Consumer Cellular vs. AT&T, Hands-On Analysis

Plans and Costs

Overall, Consumer Cellular’s plans are more affordable than AT&T’s, regardless of age. For a plan with unlimited talk, text, and 1GB of data, you’ll pay $20 per month. None of AT&T’s plans come close to this price.

With greater data allowances, however, come sharply higher prices. A Consumer Cellular plan with 10GB of data will cost $35 per month; a plan with unlimited data will cost $50 per month. That said, no matter which plan you choose, additional lines only cost $15 each. While $50 per month may seem steep for unlimited data, two lines would only cost $65 — or $32.50 each.

AT&T’s plans are a bit more costly. Their 4GB plan, which includes unlimited talk, text, and the data, costs $50 per month for one line. Their most affordable unlimited plan, Value Plus VL, costs $50.99 per month for one line. Also, while most AT&T plans come with a discount for multiple lines, Value Plus VL currently has a discount only for three or more lines. Two lines will cost $101.98 per month ($50.99 each), and three lines will cost $113.97 ($37.99 each).

Compare this to Consumer Cellular’s prices: $50 per month for one unlimited data line, $65 per month for two lines ($32.50 each), and $80 for three lines ($26.67 each). No matter which way you slice it, Consumer Cellular will always be cheaper than AT&T.

Senior Plans

Both Consumer Cellular and AT&T offer plans for seniors. However, the two plans differ slightly in terms of eligibility and features.

Consumer Cellular offers one senior plan; it includes two lines of unlimited talk, text, and data for $55 per month ($27.50 per line). To be eligible for this plan, you must purchase two lines and be an AARP member. Technically speaking, people of any age can be members of AARP.

AT&T offers one senior plan, Unlimited 55+. It includes unlimited talk, text, and data in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. This plan costs $60 for one line or $80 for two lines. The primary downside of this plan is it’s currently only available to residents of Florida. Consumer Cellular’s plan is available nationwide.

To learn more about AT&T’s 55+ plans, read our guide to AT&T's senior plans.

Contracts

Neither Consumer Cellular nor AT&T requires long-term contracts on its phone plans. With either provider, you can cancel your plan at any time and stop making monthly payments. That said, both providers allow you to finance the purchase of a phone; this, in a sense, can function like a long-term contract.

For example, let’s say I opened a new AT&T phone line and wished to purchase a new iPhone 16. I could either pay $23.06 per month for 36 months (automatically added to my monthly AT&T bill), or I could pay the full retail price of $829.99. If I chose the former, I could still cancel my AT&T service at any time. However, I would have to pay off the remaining balance on my iPhone.

Consumer Cellular works in a similar fashion. You can either purchase your phone at the full price upfront, or you can spread it out and add it to your monthly bill. The only difference with Consumer Cellular is that their device payment plans last two years while AT&T’s last for three.

Phones and Devices

Both Consumer Cellular and AT&T allow you to bring your own phone and use it on their network — potentially even keeping your number. To check if your phone is compatible, you’ll want to visit the provider’s website and enter your phone’s unique IMEI number.

In terms of the phones themselves, both providers offer a similar range of smartphones from Apple, Samsung, and Google. While there are some slight variations in price, most of the phones will cost the same from either provider. The iPhone SE, one of our favorite iPhones for seniors, costs $429 from both providers. Each also offers a limited range of flip phones that cost under $100. Most notably, we had positive experiences with Consumer Cellular’s Iris Flip.

Overall, Consumer Cellular and AT&T offer the same phones for the same prices. So, this will most likely not be a factor when deciding between providers.

Consumer Cellular vs. AT&T: Coverage

Consumer Cellular is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), meaning the company leases its network from other providers. Mint Mobile and Cricket Wireless are two other popular MVNOs.

Consumer Cellular uses both T-Mobile and AT&T’s networks. There is a downside to that, though: During times of peak usage, AT&T and T-Mobile may prioritize their own subscribers. This results in decreased data speeds for Consumer Cellular users.

AT&T, however, owns its own network and provides 5G coverage nationwide. In terms of calls and texts, this won’t make much of a difference. In terms of data, though, users of AT&T will notice consistently faster speeds than they would have on Consumer Cellular.

Our Favorite

If you’re 55 or older, then both AT&T and Consumer Cellular are reliable options with reasonable prices. AT&T definitely wins when it comes to data speeds, while Consumer Cellular comes out on top in terms of affordably priced plans.

If you want to use your smartphone to stream videos and browse the internet, AT&T is likely the better option. If you only need a phone for talk, text, and some occasional data usage, Consumer Cellular will do the job.

To compare these providers with our other favorites, read our guide to the best phone plans for seniors.