Walmart vs. Target back-to-school prices: Which is cheaper?

It’s that time of year when back-to-school sales abound. If you’re looking for school supplies, it’s time to do some shopping.

Two of America’s favorite stores — Walmart and Target — are competing for your back-to-school dollar. But who’s cheaper?

Back to School supplies: Walmart vs. Target

Since the stores offer many of the same items, I decided to conduct a price comparison to find out which one is friendlier to your wallet.

Team Clark’s price comparison between Walmart and Target looked at more than 50 items, but we narrowed it down to 12 items that were exact matches only.

Take a look at the findings…

Target vs. Walmart Back to School price comparison — July 2019

Item

Target price

Walmart price

Avery D-Ring Dura-Hinge Binder $4.69 $4.74 Elmer’s Glue Re-Stick, 6 Count $4.99 $4.48 Elmer’s Giant Sticks – 3 Count $3.19 $4.97 Crayola Jumbo Crayons, 8 Count $2.99 $5.44 Elmer’s Glue, 1 Gallon $13.89 $10.88 Elmer’s Glue, 7.6 Oz. $0.50 $1.44 Composition Book, Wide Ruled $0.50 $0.50

Sharpie Black Permanent Marker, 10 Count

$7.99 $5.97 Ticonderoga Pencils, 30 Count $5.99 $5.97 Typing Paper, 500 Sheets $3.99 $4.47 Crayola Marker, 10 Count $2.39 $2.97 Crayola Construction Paper, 240 Sheets $4.99 $4.96 Total $56.10 $56.79 Price comparison conducted week of July 23, 2019

Key takeaway

One main theme in this price war between the retailers is that they are very keen on offering the same or similar products packaged in totally different ways. For the best deal, you have to read the labels carefully. 

For example: Target has a five-pack of Expo markers labeled as “4 + 1” for $4.49. Meanwhile, Walmart offers a 4-count with two extra markers in it for $4.46. That’s six markers labeled as four!

In many other cases, prices between the two stores are just a few pennies different.

Of course, other things that could affect the total price — like rebate apps, coupons and cash back credit cards — were not accounted for in this price comparison.

Want to save money on back-to-school supplies? Make a list of items that you’ll most likely need and do your own price comparison. Don’t hesitate to use Google Shopping and other online tools to help you find great prices.

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Do you prefer to shop at Walmart or Target? Let us know why in the comments below!

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Sling TV vs. YouTube TV: Which streaming service is better?

Money expert Clark Howard is a YouTube TV subscriber, but he and several members of Team Clark also have lots of experience streaming with Sling TV. After all, it was around before YouTube TV and other competitors like Hulu Live and DirecTV Now.

In this article, we’ll compare the key features of Sling TV and YouTube TV to help you find the best streaming service for you…

Table of contents:

Price

Sling TV and YouTube TV both increased prices in 2019, citing higher programming costs. However, Sling TV has always managed to keep its prices a bit lower than most of its competitors.

Sling TV has three bundles: Sling Orange, Sling Blue and Sling Orange & Blue — a combination of the first two.

As of July 2019, Sling Orange and Sling Blue cost $25 each, but Sling Orange & Blue is only $40. Sling has been running a lot of promotions over the past few months, including 40% off your first month of service.

Meanwhile, YouTube TV’s one and only plan is $49.99 per month, $10 more than Sling Orange & Blue’s regular price.

Sling TV and YouTube TV have free trial offers. Although these offers change periodically, you can usually count on at least five to seven days to test the services before you’re billed.

Just remember to cancel before the trial ends if it doesn’t work out.

Channels

Finding the best live TV streaming service for you will probably come down to the channel lineup. Sling Orange & Blue offers about 55 channels for $40/month, while YouTube TV’s plan has more than 70 channels for $50/month.

Sling TV encourages users to buy a digital antenna because it doesn’t have as many local stations as other services.

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If you want to cut the cord, I suggest that you make a list of the networks that are most important to you and search for them using the chart below to see which streaming TV service has all of your must-have channels.

Keep in mind that Sling TV also lets you customize your channel lineup with add-on packages, typically for $5 to $10 per month.

