Mint Mobile vs. US Mobile Cell Plans Review

Before we dive into our in-depth review, let’s talk about the basics. What do you need to look for when choosing a new phone plan?

• Data: Make sure you have enough data to support your streaming, scrolling, posting, and gaming needs.
• Price: There are tons of carriers out there offering all kinds of deals. Compare prices before locking in your new plan so that you don’t overpay.
• Coverage: AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon all run huge cellular networks. Check local coverage maps to make sure you’re on a network that’s strong in your area.
• Features: Get a plan with all the features you need—like hotspot data, international benefits, and HD video streaming.

You might wonder why Mint and US Mobile are so cheap. It's because Mint and US Mobile are both mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), which is just a fancy way of saying that they don’t own their own cellular networks. Instead, they lease bandwidth from larger companies to bring service to their customers.

This means that both companies are able to offer plans that are much cheaper than those offered by traditional carriers, like Verizon and AT&T. But it also means both carriers have relatively slow data speeds.

The big differences between Mint and US Mobile’s plans are the prices, data allotment, and perks. Here’s everything you need to know, beginning with Mint.

Mint Mobile has four plans on the market right now. You can purchase plans for three, six, or 12 months at a time. Every plan from Mint comes with these features:

• Unlimited talk and text
• 5G network access
• Mobile hotspot data
• T-Mobile coverage

Each plan also comes with a certain amount of data, from 5–40GB. Take a look at the prices in this chart. (For a limited time, new customers can get any plan for $15 a month.)

With Mint’s 5–20GB plans, you can, technically, still use data after you reach your cap. But that data will be at 128 Kbps speeds, which is not enough to do really anything (like stream your favorite song on Spotify or watch a YouTube video).

Then there’s the unlimited data plan, which is actually more like a 40GB plan. Once you use more than that, your speeds will be reduced. While 40GB is plenty of data for most people, it’s certainly not unlimited.

All of Mint’s plans come with a risk of data deprioritization, which means that your data speeds can be slowed down when the network is busy.

In short, Mint’s plans are a great deal for those who want a cheap plan with a decent amount of data. But those who need truly unlimited data or super-fast data speeds will probably want something different.

US Mobile offers double the plans as Mint. Users can choose between limited, unlimited, or shared data plans, ranging from 2GB to 100GB of high-speed data. Take a look at this chart to see some of the company’s most popular offerings.

Users will find the most value in US Mobile when they add multiple lines. When you compare single-line accounts, Mint Mobile offers more for less. For example, US Mobile's cheapest unlimited plan, Unlimited Starter, costs $29 a month for one line with 35GB of priority data. Mint Mobile's $30 Unlimited plan is just a buck more but offers 40GB of high-speed data. Mint Mobile is the better choice for a simple, affordable unlimited plan.

But if users want truly unlimited data, multiple lines on US Mobile's Unlimited Premium offer the most value. The Unlimited Premium plan with 100GB of priority data and 50GB of hotspot data costs $50 for one line. At that price, you might as well pay for a major carrier and get the extra perks. However, when you add at least three lines, you get Unlimited Premium for just $40 a month. 

Before we finish talking about plans and pricing, we want to take a closer look at these two companies’ unlimited talk, text, and data plans.

As you can see, US Mobile's $29 Unlimited Starter plan is the cheapest unlimited plan, which might seem like the obvious choice. However, there are a few details you should consider.

First, every unlimited plan has a cap on high-speed data, and second, US Mobile's Unlimited Starter plan only offers 35GB compared to Mint Mobile's Unlimited plan, which gets you 40GB. For those interested in the cheapest unlimited plan, we recommend splurging the extra $1 for Mint Mobile Unlimited to get an extra 5GB of priority data each month.

