There are a lot of data plans out there (call and text too, but c'mon). It's easy to get overwhelmed, so to make things a bit easier, here's a chart with the details on international plans provided by major cell companies in the U.S.
Though there's an overwhelming favorite when it comes to the carrier of choice, chances most of the people aren't in the market to switch for just a couple of days. Verizon and T-Mobile rely on preexisting plans to dictate speeds and data overseas. Others like AT&T and Sprint add on data, minutes and messages specifically for international use. And watch out with overage fees... for instance, Sprint's International Data Pack add-on charges $10 per megabyte!
Two tech giants have international data plans as well. Google's Project Fi offers talk, text and data at flat rates in over 120 countries on Nexus 5X, 6 and 6P. AppleSIM offers a variety of different data plans (price varies by country) for iPads in 90 countries.
AT&T's Passport, Sprint's International Speed Data Roaming and T-Mobile's High Speed Data Passes have multiple options for how much data customers can purchase (tho, T-Mo is offering free LTE in South America and Europe for the rest of the year!). Others, like MetroPCS's Canada Unlimited and Verizon's TravelPass are flat-fee international extensions of preexisting domestic plans. The data is so convoluted that it can be hard to digest it all.
Please note, this chart doesn't include international pay-as-you-go options. They usually aren't a good deal when abroad for more than a few days. Like, Verizon charges $2.05 per megabyte and Sprint charges $0.019 per kilobyte without a plan (that's $19 per megabyte!). Yikes!
Carrier / Plan | Calls | Text | Data | Price | Coverage | Overage Fees |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apple | ||||||
AppleSIM | –– | –– | Options vary by country | Prices vary by country | 90 countries | –– |
AT&T | ||||||
Passport (Basic, Silver and Gold) | $1.00 / minute, $0.50 / minute, $0.35 / minute | Unlimited | 200 MB, 300 MB, 800 MB | $40, $60, $120 | 190+ countries, 100 w/ LTE | $0.25 / MB, $0.20 / MB, $0.15 / MB |
Boost Mobile | ||||||
Todo Mexico Plus | Unlimited (to U.S. and Mexico) | Unlimited | Up to 8 GB1 | $5 / month | Mexico, high speed where available | –– |
International Connect PLUS | Unlimited calls to landlines, 200 minutes to select mobiles | Unlimited | –– | $10 / month | Landline coverage covers 70+ countries, mobile coverage covers+ 50 countries | –– |
Project Fi | Unlimited (domestic) | Unlimited | $10 / GB | $20 / month (talk and text) | 120+ countries | –– |
MetroPCS | ||||||
Canada Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Based on plan2 | $5 / month | Canada, speeds based on plan | –– |
Mexico Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Based on plan3 | $5 / month | Mexico, speeds based on plan | –– |
World Calling | 200 minutes | 200 messages | 200 MB | $10 / month | 21 countries, speeds based on plan | –– |
Sprint | ||||||
Open World4 | Unlimited | Unlimited | 1GB | Included | 20 countries, 2G | $30 / GB |
$0.20 / minute | Unlimited | –– | Included | 130 countries, 2G | $30 / GB | |
Worldwide Voice Canada | Outgoing calls to U.S. and Canada free / receive calls in Canada at $0.20 / minute | –– | –– | $2.99 / month | U.S., Canada | –– |
Worldwide Voice | $0.99 - $5.99 / minute5 | –– | –– | $4.99 / month | Countries not included in International Value Roaming | –– |
3G International Speed Data Roaming Pass | –– | –– | 100 MB / 1 day , 200 MB / 7 days, 500 MB /14 days | $15, $25, $50 | 150 countries, 3G & LTE where available | –– |
Canada and Mexico Data Pack | –– | –– | 55 MB, 175 MB, 325 MB | $30, $75, $125 | Canada, Mexico; LTE where available | $4.00 / MB |
Multi-Country Data Pack | –– | –– | 40 MB, 85 MB | $40, $80 | 72 countries, 3G & LTE where available | $10 / MB |
T-Mobile | ||||||
Simple Choice | $0.20 / minute | Unlimited | Unlimited | Included | 140 countries, 2G | –– |
High Speed Data Passes | –– | –– | 100 MB, 200 MB, 500 MB | $15, $25, $50 | 140 countries, LTE where available | –– |
Verizon | ||||||
TravelPass6 | Preexisting plan | Preexisting plan | Preexisting plan | $2 / day | Canada, Mexico; LTE where available | –– |
Preexisting plan | Preexisting plan | Preexisting plan | $5/ day | Spain, LTE where available | –– | |
Preexisting plan | Preexisting plan | Preexisting plan | $10 / day | 100 countries, LTE where available | –– | |
Mexico & Canada | 100 minutes | 100 sent / unlimited received | 100 MB | $15 / month | Canada, Mexico | $10 / 100 MB, $0.10 / minute, $0.10 / text sent |
500 minutes | 500 sent / unlimited received | 1 GB | $25 / month | Canada, Mexico | $20 / 1 GB, $0.05 / minute, $0.05 / text sent | |
Global Plan | $1.79 / minute | $0.50 sent / $0.05 received | 100 MB | $25 / month | Countries outside TravelPass coverage | $25 / 100 MB |
100 minutes | 100 sent / unlimited received | 100 MB | $40 / month | Countries outside TravelPass coverage | $25 / 100 MB, , $0.25 / minute, $0.25 / text sent |