Get Verizon’s coverage for cheap with these excellent MVNOs

The best Verizon MVNOs all have great coverage on the Verizon network, with plans that work for most people. Instead of going through the expense of spending billions developing and maintaining a mobile network, these carriers use Verizon’s network to deliver outstanding service and coverage without the cost of Verizon’s plans. With these carriers, you can even use most of the best Android phones. When it comes to carriers powered by Verizon’s network, Visible stands out as the best overall choice with unlimited data and great savings opportunities. Here are some of the best Verizon MVNOs.

Best overall: Visible

Visible is the first and most unique prepaid carrier on this list. Rather than going into a store to get started with your new phone service, everything with Visible is handled through its mobile app. This includes creating an account and paying your bill.

There’s just one plan to choose from at Visible, and it costs $40 a month. For that price, you get unlimited talk, text, and 4G LTE and 5G data with up to 200Mbps. Mobile hotspot is included at 5Mbps, and if you have a supported phone, you can even connect to Verizon’s entire 5G network.

If you sign up for Visible service, be sure to also join a party. Visible Party Pay allows customers to join a party to bring your total phone bill down to just $25 per month as long as your party has at least four members. This is easier than ever since Visible now hosts a community feature that makes it a breeze to find a party to join.

One downside to Visible is that it doesn’t support as many phones as other carriers due to requiring a compatible VoLTE device. While this includes the biggest names in Android like the Galaxy S21 and Pixel series, less popular phones may not work. Perhaps the biggest downside to Visible is that it doesn’t currently support any international calling, texting, or data use. That’s a rough omission if you do a lot of traveling or have family in other countries, but if not, Visible is an easy recommendation.

Pros:

• Unlimited everything for just $40/mo.
• Taxes and fees included
• Both LTE and 5G are included
• Free hotspot
• Party Pay offers big savings

Cons:

• No international calling
• Phone support is limited

Best overall

Visible

• From $40/mo. at Visible

Not much to complain about

For just $40 per month and not a penny more, Visible gives you unlimited everything on Verizon’s LTE network.

Best family plan: Total Wireless

Another great option to consider when looking for Verizon MVNOs is Total Wireless. Plans start as cheap as $23.70 a month for unlimited talking and texting with 1GB of LTE data (after that, it’s downgraded to 2G speeds). Stepping up to the $33.20 per month plan upgrades you to 5GB of LTE data, with the highest-end $47.50 per month plan offering “unlimited” LTE that’s pushed back to 2G if you use more than 25GB during the month. Yes, hotspot access is included.

Total Wireless is also a solid choice for families, thanks to its selection of various family plans. They work out as follows:

• 2 lines: Unlimited talk/text and 30GB of shared 4G LTE data (then 2G) for $57/mo.
• 3 lines: Unlimited talk/text and 60GB of shared 4G LTE data (then 2G) for $80.70/mo.
• 4 lines: Unlimited talk/text and 100GB of shared 4G LTE data (then 2G) for $95/mo.

Total Wireless lets you add 5GB of extra LTE data for $10 no matter which plan you choose, and any that’s unused carries over to the next month without any hassle.

International calling isn’t natively included with Total Wireless plans, but you can add it for an extra $10 per month. However, that $10 a month charge only gives you the option to make international calls. You’ll still need to pay the per-minute rate Total Wireless charges, which can be anywhere from $0.01 per minute on the low-end up to $14.20 per minute.

Pros:

• Family plan savings
• Plenty of data for most people
• Data carries over to the next month
• Hotspot access is free

Cons:

• International calling is pricey

Best family plan

Total Wireless

• From $24/mo. at Total Wireless

Lots of shared data at a great price

Total Wireless is a great all-around pick, but its affordable family plans with generously shared data are where it shines.

Best international calling: Straight Talk

If you live in a town that has Walmart, it’s kind of impossible not to hear about Straight Talk Wireless. Straight Talk plans are sold in-store at Walmart and online. Like another pick on this list, it uses the service of all four major carriers to cover as many customers as possible — including Verizon.

There are four unlimited plans to choose from, with the cheapest costing $35 per month for 10GB of high-speed data. Jumping up to $45 a month will give you 25GB of LTE to use, and if you want to go big with the $55 a month plan, you’ll have unlimited speeds for the entire period. The $55 unlimited plan also comes with 10GB of hotspot data. A $65 plan is available with 20GB of hotspot data, and 100GB of cloud storage included if you need more.

Straight Talk also allows you to add additional LTE data if you’re running low for a particular month, selling 1GB for $5 and 2GB for $10. The 25GB plan is available for extended periods for a discount. You can sign up for 90 days, 180 days, or 365 days with increasing savings for each. Straight Talk keeps things relatively simple, and for many people, that’s a great thing.

Pros:

• Unlimited calling to Mexico, China, Canada, and India
• Hotspot included with the unlimited plans
• Unused data rolls over to next month
• Physical top-up cards are available
• Multi-month savings

Cons:

• High prices compared to the competition

Best international calling

Straight Talk

• From $35/mo. at Straight Talk

A solid choice if you make a lot of international calls

Straight Talk’s international plan is an excellent option for people who often make calls to Mexico, China, Canada, or India.

Best perks: US Mobile

US Mobile is a Verizon MVNO you may not have heard of before, but it’s one you’ll definitely want to check out. It uses a combination of T-Mobile and Verizon to power its service. Still, if you bring over a Verizon phone, you can.

