Cheap Cell Phone Plans February 2023: Chatr, Koodo Mobile, and more! | WhistleOut

Cheapest Plan Overall

Shaw

4 out of 5 overall

$0/month with Shaw Fibre+ home internet
Pay per gig you use

View Details

Best Unlimited Everything

4.5 out of 5 overall

$25/month
Unlimited calling, texting, and data

View Details

Best Talk and Text Plan

4 out of 5 overall

$15/month
100 Canada-wide minutes and unlimited texting

View Plan

We sifted through all the cheap cell phone plans on the market and narrowed down our list to the best plans at the lowest cost. Our favorite cheap plans this month include Shaw Mobile’s By the Gig $0/month plan, Public Mobile’s $15/month plan, Lucky Mobile’s $25/month unlimited plan and $15/month data-only plan, and Koodo Mobile’s $15/month prepaid base plan.

If you bring your own phone, you can save more outright. So if your smartphone is still working perfectly fine, you can hold onto it and still switch to an affordable plan from these carriers.

Best cheap phone plans

Carrier
Plan
Best for
Features
Shop this plan

Shaw Mobile
By the GB
Cheapest Cell Phone Plan
Unlimited Talk + Text

Go to plan

Public Mobile
100 Mins Talk + Text + 250MB Bonus
Cheap Smartphone Plan
Unlimited Text + Bonus Data

Go to plan

Lucky Mobile
$25 Unlimited Canada-wide Calling Plan
Cheap Unlimited Everything
Unlimited Talk + Text with 1GB of Data

Go to plan

Lucky Mobile
Canada-wide Data-Only Plan
Cheap Data-Only Plan
750MB of Data at 3G Speeds

Go to plan

Koodo Mobile
$15 Prepaid Base Plan
Cheap Talk and Text
250MB of Data + Bonus Data

Go to plan

Best Overall Cheap Cell Phone Plan

Shaw Mobile is a regional carrier only available to residents in B.C. and Alberta and is currently offering the cheapest cell phone plan in Canada. Customers can get unlimited Canada-wide calling and worldwide text for $0/month with this plan.

4 out of 5 overall

Shaw Mobile | By the GB Plan | $0/month—Best overall cheap cell phone plan

If you’re not a huge data user, Shaw Mobile’s postpaid plan could save you serious money. Residents of the B.C. or Alberta areas in the market for faster home Internet may also want to take advantage of this plan. The caveat is you must bundle this plan with Shaw’s Fibre+ home internet service. Without it, the plan jumps to $15/month, plus a $45 activation fee upfront.

Shaw Mobile allows you to pay as you go with a rate of $10 per GB. Data automatically rolls over for 90 days, so you can use your saved data for streaming your favorite show on HBO during a layover when traveling.

You’ll also get unlimited calls in Canada with global texting and standard voicemail. This plan is also available to people that want to bring their own phone or purchase a new one with Shaw Mobile.

Pros: Cheapest bundle on the market, pay-as-you-go option
Cons: Requires you to live in B.C. or Alberta to sign up

View plan

Best Cheap Smartphone Plan

Many low-price smartphone plans in Canada start at $15, with some variations between them. Public Mobile, Lucky Mobile, Virgin Plus, Koodo Mobile, Freedom Mobile, and Fido offer cheap cell phone plans in Canada starting at $15/month, which include 100 minutes for calls in Canada with unlimited texting. These plans also include 250MB of data when you bring your own device. Chatr Mobile offers the same deal along with 250MB when you sign up for autopay on your account.

Out of all of these plans, we recommend Public Mobile’s plan with unlimited text, 100 minutes for calls, and 250MB of data. The carrier also offers add-on options for more data or minutes, enhancing the plan.

4 out of 5 overall

Public Mobile | Unlimited Text, 100 minutes, and 250 MB | $15/month—Best cheap smartphone plan

On Public Mobile’s cheapest prepaid plan, you’ll get 100 Canada-wide minutes for calls with unlimited texting worldwide. This starter plan costs $10 upfront and includes 250MB of data at 3G speeds.

