Best Cellphone Plans for Two People
The best phone plans for two involve low costs for both a new phone and monthly plans. In many cases there are other perks, like hotspots and emergency help buttons.
- Consumer Cellular is our best cellphone plan for two lines overall.
- The cellphone plans for two in this review cost between $35–$99 for two lines.
- Many of the best cellphone plans for two lines are on MVNO carriers, or carriers who have to rent cellular network access from other providers.
- Mint Mobile offers the only cellphone plan for two without an activation fee.
- Lively has the best phones for older adults.
NCOA connects people with the resources and tools they need to support a healthy life. To review cellphone plans, we researched and tested for more than 30 hours before making our first recommendation. To find the best cellphone plans for older adults, we:
- Spoke with consumer advocates and technology experts for guidance on what features and plans are the most important for older adults
- Evaluated each plan's coverage maps, data speeds, and network compatibility using published carrier data and independent network testing reports
- Contacted each cellphone provider's customer service team directly. We tested each team's responsiveness and measured wait times, and evaluated how well representatives could answer our questions
- Looked at affordability by comparing pricing, contract terms, and hidden fees
- Read verified customer reviews on trusted sites like the Better Business Bureau and Trustpilot
We're constantly testing new cellphone plans to give you the most accurate and up-to-date recommendations. Read more about our cellphone methodology.
Smartphones and monthly cellphone plans can be a big expense, especially if you’re on a limited income. Chances are, when you sat down to figure out your retirement plan, the words “Apple” and “Android” didn’t figure in. If you’re looking for ways to save money in retirement, downsizing your phone plan can help. We’ve evaluated the best cellphone plans for two lines so you can get the best bang for your buck.
When choosing the best phone plans for two people, we looked at network providers, data restrictions, and add-ons like caregiver alerts and accessibility support. This review breaks down plan costs, network speeds, and anything else providers are doing to support people age 55 and older.
Best Overall
Consumer Cellular
Offers hotspots, international calls, and in-store setup
Best for Seniors
Lively
Urgent caregiver response options and medical alert add-ons
Most Customizable
Mint Mobile
Accessibility support and international calling available
The best cellphone plans for two
- Consumer Cellular: Best Cellphone Plan for Two Overall
- Lively: Best Phone Plan for Two for Seniors
- Mint Mobile: Most Customizable Phone Plan for Two Lines
- AT&T: Best Phone Plan for Two for International Travelers
Comparing the best cellphone plans
| Comparison Features | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our rating (out of 10) | 9.9 |
9.9 |
9.8 |
9.6 |
| Wireless provider | MVNO* |
MVNO* |
MVNO* |
AT&T |
| Network used | AT&T, T-Mobile |
Verizon |
T-Mobile |
AT&T |
| 5G access | Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Data plans | 1 GB to Unlimited |
1 GB to Unlimited |
6 GB to Unlimited |
Unlimited |
* Mobile Virtual Network Operator that rents cellular network infrastructure from Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile
Our top cellphone plan for two reviews
Consumer Cellular: Best Overall
We recommend Consumer Cellular because it has a wide range of features. You can opt for plans that include hotspots and international calling. The company also offers a medical alert system add-on. Consumer Cellular has the least expensive startup fee of all the cell providers on this list, helping it earn a 9.9/10 from our testers on affordability.
- Lowest activation fee
- Wide range of data plan options
- Monthly plans start at $35
- Visibility-friendly website
- Network: AT&T, Verizon
- Wireless provider: MVNO
- Number of lines: 2–4
- Data limits: Unlimited
- Monthly price: $35–$60
- 5G access: Yes
- Mobile hotspot: Included
- Contract required: No
Pros
- Hotspot included
- Low monthly start price
- Medical alert add-on available
Cons
- Runs on an MVNO network
- Must buy data—no talk and text only option
- GrandPad and IRIS caregiver add-ons don’t work with the phones
Lively: Best Phone Plan for Seniors
Lively is the only network provider on our list of the best phone plans for two that offers a talk and text only option. This means you don’t need to purchase a data plan to use your phone. For this, Lively scored a 10/10 on plan flexibility. Lively, a division of Best Buy Health, also ranked high for customer service. And it's the only phone plan on this list with accessibility features specific to older adults. These factors earned Lively the title of Best Phone Plan for Seniors.
