Best Mobile Hotspot Plans: Power Your Devices With These Plans

Mobile hotspot plans—and by that, we mean cell phone plans that include hotspot data—let you leverage your phone’s high-speed data to connect your computer, tablet, TV, gaming console, or anything else to the internet when you’re on the go. They represent a better value than standalone hotspot devices and plans, as they not only include hotspot data, but everything else that comes with a cell phone plan.

Fortunately, there are a bevy of mobile hotspot plans that feature dedicated hotspot data allowances, so you don’t have to dip into your main cellular data when connecting your other devices to the internet via your phone’s hotspot. This includes best-in-market options from the likes of Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Xfinity Mobile, and Optimum Mobile.

In this article, we’ll give you the ins and outs of these plans and tell you why we think they’re worth signing up for. We’ll also tell you how to enable your mobile hotspot, give you the lowdown on unlimited data hotspot plans, and more. 

Best Overall Mobile Hotspot Plan

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Best High Data Mobile Hotspot Plan

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Best Budget Mobile Hotspot Plan

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What About Unlimited Hotspot Plans?

As you’re shopping for a cell phone plan with a mobile hotspot data allotment, you may come across a few that offer unlimited hotspots. While these may look enticing, it’s important to keep in mind that pretty much all of them offer slower, throttled speeds either from the outset or after you hit a certain amount of data in a month. For this reason, we advise going with a plan that offers a certain amount of dedicated high-speed hotspot data. After all, what good is a hotspot if it’s too slow?

4G LTE vs. 5G Hotspots

If you’re shopping for mobile hotspot plans, be sure to pay particular attention to whether the data in question is 4G or 5G. If it’s 5G, it gives you access to the fastest network speeds available. If it’s 4G, you’re limited to slightly slower speeds, which may not be fast enough to power your computer, tablet, TV, or gaming console comfortably. If it’s a—gasp—3G mobile hotspot, you’ll want to steer clear, as 3G speeds tend to be glacially slow. 

How to Turn On/Enable Your Mobile Hotspot

If you’ve never used a hotspot before, you might be wondering how to go about enabling it on your mobile phone. Here’s a brief explanation of how to turn on your hotspot on an iPhone and an Android phone. 

How to Enable a Mobile Hotspot on an iPhone

To enable a mobile hotspot on an iPhone, follow these steps:

1. Open Settings: Tap the Settings app.
2. Go to Personal Hotspot: Tap Personal Hotspot or Cellular > Personal Hotspot.
3. Enable Hotspot: Toggle Allow Others to Join to ON.
4. Check Password: Note the Wi-Fi password displayed, or set a new one by tapping it.

How to Enable a Mobile Hotspot on an Android phone

Whether you have a Samsung Galaxy, a Google Pixel, or any other Android device, following these steps will allow you to enable the mobile hotspot in no time:

1. Open Settings: Go to the Settings app.
2. Navigate to Hotspot Settings: Tap Connections, Network & Internet, or Tethering & Hotspot (varies by phone).
3. Enable Mobile Hotspot: Select Mobile Hotspot or Wi-Fi Hotspot and toggle it ON.
4. Set Up Hotspot: Tap Configure to change the network name or password if needed.

What About Standalone Hotspots?

If you’re looking for a mobile hotspot plan, you may have noticed that the major carriers—and some prepaid ones—sell standalone mobile hotspot devices. These little black machines serve one purpose: to beam a cellular data signal into whatever device you want to connect to it. They’re like portable modem/routers, and they require their own data plans to work. 

While standalone hotspot units can be useful, we recommend going with a cell phone plan that includes hotspot data instead. Why? Because not only do they include hotspot data, but cellular data, perks, and everything else that comes with a cell phone plan, representing a much better value. Plus, it’s more convenient to beam a hotspot signal from your phone as opposed to having to carry around a whole other device.  

Frequently Asked Questions

Which carrier has the best mobile hotspot plan?

Our favorite overall mobile hotspot plan is AT&T’s Unlimited Extra EL, striking as it does a perfect balance between cost effectiveness and features. Priced at $76/month, At&T Unlimited Extra EL includes 30GB of mobile hotspot data, not to mention 75GB of premium cellular data.

Is there a truly unlimited hotspot plan?

Yes, there's a truly unlimited hotspot plan: the Visible+ plan. The hotspot data speeds on Visible+ are limited to 10 Mbps, which is slow, but not totally unusable. The plan also includes unlimited talk and text throughout not just the U.S., but Mexico and Canada, plus unlimited texting to 200+ other countries. The best part? Visible+ costs just $45/month, making it one of the cheapest unlimited plans you can buy.

Which is better, a mobile hotspot or phone hotspot?

While standalone hotspot units can be useful, we recommend going with a cell phone plan that includes hotspot data instead. Why? Because not only do they include hotspot data, but cellular data, perks, and everything else that comes with a cell phone plan, representing a much better value.