Consumer Cellular vs. Jitterbug, Hands-On Analysis
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June 26, 2025
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Consumer Cellular, in business since 1995, is a typical cellular provider,1 while Lively makes the Jitterbug devices and plans specifically for seniors. The phones have urgent-response buttons, allowing you to contact a monitoring center easily, but the services come with higher monthly costs.
In this review, we compare Consumer Cellular to Lively’s Jitterbug directly in terms of phones and plans, helping you make your buying decision.
FYI: We’ve tested out nearly every provider and have come up with our picks for the best cell phone plans for seniors.
Consumer Cellular and Lively Comparison
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| Editor's Ratings | ||
| Starting cost (one line) | $20 per month | $14.99 per month |
| Starting cost for unlimited talk, text and data (one line) | $50 per month | $50 per month |
| Discounts for multiple lines | Yes, $15 each | None |
| Annual contracts | Not required | Not required |
| Bring-your-own-phone option | Yes | Yes |
| Contact | ||
| Phone Number |
Call for best price:
844-580-0512 |
Call for best price:
855-403-6340 |
| Website | View Packages Links to Consumer Cellular | View Packages Links to Lively |
Plans and Costs
Both Consumer Cellular and Lively offer unlimited talk, text and data for $50 a month. However, if you don’t need unlimited data, you can pay less with either provider. Consumer Cellular, for example, has four phone plans, all of which are month-to-month:
- 1GB: $20
- 5GB: $25
- 10GB: $35
- 20GB: $45
- Unlimited: $50
Lively’s monthly costs depend on what phone you get. All of the Jitterbug Flip2’s plans include unlimited talk and text. So, you’ll only pay for those medical services — anywhere from around $20 to $50 a month. On top of that, if you want unlimited talk and text instead of 300 minutes of talk and 300 texts per month, you can pay an additional $5 per month. Monthly costs end there for the Jitterbug Flip2, Lively’s flip phone.
But, if you opt for the Jitterbug Smart4, Lively’s smartphone, and want more than 1GB of data per month, you’ll add on the following amount each month:
- 5GB: $5
- 10GB: $15
- Unlimited: $30
This means that the Jitterbug Smart4 will cost anywhere from $20 to $80 a month, depending on which plans you choose. While we get more into detail about Jitterbug’s plans in our full Jitterbug review, note that services differ based on the plan you choose.
Aside from the amount of data you’ll get along with unlimited talk and text, you’ll choose from one of three plans no matter which Jitterbug phone you get:
| Basic | Preferred | Premium | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price, Flip2 | $14.99 | $34.99 | $44.99 |
| Monthly price, Smart4 | $19.99 | $39.99 | $49.99 |
| Unlimited talk and text | Yes, on the Smart4 | Yes, on the Smart4 | Yes, on the Smart4 |
| Lively Rides | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Urgent response | No | Yes | Yes |
| Lively Link app | No | Yes | Yes |
| Care Advocate | No | No | Yes |
| Nurse on Call | No | No | Yes |
Note that Consumer Cellular offers none of these medical and wellness services — just cell service.
Additionally, Consumer Cellular will be cheaper if you’re looking for multiple lines. Each additional line costs only $15, while Lively offers no discounts for having multiple lines.
Senior Plans
Need phone lines for two? If you’re an AARP member, you can get two lines of unlimited talk, text and data for a total of $55 per month — or $27.50 per line. Even if you get one line, Consumer Cellular offers AARP members a discount of 5 percent, making monthly costs:
- 1GB: $19
- 5GB: $23.75
- 10GB: $33.25
- 20GB: $42.75
- Unlimited: $47.50
Although the differences may be small, over a year, you could save $30 a year with the unlimited plan. Keep in mind an AARP membership’s costs, as of June 2025:
- One year: $20
- Three years: $38 ($12.67 per year)
- Five years: $55 ($11 per year)
Lively does not offer a senior discount, so seniors will pay the same amounts as everyone else. To see how much you can save with other providers, read our list of senior discounts on cell phone plans.
Contracts
Both Lively and Consumer Cellular’s plans are monthly, so you don’t have to worry about early termination or cancellation fees with either company. That said, we’d be remiss if we didn’t tell you about Lively’s fees: a one-time $35 activation fee, plus a universal service fee of about $3 to $5. Consumer Cellular does not charge activation or one-time fees when you purchase the plan.
If you exceed your monthly data allowance with Consumer Cellular, the company will bump you up to the next data plan. That means your monthly bill will go up by anywhere from $5 to $15. With Lively, on the other hand, you’ll pay an extra $0.02 per megabyte, $0.35 per minute and $0.10 per text in overage charges.
Phones and Devices
Consumer Cellular allows you to bring your own device, get a free SIM card from Consumer Cellular and sign up for one of the plans. All you’ll pay for is your new cellular service.
With Lively, you can now bring your own phone. In addition to the wellness plan, here’s what you’ll pay for data:
| GB of data per month | Monthly price, months 1 to 3 | Monthly price, months 4+ |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | $15 | $24.99 |
| Unlimited | $30 | $49.99 |
Otherwise, you’ll have to purchase one of the brand’s two options.
Jitterbug Flip2: The Jitterbug Flip2 is ideal if you’d rather use a flip phone than a smartphone. It has a large screen with big text; large, light-up buttons; and a loud speaker that makes it accessible for people with visual or auditory issues. Plus, at only $79.99, it’s one of the cheaper phones for seniors.
Jitterbug Smart4: If you want a senior-friendly smartphone, the Jitterbug Smart4 is easy to use. It boasts a nearly 7-inch screen, video chat and the ability to convert speech to text. The Smart4 is more expensive than the Flip2 at around $120, but it’s still much cheaper than most smartphones, which, as of 2024, cost an average of $287.2
Consumer Cellular offers too many devices to count, ranging from simple flip phones to the newest smartphones for seniors. The main difference worth noting is that Consumer Cellular has the latest offerings from Samsung, Android and Apple. This means that if you’re looking to stay on trend with your technology, then Consumer Cellular has got you covered.
In addition to devices from big manufacturers, Consumer Cellular makes its own phone, the Iris Easy Flip. The device is comparable to the Flip2, but it costs just $59 — $20 less. Its main disadvantage is its lack of an urgent-response button. Learn more in our Iris Easy Flip review.
Coverage
Both Consumer Cellular and Lively are mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), which means they use other cellular providers’ networks.3 Consumer Cellular uses both AT&T and T-Mobile’s networks, and it will connect you to whatever signal is strongest. Lively uses only Verizon’s. All of these networks offer 5G coverage nationwide, so you shouldn’t have trouble using your phone.
Note: Neither of Lively’s phones supports 5G, so Consumer Cellular is better for heavy data users unless you bring your own device.
While it’s cheaper to buy cell phone plans from MVNOs, you may notice some data throttling; the networks provide the best service to their direct customers. However, we haven’t noticed any issues testing out both Consumer Cellular and Lively in terms of coverage differences.
Our Favorite
Both Lively and Consumer Cellular offer affordable phones and plans along with contracts that won’t keep you locked in for years to come. In fact, their pricing is nearly identical. Unlimited talk, text, and 1GB of data costs $20 per month, while unlimited talk, text and data costs $50 per month.
That being said, Lively can get more expensive due to its medical services, which Consumer Cellular lacks. If you want some of the benefits of a medical alert system, namely a 24/7 urgent response team, Lively is a unique provider in that sense. Consumer Cellular is a typical cell phone provider. It has way more device options, and you won’t pay extra for the medical features, making it cheaper overall.