Prepaid phone carriers in the United States:Which are most popular?
In September 2026, Boost Mobile was the most searched prepaid phone carrier in the United States, accounting for 19.6% of all searches among the 12 carriers we track. When we checked with ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews, Mint Mobile and Visible showed up in every answer. Mint Mobile was recommended most often, coming first in two out of five responses.
Boost MobileShare of searches 19.6%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
Metro by T-MobileShare of searches 16%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
Straight TalkShare of searches 16%Mentioned in 1 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 8th
Cricket WirelessShare of searches 13.1%Mentioned in 1 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 7th
Consumer CellularShare of searches 8.8%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
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Top prepaid phone carriers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In Brandwave's three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Mint Mobile and Visible appeared every time. Mint Mobile was recommended most often, coming first in two out of five answers. US Mobile was second, and Visible was third. Boost Mobile, which ranked first in searches, was not mentioned at all.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Mint Mobile5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Visible5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
US Mobile3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
T-Mobile Prepaid3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers- Straight Talk1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Cricket Wireless1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Total Wireless1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Tello1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers- Boost Mobile0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Metro by T-Mobile0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Consumer Cellular0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Google Fi0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about prepaid phone carriers
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which prepaid phone carrier should I switch to in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best prepaid phone carriers in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the cheapest good phone plan in the US for one person?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“prepaid phone plans”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best prepaid phone plans”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 22, 2026.
Which prepaid phone carriers do people search for most?
This chart shows how often people search Google for each prepaid phone carrier by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 12 prepaid phone carriers we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for Boost Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile, Straight Talk, Cricket Wireless, Consumer Cellular, Mint Mobile, Total Wireless, US Mobile, Google Fi. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Boost Mobile | Metro by T-Mobile | Straight Talk | Cricket Wireless | Consumer Cellular | Mint Mobile | Total Wireless | US Mobile | Google Fi | T-Mobile Prepaid | Tello | Visible |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 24.4% | 16.3% | 16.3% | 13.3% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 6% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 1.2% | 0.66% | 0.29% |
| Nov 2025 | 25.2% | 13.7% | 16.9% | 13.7% | 6.2% | 9.3% | 6.2% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 1% | 0.68% | 0.31% |
| Dec 2025 | 25.2% | 13.7% | 16.8% | 13.7% | 6.2% | 9.2% | 7.6% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 1% | 0.68% | 0.37% |
| Jan 2026 | 23.2% | 15.5% | 15.5% | 12.7% | 7% | 10.4% | 7% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 1.1% | 0.77% | 0.51% |
| Feb 2026 | 24% | 16% | 16% | 13.1% | 7.2% | 8.8% | 7.2% | 2.2% | 2.6% | 1.2% | 0.8% | 0.65% |
| Mar 2026 | 26.9% | 14.6% | 14.6% | 12% | 8.1% | 8.1% | 6.6% | 2.4% | 2.9% | 1.3% | 0.89% | 1.6% |
| Apr 2026 | 23.7% | 15.8% | 15.8% | 12.9% | 7.1% | 8.7% | 7.1% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 0.78% | 1.4% |
| May 2026 | 23.5% | 15.7% | 15.7% | 12.8% | 7.1% | 8.6% | 7.1% | 3.2% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 0.95% | 1.4% |
| Jun 2026 | 22.6% | 18.5% | 15.1% | 12.3% | 6.8% | 8.3% | 6.8% | 3% | 3% | 1.4% | 1.1% | 1.1% |
| Jul 2026 | 21.7% | 17.8% | 14.5% | 11.9% | 8% | 9.8% | 6.5% | 3.6% | 2.9% | 1.3% | 1.1% | 1.1% |
| Aug 2026 | 21.4% | 17.6% | 14.3% | 11.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% | 6.4% | 4.3% | 3.5% | 1.3% | 1.1% | 0.87% |
| Sep 2026 | 19.6% | 16% | 16% | 13.1% | 8.8% | 8.8% | 7.2% | 3.9% | 3.2% | 1.4% | 0.97% | 0.97% |
| Rank | Brand | Share of searches | Estimated monthly branded searches | vs prior month | Share change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, held 1st | 19.6% | 1.5M | -18% | -1.8 points | |
| 2, held 2nd | 16% | 1.2M | -18.7% | -1.6 points | |
| 3, held 3rd | 16% | 1.2M | 0% | +1.7 points | |
| 4, held 4th | 13.1% | 1M | 0% | +1.4 points | |
| 5, moved from 6th to 5th | 8.8% | 673K | 0% | +0.9 pointsmoved from 6th to 5th | |
| 6, moved from 5th to 6th | 8.8% | 673K | -18.2% | -0.8 pointsmoved from 5th to 6th | |
| 7, held 7th | 7.2% | 550K | 0% | +0.8 points | |
| 8, held 8th | 3.9% | 301K | -18.2% | -0.4 points | |
| 9, held 9th | 3.2% | 246K | -18.3% | -0.3 points | |
| 10, held 10th | 1.4% | 110K | 0% | +0.2 points | |
| 11, held 11th | 0.97% | 74K | -18.2% | -0.1 points | |
| 12, held 12th | 0.97% | 74K | 0% | +0.1 points |
19.6%
Held 1st. 1.5M estimated branded searches, -18% vs prior month. Share -1.8 points.
