Best T-Mobile Plans: How to Choose and Which Ones to Pick in 2025

The Essentials and Essentials Saver plans are virtually identical in all but name, and both options include unlimited talk, text and data with 5G access. Because of some T-Mobile promotions, however, this pick is a bit complicated. 

In short, if you need two lines, Essentials Saver is your best choice, while folks looking for three or more lines may want to go with regular Essentials. 

With either choice, you get 50GB of high-speed data, though both options lack perks like international roaming (beyond 2G-like speeds in Canada and Mexico), the inclusion of taxes and fees in the sticker price, or streaming perks like bundled-in Netflix, Apple TV Plus or Hulu subscriptions. People on this plan also won't necessarily get T-Mobile's best offers for upgrading devices. 

All the deals require that you set up AutoPay and paperless billing. And unlike its rivals, T-Mobile doesn't offer any options to "mix and match" plans, so everyone would have to be on the same main option here.

A single line of Essentials Saver is $50 per month, while two lines will run $80 a month. A similar offering from Verizon (Unlimited Welcome), by comparison, costs $110 per month, while plans from AT&T (Value Plus VL) run $51 for one line or $102 a month. 

Three lines will also run $90 at T-Mobile for its regular Essentials, thanks to a promotion, compared with $120 at Verizon (for Unlimited Welcome) and $114 at AT&T (for Value Plus VL). The four-line option is now back to $100 at T-Mobile, thanks to that Essentials 4 Line Offer promotion, compared with $120 at Verizon and $124 at AT&T.

For most people, T-Mobile's Magenta and Magenta Max options are the better pick when it comes to looking for perks for one or two lines. They're cheaper than the Go5G options and have most of the same features, except with a lower monthly rate ($70 for one line on Magenta, $120 for two lines; $85 for one line on Magenta Max, $140 for two lines). 

You get less hotspot and international data with a Magenta plan compared with a Go5G option, and Magenta Max users also don't get the same ability to upgrade to a new device after two years while taking advantage of T-Mobile's best device deals. 

Similar to what it's done with the Essentials plans, thanks to T-Mobile offering a free third line on its Go5G options those plans become cheaper and a better value compared with the Magentas if you need three or more lines.

Among the benefits of Magenta and Go5G ($75 a month for one line, $155 a month for four lines) are unlimited international data (albeit at slow "2G speeds") when traveling in over 210 countries, an hour of in-flight Wi-Fi on several airlines, T-Mobile Tuesdays weekly giveaways, the bundling of Netflix's Standard With Ads plan (which is $7 a month, though this requires at least two lines), and six free months of Apple TV Plus. 

Its pricier Magenta Max and Go5G Plus plans ($90 a month for one line, $185 a month for four lines) keep the Netflix Standard With Ads plan, include a full subscription to Apple TV Plus, up the hotspot data from 15GB on Go5G to 50GB per month on Go5G Plus, add 5GB of high-speed international data and give you unlimited Wi-Fi on a host of flights including those from American, Alaska Airlines, Delta and United. Go5G Plus also has 15GB of high-speed data in Canada and Mexico, compared with 10GB on Go5G and 5GB on Magenta and Magenta Max. 

Unlike with its Essentials plans discussed earlier, T-Mobile also includes taxes and fees with the pricing of its Magenta and Go5G plans.

Like the Essentials offerings, however, you can't "mix and match" lines, so everyone in your family would need to be on the same plan. That said, if only one line needs perks like faster international data, you should consider Magenta (if you only have one or two lines) or Go5G (if you need three or more lines), with the MaxUp or PlusUp $15 per line add-on. This will let your other lines get a cheaper rate while allowing you to bolster your international data to tap into the Go5G Plus or Magenta Max offerings for the lines that need it without pushing everyone onto a pricier option.

It is worth noting that you'll need to call or chat with T-Mobile to get the Magenta options, as the carrier has hidden the plans under a "see more available plans" tab and then a "learn more" link on its website.

Note: You need to switch to T-Mobile and have an eligible trade-in.

T-Mobile's switcher offer is tempting if you're looking to switch to the carrier and need new devices. You get four lines of its Essentials plan and four new iPhone 16 models for $100 monthly. You can find it by scrolling down the carrier's Apple deals page.

As always, however, there's some fine print to be aware of. Here's what that is: 

As with other carriers, you need to commit to being with T-Mobile for 24 months (which is better than the 36-month installment plans from AT&T and Verizon). Leave early and you lose the credits and you're on the hook for the balance owed. You must also have at least four lines and trade in an iPhone 11 Pro or newer to get the full value of the deal. Older phones, like an iPhone 6 or 7, will get you only partial credit off an iPhone 16 ($415 off per line). 

T-Mobile's Essentials plan also doesn't include perks like Netflix or bundled-in taxes and fees. You'll also be on the hook for a $35 a line "device connection" charge. That's a one-time fee the carrier charges as part of activation. It's a fairly standard practice across the major carriers. 

This is still a good deal, particularly if you have 3- or 4-year-old iPhones and are already considering switching. Each iPhone 16 retails for $830 per device, and most providers won't give that type of credit for an iPhone 12. 

Verizon has its own, similar free iPhones offer, but that deal gives you iPhone 15s instead of iPhone 16s. AT&T has no four-line deal that bundles in free iPhones.