We’re diving into the detailed plans comparison and much more. Read on or jump straight to our top three picks. Need more? Find and compare plans from all top carriers, based on your preferences.
Looking for a new phone plan? We’re diving into the best phone plans for your needs below, but before we dive into specifics, let’s talk about value. Specifically, value over price.
While it’s no surprise that cheaper doesn’t always mean better, in the long run, some plans offer more value than others for different reasons we’re covering below. But if you want the very best between T-Mobile and Verizon (and don't feel like reading) look no further than our top three picks that give the best value for your money.
VALUE SEEKER
T-Mobile Essentials
$
30
/mo for 4 lines
taxes and fees included
5 phone lines max
Data
20GB Deprioritized Data
5G access
Hotspot: Unlimited 3G
Features and perks
1 year Paramount+ subscription
SD streaming
Try our Find a Plan tool to compare plans from all top carriers, based on your needs
heavy data user
T-Mobile Magenta Max
$
43
/mo for 4 lines
taxes and fees included
5 phone lines max
Data
Unlimited premium 5G/4G LTE data
Unlimited talk, text, and data
40GB LTE/5G hotspot
Features and perks
Netflix Basic for 1 line, Netflix Standard for 2+ lines
4K streaming
Try our Find a Plan tool to compare plans from all top carriers, based on your needs
streamer and gamer
T-Mobile Magenta Max
$
43
/mo for 4 lines
taxes and fees included
5 phone lines max
Data
Unlimited premium 5G/4G LTE data
Unlimited talk, text, and data
40GB LTE/5G hotspot
Features and perks
Netflix Basic for 1 line, Netflix Standard for 2+ lines
4K streaming
Try our Find a Plan tool to compare plans from all top carriers, based on your needs
If you’re like many of us, finding a new phone plan is probably less appealing than a trip to the dentist or doing your taxes. Between the eligibility requirements, perks, prices-per-line and applicable phone deals, sorting through all that can be understandably overwhelming. But with some wherewithal and an idea of what to look for, it’s actually a LOT easier than you might think!
The trick when shopping for the best phone plans is to have an idea of what matters most to you before you start comparing. The clearer your idea of what’s important to you, the faster you can get rid of all the plan deal clutter in front of you and dive into the good stuff. But what exactly should matter to you, and more importantly, how can you use it to your advantage?
First, let’s take a look at the most important things to consider when you’re looking for a new phone plan:
Unsurprisingly, how much a phone plan costs is super important. What you may not think of however, is how that plan’s price can save you in the long run. For example, does a plan get more affordable than other plans with more lines added or vice versa? Do they offer better trade-in values that can help you score a great phone deal on top of the plan price? Do their perks and add-ons save you more in the long run?
The point here is that plan pricing goes well beyond the sticker price and requires some thought before settling on what’s cheaper on paper vs. what’s holistically more affordable.
At a high level, you have two options when it comes to data: unlimited or by-the-gig plans. While virtually all plans these days are unlimited, by-the-gig plans are almost always available and are usually around $20 a month cheaper. However, you’ll want to understand how much data you actually use before limiting your options.
While unlimited plans will slow your speeds if you hit the plan’s data cap, limited plans will charge you per gigabyte you go over. Regardless of which plan type you’re leaning towards, be sure to pay attention to just how much data you use before you buy.
If you’re looking to switch carriers, knowing who has the best 4G and 5G cell phone coverage in your area is critical. Sure you may score a great deal on a new device while you’re at it, and are eying the plan that seems perfect for you, but it all comes down to whether or not your carrier has good coverage where you frequent most.
Overall, Verizon has the best cell phone coverage in the country (70%), followed by AT&T (68%) and T-Mobile (62%). But national coverage maps don’t show you local dead zones, network congestion and even the construction of your house or office. While there isn’t currently a way to compare network coverage side-by-side in real time, checking with friends and family or looking up localized coverage maps for your specific area is the best way to gauge who’s best for you.
If you’re like most people, you probably have a hefty number of streaming services, but all those T.V. shows, movies, songs and games add up. Maybe you’re constantly on-the-go and use mobile hotspots to keep your devices online. Either way, these can get expensive quickly. Fortunately, if you’re looking for a new phone plan, many include streaming, gaming, and mobile hotspot services as part of their phone plan costs, which can save you money in the long run.
While our picks for best phone plans focused on overall value–taking into account all the features we mentioned above to give you the ones that check the most boxes, you may have something specific in mind. Whether you’re looking for a specific price range, list of features or something in between, we’ve got you covered below.
Essentials
$
27–60
/mo
plus taxes and fees
50GB deprioritized data
Unlimited talk, text, and data
Access to 5G data
Get this plan at T-Mobile
Tell us your preferences and compare plans from all top carriers
Welcome Unlimited
$
35–70
/mo
plus taxes and fees
Unlimited 4G LTE data
No premium data
Access to 5G data
Get this plan at Verizon
Tell us your preferences and compare plans from all top carriers
If price is your number one priority, T-Mobile’s Unlimited Essentials plan and Verizon’s Welcome Unlimited plans are the top picks. Even though these are the most basic unlimited plans the two carriers offer, T-Mobile is the clear winner when it comes to offering more for less. While both plans will deprioritize your data during high-traffic periods, T-Mobile gives you 50GB of deprioritized data to use before you will experience slower data speeds. Unless you use a ton of data each month, most people will never exceed this limit, letting you enjoy better network speed for less.
