Most phone plan guides assume you want unlimited everything. Plenty of people don't: a grandparent with a flip phone, a kid's first phone, a backup line in the glovebox, or anyone who lives on Wi-Fi. So why pay $30 or more a month for data you'll never touch?
How I picked these plans
I looked for plans that sell calls and texts with no data at all, or with a small allowance of roughly 5GB or less. Every figure comes from the carrier's own website, checked on November 5 and 6, 2026, and where a carrier's own pages disagree I've used the less generous number.
If you want the cheapest unlimited plans instead, our budget guide has you covered. Taxes and fees are extra unless noted, and this guide gets refreshed every month.
Best plans with no data at all
Tello: cheapest talk and text plan
Tello's build-your-own plans start at $5 a month for 300 minutes and unlimited texts with no data, according to Tello. Bump that to unlimited minutes and it's $8.
Want a little data after all? Tello's Starter plan adds 2GB to unlimited minutes for $10, and its Everyday plan gives you 10GB for $15. There's no contract and no AutoPay discount to chase, and plans renew every 30 days.
One catch on the no-data plans: Tello says picture messages and texts containing links need data to work. If you add minutes, Tello also includes free calls to more than 60 countries.
US Mobile Custom: best for texting-only lines
US Mobile lets you strip a plan down to a single ingredient. Unlimited texts with no calls or data cost $6 a month, and unlimited minutes with no texts or data cost $8 a month, according to US Mobile.
That sounds oddly specific, but it's perfect for a smartwatch number, a two-factor authentication line or a dedicated work number that only needs to receive texts. US Mobile runs on all three major US networks and lets you pick which one at signup.
Best plans with a little data
US Mobile Light: best overall low-data plan
US Mobile Light costs $10 a month with taxes and fees included, according to US Mobile, which is rare at this price. You get unlimited talk and text, 2GB of high-speed data and hotspot use, and pay $96 if you buy a year upfront.
Go over 2GB and US Mobile charges $2 per extra gigabyte. Need a bit more? Its By the Gig plan gives you 5GB with unlimited talk and text for $15 a month, and extra lines cost $8 each with the data shared, so two Light lines run $18 a month.
Red Pocket: best yearly plan for barely-used phones
Red Pocket's cheapest plan includes 500 minutes, 500 texts and 500MB of data, according to Red Pocket. It costs $10 a month paid monthly, or the equivalent of $5 a month if you pay for the year upfront.
Red Pocket says it doesn't charge setup or overage fees, and you choose between its GSMA, GSMT and CDMA networks when you sign up. For a backup phone that lives in a drawer, that yearly price is hard to argue with.
Google Fi Flexible: best for unpredictable data use
Google Fi Flexible charges $20 a month for one line, plus $10 for each gigabyte you actually use, according to Google. A month spent on Wi-Fi costs $20, and a month with 1GB costs $30.
Calls and texts are unlimited in the US, and Google includes calls and texts in Canada and Mexico. The same $10 per GB rate applies in 200+ destinations abroad, which makes Flexible a sneaky good pick for occasional travelers (our travel guide covers frequent flyers), and a second line adds $15 a month plus data.
Mint Mobile 5GB: best value if you can pay upfront
Mint's 5GB plan works out to $15 a month on a 12-month plan, according to Mint, but you pay $180 upfront. On six months it's $20 a month, and new customers can try three months at $15 a month for $45.
Every Mint plan includes unlimited talk and text plus free calls to Mexico, Canada and the UK. If you don't mind the upfront payment, 5GB is a comfortable amount for maps, messaging and the odd video call away from Wi-Fi.
Best for seniors
Consumer Cellular: best for seniors who want a little data
Consumer Cellular's 1GB plan costs $20 a month and its 5GB plan costs $25, both with unlimited talk and text, according to Consumer Cellular. Those prices include a $5 credit for AutoPay and eBilling, and taxes and fees are extra.
That's more than Tello or US Mobile charge for similar data, but Consumer Cellular builds its whole service around people over 50. There's no contract, you can change plans anytime without fees, AARP members get extra discounts, and an additional line costs $10 a month.
Its best feature for nervous users is SmartFlex. Consumer Cellular says that with SmartFlex turned on, going over your data automatically moves you up to the next plan instead of slowing you down. If you outgrow 5GB, its unlimited plan costs $35 a month when the account holder is 50 or older.
Which talk and text plan should you get?
For most light users, US Mobile Light is the one to beat: $10 with taxes included, 2GB of data and a choice of networks. If you genuinely want no data, Tello is the cheapest way in at $5 for 300 minutes or $8 for unlimited. For a phone that only needs a trickle of data, Red Pocket's yearly plan is a smart way to keep a backup number alive.
Google Fi Flexible suits anyone whose data use swings from month to month, Mint's 5GB plan rewards people happy to pay a year upfront, and Consumer Cellular is the friendliest pick for older users who'd rather never see a surprise bill. If you stream video or tether a laptop, skip this list entirely and head to our unlimited guide.
Small carriers change plans more often than the big three, so it'll be worth seeing how these prices hold up as the holiday deals roll in. On paper, $5 to $10 a month is all it takes to stay reachable.