Channel lineups: Sling TV and YouTube TV

Sling TV “Orange + Blue” plan:
$40/monthYouTube TV:
$49.99/month A&E ABC (select markets)ABC ACC Network Extra AMCAMC Animal Planet AXS TV BBC AmericaBBC America BBC World News BET Big Ten Network (BTN) Bloomberg BravoBravo Cartoon NetworkCartoon Network CBS CBS Sports Network Cheddar Business Cheddar Business Cheddar NewsCheddar News CNBC CNBC World CNNCNN Comedy Central CometComet Cozi TV CW Discovery ChannelDiscovery Channel Disney ChannelDisney Channel Disney Junior Disney XD E!E! EPIX Drive-In ESPNESPN ESPN2ESPN2 ESPN3 ESPNews ESPNU Food NetworkFood Network FOX (select markets)FOX Fox Business Network Fox News Channel Fox Sports 1 (FS1)Fox Sports 1 (FS1) Fox Sports 2 (FS2)Fox Sports 2 (FS2) FreeformFreeform FXFX FXM FXXFXX Fuse
Golf Channel HGTVHGTV History Channel HLN IFCIFC Investigation Discovery (ID)Investigation Discovery (ID) Lifetime Local Now Local Now MLB Network MotorTrendMotorTrend MSNBC National GeographicNational Geographic Nat Geo WildNat Geo Wild NBA TV NBC (select markets)NBC NBCSNNBCSN NewsyNewsy NFL Network Nick Jr. Olympic Channel OWN (Coming later 2019) Oxygen Paramount Network Pop SEC Network Smithsonian Channel Stadium
Start TV Sundance TV SYFYSYFY Tastemade TBSTBS TCM (Turner Classic Movies) Telemundo Tennis Channel TLCTLC TNTTNT Travel ChannelTravel Channel Tribeca Shortlist truTVtruTV Universal Kids Universo USAUSA Viceland WE tv

Cloud DVR 

Sling TV’s streaming bundles don’t include cloud DVR, but you can pay an extra $5 per month for 50 hours of storage.

On the other hand, YouTube TV’s cloud DVR is the best in the streaming industry. There are no storage limits, you can stream your library anywhere in the U.S., and you can record simultaneously and keep those recordings for up to nine months.

Supported devices

Sling TV and YouTube TV both support a lot of devices that allow you to stream from your phone, computer and to a TV set.

If you have a smart TV, apps for these and other streaming TV providers may be installed. Otherwise, you’ll need a streaming media player like the affordable Roku Express to watch your favorite shows on the big screen.

Sling TV is compatible with Roku, Google Chromecast and Amazon Fire TV devices, among others.

If you’re leaning toward YouTube TV, you should know that support for Amazon Fire TV devices is coming later in 2019. That’s according to an update we received from Google in July 2019.

Multiple streams 

YouTube TV can be used on up to three devices at the same time, which is great for families. But it’s more complicated with Sling TV.

If you subscribe to the Sling Orange & Blue plan, up to four simultaneous streams are allowed. However, you only get one stream for any channel in the Sling Orange service and three streams for channels on the Sling Blue service.

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So, you can’t watch ESPN and Disney Channel at the same time, since both are exclusive to the single-stream Orange plan.

Navigation

If you’re switching from cable to streaming, it’s going to take some time to figure it out no matter which streaming provider you choose. The user experience is not the same, but the free trials give you time to adjust.

Sling TV and YouTube TV both have live TV guides that remind me of cable, but I would say YouTube TV’s is slightly better.

Team Clark has put together a couple of videos to give you an idea about how these streaming services work, but you should know that they’re always fine-tuning to make improvements to the user experience.

I think most people would be able to easily navigate either of these services within an hour or two of just trying them out.

Final thought

If you’re still on the fence about whether to try Sling TV or YouTube TV, why not test them both? That’s what the free trials are for.

Personally, I’ve spent more time with Sling TV than YouTube TV because I’m all about saving money. If you don’t have a long list of must-have channels, you may be happy with one of Sling’s $25 plans.

On the other hand, YouTube TV feels like more of a replacement for the cable or satellite package many people are used to.

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Reviews from Clark.com readers are so helpful when choosing a streaming TV service. Please leave your experience in the comments section below and let us know your cord-cutting strategy!

