Best Lifeline providers compared (2026)

Lifeline does not send you money. It pays your phone company up to $9.25 a month, or up to $34.25 if you live on qualifying Tribal lands (Lifeline Support). The company turns that payment into a plan. What you get for it varies more than most people expect.

We opened each of the first seven provider websites on October 19, 2026 and wrote down what they say. On November 5, 2026 we added which network each one runs on, from the companies’ own pages and their filings with state utility commissions. The same day we added AirTalk Wireless and TAG Mobile. Of the companies we had not yet compared, they had the most Lifeline customers in USAC’s count for May 2026. Where a site is vague, out of date, or contradicts itself, we say so. Allowances change, so treat the date at the top of this page as part of the facts.

The short version

Every allowance in this table is the provider’s own claim. The federal floor is lower. USAC’s minimum service standard for a Lifeline mobile plan is 4.5 GB of data and 1,000 voice minutes a month (USAC). The FCC froze these minimums until December 1, 2027 (FCC DA 26-651). A provider can offer more. None of these nine offers less, at least on paper.

How to read “free phone”

No Lifeline rule requires a free handset. The $9.25 pays for service. A phone, when offered, is the provider’s own promotion and can change or run out. Assurance says its phones are “provided free of charge to eligible customers in California” and “can be purchased at a low cost by other customers” (Assurance Wireless). Cintex’s site still advertises “Certified Pre-Owned” smartphones free to everyone (Cintex Wireless), but its apply page now sends you to AirTalk Wireless instead (Cintex apply page). AirTalk’s qualify page says its Lifeline plans include a free smartphone, certified pre-owned (AirTalk qualify page). But on November 5 its free-phone page offered one model at $0 and listed most others as out of stock (AirTalk free phones). TAG Mobile calls its phone offer “a separate promotion from Lifeline service” and says “A free iPhone is not guaranteed” (TAG Mobile). If a phone matters to you, ask before you apply, and ask which model.

Provider by provider

Assurance Wireless

Assurance is T-Mobile’s Lifeline brand. The site states the plan clearly: “FREE 10GB High-Speed Data” and “FREE Unlimited Talk & Text” on the “4G/5G T-Mobile Network.” It adds that “Data may vary based on state” and that enhanced offers apply in California and on Tribal lands. You can bring an unlocked phone with a new SIM. There is a paid step-up: 15 GB with hotspot for $1 a month or $10 a year. The fine print also notes that heavy users above 35 GB may see slower speeds during congestion (Assurance Wireless).

What is missing: a list of states. You enter a ZIP code and an email address to find out. Assurance also absorbed Q Link’s former Lifeline customers in late 2024 under an FCC order, which is why some people were switched here without choosing it (FCC DA 24-1182).

SafeLink Wireless

SafeLink’s home page promises “FREE Unlimited Talk & Text plus FREE Data every month” and says “Plans vary by state.” It does not say how much data. Every path to the plan details runs through a ZIP code form, and we could not get that form to return an offer on the check date. The footer says “SafeLink is a registered trademark of Verizon Value, Inc., a Verizon company.” On November 5 its about page said “All of our customers can enjoy affordable service on Verizon’s reliable nationwide network” (SafeLink about page). Its terms still mention the T-Mobile network in one place (SafeLink terms). Bring-your-own-phone exists but “can only be activated where Service is available, offered, and supported by SafeLink.” A three-month Amazon Prime promotion sits on the home page (SafeLink Wireless).

Verdict on the site: the least transparent of the nine. Call 1-800-723-3546 and ask for the data allowance in your state before you commit.

Q Link Wireless

Do not apply here. Q Link pleaded guilty on October 15, 2024 to conspiring to defraud the Lifeline program. The FCC suspended it in November 2024 and let T-Mobile’s Assurance Wireless take over its customers (FCC DA 24-1182). On December 5, 2025 the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau made the ban permanent: “Q Link is debarred from involvement with the Lifeline program and any other program funded by federal universal service support mechanisms” (FCC DA 25-1009). Its website did not resolve when we tried it. We keep it in this comparison because people still search for it and other sites still list it.

StandUp Wireless

StandUp’s own pages do not agree on the plan. We checked them again on October 21, 2026. The home page footer says “Plans include a unlimited talk, unlimited text, and 5 GB of data” (StandUp Wireless). The footer on its terms page says “Plans include a minimum of 1,000 Minutes, Unlimited Text, and 4.5 GB of Data” (StandUp terms). One help page says 5 GB in one place and “4.5 GB on most plans” in another (StandUp). Ask StandUp which plan you will get before you apply.

