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T-Mobile has established itself as a highly competitive carrier in the last decade by offering plans that are not only cheaper but also better than those of its competitors. However, T-Mobile offers multiple plans, and it might be confusing to choose the best one according to your phone usage and lifestyle. In this article, we will help you determine the best postpaid plan, the best plan for frequent travelers, the best-prepaid plan, and the best MVNO that you can choose to use T-Mobile’s network.
Postpaid vs. Prepaid vs. MVNO
Before we get started, it’s important to talk about the differences between Postpaid, Prepaid, and MVNO. Postpaid are customers who pay for their service after they have received it. That means your final bill will be larger than your first bill. Prepaid essentially means that you pay for your service before you receive it. And MVNO stands for Mobile Virtual Network Operator, they essentially buy access to T-Mobile’s network at wholesale rates. Which is why it can be a lot cheaper than a postpaid plan.
All three will offer the same coverage if they are on the same network. The difference here is going to be in busy areas. On a network tower, Postpaid customers get priority, followed by prepaid customers. MVNO customers are at the very bottom, however a T-Mobile-owned MVNO may be a bit higher than other MVNO’s, as it’s still a T-Mobile company. Metro by T-Mobile is one that is owned by T-Mobile.
Smartphone selection is another difference here. While postpaid customers get access to almost all smartphones that are available, prepaid and MVNO’s have far fewer options for customers. They also usually do not offer any financing, so you’d need to go through a third party, like Samsung (and buy unlocked).
Now that you know the difference between postpaid, prepaid, and MVNO, let’s get started.
Best overall T-Mobile Plan: Go5G
Starting April 23, 2023, T-Mobile’s plans will move to the Go5G and Go5G Plus plans, with the Magenta and Magenta Max plans to be online exclusives. However, the Go5G plans are of better value. So, we have updated this post accordingly.
Go5G was announced on April 20, 2023, and while it is priced higher than the Magenta plan, it does include more. So this plan will be priced at $75 per month for a single line, $55 per line per month for two lines, and $25 for three lines and four lines. These prices also include taxes and fees, which is really nice to see.
When it comes to data, Go5G does include 100GB of premium data, which basically means that after you hit that 100GB of data, your data will likely be slowed. It also includes 15GB of high-speed data for the hotspot and unlimited at 600Kbps. You’ll also get unlimited talk and text in Mexico and Canada and 10GB of high-speed data.
Now when it comes to the perks, you will get Netflix Basic on all family plans. I have also been using Apple TV+ for six months. Finally, for traveling, you’ll get 4 full-flight streaming sessions a year, and then unlimited 1 hour streaming and unlimited in-flight texting.
Best T-Mobile Plan for travelers: Go5G Plus
Go5G Plus is the best plan from T-Mobile for travelers, because it offers unlimited premium data, as well as more in-flight data. But let’s talk about pricing first. This one is going to cost you $90 for a single line. $60 per line for two lines, and $35 per line for three and four lines.
With Go5G Plus, you get unlimited premium data, which means you will never be slowed down, which is huge. When it comes to the mobile hotspot, you’re going to get 50GB of high-speed data, and then unlimited 600Kbps. In Mexico and Canada, you get unlimited talk and text, plus 15GB of high-speed data. And for other countries, you’ll get up to 5GB of high-speed data and unlimited text in 215 countries.
Now onto the perks. With Go5G Plus, you will get Netflix Basic on all single lines, or Netflix Standard on family plans. You also get Apple TV+ included. For flights, you will get full-flight texting and WiFi with streaming, where available.
Best T-Mobile Prepaid Plan: T-Mobile Connect 2.5GB
T-Mobile’s prepaid plans are super simple, and start at just $15, which is the plan we chose as their best prepaid plan. T-Mobile Connect 2.5GB will cost you $15 per month.
This plan is super simple, no real gotchas, or perks here. You get unlimited talk, text and data. With 2.5GB of high-speed data and then throttled afterwards. If you don’t use much data, are at home all the time, then this plan is going to be perfect.
T-Mobile Connect also has a 5.5GB plan for $25 per month.
Best plan for Seniors: Go 5G 55
T-Mobile is one of the few companies that offers plans for seniors. This plan is pretty much identical to the regular Go5G plan, but its $20 less per month. So you can get it for as low as $55 per month with auto-pay. T-Mobile also offers the Go5G Plus and Go5G Next 55 plans, which are also $20 cheaper. They are priced at $70 and $80 respectively.
With Go5G 55, you’re getting 100GB of premium data and unlimited 4G and 5G data after that. You also get unlimited texts and calls, and 15GB of high-speed mobile hotspot data. As far as additional perks, you’ll also get 6 months of Apple TV+ “On Us,” and you can stream video at SD quality or 720p if activated in the media settings. Unlimited talk, text, and data are available in over 200 countries, and a year of AAA is also included.
The reason why we chose this plan for seniors is because most seniors are retired and at home most of the time. So 100GB of data is more than enough for most that are over 55. But it is great to see that T-Mobile does offer truly unlimited premium data plans for seniors as low as $70 per month.
Don’t forget that these prices include taxes and fees too.
Best T-Mobile MVNO: Metro by T-Mobile
For the best T-Mobile MVNO, what better than Metro by T-Mobile (formerly MetroPCS), which is, of course, owned by T-Mobile.
Metro by T-Mobile has plans that are as low as $40/month, offering you unlimited talk, text, and data, with 5GB of high-speed data.
Metro’s $50 plan offers unlimited high-speed data, 15GB of hotspot data, and 100GB of Google One Membership. Its $60 plan also includes Amazon Prime.