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Buying cars online vs. traditional dealers: Which is cheaper?

Online shopping has yielded big savings for people who opt to stay out of the stores, but what about when it comes to buying a car?

Although some people may prefer to visit their local car dealership rather than use their computer, savings can be found online, according to a new report.

Can you save more buying a car online or at the dealership?

Car search engine iSeeCars.com recently released a study that found people who bought vehicles online saved $185, or 0.8% on average. And some car models led to even more savings.

The site analyzed 2018 sales on more than 9.4 million used cars to come up with the results. Here are the vehicles that provide the biggest online savings, according to iSeeCars.com.

Admittedly, some people may be a little hesitant about making such a major purchase online. But for others, the high-pressure environment of a dealership is just as bad, according to iSeeCars CEO Phong Ly.

“Today’s car buyer wants to spend as little time as possible at the car dealership,” Ly is quoted as saying.

Ly says the best car-buying sites and apps can deliver significant savings, generous return policies and rigorous vehicle inspections.

Clark Howard: Here’s when you should go car shopping

Still, there may be some people who are just more comfortable visiting a car dealer — and that’s OK.

Money expert Clark Howard, who has bought a family car or two (or three), says it’s important that you be able to shop for a vehicle pressure-free. His advice is to check out the dealership after-hours.

“Look at cars when a dealership is closed, so there’s no salesperson to pressure you,” Clark says. “The best way to test drive a car is to rent it for a day or two. It’s the ultimate test drive.”

To learn more about the process of buying a vehicle, read Clark’s step-by-step guides for buying a new car and buying a used car.

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Blue Cash Preferred from American Express vs. Citi Double Cash

As long as you manage them well, cash back credit cards can be a great way to get rewarded for purchases you already make. But knowing which cash back credit card to use can be tough.

Blue Cash Preferred from American Express and Citi Double Cash – 18 month BT offer are two popular cash back credit cards that make it easy to earn anywhere from 1% to 6% on every purchase you make. Depending on your purchasing habits, one of them may be a good fit for you.

For personal finance ninjas, you may even want both cards to maximize the cash back you earn. Here’s a breakdown on how they work, how they compare, and which may be better for your purchasing needs.

Blue Cash Preferred and Citi Double Cash rewards

These two popular cash back rewards cards offer different types of rewards programs that may be more or less exciting depending on your spending habits. Blue Cash Preferred offers bonuses of 3% to 6% on popular categories and 1% everywhere else. Citi Double Cash gives you an effective flat 2% back (1% when you purchase and 1% when you pay your bill) on all purchases.

When using Blue Cash Preferred, you’ll earn 6% at U.S. supermarkets ($6,000 annual purchase limit, then earn 1%), 6% at select U.S. streaming subscription services (like Netflix), 3% back on transit (including rideshare, taxi, parking, train, buses, and more), and 3% at U.S. gas stations. If you spend heavily in any of those categories, the Blue Cash Preferred card is probably best.

However, the 1% back on all other purchases isn’t that great, and it’s half of what you get using Citi Double Cash. If you spend less in the above bonus categories, you may be better off with the Citi Double Cash card, particularly once you take annual fees into account.

Costs and fees of Blue Cash Preferred and Citi Double Cash

With credit cards, you never pay any interest if you pay off the card in full every month before the due date. Clark and the team firmly believe that you should only use credit cards if you can afford to pay them off completely each month and never miss a due date. If you can do that, the only regular cost you should encounter is an annual fee.

Double Cash has no annual fee. Blue Cash Preferred from American Express charges $95 per year. That makes Citi Double Cash better for people who are averse to annual fees. It also means you have to make at least $95 per year in cash back with the Amex card just to break even on the annual fee. However, if you do a little math you can see how easy it is to do.

Which card makes the most sense for you?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average U.S. food budget for food at home is $4,363 per year. If you spend that, you’ll bring home $261.78 in cash back from that category alone. If you spend the typical $1,968 per year on gas, you’ll earn $59 in rewards. Depending on how much you spend on streaming, Uber or Lyft rides, and public transit, you could end up earning far more with Blue Cash Preferred even after the $95 annual fee.

