Best Family Phone Plans for 2025

It's one thing to choose a phone plan for yourself, but it's quite another when you need to cover a family or group of three or more people. You don't want to be paying for perks or features, like hotspot streaming, that aren't going to be used by everyone. We've picked the best plans from T-Mobile and Verizon to consider when you're switching from another plan or adding family members to an account. (AT&T's plans didn't make the cut.) MOBILE DEALS OF THE WEEK $349 (save $450) $749 (save $250) Best family phone plans for 2025 Pros T-Mobile's 5G network is generally robust Plan includes 50GB of high-speed data in the US Phone can be used as a hotspot Unlimited calls, texts and data in Canada and Mexico Can have up to six lines on an account Third line free is a better deal than Essentials Saver Cons Data in Canada and Mexico limited to very slow 2G speeds Hotspot is limited to 3G speeds No five-year price guarantee Everyone must be on the same plan Taxes and fees aren't included in monthly cost If you compare the specifics of T-Mobile's Essentials and Essentials Saver plans, you might think the company forgot to update one or the other -- they're Essential-ly the same. With both, you get 50GB of fast Premium 5G data (depending on the network capabilities in your area), which drops to 3G speeds of still-unlimited data after that allotment is used up. You can use your phone as a mobile hotspot with unlimited data, but only at 3G speeds and restricted to paltry 2G speeds when you're in Canada or Mexico. In those two countries, calls, text and data are unlimited, while calls made from around 215 other countries are charged at 25 cents a minute. The Essentials plan also doesn't include perks such as streaming video from Netflix, nor the five-year price guarantee found on the Experience More and Experience Beyond plans. T-Satellite service is also not included, though it can be added for $10 a month . Where Essentials comes out ahead of Essentials Saver is the number of lines you can have on your account. Essentials Saver is limited to just three, but Essentials can accommodate six lines. In fact, a trio of people will save money going with Essentials due to a free third-line deal, paying $90 a month (plus taxes and fees) for a $10 savings over Essentials Saver. If your household needs four lines, an Essentials 4-Line Offer plan takes advantage of the third-line deal for $100 a month. However, if you need just one or two lines, Essentials Saver is still the better deal. A single line on Saver is still the better offer at $50 a month compared with $60 for the same features on Essentials, and two lines on Saver costs $80 a month compared with $90 for Essentials. Why we like it You get a solid level of basic phone service, with unlimited calls, texts and data,...

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