What sets this plan apart from the other $15/month options are Public Mobile’s cheap add-ons. While 100 minutes is a good amount to get you started, you can burn through that really quickly while catching up with family. We recommend upgrading to an additional 500 long-distance minutes for $5/month. Likewise, 250MB is easy to use in a single browsing session, so you can add another GB of data for $15 to stay connected on all of your favorite social channels. Extra minutes and data roll over to the next month so you can use it later.

As an added bonus, Public Mobile customers now collect Public Points on all plans, so you can get your monthly bill lower than $15/month. Participants earn one point for each dollar they spend. After reaching 50 points, you can expect a $5 discount. For a limited time, Public Mobile is giving customers 15% in bonus points for 12 months on purchases and add-ons.

Pros: You’ll get data, texting, and calling; extra add-ons
Cons: Only 250MB of data and 100 minutes for calls

View plan

Best Cheap Unlimited Everything Plan

Data is an important factor to consider when shopping around for a new phone plan. Lucky Mobile’s $25 Canada-wide plan is an affordable option if you’re looking for an unlimited plan without any overages.

4.5 out of 5 overall

Lucky Mobile | Unlimited Canada-wide Calling Plan | $25/month—Best cheap unlimited everything plan

Lucky Mobile’s $25/month prepaid plan (plus $5 upfront) rivals other major competitors because it doesn’t include any overages. Customers get unlimited nationwide long-distance calling and texting as well.

The plan comes with 500MB of data at 3G speeds, plus an additional 500MB of data when you sign up for automatic top-up. Despite the initial 1GB of data, there are absolutely no overage charges after that because the plan includes unlimited data. You’ll be able to keep scrolling Facebook or reading through a recipe on Pinterest at throttled speeds of 128Kbps once you go over that 1GB cap.

Pros: Unlimited data for $25/month
Cons: Throttled speeds after 1GB that aren’t ideal for streaming

View plan

4 out of 5 overall

Chatr Mobile | Nationwide Talk, Text, and Data Plan | $25/month—Best cheap unlimited everything plan runner-up

A runner-up in this category worth mentioning is Chatr Mobile, which offers a similar unlimited plan for the same price, but it isn’t as fast. It features unlimited calling and texting, but it starts with 500MB of data at 3G speeds. You’ll get an additional 500MB in bonus data when you sign up with autopay as well. When customers go over their data limit, they can make use of reduced speeds that are lower than Lucky Mobile’s at 64Kbps for no overage fees.

Pros: Unlimited data for $25/month
Cons: Throttled speeds after 1GB

View plan

Best Cheap data-only Plan

Data-only plans are becoming more popular as people hold onto their old devices for casual web browsing. Many carriers offer these types of plans, but we recommend Lucky Mobile’s Canada-wide Data Only Plan for $15/month (with an additional $5 upfront) because you can go over your data without overage fees—and it’s available to anyone in Canada.

4.5 out of 5 overall

Lucky Mobile | Canada-wide Data Only Plan | $15/month—Best cheap data-only plan

This 3G data-only plan comes with 750MB of data upfront (500MB to start and an extra 250MB when you sign up for automatic top-up), plus unlimited data after that at reduced speeds, so you won’t have to stop browsing Amazon when you go over your data cap. After that, speeds are reduced to 128Kbps.

A limitation with this plan is that you can’t receive calls or make any either, plus Lucky Mobile doesn’t provide contracts. But you can get this plan by bringing your old phone or purchasing a new one.

Pros: $15/month for unlimited data
Cons: Initial data cap is 750MB, then speeds are throttled; can’t make or receive calls

View plan

4 out of 5 overall

SaskTel | totalSHARE Data-Only Plan | $10/month—Best cheap data-only plan runner-up

If you live in Saskatchewan, the cheapest data-only mobile plan, called totalSHARE Data Only, offers customers 1GB of shareable data at $45 upfront for activation and $10/month after that. However, you must already have a SaskTel plan (totalSHARE Nationwide, totalSHARE Canada and U.S., or VIP 35), and the new data-only plan has to be added to an existing shared data group. And since this plan is only available to customers in the Saskatchewan region too, access to it is limited.

