5 carriers you should sign up for instead of Helium Mobile

So far, Noble has been true to its word, and Helium Mobile plans still work mostly the same as they have before. That said, the announcement hinted this wouldn’t always be the case and that some changes might eventually occur.

For those who are less certain about whether they want to stick with Helium Mobile and Noble Mobile in the long term? You’ll find there are plenty of alternatives, including the five recommendations below. Let’s get this out of the way, though: None of these plans will be able to replace some of Helium’s niche features, like its decentralized Helium network or its free reward perks. Of course, many people found these features less useful anyhow, but it’s still worth the warning.

While Google Fi doesn’t offer a comparable plan to Helium Mobile’s $15/month Air plan, it’s actually a great replacement for Helium Infinity. Not only do both run on T-Mobile’s network, but Google Fi actually has one up on it, as it is the only prepaid carrier with high-priority data on the network.

For just $5 more than you’d pay through Helium, you’ll get a single line of Unlimited Essentials. Pricing drops to $23 a line for those with four or more lines, which is certainly less than Helium’s $30 monthly asking price. Now, it is worth noting that this plan includes only 30GB of high-speed data, compared to the 36GB offered by Helium’s “Unlimited Infinity” plan. If you need more, Unlimited Standard is a pretty big jump at $50 a month, but those with four or more lines can get it for as little as $25 per line.

With Unlimited Standard, you get not only 50GB of high-speed data but also a separate 25GB data pool for hotspot use. There’s even international data in Canada and Mexico, along with full connectivity for select smartwatches. You won’t get Helium’s unique extras, but Google makes up for it with faster speeds, international access, and even greater perks for those interested in Unlimited Premium.

More interested in Helium’s Air plan? Tello is probably the better alternative for you then. You’ll get the exact same amount of data on Tello for the same $15 per month, though you’ll still lose out on rewards and the decentralized Helium network. Just like Helium’s main network option, Tello’s network is powered by T-Mobile.

Even better, you can customize your plan even further. Only need data? You can save another $2/month. The Unlimited plan is also cheaper than Helium Unlimited Infinity at just $25/month versus $30, and yet you get 50GB of high-speed data before it crawls to dial-up speeds, while Helium hits the same wall around the 36GB mark.

If you are looking for a plan that offers mostly the same features but keeps a no-frills experience otherwise? You really can’t do much better than this.

Mint Mobile offers a wide range of plans, from 6GB to unlimited. Like Tello and Helium, its unlimited plan still sees speed reductions, but only during times of congestion, typically.

The pricing here is also extremely impressive, especially right now. While its 6GB plan was already a good value at $15 per month, you can get any plan for just $15 per month right now. That includes Mint’s unlimited option!  You’ll get this price for a year before it goes up to its normal $30 rate, which is very in line with the Helium Infinity plan, but you’ll actually get more data before running into speed cutoffs or reductions.

TextNow is not an option I recommend very often, but it is a suitable replacement for Helium’s discontinued free plan. I’ll be straight with you: it’s not as good, but you can only complain so much when you’re paying nothing.

While Helium gave you free data but limited your calling to just 100 minutes, TextNow gives you unlimited talk and text, but is much more restrictive about data. Its Free Flex plan gives you free data for select apps like email, maps, and major rideshare platforms, but you have no control over which apps are supported and which aren’t.

Need more data? You can add unlimited data for $2.99 per day, which is nice if you’re mostly looking for a phone number and will use Wi-Fi for most of your data. There’s also an unlimited plan for $35.99, or you can turn it on for just a week at $8.99. I’ve personally tested TextNow in the past and can say it’s a safe, free option. Just don’t expect much from the free tier.

US Mobile is probably the most complex option on this list, especially compared to the relatively simple Helium plan structure. You’ll find a variety of unlimited plans with different perks and extras, as well as data-limited plans. Some of these plans will make Helium better than others. For those who used Helium’s free plan, the $8 light plan gives you unlimited calling and 2GB of data. That’s not as cheap as free, but it’s about as close as you’ll find outside of TextNow.

The unlimited plan starts at just $25/month, which also slots nicely against Helium’s Infinity plan. You’ll get unlimited high-speed data and unlimited talk and text, as well as 20GB of hotspot data and the ability to choose from all three major US networks. There’s even an optional fee that lets you run two networks at once. This means you can stick to T-Mobile if you like, but you have more options than ever.

Again, you won’t get Helium’s decentralized network or its middling rewards, but you will find plans that offer extras like smartwatch add-ons, great international rates, and more. Let’s just say that’s one heck of a trade-off.