Tello Cell Phone Plans and Deals

Tello offers some of the most affordable prepaid plans. See everything and get connected right on this page!

Tello Cell Phone Plans and Deals

Tello offers some of the most affordable prepaid plans. See everything and get connected right on this page!

Best Tello cell phone plans

Best basic plan
1GB plan
starting at$9.00/mo.
pro Unlimited mins.
pro Free text
pro Free upgrade/downgrade
Best sweet-spot plan
10GB plan
starting at$19.00/mo.
pro Unlimited mins.
pro Free text
pro Hotspot from data allowance
Best unlimited plan
Unlimited plan
starting at$15.00/mo. first 3 mos.
pro Unlimited mins.
pro Free text
pro 35GB data
pro 5GB hotspot data
pro $25 after 3 months

The best deals on Tello cell phone plans

Tello is one of the best no-frills, no-big-bills wireless carriers. I combed its site for the best deals you can find today. Here's what you can get:

$15/mo. Unlimited plan

Score a discounted price for the first three months of service.

$15/mo. Unlimited plan

Score a discounted price for the first three months of service.

Google, Apple, Samsung phones

Get them new, refurbished, and pre-owned for a crazy low price.
Shop Now

Tello referral program

Refer a friend with a unique link, and you both get $10.
Shop Now

Tello perks and add-ons


Roaming service

Activate your roaming service with a minimum of $5 with coverage in 200+ countries and areas.

Free upgrades and downgrades

Upgrade and downgrade your account mid-cycle for free through your online account or Tello app.

International calls

Add a credit to your account to call a country not included on the free list. As long as your account is active, it never expires.

Breakdown of the best Tello plans

Best basic plan | $9.00/mo.

  • High-speed data: 1GB
  • 5G access: Yes
  • Hotspot data: Hotspot from data allotment
  • Talk and text: Unlimited

Tello is your ticket to the most affordable possible plan at $9 per month with the smallest data allotment at 1GB. You get unlimited talk and text, free international calls to over 60 countries, and the flexibility to change your plan at any time. This is a great plan for a younger child or someone who is connected to the Wi-Fi at all times.

But keep in mind that Tello has hard-caps on data, meaning that once you use up 1GB, your data service stops completely (many other carriers just slow your speeds down significantly). You also don’t get data rollover from month to month, so if you don’t use your data, you lose it. With this plan, it may be worth it as you don’t miss out on much if you don’t use 1GB. Also, this plan doesn’t include any perks or freebies.

pro
Pros
pro Ultimate savings
pro Hotspot
pro Free international calls to 60+ countries
pro Upgrade and downgrade any time for free
con
Cons
con Hard data cap
con Hotspot data from data allotment

Best sweet-spot plan | $19.00/mo.

  • High-speed data: 10GB
  • 5G access: Yes
  • Hotspot data: Hotspot from data allotment
  • Talk and text: Unlimited

We recommend 10GB as the sweet spot for the average data user. And Tello delivers with its 10GB plan. Like all Tello plans, this one also comes with unlimited talk and text, free international calls to over 60 countries, and the flexibility to upgrade and downgrade at any time for free.

Like all Tello plans, it has a hard-cap on data, so once you run out of 10GB, you have to wait for your cycle to start over or upgrade your plan mid-cycle. Be careful not to lose a solid chunk of data if you don’t use it. It doesn’t roll over. Watch how much you use so that you can downgrade your plan if you find yourself using less per month.

And a note, because Tello runs on T-Mobile’s network, it has a lower network priority than T-Mobile’s postpaid and some prepaid plans. This means that when everyone is using their phone during typical times of network congestion, your data might be slower.

pro
Pros
pro Great for average data users
pro Hotspot
pro Free international calls to 60+ countries
pro Uprade and downgrade any time for free
con
Cons
con Once used, data service cuts out completely until next cycle
con Hotspot data from data allotment

Best unlimited plan | $15.00/mo.

