HomepageUtilitiesInternetFreedomPop 4G Mobile Broadband Review
Last updated on Dec 02, 2020

FreedomPop 4G Mobile Broadband Review

A wireless carrier for those looking for 4G mobile broadband on a budget. ​
FreedomPop

FreedomPop

  • Free cell phone service
  • Up to 67% savings on annual plans
  • Network compatible with GSM and CDMA phones
  • Free talk and texting among FreedomPop subscribers
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How We Reviewed FreedomPop

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8 hours of research

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6 plans evaluated

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1 free plan assessed

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FreedomPop holds the distinction of being the first mobile provider to offer free cellular service. Its free mobile service includes 500 MB of data for CDMA-network phones (Sprint) with 200 minutes of talk and 500 texts. Meanwhile, if you have a GSM-network phone (T-Mobile), you’ll receive 200 MB of data, 200 minutes of talk, and 500 texts messages monthly for use.

FreedomPop also offers tiered, paid plans with more data. You can purchase plans with data allotments of 2-10GB but to receive the biggest savings you’ll want to buy a whole year of service up front, as you can save up to 67%. To use the service, you must bring an unlocked device or purchase one from their limited selection (limited selection). They’ll ship you a SIM card for as little as $0.01.

Pros

✓ Free cell phone service
✓ Up to 67% savings on annual plans
✓ Network compatible with GSM and CDMA phones
✓ Free talk and texting among FreedomPop subscribers

Cons

✗ Small selection of device for sale (no iPhone or Samsung Galaxy phones)
✗ Lower data limits means it won’t be a good fit for everyone
✗ Poor website design makes ordering difficult

FreedomPop 4G Internet Plans and Prices

Price
Download/Upload Speeds
Connection Type
Best for
Basic 500
Free
500MB
500 texts, 200 minutes of talk, 500 MB of data
Elders who don’t use their phone often
Premium 500
$13.99 monthly
500 MB
Unlimited talk and text, 500 MB of data
Those who love to talk and text but don’t use mobile data often
Premium 1GB
$22.99 monthly
1GB
Unlimited talk and text, 1GB of data
Those who like to talk and text and check email or surf the web occasionally
Premium 2GB
$24.99 monthly
2GB
Unlimited talk, text, 2GB of data
Occasional web surfers and avid texters
Premium 3GB
$29.99 monthly
3GB
Unlimited talk and text, 3GB of data
Occasional web surfers and avid texters
Premium 4GB
$34.99 monthly
4GB
Unlimited talk and text, 4GB of data
Stream music, avid texters
2GB Shared (Business plan)
Free
2GB
Unlimited talk and text, 2GB of data
Good for checking email on the go
4GB Shared (Business Plan)
$34.99
4GB
Unlimited talk and text, 4GB of data
Good for streaming music and checking email
10GB Shared (Business Plan)
$74.99
10GB
Unlimited talk and text, 10GB of data
Upload files, video stream calls, and more
25GB Shared (Business Plan)
$159.99
25GB
Unlimited talk and text, 25GB of data
Upload files, stream video, play games, and more

Data effective 03/21/2020

Estimated Speeds

FreedomPop’s speeds depend on where you live and the network you connect to. If you’re in an area with limited service, you might experience lag in connection speeds, especially if you want to stream movies or play games. If you plan to do an activity that requires much bandwidth, the smart play is to connect to your home or public WiFi. 

Pricing

FreedomPop’s free plan cannot be beat, especially if you don’t need to use the internet on your mobile device. The free plan also allows you to text and call other FreedomPop users without charges, so if you get family and friends to sign up for this plan you won’t have to worry about paying for cell phone service.

If you want more data,  FreedomPop covers you to an extent, however, not with an unlimited data option. If you plan to stream Netflix or play a lot of games online, then we wouldn’t advise going with FreedomPop as your primary internet provider. 

Who is each plan best for?

  • Basic 500 – Best for a single user with 1 device
  • Premium 500 – Best for a single user with 1 device
  • Premium 1GB – Best for a single user who wants to surf the internet
  • Premium 2GB – Best for a single user who wants to stream music
  • Premium 3GB – Best for a single user who wants to surf the web, check email, etc.
  • Premium 4GB – Best for a single user who wants to stream music, browse the web, etc.

How Fast is FreedomPop 4G Internet?

Freedom Pop connects to different networks so the location of your residence impacts the velocity of the network. A common complaint is that due to this, the speed of the connection lags. If mobile devices will be your primary access to the internet, then FreedomPop won’t be the provider you want to go with. 

Internet Availability

FreedomPop is available in many areas, but as noted before, where you live could determine the type of connection speed you’ll receive. To see if they offer coverage in your area, you can use the coverage map on its website, simply, enter your address.

Other Factors to Consider

If you’re searching for a more reliable internet connection, then HughesNet could be a better choice. They offer high-speed internet access with more usage allotments at faster connection speeds. 

Here’s how the two compare:

FreedomPop 4G vs. HughesNet

Starting Price
Availability
Download Speeds
Connection
Contract
FreedomPop 4G
Free
50 states
Up to 6 Mbps
Cellular
No
HughesNet
$59.99
50 states
Up to 25 Mbps
Satellite internet
2 years

That said, it’s hard to beat the price FreedomPop delivers, so if you don’t mind connecting your device to a public or home WiFi network and you want free cellular coverage, then this is the best provider to go with.

Starting Price
Availability
Download Speeds
Connection
Contract
FreedomPop
Free
50 states
Up to 6 Mbps
Cellular
No
AT&T
$80
50 states
Up to 37 Mbps
Cellular
Yes, in the form of a device payment plan
NetZero
$9.95 per month
6,500 cities
Up to 10 Mbps
Broadband
No
Verizon Wireless
$35 per month
50 states
Up to 12 Mbps
Cellular
Yes, with device payment plan

About the Authors

Sean Jackson

Sean Jackson Contributing Writer

Sean Jackson is a freelance journalist who has covered insurance, internet, home services and other topics for Reviews.com, ESPN, CBS, and the San Francisco Chronicle.