12.06.24
Like smartphones, cellular-enabled tablets can connect to a mobile data network outside of Wi-Fi, allowing you to continue working, chatting, streaming, and more without interruption. Where they differ from a smartphone is they're not able to support native calling & texting, so to connect them, you’d have to purchase a data-only plan. The “Big 3” networks (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile) offer the most data-only plans, but smaller MVNOs also have worthwhile plans to check out, which is why we’ve put together a list that encompasses all the best tablet data plans.
STOP! Paying for phone service
With TextNow, you get unlimited talk & text, plus essential data, for $0/month. Stay connected without paying a penny on your phone bill. Get started with the app.
Summary: Best Tablet Data Plans
| Category | Provider | Plan Name | Price per Month | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Overall |
|
10GB | $15 | |
| Best for Unlimited Data |
|
Simply Tablet Plan | $15 | |
| Best for Hotspot Data |
|
Unlimited Premium | $44 | |
| Best for iPads |
|
More Unlimited | $15 | |
| Best Budget |
|
Data Pass | Starting at $4.99 | |
| Best from the Big 3 |
|
20GB | $25 |
Best Overall Tablet Data Plan
Tello
Price $19/month
Network T-Mobile
Data Plan 10GB
Our Take Tello’s customizable plans are great for tablets, as you can forgo the call & texts and choose the data amount that’s right for you. The 10GB plan is a balanced offering between just enough data and an affordable price.
Pros & Cons Pros:
- Customizable.
- Prepaid, so it’s flexible in terms of changing plans as you see fit.
- Can be added as a standalone plan (not required to have an existing Tello line).
- No hotspot support.
Best Unlimited Data Tablet Plan
Cricket Wireless
Price $15/month
Network AT&T
Data Plan Unlimited Data
Our Take Cricket Wireless' $15/month tablet only plan is affordable, and a great option for tablet users that plan to stream and/or game a lot on-the-go. Note that you will only be able to add it on to an existing cellular unlimited data plan with Cricket, so it can't be used as a standalone plan.
Pros & Cons Pros:
- Customizable.
- Prepaid, so it’s flexible in terms of changing plans as you see fit.
- Can be added as a standalone plan (not required to have an existing Tello line).
- No hotspot support.
- Not available as a standalone plan.
Best Hotspot Data Tablet Plan
US Mobile
Price $35/month
Network Pick from AT&T, Verizon, or T-Mobile
Data Plan Unlimited Premium
Our Take If you use your tablet regularly and find the need to share its internet access with other devices, US Mobile's premium unlimited plan is a great option. The lowest hotspot data limit it offers is 50GB (100GB if you're on their "Dark Star" network), plus its regular unlimited data has a very high 100GB cap. While it's not a tablet-only plan, as long as your tablet is cellular/data-enabled, it will activate just the same and allow you to enjoy data access wherever you are.
Pros & Cons Pros:
- Currently on sale for $35/month (down from $44/month).
- 50-100GB hotspot data caps.
- Flexibility with choosing network for optimal coverage.
- Customer reviews complain of data being deprioritized frequently.
Best iPad Data Plan
Verizon
Price $15/month
Network Verizon
Data Plan More Unlimited
Our Take If you're looking to get the best coverage with premium data for your iPad, Verizon's "More Unlimited" tablet plan for $15 (with discount) is a great pick. Note that it does come with limitations: The 50% off discount is only applied to the first tablet added on to an existing phone line on an Unlimited Plan. As a standalone plan, this plan would be $90/month, which would not be a worthwhile price considering the other options available on the market.
Pros & Cons Pros:
- Includes up to 30GB of premium data on Verizon's 5G Ultra Wideband network.
- Comes with 30GB of premium mobile hotspot data.
- Supports 4K video streaming.
- Only available at discounted price as an addition to an existing phone unlimited data plan (min. $65/month).
Best Budget Tablet Plan
TextNow
Price Starting at $4.99
Network Nation's largest 5G network
Data Plan Data Pass (Unlimited)
Our Take TextNow is where budget-conscious and flexibility meet. If you only need to use your tablet away from Wi-Fi every once in a while, or it's used for your kids when travelling/on longer car rides, then TextNow's data passes are great options. You can add on data for an hour for $0.99, for a day for $4.99, or for the full month for $39.99. There are no commitments or contracts, and with TextNow's app (free to install), you can even access a real phone number and use it for messaging on your tablet as you would with your phone.
Pros & Cons Pros:
- Flexible data add-ons.
- Free text app allows you to access a real phone number on your tablet. The same access can be supported on your phone or even computer!
- Free data roaming in Canada & Mexico included.
- No eSIM support.
- No hotspot included.
Best Tablet Plan from the "Big 3" (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile)
AT&T Prepaid
Price $25
Network AT&T
Data Plan 20GB
Our Take Finding an affordable data plan at any of the Big 3 carriers can seem near to impossible. AT&T's prepaid options are the only ones that allow standalone tablet data plans (without the addition of a voice line) at a reasonable price. Plus, its flexibility as a prepaid plan is a welcome bonus.
Pros & Cons Pros:
- Affordable.
- Access to AT&T's 5G network.
- Can be purchased as a standalone tablet plan.
- Can only be purchased in store.
- $25/month pricing is dependant on paying in advance for 12 months ($300 total).
- No hotspot data included.
Methodology: How to evaluate the best tablet data plans
When looking at tablet data plans, it’s important to recognize that unlike smartphone plans, unlimited data is not necessary for most situations. Most tablet plans are used for travel or by parents who need internet connection for their kids’ tablets while in the car, or on vacation. Evaluating the different tablet data plans, then, includes reviewing:
Network coverage
Price
Hotspot availability and limit
Ease of activation
Each of these factors are considered with their own weight, leading to a score that helps us determine the best picks.
