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- Is Boost Mobile a good carrier?
After some upheaval among the best phone carriers in recent years, Boost Mobile is still around, offering the best Boost Mobile plans to anyone looking for wireless service beyond the major carriers.
Boost used to be owned and operated by Sprint, but when that carrier was snapped up by T-Mobile, the newly formed company needed to jettison Boost to win regulatory approval for the merger. Dish Network stepped in to purchase Boost, and has even come out with a postpaid phone plan offered under the Boost infinite brand. But at its heart, Boost remains a prepaid carrier with plans raning in price from $15/month all the way up to $60/month, as it looks to serve customers who can't swing the higher prices charged by larger carriers.
The different Boost Mobile plan options can be a little confusing, especially if you're looking to pay upfront annually to save a little bit on your monthly costs. But we've gone through the different options to highlight the Boost Mobile plans that are likely to meet both your data needs an your budget.
The quick list
1. Boost Mobile Unlimited
Unlimited data for $40/month
Boost's $40 unlimited option offers the best mix of price and data of Boost's three unlimited data plans. In addition to unlimited talk, text and data, you also receive 12GB of hotspot data.
Read more below
2. Boost Mobile Annual Unlimited plan
Unlimited data for $300/year
If you pay for your wireless service upfront, you essentially get the same perks as the $40/month unlimited plan. However, you can save $180 over the course of a full year by paying annually.
Read more below
3. Boost Mobile Unlimited Plus
Unlimited data for $60/month
The same perks that come with the $40/monthly unlimited plan at Boost are also included with the more expensive Unlimited Plus option. With this plan, hotspot data increases to 30GB and you also get Todo Mexico, the carrier's add-on for coverage between Mexico and the U.S.
Read more below
4. Boost Mobile 5GB plan
5GB of data for $15/month
Boost has one non-unlimited data plan for new customers, with pricing and a 5GB monthly allotment that matches what's available from T-Mobile.
Read more below
5. Boost Infinite Unlimited Plus
Unlimited data for $60/month
Boost offers a postpaid plan through Boost Infinite, and the $60 options gives you either an iPhone 15 or Galaxy S24, with the ability to upgrade your phone after a year.
Read more below
6. Boost Mobile Unlimited
Unlimited data for $25/month
Boost's cheapest unlimited plans offers few perks, but it does give you a lower monthly price. You're required to enroll in autopay.
Read more below
The best Boost Mobile plan overall
Boost Unlimited | unlimited data | $40/month — Boost Mobile's best plan
Boost has three plans with unlimited data, but the one in the middle of the carrier's offerings is just right in terms of balancing price and perks. You get unlimited talk, text and data (though speeds are slowed if you use more than 35GB in a month), along with another 12GB of mobile hotspot data. The $40 monthly rate compares well to what Metro by T-Mobile charges, though Visible and Mint Mobile both offer unlimited data for less.
Pros: Hotspot data, 5G coverage included
Cons: Speeds slow after 35GB, Cheaper unlimited plans available elsewhere
Best savings on a Boost unlimited data plan
Boost Unlimited (annual plan) | unlimited data | $300/yer — Save money by paying in advance
You can also opt to pay $300 upfront for a year of coverage under Boost's unlimited plan. Like the $40/monthly plan above, you get 12GB of hotspot data and the same 35GB data cap before speeds are slowed. The advantage here is a lower monthly cost, as paying annually saves you $180 over the cost of going month-to-month.
Pros: Big savings from monthly plan, Hotspot data included
Cons: Requires large upfront payment, Speeds slow if you use more than 35GB per month
Boost Mobile plan with the most perks
Boost Unlimited | unlimited data | $60/month — Boost's best perks
Most Boost plans don't come with many add-ons, but the $60/month unlimited plan is a notable exception. You get 30GB of hotspot data with this option. Boost also includes its Todo Mexico offering, which lets you use up to 8GB of data when traveling in Mexico. You can also call and text from Mexico, and you're able to makes calls and texts to Mexico and Canada from the U.S. at no charge. Unlimited texting to 200-plus countries is covered, too.
Pros: Big perks particularly for people who spend time in Mexico
Cons: Boost's most expensive plan
Best tiered data plan from Boost Mobile
Boost 5GB plan | 5GB | $15/month — Boost's cheapest data plan
If you don't need unlimited data, consider Boost's lone tiered data plan, which gives you 5GB of data every month. (Hit that amount, and you'll need to buy a supplementary data pack from Boost; some carriers merely slow your speeds for the rest of the billing cycle.) The costs of Boost's plan matches what T-Mobile charges for 5GB. You're able to use your phone as a mobile hotspot, drawing from your monthly data allocation with the 5GB plan.
Pros: Affordable rate for a decent amount of data, Hotspot usage support
Cons: You must buy more data if you use up 5GB
Best postpaid plan from Boost
Boost Infinite Unlimited Plus | unlimited data | $60 month — Unlimited data with a phone
In addition to its prepaid business, Boost has launched a postpaid service where it supplies you with a phone — your choice of an iPhone 15 or Galaxy S24 — and an unlimited amount of data. (Or at least, up to 30GB before your data is slowed down.) Perks included unlimited talk, text and data in Mexico and Canada plus the ability to text 200-plus countries. You can also upgrade your phone every year. If you have your own phone, the Boost Infinite Unlimited plan costs just $25/month.
Pros: Includes an iPhone 15 or Galaxy S24, Upgrade your phone every year, Some travel perks
Cons: Limited perks compared to other unlimited data plans at this price, 30GB cap before data is slowed
Cheapest unlimited data plan at Boost
Boost Unlimited | unlimited data | $25/month — Boost's lowest price on unlimited data
Boost offers one other unlimited data plan as a way for budget-minded customers to max out on their data. The $25/month option includes few perks and requires you to sign up for autopay. But if all you're looking for is unlimited data, this Boost Mobile option provides that a price comparable to the cheapest plans from Visible and Mint Mobile.
Pros: Aggressive pricing on unlimited data
Cons: Few perks
Is Boost Mobile a good carrier?
Following its spin-off to Dish, Boost is looking to return to the ranks of the top carriers. One way it's hoping to stand out is by touting extensive network coverage that draws on a trio of cellular providers — in addition to the Dish network, Boost also counts on coverage from AT&T and T-Mobile towers.
With a focus on offering the best prepaid plans, Boost can also trumpet the flexibility it offers customers by not requiring annual contracts (though the carrier does now feature an annual plan for customers who want a lower rate by prepaying for a year of service in advance). Boost also offers a number of low-cost phones, with frequent discounts on popular models.
Boost's prices compare favorably to other established prepaid providers like Metro by T-Mobile and Cricket. Less well-known providers like Visible and Mint Mobile have cheaper monthly rates, though Boost's 5GB plan and $25 unlimited data offering competes well against what those two carriers charge.
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Philip Michaels
Philip Michaels is a Managing Editor at Tom's Guide. He's been covering personal technology since 1999 and was in the building when Steve Jobs showed off the iPhone for the first time. He's been evaluating smartphones since that first iPhone debuted in 2007, and he's been following phone carriers and smartphone plans since 2015. He has strong opinions about Apple, the Oakland Athletics, old movies and proper butchery techniques. Follow him at @PhilipMichaels.
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