16 Best Portable WiFi Hotspot Devices

The AC79IL boasts an amazing 20 hours of battery life and lets you connect 15 devices. You can also use Verizon’s own battery to charge your smartphone if need be, a feature that many mobile hotspots are including these days. The Jetpack is classified as a “world device”, meaning that it can be used with a multitude of networks, in over 200 countries. Verizon offers two primary data plans; the 4GB plan costs $40, and if you want more data you can opt for the 12GB plan which is $70.

This mobile hotspot offers 2.4GHz and 5GHz capability at the same time, and its battery life is nothing short of incredible. AT&T’s primary data plan for the Velocity costs you $50 per month for 5GB, but you can add more data if you wish, at the price of $10 per 1GB. This is probably as cheap as you can get with a WiFi hotspot device, no contract included. The Velocity supports up to ten connections at a time and boasts a maximum speed of 20 Mbps.

The MiFi counts as Verizon’s first touch-screen hotspot, which is a big deal for user-friendliness. Like the AC79IL, it doubles as a smartphone charger and supports broadcasts at both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. The price is $200, but if you opt-out for a two-year contract, you get a 75% discount, so you pay only $50. As for the monthly plan, there’s a wide range to choose from, varying between 4GB and 100GB per month.

A satisfied user of the Karma reported that the maximum download speed with this unit was 33 Mbps (26.4 Mbps for the upload). This is a solid speed for a mobile hotspot, even for streaming movies in HD quality. The downside to this unit is that the data plans can get rather pricey, starting at $14 for only 1GB of data. Still, you get what you paid for and you can get one of the Amazon deals to get a great value deal on this portable WiFi hotspot.

The GlocalMe is unique in that it can actually support 2 SIM cards at the same time. It offers a 4G-class speed of 50Mbps upload and 150Mbps download. However, it only has the capability for five simultaneous connections, less than what we’ve seen with the Verizon and AT&T devices. You also get a free 1GB as a gift when you purchase this device.

This hotspot provides you with online coverage in over 64 countries, and like the GlocalMe, it also gifts you 1GB of rollover data after purchasing it at $130. The device is compact enough to fit into a small bag or even your pocket, ideal for those that are always on the move. Keepgo delivers 4G network speed and offers ten simultaneous connections to the device for your laptop, smartphone, or tablet.

The Skyroam model is a rather special device in that it doesn’t actually use a SIM card for establishing a connection. Instead, it connects to a remote SIM card located in Skyroam’s offices through the built-in GPS and gets an account assigned to it. The advantage of this is that you can use a different account every day, which allows you to bypass overpriced roaming charges and connect at affordable local rates. As far as WiFi hotspot devices go, this is probably the best alternative to an unlimited data plan (which is rather hard to find and very expensive).

In addition to being a mobile hotspot, this device doubles as a USB modem for your desktop computer. The battery life is projected at 7 hours of constant use, which is solid but less than what other devices on this list promise to deliver. The hotspot is configured from a web interface, so it’s a good idea to hook it up to your device first and make sure everything is set up correctly.

The Nighthawk LTE features a 5,000 mAh battery, a 320×240 color screen for configuration, and a modern USB-C port for laptop tethering and charging purposes. An Ethernet port is included, but you can’t use it to share the connection to a laptop; it’s only there to allow you to make a WiFi hotspot from an existing wired connection (which is still pretty useful if you have access to one). Although the price isn’t too high when you consider the product features, you can always reduce it by using one of many eBay promo codes and price reduction alternatives.

Like the ZTE Warp Connect, this device is a hotspot and USB modem in one. It’s also covered in rubber plating which makes it splash resistant and resilient to physical damage. The unit includes a small touchscreen that lets you quickly check relevant information about the hotspot, such as the SSID, password, and total used data. The device is charged via a USB 3.0 port, and the same port is used to connect it to a computer in modem mode.

The Huawei E5770 offers 4G speed and doubles as a power bank for charging your smartphone. The battery holds a charge of 5200 mAh and is rated for 20 hours of continuous use. Download speed goes as high as 150 Mbps, and 112 Mbps is the maximum upload speed. Additionally, it includes an Ethernet port for creating a WiFi hotspot from a wired connection. Although the price may initially shock you, you’ll see that this model is well worth the price. Still, the price is quite high but can be reduced with one of the Amazon discount codes and deals.

This is an affordable and compact hotspot that fits in your pocket, highly useful if you’re very active on your trips and still require a steady Internet connection. The Linkzone has a special SD card slot so that it can be used as a shared drive. While that is indeed a useful feature, tests have shown that its performance was rather slow. The device offers 15 simultaneous connections and includes a web interface for the monitoring of battery life/remaining data.

At $49.99, the MiFi Liberate is one of the cheapest mobile WiFi hotspots, but if you opt for it just be aware that Novatel doesn’t exactly offer the best mobile hotspot plans in terms of price. The starting plan of 1GB is $40, but there’s an additional $20 fee just to use the device. On the bright side, the Liberate is completely global-ready and can pick up connections in over 200 countries worldwide.

The Jetpack MiFi features a VPN passthrough system, manual DNS, firewalling, and even parental control that allows you to block and whitelist websites and apps at will – useful if your children need to use the Internet as well. The battery has been reported to last 15 hours of consistent use, so it should be able to cover you for an entire day of periodic Internet access. If you don’t think that’s good value for your money, reduce the price with one of the Walmart promo codes and discounts.

The E5786s is the flagship model of Huawei’s hotspots that supports a download speed of up to 225 Mbps thanks to its 4G+ network access. Upload speed is significantly lower at 50 Mbps, but still rather impressive. In addition to a SIM slot, the device includes a microSD card slot, and the battery is integrated into the unit, so you won’t have to remove it when switching SIM cards.

The last item on our list, Verizon’s MHS800L, boasts a network speed of 100 Mbps down, 50 Mbps up, and supports up to eight simultaneously connected devices. The battery life is rated at 10 hours, which is still solid but not as much as some of the high-end Verizon units can offer.