Best T-Mobile MVNOs (2024)

You can’t go wrong picking T-Mobile as your mobile provider, and I say that as a T-Mobile user for the past decade. The company offers the fastest speeds on the market, a continuously growing 5G network, and good nationwide coverage. However, being a Big Three carrier means that T-Mobile has prices on par with AT&T and Verizon, and a recent price hike hasn’t helped matters—my bill now hovers at almost $170 for three lines.

If you’re looking for better value but don’t want to leave T-Mobile’s reliable service, there’s good news. You have options through mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs). These are mobile providers like Metro by T-Mobile and Mint Mobile that operate on T-Mobile’s network and use its towers. The smaller carriers often offer prepaid plans that are much more affordable than what T-Mobile brings to the table.

Below, we walk you through the top five T-Mobile MVNOs worth considering, based on their speeds, reliability, prices, and other factors.

Quick guide to this article:

• Mint Mobile: Best overall value
• Metro for T-Mobile: Best for free phones
• Ultra Mobile: Best for roaming
• US Mobile: Best unlimited data plan
• TextNow: Best budget option
• Recap

Our picks for the best T-Mobile alternatives

The best T-Mobile MVNOs include Metro by T-Mobile, Ultra Mobile, Mint Mobile, US Mobile, and TextNow, but which one to pick will depend on your individual needs. Here is a breakdown of the T-Mobile MVNO plans we highlight on this page:

• Best overall value: Mint Mobile is a fine choice since it offers the best of both value and coverage, with reasonable unlimited plans starting at $15 per month while still being directly owned by T-Mobile.
• Best for free phones: If you want service as close to T-Mobile as possible, complete with physical stores and free or discounted phones, Metro by T-Mobile is a great choice for $25 per month—though it won’t get you as steep a discount as other options.
• Best for international roaming: Ultra Mobile is one of the few MVNOs that has free international calling and texting baked into its service without charging extra.
• Best unlimited data plan: US Mobile stands out because it offers higher data caps before throttling than any other MVNO on this list. Prices start at $15 per month and you get excellent customer service.
• Best budget option: For those on a tight budget, TextNow is a good option with its very affordable plan tiers and the ad-supported free option.

How good is T-Mobile's network?

According to our research, T-Mobile is the fastest network in the industry for download and upload speeds.

T-Mobile is a formidable network that will work great for most people, but its weakness might be coverage (depending on where you live).

Here’s a closer look T-Mobile’s coverage, data speeds, and other metrics.

T-Mobile coverage

T-Mobile data speeds

Download speeds are probably the most important metric to look at when determining overall data speeds. Your download speed will determine how well you can stream, scroll, browse, and game on your device.

According to the latest report from OpenSignal, T-Mobile's network gives users an average of 139.3Mbps download speeds. How fast is 139.3Mbps? It’s plenty for casual Netflix viewing, Instagram posting, TikTok scrolling, and even hotspot tethering. In fact, it might be faster than your home broadband connection.

T-Mobile takes home the gold medal in the download speed olympics. That’s respectable. But what's truly impressive are the upload speeds, which are more important now as more people work from home. T-Mobile is tops in both categories.

What is deprioritization?

Most of these discount MVNO carriers come with a risk of data deprioritization. This happens when the network owner (like T-Mobile) decides to prioritize the data speeds of its own customers over those on prepaid plans.

Deprioritization can be frustrating when you’re trying to stream, post, or download content, but it’s not going to be a constant problem. Deprioritization is more likely when the network is congested during times of heavy use.

All right, that’s enough about T-Mobile’s network. Let’s take a look at the many MVNOs that actually use this network.

Best overall value: Mint Mobile

Mint Mobile is one of the best known MVNOs in the U.S., likely due to the star power of Ryan Reynolds, who’s been the face of the company for years, until its purchase by T-Mobile. Its unlimited plans are some of the most affordable you can get, running as little as $15–$30 a month, depending on your high-speed data tier.

Technically, all Mint’s plans offer unlimited data, but there’s a high-speed data cap that can range from 5GB to 40GB depending on the plan, after which Mint throttles your speeds. This is different from deprioritization, which Mint Mobile users may also experience, depending on network congestion.

Mint Mobile also has family plans, allowing you to add up to 5 lines. It doesn’t offer a significant discount for each line you add, so this may be a case where you’re better off with T-Mobile if you have three lines or more.

Also notable about Mint Mobile is that it offers an international pass to allow for international roaming with high speed data, talk, and text in 180+ countries. Passes are available in 1-day, 3-day, and 10-day intervals, and you can easily activate them on the Mint Mobile app before travel.

