Who has better service t mobile or verizon

A pair of reports has put T-Mobile's 5G network ahead of AT&T and Verizon's networks in key metrics including reliability, coverage and speed.

From April to September, T-Mobile nearly beat out AT&T in 5G coverage and stability and handily topped Verizon, though the latter had better latency than the other carriers, according to analyst firm Umlaut's midyear Audit Report. 

Separately, Ookla's speed test for the third quarter of 2022 showed T-Mobile's network showing a median speed of 116 Mbps, nearly double Verizon and AT&T at 58 Mbps and 57 Mbps, respectively. T-Mobile similarly topped upload speeds, but only barely, at just under 11 Mbps compared with around 8 Mbps for both Verizon and AT&T. T-Mobile also beat out the others for availability, though Verizon edged out T-Mobile for consistency.

Raw numbers help consumers understand how 5G networks stack up to each other, but carriers stack up differently based on methodologies used in studies. JD Power, which takes 5G and 4G LTE into account, named Verizon as the most reliable network in July.

AT&T and Verizon didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.

Top T-Mobile and Verizon Plan Picks

Looking for a new phone plan? Well, you’re in the right place! We’re diving into the best options for your needs below, but before we get into the ins and outs of the top Verizon and T-Mobile plans, let’s talk about value. Specifically, value over price. While it’s no surprise that cheaper doesn’t always mean better, plans with the best value offer a great mix of affordability, features, data, coverage, and more. While one particular plan option may have a cheaper price or more add-on features than a competitor, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a better plan for you. With that in mind, take a look at our top picks below which show the best all-around plans that will give you the most bang for your buck.

VALUE SEEKER

Who has better service t mobile or verizon

T-Mobile Magenta

taxes and fees included
5 phone lines max

DATA

  • 100GB Premium Data
  • Unlimited talk, text, and data
  • 5GB LTE hotspot

Features and perks

  • Netflix Basic: 1 Screen SD (for 2+ line accounts)
  • SD streaming

HEAVY DATA USER

Who has better service t mobile or verizon

T-Mobile Magenta Max

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

STREAMER AND GAMER

Who has better service t mobile or verizon

5G Play More

plus taxes and fees
10 phone lines max

DATA

  • 50GB Premium Data
  • Unlimited talk, text, and data
  • 25GB LTE/5G hotspot

Features and perks

  • Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu included
  • Includes Apple Music
  • Includes discovery+ for 12 months

VALUE SEEKER

Who has better service t mobile or verizon

T-Mobile Magenta

taxes and fees included
5 phone lines max

DATA

  • 100GB Premium Data
  • Unlimited talk, text, and data
  • 5GB LTE hotspot

Features and perks

  • Netflix Basic: 1 Screen SD (for 2+ line accounts)
  • SD streaming

HEAVY DATA USER

Who has better service t mobile or verizon

T-Mobile Magenta Max

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

STREAMER AND GAMER

Who has better service t mobile or verizon

5G Play More

plus taxes and fees
10 phone lines max

DATA

  • 50GB Premium Data
  • Unlimited talk, text, and data
  • 25GB LTE/5G hotspot

Features and perks

  • Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu included
  • Includes Apple Music
  • Includes discovery+ for 12 months

What to look for in a phone plan

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:

Plan Price

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.

coverage

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.

additional features

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.

Top Plans by Price

Who has better service t mobile or verizon

T-Mobile Essentials

$27-60/mo

plus taxes and fees

  • 50GB deprioritized data
  • Unlimited talk, text , and data
  • Access to 5G data

Who has better service t mobile or verizon

5G Start

$35-70/mo

plus taxes and fees

  • Unlimited 4G LTE data
  • No premium data
  • Access to 5G data

If price is your number one priority, T-Mobile’s Unlimited Essentials plan and Verizon’s Start 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 significantly 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

Top Plans by Data

Who has better service t mobile or verizon

5G Get More

  • Unlimited 5G data
  • Unlimited premium data
  • 50GB premium hotspot

  • 600GB of cloud storage
  • 720p 5G streaming

Who has better service t mobile or verizon

T-Mobile Magenta Max

  • Unlimited 5G data
  • Unlimited premium data
  • 40GB premium hotspot

  • Netflix Basic for 1 line, Netflix Standard for 2+ lines

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.

Top Plans by Coverage

Who has better service t mobile or verizon

T-Mobile Unlimited Plans

  • 41% national 5G coverage
  • Competitive in some rural areas
  • Strong in metropolitan areas

Who has better service t mobile or verizon

Verizon Unlimited Plans

  • 12% national 5G coverage
  • Better coverage in rural areas
  • Strong in metropolitan areas

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 AT&T 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

  • Delaware (73%)
  • New Jersey (65%)
  • Maryland (53%)
  • Connecticut (46%)
  • Ohio (43%)

The Top Five States with Most T-Mobile 5G Coverage

  • South Carolina (98%)
  • New Jersey (79%)
  • Minnesota (77%)
  • Indiana (74%)
  • North Carolina (71%)

The Top Five States with Most T-Mobile 4G LTE Coverage

  • Connecticut (98%)
  • New Jersey (98%)
  • Delaware (97%)
  • South Carolina (80%)
  • Indiana (95%)

The Top Five States with Most Verizon 4G LTE Coverage

  • Kansas (99%)
  • Arkansas (99%)
  • Georgia (99%)
  • Indiana (98%)
  • South Carolina (98%)

Top Plans by Additional Features

Who has better service t mobile or verizon

5G Get More

  • Unlimited 5G data
  • Unlimited premium data
  • 50GB premium hotspot

  • Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ included
  • Apple Music included
  • Apple Arcade
  • Google Play Pass
  • 1 TravelPass day per month

Who has better service t mobile or verizon

T-Mobile Magenta Max

  • Unlimited 5G data
  • Unlimited premium data
  • 40GB premium hotspot

  • Netflix Basic for 1 line, Netflix Standard for 2+ lines
  • 4k streaming

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.

Which plan is right for you?

Is T

T-Mobile offers the fastest wireless upload and download speeds of any major network. We sampled tens of thousands of wireless users and T-Mobile averages a 32.7 Mbps download speed and 12.9 Mbps upload speed. Verizon, on the other hand, averages a 32.2 Mbps download speed and 10.0 Mbps upload speed.

Who is the #1 cell phone carrier?

The cell phone company AT&T is the leading provider of mobile services in the United States (U.S.) with a market share of about 44.8 percent of wireless subscriptions in the third quarter of 2022.

Who has the best 5G T

A pair of reports has put T-Mobile's 5G network ahead of AT&T and Verizon's networks in key metrics including reliability, coverage and speed.

Does T

Does T-Mobile use Verizon towers? No, they do not use the same towers. Verizon uses the CDMA network and T-Mobile uses GSM.