The best T-Mobile phone plans give you access to the carrier’s large and fast 5G network with enough data to actually use it, while avoiding paying for features you don’t need.
T-Mobile’s plans, for the most part, offer unlimited data with access to all the carrier’s 5G bands for equal coverage, with differences coming down mainly to premium data, hotspot data, and plan extras. If you want a lot of data with the best performance, it can be easy to end up with a bunch of features you don’t actually need. T-Mobile has a lot of plans available with several variants of its Go5G plans as well as some older Magenta plans.
If you’ve been looking at all thebest cell phone plans, there are plenty of carriers using the T-Mobile network, but if you want T-Mobile’s best speeds and highest priority data, you’ll want one of the carrier’s postpaid plans. If you’ve recently upgraded or are looking to buy one of thebest T-Mobile phones, the right plans can make sure you’re getting all the performance you need.
T-Mobile Go5G
T-Mobile Essentials Saver
T-Mobile Essentials
T-Mobile Go5G Next
T-Mobile Essentials 55+
T-Mobile Go5G Plus
Best plans to use on T-Mobile
Tons of data with multi-line savings
Go5G is T-Mobile’s sensible middle child with plenty of data for the vast majority of users, data for when you travel, and high-quality streaming at 720p resolution. Taxes and fees are included, and with multi-line discounts, this plan is one of T-Mobile’s most competitive.
Unlimited data plans, especially those from postpaid carriers like T-Mobile, can give you some peace of mind that you won’t suddenly find yourself without data or a heavily throttled connection.
For even a relatively heavy user, T-Mobile’s Go5G plan with 100GB premium data, and unlimited data at a slightly lower priority after that, is plenty. You get 5G speeds as fast as T-Mobile can deliver them for the first 100GB of usage each month, and if you manage to use it all, you still get solid 5G speeds with more variation depending on how crowded the network is.
Besides that, the plan comes with 15GB of high-speed hotspot data so you can stream and download on your laptop or tablet without paying for another plan. This isn’t a ton of data, but if you spend most of your time on your home Wi-Fi connection, it can be plenty to keep you connected on the go. Not only that, but after that 15GB of high-speed data is used, you still get unlimited 3G speeds which is enough for messaging, light browsing, and email.
Taxes and fees are included with this plan, so the price you see is the price you pay, which is a breath of fresh air on a postpaid plan. There’s also a $5 autopay discount bringing the price down to $75 for a single line. The best way to save is to bring as many lines as possible, with T-Mobile offering the third line free for new customers. If you bring two or three lines, Go5G comes in at $130 per month, with four lines costing $155 per month.
Plenty of domestic data for most
T-Mobile’s cheapest postpaid plan is called Essentials Saver and it’s a strong value for customers with one or two lines. You get a solid 50GB of premium data and even 3G-speed hotspot usage. Video stream quality takes a cut to SD quality, but for many people, this is a worthwhile sacrifice on a phone screen.
T-Mobile’s Essentials Saver plan is its cheapest for one or two lines, but it still comes with a respectable 50GB of premium 5G data and 3G-speed hotspot data. That 50GB of data seems a lot lower than the other plans at T-Mobile, but this is one of this plan’s most minor sacrifices in real-world usage, since most people don’t need that much data at all, and your home Wi-Fi usage doesn’t count towards your data usage.
One thing to note is that, unlike Verizon and AT&T, all T-Mobile customers get access to the full 5G network including low-band, mid-band, and high-band spectrum.
This plan lacks nearly all international features except for the ability to text international numbers from home. Videos stream at SD resolutions, which will look a bit blurry on a large phone screen but won’t bother many people. You may even be able to use 720p on some apps if you don’t mind a few seconds of buffering every so often.
Keep in mind that this plan doesn’t include taxes and fees, you’ll be looking at a few more dollars per month on top of the sticker price depending on your state and region. It’s also worth noting that these fees could increase, and you’re responsible for the difference. Still, there’s an autopay discount that brings the price down to $50 per month for a single line and $80 for two lines. If you’re bringing three or more lines, however, the standard Essentials plans start to make more sense.
Save even more with multiple lines
If you’re bringing three or more lines to T-Mobile and want the cheapest data you may get, T-Mobile’s Essential plan is the best bet. It gets 50GB of premium data, 3G-speed hotspot data, and even a few international features like usage in Mexico and Canada.
If you’re considering the cheap Essentials Saver plan but have more than a couple of lines, the standard Essentials plan makes more sense. While pricier at one or two lines for a very similar set of features, thanks to a third-line free promotion and special four-line pricing for four to six lines, it’s the better deal for families. Compared to the above Essential Saver plan, you get a handful of flat-rate international options added in but, most importantly, four lines come in at just $100 per month with five lines at $125.
This plan still has 50GB of premium data with unlimited 3G-speed hotspot data. Video streams are still lackluster at SD quality, but fine enough for the kids watching 12 hours of Roblox videos on a road trip or putting a podcast on in the background. While both Essentials and Essentials Saver can send international texts for free, Essentials comes with usage in Mexico and Canada, and Simple Global flat-rate international calling and testing.
Upgrade your phone every year
If you like upgrading your phone with the latest model every single year, T-Mobiles Go5G Next is a good plan for you. With this plan, you’re upgrade-ready every year and will have access to the same offers as new customers. If you upgrade every year, this plan could be worth the premium price.