It is important to understand your budget no matter how you spend. That means knowing where your hard earned dollars go each month. If you spend what the average household does on things like groceries, gas, streaming, and transit, you’ll be better off with the Blue Cash Preferred card. If you don’t spend much in those categories, or just really don’t want a card with an annual fee, Citi Double Cash is better for you.

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Blue Cash Preferred from American Express

Welcome bonus Earn $250 back after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first three months. You will receive the $250 back in the form of a statement credit. Rewards

Annual fee $95 Advantage

• Great cash back rewards on popular categories

Drawbacks

• $95 annual fee
• Just 1% back on some purchases

Learn more: Blue Cash Preferred from American Express

 

Citi Double Cash – 18 month BT offer

Welcome bonus
None Rewards 1% cash back at the time of purchase and another 1% when you pay, for up to 2% total Annual fee None Advantages

• No annual fee
• High rate of return

Drawbacks

• No sign-up bonus
• 3% foreign transaction fee

Learn more: Citi Double Cash review

Why some people may want both

One downside of the Blue Cash Preferred card is its low 1% cash back rate on purchases outside of the bonus categories. If you want to maximize your rewards, you may want to consider using both cards. Of course, this means managing two monthly payments. But if you manage them well, that can help your credit score and you still won’t have to pay interest.

Combining the two cards, you can earn the 3% to 6% cash back rates on bonus categories covered by the American Express card and use the Citi Double Cash card everywhere else for the 2% earning rate. This type of strategy works well for expert credit card users. Just be sure you can handle it before diving in with multiple cards at once.

Getting rewarded for every single purchase

You’ll earn the most rewards if you use a credit card for every purchase. Just make sure those purchases are within your budget so you can afford the monthly payments. Know yourself and your habits to ensure you make the right call when it comes to your payment choices.

If you make regular purchases at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. streaming services, transit, or gas, Blue Cash Preferred is the better of the two cards for your needs. But if you don’t like annual fees or your purchases are spread out elsewhere, Double Cash is an excellent choice.

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Costco vs. Sam’s Club credit cards comparison: Which is better?

You probably know that Team Clark is a huge fan of warehouse stores — and it only makes sense that we’d want to earn the most rewards from our credit cards when we shop at them.

Costco and Sam’s Club are the dominant players in the warehouse store world and they each have a co-branded credit card that offers cash back. Let’s take a look at these two products and see how they compare.

Comparing credit cards from Costco Wholesale and Sam’s Club

The Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi offers you a fantastic 4% cash back on gas purchases, including those at Costco (on up to $7,000 spent each year, 1% after that).

This is great because many cards that offer bonuses for gas purchases specifically exclude stores like Costco and Sam’s Club, which often have the lowest prices. You also get 3% cash back at restaurants and on eligible travel purchases worldwide.

Somewhat surprisingly, you only get 2% back at Costco stores and at Costco.com, and just 1% cash back elsewhere.

Perhaps the biggest disadvantage of this card is that you only receive your cash back rewards once a year in February.

There’s no annual fee for this card with your paid Costco membership and no foreign transaction fees.

Synchrony Bank issues the Sam’s Club Mastercard, and it one-ups the Costco card by offering 5% back on all gas purchases (on up to $6,000 spent each year, 1% after that), including those at Sam’s Club. It won’t work at Costco because it’s a Mastercard and only Visa is accepted there.

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It also gives you 3% back on dining and travel purchases, but only 1% back everywhere else, including purchases at Sam’s Club.

As with the Costco card, you only receive your cash back rewards once a year in February, when they are automatically loaded to your membership account.

New accounts can earn a $45 statement credit when making a purchase of at least $45 the day you open the account (offer ends June 15, 2019). There’s no annual fee for this card and no foreign transaction fees.

Costco Anywhere Visa® Card By Citi

Sam’s Club® Mastercard®

Rewards

• 4% cash back on gas
• 3% at restaurants and travel
• 2% at Costco
• 1% elsewhere

• 5% cash back on gas
• 3% on travel and dining
• 1% elsewhere

Annual fee None, with paid Costco membership None Advantages 4% cash back at gas stations and excellent returns elsewhere High rates of cash back on gas, travel and dining Drawbacks

• No sign-up bonus
• Cash back is only offered as an annual credit each February and must be redeemed in-store

• Minimal sign-up bonus
• Mediocre cash back for shopping at Sam’s Club and other non-bonus spending
• Cash back is only offered each February, when it is loaded to your membership account

Which one is better?

