Best Family Phone Plans for 2025

Yahoo

10-02-2025

Shopping for a new family phone plan is far from easy. There are multiple carriers, each with its own selection of plans and a host of pros, cons and fine print. Then there are upgrades and deals to consider, as well as what features everyone needs. You also need to decide whether plan perks like free Netflix, extra hotspot data or bundled international roaming make sense for you or any of the people in your group.
After covering the wireless industry for over a decade, we've picked the best plans for three or more lines from T-Mobile and Verizon (though we didn't pick any from AT&T). Whether you're upgrading phones or just hunting for the best deal, here are the best family phone plans.
Because T-Mobile restructured its cheapest plans, this has gotten a bit more complicated. As mentioned above, both T-Mobile Essentials and Essentials Saver include unlimited talk, text and data for all the carrier's base unlimited plans, including 5G access.
In short, if you need two lines, Essentials Saver is your best pick, while those looking for three or more lines may want to go with regular Essentials.
Two lines of Essentials Saver run $80 a month, while a similar offering from Verizon costs $110 a month, and a similar deal from AT&T runs $122 a month. Three lines will also run $90 at T-Mobile for its regular Essentials thanks to a promotion, compared with $120 at Verizon (for Unlimited Welcome) and $138 at AT&T (for Unlimited Starter SL). The four-line option is now back to $100 at T-Mobile thanks to some promotions and is a bit cheaper compared with $120 at Verizon and $144 at AT&T.
Make sure to go with T-Mobile's "Essentials 4 Line Offer" to get the four lines for $100 per month deal and not the regular Essentials (which is $105 per month).
If you're comparing prices on multiple carriers' websites, keep in mind that Verizon's pricing by default factors in a switching promotional discount of $180 over three years for Unlimited Welcome, or $540 if you're getting Unlimited Plus. In either case, it's assuming you aren't also getting a new phone when you switch.
To get the real numbers of Verizon's plans make sure to add $5 a line to its Welcome prices and $15 a line for Plus. Our pricing above removes the BYOD device credit. Our pricing here also assumes no perks from Verizon.
As for T-Mobile, its prices also come with a couple of caveats: Unlike the carrier's Go5G or Magenta plans, taxes and fees aren't included in any of these Essentials prices, making the final total a little higher. All the deals also require that you set up AutoPay and paperless billing.
As mentioned, you may need to click "see more plans" on T-Mobile's site to get this option to appear.
See at T-Mobile
This is a bit more complicated. Verizon used to be our pick with its Play More plan that bundled in the Disney bundle (ad-free Disney Plus, ESPN Plus and Hulu with ads) and services like Google Play Pass or Apple Arcade into the plan's sticker price.
Now the carrier has updated its wireless plans to remove perks like the Disney bundle or Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass from being automatically included with its service. Even with its new plans, it's still our pick for best perks, but this will require a bit more explanation.
Instead of automatically putting services in, it now offers a variety of perks at $10 a month per perk, allowing you to pick and choose what you want. It also now allows its lower-cost plan, known as Unlimited Welcome, to participate.
Unlimited Welcome runs $65 a month for one line or $120 a month for four lines. You get unlimited talk, text and data, but you don't get access to Verizon's fastest 5G networks (what it calls "5G Ultra Wideband") or hotspot data. For that, you will need to step up to its pricier Unlimited Plus plan ($80 for one line, $180 for four lines).
Both the Welcome and Plus plans include the ability to add perks at that $10 per month rate. This includes the Disney Bundle (normally $15 a month), Apple One individual (normally around $17 a month), Apple Music Family (which can be shared with five people and normally runs $17 a month) and Walmart Plus (normally $13 a month but also includes Paramount Plus Essential).
There are also other perks including an additional 100GB of hotspot data (normally $45 a month), 2TB of Verizon's cloud storage (normally $15 a month), three days of international data (what the carrier calls TravelPass, normally $10 a day).
All perks can be turned on or off at will, and you could forgo them entirely. You can even go with multiple perks on a single line.
Whether this makes sense for your situation may require some time with a spreadsheet going through what services work for you and what you're willing to pay for them. The savings could add up if you're paying for some of these services directly, but it also could be more expensive than your existing plan.
It's also worth mentioning that Verizon allows you to "mix and match" lines, so if not everyone needs the faster 5G connectivity, they could be on Unlimited Welcome, while the one who does can go on Unlimited Plus.
AT&T allows something similar with its unlimited plans, but at the moment it no longer offers any streaming perks. To get T-Mobile's perks, everyone has to be on the same plan.
