FreedomPop is not free anymore. The company that built its name on a $0 phone plan shut that plan down in early 2026, and what is left is a small prepaid carrier with two paid plans: $10 a month for 1GB or $30 a month for 10GB, both with unlimited talk and text.
FreedomPop’s own shutdown notice says it stopped offering the free plan on January 8, 2026 and set February 7, 2026 as the day service ended for free plan customers. If you came here looking for free service, skip to the free options that still exist.
We checked every detail in this review against FreedomPop’s own plans page and help center for this update. Where FreedomPop does not publish an answer, we say so instead of guessing.
What Happened to FreedomPop’s Free Plan?
For years, FreedomPop’s pitch was simple. You ordered a SIM card, used Wi-Fi for most things, and got a small amount of calls, texts and data for $0 a month.
That is over. FreedomPop announced that it would stop offering the free plan starting January 8, 2026. It gave existing free customers 30 days, then set February 7, 2026 as the date service shut off. The company’s stated reason was “rising costs and misuse.”
Free plan customers got two choices. Move to a paid FreedomPop plan, or take the phone number to another carrier. FreedomPop said accounts that did neither would be canceled.
One warning if you go digging through FreedomPop’s help center. Several older articles there still describe a free plan and tell you how to sign up for it. They were never taken down. The shutdown notice is the one that reflects what you can buy today, and the plans page backs it up: there is no $0 option on it.
FreedomPop Plans and Prices Now
FreedomPop’s plans page lists two plans. That is the whole menu.
| Plan | Price | High-speed data | Talk and text | International calling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1GB plan | $10 a month | 1GB | Unlimited | 20 countries |
| 10GB plan | $30 a month | 10GB | Unlimited | 80+ countries |
Both plans are prepaid. FreedomPop’s help center says that means you can upgrade, downgrade or cancel at any time. The plans page says both include nationwide 5G coverage, and you can order a physical SIM card or an eSIM.
Here is what the page does not tell you. It does not say what happens when you use up your data, whether you get slowed down or cut off. It does not name the network. And it does not list which countries are in the 20 or the 80+. Ask before you buy if any of those matter to you.
One more loose end. A help center article mentions annual plans “from just $5/month.” We did not see an annual plan on the plans page when we checked, so we cannot confirm that price is still offered.
So which one? If you are on Wi-Fi at home and at work, the $10 plan covers calls, texts and light browsing. If you stream or scroll on cellular data every day, 1GB will not last you a week, and $30 for 10GB is no bargain.
The Fees on Top of the Plan Price
The $10 plan costs more than $10. FreedomPop’s help center lists two fees that get added to your bill.
- Regulatory Recovery Fee: $1.00 a month for each line.
- Administrative Fee: 2.50% of your plan’s price. FreedomPop says this is not a government tax. It covers the company’s own costs.
Do the math and the $10 plan is about $11.25 a month, or $135 a year. The $30 plan is about $31.75 a month. FreedomPop also says state taxes may apply.
Extras add up fast too. The help center prices add-on data starting at $3 for 100MB. At that rate, a single extra gigabyte would cost about $30. If you run out of data often, move up a plan instead of buying add-ons.
An extra $1.25 a month will not break anyone. Just know the real number before you compare FreedomPop with another carrier’s sticker price.
What Phones Work With FreedomPop?
You can bring your own phone. FreedomPop’s help center says its SIM cards work with most AT&T-compatible phones and unlocked GSM phones. The phone has to be carrier-unlocked.
eSIM is an option if your phone supports it. FreedomPop’s list includes the iPhone XR, XS and newer, Google Pixel 4 through 7 and Samsung Galaxy S20 through S23 models. You pick eSIM at checkout and the plan details arrive by email. 5G works on compatible phones in areas that have 5G coverage.
FreedomPop says these phones may not work:
- Phones reported lost or stolen
- Phones reported for fraud
- Phones still under contract with another carrier
- Phones with an unpaid balance at the old carrier
Check FreedomPop’s coverage map for your address before you order. A cheap plan with no signal at your house is not cheap.
What Is Not Great About FreedomPop
The reason to pick it is gone. People chose FreedomPop because it was free. Without the free plan it is one more small prepaid carrier, and it has to win on price and service like everyone else.
You cannot cancel online. For current SIM cards, FreedomPop says a customer support representative has to cancel your account for you. The “Cancel Subscription” button in your account only stops automatic payments. It does not close the account.
Canceling can cost you your number. FreedomPop says a canceled account cannot be reactivated, and you lose the phone number and any credit left on it.
Refunds are tight. The return window on plans and SIM cards is 7 days from delivery, and FreedomPop will not refund a SIM or plan once it has been activated. In plain terms, you cannot try the service and then get your money back.
The help center is out of date. It still has pages for a free plan, family plans and other things FreedomPop no longer sells. That makes it hard to trust any single article without checking it against the plans page.
Family plans are gone. FreedomPop’s own help page says family plans are no longer available.
