As a cell phone expert, these are the 5 carriers I don’t recommend

I’ve spent a significant portion of the past few years reporting on and testing various wireless service providers operating in the US market. As you might imagine, this has allowed me to form clear recommendations for just about every need — family plans, customer service, pricing, and more.

Considering postpaid and prepaid options together, there are dozens of choices available, yet only a handful of providers truly stand out enough to recur regularly in my recommendations. Some carriers are excluded because they don’t offer anything unique enough, others because they simply target too narrow of a niche.

After digging into reader comments on my coverage and Android Authority’s mobile service content in general, I noticed certain brands were frequently mentioned, with readers wondering why they were left out. Indeed, some carriers can be useful in specific situations but don’t often make mainstream recommendation lists due to limited appeal.

Here’s a closer look at a few commonly mentioned alternatives that I typically don’t highlight, examining who they’re for and whether you’re better off skipping them.

I remember a comment in my best US carrier guide earlier this year asking why Boost Mobile doesn’t get more attention from us, or really from the media in general.

I understand the confusion. On paper, Boost sounds appealing, with unlimited plans starting as low as $25 per month and premium postpaid options offering yearly flagship upgrades for iPhones or Galaxy devices at just $65 monthly. These prices significantly undercut Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile. However, looking deeper reveals issues.

One challenge is Boost’s unclear identity. While it now operates as a genuine postpaid provider with prepaid options, many still associate it with its budget prepaid legacy. Beyond perception, network consistency is a major concern.

Boost has its own 5G network through Dish Network, but coverage outside these areas depends entirely on rivals like AT&T and T-Mobile. Coverage inconsistencies result from differing SIM card options based on Dish’s native reach and various roaming agreements. Consequently, Boost Mobile can be hit or miss. For some, it offers great savings; for others, it’s a significant downgrade.

While not generally recommended for just anyone, Boost can work well and save you a fortune if you live in a strong coverage area. If you’re considering it, try a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) plan with a secondary number first. Why? Because it’s much easier to leave this way if it doesn’t work out. Upgrading phones locks you into Boost Mobile for a full year, longer than major competitors.

Several readers have also asked about RedPocket Mobile in the past, but after taking a closer look, I’ve found that for most users, it simply doesn’t stand out much, and you’re likely better off elsewhere.

Pricing ranges from $10 to $40 per month, or slightly less if you pay annually upfront. All plans advertise “unlimited” talk, text, and data, but premium data caps range from just 1GB to 50GB. Once you exceed that limit, speeds plummet to around 256Kbps, making even basic tasks painfully slow. Frankly, calling 1GB of data “unlimited” is misleading in today’s usage environment.

Comparatively, RedPocket’s cheapest plan (1GB for $10/month) matches poorly against Tello, which offers double the data at the same price. Its top-tier Elite plan, with 50GB data, hotspot, and Apple Watch support for $40, isn’t terrible — but competitors like Visible offer even better international features and smartwatch support at roughly the same price. You’ll find even cheaper options at US Mobile, with the 2GB Light Plan starting at just $10 a month or as low as $8 if paid annually.

The one notable feature is that RedPocket lets you choose from all three major networks, though even here, US Mobile offers the same flexibility with better execution, including the ability to use two networks simultaneously.

At the end of the day, RedPocket isn’t a bad carrier and offers customer service that’s no worse than any other budget provider, but there’s rarely a compelling reason to choose it over the competition.

Tracfone occasionally appears in the comments as well, though not nearly as much as the others. Once the king of burner phones, it’s now much less popular. Smartphone plans start around $15 per month for 1GB, considerably pricier than competitors like US Mobile or Tello. In most cases, you’ll generally receive a better experience with other Verizon value brands like Straight Talk.

Today, Tracfone mainly serves those using basic phones as secondary devices — a shrinking market mostly consisting of older adults relying on landlines that look to cellphones only as an emergency device. For infrequent users, Tracfone can be affordable: for example, 365 days of service costs $125, including 1,500 minutes, 1,500 texts, and 1.5GB of data.

Now I actually have recommended Helium Mobile in a few pieces, but the truth is it’s a pretty niche provider. For those who don’t know, Helium Mobile runs on T-Mobile’s network, but that’s not its only claim to fame. The provider initially pushed itself as a crypto-carrier and leaned harder on its own Helium Network, but these days it feels a bit more like a typical prepaid carrier in reality.

Plans for Helium range from free to $30 a month. If you have strong T-Mobile coverage and don’t suffer from major congestion issues, you’ll find Helium is a compelling choice that runs every bit as well as any other T-Mobile-based alternative.

So why don’t I mention it more? First, the network is very much involved with crypto-technologies, its own network, reward partnerships, and other aspects that might be seen a positive for some but also make Helium slightly more questionable when it comes to privacy. It’s also clear that mobile service isn’t this company’s first priority.

There are so many other brands out there with a more proven record in the mobile space, and unless that changes, it’ll never be a common recommendation on my end. Still, if you find it works well for you, there’s really nothing wrong with Helium. In fact, if you have a young kid or elderly family member who doesn’t need much data, the free plan or the kids plan can be a great way to test them on their first phone without much risk.

Last on the list is Total Wireless, which is another carrier that I admit doesn’t get a recommendation from me very often. When I do recommend this carrier, it’s usually to those with bigger families, as this is where Total shines.

This Verizon-owned brand has plans ranging from $40 to $60 a month for one line, but the pricing drops significantly as you add more lines. In fact, the best savings are triggered once you reach five lines, with even the most expensive plan only coming out to around $27 a month per line and the cheapest plan dropping to just $23 a month.

All three plans include truly unlimited data, though you’ll need to get the Total 5G Unlimited or 5G Plus Unlimited plan if you want higher priority data that’s similar to what you’d get with postpaid Verizon access. These later plans also include international roaming and improved international calling features. Looking for streaming perks? The Plus plan even includes Disney Plus Premium for free, while the standard Unlimited plan just gives you a six-month trial.

If you have a large family, Total Wireless is a fairly tempting choice. This plan becomes even better if you happen to also have friends or family members outside of the US, as the perks here are quite good for the price. So why don’t I mention this one more then? Honestly, it’s because Visible is typically a better choice if you only need a line or two, as its pricing starts at just $25 for unlimited and maxes out at $45 a month, and yet it offers a very similar experience to Total, as it is also owned by Verizon.

Again, it really depends on what you are looking for. Out of all the brands on this list, I’d personally recommend Helium and Total Wireless the most. Helium is great if you don’t mind taking a risk of a brand that’s newer to the mobile space, and Total has family plans that are truly hard to beat. As for the other three? While none of them are bad choices per say, for most folks, there are simply better options for a similar price that will likely provide a better value long term.