Best Phone Plans For International Calls

Does your family and friends live abroad? Do you connect with them very often? Well, then you must be in urgent need of the best mobile plan for international calls to spend less and talk more.

There’s no second thought in the fact that international calling rates are nothing to mess around with, so it’s important to know what you are on the hook for before calling beyond borders.

While there are several telco providers who claim to offer cheap and affordable international call rates, only a few of them live up to their words and give exactly what you are looking for. Mobile carriers usually offer three types of international plans, including Bolt-on Packs, Pay-as-you-go options, and International Day Passes.

The right international cell phone plan depends on your situation and requirements. While Bolt-on packs make more sense if you make more international calls, PAYG options are suitable if you make international calls sporadically. Whatever option you will choose, make sure it fits your pocket while fulfilling all your requirements.

But as already said, the market is packed with tons of mobile operators offering international calling plans, which turns a simple choice into a gruesome task. Therefore, our experts have surveyed the mobile landscape and come up with the 5 best carriers that are friendly to out-of-country travelers. So, without further ado, let the tour begins.

Cheapest phone plans with international calls

Whether you have loved ones living abroad or you are traveling internationally, picking the best plan for international calls is mandatory. Therefore, we have picked our top choices and listed the 5 best and cheap mobile plans with international calls facility. In addition, we have covered the pros and cons of each to give you a better idea. So, let’s get started.

1. Tello – Free calling to 60+ countries

Launched in 2002, Tello is one of the leading MVNOs, powered by T-Mobile. This award-winning telco provider is widely appreciated for offering tons of cell phone plans to cater to the needs of all kinds of customers.

It is headquartered in Atlanta and offers prepaid plans featuring talk time, texting, and data at a much more affordable price. Tello believes in price transparency; hence, charges everything upfront to avoid any fuss later on. Moreover, Tello also offers family plans and you can add up to 10 lines per account.

Its plans support free hotspot tethering and WiFi calling to improve signal strength and allow data tethering. If you are searching for the best phone plan for international calls, then you can simply count on Tello’s Unlimited Everything plan, available for $25 per month. It offers you unlimited everything, be it data, texts, and minutes.

Plan	Price	Data	Learn More
Economy	$9/ month	1GB	View Plans »
Value	$10/ month	2GB	View Plans »
Smart	$14/ month	5GB	View Plans »
Data	$25/ month	Unlimited	View Plans »

Free international minutes are available with every Tello plan (that includes minutes) to more than 60 countries across the globe. Moreover, the privilege of enjoying free international calls is available for every customer, whether new or old.

In addition, Tello plans are completely flexible, which means that you can easily upgrade or downgrade your plan anytime without spending a penny. The change will be instant and your remaining balance will get rolled over for the next 30 days.

Whatever plan you’ll be settling on, it gets renewed automatically every 30 days, so you can enjoy the billing freedom to cancel it at any point in time, without paying penalty charges.

The list of 60 countries included for Free in Tello plans includes Andorra, Austria, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, Colombia, Bangladesh, China, Canada, Costa Rica, Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Denmark, French Guiana, Greece, Guadeloupe, Iceland, India, Germany, Guam, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Norway, Peru, Netherlands, etc.

But what if the country you want to connect to isn’t available on the list? Well, don’t worry as Tello allows you to make savings with Pay As You Go Credit. Undoubtedly, Tello has made international calling from the US easy and hassle-free. All you have to do is check the international calling rates for the rest of the countries, and place a call accordingly.

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2. Gen Mobile  – Free calling to 100+ countries

Are you looking for a carrier with lots of coverage and cheap mobile plans with international calls? Well, then your search ends with Gen Mobile. It operates on America’s largest 5G and 4G network, T-Mobile.

The company never draws customers into long, annual contracts, thus giving complete freedom to get off the board without giving a valid reason. In addition, this carrier assures you a 7-day money-back guarantee, which means that if you are not satisfied with their plans for whatever reason, they will refund your money within 7 days from the date you received your phone or plan.

While Gen Mobile is widely applauded for offering cheap and affordable plans, it never compromises on the internet speed and network coverage just to cover up the cost. Since it is powered by T-Mobile, you can rest assured of top-notch speeds and incredible voice quality.

The best feature of using Gen Mobile is unlimited Global Texting. It allows you to send text messages not within the country but across the globe without any additional charges.

Speaking of international calls, Gen Mobile offers a variety of plans that include unlimited calling to 100+ countries. These plans are further divided into two types – One Month Plans and Three-Month Plans, so you can pick an option that suits your needs. Find a list of International Plans offered by Gen Mobile in the table mentioned below.