Service plans with US Mobile are highly customizable. You can pick and choose how much talk, text, and data you need with a Custom Plan, or go with the Unlimited Plan and get unlimited talk, text, and data with your choice of how fast you want it to be. The Customizable Plan is great for people that don’t use their phones too much and can practice some self-restraint, but the real magic of US Mobile lies with that Unlimited Plan.

You start at $45 per month for unlimited calling, texting, and high-speed data. Then, you can add 20GB of hotspot data for $10 more. The unlimited plan is also discounted as a family plan with two lines bringing the price down to $30 per month and three or more lines at $25 per month.

The plan on its own is decent, but the real appeal comes from US Mobile’s “Perks” program, which allows you to get a free subscription with three lines. You get another perk with a fourth line. There are a lot of great options in music, video, and gaming. If you already pay for Netflix, Spotify, or PlayStation Plus, you can save a lot of money.

Pros:

• Custom Plan is great for light users
• Good value with the Unlimited Plan
• Ludicrous data speeds are now included
• Free digital subscriptions with more than three lines
• Up to 10GB of international roaming

Cons:

• Hotspot isn’t free

Best perks

US Mobile

• From $2/mo. at US Mobile

Free music, movies, and games

If you have a bunch of digital subscriptions, US Mobile can save you a good chunk of money every month with its Perks program.

Best for Wi-Fi: Xfinity Mobile

Xfinity Mobile is a mobile plan designed for those that already use Xfinity for their home internet. Xfinity Mobile comes with unlimited nationwide calling/texting and access to millions of Wi-Fi hotspots. For mobile data, you have a couple of options. First, you can go with Xfinity’s By the Gig plan, with data costing $15 per month for 1GB, $30 per month for 3GB, or $60 per month for 10GB. The actual cost is prorated based on your usage.

There’s also the much more appealing unlimited plan, which is $45 a month for unlimited data. However, whether you pay by the gigabyte or go unlimited, you may see reduced speeds after you hit 20GB during the month. Hotspot access is included for free, but it’s limited to just 600Kbps. Xfinity also offers international calling with per-country rates and a $10 per month optional add-on for unlimited calls to Mexico and Canada.

Speaking of add-ons, Xfinity offers something called an “HD Pass.” If you subscribe to the $45 a month unlimited plan, this increases your video streaming resolution from 480p SD to 720p HD and gives you “higher quality cellular service” — aka preference over other customers when the network is especially congested. Unfortunately, HD Pass costs an extra $20 per month, meaning you’ll need to spend a total of $65 a month for each line if you want the best experience Xfinity Mobile has to offer.

That puts a damper on Xfinity Mobile’s unlimited plan, but if you don’t use much data per month, you could end up paying just $15 a month for your wireless service.

Pros:

• Affordable By the Gig plan
• Access to millions of Wi-Fi hotspots
• Mix and match plans for a family
• International roaming in 200+ countries
• 5G access is included

Cons:

• Only for Xfinity customers

Best for Wi-Fi

Xfinity Mobile

• From $15/mo. at Xfinity Mobile

Always around Wi-Fi? Xfinity is worth a look

For someone that mainly uses Wi-Fi to stay connected, Xfinity Mobile has the potential to be a super low-cost wireless option.

Best budget pick: Ting Mobile

Ting Mobile uses both Verizon and T-Mobile for coverage, depending on what works best in your area. Ting started using the Sprint network before shifting to its current coverage partners, offering significantly improved coverage in the process. What’s more, 5G is even included for free, so you can be ready for the next generation of wireless if you have the right phone and solid coverage.

Ting’s plans are reasonably straightforward, with an introductory unlimited talk and text plan starting at just $10 per month. At this price, this is one of the cheapest ways to get basic phone service if you or someone on your plan doesn’t need any data. Ting does have plans for more modern devices, starting with Set 5, which comes with 5GB of data that can all be used in a hotspot. The following two plans are unlimited, with 22GB of high-speed data for $45 per month and 35GB of high-speed for $60 per month. These plans come with 12GB and 30GB of hotspot data, respectively.

Ting will work with just about any phone thanks to using both networks, so if you want to keep using your phone, you more than likely can as long as it’s unlocked. If you’re looking to buy, Ting has a decent range of Android devices and iPhones available on its site, which can be financed with Affirm. Ting stands out for its basic plan and is one of the cheapest ways to get unlimited talk and text.

Pros:

• Cheap basic plan
• You can use either the Verizon or T-Mobile network
• Plenty of hotspot data on unlimited plans
• 5G access is included

Cons:

• Expensive unlimited plans
• Network information is vague

Best budget pick

Ting Mobile (at Ting)

• From $10/mo. at Ting

Great budget plan

Ting has a solution for just about any user but shines with its $10 talk and text plan for those that want to keep it simple.

Bottom line

These companies work well for certain groups of people, and 5G support makes some of them an even better value. Overall, we have to give our top recommendation to Visible. Visible goes out of its way to make things as simple as possible. Taxes and fees are included with Visible, meaning you won’t find any surprise charges on your monthly bill. There’s also no keeping track of how many minutes or data you’ve used, like everything with Visible is unlimited.

Visible’s simple plan with unlimited data makes it an easy choice and helps it to be one of the best cell phone plans you can get. Visible’s $40 a month plan is solid on its own, but things get really exciting when you factor in Party Pay. With Party Pay, your bill is just $25 per month, and with Visible’s community feature, there’s no reason not to join a party.

Credits — The team that worked on this guide

Samuel Contreras When Samuel is not writing about networking and carriers, he spends most of his time researching computer components and obsessing over what CPU goes into the ultimate Windows 98 computer. It’s the Pentium 3.