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Postpaid prices from $50p/m ($24 with multiple lines)
What we like
- Affordable premium plans
- Major discounts for extra lines
- Generous perk benefits
- Massive hotspot allowances on mid/high tiers
What we don't like
- Multi-line plans must be on the same tier
- Plans to charge $10/month for satellite coverage soon
Postpaid prices from $65p/m ($30 with multiple lines)
What we like
- Great coverage for city and rural areas
- Streaming perks on higher tiers
- Can mix and match plans
- Excellent speeds on Ultimate tier
What we don't like
- Expensive
- Can only upgrade every three years
If you're considering signing up for one of the biggest mobile carriers in the US, you've almost certainly been thinking about who comes out on top in a T-Mobile vs. Verizon matchup.
Well, you're in luck as I've recently completed extensive testing of both, as shown in my T-Mobile review and Verizon review here at Business Insider. It's clear that both carriers offer excellent speeds and reliability when coverage isn't an issue, so your choice should almost entirely depend on coverage.
If you're lucky enough to live in and frequently visit areas with good T-Mobile and Verizon coverage, you have the luxury to pick the option with the best value. Overall, Verizon offers better value for single and dual-line accounts, and T-Mobile offers significantly better value for three-plus-line accounts thanks to its long-running 3rd-line-free promotion. It also depends on how much you value mobile hotspot data and international features, where T-Mobile shines.
We're only comparing T-Mobile's and Verizon's postpaid plans, as their prepaid plans offer comparatively poor value against mobile-virtual-network-operators (MVNOs). If you have single or dual-line accounts or are simply looking to spend thriftily, we'd highly recommend the MVNOs featured in our guide for the best cheap cell phone plans, like Mint Mobile and Visible.
Plans and value
T-Mobile and Verizon both have three main postpaid plan tiers. Below are the plans in each tier compared:
| Plan features | T-Mobile Essentials | Verizon Unlimited Welcome |
| Premium data | 50GB, deprioritized after | None, all data deprioritized |
| Advertised data speeds | Between 79 and 357 Mbps | Between 11 and 143 Mbps |
| Mobile hotspot | Unlimited at 3G speeds (slow) | Optional extra |
| International features | In Canada and Mexico: Unlimited talk, text, 128 Kbps data (essentially unusably slow) Abroad: Unlimited texting in 215+ countries and destinations | In Canada and Mexico: Unlimited talk, text, and 2GB/day high-speed data ( 1.5 Mbps after 2GB) |
| Benefits | None | Disney Plus Bundle (Hulu, ESPN Plus, ads): $6.99 discount Netflix and Max Bundle (ads): $7.98 discount Apple One subscription: $4.95 discount Apple Music Family: $6.99 discount YouTube Premium: $3.99 discount Total potential savings: $30.90 |
| Monthly price | One line: $50 Two lines: $40 per line ($80 total)/month Three lines: $30 per line ($90 total)/month Four lines: $25 per line ($100 total)/month Five lines: $24 per line ($120 total)/month | One line: $65 Two lines: $55 per line ($110 total)/month Three lines: $40 per line ($120 total)/month Four lines: $30 per line ($120 total)/month |
When it comes to value and features, Verizon's Unlimited Welcome plan can't touch T-Mobile's Essentials plan. With that said, if you already subscribe to any of the services in Verizon's Benefits section, the savings can offset the cost of the Unlimited Welcome plans.
| Plan features | T-Mobile Experience More | Verizon Unlimited Plus |
| Premium data | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Advertised data speeds | Between 89 and 418 Mbps | Between 11 and 634 Mbps |
| Mobile hotspot | 60GB high-speed | 30GB high-speed |
| International features | In Canada and Mexico: Unlimited talk, text, 15GB high-speed data Abroad: Unlimited text, 5GB high-speed data in 215+ countries and destinations Full flight texting and WiFi with streaming where available (mostly domestic US flights) | In Canada and Mexico: Unlimited talk, text, and 2GB/day high-speed data ( 1.5 Mbps after 2GB) |
| Benefits | Apple TV Plus, Netflix Standard with ads included Total potential savings: $17.98 | Disney Plus Bundle (Hulu, ESPN Plus, ads): $6.99 discount Netflix and Max Bundle (ads): $7.98 discount Apple One subscription: $4.95 discount Apple Music Family: $6.99 discount YouTube Premium: $3.99 discount Total potential savings: $30.90 |
| Monthly price | One line: $85 Two lines: $70 per line ($140 total)/month Three lines: $46.70 per line ($140 total)/month Four lines: $42.50 per line ($170 total)/month Five lines:$40 per line ($200 total)/month | One line: $80 Two lines: $70 per line ($140 total)/month Three lines: $55 per line ($165 total)/month Four lines: $45 per line ($180 total)/month |
In their respective mid-range options, T-Mobile's and Verizon's plans are a little more comparable, with the former still offering higher value based on mobile hotspot data and international features.
