Top 10 Prepaid Cell Phones Services Review

Top 10 Prepaid Cell Phones Services side-by-side comparison chart

See the TopTenREVIEWS comparison chart to compare feature sets, specifications and see why we ranked the products the way we did.

Click to see the full side-by-side comparison chart for the best prepaid cell phone services.

#1 Boost Mobile

Winner of the TopTenReviews "Gold Award"

It was a close call, but we've selected Boost Mobile to receive our "TopTenREVIEWS Gold Award" as the best overall Prepaid Cell Phone provider. Boost Mobile provides the broadest range of options for those looking for cellular service without being tied to a contract. Their Monthly Unlimited plan is of particular note. Even folks who are satisfied with contract based services might want to take a look at this outstanding program.

Click for full Boost Mobile review, specs, screenshots, video demos and the best deals.

#2 Cricket

Winner of the TopTenReviews "Silver Award"

Cricket wrote the book on flat rate cellular phone service and for many people, the company's name is synonymous with pre-paid calling. While there's now a lot of competition in the market that this company defined, Cricket remains an excellent option for a wide variety of wireless customers. They offer a broader range of plans than other providers, one of which is very likely to meet your personal calling needs and as such are the recipients of the "TopTenREVIEWS Silver Award" for Prepaid Cellular Phone providers.

Click for full Cricket review, specs, screenshots, video demos and the best deals.

#3 Virgin Mobile

Winner of the TopTenReviews "Bronze Award"

Virgin Mobile offers an impressive combination of calling options that could be ideal for many callers needs. Of particular note is the ability to customize features within a plan to meet individual requirements. Virgin Mobile places an emphasis on text messaging which has made them a favorite among young users. For these reasons, we've chosen Virgin Mobile to receive the "TopTenREVIEWS Bronze Award" for Prepaid Cellular Phone providers.

Click for full Virgin Mobile review, specs, screenshots, video demos and the best deals.

#4 Net10

Net10 is a prepaid Cellular Phone service that is owned by TracFone. We found it rather curious that Net10 offers a better selection of pricing options than the parent company, but that sort of thing happens occasionally when performing objective reviews of services. In general, service from Net10 is a flat $.10 a minute though, that's a moot point with the Net10 Unlimited plan.

Click for full Net10 review, specs, screenshots, video demos and the best deals.

#5 GoPhone

GoPhone is cellular behemoth AT&T's entry into the Prepaid Cell Phone service market. It offers many of the admirable benefits of the AT&T network while still providing the freedom and flexibility that make prepaid cellular appealing.

Click for full GoPhone review, specs, screenshots, video demos and the best deals.

#6 Verizon Wireless

With the acquisition of Alltel Wireless, Verizon Wireless became the most pervasive cellular phone provider in the United States. There are some advantages to that fact for Prepaid Cell Phone customers and we'll point those out, but VZW's plans, in general, are rather limited compared to higher ranked competitors.

Click for full Verizon Wireless review, specs, screenshots, video demos and the best deals.

#7 T-Mobile

T-Mobile, America's fourth largest wireless phone provider, is primarily used by contract customers; however, the company offers a couple of Prepaid plans worthy of perusal.

Click for full T-Mobile review, specs, screenshots, video demos and the best deals.

#8 MetroPCS

MetroPCS offers among the best monthly plans we've evaluated. Indeed only the top rated unlimited monthly plans from top rated Boost Mobile and Cricket compare favorably for both features and value. The unfortunate reality with MetroPCS, however, is that you can only realistically obtain their service their service if you live or work, or otherwise frequent, what they call their Home Areas.

Click for full MetroPCS review, specs, screenshots, video demos and the best deals.

#9 U.S. Cellular

U.S. Cellular is the fifth largest cellular phone service provider in the United States. Their primary focus is on their postpaid service; nonetheless, the company offers a selection of prepaid options that will be appealing to many consumers. Unfortunately, like MetroPCS, the company's coverage footprint is regional so the practical applicability of this service is limited. Based in Chicago, the Midwest has the broadest area of coverage.

#10 TracFone

Based on presence in retail stores, TracFone is one of the most visible Prepaid Cell Phone providers on the market. We find that it can be of value to those who want to have the security of cellular service but will only use it on a very limited basis. You can buy an hour of airtime for $19.99 and it's good for 90 days. That's just $6.67 per month for cellular service. The down side is that it represents a per minute cost of $.333 so if you plan to actually use the phone much, other plans are better.