Family Relationship

• Sprint Better Choice – Large
• At a glance: Unlimited talk and text, 12GB of shared data.
• Price (monthly, four lines): $160; $140 with $5 per line autopay discount.
• Price per line: $40 without autopay discount; $35 with discount.
• Activation fee: $30 per line.
• Why we like it: Just enough data for average users, no data overage charges.

• Cricket Wireless Basic (with Group Save discount)
• At a glance: Unlimited talk and text, 3GB of data per line.
• Price (monthly, four lines): $100.
• Price per line: $25.
• Activation fee: $25 in store or free online.
• Why we like it: Cricket’s Group Save discount makes for four inexpensive lines with just the right amount of data. Plus, you can add a fifth line for no extra cost.

THINGS TO KNOW:

• Sprint: Sprint’s network trails behind those of other major national carriers, particularly outside of major metropolitan areas. This is something to consider if you don’t live in a big city.
• Cricket: Cricket is owned by AT&T and operates on its network. Unlike AT&T, however, Cricket caps LTE data speed for its users at 8 megabits per second. That’s a tad slower than the average 4G LTE speed in the U.S., which is nearly 10 Mbps, according to Open Signal, which collects data on wireless connectivity. The cap won’t hinder typical usage, such as music streaming and social media browsing, but high-bandwidth activities like streaming HD video might suffer.

HOW OTHERS COMPARE:

Best family plans for two people

Republic Wireless doesn’t technically offer a family plan, but the carrier is still an excellent option for two people. Its 2GB plan costs just $30 per month; even when you multiply your cost by two lines, you’re still saving money over other carriers. And you don’t have to share your data.

MetroPCS is another great pick for duos. The prepaid carrier offers 3GB of high-speed data per line for just $70 per month. It also gives you unlimited music streaming from select services and lets you use your phone — and your data package — as a mobile hot spot.

• Republic Wireless 2GB
• At a glance: Unlimited talk and text, 2GB of data per line.
• Price (monthly, two lines): $60.
• Price per line: $30.
• Activation fee: $0.
• Why we like it: A cheap, no-frills plan with just enough data for two people.