Beginner's guide to tablet data plans
What is a tablet data plan?
A tablet data plan is not unlike a smartphone data plan, with the distinct exception of a talk & text offering. A smartphone plan, even an unlimited data plan, comes with (usually) an unlimited talk & text offering as part of the plan as well. Since a tablet normally doesn’t come with native calling & messaging apps, a plan tailored for it only includes data. This allows you to use the tablet to access and use internet-based apps like social media, video/streaming, email, browser, and more.
TextNow Tip: If you still want to use your tablet to message friends, family, and clients, you can download a free text app like TextNow to get a dedicated phone number for your tablet.
Who needs a tablet data plan?
Smartphones are an integral part of every-day life, but as powerful and convenient as they are, they can't quite fulfill all the possible mobile needs. Tablets are a great solution as they offer a larger screen that's still portable, with the benefit of connecting to a data network to use outside of Wi-Fi for ease and comfort. The people who need those benefits include:
Travelling/remote professionals. There are a lot of professions that require you to have access to email, documents, and even video work calls while you're at the airport, in a taxi, or any other part of a commute. Data-enabled tablets are a great way to work on-the-go comfortably.
Parents with kids. Keeping a young child entertained during long car rides, airports/air travel, or even just waiting rooms is no easy feat. Turning on a show or a game on a tablet that's easy for them to hold and interact with is a welcome asset during those times.
Students. While laptops are a necessity for college, the smaller and more portable tablet can assist with long study sessions or reading periods outside of the traditional dorm/library. A tablet can allow students to take their studies outside or to the coffee shop comfortably.
Field Workers/Contractors. These lines of work can benefit from a data-enabled tablet that allows workers to use them for inspection reports, blueprints, photos, or job tracking.
Types of tablet data plans
Tablet data plans can vary based on your needs and preferences. If you require premium data with a higher data allowance, your best option would be a postpaid plan. Postpaid plans tend to be more expensive than prepaid plans, are billed at the end of a billing cycle, and usually require a longer commitment. On the other hand, if you’re looking for more flexibility with an affordable plan that can be changed as needed, a prepaid plan would be a more suitable choice.
Other data plan types include:
Limited data plans: Plans that have a cap on their high-speed data (e.g. 10GB).
Unlimited data plans.
Pay-as-you-go data plans: Plans that aren’t run on a monthly cycle but simply include a set amount of data that you can top up as you run out (e.g. Google Fi’s $10 per GB offer).
How to pick out the best tablet data plan
Picking out the best tablet data plan involves a few easy steps that act as a checklist based on how you plan to use your tablet:
Determine how much data you need.
There are no usable stats currently on how much data most tablet data plans use, so it’s hard to know whether you need an unlimited data plan or can get away with something like 10GB. Follow the same steps we usually recommend for phone plan shoppers to determine how much data you need: figure out what apps are going to be most used over mobile data and decide based on how many MBs and GBs those use on average.Determine if you will need hotspot data.
If you’re anticipating using your tablet or iPad to hotspot your phone or any other devices, make sure you look for a plan that supports it and has a decent hotspot data allowance (more than 5GB).Set your budget.
Tablet data plans tend to be cheaper than phone plans, but it’s still important to be realistic and look for a plan that fits within your budget.Look up the coverage
Just like for a phone plan, it’s imperative that wherever you’re taking your tablet to, there will be a reliable network to connect to. If you’re specifically looking to use it for travel, find a data plan that supports data roaming.
How to activate a tablet data plan
Tablet data plans are activated the same way smartphones are – with a SIM card. That can include both a physical SIM card and a digital eSIM. The activation steps are not that different from activating a SIM card on a phone, but we recommend you follow these additional steps:
Make sure your tablet supports cellular.
Not all tablets are cellular or data-enabled, so it’s important to first check that they have the necessary bands to connect to a mobile data network. Look for terms like “Wi-Fi + Cellular,” “LTE,” or “5G” in the model name. Another way to confirm is to check whether it has a SIM card slot on the side, or if it’s listed to support eSIM (you can check the model specifications on the maker's website).
Check your connection is working.
Whenever you activate a new device, the last step should always be to check that it’s working. In the case of a tablet, the only thing you’d want to check is the mobile browser (or any internet-based app).
TextNow Tip: Newer models of iPads, including iPad (A16) and later, iPad Pro (M4) and later, iPad Air (M2) and later, and iPad mini (A17 Pro) and later only support eSIM, so make sure you choose a data plan from a carrier that supports eSIM activation. You can find out if they do in the fine print or their FAQs!
How to use a tablet data plan as a hotspot
Tablet data plans are convenient for sharing mobile data connection with other devices, which is why most plans come with a higher allowance of hotspot data in comparison to other smartphone data plans.
Here are the steps to using your tablet as a personal hotspot:
Ensure your data plan supports hotspotting
Turn on your Hotspot Setting.
On an iPad:
- Go to Settings -> Personal Hotspot
- Turn on “Allow Others to Join”
- Set or view your Wi-Fi password
On an Android Tablet:
- Go to Settings -> Network & Internet -> Hotspot & Tethering
- Tap “Wi-Fi Hotspot”
- Turn it ON
- [Optionally] set a Network Name and PasswordOther devices can now connect via Wi-Fi using your iPad or tablet’s name
Frequently Asked Questions about tablet data plans
Got questions or comments? Send us a note at [email protected]!