You get unlimited data after the 1GB of shareable data at reduced speeds. However, this deal is only available when you bring your own device, and it doesn’t include calling or texting either.

Pros: Unlimited data after the 1GB cap for $10/month
Cons: You have to live in Saskatchewan and be a SaskTel customer to get this deal

View plan

Best Cheap Talk-and-Text Plan

Many carriers offer a basic $15/month plan (plus $5 upfront) with 100 minutes and minimal data, but Koodo Mobile’s prepaid base plan includes cheap add-ons that make the plan more attractive.

4 out of 5 overall

Koodo Mobile | Base Plan | $15/month—Best cheap talk and text plan

Koodo Mobile offers a no-frills plan to keep you connected with 250MB of data at 3G speeds, and it comes with 100 Canada-wide minutes for calls and unlimited messaging. However, you must bring your phone to take advantage of this plan.

However, 100 minutes might not be enough for calls if you have family in other parts of the world. Add a $30 long-distance talk booster to your plan and get 300 extra minutes. You can add data boosters too, and we recommend the 1GB of data for $30, which never expires.

Pros: Calling, texting, and data; extra add-ons
Cons: Low data caps

View plan

Methodology: How we picked the best cheap phone plans

WhistleOut searched through all of the Canadian carriers’ various phone plans and compared their offerings with pricing and features associated with each plan. Coupled with network coverage and add-ons, we ranked each plan in the appropriate categories based on our research. We also considered how each plan compared to prepaid and postpaid plans, respectively. WhistleOut keeps a watchful eye on the mobile market and will change these ratings as necessary.

Best Cheap Phone Plans: FAQs

How can I lower my cell phone bill in Canada?

You can lower your cell phone bill in Canada by choosing a cheaper plan (with less data or fewer perks) or by switching to a lower-cost carrier. Switching could be the best way to save the big bucks, and many carriers offer competitive pricing for basic plans that include great add-ons.

What is the cheapest smartphone plan?

The cheapest smartphone plan is Shaw Mobile’s By the Gig plan. This option is only available to customers living in B.C. and Alberta. The plan is $0/month for customers with Shaw’s Fibre+ home internet service; otherwise, it’s $15/month plus a $45 activation fee. Each GB is $10, so if you don’t use a lot of data, you can save a lot.

What is the cheapest unlimited cell phone plan?

The cheapest unlimited cell phone plans in Canada belong to Lucky Mobile and Chatr Mobile for $25/month. Both offer unlimited calling and texting with 1GB of data at 3G speeds. But you can continue to use your phone and all the data you want without any overages once you reach the initial cap. Your data speed will lower once you go over the cap, but you’ll still get access to as much data as you want after that. Lucky Mobile is slightly faster at throttled speeds of 128Kbps over Chatr’s 64Kbps.

What is the cheapest family phone plan?

The cheapest family cell phone plan is SaskTel’s family bundle, called totalSHARE Nationwide, and it could save you hundreds of dollars. Bundling three lines when you bring your own device will cost $80/month (and $150 upfront) with 5GB of data to share among all three lines. Each line includes unlimited calling and messaging too, but you have to live in Saskatchewan to take advantage of this deal.

How much does a phone plan cost in Canada?

Phone plans in Canada vary greatly in cost depending on the user’s needs. Shaw Mobile offers a plan with free calling and texting for customers subscribed to Shaw Fibre+ home internet. Data is $10 per gig on top of that. A big limitation of this plan is that it’s only available to customers in B.C. and Alberta.

Other affordable plans start at just $15 and go up from there. Depending on the carrier, the needs of the customer, and the plan selected, prices can jump to over $100 for one line.

Find a better phone plan

Thousands of cell phone plans unpacked. All the facts. No surprises.

WhistleOut