Meanwhile, US Mobile’s Unlimited Premium plan nets users a steep 100GB of high-speed data, but it costs $50 a month for one line. However, you can get Unlimited Premium for as low as $40 per line when you add multiple lines (or $37.50 with an annual plan.)100GB of fast data for less than $40 a line is a steal, especially compared to major carriers. Even Verizon's Unlimited Ultimate plan with 60GB of premium data costs $55 a month with four lines. 

All in all, Mint’s unlimited data plan is probably the better deal for most casual users. But if you need truly unlimited data, then you should go with US Mobile. 

Mint Mobile lets customers pull from their regular data allotment for hotspot data. With US Mobile's Unlimited Starter and Unlimited Premium plans, users get 10GB or 50GB of hotspot data. With Unlimited Flex or shared data plans, you can purchase hotspot data.

US Mobile’s family plans are clearly a better deal than Mint’s

If you’ve got multiple people in your family who want the same type of cell phone plan, then you really should bundle together with a family plan. A family plan can cut your costs way down and make paying your bills easier.

Both Mint and US Mobile have family plans available. But only US Mobile will actually give you a discount for adding additional lines to your account.

For example, here’s what it looks like to get an unlimited data family plan with four lines from each of these companies. As you can see, Mint’s plan costs the same as if you got four separate unlimited plans (4 x $30), but with US Mobile you get a steep discount ($145 for family plan with four lines vs. $120 for four separate unlimited data lines). And remember, although Mint Mobile's price per line is technically cheaper, you're getting 60GB more high-speed data and 40GB more hotspot data with US Mobile.

There’s really no comparison here. If you want to get a family plan, then US Mobile has the better deal.

As we mentioned above, both Mint and US Mobile are MVNOs that don’t operate their own cellular networks. Instead, Mint uses T-Mobile’s network and US Mobile uses Verizon’s.

This means that Mint’s customers will be on the network with the fastest data speeds (though those speeds will be deprioritized) and the largest 5G infrastructure. Meanwhile, US Mobile customers will have the best nationwide coverage through Verizon. There are advantages to both, and you’ll have to decide which one is better for you.

If you want to see how the coverage compares in your specific area, zoom in on these coverage maps.

Now’s the time to get a discount on a new iPhone or Samsung Galaxy

Buying a brand-new smartphone can set you back a thousand bucks or more. But it doesn’t have to. Taking advantage of phone deals when you’re signing up for a new plan can save you hundreds. Both Mint and US Mobile sell new phones at decent prices (though Mint has a better selection).

Here’s a look at some of the most popular devices sold by each company.

That’s it for our in-depth review of Mint and US Mobile. Now it’s up to you to decide which carrier is best for you. Here’s a quick recap to help you make up your mind.

• Plans: US Mobile technically offers a cheaper introductory unlimited plan, but we think Mint's Unlimited plan is worth the extra $1 a month for 5GB more data. For users who need more than 40GB of high-speed data, we recommend US Mobile's 100GB Unlimited Premium plan, but only if you can get a multi-line discount. 
• Family plans: US Mobile is the clear winner when it comes to family plans. It offers some great discounts on additional lines. Mint, on the other hand, doesn’t offer any family plan discounts.
• Coverage and performance: You’ll experience data deprioritization with both Mint and US Mobile. However, Mint may offer faster data speeds in general because it’s on T-Mobile’s network. Both carriers should offer great coverage in metropolitan areas, but US Mobile’s Verizon-run network will get you better coverage in rural areas.

If you’ve made up your mind, then you can sign up for Mint or US Mobile online. If you’re still on the fence, then maybe you should check out these other great plans.

We take our responsibility as reviewers seriously. When we analyze cell phone carriers for reviews, we use all available information—including proprietary data from over 100,000 mobile customers—to make informed and unbiased recommendations to our readers. We looked at all of US Mobile's and Mint Mobile's plans, price comparison charts from Whistle Out, and third-party sources like OpenSignal.

In addition to industry research, we connect with real users of each brand, using customer experience as well as our own personal experience. We analyze US Mobile and Mint Mobile policies and performance so we can provide the most honest and helpful recommendations to our readers.