Mint Mobile vs. Tello: Which budget carrier is right for you?

Mint Mobile vs. Tello: Which budget carrier is right for you?

When you buy through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn moreYou can't go wrong with Mint Mobile or Tello Mobile if you know T-Mobile's network covers you.Mint Mobile, Tello Mobile; Business InsiderMint Mobile and Tello Mobile are worthwhile budget alternatives to the best cell phone plans from major carriers like T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon. They're especially tempting options for single-line users looking to save on their monthly mobile connectivity bills.Mint Mobile and Tello are mobile virtual network operators, or "MVNOs," which piggyback off a major carrier's network to deliver wireless service. In this case, both Mint Mobile and Tello operate on T-Mobile's network. As such, there isn't a major difference between Mint Mobile and Tello when it comes to coverage, reliability, and speeds. Instead, the major difference between them is the data allotment in the plans they offer and their pricing. With that in mind, it can be quite simple to pick which one is best for you — go with the plan with the amount of data you need at the best price. As our top pick among the best cheap cell phone plans, Mint Mobile has a slight edge for its excellent all-around user experience and better overall value at certain data levels. However, Tello sets itself apart from Mint Mobile and most carriers with its customizable "Build Your Own Plan" option, which lets you customize the data and voice call minutes you want in your plan. It offers the biggest savings if you know you don't need that much data, even if you don't spend much time on phone calls. Plan offerings and flexibilityBoth Mint Mobile and Tello Mobile offer familiar pre-designed plans with set amounts of data. Both also have nominally "unlimited" data plans; Mint Mobile caps its unlimited data at 40GB before data speeds are drastically reduced, and Tello caps its unlimited plan at 35GB before throttling speeds. Whereas all of Tello's plans are prepaid and renew monthly, Mint Mobile offers prepaid plans in three-, six-, and 12-month increments, with significant discounts for paying in longer increments in advance. Below are the standard, entry-level tiers for the services, which are prepaid upfront for the total cost of three months (Mint Mobile) or monthly (Tello). Note, however, that all four of Mint Mobile's introductory three-month plans are currently available to new customers at the same low prepaid cost of $15/month in a limited-time promotion that the carrier frequently implements.  PlanMint MobileTello MobileBasic tier5GB, $25/month ($15/month for new customers)2GB, $10/monthMid-tier15GB, $35/month ($15/month for new customers)5GB, $14/monthHigh-tier20GB, $45/month ($15/month for new customers)10GB, $19/monthUnlimitedSpeed-capped at 40GB, $40/month ($15/month for new customers)Speed-capped at 35GB, $25/monthAt the end of the day, Tello offers wider-ranging flexibility than Mint Mobile. That's because Tello allows you to create your own customized plan that can lead to incredibly deep savings if you have a good sense of how much data, and even how many voice call minutes, you really need on a typical monthly basis. Indeed, with Tello's "Build Your Own" plan, you can pick a variety of data and voice minutes combinations with free unlimited texting as standard, potentially costing significantly less than Mint Mobile's least expensive plan, 5GB for $15/month. You can go as far as having no data, 100 minutes for voice calls, and unlimited texting for $5/month. Or, you can get 5GB of data with 100 voice minutes for $11. Only Tello offers roll-over data, where unused data (and minutes, in Tello's case) can be rolled over into the next month. However, Tello requires you to manually renew or change your plan every month to carry over your data and minutes. It's possible to do this even with automatic monthly renewal billing; you just need to manually do so in the Tello app at least 24 hours before the end of the current billing cycle. It's not ideal, but at least it's an option.Neither Mint Mobile nor Tello offers separate plans for connected devices, like smartwatches and tablets. Read our Mint Mobile review or Tello Mobile review for full breakdowns of the services' plans. Coverage areaBoth Mint Mobile and Tello operate on T-Mobile's network and have the same coverage.Mint MobileAs MVNOs, Mint Mobile and Tello Mobile run off the back of major carriers, and both use T-Mobile's network. That means both should have the same coverage area as each other and T-Mobile. It also