The Best Talk & Text Only Phone Plans (No Data)

In this article, I'll take a closer look at six of the best talk-and-text-only plans with no high-speed data. I've also included a list of cheap phone plans with limited data, as some of these may be even cheaper than other no-data phone plans.

To find the best talk-and-text-only plan to meet your needs, try out our new Cell Phone Plan Finder here.

Talk & Text Only Plans: Our Top 6 Picks

With so many providers and plans available, it's easy to end up overpaying for cell phone service. In fact, a recent study found that Americans currently overspend on cell phone service by $1,500/year on average. Most of this overspending comes from a fear of leaving The Big Three (AT&T, T-Mobile or Verizon Wireless) for a smaller, more affordable cell phone service provider. It's also because many people pay for more mobile data than they actually need.

If you’re consistently connected to Wi-Fi or if you don’t use the internet on your phone at all, you can avoid expensive phone plans altogether. Cell phone plans that only include unlimited talk and text may be able to meet your needs. Plus, talk-and-text-only plans start at $5/month.

Here are our top six picks for the cheapest phone plans available with unlimited talk & text:

Below, you'll find more information on each of these providers and the cheapest plans they offer. I've also included a list of cheap phone plans with limited data, as some of these may be even cheaper than other no-data phone plans.

Hello Mobile

Team Clark’s Review Award: Cheapest Talk & Text Only Plan Plan Price: $5 (taxes & fees included) Texting & Calling: Unlimited International Features: Free calls to 60+ international destinations (international texting is not available)

Hello Mobile offers the cheapest phone plan available from any provider: $5 monthly with taxes and fees included. Hello Mobile customers have access to T-Mobile's network.

The plan includes unlimited texting and calling in U.S. as well as free calls to over 60 international destinations. You can check out the international calling features included with Hello Mobile plans on the company's website.

Hello Mobile's $5 plan does include a limited amount of data: 500MB. However, I included it in the talk-and-text-only list because it is the absolute cheapest plan available with unlimited talk and text. The price can't be beat! Plus, money expert Clark Howard has tried out this plan personally and had a great experience.

You may be able to bring your own phone to Hello Mobile for the most savings. You can check your phone's compatibility online. To learn more about Hello Mobile before you decide to make the switch, be sure to read our full Hello Mobile review.

Tello Mobile

Team Clark’s Review Award: Most Flexible Talk & Text Only Plan Plan Price: $8 (plus taxes) Texting & Calling: Unlimited International Features: Free calls and texts to 60+ international destinations

Tello Mobile is another prepaid cell phone service provider that partners with T-Mobile. I recommend Tello Mobile's 1GB plan as the cheapest monthly cell phone plan for light data users. However, you can find even cheaper plans without any high-speed data.

Tello offers four no-data plans: 

Tello Mobile’s plans do not include taxes, but monthly provider fees are included.

Any number of included minutes can be used to call anywhere in the U.S. as well as 60+ international destinations. You can learn more about Tello Mobile's international calling features here.

You can bring your own phone to Tello Mobile to save the most money. Check your phone's compatibility online. Before you decide to switch to one of these no-data plans, be sure to read our full Tello Mobile review.

Twigby

Team Clark’s Review Award: Best New Customer Offer on a Talk & Text Only Plan Plan Price: $5 for the first three months, then $10 (plus taxes & fees) Texting & Calling: Unlimited International Features: Unlimited global texting + calling to 80+ international destinations

Twigby offers affordable cell phone service on Verizon's network. New customers can get an unlimited talk-and-text-only plan for $5/month for the first three months. After three months, the plan rate returns to normal ($10/month plus taxes and fees).

Twigby's Unlimited Talk & Text plan includes unlimited global texting and unlimited calls to 80+ international destinations. You can learn more about free international calling on Twigby's website. The plan also includes Wi-Fi calling and texting, voicemail, caller ID, call waiting and call forwarding services.

You may be able to bring your own phone to Twigby to save the most money. You can check your phone's compatibility online. Also, be sure to read our full Twigby review before deciding to make the switch.

Tracfone

Team Clark’s Review Award: Best Talk & Text Only Plan If You Need a New Phone Plan Price: $15 (plus taxes & fees) Texting & Calling: Unlimited International Features: Free calls to 80+ international destinations (international texting is not available)

Tracfone is a popular prepaid phone service provider. Tracfone customers have access to Verizon Wireless' network.

On Tracfone’s website, you’ll find an unlimited talk-and-text-only plan for $15 monthly ($10/month with auto-refill for the first two months). The same plan is available at discounted rates when you prepay for multiple months:

However, you can find better deals on unlimited talk-and-text Tracfone plans from other retailers. You can find especially great deals on Tracfone devices with a 12-month service plan included. HSN and QVC frequently offer excellent Tracfone deals.