16%
Held 2nd. 1.2M estimated branded searches, -18.7% vs prior month. Share -1.6 points.
16%
Held 3rd. 1.2M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +1.7 points.
13.1%
Held 4th. 1M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +1.4 points.
8.8%
Moved from 6th to 5th. 673K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.9 points.
8.8%
Moved from 5th to 6th. 673K estimated branded searches, -18.2% vs prior month. Share -0.8 points.
7.2%
Held 7th. 550K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.8 points.
3.9%
Held 8th. 301K estimated branded searches, -18.2% vs prior month. Share -0.4 points.
3.2%
Held 9th. 246K estimated branded searches, -18.3% vs prior month. Share -0.3 points.
1.4%
Held 10th. 110K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.2 points.
11.
Tello0.97%
Held 11th. 74K estimated branded searches, -18.2% vs prior month. Share -0.1 points.
12.
Visible0.97%
Held 12th. 74K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.
Which brand is most popular in search among prepaid phone carriers in the United States?
12 brands
In September 2026, Boost Mobile was the most searched among prepaid phone carriers in the United States, with an estimated 1.5M branded searches, 19.6% of all searches for the 12 we track. Metro by T-Mobile is in 2nd place, 3.7 percentage points behind at 16%.
| Brand | Share of searches | Peak | Low | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boost Mobile | 24.4% → 19.6% | 26.9%Mar 2026 | 19.6%Sep 2026 | 1st |
| Metro by T-Mobile | 16.3% → 16% | 18.5%Jun 2026 | 13.7%Dec 2025 | 2nd |
| Straight Talk | 16.3% → 16% | 16.9%Nov 2025 | 14.3%Aug 2026 | 3rd |
| Cricket Wireless | 13.3% → 13.1% | 13.7%Nov 2025 | 11.7%Aug 2026 | 4th |
| Consumer Cellular | 7.3% → 8.8% | 8.8%Sep 2026 | 6.2%Dec 2025 | 6th → 5th |
| Mint Mobile | 8.9% → 8.8% | 10.4%Jan 2026 | 8.1%Mar 2026 | 5th → 6th |
| Total Wireless | 6% → 7.2% | 7.6%Dec 2025 | 6%Oct 2025 | 7th |
| US Mobile | 2.7% → 3.9% | 4.3%Aug 2026 | 2.2%Feb 2026 | 9th → 8th |
| Google Fi | 2.7% → 3.2% | 3.5%Aug 2026 | 2.6%May 2026 | 8th → 9th |
| T-Mobile Prepaid | 1.2% → 1.4% | 1.4%Sep 2026 | 1%Dec 2025 | 10th |
| Tello | 0.66% → 0.97% | 1.1%Jun 2026 | 0.66%Oct 2025 | 11th |
| Visible | 0.29% → 0.97% | 1.6%Mar 2026 | 0.29%Oct 2025 | 12th |
Each finding as a sentence
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Boost Mobile’s share of searches among prepaid phone carriers in the United States decreased from 24.4% to 19.6%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Consumer Cellular’s share of searches among prepaid phone carriers in the United States increased from 7.3% to 8.8%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Total Wireless’ share of searches among prepaid phone carriers in the United States increased from 6% to 7.2%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, US Mobile’s share of searches among prepaid phone carriers in the United States increased from 2.7% to 3.9%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Google Fi’s share of searches among prepaid phone carriers in the United States increased from 2.7% to 3.2%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Visible’s share of searches among prepaid phone carriers in the United States increased from 0.29% to 0.97%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Boost Mobile’s share of searches among prepaid phone carriers in the United States peaked at 26.9% in March 2026 and was lowest at 19.6% in September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Metro by T-Mobile’s share of searches among prepaid phone carriers in the United States peaked at 18.5% in June 2026 and was lowest at 13.7% in December 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Straight Talk’s share of searches among prepaid phone carriers in the United States peaked at 16.9% in November 2025 and was lowest at 14.3% in