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Tello Carrier Review

Tello Review 2026

The cheapest T-Mobile plans you'll find — starting at $10/mo with no commitment.

SwitchNinja review Updated May 2026 5 min read Independently scored — never paid placement
Carrier Score Tello
★★★★
#1 Per-GB Value · T-Mobile
7.8 / 10
Tello is one of the cheapest ways to get on T-Mobile's network. The $10/mo plan includes 2GB data, free calling to 60+ countries, and no contract. The $15/mo plan bumps to 10GB wit…
MVNO T-Mobile network
How We Scored It Weighted out of 100
Coverage
72
Value
94
Features
66
Support
54
Ninja Promise: We rank carriers by math, not by who pays us the most.
Quick Verdict

Tello is one of the cheapest ways to get on T-Mobile's network. The $10/mo plan includes 2GB data, free calling to 60+ countries, and no contract. The $15/mo plan bumps to 10GB with 10GB hotspot. The $25/mo Unlimited plan includes 50GB of high-speed data, 10GB hotspot, and free international calling. Taxes and fees are extra on all plans. If you're a light data user on Wi-Fi most of the day and want the lowest possible monthly bill on T-Mobile's network, Tello is hard to beat. The trade-off: limited hotspot and no included international roaming (PAYG roaming is available separately).

Best For

Tello is the right call if you fit these

Wi-Fi-first users who barely use mobile data

Budget shoppers looking for the absolute lowest monthly bill

International callers — free calling to 60+ countries on all plans

Month-to-month flexibility with no contract or commitment

Light users who want T-Mobile's 5G network without overpaying

Skip If

Probably not worth it when…

You need big high-speed data — 50GB on the Unlimited plan before throttling

You want more than 10GB hotspot — Tello caps at 10GB even on Unlimited

You need HD video streaming — Tello caps at SD on all plans

You want taxes included — Tello adds taxes and fees on top

You need included international data roaming — Tello offers PAYG roaming but it's not included in plans

The Lineup

All Tello Plans

Single-line · AutoPay

$10 Plan

Entry
$10/mo
AutoPay · taxes incl.
Data 2 GB
Hotspot 2 GB
2GB data
2GB hotspot
5G included
International roaming
Taxes & fees included
View Plan
Ninja Pick

$15 Plan

Best Value
$15/mo
AutoPay · taxes incl.
Data 10 GB
Hotspot 10 GB
10GB data
10GB hotspot
5G included
International roaming
Taxes & fees included
View Plan

$25 Unlimited

Premium
$25/mo
AutoPay · taxes incl.
Data 50 GB priority
Hotspot 10 GB
Unlimited data (50GB priority)
10GB hotspot
5G included
International roaming
Taxes & fees included
View Plan
The Honest Take

Pros & Cons

What we like

6 reasons

$10/mo for 2GB — one of the cheapest plans in wireless

Free calling and texting to 60+ countries from the US on all plans

$25/mo Unlimited with 50GB high-speed data is strong for the price

Month-to-month — no annual prepay, no commitment

T-Mobile's 5G network included on all plans

Hotspot included on all plans (2GB/10GB/10GB by tier)

What to know

6 caveats

Taxes and fees added on top of all advertised prices

Max 10GB hotspot even on the Unlimited plan

SD video streaming on all plans — no HD option

Can be deprioritized behind T-Mobile postpaid during congestion — 50GB high-speed threshold on Unlimited

No in-store support — online only

International data roaming is Pay-As-You-Go only — not included in any plan

The Network

Network & Coverage

Tello runs on T-Mobile's network, including T-Mobile's 5G. As an MVNO, Tello customers can be deprioritized behind T-Mobile postpaid subscribers during network congestion. The $10 plan includes 2GB data and 2GB hotspot. The $15 plan includes 10GB data and 10GB hotspot. The $25 Unlimited plan includes unlimited data with 50GB of high-speed data before throttling, plus 10GB hotspot. All plans include free calling and texting to 60+ countries from the US. International data roaming is available on a Pay-As-You-Go basis (not included in plans). Video streaming is capped at SD on all plans. Taxes and fees are extra.

Network: T-Mobile Type: MVNO Parent: T-Mobile
Ninja Verdict

Tello is the plan for people who barely use their phone — and that's a compliment

Bottom line

Tello's sweet spot is the user who's on Wi-Fi 90% of the time and just needs a reliable phone line with some mobile data for when they're out. The $10/mo plan with 2GB and free international calling is genuinely hard to find anywhere else. The $15/mo plan at 10GB is the best value in the lineup — enough data for most light-to-moderate users at an unbeatable price. Even the $25/mo Unlimited plan holds up — 50GB of high-speed data on T-Mobile's network for $25 is competitive with Mint's annual prepay price, except Tello doesn't require upfront commitment. The trade-off vs. Mint: Tello is month-to-month but data is deprioritized (not premium priority). The trade-off vs. US Mobile: Tello is simpler and cheaper but locked to T-Mobile's network with no network choice. If you're a light user who values low cost and flexibility above all else, Tello is the pick.

Best for: Wi-Fi-first users who barely use mobile data
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How Tello Compares

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Frequently Asked Questions

Tello runs on T-Mobile's network. Coverage is the same as T-Mobile, but Tello customers can be deprioritized during network congestion.
Yes — all Tello plans include free calling and texting to 60+ countries from the US. International data roaming is available separately on a Pay-As-You-Go basis (requires minimum $5 credit balance). For included roaming data, you'd need a carrier like US Mobile Premium.
No — taxes and fees are added on top of the advertised price. A $25/mo plan will cost slightly more after taxes. This is different from Visible or US Mobile Starter, which include taxes.
Tello is month-to-month with no commitment; Mint's best prices require 3-12 month prepay. Tello's $25/mo Unlimited has 50GB of high-speed data vs. Mint's 50GB threshold at a similar price point. Tello wins on flexibility and international calling (60+ countries free); Mint wins if you're comfortable with annual prepay for slightly lower effective pricing.
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