Top Canadian Cell Phone Plans for the Best Service and Coverage

Moving to a different country is an entire experience because you have to learn how to adjust to new cultures, holidays, weather, and the norms in the country. Many people decide to move and gain new experiences, and there are plenty of reasons why people make this big decision.

Canada is an incredible country known for Niagara Falls, the moose, maple syrup, and hockey. Getting ready for a big move can be stressful, but making sure that you have a working cell phone before your move is essential. There are a few notable cell phone carriers to choose from in Canada, but knowing which ones provide the best service and coverage is important.

Discussing some of the cell phone plans that Canada offers can help you prepare for your move, so here's some information about their cell phone plans and how different they can be!

If you want to switch cell phone carriers, then consider looking into Really to help you with all of your phone services needs! At Really, you can compare phone plans to get more bang for your buck, and you can see what carriers and plans are in your area, sort by price, best value and more, and even click on the plan you wish to learn more about in an instant. 

How Different Are Canadian Cell Phone Plans Compared to the US?

Getting to know the difference between Canadian and US plans isimportant!

With so many cell phone plans offered throughout the world, finding the best one in your home country is essential. If you are currently living in the United States and are planning to move to Canada, there are a few things to be aware of, and this can include the carriers that are offered, typical features on a plan, and even the price of each of them.

The Big Three Carriers

If you are currently living in the United States, the three main cell phone carriers that you can get a plan through are Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, and AT&T. There are many MVNOs, or mobile virtual network operators that use the same network service and coverage as well, but does Canada have the same ones?

The quick answer is no, but Canada has their very own big three when it comes to cell phone carriers that include Telus, Rogers, and Bell. These are the main three cell phone carriers, but MVNOs are also offered in Canada as well and there are numerous ones to choose from that use the same network as the big three.

Contract vs. Prepaid Plans

Just like the United States, there are prepaid plans and also contract plans to sign up for, but do they work the same in Canada as they do in the states? The good news is that both contract and prepaid plans work the same way that they do in the United States where prepaid plans are ones where you pay-as-you-go and contract plans can last a year or two and be a little more expensive.

Saving money on cell phone plans is crucial, and Canada’s rates can be more expensive compared to the US. There are a bunch of cell phone plans to choose from that can include unlimited data or set data allotment plans, unlimited talk and text, family plans, bring your own cell phone options, and even 5G coverage.

Credit Checks to Get a Plan in Canada

If you are planning on getting a cell phone in Canada, it’s important to know that you will need to undergo a credit check to show that you have a good credit score and can afford to pay off a monthly plan. This can pose a challenge though since you don’t have a Canadian credit history, but the good part is that this only applies to a plan from a big carrier and not prepaid ones.

There are also some steps that you can take to have a good credit score in Canada, such as getting a bank account, getting a credit card, making your payments on time, and even paying off the full amount. 

5G Service and Coverage Offered

Just like the United States where 5G has seemed to have taken over the country with fast download and upload speeds, the same is offered in Canada as well. There are plenty of cell phone plans to choose from in Canada where they all offer 5G coverage, and 4G LTE to the people with older smartphones.

Taking advantage of 5G is essential because of how fast it is in comparison to 4G LTE. It has download speeds between 5 to 12MBPS and upload speeds of 2 to 5MBPS. 5G is significantly faster wand it can run as fast as 20GBPS at peak data times and even over 100+MBPS. 

More Expensive to Have a Cell Phone in Canada

The biggest downfall of getting a cell phone plan in Canada is because of the price. Rates of cell phone plans are significantly higher in Canada than the United States due to it costing the country more to operate wireless networks. Canada has a small population density that in return makes it harder to make back the money from operating many cell phone networks.

While getting a cell phone plan in Canada can be more convenient, many Canadians are opting to cancel their cell phone plan and get one in the United States. Many US cell phone carriers provide free unlimited talk and text to Canada and Mexico that are already included in the plan, so Canadians wouldn’t be paying any extra money to use their cell phone in their home country. 

The Best Canadian Cell Phone Plans to Check Out

If you need a cell phone plan in Canada, don’t miss out on these top carriers!

If you are in Canada or moving to the country, getting a cell phone plan that will fit your budget is important. A cell phone plan that you don’t have issues paying for and also has all of the features that you need in your plan is essential, but narrowing down which plan to get is the hardest part of all.

Let’s take a look at some of the best cell phone plans that you can get in Canada and try out!

Telus

If you are looking for one of the best cell phone plans in Canada, then you can’t miss out on Telus. This is a big carrier that owns their own network coverage and provides some of the best 5G access Canada. 

There are a bunch of features included on a cell phone plan through Telus, which can include the following:

• Unlimited talk and text
• Set data allotment or unlimited data plans
• Free voicemail included on all plans
• No extra charge for long distance calls
• Bring your own cell phone
• Mobile hotspot available
• No overages for going over data
• 4G LTE and 5G network coverage
• Unlimited Canada and US roaming on some plans
• Family discount options
• Entertainment perks

There are also a four main cell phone plans to choose from that are perfect for individuals or families that include:

• Unlimited 25 5G - $85 per line per month for unlimited talk, text, and 25GB of data
• Unlimited 50 5G+ - $95 per line per month for unlimited talk, text, and 50GB of data
• Unlimited CAN-US 60 5G+ - $105 per line per month for unlimited talk, text, and 60GB of data
• Unlimited CAN-US 100 5G+ - $125 per line per month for unlimited talk, text, and 100GB of data

Bell

One of the best cell phone carriers to check out that provide the best service and coverage, and have family plans in Canada is Bell. Bell is another large carrier in Canada where you can get access to some of the fastest 5G speeds of all time.

