👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family Plans Guide

Best MVNO Plans for Families

Save over $2000 annually with family-friendly MVNO plans. Compare multi-line discounts, family features, and find the perfect plan for your household.

How Much Can Your Family Save?

Real savings examples for common family sizes

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Family of 3

Verizon (3 lines): $180/mo
Visible (3 lines): $75/mo
Annual Savings: $1,260
That's enough for a family vacation!
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Family of 4

T-Mobile (4 lines): $240/mo
Mint Mobile (4 lines): $80/mo
Annual Savings: $1,920
Most Popular Family Size
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Family of 5

AT&T (5 lines): $300/mo
Cricket (5 lines): $125/mo
Annual Savings: $2,100
Maximum savings potential!

Top MVNO Family Plans for 2025

M
🏆 BEST OVERALL

Mint Mobile Family Plans

★★★★★
4.6/5 for families
$20
per line/month
4+ lines unlimited

Family Pricing (12-month plans):

2 Lines Unlimited: $40/mo
vs $140 T-Mobile = $1,200/year savings
3 Lines Unlimited: $60/mo
vs $180 T-Mobile = $1,440/year savings
4+ Lines Unlimited: $20/line
Best value - maximum savings!

Family Benefits:

T-Mobile 5G Network
Excellent coverage for the whole family
35GB Priority Data
Per line - plenty for heavy users
5GB Mobile Hotspot
Each line gets hotspot capability
WiFi Calling & eSIM
Modern features included
Read Full Review
L
🌍 BEST INTERNATIONAL

Lycamobile Family Plans

★★★★☆
4.4/5 for international families
$23
per line/month
Pro plan with international

Family International Savings:

Traditional Family Plan Cost:
Verizon 4 lines: $240/month
+ International add-ons: $60/month
Total: $300/month
Lycamobile Family (4 lines):
4 lines × $23: $92/month
International calling: Included
Total: $92/month
Annual Savings: $2,496

Perfect for International Families:

Free Calls to 75+ Countries
Every line includes international calling
Unlimited Mobile Hotspot
No limits - great for families
30GB Priority Data
Plenty for each family member
No Contracts
Month-to-month flexibility
Get Lycamobile for Family →
M
⭐ PREMIUM FEATURES

Metro by T-Mobile Family

★★★★☆
4.2/5 for family features
$25
per line/month
4+ lines (taxes included)

Family Plan Pricing:

1 Line: $30/mo
2 Lines: $55/mo
$27.50 per line
4+ Lines: $25/line
All taxes and fees included

Premium Family Features:

Amazon Prime Included
On higher tier plans - $139 value
Physical Store Support
In-person help for tech-challenged family
Higher Network Priority
T-Mobile owned = better speeds
Family Safety Features
Basic parental controls available
Review Coming Soon

Family Plan Comparison Table

MVNO 2 Lines 3 Lines 4 Lines 5+ Lines Best Feature Network
M
Mint Mobile
Unlimited (12mo)
$40
$20/line
$60
$20/line
$80
$20/line
$20
per line
Best Value
T-Mobile
L
Lycamobile
Pro plan
$46
$23/line
$69
$23/line
$92
$23/line
$23
per line
International
T-Mobile
V
Visible
Unlimited
$50
$25/line
$75
$25/line
$100
$25/line
$25
per line
Truly Unlimited
Verizon
M
Metro
Unlimited
$55
$27.50/line
$80
$26.67/line
$100
$25/line
$25
per line
Premium Features
T-Mobile
C
Cricket
Unlimited
$60
$30/line
$80
$26.67/line
$100
$25/line
$25
per line
AT&T Network
AT&T

All prices shown are monthly. International calling features and taxes may vary by carrier.

