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The best family cell phone plans prove that your costs don't have to spiral out of control just to make sure that everyone in your life has enough wireless data each month. Plenty of plans out there offer discounts as you add more lines, keeping a lid on your total costs. You just have to know where to look.
I can steer you toward these discounted family plans. I'm constantly looking into what phone carriers charge for service in my effort to track down the best cell phone plans overall — something I've been doing for nearly a decade here at Tom's Guide. By looking at different plans from wireless providers big and small, I'm confident I can find a plan with enough data to satisfy everyone in your family without busting your budget. That's because many of the options I'm highlighting here include the best unlimited data plans so you and your family members won't have to share a pool of limited data.
For the most part, families of four can expect to pay between $120 to $220 a month for four lines from the major wireless carriers. Certain promotions can drive that cost down, particularly when carriers waive the cost of an extra line. Plans on the lower end of that range tend to have fewer perks — hotspot data, complementary streaming services, and more — so take that into consideration when making your choice.
Right now, I think T-Mobile has the best mix of perks and price for its family plan, but if you want a more budget-friendly option, consider Mint Mobile. Xfinity and Total Wireless also have plans with significant discounts for families of four. (Note that the prices in our best family cell phone plan summaries reflect the cost of four lines of data at each carrier. If you need fewer lines, you'll pay less, though the per-line cost may be higher because of those escalating discounts I mentioned.)