What customers are saying about Mint Mobile: Mint Mobile earns mixed reviews, with 3.1 stars on Trustpilot putting it below others on this list. However, it gets strong praise on Reddit, with users saying they’ve been using the service for years without problems. The most common complaints are about unexpectedly high data use and inconsistent service and reception, with Google Pixel phone users in particular reporting issues.

Best for cheap (or free) phones: Metro by T-Mobile

Metro by T-Mobile (formerly MetroPCS) is the only MVNO that bears T-Mobile’s name, though it’s not the only one directly owned by T-Mobile (that category is also shared by Mint Mobile). Metro serves as T-Mobile’s prepaid provider for more price-conscious customers, and it has its own physical stores and staff separate from T-Mobile, giving customers more in-person support than the standard MVNO.

Metro customers get full access to T-Mobile LTE and 5G networks, albeit with deprioritization and a 35GB cap for high-speed data. That said, as someone who reviewed dozens, if not hundreds of Metro phones in a previous role, I rarely ever got slower speeds than I was used to.

Metro has three unlimited data plans, which each come with different levels of hotspot data, 100GB Google One membership, and access to various streaming services, which are perks you usually don’t get with a MVNO.

Overall, these unlimited plans are quite a bit more affordable than mainstream T-Mobile plans for an individual user, but once you start adding 3+ lines, T-Mobile can become more cost-effective due to discounts, such as offering a third line free for new customers.

What customers are saying about T-Mobile: Metro by T-Mobile is the lowest-ranking MVNO on this list with 2.1 stars on Trustpilot. Customers on Reddit mention frequent deals that let you get a phone for free or cheap for both new and existing customers. Many users praise the $25/month bring your own device plan for being the most affordable option if you bring your number from a non-T-Mobile provider. Common complaints on Trustpilot and Reddit include problems porting numbers and feeling misled by promo offers.

Best for international calling: Ultra Mobile

Ultra Mobile is an MVNO that operates on T-Mobile’s network and it’s actually a sister company to the better known Mint Mobile. It offers the same extensive 5G network that T-Mobile is known for, solid 5G speeds, and for international travelers, free talk and text to 90+ countries. As with all MVNOs, you may be subject to deprioritization when the network is congested.

Ultra also has some of the cheapest plans available, with a bare-bones talk and text plan running $10–$15 a month, depending on if you pay monthly or annually. Unfortunately, it comes with only 250Mb of data, making the plans impractical for most smartphone users, since even basic apps and Google Maps eat up the data limit quick.

There are higher tier plans available that offer more data at 3GB, 5GB, 10GB, and 15GB, along with an unlimited plan (soft capped at 60GB high-speed data) that can run up to $59 a month. This is on par with what you get on Metro, but it’s not the best value compared to the unlimited plans available on Mint and US Mobile. Notably, if you have a big family, the only way to add multiple lines is to sign up for the 1-month unlimited plan.

What customers are saying about Ultra Mobile: Customers on Reddit praise the international roaming feature, the ease of using Ultra Mobile’s online account portal, and the excellent customer service. Trustpilot reviews are decent at 3.6 stars, with common complaints being problems porting numbers, unreliable service, and customer service not following up on dropped calls.

Best unlimited data plan: US Mobile

US Mobile is one of the lesser-known T-Mobile MVNOs due to its relative lack of advertising compared with Mint Mobile. But it’s an incredibly good value. US Mobile has three different unlimited plans that range in price from $20 to $40 a month if you pay monthly, along with annual plans that offer more significant discounts for paying up front.

Similar to Mint Mobile, all US Mobile’s plans are unlimited, but there is some throttling after you hit the high-speed data cap, which can vary from 10GB to 100GB, depending on the plan. Naturally, US Mobile can also be deprioritized during network congestion, no different than any other MVNO. One unique feature is that many of the higher tier plans come with shareable data, so if you don’t use all your data, someone else on your family plan can use it.

Because US Mobile supports both Warp 5G and GSM 5G networks, it essentially can run on both T-Mobile and Verizon’s networks, meaning it has one of the most comprehensive nationwide coverages available. The one caveat is that you have to choose Warp 5G or GSM—you can’t use both at the same time, and switching between the services requires contacting support.

What customers are saying about US Mobile: US Mobile ranks well. Its 4.6 rating on TrustPilot gives it the best score on this list. On Reddit, US Mobile’s customer service team is incredibly active and gets in the comments to help users troubleshoot or take advantage of missed offers. Common complaints we found are issues with porting numbers and getting banking apps like Zelle working.