Family Features & Benefits Comparison

🛡️ Parental Controls & Safety

Best: Metro by T-Mobile
  • • Built-in family safety features
  • • Content filtering options
  • • Screen time management
  • • Location sharing capabilities
Good: Lycamobile
  • • Basic content filtering
  • • Account management controls
  • • Usage monitoring
Limited: Mint Mobile
  • • Basic account controls
  • • Usage alerts
  • • Third-party apps recommended

🌍 International Benefits

Best: Lycamobile
  • • Free calls to 75+ countries (all lines)
  • • International roaming options
  • • Multi-language customer support
  • • International SMS included
Limited: Others
  • • International add-ons available
  • • Per-minute international rates
  • • WiFi calling for international use
Family Savings: International families can save $60-120 monthly by choosing Lycamobile over adding international features to other carriers.

🆘 Customer Support

Best: Metro by T-Mobile
  • • Physical store locations
  • • In-person tech support
  • • Phone support available
  • • Device setup assistance
Good: Mint Mobile
  • • Chat support
  • • Email support
  • • Online help center
  • • Social media support
Adequate: Lycamobile
  • • Phone support (may have wait times)
  • • Email support
  • • Online account management

📊 Data & Hotspot Features

Best Hotspot: Lycamobile
  • • Unlimited mobile hotspot (all lines)
  • • No additional fees
  • • Great for family sharing
Truly Unlimited: Visible
  • • No data caps or throttling
  • • Unlimited hotspot included
  • • Best for heavy data families
Good Value: Mint Mobile
  • • 35GB priority data per line
  • • 5GB hotspot per line
  • • Excellent for most families

Recommendations by Family Size

👫

Small Families

2-3 lines

Best Choice: Mint Mobile
2 lines: $40/month ($480/year)
3 lines: $60/month ($720/year)
vs Verizon: Save $1,200-1,440/year
Perfect because:
  • • Lowest per-line cost
  • • T-Mobile network quality
  • • 35GB data per person is plenty
  • • Simple family plan setup
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Medium Families

4-5 lines

Choice depends on needs:
Budget Focus: Mint Mobile
4 lines: $80/month
International: Lycamobile
4 lines: $92/month
Premium: Metro
4 lines: $100/month
Consider:
  • • International calling needs
  • • Data usage patterns
  • • Support requirements
  • • Budget vs features balance
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Large Families

6+ lines

Strategy: Mix and Match
Parents: Premium plans with features
Kids: Basic plans with controls
Potential savings: $2,500+/year
Optimization tips:
  • • Use multiple carriers if beneficial
  • • Consider data-only plans for tablets
  • • Prioritize family safety features
  • • Look for additional line discounts
🌍

International Families

Regular overseas calling

Clear Winner: Lycamobile
Free calling to 75+ countries
All lines get international features
vs Major carriers + Int'l: Save $2,000-3,000/year
Why it's perfect:
  • • No additional international fees
  • • Unlimited international calling
  • • T-Mobile network quality
  • • Multi-language support
Get Lycamobile →
💻

Tech-Savvy Families

Heavy data users

Best Choice: Visible
Truly unlimited data (no caps)
Unlimited hotspot per line
$25/line for any family size
Perfect for:
  • • Streaming households
  • • Remote work/school families
  • • Gaming enthusiasts
  • • No data usage worries
💰

Budget-Focused Families

Maximum savings priority

Strategy: Mint Mobile 12-month
$20/line with annual commitment
4-line family: $960/year total
vs Traditional: Save $1,920/year
Money-saving tips:
  • • Pay annually for best rates
  • • Use WiFi whenever possible
  • • Monitor usage to avoid overages
  • • Take advantage of promotions

How to Switch Your Family to an MVNO

1 Preparation Phase

Gather Family Information

  • • Current account number and PIN
  • • Each phone's IMEI number
  • • Billing zip code
  • • List of phone numbers to port

Evaluate Family Needs

  • • Monthly data usage per person
  • • International calling requirements
  • • Parental control needs
  • • Budget constraints

Check Device Compatibility

  • • Ensure phones are unlocked
  • • Verify network compatibility
  • • Plan for any device upgrades

2 Execution Phase

Order SIM Cards

  • • Order enough SIMs for all lines
  • • Consider eSIM for compatible devices
  • • Choose the right plan for each family member

