Smartphone data plans that allow tethering
- Intro
- Verizon smartphone plans
- AT&T smartphone plans
- T-Mobile smartphone plans
- Sprint smartphone plans
Intro
This page provides a directory of mobile Internet data plans that that:
- Are available within the US. In the US, you can either purchase service directly from one of the major network operators, or through an MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) that resells service.
- Explicitly allow smartphones to provide tethering to other devices
- Appear, from my limited scrutiny, to be legit.
If you prefer to tether to a dedicated device, then head over to the data plan directory for mobile hotspots, routers, and other dedicated devices.
If you’re not sure what type of device you’d like to use, then the Pick a Data Plan page provides an overview of your options.
I don’t endorse any of these providers and was not paid for these listings. Do your due diligence before signing up for any data plan.
Verizon smartphone plans
| Company | Plan Name | Tethering Limit | Throttled | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ting 1 | Custom | No | No | $6/month + $10/GB |
| Visible | Single-line | 1 tethered device at a time | 5Mbps | $40/month |
| US Mobile | Unlimited All Ludicrous + Hotspot | 10GB/month | No | $50/month |
| Verizon | Do More Unlimited | No | 600Kbps after 15GB | $90/month |
| Verizon | Get More Unlimited | No | 600Kbps after 30GB | $100/month |
- Ting also works on the T-Mobile and Sprint networks.
AT&T smartphone plans
| Company | Plan Name | Tethering Limit | Throttled | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T | Mobile Share Plus 3GB | 3GB/month | 1.5Mbps | $50/month |
| Cricket | Unlimited + Mobile Hotspot | 15GB/month | Yes 1 | $60/month |
| AT&T | Mobile Share Plus 9GB | 9GB/month | 1.5Mbps | $60/month |
| AT&T | Unlimited Extra | No | 128Kbps after 15GB | $75/month |
| AT&T | Unlimited Elite | No | 128Kbps after 30GB | $85/month |
- Cricket’s throttling policies are a moving target. At the time of this writing, they’re throttling to 8Mbps for the first 2GB, after which they throttle to 128Kbps.
T-Mobile smartphone plans
T-Mobile has a free trial option that’s worth mentioning. If you sign up for T-Mobile Test Drive, then they’ll send you a free hotspot, and provide up to 30GB of free service for 1-month. That’s a nice no-risk way to give them a try.
| Company | Plan Name | Tethering Limit | Throttled | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Fi 1 | Flexible for 1 | No | No | $20/month + $10/GB 2 |
| Mint Mobile | 3GB 4G LTE | 3GB/month | No | $25/month |
| T-Mobile | Essentials | No | 3G only 3 | $30/month |
| Mint Mobile | 8GB 4G LTE | 8GB/month | No | $35/month |
| T-Mobile | Megneta | No | 3G only 3 after 3GB | $40/month |
| Mint Mobile | 12GB 4G LTE | 12GB/month | No | $45/month |
| T-Mobile | Megneta Plus | No | Throttled to 3G 3 after 20GB/month | $50/month |
| Google Fi 1 | Unlimited for 1 | No | Throttled to 256Kbps after 22GB/month | $70/month |
- Google Fi also works on the Sprint network. I use Fi for my backup home Internet connection.
- The first 6GB each month are billed at $10/GB. Then there’s no billing or throttling until you reach 15GB. At the 15GB mark, you can either not pay, and get your usage throttled, or resume paying $10/GB for unlimited data. Realistically, if you’re going to use more than 5GB/month, you’re probably better off with Fi’s Unlimited plan.
- You can expect this to be slower than 4G in areas with 4G service, but how much slower isn’t clear. It looks like T-Mobile might throttle 3G connections to 512Kbps.
Sprint smartphone plans
Google Fi, which is listed under the T-Mobile plans, also works on Sprint’s network. It was omitted from the chart below to avoid duplication.
| Company | Plan Name | Tethering Limit | Throttled | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tello | Economy | No | 64Kbps after 1GB | $10/month |
| Republic Wireless | Custom | No | No | $15/month + $5/GB 1 |
| Tello | Smart | No | 64Kbps after 4GB | $20/month |
| Tello | Custom | No | 64Kbps after 8GB | $29/month |
| Tello | Custom | No | 64Kbps after 25GB | $39/month |
| Sprint | Unlimited Plus | 6GB/month | No | $40/month |
| Sprint | Unlimited Plus | 50GB/month | No | $70/month |
| Sprint | Unlimited Premium | 100GB/month | No | $80/month |
- You may only purchase up to 15GB/month.
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