Still, taking advantage of Verizon's streaming service discounts can reduce your monthly expenditure, at least if you already subscribe to them or plan to.
| Plan features | T-Mobile Experience Beyond | Verizon Unlimited Ultimate |
| Premium data | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Advertised data speeds | Between 89 and 418 Mbps | Between 11 and 634 Mbps |
| Mobile hotspot | 60GB high-speed | 30GB high-speed |
| International features | In Canada and Mexico: Unlimited talk, text, 30GB high-speed data Abroad: Unlimited text, 15GB high-speed data in 215+ countries and destinations Full flight texting and WiFi with streaming where available (mostly domestic US flights) | 210+ countries and destinations: Unlimited talk, text, and 15GB/month high-speed data ( 1.5 Mbps after 15GB) |
| Benefits | Apple TV Plus, Netflix Standard with ads, Hulu with ads included Total potential savings: $27.97 | Disney Plus Bundle (Hulu, ESPN Plus, ads): $6.99 discount Netflix and Max Bundle (ads): $7.98 discount Apple One subscription: $4.95 discount Apple Music Family: $6.99 discount YouTube Premium: $3.99 discount Total potential savings: $30.90 |
| Monthly price | One line: $100 Two lines: $85 per line ($170 total)/month Three lines: $56.70 per line ($170 total)/month Four lines: $53.75 per line ($215 total)/month Five lines: $52 per line ($260 total)/month | One line: $90 Two lines: $80 per line ($160 total)/month Three lines: $65 per line ($195 total)/month Four lines: $55 per line ($220 total)/month |
T-Mobile's Experience Beyond plan includes phenomenal mobile hotspot flexibility and international features compared to Verizon's Unlimited Ultimate plan. And with three lines or more, T-Mobile does it for a lower price than Verizon. Just keep in mind Verizon's streaming service discounts, too.
T-Mobile's Experience More plan is an excellent for most people with good T-Mobile coverage, as it comes with unlimited premium data, a generous 60GB of mobile hotspot data, tempting discounts on popular streaming services like Netflix and Apple TV Plus, and comprehensive international features.
Verizon's prepaid and postpaid plans include various options for unlimited data with premium features like prioritized high-speed data, extensive mobile hot spot data, and discounts for adjacent services that may justify the cost of a major carrier.
Verizon's big advantage
The ability to mix and match plans is a key Verizon advantage that T-Mobile doesn't offer. It lets every user under the account pick a plan that works for their needs without hamstringing the entire account to the highest-tier plan (and therefore, the highest cost).
As a result, a Verizon multi-line account can be less expensive thanks to mixing and matching, even against T-Mobile's 3rd-line-free promotion. Here's one scenario for a three-line account, for the sake of example:
| T-Mobile 3rd-line-free promotion vs. Verizon mix-and-match | T-Mobile Experience Beyond | Verizon mix-and-match |
| Line 1 | $56.70 | Unlimited Ultimate: $65 |
| Line 2 | $56.70 | Unlimited Plus: $55 |
| Line 3 | $56.70 | Unlimited Welcome: $40 |
| Total | $170 | $160 |
On the flipside, mixing and matching plans doesn't matter if everyone in the account needs the same plan. If that's the case, T-Mobile generally continues to offer better value, depending on the plan and number of lines.
Prepaid plans
Both carriers have less expensive prepaid plans, but if you want to spend less than a postpaid plan, you're better off with a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO).
MVNOs like Mint Mobile and Visible, two of our top picks in our best cheap cell phone plans guide, offer more data for a lower price than T-Mobile and Verizon's prepaid plans. Mint Mobile and Visible also feature in our guides for the best cell phone plan for one person, as they're significantly less expensive than postpaid single and dual-line plans on T-Mobile and Verizon. Mint Mobile is also an ideal budget option in our best family cell phone plans guide.
Mint Mobile was acquired by T-Mobile in 2024 and runs on the exact same network. Visible is a Verizon subsidiary, so it runs on Verizon's network.
