Mint Mobile vs. Verizon: Which carrier is best for your needs?

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When comparing Mint Mobile to Verizon, you're comparing a smaller, value-minded carrier to a major carrier that offers premium features like faster data speeds, more hotspot data, and various other perks.

Mint Mobile is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) owned by T-Mobile. It uses T-Mobile's network for coverage and service and can be considered a budget version of T-Mobile. Verizon is a major carrier that owns its own network, and thanks to the premium features on its postpaid unlimited plans, it can be considerably more expensive. Verizon also has slightly cheaper prepaid plans without high-end features, but its relative "budget" options pale in comparison to the plan variety and cost-effectiveness of Mint Mobile, which offers some of the best cheap cell phone plans on the market.

Apart from pricing, the main differentiator between Mint Mobile and Verizon is network coverage. If you discover that one or the other has poor coverage in your area, that alone could settle your decision.

Plan offerings

Both Mint Mobile and Verizon offer a variety of data plans, including unlimited plans. However, Mint Mobile offers more plans with limited data that result in a substantially lower monthly bill, while Verizon's plans are generally more expensive across the board.

Mint Mobile offers prepaid plans for three, six, and 12 months. The MVNO is the better option for individuals and families (or friend groups) with multiple lines looking for a comparatively lower monthly bill, even if the carrier doesn't provide discounts for additional lines. It becomes especially affordable if you choose a limited data plan over a longer prepaid period.

The chart below compares the per-line cost of Mint Mobile's best value offering (12-month prepaid plans) to Verizon's mobile plan offerings (with the autopay and paper-free billing discount enabled), which include prepaid plans for limited or unlimited data and three different postpaid unlimited plans.

For those who need relatively limited data, any of Mint Mobile's plans presents better value than Verizon's 15GB prepaid plan. Read our full Mint Mobile review for a complete view of the MVNO's plan offerings.

Those who want unlimited data on a budget should also ignore Verizon's prepaid plans in favor of the more cost-effective unlimited plans from Verizon's MVNO, Visible Wireless. See our full Visible Wireless review or our guide to Mint Mobile vs. Visible for a comparative breakdown of the two budget carriers.

Premium features

Mint Mobile offers a few premium features, including mobile hotspot data, but it comes nowhere near the collection of high-end features and perks on Verizon's mainstream unlimited plans.

"Unlimited" limits

Mint's nominally "unlimited" data plan essentially offers 40GB of monthly data. After you've used 40GB of monthly 5G or LTE data (subject to deprioritization), data speeds will be drastically reduced to 3G speeds (512kbps), which leaves most data-intensive tasks "limited and/or inaccessible," as Mint puts it.

When Verizon says "unlimited" data, it generally means just that. Verizon has no data cap for high-speed data on its postpaid Unlimited Plus and Unlimited Ultimate plans, and its only limited "unlimited" plan is the postpaid Unlimited Welcome option, which has a whopping 500GB of monthly data.

Verizon's prepaid Unlimited and Unlimited Plus plans offer unlimited data, but it's subject to deprioritized speeds. However, the Unlimited Plus prepaid plan guarantees 50GB of premium, prioritized monthly data.

You should opt for a Verizon postpaid plan if you expect to use more than Mint's 40GB limit for its unlimited plan or don't want to experience artificially deprioritized speeds. Even if you somehow exceed 500GB of data in a single month, Verizon says speeds are reduced to 4Mbps, which is adequate for social media apps, music streaming, and lower-resolution video streaming at 720p.

Premium data

Only Verizon's high-end Unlimited Plus and Ultimate plans feature truly unlimited premium data. Premium data remains as fast as the network allows in your coverage area, and it's prioritized against regular data for MVNO customers and those paying for less expensive plans.

All Mint Mobile plans, Verizon's prepaid plans below the Unlimited Plus tier, and Verizon's Unlimited Welcome postpaid plan offer regular data that can be deprioritized at any time, which means speeds can be artificially slowed relative to higher-paying customers in congested areas.

To be sure, even premium data can also become slower than usual during network congestion. However, in our testing, it's usually not to the extent of standard data.

Mobile hotspot

Mint Mobile offers a mobile hotspot that pulls from your regular data plan. For instance, with the 15GB data plan, you share those 15GB with your regular phone and mobile hotspot data. Oddly, Mint Mobile's Unlimited plan has a 10GB limit for mobile hotspot, which is technically less than you'd get with the 20GB or 15GB plans.

For Verizon's postpaid plans, only the Unlimited Plus and Ultimate plans include 30GB and 60GB of mobile hotspot data, respectively. The Unlimited Welcome plan doesn't include mobile hotspot data. You can buy hotspot plans ranging from $20/month for 15GB to $80/month for 150GB. It's a bad deal if you often need mobile hotspot connectivity, but you can add and remove hotspot data when you want (on a monthly basis), so it's a nice option if you occasionally need it.

