The best prepaid internet
Pay before you use it and the credit check, the deposit and the contract all disappear together. In 2026 the speeds are good enough that this is a real choice, not a fallback.
NOW Internet is the best prepaid plan: $30/mo all-in for unlimited 100 Mbps on Xfinity's cable network, billed monthly. In Cox areas, StraightUp Internet is the wired alternative at $50. Elsewhere, Mint Home MINTernet is the best 5G option if you want a phone line too, though you pay for the year up front. Need WiFi on the go instead? See prepaid WiFi hotspots and data plans.
The prepaid plans, ranked
Xfinity's prepaid brand running on the same cable plant as its postpaid plans, one of two cable-based prepaid options here, along with Cox StraightUp. Unlimited data, taxes and gateway inside the price, billed monthly.
Low-income households in select cities can also look at HomeWifi30: $30/mo flat on T-Mobile’s 5G network, no contract or credit check.
Cox's prepaid plan on its own cable network, so it is wired like NOW and sold where NOW isn't. $50 a month covers taxes, fees and a Wi-Fi modem you keep, with a three-year price guarantee and no credit check.
Prepaid 5G on T-Mobile's network, and the fastest option on this list when the signal is good. The bundle folds in twelve months of unlimited wireless at an effective $45/mo, with wireless pricing locked for five years.
Verizon's digital brand on Verizon's 5G network. $30 a month with taxes and fees included, or $300 for a year paid up front, which works out to $25.
Prepaid on Verizon's towers. At $35 alongside a Total Wireless phone plan it is the cheapest way onto Verizon's network by some distance, and the rate is not promotional.
Prepaid 5G on Verizon's network with a three-year price guarantee. It's $70 per 30 days, $60 with Auto-Refill, or $50 with Auto-Refill and an AARP membership. The router is sold separately, usually about $70.
What each plan really costs at checkout
The advertised monthly rate is rarely what leaves your account on day one. This is the number that matters.
| Plan | Advertised | Due at checkout | First year | Equipment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOW Internet 100 | $30/mo | $30 | $360 | Included, refurbished |
| NOW Internet 200 | $45/mo | $45 | $540 | Included, refurbished |
| Cox StraightUp | $50/mo | $50 | $600 | Modem included, yours to keep |
| Mint Home MINTernet | $40–45/mo, billed yearly | $480–540 | $480–540, phone line included | Gateway included |
| Visible (paid yearly) | $25/mo | $300 | $300 + phone line* | Gateway included |
| Visible (monthly) | $30/mo | $100 (gateway + 2 months) | $400 + phone line* | Gateway included |
| Total Wireless (with phone) | $35/mo | $35 + $14.99 router | $435 + phone line* | Router $14.99 with a phone plan (promo) |
| Total Wireless (standalone) | $60/mo | $60 + ~$100 router | ~$820 | Router about $100 |
| Tracfone Home Internet | $50–70/mo | $50–70 + router | $600–840 + router | Router extra (~$70) |
First year is 12 months at the advertised price. Mint and Visible's yearly plan are paid up front. *Visible and the $35 Total Wireless rate need one of the brand's phone plans (Visible from $25/mo, Total Wireless from about $35/mo); Mint's price already includes a phone line.
Who sells prepaid internet, by network
Six providers sell prepaid home internet, on four networks: two cable companies and two cell carriers. The network matters more than the brand. NOW and Cox StraightUp only reach homes their parent's cable already serves; the 5G brands need a strong signal at your address.
| Provider | Owned by | Network | Connection | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOW Internet | Comcast | Xfinity cable | Cable | $30–45/mo | Review |
| Cox StraightUp Internet | Cox (now part of Spectrum) | Cox cable | Cable | $50/mo | Review |
| Mint Home MINTernet | T-Mobile | T-Mobile | 5G | $40–45/mo, billed yearly | Review |
| Visible Home Internet | Verizon | Verizon | 5G | $25–30/mo with a Visible line | Review |
| Total Wireless Home Internet | Verizon | Verizon | 5G / 4G LTE | $35–60/mo | Review |
| Tracfone Home Internet | Verizon | Verizon | 5G / 4G LTE | $50–70/mo | Review |
| Verizon Prepaid hotspot & router | Verizon | Verizon | 5G / 4G LTE, capped data | $40–100/mo for 5–150GB | Plans |
Verizon Prepaid's hotspot and router plans use your own device and stop at a data cap (5GB for $40 up to 150GB for $100), so they suit travel, a backup line or a short stay more than a whole home. Extra hotspot or router lines are $30 a month less.