One-Month Plans	Three-Month Plan	International Minutes
$15/mo	$13/mo	Unlimited	View Plan>
$20/mo	$17/mo	Unlimited	View Plan>
$25/mo	$20/mo	Unlimited	View Plan>
$30/mo	$24/mo	Unlimited	View Plan>

Some of the major names included in the list of 100+ countries are Australia, Bahamas, Malaysia, Mariana Islands, Malta, Mauritius, Laos, Luxembourg, Argentina, Aruba, Bolivia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Cambodia, Namibia, Nepal, Norway, Mexico, Nepal, Poland, Portugal, Cyprus, Estonia, Spain, Slovakia, Turkey, Hungary, and much more to count.

All International Plans include an international credit of $2, which customers can use while calling countries outside the list. In addition to the international minutes and texts, these plans also offer a certain amount of data, depending on the plan you will be choosing.

Are you running out of international credit? Fret not as you can easily purchase add-ons either by calling the Customer Care number or via the Gen Mobile Care app. You can get an international credit of $5 by paying $5.

What’s best about Gen Mobile is that all International Plans offered by this carrier include a 15-day Text Freebie, which means that you can enjoy free domestic and international text messages for 15 days after your plan ends.

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3. Red Pocket – Free calling to 80+ countries

The next best mobile plan for international calls is offered by the Red Pocket. This carrier is more like the dollar theater, where you won’t get the fanciest seats or newest movies, but you still get the main feature you actually came for. Here, the fanciest seats refer to the fastest data and the newest movies depict the additional perks.

Red Pocket is a mobile virtual network provider, but unlike other MVNOs which are owned and operated by a specific network provider, it doesn’t just rely on a single network and rather prefers using all four major networks, including Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint.

This carrier is an ideal choice for those who won’t use plenty of data. Since it trades on simplicity, it believes in offering plans with decent minutes and texts, so you can stay connected with your near and dear ones without costing a dime. It may not be the most prestigious company around, but it knows how to get the job done.

Unlike other cheap MVNOs, Red Pocket offers tons of plans so you can choose whatever fits your requirements and pocket. As a rule, the plans are affordable and come with talk minutes, text, and mobile data.

Speaking of the contract, Red Pocket plans are further classified into 4 different categories, including Monthly Plans, Annual Plans, Family Plans and Data Only Plans. However, among all, there are four plans that offer free international calling worldwide. Find the information about those plans here in the table mentioned below.

Plans	Data	International Calling	Monthly Plans	Annual Plans
Unlimited Essentials	1GB	Yes	$10/mo	$9/mo	View Plan>
Unlimited Plus	10GB	Yes	$20/mo	$18.3/mo	View Plan>
Unlimited Premium	Unlimited	Yes	$30/mo	$27.6/mo	View Plan>
Unlimited Elite	Unlimited	Yes	$40/mo	$36.6/mo	View Plan>

All these plans offer blazing 5G speed on GSMA and GSMT so you can browse the internet without encountering any buffering. Its unlimited international calling makes it one of the prominent options for students, migrants, and anyone whose family and friends live abroad.

Another thing that makes Red Pocket stand out from the crowd is that it lets you choose your network, which is pretty awesome and usually uncommon. However, this choice is available as long as you have the correct phone for the network.

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4. Twigby – Unlimited International talk to 80+ countries

Still, looking for cheap mobile plans with international calls? Turn to Twigby and enjoy super cheap and customizable cell phone plans. Twigby is a perfect carrier for casual users who are low on data usage and high on calling and texting.

Twigby is an MVNO, which means that it actually uses other companies’ cellular networks to provide service. In this case, it mainly uses the infrastructure and coverage of two major network providers, Sprint and Verizon. While Twigby is widely applauded for good coverage and flexible plans, it is surely not for everyone as this carrier is low on phone selection, data, speed, and extra features.

However, despite these disadvantages, Twigby still manages to get a place on this list as it offers free unlimited talk to more than 80 countries throughout the world with all plans. In addition, Twigby plans also offer free unlimited global text messages so you can enjoy chatting with your family and friends overseas at no extra cost.

Keep scrolling and find some of the popular Twigby plans here in the table mentioned below.

Price	Data	International Calls
$10 per month	5GB	Yes	View Plan>
$15 per month	10GB	Yes	View Plan>
$25 per month	20GB	Yes	View Plan>

In addition to these plans, you can also create your own plan that fits your requirements well. In customizable plans, all you can choose is the amount of data as all plans include unlimited talk and text to facilitate the customers.

These Twigby plans also provide free mobile hotspot access, which means you can share your data with others without any hindrance or extra cost. Moreover, there’s no restriction on hotspot tethering. Other perks included in all plans are Free Voice Mail, Free Caller ID, Call Waiting, Call Forwarding, and Free 6-Way Conference Calling.

