Best Prepaid Plans With Hotspot Data (And Which Ones Throttle You)

If you’re googling “best prepaid plans with hotspot data,” I’m going to take a wild guess:
You don’t care about fancy perks. You care about one thing.

You want hotspot that actually works.

Because maybe you:

• Work remotely and your apartment Wi-Fi is one storm away from disappearing
  
  
• Travel a lot and don’t trust hotel internet
  
  
• Use hotspot to study, stream, or stay connected on the go
  
  
• Just want a backup plan for when life happens

And if that’s you… you’re smart to look at the hotspot details first.

Because here’s the trap: a lot of prepaid plans technically include hotspot… but the moment you actually use it, they hit you with a cap or throttle you into ultra-slow territory.

So let’s talk about the best prepaid hotspot plans, what you really get, and which ones will slow you down.

Quick answer: Best prepaid plans with hotspot data (Top picks)

Here are some of the best options people choose when hotspot is a priority.

Best overall prepaid hotspot plan (simple + reliable)

Visible+ (Verizon network)

• Unlimited hotspot
  
  
• Hotspot speeds up to 10 Mbps
  
  
• Great value if you want predictable hotspot without paying premium prices

Best cheaper option with hotspot

Visible (Verizon network)

• Unlimited hotspot
  
  
• Hotspot speeds up to 5 Mbps

Best budget prepaid plan with hotspot (if you don’t need unlimited)

Mint Mobile (T-Mobile network)

• Hotspot included
  
  
• Unlimited plan is commonly advertised with a hotspot allotment (often around 20GB depending on current plan details)

Best prepaid option on AT&T’s network (but watch the throttle)

Cricket Wireless (Smart Unlimited / Supreme Unlimited / Select Unlimited)

• Hotspot is included on these plans
  
  
• After you use your hotspot data limit, Cricket slows hotspot speeds to 128 Kbps for the rest of the billing cycle

And now let’s explain what all of that actually means in human terms.

First, a quick reality check: “Unlimited data” doesn’t mean unlimited hotspot

A lot of people assume:

“I have unlimited data, so my hotspot is unlimited too.”

Nope.

Most prepaid plans work like this:

1. You get X GB of high-speed hotspot data each month
   
   
2. After that… the carrier decides your fate:
   
   
   • You get throttled (slowed down)
     
     
   • Or your hotspot stays on but becomes painfully slow
     
     
   • Or your hotspot may stop until the next billing cycle (less common)
     

So the real question isn’t “does it include hotspot?”

The real question is:

How much hotspot do you get, and what happens after you run out?

Hotspot caps vs throttling (and why you should care)

Hotspot cap = your monthly allowance

Example: “This plan includes 10GB of hotspot.”

That means after 10GB, something changes.

Throttling = your hotspot still works, but it slows down hard

And I mean hard.

Cricket is a perfect example. Cricket says that on certain unlimited plans, once you use your hotspot data limit, your hotspot speeds slow to a max of 128 Kbps for the rest of the billing cycle.

That speed is so slow it’s basically:

• Email might work (eventually)
  
  
• Video calls will struggle
  
  
• Streaming is not happening
  
  
• Uploading anything will feel like punishment

So yes, you still have hotspot… but it’s a very different life.

The 3 types of prepaid hotspot plans (so you pick the right kind)

Type 1: “Unlimited phone data, small hotspot allowance”

Best for: people who hotspot occasionally
This is most prepaid plans.

You might get 5GB–15GB of hotspot, and it’s fine… until it isn’t.

Type 2: “Hotspot-friendly plans”

Best for: remote work, travel, frequent hotspot use
These plans either give you a bigger hotspot bucket, or offer unlimited hotspot with a speed cap.

Visible is famous for this.

Type 3: Dedicated hotspot device plans

Best for: replacing home internet entirely
We won’t go deep here, but if you use hotspot daily as your main internet… a data-only hotspot plan can sometimes be a better fit than a phone plan.

Best prepaid plans with hotspot data (full breakdown)

1) Visible+ (Best overall prepaid plan with hotspot) - $31/mo-$35/mo

Best for: people who want a prepaid plan where hotspot is a real feature, not an afterthought

Visible+ includes unlimited mobile hotspot, and Visible says hotspot speeds are up to 10 Mbps on Visible+.

That’s enough for:

• working from a laptop
  
  
• video calls (most of the time)
  
  
• streaming in decent quality
  
  
• travel days where you need reliable internet

If hotspot is something you’ll use often, Visible+ is one of the simplest “set it and forget it” prepaid wins.