If you wanted a cheaper way to save on one or two services like the Disney bundle, you could have four lines for $120 a month, add the Disney perk for $10 and pay $130 a month for the whole package.
Oh, and you can also combine these plans with Verizon's other discounts for teachers, nurses, military and first responders to save a bit more.
See at Verizon
T-Mobile's new plans are also a bit complicated. For most people, T-Mobile's Magenta and Magenta Max options are the better pick when it comes to looking for perks for one or two lines. They're cheaper than the new Go5G options and have most of the same features, except with a cheaper monthly rate ($70 for one line on Magenta, $120 for two lines; $85 for one line on Magenta Max, $140 for two lines).
You get less hotspot and international data with a Magenta plan compared to a Go5G option, and Magenta Max users also don't get the same ability to upgrade to a new device after two years while taking advantage of T-Mobile's "new customer" deals.
Thanks to T-Mobile offering a free third line on its Go5G options, those plans become cheaper and a better value compared to the Magentas if you need three or more lines.
Among the benefits of Magenta and Go5G ($75 a month for one line, $155 a month for four lines) are unlimited international data (albeit at slow "2G speeds") when traveling in over 210 countries, an hour of in-flight Wi-Fi on several airlines, T-Mobile Tuesdays weekly giveaways, the bundling of Netflix's Standard with Ads plan (which is $7 a month) and six free months of Apple TV Plus.
Its pricier Magenta Max and Go5G Plus ($90 a month for one line, $185 a month for four lines) plans keep the Netflix Standard with Ads plan, include a full subscription to Apple TV Plus, ups the hotspot data from 15GB on Go5G to 50GB per month on Go5G Plus, adds 5GB of high-speed international data and gives you unlimited Wi-Fi on a host of flights including those from American, Alaska Airlines, Delta and United. Go5G Plus also has 15GB of high-speed data in Canada and Mexico, compared to 10GB on Go5G and 5GB on Magenta and Magenta Max.
Unlike its Essentials plans discussed earlier, T-Mobile also includes taxes and fees with the pricing of its Magenta and Go5G plans.
See at T-Mobile
Note: You need to switch to T-Mobile and have an eligible trade-in.
T-Mobile's switcher offer is once again very tempting if you're looking to switch to the carrier and need new devices. You get four lines of its Essentials plan and four new iPhone 16 models for $100 monthly. You can find it by scrolling down the carrier's Apple deals page.
As always, there is some fine print to be aware of. Here is what that is.
Like other carriers, you need to commit to being with T-Mobile for 24 months (which is better than AT&T and Verizon's respective 36-month installment plans). Leaving early loses you the credits and leaves you on the hook for the balance owed. You must also have at least four lines and trade in an iPhone 11 Pro or newer to get the full value for the deal. Older phones, like an iPhone 6 or 7, will only get you partial credit off an iPhone 16 ($415 off per line).
T-Mobile's Essentials plan also doesn't include perks like Netflix or bundling in taxes and fees. You also will be on the hook for $35 a line "device connection" charges. These are one-time fees the carrier charges as part of activation. They're also fairly standard across the major carriers.
This is still a good deal, particularly if you have three- or four-year-old iPhones and are already considering switching. Each iPhone 16 retails for $830 per device most providers won't give that type of credit for an iPhone 12.
Verizon has its own, similar free iPhone offer, but that deal gives you the iPhone 15 instead of the iPhone 16. AT&T has no four-line deal that bundles in free iPhones.
See at T-Mobile
Note: You need to open four new lines on Verizon.
Verizon's offer doesn't give the latest iPhone to new users, its deal isn't a bad one if you are looking to switch providers and need a few upgrades.
The deal itself: Sign up for four new lines on Verizon's Unlimited Welcome plan and you get four 128GB iPhone 15 for $120 a month. All the lines need to be new, the deal is online only, and you need to set up automatic payments and paper-free billing. Taxes and fees are also not included, but on the plus side, you don't need to trade in any older device to get the offer.
Similar to other free device offers, this deal will get you monthly bill credits towards the cost of the iPhones dished out over 36 months. If you leave Verizon early, you will be on the hook for whatever balance is still owed.
As mentioned above, Unlimited Welcome is Verizon's new base plan and includes unlimited talk, text and data, but you don't get access to Verizon's fastest 5G networks (what it calls "5G Ultra Wideband") or hotspot data. You can also add perks like The Disney Bundle or Apple One for $10 a month, per perk.
