A lot of the wireless companies no longer offer unlimited data but there are ways to manage your data to avoid overage fees. Hit the jump to check out some cool apps to manage your data.


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X @ShottaDru

Data is power, as the saying goes. But when it comes to mobile data plans, that power lies squarely in the hands of wireless network providers. Consumers pay too much for too little: AT&T’s cheapest data plan option is $20 a month for 300MB, and Verizon’s is $30 for 2GB.

There’s also the risk of overage charges: Watch too many YouTube videos on your smartphone, and you’ll pay extra for exceeding your monthly data allotment. And data management is even an issue for people lucky enough to be grandfathered into now-defunct unlimited data plans. These folks suffer reduced bandwidth speeds as they explore the limits of what “unlimited” really means.

Nonetheless, with the help of a few crafty apps, you can wrestle a bit of data power back into your hands. The following seven downloads will help manage your data usage, track and compare data speeds, and help you get more out of the limited data you have.

CarrierCompare
If you’re an iPhone user, and have ever considered changing your wireless carrier because of shoddy network speeds, SwayMarket’s CarrierCompare app might be just what you need to make a final decision. The app compares your network’s data speeds, at any given location, to those of other carriers.

Upon launching CarrierCompare, just tap its screen to test network quality in your precise location. The app measures speed by downloading a small image file from a cloud host location, and measuring the time it takes for that file to transfer. It also measures response time by firing a signal at the network, and seeing how fast it takes to fire back.

You’ll see your test results compared to two other networks’ results within the same vicinity. For example, when I used the app in San Francisco’s SOMA neighborhood, I found that my AT&T network had “Fair Service” compared to Verizon’s “Poor Service” 143 yards away from my location, and Sprint’s “Poor Service” 619 yards away.

But keep in mind that CarrierCompare’s data is only as good as its users: The app uses crowdsourced data from other people who use the app. So, if you’re in an area where nobody on a certain network has used the app, you won’t be able to make an accurate comparison. And because the app is only available on the iPhone, it’s only measuring HSPA+ speeds and isn’t as useful for people considering switching to an LTE phone.

Available on the App Store; Free

My Data Manager
My Data Manager is a data-packed app that’ll keep you fully informed of all your data-gobbling habits. It’s especially useful for people on limited data plans who want to avoid overage charges, but is still handy for people with unlimited plans who want to avoid throttling.

Mobidia Technology’s app tracks your data usage on three levels: Mobile, Roaming, and Wi-Fi. Mobile tracks your wireless data usage, and when you exceed whatever data limit you’ve defined, the app will trip an alert. For example, if you have a 300MB data plan, you might want to set alerts to sound when you reach 150MB and 280MB.

The Roaming and Wi-Fi reports offer similar information, but are less useful. How often do we really roam? And who really cares about data consumption over Wi-Fi? Regardless, you can set up to three alarms for each type of data usage.

Under each section, you can also access easy-to-understand charts that show your data usage over time, as well as a map showing data usage levels by location. Set the app to Detailed Mode, and it will also gather real-time stats on an app-by-app basis. This is useful for seeing which specific apps suck the most data (hello, Tunein).

If you want the nitty, gritty details of your data use in a well-organized package, then My Data Manager is for you. Similar data management is directly available in Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), but if you’re running an iPhone, Windows Phone or Android 2.3 phone, My Data Manager can help.

Available on the App Store and Google Play; Free

Check out some more apps to manage data here.