At the time of writing (July 2024) I found a Samsung Galaxy A03s phone with a 12-month Tracfone plan (1,500 minutes, 1,500 texts and 1,500MB of data/month) for $50 on both websites (HSN and QVC). That's a great deal for a new phone and a year of service!

If you don't need a new phone, you can bring your own (check your phone's compatibility online) and still take advantage of prepaid Tracfone plan deals. To learn more before deciding to make the switch, read our full Tracfone review here.

Google Fi Wireless

Team Clark’s Review Award: Best Talk & Text Only Plan With International Features Plan Price: $20 (plus taxes & fees) Texting & Calling: Unlimited International Features: Free calls to Canada & Mexico; Free calls and texts in Canada & Mexico; Free texts while traveling outside the U.S., Canada & Mexico

Google Fi Wireless runs on T-Mobile's network. At Clark.com, we recommend Google Fi Wireless as the best international phone plan.

The most affordable plan, Flexible, is available for only $20 monthly plus taxes and fees. The Flexible plan includes unlimited talk and text with no high-speed data. However, if you ever do need mobile data, you can add 1GB at any time for a one-time $20 charge.

For $20/month, the plan still includes excellent international features. You’ll get free calls to Canada and Mexico as well as free unlimited texting to other countries. International calls to other countries are available at additional rates.

The Flexible plan also includes unlimited text and calls while traveling in Canada and Mexico, and free texts while traveling in other countries (international calling from other countries is available at an additional rate). It also includes full connectivity for select smartwatches.

You can bring your own phone to Google Fi Wireless to save the most money. Check your phone's compatibility here. Team Clark member Sally has been a Google Fi Wireless customer since 2019. You can read her full review here.

Lively

Team Clark’s Review Award: Best Talk & Text Only Plans With Senior Services Plan Price: $19.99 (plus taxes & fees) Texting & Calling: Unlimited International Features: None

If you're a senior citizen shopping for a talk-and-text-only plan, Lively is another provider to consider. Lively also uses Verizon Wireless' network to provide service. Lively doesn't offer the cheapest monthly plans, and you'll have to buy a Lively phone to activate a Lively plan. However, if you need additional senior services, these plans include several perks.

For Jitterbug phones, there's a Basic plan available for $19.99. This plan includes unlimited talk and text, Ask Lively and Lively Rides.

The Preferred phone plan costs $39.99 monthly. It includes everything the Basic plan includes plus Urgent Response and Lively Link senior services. The Premium plan costs $49.99 and includes everything mentioned in the previous plans plus Care Advocate and Nurse On-Call senior services.

You can learn more about Lively's senior services and what they include here. 

If you don’t need additional senior services provided by Lively, there are cheaper talk and text plans available from the other cell phone service providers listed in this article.

The Best Talk & Text Plans With Limited Data

Even if you only need calling and texting from your cell phone plan, some service providers offer incredibly low rates for small amounts of high-speed data (5GB or less). Some of these plans are even cheaper than no-data phone plans.

Here are a few of the most affordable phone plans overall that offer a small amount of high-speed data:

You can check out all of our top picks for cheap phone plans here.

Cell Phone Plan Finder: Talk & Text Only

Below, you can enter how many lines you need, your preferred network and more. Then, compare the results to find the best plan that will meet your needs.

For more options, search our full database of over 180 cell phone plans with our Cell Phone Plan Finder here.

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Final Thoughts

If you're looking for the cheapest overall phone plan for someone who doesn't need any mobile data, consider Hello Mobile's $5 plan. You can find other cheap talk-and-text-only phone plans from Tello Mobile and Twigby.

If you're shopping for a new phone in addition to service, look for Tracfone deals on websites like HSN and QVC. You'll find the best international features with Google Fi Wireless' Flexible plan while Lively's plans offer the best senior services.

Some phone plans with limited data are even cheaper than other no-data phone plans. For example, US Mobile's Light Plan costs $96/year ($8/month) for unlimited talk and text plus 2GB of data. That's significantly cheaper than Google Fi Wireless' Flexible plan, which makes it an excellent deal for people who don't need Google Fi Wireless' international features. Red Pocket and Ultra Mobile also offer limited-data plans for as low as $10/month (prepay for a year to get this price with Ultra Mobile).

If you do decide to switch to a new cell phone service provider, be sure to read our guide on how to switch phone carriers. For more options, check out all of our top picks for the best cell phone plans here. Additionally, you can search our full database of cell phone plans with our new Cell Phone Plan Finder.

What are your favorite phone plans with unlimited talk & text? Let us know in our Clark.com Community!

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