Keep in mind that these are the third-tier unlimited plans from both T-Mobile and Verizon, so if you’re set on price as you’re determining factor, but want Unlimited 5G access and more options when it comes to data, perks, etc. the mid-tier plans are a little more expensive but still offer great savings
5G Get More
$
55–90
/mo
plus taxes and fees
Unlimited 5G data
Unlimited premium data
50GB premium hotspot
600GB of cloud storage
720p 5G streaming
Disney+/Hulu/ESPN+, Apple Arcade or Google Play Pass, and one TravelPass day per month
Get this plan at Verizon
Tell us your preferences and compare plans from all top carriers
T-Mobile Magenta Max
$
43–85
/mo
taxes and fees included
Unlimited 5G data
Unlimited premium data
40GB premium hotspot
Netflix Basic for 1 line, Netflix Standard for 2+ lines
Get this plan at T-Mobile
Tell us your preferences and compare plans from all top carriers
If data is most important to you, then you’re likely to prefer the best of the best–Verizon’s Get More Unlimited and T-Mobile’s Magenta Max plans. While both offer truly unlimited premium data, meaning you’ll never get deprioritized, here, it depends on what you’re looking for. If you’re just in the market for unlimited talk, text, and data, T-Mobile offers excellent speeds and a wider 5G network for less per month than Verizon.
However, if you’re looking for additional perks centered around data, Verizon is the clear-cut winner. Offering a staggering 50GB of priority mobile hotspot data and 600GB of cloud storage data you get a lot more bang for your buck data-wise. Considering Verizon is universally regarded as the most dependable nationwide network in terms of coverage if you need a ton of data and storage on top of fast and reliable coverage, their Get More Unlimited plan is likely for you.
Again though, it all comes down to your individual preferences. Verizon offers a wider range of perks at the top-tier level, but if you won’t likely use those add-ons, you’re likely better off saving the extra money each month so definitely consider just how much data you need on top of the other features and add-ons you’ll be paying for to access these plans’ high data amounts.
Verizon Unlimited Plans
70% National Coverage
12% national 5G coverage
Better coverage in rural areas
Strong in metropolitan areas
Get this plan at Verizon
Tell us your preferences and compare plans from all top carriers
T-Mobile Unlimited Plans
62% National Coverage
41% national 5G coverage
Competitive in some rural areas
Strong in metropolitan areas
Get this plan at T-Mobile
Tell us your preferences and compare plans from all top carriers
Measuring network coverage isn’t as easy as the coverage maps may suggest. 99% of the time, it boils down to individual factors that differ from person to person. While it’s impossible to tell to any degree of certainty what your experience will be like on Verizon vs T-Mobile, at a high level, both offer significantly varying levels of coverage depending on what you’re looking for.
When it comes to nationwide 4G coverage, Verizon is the clear winner covering 70% of the nation. Yet, if you’re more interested in 5G coverage, T-Mobile is by far the best network, covering over 41% of the country. With that being said, if you don’t need blazing fast 5G speeds, Verizon is definitely the better choice, covering more of the country than any other carrier. Diving deeper, Verizon is shown to perform much better in rural areas, while T-mobile has rural pockets with excellent coverage, nationally, Verizon does much better. Both networks have great coverage in densely populated metropolitan areas.
The Top Five States with Most Verizon 5G Coverage
The Top Five States with Most T-Mobile 5G Coverage
The Top Five States with Most T-Mobile 4G LTE Coverage
The Top Five States with Most Verizon 4G LTE Coverage
5G Get More
$
55–90
/mo
plus taxes and fees
Unlimited 5G data
Unlimited premium data
50GB premium hotspot
Hulu, Apple Music, Disney+, ESPN+
Apple Arcade or Google Play Pass, 1 TravelPass day per month
600GB Verizon Cloud Storage
Get this plan at Verizon
Tell us your preferences and compare plans from all top carriers
T-Mobile Magenta Max
$
43–85
/mo
taxes and fees included
Unlimited 5G data
Unlimited premium data
40GB premium hotspot
Apple TV+, Netflix, 1 year Paramount+
Get this plan at T-Mobile
Tell us your preferences and compare plans from all top carriers
If you’re more interested in the extras that come with your plan, you have some options between T-Mobile and Verizon. For the most part, though, the top-tier plan options are the way to go. Here, Verizon is the clear-cut winner. Both their mid- and top-tier plans have significantly more–offering their Disney Bundle–including Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN–alongside Apple Music and Arcade, Google Play Pass, and one TravelPass day a month. T-Mobile’s top-tier plan, Magenta Max offers Netflix Basic for 1-line plans and Netflix Standard for 2-line plans or more.
The difference between add-ons continues down mid- and basic-tier plans as well. Verizon’s Do More and Play More Unlimited Plans both offer a great selection of add-ons at a more affordable price. Their Play More plan still includes their Disney Bundle, while Apple Music, Apple Arcade, and Google Play Pass become 6- or 12-month subscriptions. The Get More plan, however, includes everything in the Play More plan, plus 1 TravelPass day a month. T-Mobile’s Magenta Plan offers Netflix Basic for plans with more than one line.
If you’re a heavy streaming subscriber and want to save some money and still enjoy some of your favorite streaming services, Verizon is definitely the winner in terms of additional features and benefits.
Answer a few quick questions to find a plan that fits your needs.
Find a Plan