These cards have a lot of similarities. They both offer excellent rewards for gas purchases and 3% back on travel and dining. These cards both have no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees.

Still, both of these cards have their strengths and weaknesses. The Costco Anywhere Visa offers 2% cash back for Costco purchases, while the Sam’s Club Mastercard surprisingly only offers 1% cash back at Sam’s Club.

Yet the Sam’s Club card offers slightly better cash back on gas — 5% compared to 4% — as well as the initial $45 statement credit when you sign up and make a $45 purchase the same day.

With both cards, if you cancel your card for any reason before February, you’ll never receive the cash back you’ve earned the previous year.

Final thought

Ultimately, these cards are so similar that your decision will likely depend on which store you prefer. Since neither credit card has a clear advantage, it’s hard to see fans of one switching allegiances just to gain a modest advantage on gas or in-store purchases.

In the extremely competitive fields of both credit cards and warehouse stores, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that this race is too close to call.

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Best prepaid unlimited plans: Metro by T-Mobile vs. Cricket vs. Boost Mobile

Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint aren’t your only options for unlimited data plans! You may be able to get the same network coverage at a much cheaper price by switching to a prepaid carrier.

For example, MetroPCS recently changed its name to Metro by T-Mobile and introduced two new unlimited data plans.

RELATED: Best cell phone plans and deals right now

Prepaid unlimited plan comparison: Metro by T-Mobile vs. Cricket vs. Boost Mobile

The new branding makes it clear that Metro is owned by T-Mobile, but many people don’t even realize that AT&T owns Cricket Wireless and Sprint owns Boost Mobile.

You could be missing out on hundreds of dollars in savings every year by overlooking these low-cost brands! Here’s an example…

When Clark.com recently compared unlimited plans from the Big 4 wireless providers (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint), we noticed that the price for a single line of service ranges from $60 to $95 per month, usually before taxes and fees.

Meanwhile, Metro, Cricket and Boost are now offering cheap unlimited plans starting in the $50-a-month range — all in.

Money expert Clark Howard says the #1 benefit of an unlimited plan is that you don’t have to worry about bill shock anymore. There are no overage charges with unlimited plans.

However, some wireless providers will slow you down if you use too much 4G LTE high-speed data or the network gets busy.

“It’s really confusing when you try to pick a cell phone plan because unlimited doesn’t mean unlimited,” Clark says. “Everybody has restrictions or gotchas, depending on what you pay per month.”

All of the plans featured in this article offer unlimited talk, text and data, but you want to pay attention to the gotchas that Clark referenced, particularly reduced data speeds during times of network congestion.

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Which prepaid unlimited data plan is best for you? Read on for our plan-by-plan comparison…

Metro by T-Mobile (MetroPCS)

Priced at $60 a month for a single line of service, Metro by T-Mobile’s more expensive unlimited plan is packed with bells and whistles including 15GB of mobile hotspot, Amazon Prime and Google One cloud storage.

Metro by T-Mobile unlimited data plans

Plan name New plan #1 New plan #2 Monthly price 

• 1 line = $50
• 2 lines = $80
• 3 lines = $110
• 4 lines = $140

• 1 line = $60
• 2 lines = $90
• 3 lines = $120
• 4 lines = $120 (promo)

Taxes and fees Included Included Network T-Mobile (Coverage map) T-Mobile (Coverage map) Mobile hotspot 5GB LTE 15GB LTE Extras Google One Amazon Prime, Google One Bring your own phone Yes (Check compatibility) Yes (Check compatibility) Fine print

• MetroPCS customers’ data is prioritized below data of some T-Mobile-branded customers at times and locations where competing network demands occurs
• Customers using >35GB/month may notice reduced speeds due to prioritization
• Video streams at 480p

UPDATED: OCTOBER 2018

Cricket Wireless 

Cricket’s cheaper unlimited plan is only $25 per line for a family of four, but it limits data speeds to 3 Mbps on AT&T’s network. With both plans, mobile hotspot is an add-on feature that gets you 10GB for an extra $10 a month.

