Home internet is essential, but it’s also yet another monthly bill you have to deal with. To many, the cost of standard home internet seems extra burdensome considering they’re also paying for internet access through their cell phone plan.
Replacing home internet with mobile hotspot from cellular carriers could mean big savings, but depending on your internet usage, it might not be the best option for you.
Low data limits mean mobile hotspot isn’t the best option for most homes and slower speeds also make mobile hotspot a poor option for homes with more than two people. That said, light internet users may be able to replace home internet with mobile hotspot without a hitch. Read on to find out if using a mobile hotspot for your home internet is a good choice for you.
What is a mobile hotspot and how does it work?
A mobile hotspot, also known as tethering, acts like a personal, portable router, allowing you to use your cellular data to connect other devices to the internet when no public Wi-Fi is available. This can be done through a mobile hotspot device or, more commonly a smartphone. Using a cellular signal, the hotspot provides internet access to compatible devices, although it doesn’t support calls. Most cell phone plans offer varying amounts of mobile hotspot data allowance.
Home internet vs. mobile hotspot
Data limits
Perhaps the biggest thing you need to factor into your decision to use mobile hotspot for home internet is data limits. Almost all traditional home internet plans (other than satellite internet) have either unlimited data or extremely high data limits (usually around 1TB).
On the flipside, all mobile hotspot plans have limits on how much full-speed data you can use per month. Typically, once you use up that data limit, your hotspot data will be slowed to practically unusable speeds. For example, Mint Mobile limits your hotspot usage on the unlimited plan to 5GB data per month, meaning you won't be able to replace your home internet with your Mint Mobile plan. For an idea of what you might encounter, these are the highest full-speed mobile hotspot limits from the major carriers:
Full-speed mobile hotspot data limits
| Carrier | Plan | Mobile Hotspot Limit | Start Shopping |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Unlimited Ultimate | 60GB/month | View Plan |
|
Unlimited Premium | 50GB/month | |
|
Experience Beyond | 250GB/month | View Plan |
With so many devices connected to the internet, more people working from home, and a lot of our entertainment dependent on an internet connection, the average household’s data usage soars past these data limits, making replacing home internet with hotspot not the ideal choice for most homes. That said, if you don’t use much data throughout the month, or you’re willing to limit your internet usage, hotspot might be a good option for you.
Learn more in our guide, Wi-Fi vs. Cellular Data, before you use your hotspot for a home internet connection.
Data speeds
Another big factor you should consider before replacing your home internet with mobile hotspot is data speed. Average home internet broadband speeds are around 90-100Mbps. This is enough to support several devices connected at the same time. On the other hand, 4G LTE mobile hotspot speeds tend to range between 30-60Mbps. While this is more than fast enough to support a single user’s bandwidth, it can start feeling bogged down with multiple users.
The development of 5G could eventually close this gap, or even skyrocket cellular data over traditional wired connections, but the current state of 5G is still very much in its infancy, and not nearly close to its gigabit potential.
Prices
Okay, it’s not actually very productive to compare mobile hotspot over traditional home internet prices. First, you get much more data and usually higher speeds for your money with most home internet plans. Second, you’re not really choosing your home internet over the mobile hotspot from your cell phone plan. Instead, you’re trying to figure out if you want both. After all, you’re going to have a cell phone plan regardless of whether or not you have a home internet connection.
Home internet averages around $65/month, while mobile hotspot inclusive phone plans range from about $35 to $90 per month. For unlimited personal hotspots, plans can start as low as $25 monthly for basic connections but for larger high-speed data allotments, prices typically begin around $65 per month. The cheap mobile hotspot plans are often are at 3G speeds, meaning your internet connection will be much slower than what you're used to via your home internet, but others—like Verizon's Unlimited Plus or T-Mobile's Experience More plans—have dedicated high-speed hotspot allowances (50GB and 60GB, respectively!) that could absolutely replace your separate home internet bill for moderate-use households.
