T’s network coverage, Cricket Wireless offers a very affordable $35 (after autopay discount) plan that sports 5GB of data. Cricket’s data speeds cap at 8 Mbps, sadly, which makes them more of a budget consideration than a main provider, but they made the list since they offer some of the best data amounts per dollar. Cricket has the added benefit of rolling taxes and fees into this final price, helping alleviate “sticker shock” when the bill comes.

Boost Mobile

Boost makes the list thanks to its low price, same as Cricket. For $35 per month, you get 3GB of data on Sprint’s network. Sadly, this also means that you’ll experience some slowdown as Sprint’s network isn’t terribly speedy. On the bright side, like MetroPCS and Cricket, the monthly taxes and fees in this plan are rolled into the final bill price.

AT&T

AT&T offers a $40 with 8GB of data with no contract. This is a great pick for those who want to use loads of data and don’t mind the slightly lower coverage of AT&T’s network. The $40 price point is after enrolling in autopay, so consider that when shopping for plans. AT&T’s network works in Canada and Mexico, too, which allows for traveling users to stay tuned in to their internet and friends. This is our favorite plan for data, with great bang for your buck in terms of gigabytes!

MetroPCS

MetroPCS uses its parent company, T-Mobile, for its network, which means their prepaid plan sports better coverage than AT&T’s. For $40 you get 5GB of data, which is still a lot, and is definitely worth considering if you want better network coverage. Additionally, this plan allows for streaming from tons of music apps and websites without counting against your data allotment, which is certainly enticing for all you audiophiles out there! MetroPCS, like Boost and Cricket, includes taxes and fees in the final price. MetroPCS is our favorite plan for those who don’t need as much data, or plan on using audio services for the bulk of their data.