Coverage
Getting the fastest data speeds is good to have if you often download large files or apps away from WiFi, but it isn't a necessity for most people.
More important is reliable data speeds that let you send a message, scroll through photo-rich social media, stream a video, or have a video call across a wide coverage area.
T-Mobile is often lauded for its excellent coverage in urban and suburban areas, as well as major highways, with rapidly expanding rural coverage. Verizon also has similarly excellent coverage as T-Mobile, with a better historical reputation in rural areas.
Besides reputation, it's almost impossible for me to say which carrier has better coverage for you — coverage varies wildly across the nation.
T-Mobile and Verizon coverage depends specifically on where you live and where you often visit. The best way to find out which carrier has the best coverage is to ask local neighbors, friends, family, and even search on social media channels like Facebook and Nextdoor.com.
Phone deals
For both carriers, phone deals depend on your plan, with higher-tier plans unlocking greater discounts. Both carriers can get you a high-end phone, like the iPhone 16 Pro, for free, depending on the plan and other conditions. With that said, Verizon has a higher discount ceiling than T-Mobile and has deals that let you get even more expensive phones, like the iPhone 16 Pro Max, for free.
The biggest difference between the two carriers is the timing of when you can upgrade to your next phone after buying a phone with a carrier deal. In this respect, T-Mobile wins out over Verizon.
T-Mobile allows you to upgrade every year with the Experience Beyond plan and every two years with the Experience More and Essentials plans.
Meanwhile, Verizon only lets you upgrade every three years, regardless of which plan you have.
Satellite connectivity
Both T-Mobile and Verizon offer satellite texting services when you're outside their respective coverage areas, which can also be used to contact emergency services. For satellite connectivity, T-Mobile has partnered with SpaceX, and Verizon with Skylo.
Satellite connectivity via your carrier is mostly designed for Android users, as Apple has integrated satellite connectivity (in partnership with Globalstar) since the iPhone 14.
Android phones that support satellite connectivity started a little later, but they've been made available since the Google Pixel 9 and Samsung Galaxy S25 series.
T-Mobile's satellite connectivity is free and available to everyone until July 2025, after which it will cost $10 a month. So far, Verizon hasn't issued any pricing for its satellite service.
Apple's satellite service is free for two years after you activate your iPhone 14 or newer. At this point, the company was supposed to have a pricing structure for after the two years are up, but Apple hasn't announced one yet.
T-Mobile vs. Verizon: Which should you go for?
The first thing you need to consider is which option has the best coverage for your area and the places you visit. The choice is simple if one has better coverage than the other in your particular case, regardless of value.
If you've established that both T-Mobile and Verizon have good coverage for your needs, T-Mobile's Essentials plan is nearly impossible to beat in terms of value. It offers more premium data, mobile hotspot connectivity (although with slow 3G speeds), and more international features, all for a lower monthly bill than Verizon's Unlimited Welcome plan.
T-Mobile customers also get plenty of perks like T-Mobile Tuesdays - weekly freebies like free pizza, cheap movie tickets, and money off at restaurants. Regular flyers will appreciate the free in-flight WiFi, too.
T-Mobile's higher-tier plans also offer more features at a better value than Verizon's plans (and a massive 60GB of high-speed hotspot data), especially with two or more lines, depending on the plan. The streaming service discounts are a nice bonus if you need the features in T-Mobile's mid- and high-tier plans.
Those with better Verizon coverage will be equally happy with Verizon's plans and features, even if they're more expensive than T-Mobile's. Plus, the ability to mix-and-match plans on Verizon could lead those with multi-line accounts to lower monthly bills than T-Mobile, depending on individual users' needs. To top it off, Verizon's streaming service discounts are a nice bonus that can reduce your monthly streaming service expenditures, and they can be applied even on Verizon's base-tier plan.
If you want to upgrade your phone regularly, T-Mobile is the clear choice. You can upgrade every year on the top-tier plan and every two years on the others. With Verizon, you're locked in for three years, which can be a long time to be responsible for your phone.
Want to check one of them out? Head on over to the latest offer sections of the T-Mobile and Verizon sites to find a plan that suits you best.
How we test carriers
We've tested the network experience and data speeds on T-Mobile and Verizon ourselves to come to our conclusions. We also evaluate their respective plans against each other and assess their features and value.
We can't definitively test coverage due to the sheer size of the country and scale of coverage variation — it can truly vary on a block-by-block basis. However, we consider historical reputations and keep up to date with developments in coverage expansion.
