Those looking for ways to save money on their monthly cell phone bills may want to take another look at TextNow. This low-cost carrier starts a way to enjoy unlimited calls and texts without paying a cent for the privilege.

TextNow will launch its free nationwide talk and text service that allows you to place voice calls and send text messages wherever you have a cellular connection. The new service uses Sprint's cellular network and the free calls and texts are ad supported.

The new Text Now feature is an extension of the mobile app, available for both Android and iOS, that allows users to call and text for free over Wi-Fi. The app has been downloaded 200 million times, and the free calling and texting extension was requested by users, said Derek Ting, CEO of TextNow.

In order to take advantage of free calling and texting, users must put up with ads in the TextNow app. This includes small banner ads at the bottom of the app and full-screen ads at the end of calls. However, TextNow believes that it is a trade-off that customers are willing to make if in return they receive a lower monthly bill.

"One of the biggest features was, 'Can I use it without Wi-Fi?'" Ting said.

You may have noticed that TextNow's free service does not include data. So you need to stick with Wi-Fi or opt for TextNow's cellular data plan. You can pay $19.99/month for 2GB of data or $39.99/month for unlimited data. (TextNow previously offered a third plan with 5GB of data for $29.99/month, but this is being discontinued.)

"We want to make it simple for consumers," Ting said. (11]

"We believe less is more in this situation.

TextNow's data rates certainly compare favorably with the Big Four carriers. For example, Sprint's cheapest unlimited data plan is $60 per month. However, when TextNow is compared to other discount carriers, its data rates are not as favorable. Republic Wireless, one of our picks for best discount carrier, charges $15 per month for talk and text, but only $5 per gigabyte for data. As for unlimited data, TextNow's rates are the same as Visible's $40/month unlimited plan.