If, for example, you're paying for BOTH T-Mobile's Experience More phone plan ($85/month) and a home internet plan at $65/month, your monthly bill is currently $155. By dropping the home internet for T-Mobile's 60GB hotspot (and being wise about your usage), you can save yourself almost half of your current monthly wireless budget.
|
#1
|
Visible 
|
|
|
#2
|
Mint Mobile 
|
|
|
#3
|
XFINITY Mobile 
|
|
|
#4
|
T-Mobile 
|
|
|
#5
|
US Mobile 
|
|
|
#6
|
Verizon 
|
Standalone mobile hotspot devices
We’ve talked a lot about replacing your home internet with mobile hotspot from your cell phone plan, but it’s not the only option. You can get a standalone mobile hotspot with its own separate data plan. However, because prices are pretty expensive for very low data limits, this really isn’t a great option for replacing your home internet. Standalone mobile hotspot devices are really only good for those who want more connectivity while away from home, or if other types of internet connections aren’t available in their neighborhood. They also tend to be quite expensive upfront—but then again, so are today's best smartphones.
If a standalone hotspot device is the best solution for you, here are a couple of our favorites:
- GlocalMe G4 Pro 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot Router (8GB of data)
- Simple Mobile Moxee 4G LTE Prepaid Mobile Hotspot (SIM card included)
How to replace your home internet with mobile hotspot
Now that you know your options, here's how to go about swapping your home internet for a hotspot plan.
- Determine how much home internet data you use. We often under- or overestimate just how much data we use for our online activities, so check out our last few months' internet bills to get a picture of how many gigs you use on average. If you're a power user (>50GB per month), you might want to stick with a traditional internet plan that won't slow your hotspot speeds after a certain threshold.
- Check your internet provider's cancellation policy.For example, you might be locked into a fixed-term contract, and exiting it early could incur some nasty early cancellation fees. This might determine exactly when you decide to switch to mobile hotspot for your home internet.
- Check your current phone plan's hotspot allowance. If you have a high-speed hotspot allotment built into your phone plan, you might already be set to drop your internet plan and tether your devices to your phone when you need to get online.
- Shop around. If your current phone plan doesn't offer high-speed hotspot at all, or it's not enough to cover most of your monthly usage, see which other carriers have phone plans with a hotspot allotment that better aligns with your home internet needs. Even if your plan DOES have a decent hotspot allowance, it can't hurt to see whether switching carriers would offer more perks and benefits in addition to lowering your internet bill (like covering your streaming subscription costs, for example!).Switch carriers (if applicable). If you need help, we've got a guide on how to change phone networks without stress.
- Cancel your home internet. This should be the last thing you do, just in case you run into any hiccups while transitioning to sole hotspot use. Don't leave yourself without a connection to fall back on!
Replacing home internet with mobile hotspot: Final verdict
There’s no doubt that using mobile hotspot for your home internet can be a great way to save money by getting rid of a cable, fiber, or DSL internet bill. Although mobile hotspots can be a suitable substitute for home internet in certain scenarios, using a hotspot in place of your traditional router often results in slower speeds and less reliable connections. This is because hotspot services rely on cellular networks, while home internet typically operates over Wi-Fi. The low data limits really make mobile hotspot an inadequate option for most households. If you are a very light internet user (modest web browsing and minimal streaming), you might be able to get away with replacing your home internet with hotspot.
Before making the switch, try to get a better idea of how much data you use. There are plenty of apps that can track your data usage for you. Once you get a better idea of your needs, you can determine once and for all if mobile hotspot can meet them.
Angelo Ilumba
Senior Writer
Find a better phone plan
Thousands of cell phone plans unpacked. All the facts. No surprises.
.png?w=160&h=160&usm=20&usmrad=0.8&fit=crop "Cell Coverage Near You: Who Has the Best 5G Network?")
.png?w=280&h=280&usm=20&usmrad=0.8&fit=crop "Best Cell Phone Deals for June 2026: Get the New iPhone 17 for Free")