August 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Cricket Wireless’ share of searches among prepaid phone carriers in the United States peaked at 13.7% in November 2025 and was lowest at 11.7% in August 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Consumer Cellular’s share of searches among prepaid phone carriers in the United States peaked at 8.8% in September 2026 and was lowest at 6.2% in December 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Mint Mobile’s share of searches among prepaid phone carriers in the United States peaked at 10.4% in January 2026 and was lowest at 8.1% in March 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Total Wireless’ share of searches among prepaid phone carriers in the United States peaked at 7.6% in December 2025 and was lowest at 6% in October 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, US Mobile’s share of searches among prepaid phone carriers in the United States peaked at 4.3% in August 2026 and was lowest at 2.2% in February 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Visible’s share of searches among prepaid phone carriers in the United States peaked at 1.6% in March 2026 and was lowest at 0.29% in October 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Consumer Cellular rose from 6th to 5th among prepaid phone carriers in the United States.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Mint Mobile fell from 5th to 6th among prepaid phone carriers in the United States.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, US Mobile rose from 9th to 8th among prepaid phone carriers in the United States.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Google Fi fell from 8th to 9th among prepaid phone carriers in the United States.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Metro by T-Mobile, Straight Talk, Cricket Wireless, T-Mobile Prepaid and Tello held steady: their share of searches among prepaid phone carriers in the United States each moved less than 0.5 percentage points.
How did search popularity change for United States prepaid phone carriers in September 2026?
8 changes
In September 2026, Consumer Cellular overtook Mint Mobile to rank 5th among prepaid phone carriers in the United States, with 8.8% of the searches.
In September 2026, Straight Talk gained share of searches among prepaid phone carriers in the United States, from 14.3% to 16%.
In September 2026, Cricket Wireless gained share of searches among prepaid phone carriers in the United States, from 11.7% to 13.1%.
In September 2026, Total Wireless gained share of searches among prepaid phone carriers in the United States, from 6.4% to 7.2%.
In September 2026, Boost Mobile lost share of searches among prepaid phone carriers in the United States, from 21.4% to 19.6%.
In September 2026, Metro by T-Mobile lost share of searches among prepaid phone carriers in the United States, from 17.6% to 16%.
In September 2026, Mint Mobile lost share of searches among prepaid phone carriers in the United States, from 9.6% to 8.8%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Visible in the United States rose 173.1% over 12 measured months, from 27.1K to 74K in September 2026.
Compare popularity between leading brands
- Boost Mobile vs Metro by T-Mobile: compare popularity
- Boost Mobile vs Straight Talk: compare popularity
- Boost Mobile vs Cricket Wireless: compare popularity
- Boost Mobile vs Consumer Cellular: compare popularity
- Metro by T-Mobile vs Straight Talk: compare popularity
- Metro by T-Mobile vs Cricket Wireless: compare popularity
- Metro by T-Mobile vs Consumer Cellular: compare popularity
- Straight Talk vs Cricket Wireless: compare popularity
- Straight Talk vs Consumer Cellular: compare popularity
- Cricket Wireless vs Consumer Cellular: compare popularity
- Compare any of these brands
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