- Only provider on this list with a talk and text only plan
- Doesn’t require a contract
- Most flexible plans
- Wide range of models
- Network: Verizon
- Wireless provider: MVNO
- Number of lines: 1–5
- Data limits: Unlimited
- Monthly price: Starts at $40
- 5G access: Yes
- Mobile hotspot: No
- Contract required: No
Pros
- Talk & Text only plan available
- Emergency button
- Simplified menus
- Ride-scheduling options
Cons
- No hotspot
- No international calls
- One of the more expensive activation fees on this list
- Total cost and fees hard to find
Mint Mobile: Most Customizable Cellphone Plan for Two Lines
Mint Mobile earned the title of Most Customizable Phone Plan for Two Lines because of its flexible data plans for each user, combined with a low monthly cost and fairly strong coverage. Our testers gave Mint Mobile a 9.9/10 for network coverage because it offers 4G, 5G, and LTE, plus a hotspot included in the plan. While promotions are running, a single line is $15 per month. A two-line Mint Mobile Family Plan starts at $50 per month without promotions.
- Only provider on this list with no activation fee
- Hotspots and international calling
- No contract required
- You can keep your existing number
- Network: T-Mobile
- Wireless provider: MVNO
- Number of lines: 2–5 on Family Plan
- Data limits: Unlimited
- Monthly price: $50 for two lines without promotion
- 5G access: Yes
- Mobile hotspot: Included
- Contract required: Yes
Pros
- No activation fee
- You can keep your existing number
- Customer service helps you keep your current phone
- International calls and roaming
Cons
- No caregiver app support
- Promotion prices won’t hold forever
- No medical alerts
- 55+ plan doesn’t allow multiple lines (but the Family Plan does)
AT&T: Best Phone Plan for Two International Travelers
AT&T is the only major cell provider that made our list of best phone plans for two. And while the monthly $99 price tag exceeds other options, what you get for the money is reliable service. AT&T is the only provider in this review that isn’t reliant on someone else’s network. AT&T also offers the most reliable international coverage of all the providers on this list.
- The only major cell provider on this list
- Unlimited talk, text, and data
- Six international packages to choose from
- Network: AT&T
- Wireless provider: AT&T
- Number of lines: 2–10
- Data limits: Unlimited
- Monthly price: $99
- 5G access: Yes
- Mobile hotspot: Included
- Contract required: No
Pros
- Can bundle with home internet
- Monthly 10 GB hotspot per line
- Can add up to 10 lines
Cons
- No medical alert
- No caregiver app
- Most expensive provider on this list
- One of the pricier activation fees on this list
Types of phone plans
When evaluating the best phone plans for two lines, we looked at the two types of phone plans: family plans and plans geared toward older adults. Most of the providers on this list offer 55+ plans, but not all of those plans allow for multiple lines.
Consumer Cellular allows a minimum of one line on its 50+ plan, while AT&T’s minimum for the 55+ plan is two lines. Lively and Mint Mobile require you to use the Family Plan if you want more than a single line. Lively won’t let you pick your plan until after your hardware arrives at your house.
The perks for the 55+ plans are usually based on age-related discounts or how much data you will or won’t use. Consumer Cellular has add-ons like the GrandPad and the IRIS medical alert system. Lively is the lone cell provider on this list with caregiver apps and emergency help buttons as part of a 55+ phone plan.
What to look for when buying a phone plan for two people
When you’re deciding on a phone plan for two people, be sure to look at the costs per line. Mint Mobile advertises an appealing $15 per month, but that’s for a single line (and a limited promotion), so your monthly total for two is actually $30 per month.
