Best Prepaid Phone Plans in Canada 2026: Cheapest Options Compared
Updated
Switching from a Big Three postpaid plan to a prepaid flanker brand is one of the easiest ways to cut your monthly expenses. A 20 GB plan that costs $75/month on Bell, Rogers, or Telus drops to $34/month on Public Mobile — saving $492 a year on the same underlying network. The trade-off is mostly cosmetic: you won’t get phone subsidies or premium roaming perks, but you keep national coverage and LTE speeds. Public Mobile (Telus network) is the best all-around pick for most Canadians, Fizz wins in Quebec and Ontario with data rollover, and Freedom Mobile fills the niche for heavy users who want a true unlimited plan at $50/month. Bring your own unlocked phone to save another $200–$500 upfront, and put the difference toward savings or debt repayment.
Best Prepaid Plans Compared
Talk & Text Only (No Data)
Provider
Monthly Cost
Minutes
Texts
Network
Coverage
Public Mobile
$15
Unlimited (Canada)
Unlimited
Telus
National
Lucky Mobile
$18
Unlimited (Canada)
Unlimited
Bell
National
Chatr
$20
Unlimited (Canada)
Unlimited
Rogers
National
PhoneBox
$16
Unlimited (Canada)
Unlimited
Rogers/Telus
National
7-Eleven SpeakOut
$10 (100 min)
100 min
Pay per text
Rogers
National
Light Data (1–5 GB)
Provider
Monthly Cost
Data
Minutes
Network
Best For
Public Mobile
$25
2 GB
Unlimited
Telus
Light users
Fizz
$26
2 GB
Unlimited
Videotron (QC/ON)
Quebec/Ontario
Lucky Mobile
$25
2 GB
Unlimited
Bell
National light use
Chatr
$29
2 GB
Unlimited
Rogers
Urban areas
PhoneBox
$25
3 GB
Unlimited
Rogers/Telus
Newcomers
Public Mobile
$29
5 GB
Unlimited
Telus
Best value light data
Fizz
$30
5 GB
Unlimited
Videotron
Quebec/Ontario
Medium Data (10–20 GB)
Provider
Monthly Cost
Data
Minutes
Network
Best For
Public Mobile
$34
20 GB
Unlimited
Telus
Best overall value
Fizz
$35
15 GB
Unlimited
Videotron
Quebec/Ontario
Lucky Mobile
$40
15 GB
Unlimited
Bell
National coverage
Koodo (prepaid)
$40
20 GB
Unlimited
Telus
Telus network preference
Chatr
$40
15 GB
Unlimited
Rogers
Urban focus
Freedom Mobile
$35
10 GB
Unlimited
Freedom (Shaw)
Urban areas (ON, BC, AB)
Heavy Data (20+ GB)
Provider
Monthly Cost
Data
Minutes
Network
Best For
Public Mobile
$39
30 GB
Unlimited
Telus
High data, best price
Fizz
$42
30 GB
Unlimited
Videotron
Quebec/Ontario
Freedom Mobile
$50
Unlimited (speed-reduced after 50GB)
Unlimited
Freedom
Unlimited needs
Koodo (prepaid)
$50
40 GB
Unlimited
Telus
Heavy data
Lucky Mobile
$50
30 GB
Unlimited
Bell
National heavy use
Provider Comparison
Feature
Public Mobile
Fizz
Lucky Mobile
Chatr
Freedom Mobile
Parent company
Telus
Videotron
Bell
Rogers
Shaw/Rogers
Network
Telus (national)
Videotron (QC/ON)
Bell (national)
Rogers (national)
Freedom (ON/BC/AB)
Coverage
✅ Excellent
Good (QC/ON only)
✅ Excellent
✅ Excellent
Limited (urban)
Data rollover
❌
✅
❌
❌
❌
Loyalty rewards
✅ ($1–$2/mo off over time)
✅ (rewards program)
❌
❌
❌
eSIM support
✅
✅
✅
❌
✅
Bring your own phone
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
Phone financing
❌
❌
❌
❌
✅
Customer support
Online/community only
Online/chat
Online/chat, phone
Online/chat, phone
Phone, in-store
International calling
Add-on available
Add-on
Add-on
Add-on
Some plans include
Best for
Best overall value
Quebec/Ontario, rollover
National coverage on a budget
Rogers network preference
Unlimited data needs
How Much Canadians Can Save Switching to Prepaid
Current Plan
Current Cost
Best Prepaid Alternative
Prepaid Cost
Annual Savings
Big 3 — 20 GB postpaid
$75/mo
Public Mobile 20 GB
$34/mo
$492/year
Big 3 — 50 GB postpaid
$90/mo
Public Mobile 30 GB
$39/mo
$612/year
Big 3 — 10 GB postpaid
$60/mo
Public Mobile 5 GB + bonus
$29/mo
$372/year
Flanker — 20 GB
$50/mo
Public Mobile 20 GB
$34/mo
$192/year
Talk & text only (postpaid)
$35/mo
Public Mobile talk & text
$15/mo
$240/year
Best Plans for Specific Needs
Need
Best Provider
Plan
Price
Cheapest plan possible
Public Mobile
Talk & text
$15/mo
Best value with data
Public Mobile
20 GB
$34/mo
Quebec/Ontario (data rollover)
Fizz
15 GB
$35/mo
Newcomers to Canada
PhoneBox
5 GB (no credit check)
$30/mo
Seniors (basic use)
Public Mobile
2 GB
$25/mo
Students
Fizz or Public Mobile
5–10 GB
$29–$34/mo
Unlimited data
Freedom Mobile
Unlimited
$50/mo
Best national coverage
Lucky Mobile (Bell)
15 GB
$40/mo
Travel/international calling
PhoneBox
Plans with international
$30+/mo
Temporary (visitors)
PhoneBox or Lucky Mobile
1–5 GB prepaid
$25–$35/mo
Tips for Choosing a Prepaid Plan
Tip
Detail
Check coverage in your area
Use provider coverage maps; rural areas may have gaps on Freedom
Bring your own phone
Save $200–$500+ by using an unlocked phone
Monitor your data usage
Check settings > cellular data; most people use 5–15 GB/month
Stack loyalty rewards
Public Mobile’s loyalty program saves $1–$2/month over time
Watch for promotions
Black Friday, holidays, and back-to-school often have limited-time deals
Consider multi-line discounts
Some providers offer family discounts
Use Wi-Fi aggressively
Download content on Wi-Fi to reduce data usage
Bottom Line
Public Mobile’s $34/month 20 GB plan on the Telus network is the best value for the majority of Canadians. If you’re in Quebec or Ontario and want data rollover, Fizz is a strong alternative. Check your data usage first — most people use 5–15 GB — and don’t pay for more than you need. The $400–$600 a year you save versus a postpaid plan is real money that compounds when invested.