As much shoppers find lots of options in family cell phone plans, they sometimes cannot find good ones that offer both unlimited texting and free phones. There are a few family cell phone plans with unlimited texting or free phones, and they are very affordable, which means families can now enjoy the added flexibility and convenience of text messaging without breaking the bank. Best of all, several different carriers have these plans, so you'll be able to shop around for the best deal that suits your needs and budget.

Here are a few of the most popular carriers, their cheapest family plan and one of the free phones they are currently offering:

AT&T Wireless

Nation FamilyTalk 550 w/ Rollover

Features:
- $59.99 per month
- 550 minutes
- Unlimited mobile to mobile calling
- Free cell phones: Samsung Mythic a897 Black ($449.00 value) or other

AT&T wireless is one of the largest carriers in the nation, and their family cell phone plans with free phones is a popular choice. For family members who want a more special phone, AT&T is the exclusive home to Apple's iPhone as well as many other premium cellphones like the Samsung Mythic a897, and they also have a unique rollover plan. Any unused minutes from month to month will rollover for almost a year, rather than simply being wasted.

Sprint Phones

Family Cell Phone Plans 1500
Cost: $99.00 per month
Plan Features:

- 1500 minutes
- Unlimited night and weekend minutes
- Unlimited textingand picture messaging
- Sprint mobile to mobile
- 24 month contract
- $72.00 activation fee

If you're in the market for a family plan with unlimited texting, then Sprint has you covered. Not only that, but Sprint also has family cell phone plans with free phones, so they are definitely worth a look. Price wise their family cell phone plans with unlimited texting are comparable to offerings from Verizon, but they are generally more expensive than plans from T-Mobile. Sprint does however offer 750 more minutes, which you may want to take into account depending on your needs.

T-Mobile Family Plans And Phones

Even More Family 750

Features:
- $59.99 per month
- 750 minutes
- Unlimited night and weekend minutes
- Unlimited T-Mobile to T-Mobile calling
- Free cell phones: LG Sentio ($199.00 value) or other phone

T-Mobile offers one of the lowest priced family cell phone plans with unlimited texting and free phones. They also consistently score very highly in customer satisfaction, right up there with the industry leader Verizon. Though their plan offers fewer minutes than a similar offering from Sprint, this T-Mobile plan also doesn't have an expensive activation fee.

Verizon Wireless

Nationwide Talk Family SharePlan 700

Features:
- $69.99 per month
- 700 minutes
- Unlimited night and weekend minutes
- Free cell phones: Motorola DEVOUR Silver ($499.00 value) or other phone

Verizon is the largest cellphone carrier in the US, in terms of coverage and subscribers. They are also the highest rated overall when it comes to customer satisfaction. Unfortunately, Verizon plans tend to demand a premium price and that's the case with this family plan which includes unlimited texting. For the same price as a comparable plan at Sprint, you're getting 800 fewer minutes. But, in exchange, you are getting access to the most extensive network and one that is superior to Sprint in terms of call quality. Not only that, but you can choose from a wide variety of premium phones including the HTC Droid Incredible and the Motorola Droid, both of which run on Google's popular Android operating system.

Remember, before you make your choice, shop around so that you find the best family cell phone plans with unlimited texting or free phones. Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon all offer number family plans with unlimited texting or free phones, so you're sure to find one that meets your budget and needs.