Port Numbers (Strategy)

  • • Port primary line first (test service)
  • • Port remaining lines together
  • • Keep old service active during transition
  • • Have backup communication method

Family Setup

  • • Configure parental controls
  • • Set up family sharing features
  • • Test international calling (if needed)
  • • Update emergency contacts

💡 Pro Tips for Family Switching

Timing Strategy:

  • Switch during school breaks when kids can handle any temporary issues
  • Port during weekdays (Tuesday-Thursday) for best carrier support
  • Test new service for a week before committing fully

Money-Saving Hacks:

  • Look for family plan promotions and first-month discounts
  • Consider annual payments for additional savings (Mint Mobile)
  • Use our savings calculator to track your total family savings

International Families: Your Savings Are Huge

See how much international families save with Lycamobile

Traditional Carrier Family Plan:

Verizon 4 lines unlimited: $240/month
International calling add-ons (4 lines): $80/month
Device fees and taxes: $30/month
Total Monthly Cost: $350/month
$4,200 annually

Lycamobile Family Plan:

4 Lycamobile Pro lines: $92/month
International calling to 75+ countries: FREE
Taxes and fees: INCLUDED
Total Monthly Cost: $92/month
$1,104 annually
Annual Savings: $3,096
That's enough for a family vacation to visit relatives!
Start Saving with Lycamobile Family Plans →

No contracts • Free international calling • T-Mobile 5G network

Family Plan FAQ

Can I mix different plans for family members?

Most MVNOs require all lines on a family account to have the same plan. However, you can set up separate accounts for different family members if you want different plans. This might make sense for large families where some members need premium features and others need basic plans.

Example Strategy:
  • • Parents: Metro by T-Mobile with premium features
  • • Teenagers: Mint Mobile unlimited plans
  • • Young children: Basic plans with parental controls

How do family plans handle data sharing?

Unlike major carriers, most MVNOs don't offer shared data pools. Each line gets its own data allocation. This is actually beneficial because one heavy user can't exhaust the entire family's data. Each family member gets their full data allowance independently.

Advantage:

With individual data allocations, your teenager streaming videos won't affect your ability to use data for work or navigation.

What parental controls are available with MVNO family plans?

Parental controls vary significantly between MVNOs. Metro by T-Mobile offers the most comprehensive built-in controls, while others may require third-party apps. Many families successfully use device-level controls (iOS Screen Time, Android Digital Wellbeing) combined with router-level filtering at home.

Built-in Controls:
  • • Metro by T-Mobile: Yes
  • • Cricket: Basic features
  • • Others: Limited
Alternative Solutions:
  • • iOS Screen Time
  • • Android Digital Wellbeing
  • • Circle Home Plus
  • • Qustodio app

Can we keep our existing phone numbers when switching as a family?

Yes! All family members can port their existing numbers when switching to an MVNO. The process is the same as individual porting, but you'll need account information for each line. You can port all numbers simultaneously or do them one at a time to test service quality first.

Family Porting Strategy:
  1. 1. Port primary line first to test service
  2. 2. Wait 24-48 hours to ensure quality
  3. 3. Port remaining family lines together
  4. 4. Keep old service active until all ports complete

What happens if one family member wants to leave the family plan?

With most MVNOs, each line can be managed independently even on family plans. A family member can typically port their number to another carrier without affecting the remaining lines. However, you may lose multi-line discounts if you drop below the minimum required lines.

Important Notes:
  • • Primary account holder controls all lines
  • • Removing lines may affect pricing tiers
  • • Some carriers require 30-day notice
  • • Consider the financial impact before making changes

Are MVNO family plans really reliable for important family communications?

Yes! MVNOs use the same cell towers as major carriers, so reliability is essentially identical. The main difference is data priority during peak congestion, which rarely affects voice calls or texts. Millions of families successfully use MVNO services for all their communication needs.

Reliability Factors:
✓ Same cell towers as major carriers
✓ Voice calls and texts are prioritized
✓ 911 emergency services work identically
✓ Millions of satisfied family users

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