How prepaid internet actually works
Postpaid internet is a small loan. The provider gives you a gateway and a month of service, then bills you afterwards, so it wants evidence you will pay — which is where the credit check and the deposit come from. Prepaid inverts that. You pay before you use the service, so there is no exposure to underwrite, nothing to hold, and no reason to run a check.
That single billing difference is what removes the credit check, the deposit, the contract and the early-termination fee all at once. None of them are concessions to people with poor credit. They are simply absent, because the thing they exist to protect against cannot happen.
What you actually give up
Speed ceilings are the real trade. Expect 100 to 400 Mbps down and 20 to 55 up rather than symmetrical gigabit fiber. You will self-install, sometimes on refurbished hardware limited to a single outlet, and you will miss the reward cards and bundle discounts that live on the postpaid side. Some prepaid plans also sit outside their parent brand's money-back guarantee, so check what your exit looks like before paying for a long term.
What you don't give up is worth naming. No contract, no early-termination fee, no promotional rate that doubles in month 13, and on every plan above the taxes and equipment are already inside the advertised price. For a lot of households that is a better deal than a good credit score would have bought them.
Prepaid 5G home internet
Four of the six providers are prepaid 5G home internet: a gateway that connects to a cell tower instead of a cable in the wall. Mint uses T-Mobile's network; Total Wireless, Tracfone and Visible all use Verizon's. All four include unlimited data. What changes is priority. When a tower is busy, prepaid traffic is slowed behind each carrier's postpaid customers, so evening speeds can fall well below the advertised range.
Choose by whichever carrier has the strongest signal at your address. If you already get good phone reception on Verizon, the three Verizon brands are the safer bet; if T-Mobile is stronger, Mint. For postpaid 5G options from the same carriers, see the best 5G home internet. Under $50? See the cheapest 5G home internet.
Wired or wireless
NOW and Cox StraightUp are the only prepaid plans here running over cable, and that matters more than the speed numbers suggest. Fixed wireless performance depends on your distance from the tower, how many neighbours share it, and the weather. A 100 Mbps cable connection that always delivers 100 Mbps is usually a better experience than a 400 Mbps wireless one that sometimes delivers 40. If NOW or Cox serves your address, start there and treat the 5G options as the fallback.
Pay-as-you-go, monthly or annual
"Prepaid" covers three billing models, and they suit different households. The difference is how much leaves your account on day one and how easily you can stop. For how prepaid compares with a regular monthly bill, see prepaid vs. postpaid.
| Billing | Plans | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly, renew when you want | NOW Internet, Cox StraightUp, Visible, Tracfone, Total Wireless | The closest thing to pay-as-you-go: pay for a month, skip a month, nothing is owed in between. |
| Annual, paid up front | Mint Home MINTernet | Households that can pay $480–540 once and want the lowest effective monthly rate plus a phone line. |
| Add-on to a prepaid phone plan | Total Wireless ($35 with a phone plan) | Anyone already on Total Wireless — the add-on rate beats the standalone price by $25 a month. |
Who prepaid internet is for
Watch out for these
No contract, paid ahead, like the internet plans above.
Common questions
The bottom line
Start with NOW Internet if Comcast's cable reaches your address: $30 all-in on a wired connection, billed monthly. In Cox areas, StraightUp Internet is the wired alternative at $50 with a three-year price guarantee. Outside both, pick the 5G brand whose network is strongest at your address: Mint if you want a phone line in the same price, Visible if you already have a Visible line, Total Wireless if you carry one of its phone plans. Torn between the top two? See NOW vs. Mint compared.
Jean founded ShopHighSpeed after trying to find one straight answer about business internet in his own town. He has been a Comcast and Verizon Fios customer, and ranks providers on what they actually deliver, not on what they advertise.
Only need it for a few months? See short-term internet for 1–3 months.
Newer prepaid options: Cricket 5G Home Internet runs on AT&T's network for $45/mo with a Cricket phone plan ($60 alone with Auto Pay, taxes included), and Straight Talk Home Internet runs on Verizon's for $45, or $35 with a Straight Talk unlimited plan.
- Plan pages and Broadband Facts labels from Visible, NOW Internet, Home MINTernet, Total Wireless Home Internet, Tracfone Home Internet, Xfinity, checked Oct 2026
- Retailer and manufacturer product pages, prices checked Oct 2026
- Company press releases and regulatory filings on the ownership changes mentioned
- Cox StraightUp Internet offer page; Visible 5G Home Internet launch (Apr 2026) and offer terms; Tracfone Home Internet pricing FAQ, checked Oct 2026
Prices and offers change often; confirm at your address before you order. How we research