Best budget option: TextNow

TextNow is unique among MVNOs on this list because it offers a free tier with unlimited calling and texting, and data for select apps like rideshare, email, and maps. However, there is a big caveat to that: You’re required to download and use the TextNow app, which has ads baked into the service. These can include banner ads, videos, and ads that take over your screen.

Coverage for TextNow matches T-Mobile’s service area and includes Canada and Mexico. If you want less restrictive data options and the ability to do more general browsing and watch videos, TextNow has different data pass options ranging from as short as an hour for 300MB of high speed data, to $39.99 a month for 10GB of high-speed data. The top tier is ad-free, but after hitting your data cap, you’ll get throttled to 2G speeds, which are barely usable.

You can keep your existing phone number or use a new one provided by TextNow, but if you have a free plan, you’re at risk of having your number recycled and used by someone else if it’s idle for a long period unless you pay for a number lock-in subscription.

What customers are saying about TextNow: TextNow gets a strong 4.4 stars on Trustpilot, with users liking the unlimited texting and messaging, with data for the most used apps. Some Redditors report problems sending messages and videos and issues where the TextNow app doesn’t always ring for incoming calls.

Why choose an MVNO?

The biggest reason to choose an MVNO rather than going direct to T-Mobile is value. T-Mobile offers excellent service, but if you want to set up three lines, you’re looking at a price ranging from $90 to $180 a month as a new customer. You also can’t find much better options on Verizon and AT&T, with the price per line ranging between $40 to $65 depending on your exact plan.

Reasons to choose an MVNO:

• More affordable prepaid prices
• Flexible plan options
• Performance just as good as the parent carrier

By contrast, an MVNO like Mint Mobile can cost you as little as $15 to $30 a month as a new customer, and others like US Mobile can be even more affordable.

Why avoid an MVNO?

That said, there are some downsides to keep in mind with MVNOs. The big one is data deprioritization. Because an MVNO essentially rents bandwidth from a carrier, the parent carrier may deprioritize MVNO users’ speeds in favor of its direct customers when the network is congested. This may not be an issue if you’re at home or work, but in places with high congestion like airports and football stadiums that rely on C-band or mmWave, your data speeds may slow to a crawl.

Reasons to avoid an MVNO:

• Usually no postpaid options
• Often require payments for several months or the entire year in advance to get the full discount.
• Deprioritized data and more stringent data limits

MVNOs also tend to have stricter limits on how much data you can use without being throttled or paying more for an unlimited plan, which still aren’t truly unlimited since your speeds slow after hitting a certain limit. And for international travelers, MVNOs may have limited roaming options.

Recap

The best T-Mobile MVNOs include Metro by T-Mobile. Ultra Mobile, Mint Mobile, US Mobile, and TextNow, but which one to pick will depend on your individual needs. If you want service as close to T-Mobile as possible, complete with physical stores for support, Metro by T-Mobile is a great choice, though it won’t get you as steep a discount as other options. Mint Mobile is another fine choice since it offers the best of both worlds, with reasonable unlimited plans while still being directly owned by T-Mobile.

For international travel, Ultra Mobile is one of the few MVNOs that has international roaming baked into its service without charging extra. US Mobile stands out because it offers higher data caps before throttling than any other MVNO on this list, and is excellent customer service. For those on a tight budget, TextNow is a good option with its very affordable plan tiers and the ad-supported free option.

What makes this guide legit?

I researched each carrier on this list across primary and secondary sources, looking at reviews from renowned publications as well as ratings on TrustPilot and customer concerns on Reddit and other social media.

As a long-time T-Mobile user, I have personal experience using T-Mobile’s service and a brief interval with Google Fi. As a former mobile analyst at PCMag, I’ve also tested devices across a wide range of carriers, including Metro,T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T, TextNow, and others.

The main factors I considered were:

Value: I looked primarily at the cost of unlimited plans, if there were discounts for multiple lines, and what offered the best bang for the buck in terms of unthrottled data.

Speed, reliability, and coverage: I checked the average speeds offered by each MVNO and their network coverage to see if it was on par with T-Mobile in terms of speed, reliability, and coverage. I looked at the data caps of each plan, taking into account when throttling would kick in.

Customer service and support: I read user reviews to see how customer service handled complaints and how easy it was to get support.

Add-ons: I also looked at which plans offered international roaming options and whether any of them included bundled services like streaming subscriptions or other add-ons.