The catch: It’s speed-capped. It’s not going to be “fiber internet fast.” But it’s consistent.

View Visible’s Visible+ plan here. 

2) Visible (Best cheap unlimited hotspot option) - $22/mo-$25/mo

Best for: people who want hotspot all month long and don’t need high speeds

Visible’s base plan includes unlimited mobile hotspot too — but hotspot speeds are up to 5 Mbps.

5 Mbps can handle:

• browsing
  
  
• email
  
  
• basic work tasks
  
  
• SD streaming
  
  
• simple video calls (depending on signal + congestion)

But if you’re trying to hotspot multiple devices, stream a lot, or upload files regularly… you’ll feel the limit.

Still: for prepaid hotspot value, it’s hard to beat.

View Visible’s plan here. 

3) Mint Mobile (Best budget hotspot plan if you don’t need unlimited hotspot) - $30/mo-$35/mo

Best for: people who want prepaid savings + hotspot included, but don’t live on hotspot

Mint’s big appeal is price. You can get strong prepaid deals if you’re willing to pay upfront (usually for multiple months or a year).

Mint also advertises mobile hotspot as a feature, and third-party plan breakdowns often show the unlimited plan with a hotspot allotment (commonly around 20GB on unlimited plans, though plan details can change).

The catch: Mint is an MVNO, and like most MVNOs, your speeds can be affected by congestion.

If you need hotspot occasionally, Mint is great.
If you need hotspot as your main internet every day, you may want something built for that.

View Mint Mobile’s Unlimited Plan here. 

4) Cricket Wireless (Good coverage, but hotspot throttling is intense) - $44/mo-$55/mo

Best for: people who like AT&T coverage and don’t mind strict hotspot rules

Cricket includes hotspot on certain unlimited plans, or you can add it on. But Cricket also makes the throttle rules very clear:

After you use your hotspot data limit, hotspot speeds slow to 128 Kbps for the rest of your billing cycle.

Cricket can still be a great fit if:

• you want AT&T-style coverage
  
  
• you mostly use hotspot as backup
  
  
• you won’t regularly burn through your hotspot bucket

But if hotspot is your daily work setup, this throttle point is something to take seriously.

View Cricket Wireless’s unlimited plan. 

Which prepaid plans throttle your hotspot data? (The part everyone learns too late)

Here’s the simple truth:

Most prepaid plans throttle hotspot in one of these ways.

1) You get a hotspot cap, then your speeds drop hard

Cricket is a textbook example: 128 Kbps after you hit your hotspot limit.

2) Your hotspot is “unlimited,” but speed-capped from the start

Visible and Visible+ do this — you get unlimited hotspot, but the speed is capped at 5 Mbps or 10 Mbps depending on the plan.

3) You’re slowed down during congestion

This is not the same as throttling, but it can feel like it. MVNOs like Mint often mention that speeds can vary due to congestion and network management.

How to pick the right prepaid hotspot plan (quick checklist)

Before you choose, ask yourself:

How often do you hotspot?

• Occasionally? A plan with 10GB–20GB of hotspot might be perfect.
  
  
• Weekly or daily? Look for a plan that treats hotspot like a priority.

What do you use hotspot for?

• Browsing and email is easy.
  
  
• Video calls, uploading files, and streaming are what expose throttling fast.

Which network works best where you live?

Here’s the truth: the best prepaid hotspot plan is the one that actually works in your area. A plan can look amazing on paper… but if that network is weak in your ZIP code, your hotspot is going to feel like it’s running on vibes.

The easiest way to avoid that? Use Goji’s coverage map to check which carrier has the best coverage in your ZIP code before you buy a plan.

FAQs

What are the best prepaid plans with hotspot data?

Some of the top prepaid hotspot options include Visible+, Visible, Mint Mobile, and Cricket (depending on your coverage area and how much hotspot you need).

What does hotspot throttling mean?

It means your carrier slows hotspot speeds after you hit a limit. In some cases (like Cricket), that slowdown can be extreme.

Is Visible hotspot really unlimited?

Visible includes unlimited hotspot, but it’s speed-capped depending on the plan (Visible vs Visible+).

What happens when I use all my Cricket hotspot data?

Cricket says hotspot speeds slow to 128 Kbps for the rest of the billing cycle on certain unlimited plans after you exhaust your hotspot data limit.

Does Mint Mobile include hotspot?

Mint advertises mobile hotspot as a feature, and many plan summaries show hotspot included with limits based on plan type.