Next, consider how much data you and the other person on the plan will use for things like accessing the internet, using social media, or streaming movies. If you and your plan partner don’t stream videos or spend hours scrolling on social media, you won’t need to spend more on a higher data package for your phone line for two.
Lastly, most of the best phone plans for two rely on MVNO, which means the provider rents network access from big phone companies like T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T. As long as you’re okay with a slight disruption in service whenever the network bloats, you’ll be happy with any of the cellphone plans for two on this list. If you’re worried about MVNO services, you might want to go with AT&T.
Other considerations you can make are:
- How much you’d like to keep your current phone number
- Whether you want caregiver alerts and emergency help buttons
- If you’d like to keep your existing phone and just switch the service
- How many international calls you plan to make
How much do the best cellphone plans for two cost?
The price of the best phone plans for two can vary depending on provider, number of lines, and other factors. For providers like Lively, the type of phone you choose may increase costs. For example, a Jitterbug flip phone is more affordable than a Jitterbug smartphone. Activation fees will tack on an added one-time cost to consider.
Be careful when choosing your plan: While Mint Mobile offers a 55+ plan, you can’t add a second line. You actually have to be on the Mint Mobile Family Plan to add a second line. Lively phones might also require their own lines. Consumer Cellular and AT&T both offer 55+ plans with two lines.
None of the phone plans for two on this list require a contract, although Mint Mobile does require you to sign up for a minimum of three months.
Phone plan costs compared
| Cellphone plan | Monthly starting price for two |
| Consumer Cellular | Starts at $35 |
| Lively | Starts at around $40 |
| Mint Mobile | $30–$50, depending on promotions |
| AT&T | $99 |
How to switch providers and sign up for a new plan for two
Some providers, like Mint Mobile, let you keep the phone number you already have. Depending on your SIM card, you might even get to keep the phone, too. Every cell provider on this list of best cellphone plans for two lines lets you keep your own phone, as long as the SIM is compatible.
For many of the cell service providers on this list, the first step of switching providers is finding out if your current phone’s SIM card is compatible with their networks. There’s usually a form you can fill out on your new provider’s website that tells you if your current phone is compatible with the new network.
If part of the reason you wanted to switch cell providers was so you could have a new phone, or so you can include safety features like Lively has, then SIM compatibility won’t matter. You’ll get your new hardware when you sign up for the new network provider.
Once you’ve decided about your phone (or in the case of Lively, once you have chosen your new phone and it arrives in the mail), you can pick the phone plan. Lively users can’t choose a new phone plan until the phone arrives. Other network providers on this list let you choose your plan online.
Do not cancel your current phone provider until your new phone plan is activated, or you’ll end up with a lapse in coverage. If your SIM is compatible and you’re keeping your current phone, your new cell provider will walk you through the cancellation process with your old provider. If you are starting your phone plan for two from scratch, you can shut down your old account once your new account is active.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best phone plan for two lines?
The best phone plan for two lines depends on your budget, data needs, and how often you’re making international calls. Mint Mobile is the most affordable, but adding two lines requires the Family Plan. Consumer Cellular is affordable and straightforward. But this option lacks the safety integrations of Lively, like a caregiver tracking app and a Care Advocate. AT&T is the only major network provider on our list offering two lines.
What is the average cellphone bill for two lines?
The average cellphone bill for two lines depends on the company and package you choose. A new phone and data costs may increase the price. The options we chose for our best phone plans for two cost between $35–$99 for two lines.
Are phone plans cheaper with two people or one person?
Phone plans are often cheaper for just one person, though that depends on your network provider. A Mint Mobile plan for a single person can cost as little as $15 per month. Consumer Cellular plans also cost less for one person than for two.
Do any phone companies offer discounts for older adults?
Yes. Consumer Cellular offers discounts for USAA and AARP members. And many providers also offer 50+ plans at discounted rates.
Questions? Email us at reviewsteam@ncoa.org.