These 80 countries included in the list are Australia, Canada, India, Mexico, Belgium, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, Canada, Chile, Cambodia, Croatia, Egypt, Cyprus, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Iceland, and many more. While the free international calling facility is available in 80 countries only, you can send and receive text messages in over 180 countries without paying any additional charges.

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5. Ultra Mobile – Unlimited Free Call to 90+ Countries

Powered by T-Mobile, Ultra Mobile is one the leading MVNOs and is probably the most ideal option to find the best phone plan for international calls. This cellular network offers excellent coverage and that too at affordable prices.

All Ultra Mobile plans include free nationwide talk, text, and data, high speed 5G/ 4G LTE, free Wi-Fi calling, mobile hotspot tethering, unlimited talk to over 90 countries, and unlimited global text.

While it is suitable for those looking for unlimited international calling and texting, this carrier mainly compromises at certain points, like less full-speed data and no family plans. While some require free international talk, others might want a more full-speed data network; hence, it is advised to make a choice accordingly.

Check some of the plans offered by Ultra Mobile to facilitate the customers in the table mentioned below.

Plans	Data	International Calls and Texts	Cost
Talk & Text Plan	250MB	Yes	$15/month	View Plan>
3GB Plan	3GB	Yes	$19/month	View Plan>
5GB Plan	5GB	Yes	$24/month	View Plan>
10GB Plan	10GB	Yes	$29/month	View Plan>
15GB Plan	15GB	Yes	$39/month	View Plan>
Unlimited	Unlimited (40GB)	Yes	$49/month	View Plan>
Unlimited+	Unlimited (60GB)	Yes	$59/month	View Plan>

All plans offered by Ultra Mobile include international talk minutes to over 90 countries but what if the country you want to contact isn’t included in the list? Fret not, you can still make an international call as INTL Call Credit is already added in most Ultra Plans that allow you to call to countries that aren’t listed in the Unlimited 90+ International Destinations list.

However, it is advised to check the per-minute rate before making a call. These INTL call credits renew every month and are not available on a 250MB plan. You can also get up to 1,250 bonus minutes to select countries with their uTalk feature.

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Things to consider when choosing phone plans with international calls.

With the proliferation of smartphones and the global economy, people are increasingly using their phones to make international calls. That’s why it’s important to know the different types of phone plans with international calls available before you decide which one to choose. Here, we’ve outlined what you need to consider when choosing one. Get into these factors and pick the best phone plan for international calls.

Type of the phone plan

First, you’ll need to decide which type of phone plan you want. There are two types of phone plans available: voice and data. Voice plans only include calls, while data plans include both calls and data usage. If you are looking for a plan with calling purpose only, then opt for the voice plans as they must be cheaper than other ones. However, if you equally need both data and talk time, then opt for plans offering both options.

In addition to voice and data, international plans are also divided into two other types – Bolt-on plans and PAYG plans. Bolt-ons are suitable for users who make frequent international calls while PAYG is ideal for those making international calls once in a while.

The total number of international destinations covered

When looking to choose a mobile phone plan with international calls, it’s important to understand how many destinations are covered in the plan.

Your current or potential mobile phone plan may have a limited number of international destinations covered. If you frequently make calls to international destinations, it may be worth looking for a plan that offers more coverage.

Look for plans with unlimited talk and text messaging, as well as international calling features. These plans can be expensive but are worth it if you make a lot of international calls.

Contract Length

Yet another major factor to keep in mind when looking for cheap mobile plans with international calls is the contract length. The length of the contract will dictate how much money you will have to pay per month, and how many calls you can make in total.

It is also important to remember that if you decide to cancel the long-term contract early, you may have to pay a cancellation fee. Hence, simply go for short-term plans that renew every month so you can leave them whenever you want without paying additional charges.

Cost matters

Last but not least thing to consider when choosing an international calling plan is its price. Sometimes, carriers charge way more than they should, owing to the added international calling facility. Hence, compare the cost of each plan and check what other perks are included in addition to the international minutes and texts.

Also, do not forget to check the rates to call other countries which are included in their list. Make sure your desired nation is available on their list of countries; otherwise, you will end up regretting your choice.

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Summary

These were some of the best and cheap mobile plans with international calls. If you are on a budget and looking for a mobile carrier offering free international calling, then choosing Red Pocket plans is a no-brainer. It offers various options and assures excellent network coverage throughout the country.

While Red Pocket seems appealing to budget-savvy customers, other established carriers shouldn’t be overlooked if you are willing to go beyond the international calling facility. Consider every single aspect and pick the best option that caters to your requirements in the best possible way.

Article Updates

• Aug 9, 2024: Update Ultra Mobile Phone Plans
• July 25, 2024: Update Red Pocket Price