StandUp lets you “Use your own phone” and keep your number. The service is run by Global Connection Inc. of America. The home page says “Fast, Nationwide 5G Service” without naming the carrier. A help page does: “StandUp Wireless provides service using the T-Mobile nationwide wireless network” (StandUp help page, read November 5, 2026). There is no state list, only “Offers vary by state and service may not be available in all states or areas.” StandUp also sells $5 prepaid plans for a second line (StandUp Wireless). Its terms say some customers “may be eligible to receive a free wireless Device.” Others get a SIM to use in their own phone or in one they buy from StandUp (StandUp terms).

TruConnect

TruConnect states a floor rather than a number: “at least 4.5GB free for Lifeline lines” and “4.5GB or more of data, depending on where you live.” Talk and text are unlimited. Two extras stand out: hotspot use up to your data limit, and “Free international calls to 200+ countries.” Bring your own device gets you “a free SIM kit.” The site contradicts itself on eSIM. The banner says “eSIM for Lifeline is here!” while the FAQ says “we do not yet support eSIM-only devices.” Ask which applies to your phone. The site does not name the network (“the best 4G and 5G networks”). State filings do: TruConnect resells T-Mobile and Verizon service and puts each customer on one of the two (South Dakota PUC staff memo, 2024). There is no state list; the plan is “Available to eligible customers in participating states” (TruConnect).

Life Wireless

Life Wireless is a Telrite brand. It publishes a state-by-state plan page, which is more than most do. The list covers 43 states plus Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (Life Wireless plans). Talk and text are unlimited everywhere. Data “varies depending on your state.” The Illinois page, for example, shows 4.5 GB (Life Wireless Illinois). After you use the allowance, speed drops to 256 kbps until the next month. You can bring your phone. The site does not name the carrier, but Telrite told South Dakota regulators in March 2025 that it uses AT&T’s network (South Dakota PUC filing). One rule to know: you must use the service at least once every 30 days or lose it.

AirTalk Wireless

AirTalk has more Lifeline customers than any other company in this comparison. USAC counted 1,345,981 for May 2026, in 39 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. California had the most, 185,737 (USAC). Cintex, which shares its parent company, now sends its sign-ups here (see below). We read AirTalk’s site on November 5, 2026.

Its pages disagree on data. The sign-up page says “5GB DATA monthly,” and its FAQ says “5GB of high-speed data is included automatically every month” (AirTalk sign-up page). The home and qualify pages say “Up to 10GB” (AirTalk). Talk and text are unlimited. Ask which amount you will get in your state.

The qualify page says qualifying Lifeline plans include a free 4G or 5G smartphone, certified pre-owned, which means used and checked (AirTalk qualify page). The free-phone page tells a smaller story. On November 5 it offered an “A67L Gen2 For Only $0,” gave the iPhone 7 a price that “Varies by region,” and showed the other 10 models as out of stock. It adds: “Free phone is available for new and eligible former customers only” (AirTalk free phones). You can bring a phone you already own if it is unlocked (AirTalk bring your own device).

AirTalk’s pages do not name its network. Florida’s utility commission does. In an October 2024 order it said AirTalk’s company, Air Voice Wireless, “uses the network infrastructure and wireless transmission facilities of AT&T” (Florida PSC order).

TAG Mobile

TAG Mobile is the largest Lifeline company in Texas. USAC counted 166,432 TAG customers there for May 2026, out of 665,152 in 30 states (USAC). We read its site on November 5, 2026.

The home page offers “a FREE monthly phone plan, up to 16GB of high-speed data, and FREE or affordable smartphones,” with unlimited talk and text (TAG Mobile). “Up to” is a ceiling, and you see your own plan only after you enter a ZIP code, so ask what your state gets. The phone is “a separate promotion from Lifeline service,” and the site says “A free iPhone is not guaranteed; pricing depends on eligibility and stock.” You can also bring your own device.

Its menu lists the 29 states it serves. Texas is not on that list, although USAC shows more TAG customers in Texas than in any other state. If you live in Texas, ask TAG directly.

