By Maureen Goggin, Globe Staff

With a barrage of advertisements and promotions facing consumers, how on Earth are you supposed to know which cellular phone calling plan is right for you?

Turn to the Web, of course. These sites let you compare prices and options of calling plans. Each allows you to compare all the plans they offer, or to narrow the list down to only those that will meet your needs.

None are run by cell phone or calling plan companies; they make their money through commissions on every sale or partnerships. Since they seem to have a partnership with virtually every cell phone company in existence, their claim that these arrangements do not affect their impartiality rings true.

Decide (www.decide.com) lets you compare 117 plans in the Boston area. You can buy 39 of the plans on line; the site gives you telephone numbers to contact the other companies.

This site lets you compare calling plans, phones, and phone accessories like batteries and chargers.

In the calling plans section, there are three ways to make comparisons: The ''instant comparison'' feature lets you choose a usage pattern most like your own: Safety User (use your phone mostly for emergencies) or Talking Head (a heavy user), for example. For a ''custom comparison,'' you answer a few simple questions, then get a comparison. Or you can check all available calling plans.

When you look at the details of a plan, examples of phones you can use appears to give you an idea of whether a phone will cost you $9 or $99. And on-line promotions are offered for some plans.

Cellmania (www.cellmania.com) provides comparisons of 63 plans for the Boston area. However, since the comparison includes only those plans that you can buy on line, Boston customers aren't offered carriers such as Cellular One, Bell Atlantic, and Omnipoint.

There is an easy-to-understand glossary, and a feature called ''Quick Picks'' that lets you type in your zip code and shows you a few recommendations in your area for different types of users, such as emergency only, students, or folks who use their phones a lot.

You can also comparison shop for phones and accessories here.

Point (www.point.com) allows you to make an on-line purchase of 30 of the 114 plans that are available for comparison in the Boston area.

As the details of each individual plan appear, you can obtain information on which phones you can use with the plan, as well as a list of local dealers or stores that offer each plan.

The site offers an easy-to-access glossary, as well as a helpful list of tips and tricks for choosing a plan. Promotions such as rebates and free minutes are offered on some of the plans.

And like the other two sites, you can shop for phones and accessories.

Maureen Goggin is research editor for the Globe. Her e-mail address is goggin@globe.com.