means if you know T-Mobile covers your area well, Mint Mobile and Tello should work for you. T-Mobile, and therefore Mint Mobile and Tello, typically have excellent coverage in cities and towns. Coverage is also notably good on major highways, especially with 5G connectivity. However, coverage tends to drop off in rural areas and when you stray from highways. Whenever you switch to a new carrier you're unfamiliar with, it's usually a good idea to find out whether the carrier services the area well. You can check T-Mobile's coverage map as a preliminary step, but we find official carrier coverage maps to be optimistic. In this case, you can ask locals in your area who are on T-Mobile (or Mint Mobile and Tello). You could even go on social media services like Nextdoor. Neither Mint Mobile nor Tello will make sense if T-Mobile doesn't properly cover and service the areas you often visit. If you're looking for a budget carrier but aren't adequately covered by T-Mobile's network, we recommend Verizon's Visible Wireless. Our favorite option for "budget" unlimited data is its Visible Plus plan. Read our full Visible Wireless review or check out our guides to Mint Mobile vs. Visible and Tello vs. Visible for comparative breakdowns. Another worthwhile MVNO option is the versatile US Mobile, which allows you to choose and switch between T-Mobile's, AT&T's, and Verizon's networks. See our US Mobile review for more information. Service reliability and speedsWe experienced slightly better reliability and speed in testing for our Tello Mobile review in New York City. However, we also suspect we experienced chance deprioritization in the city while testing for our Mint Mobile review — an unfortunate reality of using any MVNO.Indeed, MVNO customers will experience reduced data speeds when the primary network is congested, and it's difficult to know where and when deprioritization occurs. T-Mobile prioritizes its own customers with "premium" data that doesn't get affected by network congestion. With that in mind, you can expect Mint Mobile and Tello to have similar service reliability and speeds, as both run on T-Mobile. Both should also experience deprioritization at the same time, too.Both Mint Mobile and Tello include 5G service, which can deliver faster data speeds over LTE in certain areas.Customer supportMint Mobile and Tello have straightforward and convenient custom support, though Mint's app gives it a slight edge.Eve Montie/Business InsiderWe didn't experience any major issues with Mint or Tello during testing, so we couldn't test troubleshooting with more involved issues. However, both carriers offer straightforward apps to help you manage your plans and services. Both also provide chat and phone support, and we experienced low wait times and helpful agents for simpler queries. We're giving Mint Mobile a slight edge over Tello here for its spectacular app, which is well-designed and incredibly user-friendly. Which should you sign up for?Mint Mobile and Tello Mobile are both worthwhile options for a budget carrier if you know that T-Mobile adequately covers you.Eve Montie/Business InsiderWith coverage, reliability, speeds, and customer support essentially identical, you could choose either Mint Mobile or Tello Mobile. Your decision should be based on price and how much data you need. With that in mind, Tello's customizable plan option, the "Build Your Own Plan," offers a lower cost advantage, which allows you to pay as low as $5/month with customizable amounts of data and voice minutes. It's an ideal option for low-data users or those who don't spend much time on phone calls.  If you're looking for a pre-designed plan, you could go either way for a 5GB allotment, while Mint Mobile offers the best value with its 15GB and 20GB plans. Also, for new customers, Mint Mobile has a long-standing promotion for its introductory three-month plans, where each data plan costs only $15/month. After three months, pricing returns to normal, with the 12-month plans offering the best value. For unlimited plans, Tello's Unlimited plan offers a slight edge in value at $25/month for 35GB of data (prepaid monthly), compared to Mint Mobile's Unlimited plan at $30/month for 40GB of data (prepaid annually). However, if you can get on a plan with at least three other people, T-Mobile's Essentials plan costs $25/month per line, less than Mint Mobile's standard Unlimited plan and the same as Tello's Unlimited plan. If you can get three to four people on your plan, you'd enjoy 50GB of T-Mobile's "premium" data that doesn't get deprioritized when the network is congested for essentially the same price as Mint Mobile or Tello.