Cricket Wireless unlimited data plans

Plan name Unlimited Unlimited Extra Monthly price

• 1 line = $55 or $50 after Auto Pay credit
• 2 lines = $80
• 3 lines = $90
• 4 lines = $100
• 5 lines = $125

• 1 line = $60 or $55 after Auto Pay credit
• 2 lines = $90
• 3 lines = $120
• 4 lines = $150
• 5 lines = $180

Taxes and fees Included Included Network AT&T (Coverage map) AT&T (Coverage map) Mobile hotspot Additional $10/month for 10GB Additional $10/month for 10GB Bring your own phone Yes (Check compatibility) Yes (Check compatibility) Fine print

• Data speed limited to a max of 3 Mbps
• Video streaming at SD quality (about 480p)
• After 22GB/line per month, customers may experience slower speeds during network congestion

• Video streaming at SD quality (about 480p)
• Cricket may slow data speeds when the network is congested

UPDATED: OCTOBER 2018

Boost Mobile 

If Sprint has good coverage in your area and you rely on mobile hotspot, Boost Mobile’s plans may be worth a closer look. The carrier often advertises special deals on its website for unlimited family plans.

Boost Mobile unlimited data plans

Plan name Unlimited Gigs Boost Unlimited Plus Ultimate Unlimited Monthly price

• 1 line = $50
• 2 lines = $80
• 3 lines = $110
• 4 lines = $140
• 5 lines = $170

• 1 line = $60
• 2 lines = $100
• 3 lines = $140
• 4 lines = $180
• 5 lines = $220

• 1 line = $80
• 2 lines = $140
• 3 lines = $200
• 4 lines = $260
• 5 lines = $320

Taxes and fees Included Included Included Network Sprint (Coverage map) Sprint (Coverage map) Sprint (Coverage map) Mobile hotspot 12GB 30GB 50GB Bring your own phone Yes (Check compatibility) Yes (Check compatibility) Yes (Check compatibility) Fine print

• Video streams at up to 480p+ resolution, music at up to 500 Kbps, streaming cloud gaming at up to 2 Mbps
• Data deprioritization applies during congestion
• Customers who use more than 35GB of data during a billing cycle will be de-prioritized during times & places where the Sprint network is constrained

• Stream HD video up to 1080p
• Data deprioritization applies during congestion
• Customers who use more than 35GB of data during a billing cycle will be de-prioritized during times & places where the Sprint network is constrained

• HD video streams up to 1080p, music up to 1.5 Mbps, gaming up to 8 Mbps
• Data deprioritization applies during congestion
• International Connect PLUS (international calling and text)
• TIDAL Premium
• Priority customer care service

UPDATED: OCTOBER 2018

NEW: What about a cheaper unlimited plan on Verizon’s network?

Visible is a new cell phone provider that’s owned by Verizon and offers a $40 per month unlimited data plan, including taxes and fees.

With Visible, download speeds are limited to 5 Mbps, but you won’t be slowed down based on your data usage — only when the network gets congested.

During early access, Visible members will also get mobile hotspot with unlimited data at up to 5 Mbps.

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To keep costs down, Visible has no physical stores. Everything is done through the app, including paying your monthly bill. Customer service is primarily available via chat, text and social media.

Anyone with an eligible iPhone (no Androids) can sign up for the service. Get the details here!

Final thought 

To choose the best prepaid unlimited plan, Clark suggests making a list of the features that really matter to you: network coverage, the most high-speed data, HD-quality video, mobile hotspot, international calling, etc.

Of course, the monthly price of your unlimited plan will go up as you add more features to the must-have list.

To compare these prepaid plans to what Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint offer, see our roundup of the unlimited plans from the Big 4 wireless providers here.

Have you found a great unlimited data plan? Tell us about it in the comments below!

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Unlimited plans comparison: T-Mobile vs. AT&T vs. Verizon vs. Sprint

If you’re shopping for an unlimited data plan with one of the Big 4 wireless providers, how do you choose between T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon and Sprint?

