Sprint has some of the best cell phone plans out there.
The carrier offers an unlimited data plan for $75 — the lowest price on the market, outside of a prepaid plan from Boost Mobile, which is owned by Sprint. While Sprint cell phone plans are competitive in terms of price, they lack some of the features offered by T-Mobile. And Sprint’s network isn’t as expansive as AT&T‘s or Verizon’s, which may leave you stuck without a signal.
AT A Glance
- Plans start at $40 for 1GB
- Strengths: Competitive pricing, no data overage charges
- Weaknesses: Network strength, plan features
Sprint cell phone plans
Sprint takes a similar approach to Verizon, offering cell phone plans in sizes ranging from Extra Small (1GB) to XX Large (40GB), but at a more affordable price. Each Sprint plan includes unlimited minutes and text messages, as well as unlimited 2G data. So if customers exceed their chosen data package, they won’t be charged overage. Sprint’s current plans include:
- Extra Small (1GB): $40
- Small (3GB): $50
- Medium (6GB): $65
- Large (12GB): $80
- X Large (24GB): $100
- XX Large (40GB): $120
- Unlimited: $75
Sprint’s cell phone plans include a charge for the data package, plus a $20 monthly access charge for each line. There is one exception: Sprint’s Unlimited plan. One line on the Unlimited plan is $75 per month, but additional lines are $30-$45 per month, depending on the number of lines sharing the plan. The prices listed here do not account for taxes, fees and other charges, such as insurance or device payments. All Sprint cell phone plans can be family plans, and customers can have a total of 10 lines sharing one plan.
» COMPARE: Best cell phone plans
Sprint prepaid plans
Sprint offers three monthly prepaid plans, which include 1, 3 and 6GB of high-speed data, respectively. These plans come with unlimited talk, text and 2G data, like Sprint’s traditional plans, but don’t require a credit check or contract. Sprint prepaid customers need to purchase a phone outright, rather than paying in installments, and cannot use their own device, even if it is a Sprint phone.
- 1GB: $35
- 3GB: $45
- 6GB: $55
Current Sprint deals
Sprint’s promotions typically require customers to activate a new phone or upgrade their current one. Existing customers may not be eligible for promotions and may also have to switch plans to take advantage of an offer. Sprint’s current deals include:
- Get 50% off most Verizon, AT&T or T-Mobile plans when you bring your number to Sprint.
- Get four lines of unlimited talk, text and high-speed data for $37.50 per line.
- Get an American Express Reward Card for up to $650 when you switch to Sprint and trade in your old phones, plus an additional $75 bill credit when you lease certain smartphones from Sprint.
- Get 50% off a Samsung Galaxy S7 when you get another S7 and pay for both via a 24-month lease.
How Sprint compares on price
| AT&T | Sprint | T-Mobile | Verizon | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1GB or less | $45 (300MB) | $40 (1GB) | N/A | N/A |
| 2-3GB | $55 (2GB) | $50 (3GB) | $50 (2GB) | $55 (2GB) |
| 4-6GB | $75 (5GB) | $65 (6GB) | $65 (6GB) | $70 (4GB) |
| 8-10GB | N/A | N/A | $80 (10GB) | $90 (8GB) |
| 12-15GB | $115 (15GB, during promotion) | $80 (12GB) | N/A | N/A |
| 16-20GB | $155 (20GB) | N/A | N/A | $110 (16GB) |
| 22-25GB | $190 (25GB) | $100 (24GB) | N/A | $130 (24GB) |
| Unlimited | $100 (must have DirecTV or U-verse) | $75 | $95 | N/A |
How Sprint compares on features
| AT&T | Sprint | T-Mobile | Verizon | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unlimited 2G data | Yes | Yes | Optional | |
| Unlimited video streaming | Yes | Yes | ||
| Unlimited music streaming | Yes | |||
| Rollover data | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Unlimited 2G data: If you max out your data package with Sprint, you won’t be socked with overage charges. Instead, you will have slower data speeds until your billing cycle resets. That’s because Sprint’s plans, like those offered by T-Mobile, come with unlimited 2G data. Compared to the high speed data purchased with your plan, 2G data is considerably slower. So uploading 30 photos would take more than 20 minutes, instead of about one minute. AT&T does not offer unlimited 2G data but instead charges $15 for every 1GB of data used beyond your selected plan. And it rounds up, so you pay for a full gigabyte even if you only go over by 300MB.
Video streaming: Video streamed from your Sprint smartphone will count against your data package, so pick your plan accordingly if you plan to spend hours streaming video from apps like Hulu or YouTube. Streaming just five hours of video a month uses about 1GB of data if viewed in standard definition and almost 4.5GB in high definition. If possible, adjust your app settings to default to the lowest-quality video streaming, and try to stream only when connected to Wi-Fi. Heavy streamers should also consider T-Mobile, which offers unlimited video streaming on select plans. Verizon also offers unlimited video streaming from the carrier’s Go90 app.
Music streaming: Jamming to music via Pandora or Spotify will dip into your Sprint data package, and the easy listening could make a big dent in your monthly data allowance. That’s because streaming one hour of music daily for a month can use as much as 2GB of data, depending on streaming quality and the app you use. T-Mobile lets customers stream as much music as they want, provided it’s from one of the carrier’s partner services.
Rollover data: Sprint plans do not roll over, so any unused data is lost at the end of the month. T-Mobile and AT&T, however, both roll leftover data to the next month. That data expires after 30 days with AT&T and after 12 months with T-Mobile.
» MORE: 3 steps to finding a cheap cell phone plan
The bottom line
Of the four major carriers, Sprint is the most affordable option. A 6GB plan will run you $65 per month Sprint but $80 with Verizon. And Sprint’s Unlimited data plan is just $75 per month, while T-Mobile’s is $95 and AT&T’s is $100 (and limited to DirecTV and U-verse subscribers). Where Sprint may fall short is coverage. In most areas, AT&T and Verizon have better networks overall. Sprint also lacks many of the features offered by T-Mobile.
Kelsey Sheehy is a staff writer at NerdWallet, a personal finance website. Email: ksheehy@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @KelseyLSheehy.
The article was updated July 7, 2016. It was originally published March 11, 2016.
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