Verizon vs Xfinity Mobile: Plans Compared

Deciding between Xfinity Mobile and Verizon for your cell phone plan? We’ve dived deep into the nitty gritty details of every plan Verizon and Xfinity Mobile offers, including hotspot data, international options, pricing, and perks, so you know exactly what’s on the table for you no matter how much or how little data you need. 

Verizon vs Xfinity Mobile: Similarities

• Nationwide 4G LTE and Ultra Wideband 5G network coverage (always check the network’s coverage map before making a decision!) 
• The ability to bundle in multiple services, such as home internet and TV, to the mobile phone plan.
• No taxes and fees are included in plan pricing for either Verizon or Xfinity Mobile.
• Both Verizon and Xfinity Mobile offer plans with fully unlimited premium data.

Verizon vs Xfinity Mobile: Differences

• The biggest difference is that Xfinity Mobile is an MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) that leases network access from Verizon, while Verizon owns and operates the network.
• Verizon offers multi-line discounts, while Xfinity Mobile charges a flat monthly rate for each line.
• Verizon also offers Simplicity, a lower-cost build-your-own unlimited plan that lets customers customize their service with optional add-ons, while Xfinity Mobile sticks to a more traditional plan lineup.

Verizon vs Xfinity Mobile: Coverage

Verizon’s 4G LTE network is generally considered the best in America, ahead of the AT&T and T-Mobile. Verizon’s 5G network, while smaller and less far-reaching, is growing quickly and where available offers the fastest 5G around.

Since Xfinity Mobile provides wireless services via the Verizon network, Xfinity coverage is similar to Verizon coverage. One caveat: during busy network times, Verizon prioritizes its customers first.

To check Verizon and Xfinity Mobile coverage in your area, simply enter your address into our Verizon coverage map below. In place of an Xfinity Mobile coverage map — just use Verizon as a proxy.

Verizon vs Xfinity Mobile Entry-Level Unlimited Plans

These two carriers offer several strong lower-cost unlimited options. Xfinity Mobile's entry-level plans are designed for light data users who spend most of their time on Wi-Fi and don't rely heavily on hotspot data. Verizon now offers both Unlimited Welcome and the newer Simplicity plan.

Simplicity starts at a lower monthly price for a single line, includes unlimited premium data and 10GB of hotspot data, and lets you customize your plan with optional add-ons. Unlimited Welcome remains Verizon's most basic traditional unlimited offering.

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Verizon vs Xfinity Mobile Mid-Level Unlimited Plans

For someone who wants to save money while still getting plenty of premium data, these plans are a great fit. Verizon's Unlimited Plus remains its best traditional mid-tier option, thanks to unlimited premium data and a generous 30GB hotspot allowance.

If your needs are more modest, Verizon's lower-priced build-your-own Simplicity plan may also be worth considering, though it includes a smaller 10GB hotspot allowance.

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Verizon vs Xfinity Mobile Premium Unlimited Plans

For the heavy data user, these plans are typically the right fit. We define heavy data usage as using your mobile hotspot more than three times per week, uploading lots of content to social media, streaming multiple hours of Netflix, YouTube, Twitch, or other videos, and playing graphic-intensive games. 

If that sounds like you, you'll probably want a plan that can keep up. There's not much of a comparison here, since Xfinity Mobile doesn't offer a premium unlimited plan on par with Verizon's Unlimited Ultimate. While Verizon's new Simplicity plan delivers unlimited premium data at a lower price, heavy users who need the largest hotspot allowance and the strongest international features will still be better served by Unlimited Ultimate.

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What Is an Unlimited Plan? An unlimited data plan is a phone plan that includes unlimited data, but not all the data in an unlimited plan is necessarily of the high-speed variety.Lower-priced unlimited plans tend to include unlimited deprioritized data that slows down when networks are busy. While some entry-level plans include some amount of high-speed data, many do not. Mid-level unlimited plans typically include a mix of high-speed data, capped at a certain amount, and unlimited deprioritized data. The priciest unlimited plans are where you'll find truly unlimited premium data.

Verizon vs Xfinity: Hotspot Data

We’ve discussed how the meaning of “unlimited” and “premium” are not always set in stone. How does that affect hotspot data on unlimited data plans?

Some carrier plans provide a separate hotspot allowance to your overall data budget. For instance, Verizon includes dedicated high-speed hotspot data with Simplicity, Unlimited Plus, and Unlimited Ultimate. This hotspot allowance is completely separate from your premium mobile data. This is completely separate from your mobile premium data. After you use your hotspot data allowance, your hotspot speed will be slowed right down. However, data speeds on your mobile device won’t be affected.

Other carriers include hotspot data in your overall data allowance. This only matters for plans that only offer up to a certain amount of high-speed data before your speeds are restricted on your mobile phone. If you’re allowed to use 20 GB of unlimited data before you’re slowed, and you use 5 GB of hotspot data, then you only have 15 GB left at normal speeds until the end of the month, when your data budget resets.

In short, for heavy hotspot users, this is something to closely investigate with each plan you consider. If you’re not a big hotspot user, then don’t worry about this too much as it’s not that relevant for you.