Carriers love to tell customers they need massive data allotments for their phone plans. You can find plans offering 50GB, 100GB, or even unlimited amounts of high-speed data. What these carriers tend to downplay, though, is that those large allotments also come with high prices to match. In reality, the average customer only uses 10-15GB of mobile data per month, so you’re probably paying for more data than you need.
TextNow has the solution to overpaying for data you aren’t using. Running on the nation’s largest 5G network, TextNow offers cheap unlimited data passes that give you the perfect amount of high-speed data right when you need it. With unparalleled flexibility, there are three different unlimited data pass options with the cheapest starting at $.99/hour. Plus, your talk and text service is always free inside the TextNow app.
Let’s dive into the details of TextNow’s data passes so you can start saving big.
How does TextNow work?
TextNow is different—in a good way—from other smaller carriers. Most of its competitors offer monthly allotments of minutes, texts, and data for a set price. Once your plan period is up, you can no longer use your service.
With TextNow, phone calls and texting are always free. There’s no plan to renew every month or hidden cost somewhere. You simply complete a one-time purchase of a TextNow SIM card for $1.99*. After the card is installed and activated, the only thing you’ll need to pay for is mobile data.
|
#1
|
TextNow
Free Flex Plan
$0.00/mo
+ $4.99 Upfront
|
|
#2
|
TextNow
Unlimited Month Pass Plan
$35.99/mo
|
*TextNow SIM card pricing is subject to change.
Manage everything from the TextNow app
How can TextNow offer free talk and text? The same way you can listen to music for free—with unobtrusive ads in their app, which is where your phone number lives, along with all your conversations (calls and texts).
The TextNow app is also where you purchase your mobile data passes. It’s extremely convenient. There’s no need to worry about signing into a web account or contacting customer service whenever you want to buy data. You simply open the app, pick your pass, and your mobile data service will start immediately. When time runs out, your service will revert to the free talk and text plan. If you’re on the month pass and want to cancel it or turn off the auto-renew, you can also do that right from the app.
TextNow unlimited data passes
TextNow offers “data passes” instead of plans. These passes provide incredible flexibility as they can be as short as an hour or as long as a month. You have the freedom to pay for data only when you need it.
There are three pass options; each offers unlimited data with an allotment of high-speed priority data. If you exceed that allotment, you’ll have unlimited data at a lower speed for the remainder of your pass period.
Here are the details and pricing for each TextNow data pass.
TextNow unlimited data passes
| Hour Pass | Day Pass |
Month Pass | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass length | 60 minutes | 24 hours | 30 days |
| High-speed data | 300MB | 2GB | 10GB |
| Talk & text | Included | Included | Included |
| Pricing | $.99/hour | $4.99/day | $39.99/month |
What data pass is right for me?
TextNow’s passes are perfect for customers who want flexibility in their plan, don’t use a ton of data, and have frequent access to Wi-Fi. If you can connect to Wi-Fi sources at home and work, or public places like restaurants, these passes are great options.
For example, if you work from home and have access to Wi-Fi, you probably aren’t using your mobile data for most of the day. Instead, you could save money by only purchasing mobile data when you need it, like when leaving home and going to the grocery store. A quick trip to the store might only need an hour pass, while a long set of errands might require a day pass.
For these shorter passes, your service will most often be TextNow’s Free Talk and Text Plan.
TextNow Free Flex Plan
| Carrier | TextNow |
|---|---|
| Data | 550MB Data |
| Type | No Contract |
| Total Price |
$0 per month
+ $4.99 Upfront
|
| View Details |
While the flexibility of the shorter passes is great, some people will need a full-fledged monthly pass. The good news is that TextNow has an option for that, too. The Unlimited Month Pass Plan offers 10GB of priority data for $39.99/month. That’s enough data for most average users if they have easy access to Wi-Fi for most of the day. Plus, you can cancel it at any time and return to the flexibility of the hour and day options.
TextNow Unlimited Month Pass Plan
| Carrier | TextNow |
|---|---|
| Data | Unlimited Data |
| Type | No Contract |
| Total Price |
$35.99 per month
|
| View Details |
TextNow recap: Free talk and text with unlimited data on your terms
TextNow stands out in the mobile industry by offering free talk and text with flexible unlimited data options. While these passes aren’t designed for heavy data users, they are perfect for customers who want to save money and only pay for high-speed data when they need it. Relying on the nation’s broadest 5G coverage network, TextNow’s data passes also offer access to the largest 5G network in the nation. Whether buying data for the hour or the month, TextNow is an excellent option for your cell phone service.
This page is sponsored by TextNow in paid partnership with WhistleOut.
Max McCaskill
Sr. Staff Writer
Find a better phone plan
Thousands of cell phone plans unpacked. All the facts. No surprises.
.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")