Bell features a ton of perks on all of their plans that are especially great for family plans that consist of:

• Unlimited talk and text
• Set data allotment and unlimited data plans
• 4G LTE and 5G network coverage
• HD video streaming
• Mobile hotspot available
• Unlimited international texting
• Unlimited talk, text, and data in Canada
• Unlimited talk, text, and data in the United States on some plans
• Entertainment perks

There are a few different cell phone plans that you can choose from if you are considering Bell that are:

• Essential - $75 per line per month for unlimited talk, text, and 25GB of data
• Ultimate 45 - $85 per line per month for unlimited talk, text, and 45GB of data
• Ultimate 60 CAN/US - $95 per line per month for unlimited talk, text, and 60GB of data
• Ultimate 100 CAN/US - $115 per line per month for unlimited talk, text, and 100GB of data

Fido

MVNOs are also great options to take advantage of even in Canada and Fido is one of the most affordable plans that you can find. Fido has a bunch of set data allotment plans that are perfect for someone who is looking for a cell phone plan for themselves, but you can also look into their family plans as well.

Fido features a ton of benefits such as:

• Unlimited talk and text
• Set data allotment plans
• 4G LTE and 5G nationwide coverage
• Voicemail available
• Call and name display
• Data overage protection
• Fido XTRA to earn free perks
• Bring your own cell phone
• Refinance your plan through Fido to save money 
• Free Fido SIM card
• Build-your-own-plan available

Now that you got to know a little bit about Fido, it’s important to check out the plans that they offer and see if they match what you’re looking for:

• $37.50 for one-line per month with unlimited talk, text, and 2GB of data
• $41.25 for one-line per month with unlimited talk, text, and 4GB of data
• $45 for one-line per month with unlimited talk, text, and 6GB of data
• $55 for one-line per month with unlimited talk, text, and 8GB of data
• $60 for one-line per month with unlimited talk, text, and 10GB of data
• $15 for one-line per month with unlimited talk, text, and 15GB of data

Rogers

The other large carrier that is important to mention from Canada that some of the fastest 5G data speeds is Rogers. This carrier offers both Canada exclusive plans, andones that are meant for both Canada and the United States that allow you to enjoy a series of features.

‍

With Rogers, there are a ton of features and perks that are available and great for everyone in the family that include:

• Unlimited talk and text
• Set data allotment and unlimited data plans
• 4G LTE and 5G nationwide coverage
• Unlimited international texting
• Unlimited talk, text, and data in Canada and the United States on some plans
• Six months of Disney+ for free when signing up
• Save $20 for every line you add
• Bring your own cell phone

There are a few different cell phone options that are crucial to mention whening you’re signing up for a Rogers plan that can range from:

• Infinite Lite - $55 for unlimited talk, text, and 25GB of data
• Infinite Essential - $85 for unlimited talk, text, and 25GB of data
• Infinite Extra - $95 for unlimited talk, text, and 40GB of data
• Infinite Advanced - $105 for unlimited talk, text, and 60GB of data in Canada and the United States
• Infinite Premium - $125 for unlimited talk, text, and 100GB of data in Canada and the United States

Koodo

Sometimes MVNOs are the way to go no matter if you need a cell phone plan for just yourself, or for your entire family. There are plenty of plans to choose from through Koodo, a Canadian MVNO that can help you to save money on your monthly prepaid plan.

There are so many features in a Koodo cell phone plan that are important to mention and can range from:

• Unlimited talk and text
• Set data allotment or unlimited data plans
• 4G LTE and 5G nationwide coverage
• Call display available
• Voicemail available
• Call waiting and conference calling available
• Pay-per-use data plans
• Canada and United States international roaming

At Koodo, there are many noteworthy cell phone plans that are essential to check out for yourself that include:

• $15 per line per month for unlimited talk, text, and 250MB of data
• $33 per line per month for unlimited talk, text, and pay-per-use data
• $37.50 per line per month for unlimited talk, text, and 2GB of data
• $35 per line per month for unlimited talk, text, and 3GB of data
• $41.25 per line per month for unlimited talk, text, and 4GB of data
• $45 per line per month for unlimited talk, text, and 6GB of data
• $55 per line per month for unlimited talk, text, and 8GB of data
• $60 per line per month for unlimited talk, text, and 10GB of data
• $65 per line per month for unlimited talk, text, and 15GB of data

Finding the perfect cell phone plan, especially if you’re living in Canada can be difficult. With many big carriers and MVNOS, trying to find a plan with the best price, and choosing a plan where you can use it in both Canada and the United States is a must for some customers.

Consider looking into the best Canadian cell phone plans that we mentioned that come with incredible features and more!