None of this makes FreedomPop a scam. It is a real carrier. Its help center calls Red Pocket its sister brand, and its app was updated in the App Store as recently as September 2026. It is just not the deal it used to be. If free was the point, look at what is still free.
How to Cancel FreedomPop and Keep Your Number
Do this in the right order or you will lose your number.
1. Start with your new carrier. Sign up with the new company and ask it to transfer your FreedomPop number. It will ask for your FreedomPop account number and PIN.
2. Keep FreedomPop active until the transfer finishes. FreedomPop says your account has to stay active for the number to move. Cancel first and the number is gone.
3. Then cancel. Contact FreedomPop support and ask a representative to close the account. You can call 888-702-8302, email support@freedompop.com or use the chat on its contact page. FreedomPop lists support hours as 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pacific on weekends.
If you only want to stop the monthly charge, log in, open your line and click Cancel Subscription. Your plan will then run out at the end of the cycle unless you pay by hand.
FreedomPop Alternatives If You Wanted Free
There is no like-for-like replacement for the old FreedomPop free plan that we could verify. What you can still get for $0 depends on what you used it for.
You wanted a free phone number. Google Voice, TextNow and TextFree each have a free plan, and we checked all three against the companies’ own sites. Google Voice needs an existing mobile number to set up. TextNow and TextFree are paid for by ads. Our guide to getting a free phone number is written for small business owners, but the apps work the same for anyone.
You need help paying for service. Lifeline is a federal program that gives qualifying households up to $9.25 a month off phone or internet service, or up to $34.25 on qualifying Tribal lands. You can qualify through income or programs like SNAP and Medicaid. Start with our guide to the Lifeline free phone program, and if you are shopping for a parent, see free cell phones for seniors.
You used it for free internet. FreedomPop used to hand out a free home internet hotspot. Its plans page lists phone plans only now. We cover what still works in how to get free internet and where to find free Wi-Fi near you. If you are ready to pay a little for something reliable at home, compare cheap Wi-Fi plans.
You just want a cheap cell plan. Then FreedomPop’s $10 plan is one option among many low-cost carriers. We also have a Tello review if you want to see how another budget carrier works. Compare the price after fees, not the headline price.
FreedomPop FAQs
No. FreedomPop stopped offering its free plan on January 8, 2026 and set February 7, 2026 as the date service ended for free plan customers. Its cheapest plan is now $10 a month. If you want a $0 option, Google Voice, TextNow and TextFree each still have a free plan.
FreedomPop’s plans page lists two plans: $10 a month for unlimited talk and text with 1GB of data, and $30 a month with 10GB. Its help center lists a $1.00 monthly Regulatory Recovery Fee per line and a 2.50% Administrative Fee on top, so the $10 plan comes to about $11.25 a month before any state taxes.
FreedomPop gave free plan customers 30 days to switch to a paid plan or move their number to another carrier. It said accounts that did neither would be canceled. If your free line stopped working after February 7, 2026, that is why. Contact FreedomPop support to ask whether your number can still be recovered. We could not confirm that it can.
FreedomPop’s help center calls Red Pocket Mobile its sister brand, and the FreedomPop app in the App Store is published by Red Pocket, Inc. FreedomPop says the two will stay separate brands with separate accounts.
Yes, if you transfer it before you cancel. Sign up with the new carrier, give it your FreedomPop account number and PIN, and keep your FreedomPop account active until the transfer is done. FreedomPop says a canceled account loses its number and cannot be reactivated.
For current SIM cards, a FreedomPop support representative has to cancel the account for you. You can call 888-702-8302, email support@freedompop.com or use the chat on its contact page. The Cancel Subscription button in your account only turns off automatic payments.
FreedomPop says its SIM cards work with most AT&T-compatible phones and unlocked GSM phones. eSIM is available on supported phones, including the iPhone XR, XS and newer. Phones that are reported lost or stolen, still under contract or carrying an unpaid balance with another carrier may not work.
Yes. FreedomPop says visual voicemail is added automatically on iPhones. On Android it is a paid add-on that you turn on from the Services section of your online account, and it renews every month until you turn it off. FreedomPop’s help page does not list the price.
Is FreedomPop Worth It? Our Verdict
FreedomPop used to be an easy recommendation for one kind of person: someone on Wi-Fi all day who wanted a phone number for nothing. That offer no longer exists.
What is left is a plain $10 plan that comes to about $11.25 a month with fees, from a carrier that does not publish some basics and makes you call to cancel. It is fine if you barely use data and the coverage map looks good at your address. It is not special.
- You want unlimited talk and text and can live on 1GB of data
- You are on Wi-Fi most of the day
- The coverage map shows a strong signal where you live
- You came for the free plan
- You use a lot of cellular data
- You want to cancel online or try it risk-free
- You need a family plan
Advertiser disclosure: We may receive compensation from some of the companies listed on this site. This does not influence our reviews. FreedomPop is not an advertising partner. Plans, fees and features change. Confirm the current terms on each company’s site before you sign up.