With plans changing from one week to the next, money expert Clark Howard suggests that you start by making a list of the things that matter most to you and your family. For example:

• Monthly price
• High-speed data
• HD-quality video
• Streaming TV
• Mobile hotspot
• International features

RELATED: 9 easy ways to lower your cell phone bill

Unlimited plans comparison: T-Mobile vs. AT&T vs. Verizon vs. Sprint

The monthly plans in this article offer unlimited talk, text and data, but the Big 4 wireless carriers may place limits on your high-speed data. If you use too much or the network is busy, your data speeds could be slowed down.

“It’s really confusing when you try to pick a cell phone plan because unlimited doesn’t mean unlimited,” Clark says. “Everybody has restrictions or gotchas, depending on what you pay per month.”

Before we get to the list of unlimited plans, we should point out that cheaper options do exist with discount cell phone carriers. If you’re willing to leave the Big 4, read our separate guide with the best cell phone plans and deals!

And if you see a plan that you like below, check the provider’s website for limited-time deals on service plans and devices.

Quick links: Unlimited data plans

T-Mobile Magenta is the newest unlimited plan, replacing T-Mobile One. Magenta adds 3GB of 4G LTE mobile hotspot, but only Netflix’s cheapest plan is included for 2+ lines.

Taxes and fees are included with T-Mobile’s Magenta and Magenta Plus plans, but they’ll cost extra with Essentials.

T-Mobile unlimited data plans

Plan  T-Mobile Essentials T-Mobile Magenta T-Mobile Magenta Plus Price

• $60/month with auto-pay
• $120/month for 4 lines with auto-pay
• Taxes and fees extra

• $70/month with auto-pay
• $160/month for 4 lines with auto-pay
• Taxes and fees included

• Add-on to T-Mobile Magenta plan
• $85/month with auto-pay
• $200/month for 4 lines with auto-pay

Features 

• Unlimited talk, text and 4G LTE data, which may be slowed during times of congestion
• Stream video at DVD-quality, 480p
• Unlimited 3G mobile hotspot data
• Unlimited talk, text and 2G data in Mexico and Canada

• Unlimited talk, text and high-speed data, which may be slowed after 50GB/line during times of congestion
• Stream video at DVD-quality, 480p
• 3GB of 4G LTE mobile hotspot data, followed by unlimited 3G data
• Data and text included when traveling to 210+ worldwide destinations
• Unlimited talk, text and up to 5GB of 4G LTE data in Mexico and Canada
• In-flight texting and 1 hour of data on Gogo-enabled flights to, from, or within the U.S.

• Unlimited HD streaming
• 20GB of 4G LTE mobile hotspot data, followed by unlimited 3G data
• 2x the data speed abroad in 210+ countries and destinations
• Unlimited in-flight Wi-Fi on Gogo-enabled flights
• Voicemail to Text and Name ID

Perks 

• T-Mobile Tuesdays

• Netflix Basic included if you maintain 2+ qualifying T-Mobile Magenta lines

• T-Mobile

   Tuesdays

• Netflix Standard included if you maintain 2+ qualifying T-Mobile Magenta Plus lines

• T-Mobile

   Tuesdays

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AT&T’s unlimited plans both come with AT&T WatchTV, a live TV streaming service with more than 35 channels. The more expensive unlimited plan also includes your choice of a premium service like HBO.

AT&T unlimited plans 

Plan AT&T Unlimited &More AT&T Unlimited &More Premium Price

• $70/month with auto-pay
• $160/month for 4 lines with auto-pay
• Taxes and fees extra

• $80/month with auto-pay
• $190/month for 4 lines with auto-pay
• Taxes and fees extra

Features

• Unlimited talk, text and high-speed data, which may be slowed during times of congestion
• 480p DVD-quality streaming
• Unlimited texts to 120 countries
• Unlimited calls to Mexico and Canada, and free roaming

• Unlimited talk, text and 4G LTE data, which may be slowed after 22GB/line during times of congestion
• 15GB of high-speed mobile hotspot
• 1080p HD-quality streaming
• Unlimited texts to 120 countries
• Unlimited calls to Mexico and Canada, and free roaming

Perks

• Get 35+ channels of live TV with WatchTV (See the channel lineup)

• Get 35+ channels of live TV with WatchTV (See the channel lineup)
• Option to add one of several premium services: HBO, Cinemax, SHOWTIME, STARZ, VRV, Amazon Music Unlimited or Pandora Premium

RootMetrics consistently ranks Verizon as the best network in America, but you’re going to pay for that coverage. Monthly unlimited plans range from $75 to $95 for a single line before taxes and fees.