  • High-speed data: 35GB
  • 5G access: Yes
  • Hotspot data: 5GB
  • Talk and text: Unlimited

If you’re someone who needs a ton of data (maybe for work or long commutes), then Tello’s Unlimited plan is probably perfect. To be clear, it provides you with 35GB of high-speed data per month, and then speeds are slowed (not truly unlimited). However, 35GB is robust and usually more than enough for even the heaviest data user. As with the other Tello plans, you get unlimited talk and text, plus free international calls to over 60 countries. One huge callout is the extra 5GB of mobile hotspot data included in this plan.

pro
Pros
pro 35GB high-speed data
pro 5GB hotspot data
pro Free international calls to 60+ countries
pro Upgrade and downgrade any time for free
con
Cons
con Hard data cap

Tello family plans

Tello is an ideal choice for family plans because it’s affordable and highly customizable for each line. While there are no multi-line discounts (where the lines get cheaper the more you add), the lines are already extremely cheap to begin with. No need to do extra math here!

While you share one bill with multiple lines, you don’t have to share your data usage with each other. You can even add lines for younger kids that have no data at all.

There are tons of ways you can customize data and minutes with Tello. From no data to unlimited data and no minutes to unlimited minutes, you have so many ways to decide which combination works for each family member.

Here are some examples of ways you can customize your lines on a Tello Family plan with four lines total.

Tello Mobile family plan example

Data
Minutes
Price per line
No dataUnlimited $8.00/mo.
1GBUnlimited $9.00/mo.
5GBUnlimited $10.00/mo. first month, $14 going forward
Unlimited Unlimited $15.00/mo. first 3 mos, $25 going forward

Total of four lines: $42.00/mo. for the first month (based on promotional offers)

Tello Mobile family plan example

Data
Minutes
Price per line
UnlimitedUnlimited$15.00/mo. first 3 mos, $25 going forward
UnlimitedUnlimited$15.00/mo. first 3 mos, $25 going forward
1GB100 mins.$6.00/mo.
No data100 mins.$5.00/mo.

Total of four lines: $41.00/mo. for the first month (based on promotional offers)

Tello Mobile family plan example

Data
Minutes
Price per line
UnlimitedUnlimited$15.00/mo. first 3 mos, $25 going forward
UnlimitedUnlimited$15.00/mo. first 3 mos, $25 going forward
UnlimitedUnlimited$15.00/mo. first 3 mos, $25 going forward
UnlimitedUnlimited$15.00/mo. first 3 mos, $25 going forward

Total of four lines: $60.00/mo. for the first three months (based on promotional offers)

How much phone data do I actually need?

We recommend getting at least 10GB

Tello’s 10 GB plan is perfect for the average data user who typically connects to Wi-Fi but uses data when out and about. You have 10GB and unlimited minutes, and all you have to pay is $19 per month, which is pretty freaking affordable. 

With Tello, if you find that your plan isn’t enough or is too much, you can downgrade or upgrade at any time for free. That means that mid-month, or just for a weekend, you can add more data and then downgrade after you’re done with it.

Keep in mind that with Tello, data doesn’t roll over from month to month. So make sure you keep an eye on what you use so you can pay for what you actually need.

Here’s how to get the best Tello plan deals

Use the following tips to get the best deal for your Tello plan:

1
Take advantage of new-customer promotions.

While Tello doesn’t offer free streaming subscriptions, extra freebies, or weekly perks, new customers can take advantage of super cheap promotional pricing. Right now, you can get an Unlimited plan through Tello for only $15 per month for three months. That’s an insanely good deal.

2
Build your own plan.

For convenience, Tello’s site shows you some pre-made plans. Some are even labeled ‘popular’ or ‘smart.’ But the smartest thing you can do is consider what you specifically need each month.

3
Skip unlimited data.

Like most mobile plans, ‘unlimited data’ doesn’t literally mean ‘unlimited data.’ Tello’s unlimited data plan gives you 35GB of high-speed data. That’s huge, and it’s overkill for most people. It may be better to start with less data and add more at any time through your Tello account or app.

Frequently asked questions about Tello cell phone plans and deals

Yup. Tello provides cell phone service by operating on T-Mobile’s network. It’s one of the cheapest prepaid mobile providers you can get, with plans starting as low as $5 per month.

No. While it does advertise unlimited data plans, like many carriers, Tello offers a limited amount of data before it cuts you off (some carriers just slow your speeds down). Tello’s Unlimited plan offers 35GB of data.

Tello uses hard data caps, meaning that once you hit the monthly data allotment on your Tello plan, speeds aren’t just slowed, they’re cut off. You simply don’t have access to data anymore. Fortunately, you can upgrade your plan for free at any time.

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