Our Mission
SaveOnPhone.com has been helping Americans find affordable phone plans since 1998. Our goal is simple: make it easy for anyone to compare wireless plans and find real savings — without jargon, sales pressure, or fine print.
We compare 42+ plans from 16 carriers, covering major networks (T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon) and the MVNOs that use their towers at a fraction of the cost.
How Our Score Works
Every plan on SaveOnPhone receives a score from 1.0 to 10.0. This score is calculated automatically based on objective criteria — no plan pays for a higher score. Here is exactly how it works:
Value Ratio (up to 4.5 points)
The biggest factor in our score is how much you get for what you pay. For unlimited plans, cheaper ones score higher. For capped data plans, we calculate a data-per-dollar ratio — more gigabytes per dollar means a higher score.
- Unlimited data under $25/mo: up to 4.5 points
- Unlimited data $25–$35/mo: up to 3.5 points
- Unlimited data $35–$50/mo: up to 2.5 points
- Unlimited data $50–$70/mo: up to 1.5 points
- Capped plans: scored by GB-per-dollar ratio
Hotspot Inclusion (up to 0.6 points)
Plans that include mobile hotspot data score higher. More hotspot data means more points:
- 30GB+ hotspot: 0.6 points
- 10–29GB hotspot: 0.4 points
- Any hotspot included: 0.2 points
5G Access (0.3 points)
Plans with 5G network access receive a small bonus, reflecting the value of faster speeds and future-proof connectivity.
Feature Count (up to 0.5 points)
Plans with more included features — international calling, streaming perks, Wi-Fi calling, spam protection — score slightly higher. This rewards carriers that bundle extra value.
Score Ranges
- 9.0–10.0 (green): Exceptional value — these are the plans we recommend most
- 7.5–8.9 (blue): Good value — solid plans with fair pricing
- 6.0–7.4 (yellow): Decent — acceptable but not the best deal available
- Below 6.0 (red): Below average value — you can likely find a better deal
What We Don't Factor In
Our score is purely about plan value. We intentionally exclude some factors that are important but too subjective or location-dependent to score fairly:
- Coverage quality: Coverage varies dramatically by location. Instead, we link directly to each carrier's coverage map so you can check your specific area.
- Customer service: Service quality is subjective and changes over time. We note carriers with strong reputations (like Consumer Cellular for seniors) in our segment guides.
- Phone deals: Device promotions change weekly and often require trade-ins or new lines. We focus on the ongoing monthly cost.
How We Select Plans
We include plans that meet all of these criteria:
- Available nationwide (not regional carriers)
- No long-term contract required
- Currently available to new customers
- From carriers with at least one year of operating history
We review and update plan details regularly. When carriers change pricing or features, we update our data as quickly as possible. The "Updated" date on our homepage reflects the last time our plan database was reviewed.
Multi-Line Pricing
When you select multiple lines using our line selector, we show per-line prices based on each carrier's actual multi-line pricing. Major carriers (T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon) and some MVNOs (Metro, Cricket, Xfinity Mobile) offer per-line discounts for additional lines. Prepaid MVNOs like Mint Mobile and Visible typically charge the same per-line rate regardless of how many lines you have.
Our Top Picks
Our "Top Picks" section features plans hand-selected by our editorial team based on exceptional value in specific categories — Best Overall Value, Best Budget Unlimited, Best Premium, and more. These picks are reviewed and updated quarterly.
Editorial Independence
SaveOnPhone.com is editorially independent. Our rankings and scores are never influenced by advertising relationships. Some links on our site are affiliate links, meaning we may earn a small commission if you sign up through them — but this never affects which plans we recommend or how we score them. We link to carriers whether or not we have an affiliate relationship.
We have been featured by CNN, NBC News, CBS News, ABC News, USA Today, and Yahoo Finance for our independent wireless plan analysis. You can read more about our history and press coverage on our About page.
Questions?
If you have questions about our methodology or want to suggest a plan we should include, we'd love to hear from you. Visit our About page for more information about SaveOnPhone.com.