Verizon unlimited data plans 

Plan Go Unlimited Beyond Unlimited Above Unlimited Price

• $75/month with auto-pay
• $160/month for 4 lines with auto-pay
• Taxes and fees extra

• $85/month with auto-pay
• $200/month for 4 lines with auto-pay
• Taxes and fees extra

• $95/month with auto-pay
• $240/month for 4 lines with auto-pay
• Taxes and fees extra

Features

• Unlimited talk, text and 4G LTE data, which may be slowed during times of congestion
• DVD-quality streaming (480p)
• Unlimited mobile hotspot restricted to speeds up to 600 Kbps
• Mexico and Canada talk, text and data included

• Unlimited talk, text and 4G LTE data, which may be slowed after 22GB/line during times of congestion
• HD-quality streaming (720p)
• 15GB of 4G LTE mobile hotspot data, followed by unlimited at speeds up to 600 Kbps
• Mexico and Canada talk, text and data included

• Unlimited talk, text and 4G LTE data, which may be slowed after 75GB/line during times of congestion
• HD-quality streaming (720p)
• 20GB of 4G LTE mobile hotspot data, followed by unlimited at speeds up to 600 Kbps
• Mexico and Canada talk, text and data included

Perks

• Apple Music free for 6 months

• Apple Music included

• 5 “TravelPasses” per month to use talk, text and data in more than 185 countries
• 500GB of Verizon Cloud
• Apple Music included

Sprint frequently offers limited-time deals on its unlimited plans. The Unlimited Basic plan starts at $60/month for a single line, but sometimes you can get five lines for as low as $100/month.

In addition to the plans below, Sprint offers a no-frills unlimited plan called Unlimited Kickstart for $25/month.

Sprint unlimited data plans

Plan  Unlimited Basic Unlimited Plus Unlimited Premium Price 

• $60/month with auto-pay
• Discounts for additional lines; sometimes $100/month for 5 lines
• Taxes and fees extra

• $70/month with auto-pay
• Discounts for additional lines
• Taxes and fees extra

• $80/month with auto-pay
• Discounts for additional lines
• Taxes and fees extra

Features

• Unlimited talk, text and high-speed data, which may be slowed during times of congestion
• 500 MB LTE mobile hotspot
• DVD-quality SD streaming (480p)
• Unlimited talk, text and 5GB of 4G LTE data in Mexico and Canada
• Global roaming for text and data in over 200 countries

 

• Unlimited talk, text and high-speed data, which may be slowed after 50GB/line during times of congestion
• Mobile hotspot: 50GB LTE, followed by unlimited data at 3G speeds
• HD video streaming (1080p)
• Unlimited talk, text and 10GB of 4G LTE data in Mexico and Canada
• Global roaming for text and data in over 200 countries

• Unlimited talk, text and high-speed data, which may be slowed after 50GB/line during times of congestion
• Mobile hotspot: 100GB LTE, followed by unlimited data at 3G speeds
• Full HD video streaming
• Unlimited talk, text and 4G LTE data in Mexico and Canada
• Global roaming for text and data in over 200 countries

Perks

• One Hulu Limited Commercials plan per eligible Sprint account

• One Hulu Limited Commercials plan per eligible Sprint account
• Includes Tidal Premium music streaming

• Amazon Prime included
• Lookout Premium Plus
• One Hulu Limited Commercials plan per eligible Sprint account
• Includes Tidal Premium music streaming

Final thought 

Switching to a discount carrier is probably the best way to lower your cell phone bill, but we know that many people want to stay with T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon or Sprint. That’s why we created this guide.

Here are some things to consider if you want to save money with the Big 4:

• Have you thought about a family plan?
• Are you searching for phone deals?
• Do you take advantage of auto-pay discounts?
• Military, employer, senior discounts?
• Can you get free cell phone insurance?

Even if you apply just one or two of these money-saving strategies, you can save $20 a month or more on your cell phone needs. That adds up to $240 after one year and $2,400 after 10 years!

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