T-Mobile’s top premium plan for heavy users, Go5G Next, comes with unlimited premium data, but only really makes sense for those who always want to use the latest tech. Go5G Next’s headline feature is being upgrade-ready every single year compared to the typical two and three-year payment plan cycles on most other plans.
Since T-Mobile has come out with this plan, some other carriers likeBoost Mobilehave shown up with annual upgrade plans, but lack some of Go5G Next’s other features. T-Mobile also gives customers on this plan the same phone offers as new customers, so they can take advantage of deals like buy one, get one free credits.
Besides the phone upgrades, Go5G Next has all of T-Mobile’s best features, including unlimited premium 5G data, 50GB of hotspot data, and taxes and fees included. While the 50GB of hotspot data is ample for most people, it’s worth mentioning that Verizon and AT&T’s top plans offer 60GB of hotspot data. Luckily, on-phone usage is basically unrestricted with unlimited premium 5G data and 4K streaming video quality.
If you’re traveling internationally, you get 5GB of high-speed data in another country and in-flight Wi-Fi on the way there on equipped plans from Alaskan Airlines, American, Delta, and United.
Taxes and fees are included on this plan, which is a nice touch given its eye-watering price, which starts at $100 for a single line, going up to $170 for two lines, $180 for three lines, and $225 for four lines. There’s also a $35 activation fee when you upgrade your phone, so some extra money will need to come out of pocket. That being said, Apple TV+, Netflix, and Hulu are all included in the price, so at least you’ll have plenty to stream as soon as you finishsetting up your new phone.
Don’t forget your 55+ discount
With 50GB of premium data, a low starting price, and full access to T-Mobile’s 5G network, most 55+ customers are getting all they need at a low starting price. This line supports up to two lines, so if more lines are needed, you’ll need to upgrade to a Go5G 55 plan instead.
T-Mobile has 55+ versions of many of its plans, as well as military and first responder discounts, that are cheaper than its standard postpaid plans, but may have a few more restrictions. When it comes to T-Mobile Essentials 55+, the biggest restriction is the number of lines, with only two lines allowed on this plan. If you need three or more lines, you’ll need to choose a different plan, such as Go5G 55+.
Even so, for $40 per month for a single line or $80 per month for two lines, you get totally unlimited data, so you don’t need to worry about counting gigabytes or tracking your usage in an app.
Like the other Essentials plan, you get 50GB of premium data with unlimited 5G data after that. Not much more is included, but if you decide to take a trip to Mexico or Canada, you can keep using your phone with a basic 2G-speed data service that’s enough to send and receive messages along with unlimited talk and text. If you’ve got an empty nest and are ready to give up your old expensive family plan, Essentials 55+ could be a great pick.
Streaming services included
If you watch a lot of streaming video, you need a plan that can keep up with high-quality video, and enough premium data to keep it locked at HD resolutions. This plan also comes with Apple TV+ and Netflix included so you’re ready to stream right off the bat.
If most of the videos you stream are on an app on your phone, you want a plan with plenty of streaming perks and a phone that can handle it. Go5G Plus isn’t T-Mobile’s top plan, but it isn’t far off with unlimited premium data and 50GB of high-speed hotspot data. It comes with Netflix Standard with ads, and Apple TV+, so you’ve got two apps full of shows ready to stream as soon as you get set up.
With up to 4K video streaming supported on the plan, you’ll be able to get the most out of these streaming apps on your phone’s screen. Plus, you’ll be able to use these services on your TV as well.
Like Go5G Next, you also get the same phone offers as new customers, and you’re upgrade-ready in two years. If you choose one of thebest Android phones, you can easily get two good years out of it without significant slowdown. With Go5G Plus, you can be sure you have a phone with the latest features and full support for the 5G network.
Go5G Plus costs $90 per month for a single line with autopay discounts. For two and three lines, it costs $150 per month thanks to a promotion making the third line free. Finally, four lines bring it to $185 per month. Keep in mind that if you get a new phone and take advantage of the biannual upgrade, you’ll pay a $35 activation fee with the new phone.
Make the most of T-Mobile 5G with the right plan
T-Mobile is one of thebest overall carriersthanks to its massive 5G network allowing it to be competitive on data and coverage. It’s not perfect, with activation fees for new phones, which fell out of favor even when Sprint was still around, but as a one-time fee for phone upgrades, it’s tolerable. T-Mobile is also no stranger to data breaches, though the carriers has beengetting a handle on things.
One thing T-Mobile excels at is discounts for military members and veterans, first responders, and 55+ customers. If you’re in the military, a veteran, or first responder, the top pick, Go5G, is $15 cheaper for a single line and $35 cheaper if you’ve got four lines. If you qualify, thank you — and this is definitely a discount you should remember to activate. When it comes to 55+ plans, be sure to verify the 55+ version is the cheapest before signing up. For example, Go5G 55 is $5 more than Go5G with four lines thanks to the current promotion.
Overall, the best plan for most people is the Go5G plan. This plan comes with 100GB of premium data, which the vast majority of users won’t fully use, and unlimited data after that. Video streaming quality gets a bump to 720p, which should offer plenty of clarity on a phone screen. It comes with 10GB of high-speed data if you go to Mexico or Canada, so you don’t need to worry about getting another SIM if you go on vacation. With multi-line discounts and the third-line free promotions, Go5G can be the perfect choice.
Go5G is T-Mobile’s sensible middle child with plenty of data for the vast majority of users, data for when you travel, and high-quality streaming at 720p resolutions. Taxes and fees are included, and with multi-line discounts, this plan is one of T-Mobile’s most competitive.