Verizon's prepaid plans offer various mobile hotspot data tiers that are generally less cost-effective than Mint Mobile's comparable offerings. Verizon's 15GB prepaid plan pulls from your monthly data allotment, while its Unlimited plan offers only 5GB of mobile hotspot data. The Unlimited Plus Plan guarantees 25GB of prioritized, high-speed hotspot data.

Smartwatch and tablet connectivity

Mint Mobile doesn't offer separate plans for smartwatches or tablets that support cellular connections, like the best Apple Watch with WiFi + Cellular, or the best iPad with WiFi + Cellular.

In contrast, Verizon's postpaid unlimited plans support the aforementioned cellular-connected devices with separate optional plans. Smartwatch plans start at $15/month, and tablet plans at $30/month. Note that Verizon's Unlimited Plus and Ultimate postpaid plans include a 50% discount for connected device plans.

Family or group plans

Mint Mobile lets you create a family plan with up to five lines but doesn't offer multi-line discounts. Rather, the family plan allows the account holder to manage the lines. You can mix various Mint Mobile plans under a family plan.

Verizon lets you create a family plan with up to 10 lines, and the price per line tends to get lower with each line. For example, six to seven lines on Verizon's Unlimited Welcome plan reduce the per-line cost to $27/month (with autopay discount) compared to $30/month with four lines. In a Verizon family plan, you can also mix and match and have different plans for each line.

Contracts

While Mint Mobile is a prepaid carrier without contracts, it has no monthly payment option. It only offers three-, six-, or 12-month prepaid plans. You could switch to a different carrier before your plan's period runs out, but you will already have paid Mint Mobile for that plan period, and you won't get a prorated refund. With that in mind, Mint Mobile locks you in for whichever plan period you go for, unless you forfeit your payment.

Verizon offers prepaid plans without a contract and postpaid plans with a contract. Its mainstream unlimited plans are postpaid with a contract for month-to-month or two-year payment periods. With the month-to-month option, you can cancel your service whenever you want to without incurring an early termination fee. Surprisingly, Verizon is more flexible in this way than Mint Mobile, but there are other ways you can lock yourself in with Verizon.

Verizon deals with a 36-month (three-year) commitment

If you take advantage of a Verizon phone deal — to receive a free iPhone 16, for instance — you'll be on the hook with an eligible Verizon plan and that iPhone 16 for 36 months.

If you break the phone deal's requirements before the 36-month period is up, you'll have to pay the remaining balance based on the number of months left in the period.

New Verizon customers looking at the deals for the iPhone 16 series should also note that the agreement tends to require signing up for the Unlimited Ultimate postpaid plan, the carrier's most expensive tier. Existing Verizon customers may not be beholden to that requirement.

Verizon also offers a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) promotional credit. In this credit, you commit to 36 months of Verizon service but can upgrade to a different phone that you buy independently of Verizon. If you break the terms of the credit, like changing to a non-eligible plan, you'll owe the remaining balance of the 36-month promo credit.

If you prefer the flexibility to cancel service, change plans, or upgrade phones whenever you want, we recommend avoiding any deal or promotion with a time- or plan-based requirement, like a new phone deal or BYOD discount. With that in mind, your best bet is to buy your phone separately from Verizon, as the best iPhones and Android phones are available unlocked from various retailers, and consider the most cost-effective plan for your needs.

Coverage

Mint Mobile is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) that operates on and matches T-Mobile's nationwide network coverage, while Verizon has its own network.

Generally speaking, T-Mobile (and, therefore, Mint Mobile) has excellent coverage in cities, suburbs, and highways. Meanwhile, Verizon has more widespread coverage that reaches more extensively into the rural parts of the US.

Your first priority in deciding between the two carriers should be assessing Mint Mobile's and Verizon's respective coverage maps to get a general sense of how well the areas you frequent are covered.

With so much variation in coverage across the country, it's impossible for us to say whether Mint Mobile or Verizon will work best for you in your specific location, and coverage maps alone may not be sufficient to account for real-world usability.

To that end, we'd recommend you ask family, friends, and neighbors in your area which network they use and whether they're happy with their service. If they're unhappy, you can ask which carrier they've heard works best. You can also broaden your survey by asking locals on social media platforms like Facebook or Nextdoor. It's also worth looking into coverage for out-of-town destinations you usually visit.

Data speeds

Mint Mobile offers 4G LTE and basic 5G access on T-Mobile's network with a maximum estimated speed of 357Mbps, which is more than fast enough to use data-intensive apps like social media and stream music and video. However, the MVNO is subject to deprioritized speeds at any time.

