Nobody wants to fight over data at the dinner table. Luckily, most family plans today give every line its own unlimited data, so there's no shared pool to drain.
But light, heavy, and in-between data users rarely belong on the same plan. A teen who streams all night and a grandparent who mostly calls shouldn't pay the same price. Some plans slow you down after a certain amount of premium data, and others put everyone on one tier. The five plans below tackle that in different ways, from big-carrier mix-and-match plans to prepaid family plans, so everyone gets the data they actually need.
I've matched each plan to the kind of family it fits, whether you want unlimited data family plans for four lines or a small group of friends sharing a plan. Not sure where to start? Our guide on how to pick a family cell phone plan walks you through it.
Want to see more options? Check out our full guide to family cell phone plans.
1. AT&T Unlimited Your Way: Built for remote workers and teens
AT&T's Unlimited Your Way is perfect for families with different data needs because you can mix and match AT&T's postpaid plans—Premium 2.0, Extra 2.0, Value 2.0. Each plan offers different data amounts at different price points. Unlimited Your Way lets you combine data-packed plans for heavy data users and lower-data plans for the kids. Plus, each line comes with its own data. That way, you won't run out of data if one person burns through their allowance.
Premium data that never slows, so you can run reports and handle Zoom meetings while at the park or the beach.
A family of four with one remote working parent, one parent who works in an office, and two teens would only pay $155/month for top-notch service with AT&T.
- The remote worker needs Premium 2.0 at $55/month since it's the only plan with truly unlimited premium data. It also comes with 100GB of high-speed hotspot data so you can literally work anywhere.
- The office-based parent should get Extra 2.0 at $40/month, with 100GB of premium data and 50GB of hotspot in case you need to connect on the go.
- And don't forget two lines of Value 2.0 at $30/month for the teens. 5GB of premium data and 3GB of hotspot is enough data for teens who spend most of their time on home Wi-Fi anyway.
All four lines total $155/month.
On top of excellent plan perks, AT&T offers the most reliable network (in my opinion). I live in Southern California, and AT&T has such a strong signal that I can video call on the freeways without a dropped call and even at the beach without lag. In other words, AT&T is remote-worker approved.
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- 6.1 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 48MP, 12MP
- Front Camera: 12MP
- 6.9 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 48MP, 48MP, 12MP
- Front Camera: 12MP
- 6.3 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 48MP, 48MP, 48MP
- Front Camera: 18MP
2. US Mobile By the Gig: Shared data for Wi-Fi-forward homes
US Mobile's By the Gig plan is ideal for households that spend most of their day on Wi-Fi at home, school, and work. By the Gig is a shared data plan, which means every line draws from one pool. Shared data plans are generally cheaper because you pay only for the data your household actually uses, instead of overspending on unlimited data.
I wouldn't recommend anything less than the 20GB pool for a family. Start with the 20GB plan, which costs $35/month, and add three extra lines at $8/month, for a total of $59/month.
One of the specific benefits of this plan is that you can choose the network you want to connect to: AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon. You won't have to worry about horrible coverage because you get to pick the network with the best service in your area.
If your family lives on Wi-Fi, why pay for data you won't use?
The only issue is that in a shared pool, one heavy user can use up the data and leave everyone else short. If your family has a streamer or a gamer on the go, then a shared pool might not be for you. You can add more data if you run low halfway through the month, but adding data is expensive at $2/GB. But if your family is mostly on Wi-Fi, a shared data plan can be one of the cheapest ways to keep every line connected.
3. Google Fi Unlimited Standard: Four lines for $100 a month
Google Fi's Unlimited Standard plan costs just $100/month for four lines. That breaks down to $25 per line, and you get unlimited calls, texts, and data, with 50GB of premium data on each line and 25GB of high-speed hotspot tethering. Since each line has its own dedicated data, everyone in the family has plenty of room to stream, scroll, and video call without watching a data meter.
Four lines for $100/month for a family of four is hard to beat.
Google Fi runs on T-Mobile's network, so you get strong 5G coverage without T-Mobile's prices. The catch is that everyone on your account has to have the same plan type. You can't mix and match plans, but for just $100/month, it's worth the price.
Want more unlimited options? See our picks for unlimited data plans. If you want plenty of high-speed data on every line, this is the plan to get.
4. Visible+ Inner Circle: A family plan that doesn't need to be family
With a Visible family plan, you pick your family, and you get a monthly discount. You can add relatives, friends, or even roommates to your family plan (called an Inner Circle). Every person you add gets a monthly $5 discount—yourself included!
Your Inner Circle can be anyone you choose.
Visible is really flexible and works well for both families who want a single account holder and multiple lines and families who want an extra discount but pay for their own lines individually. Essentially, every person sets up their own account, but once you link in an Inner Circle, you can decide if other people pay the plan for you (or if you foot the bill yourself). Every member in your Inner Circle has to have their own email address, so this family plan isn't for younger children.
For the maximum value, I suggest signing up for the Visible+ plan, which usually costs $35/month. It has unlimited premium data and unlimited hotspot. As soon as you link up with at least one other Visible member, you both get $5/month off, bringing your plan down to $30/month.
5. Mint Modern Family: Prepaid savings, billed every three months
Mint Mobile's Modern Family plan gives you the lowest price without paying for a full year at once. Since Mint is a prepaid carrier that offers multi-month packages, you have to pay for several months of service at once. However, the more months you sign up for, the lower your monthly price. A Mint Mobile Family plan cheats that rule so you get the cheapest price and only have to pay for 3 months at a time.
Almost the entire WhistleOut team is on Mint Mobile—that's how much we love it.
The Unlimited plan usually costs $40/month in 3-month increments, but a family plan lowers it to $30/month. A family of four would only pay $120/month, billed as $360 every three months. To qualify, you need at least two lines and can add up to five.
You'll have plenty of data since Mint's Unlimited plan includes 50GB of premium data, then slows down. It also runs on T-Mobile's network for the most extensive 5G coverage nationwide, but it doesn't include any fancy perks.
If someone in your family barely uses data at all, check out our guide to no-data cell phone plans. If you want prepaid savings and you don't mind paying every three months, Mint is for you.
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We've been around since the birth of the iPhone. Along the way, we've learned how to spot the best deals for your wallet (and your sanity). We spend our days researching informative guides and writing insightful reviews on every kind of wireless plan, distinguishing what matters from what doesn't. We played around with these plans before recommending them, ensuring they're worth your hard-earned money.
Want to know more? Check out how we review every cell phone plan we rank.
Looking for more answers?
How many lines can I have on a family phone plan?
It depends on the provider, but you can usually add anywhere from two to 10 lines. AT&T allows up to 10, while Google Fi allows up to six and Mint allows up to five.
Are shared data plans worth it?
Shared data plans give the whole family one pool of data, which can save money if your household uses around 20GB a month or less, mostly on Wi-Fi. US Mobile's By the Gig is one example. But you risk one heavy user using up the pool and leaving everyone else short.
Can I mix and match different plans on a family plan?
Yes, with some providers. AT&T Unlimited Your Way and Mint Modern Family both let each line choose its own plan, while Google Fi puts everyone on the same plan type.
Are there prepaid family plans?
Yes, Visible's Inner Circle is a prepaid family plan that lets you add up to seven people, including friends and roommates, and Mint's Modern Family lets you group two to five lines together. US Mobile's shared data plans are prepaid too.
Does everyone on a family plan have to be family?
No, not everyone on a family plan has to be family. Visible's Inner Circle lets you add up to seven people, including friends and roommates.
Jessica Santero
Staff Writer
Thousands of cell phone plans unpacked. All the facts. No surprises.
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