Verizon, like other carriers, has other device deals for those switching to its pricier Unlimited Plus or Unlimited Ultimate options, and it does let you "mix and match" plans where some lines can be on the cheaper Welcome and others on the pricier plans.
See at Verizon
As we covered in our other wireless guides, to get the best deal you need to make sure you have the coverage that you need. This makes it hard to give a blanket recommendation of any one carrier. T-Mobile's service in New York may be excellent, but if you're in rural Iowa, Verizon is more reliable.
Your mileage may vary, but the good news is that these networks are growing and improving all the time, particularly as the three major players race to blanket the US with 5G. It's quite possible that you left a network complaining about its sparse service a decade ago, but now it's beefed itself up because of that race to acquire customers.
If you know any friends or family in your area that already use the carrier you're considering, ask about their experience. You could also go to a carrier's store and see if they offer any free ways to try out the service before switching over, such as T-Mobile's Network Pass. Verizon offers a similar 30-day "Test Drive" program, while AT&T has recently introduced its own 30-day eSIM free trial option for sampling its network.
Picking a wireless plan and carrier is a very individualized process. What works for you and your family's needs may be vastly different from your friends or neighbors. Even geographically, some areas have better AT&T coverage while others work best on Verizon or T-Mobile (and vice versa). The picks we make are based on over a decade of covering and evaluating wireless carriers, their offerings and overall performance.
In particular, we take into account the following: 1. Coverage 2. Price 3. Value 4. Perks
Since all three major providers blanket most of the country with good 4G LTE or 5G, this is largely a toss-up on a macro level and why we recommend a variety of eSIM options for figuring out what works best for you in your particular location so you can best decide what is right for you. Looking at coverage maps on each provider's website will likely show whether you can get good coverage even if your experience isn't full bars or the fastest speeds. This is also why with prepaid plans, we specify which network each prepaid provider uses as they sometimes make that a bit difficult to figure out.
Value is factoring in the total experience you might get, such as how much high-speed data you get and what's included in the sticker price.
Perks are add-ons beyond the core components of wireless service (talk, text and data). This could range from bundling in or discounting streaming services to extra hotspot data or the ability to use your phone internationally.
As we've covered in our guide to switching carriers, in the US there are three major networks: AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon. All three offer services directly and have robust nationwide networks that offer 4G LTE (fast) and 5G (faster) data.
The most important aspect of choosing a network is finding one that works in your area. This makes it hard for us to give a blanket recommendation of any one carrier. For example, T-Mobile's service in New York may be excellent, but if you're in rural Iowa, Verizon could be more reliable.
Your mileage may vary, but the good news is that these networks have been rapidly growing and improving, particularly as the three major players continue to try and blanket the US with faster versions of 5G. It's quite possible that a decade ago you left a network complaining about its sparse service, but now it has beefed itself up because of that arms race to acquire customers.
As mentioned, if you know any friends or family in your area that already use the carrier you're considering, ask about their experience. You could also go to a carrier's store and see if they offer any free ways to try out the service before switching over, such as T-Mobile's Network Pass which lets you sample T-Mobile's service for free for three months. Verizon now offers a similar 30-day "trial" program, while the Cricket prepaid service has rolled out its own trial offering that lets you try out parent AT&T's network.
It is, but the speeds you get may vary depending on your plan and how much data you use in a given month. Whereas in the past carriers would slow down or "throttle" your speeds if you passed a certain limit (usually over 22GB of data within a month) for the remainder of your billing cycle, today all three major providers say they'll only do that in special cases.
To have your data slowed down on most of the plans mentioned above, you will need to have:
1. Used over 50GB of data in a month.
2. Be in an area that is experiencing "congestion," "heavy traffic" or if the network is "busy." Examples of this could be at a sporting event or concert where there are tens of thousands of people in the same area uploading and sharing photos and videos.
All carriers say that in these cases your data should only be slowed "temporarily." If you have an older unlimited plan, your threshold for when your data slows and how long it lasts may be different.
All of the carriers offer additional discounts that you could be eligible for, depending on your employer, military status, student status or age.
First responders, military members, veterans, nurses and teachers can get discounts on every major carrier. Verizon has discounts for students, while T-Mobile's Work perk could knock 15% off the monthly price of a Go5G Plus or Go5G Next plan with AT&T offering a similar program for its Unlimited Premium plans that it calls Signature. AT&T also has a promotion for teachers that offers 25% off its latest unlimited plans.
If you're 55 or older, you may also be eligible for a discounted plan: T-Mobile offers discounted plans nationwide for as low as $55 a month for two lines, and Verizon and AT&T offer similar options, but only for Florida residents.