Best Cellphone Plans of 2023: Our Top Picks for December – CNET

T-Mobile Essentials Saver for 2 lines, T-Mobile Essentials for 3+ lines

Best value phone plan for multiple lines

Google Fi Wireless Simply Unlimited

Best phone plan for a family of four: $80 per month

With AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon offering dozens of plans, not to mention the exponentially larger assortment from prepaid and smaller carriers like Mint Mobile, Visible and Google Fi Wireless, it’s not easy choosing the best cellphone plan. Without doing the right research, you could end up paying a lot more than you should, and no one wants to lose out on saving money.

How we test

Picking a wireless plan and carrier is an 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 the wireless carriers, their offerings and their performance.

Since choosing a provider is unique, we focus on larger plans and the value they provide; as well as calling out ways you can test the different networks in your area for yourself so you can make the best pick.