Where to Find Low-Cost and Free Cell Phone Service in 2022

For most people, going without a working cell phone is not realistic. It is how they reach relatives, get news and updates, and call for help in an emergency. That raises a problem for anyone who needs a phone but has little money to spend on one. The options below show where to find inexpensive plans, and some that cost nothing at all.

FreedomPop: A Low-Commitment Starting Point

FreedomPop is a wireless internet provider and virtual mobile network headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Its offerings include phones, data packages, text and VoIP services, and more.

The Basic Plan frees customers from recurring monthly bills. Instead, there is a single activation fee of $49. The plan includes:

• 500 texts
• 200 minutes of calls
• 500MB of data

Anything beyond those limits, such as data use above 500MB, is billed as an extra charge.

People who need more can pick from other low-priced FreedomPop plans:

• 2GB of data, starting at $9.99 per month
• 5GB of data, starting at $14.99 per month
• 10GB of data, starting at $19.99 per month

Other perks of the service are:

• No application required
• No activation fee
• No contracts
• Unlimited free Wi-Fi calls

Customers who pay for more than one month at a time can also get steep discounts on pricing.

FreeUP Mobile: Cheaper Than the Big Carriers

FreeUP Mobile is worth a look for anyone who wants packages that cost less than those of traditional providers. Its monthly plans are:

• $15 per month: 1GB of data, plus unlimited global text and talk
• $20 per month: 2GB of data, plus unlimited global text and talk
• $30 per month: 6GB of data, plus unlimited global text and talk
• $45 per month: unlimited data, talk and text

The network runs on 4G LTE and the latest 5G, so signal gaps should not be a concern. Each unlimited plan also comes with a free SIM and free shipping.

Ting Mobile: Pay for What You Use

Ting Mobile's Flex plan takes a different approach. Rather than a fixed monthly payment, users are billed only for the services they actually use. Overspending is easy to avoid, because Ting provides a tracker that shows how many messages, calls and how much data have been used. That way, there are no surprises on the bill.

Flex currently starts at $10 per line. Ting also sells an unlimited plan at $45 per month, which includes:

• Unlimited data, talk and text
• Nationwide LTE and 5G coverage
• Up to 12GB of hotspot

Two more Ting plans are available:

• $25 per month: unlimited text and talk, plus 5GB of data
• $35 per month: unlimited text and talk, plus 12GB of data

Lifeline: Free Service for Low-Income Households

Lifeline is a US government program designed for low-income families that need phone service. It helps households cover basic needs, such as applying for jobs and staying in touch with healthcare providers. Q Link Wireless is one of the companies that uses Lifeline to offer free cell phone service to these families.

Q Link Wireless's free monthly plan provides:

• 4.5GB of data each month
• Unlimited texts
• Unlimited call minutes

There is one possible catch: applicants must already own a cell phone to qualify. The program also does not operate in every state. It is available in the following places:

Arizona, Michigan, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Maine, Missouri, Arkansas, Washington, Georgia, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Louisiana, Colorado, Minnesota, Idaho, Ohio, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Rhode Island, Texas, Maryland, Nevada, Utah, West Virginia and Hawaii.

Next Steps

Anyone hunting for inexpensive phone service can begin by searching online. With the right plan, it is possible to stay in touch with friends and family at the moments it matters most.