TAG’s pages do not name a network, and its open internet statement still names Sprint, which is out of date (TAG Mobile open internet statement). In a 2026 case before Indiana’s utility commission, TAG said it serves customers “primarily using AT&T Mobility LLC” (Indiana IURC order).

Cintex Wireless

We checked Cintex’s site again on November 5, 2026. Its apply page now opens with a notice: “We’re excited to announce that Cintex Wireless is merging with AirTalk Wireless.” The notice’s Continue button takes you to AirTalk’s sign-up page (Cintex apply page). AirTalk announced the move in September 2024. It said Cintex, “a brand under the same parent company, will be transitioning to AirTalk Wireless” (AirTalk blog). In October 2024 AirTalk told Massachusetts regulators: “As of the end of ACP, Cintex has discontinued its wireless services” (Massachusetts DTC filing). In August 2025 Missouri let Cintex give up its Lifeline designation there, after Cintex said it was not providing Lifeline service in the state (Missouri PSC order). USAC’s payment records show Cintex last claimed Lifeline customers in January 2026, 21 people in Maine, and none since (USAC).

The rest of the site still advertises a plan, and its pages disagree on it. The plan page and its broadband label say 4.5 GB of data, with unlimited talk and text (Cintex plan page). The qualify and program pages still say “15 GB of Data.” The program page marks that “As part of the Lifeline and ACP plan” (Cintex program page). The qualify page still advertises a “FREE 4G/5G+ Smartphone” and calls the phones “Certified Pre-Owned” (Cintex qualify page). The phone list shows a “Generic Smartphone” and a “Generic 4G LTE Flip Phone,” each priced “Varies by region” (Cintex phones). Its bring-your-own page says a phone must be unlocked (Cintex bring-your-own page), and the phone list showed that option as “Out of Stock.”

Much of the site is out of date. Even the apply page still offers a “Lifeline & ACP Combo Plan” (Cintex apply page). The home page’s browser title still reads “Apply Affordable Connectivity at Cintex Wireless.” The qualify page’s title asks “Who is eligible for the Affordable Connectivity Program?” The ACP ended June 1, 2024 (FCC). The home page lists Pell Grants, WIC and free school lunch as ways to qualify. Those were ACP rules. Under Lifeline they only apply to survivors using the Safe Connections Act path (Lifeline Support). The FAQ says “We offer service nationwide,” but the footer says service “is not available in all states/areas,” and the program page lists only West Virginia, Maine, Arkansas, Maryland and Rhode Island (Cintex program page). The plan notes “GSM coverage required,” which rules out some phones. The only Cintex page that names a network, its open internet statement, still says Sprint, which has since merged into T-Mobile (Cintex open internet statement). We found nothing newer that names one.

Who each one suits

• You want the most data stated plainly and you have T-Mobile coverage: Assurance Wireless, 10 GB.
• You want to see the plan for your state before you give anyone your details: Life Wireless. It publishes the plan for each state. TAG Mobile lists its states but not the plans.
• You call family abroad or need a hotspot: TruConnect.
• You need a phone included and you live in California: Assurance Wireless. Elsewhere, AirTalk Wireless is the only company here still taking sign-ups whose site promises a free phone with the plan, but on November 5 it had one model at $0 and most others out of stock. Ask which phone you will get before you apply.
• You already have a Verizon-compatible phone and want to stay on that footprint: SafeLink, once you get the allowance in writing.
• You get good AT&T signal where you live: AirTalk Wireless, TAG Mobile or Life Wireless. State filings say all three use AT&T.
• You want a cheap prepaid second line for a family member: StandUp. Ask whether your free plan has 5 GB or 4.5 GB.
• Nobody: Q Link.

Before you pick

Only one Lifeline benefit is allowed per household, and you can move it to another provider once a month (Lifeline Support). So a wrong first choice is fixable. Check whether you qualify with our eligibility tool, then apply through the National Verifier at getinternet.gov, the FCC’s official site for it, or through the provider. Oregon and Texas residents apply through their state sites. You must recertify every year or lose the benefit.

If a provider’s site still talks about ACP, the FCC says to be careful. It warns that some sites “continue to collect personal information from consumers seeking enrollment in ACP” and tells anyone who entered a Social Security number on such a site to visit IdentityTheft.gov (FCC). Our state pages show which of these companies operate where you live, and our plans page covers the paid add-ons. If you use the free data on public Wi-Fi to stretch it, read our Wi-Fi safety guide first.