Switch to a prepaid phone plan if you're tired of paying too much for your phone bill.
Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) make it possible to find prepaid deals that are cheap and don't require a contract. By using big networks like Verizon and AT&T, you can save money with these.
Tello and Ting are two big names in the MVNO market. Both companies are much cheaper than regular phone plans because they cover the whole country and have plans that start at $10 or less per month.
Our review of Ting vs. Tello will help you choose the right service and put together the best phone plan.
Tello vs. Ting
Tello and Ting are two of the most well-known MVNOs. Ultimately, each company saves you money because you only pay for the services you want.
But the prices and features of the plans might make one of them a better choice for you.
Ting Wireless Plans
Ting uses the networks of both T-Mobile and Verizon. Ting's plans include LTE or 5G internet, national service, unlimited talk and text, and a mobile hotspot.
deals start as low as $10 per month, making Ting one of the cheapest cell phone deals available.
You can choose from four different Ting plans:
| Plan | Cost | Data | High-Speed Data | Hotspot Data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Set 5 | $25 | 5GB | 5GB | 5GB |
| Set 12 | $35 | 12GB | 12GB | 8GB |
| Unlimited | $45 | Unlimited | 22GB | 12GB |
| Unlimited Pro | $55 | Unlimited | 35GB | 18GB |
You can also choose Ting's Flex plan, which costs $10 a month plus $5 per GB of data used. This is the least expensive Ting plan if you don't use much data or use less than 2GB.
When you go over your fast-data cap, the company slows your internet speed to 2G. But you can get more fast data for $5 per gigabyte if you want it.
When it comes to talking, Ting lets you call more than 60 different places. Rates are listed on their website, and most countries cost $0.05 per minute.
But sending and getting texts from foreign lines is free.
Ting doesn't offer a money-back promise, but you can check if it's available in your area by looking at its service map.
If you want to bring your own phone, you can also use a phone compatibility tool to make sure it works with Ting. With these two tools, you should be able to figure out if Ting will work for you before you sign up.
Ting is one of the best no-contract cell phone options for people who don't use a lot of data, and its Flex plan is one of the cheaper plans available.
Tello Plan
In the same way, Tello uses T-Mobile's network to cover the whole country.
With unlimited talk and text rates that start as low as $8 per month, this company is more affordable than Ting.
The major difference between Ting plans and Tello plans is that Tello plans are more flexible and can be changed more. You can choose how many minutes and how much data you want in your plan.
The most basic plan, with no internet and only 100 minutes of talking, and free texting, costs only $5 per month. If you want to talk and text as much as you want, it will cost you $8 a month.
You can also add more data to your plan, starting at 500MB and going up to 8GB at 500MB size.
Last, Tello lets you add as much info as you want. If you want unlimited talk and text as well as unlimited internet, it will cost you $29 a month.
Tello, on the other hand, has four pre-made plans with infinite minutes and texts:
| Plan | Monthly Cost | Data | High-Speed Data | Hotspot data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | $10 | 1GB | 1GB | 1GB |
| Value | $14 | 2GB | 2GB | 2GB |
| Smart | $19 | 5GB | 5GB | 5GB |
| Unlimited | $29 | Unlimited | 25GB | 25GB |
Tello plans to offer both 4G LTE and 5G internet speeds. After you use all of your plan's monthly data, your speed will slow down to 2G. For the unlimited plan, the speed starts to slow down after 25GB.
Like Ting, these deals also let you use your phone as a hotspot. You can even use your minutes to make free calls to more than 60 countries.
Plans can be returned in full by Tello. No questions asked if you can't use any of its benefits.
You can still use the site's service checker and phone compatibility test to see if Tello works in your area and with your device, but the refund policy adds another layer of security.
If you use a lot of data, Tello Mobile Plan is a little bit cheaper than Ting. They also give you more options than Ting, which makes them a good choice if you want to save money and don't need a lot of data.
How much data do Tello and Ting offer?
When it comes to internet prices, Tello and Ting are the same. Both companies offer deals with no data for less than $15.
But Tello has more kinds of plans. If you only use your phone to check and send the odd email, you can find deals with only 500MB of data.
Tello is the right choice if you want a cheaper unlimited data plan that is also cheaper. But with Ting's Unlimited Pro plan, your speed slows down after 35GB. Customers of Tello who have unlimited data see their speeds slow down after 25GB.
This is a small thing, but if you want as much fast data as possible, Ting is better.
You can also buy fast data from Ting for $5 per GB. Even though it costs a little more than Tello on average, it has faster internet.
Mobile Hotspots Comparison
Mobile hotspot is free with every plan from both Ting and Tello. The biggest difference is that you can't use all of your plan's data for hot-spotting on Ting, but you can on Tello.
But with Unlimited Pro, Ting's unlimited plans have a ceiling of 18GB for hot-spotting. When blocking starts at 25GB, Tello stops hot-spotting.
Tello is the best choice if you want to find as many hotspots as possible. But the difference in data from hotspots isn't much better than Ting.
Does Tello Have 5G?
Tello offers 5G internet speeds. Customers with unlimited data have their speed slowed to 2G after they use 25GB of data in a month.
Does Ting Have 5G?
All deals from Ting include 5G internet speed. Plans spell out how fast data can be used. Once you've used all of your fast data, Ting slows down to 2G, just like Tello.
Which MVNO Has Good Coverage?
Both MVNOs use T-Mobile's national network, so service should be good in most places in the United States.
In more rural parts of the United States, T-Mobile's network coverage isn't as good, but for the most part, T-Mobile's service is good everywhere.
Because Ting also uses Verizon's national network, it has better reach than Tello. Taking this amount of service into account, it's likely that you can use Ting where you live.
But overseas calls to more than 60 countries are free with Tello, while international calls from Ting cost between $0.05 and $0.20 per minute, based on the country.
Pros and Cons
Both MVNOs are good choices that can help you cut your monthly phone bill. But there are some good and bad things about each company that are worth mentioning.
| Tello Pros | Tello Cons |
|---|---|
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| Ting Pros | Ting Cons |
|---|---|
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Both companies have some of the best deals for phones with no contracts, but they don't give up good service.
Is Ting or Tello Better?
If you have a big carrier, Ting and Tello are probably cheaper than your present phone bill. Keep in mind that how you use your phone will help you choose the right company.
Ting is the best choice if you don't use much data and want the best service. If you need endless internet, on the other hand, Tello is a better deal.
Conclusion
Tello and Ting are two of the MVNOs with the best prices. If you want to save money and haven't looked for cheap phone deals in a while, you should start with these companies.
Just make sure you only pay for what you need and keep a close eye on how much data you use. So, you won't use up your prepaid phone plan too quickly and end up spending more than you planned.