All of Verizon's plans offer access to 4G LTE and basic 5G, and each of its unlimited postpaid plans (and the Unlimited Plus prepaid plan) includes access to advanced 5G networks. These networks provide faster high- and mid-band 5G connections, also known as mmWave and C-Band 5G. Verizon calls its faster 5G networks "5G Ultra Wideband."

While Verizon Unlimited Welcome postpaid customers can connect to Verizon's 5G Ultra Wideband network, speeds are limited to 25Mbps. In contrast, the Unlimited Plus and Unlimited Ultimate postpaid plans can reach up to 634Mbps.

Anyone can benefit from the higher speeds of the Unlimited Plus and Ultimate plans, but few arguably need them. My home's 300Mbps internet connection is more than sufficient for simultaneously streaming a 4K video, a video meeting, a Twitch stream, a smart home camera stream, scrolling through photos and videos on social media, and web browsing.

Still, advanced 5G networks also have much higher capacity than basic 5G, which means they can support more network traffic with less risk of congestion and slower data speeds.

Perks and discounts

Mint Mobile's primary discount is a long-standing new customer promotion that sets any of its three-month plans, even the unlimited (40GB) plan, at $15/month. After three months, pricing returns to standard rates. It's more of a short-term trial offer that helps you decide whether Mint Mobile is for you.

Verizon's unlimited plans have many more tempting discounts and perks. With every discount applied, including auto-pay, paper-free billing, existing Fios customer, and BYOD discounts (if you're comfortable with the BYOD 36-month commitment), Verizon's mid-tier Unlimited Plus postpaid plan with four lines can be even more affordable than Mint's Unlimited prepaid plan.

Verizon could actually present better overall value than Mint Mobile if you value certain perks, like discounts on the Disney Bundle, Netflix and Max, Apple One, Walmart Plus, Apple Music Family, or YouTube Premium. Even better, each line can pick a perk, so savings can pile up quickly if you have four or more lines in your account.

There are many perk and discount combinations, so you can calculate which discounts you can use and which perks make the most sense for you, as well as how many lines you need, for the best price from Verizon.

Customer support

Mint Mobile has one of the best apps in the business for managing your plans and getting related information, like how much data you've used. If you start off with a lower data plan, you can quickly switch in the app anytime to a plan with more or unlimited data. Reaching a human for support is surprisingly quick and easy through the in-app chat feature or by calling Mint's dedicated support line.

My experience with Verizon customer support has been generally quite good. It's a massive company, so it's somewhat understandable that reaching a human for support can take longer than a smaller carrier like Mint. Yet, I've been able to reach customer support fairly promptly by text chat and on the phone, though how long it takes will differ on different days. Verizon also uses a call-back system that calls you when it's your turn in line to get support on the phone instead of waiting on hold.

While Verizon's app and website for account management generally work, they aren't as intuitive or user-friendly as Mint Mobile's. You can also encounter many Verizon ads and calls to upgrade phones, lines, and services that clutter the overall experience of using the app.

Which should you sign up for?

Whichever carrier has the best network coverage for you should be your primary deciding factor. Mint Mobile's affordable prices won't matter if T-Mobile's network doesn't provide the coverage you need, for example. Conversely, taking advantage of Verizon's premium features and perks won't make sense if Verizon doesn't work well in your area.

However, if both Mint Mobile and Verizon have comparable coverage in your area, consider the following:

Mint Mobile is the best option for budget-conscious individuals, groups, or those who know they don't need massive amounts of monthly data. It's the more cost-effective carrier across the board for those who tend to use their phones only for calls, messaging, and running basic apps.

Verizon is a major carrier with prices that reflect more advanced plan offerings and features. Heavy data users might want or even need the carrier's options for extensive hotspot data, super-fast advanced 5G networks, or unlimited premium data.

If Mint Mobile's data limits seem restricting, Verizon's postpaid unlimited plans are among the best cell phone plans for larger families or friend groups with four or more lines, as plans can become significantly more affordable than one- to three-line plans. If any of Verizon's premium features are appealing or necessary, the carrier's prices are justifiable, whether you have a single-line account or 10 lines, and you can take advantage of perks and discounts to help reduce the monthly bill further on services you're already subscribed to.

Verizon's Unlimited Welcome plan is the worst deal in its postpaid lineup. While comparable to Mint Mobile's Unlimited plan in terms of features, with its limited data speeds relative to Verizon's mid- and top-tier plans, the Unlimited Welcome plan costs significantly more for one, two, or three lines than Mint's Unlimited plan. Only consider Verizon's Unlimited Welcome plan if you have at least four lines to add to your account.

Likewise, we wouldn't recommend any of Verizon's prepaid plans against Mint Mobile's more affordable offerings for limited data or the more cost-effective unlimited plans from Verizon's MNVO, Visible Wireless.