Tech Talk

Visible stays focused on nailing the basics that people care about most with one simple plan. Verizon Wireless offers a large array of plans making it possible to find something that precisely meets your needs though it does make it easier to spend more than you need to. Visible's approach of giving you everything means that you will never have to wonder if you have enough data or minutes.

You'll just have to think a bit more about whether you will have coverage.

Visible vs. Verizon Wireless Mostly the same network

Let's be clear, Verizon Wireless postpaid customers will often have a larger and more consistent network thanks to prioritization. This means your speeds can be slower on Visible, but at an estimated 5-12Mbps download speed on LTE, most people should be quite happy with the service. Actual speeds will depend on your area, and the number of connections on your tower but for the most part, our review confirms these speed expectations.

Verizon's network will be noticeably larger if you stray away from more populated areas. This is thanks to Verizon customers getting access to Verizon's older 3G towers and LTE roaming towers. Verizon phones will connect to 5G or LTE if at all possible, but if there is no native Verizon signal available, they can fall back to the other networks.

Visible uses LTE and 5G exclusively, and while the coverage is getting closer all the time to what Verizon customers can access, this network is still a bit smaller. Most people will find this to be an easy tradeoff considering that most people are still covered on Visible, and Visible will let them use so much more of the network for less.

Visible vs. Verizon Wireless Do you need 3G and roaming?

Visible only uses Verizon's digital network, including LTE and nationwide 5G coverage. This isn't much of an issue for most people in the U.S. but can become apparent when you travel. Verizon's LTE network is focused on providing coverage where most people live and work, and for the most part, it succeeds.

There are a few gaps, and Verizon fills those by either relying on its older 3G network or buying data from other providers for roaming. Visible doesn't get access to 3G or the roaming networks.

Make sure to check the coverage map for Visible and Verizon to ensure you have coverage in all the places you might need it. The Verizon 5G network is growing rapidly but most people will still use the LTE network most of the time.

It's also worth noting that Visible doesn't support any international calling or roaming. If you need to call another country or need service while traveling, you'll need something else. Verizon does offer what it calls international TravelPasses for its plans. In Mexico and Canada, it comes to $5 per day, and in more than 185 other countries, the cost is $10 per day.

Visible vs. Verizon Wireless Do you need an unlimited plan?

You probably don't need an unlimited plan. Unlimited service mostly exists to offer peace of mind, so people don't need to think about how many bytes or messages they send. With Visible, unlimited is the only option. Visible's unlimited plan can become an afterthought, and you can use your phone to stream or browse without thinking about the cost.

You can also save some money on Visible with Party Pay, which allows you to link your account with up to three other people. That'll bring your cost per month down to $25 per month with four lines in the party. This is not a family plan since each line will still have its own account and bill, but it can be a great way to save.

Verizon offers unlimited plans as well, starting at $70 per month for one line. It's worth noting that the price per line will come down if you plan to have multiple lines. The price per line for entry-level unlimited service is $70, $60, $45, and $35 for one, two, three, and four lines, respectively. This plan will be most comparable to Visible, though it lacks hotspot support.

Going up from there, Verizon has the Play More, Do More, and Get More unlimited plans, which all come with 5G access and Premium Network Access, which prioritizes data for up to 50GB. It also opens up the option to enable 720p video streaming on LTE. Play More and Do More both get 15GB of high-speed hotspot data, while Get More takes it up to 30GB. Besides that, Play More and Get More get Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ streaming service included at no extra cost. Get More adds Apple Music onto that.

With these unlimited plans, the biggest differences are in the streaming extras. The Play More and Do More plans both start at $80 per month for a single line with additional savings for multiple lines up to four. The Get More unlimited plan starts at $90 per month for a single line. The Just Kids unlimited plan can be added as a second line for $50 per month.

There are a couple of limited data plans that start at $55 and $65 per month for 5GB and 10GB, respectively. Both of these plans come with unlimited talk and text.

Visible vs. Verizon Wireless What if you have other devices?

Verizon offers hotspot service with its more expensive unlimited plans, starting at 15GB of premium LTE data on both the Play More and Do More unlimited plans and moving up to 30GB on the Get More Unlimited plan. This will be more than enough for most uses but could be an issue with many streaming video.

It's worth noting that mmWave Ultra Wideband 5G connections will get a fully unlimited hotspot, but that requires both a 5G device and Ultra-Wideband 5G coverage, which is in its infancy. Nationwide 5G data is treated the same as LTE.

On the other hand, Visible continues the trend of simplicity and offers unlimited hotspot data at a speed of 5Mbps. That should be enough speed for 480p and some 720p video streaming depending on the site. This is a good enough solution for most people that need to share their internet on the go.

Visible vs. Verizon Wireless What phones work?

Both Visible and Verizon are more than happy to sell or finance a phone for you. Verizon does have a stronger offering of phones but Visible's growing collection has something that will work for most people.

If you already have a device and you want to know if it will be supported, you'll need to use the BYOD compatibility tools for both Visible and Verizon. Support on one doesn't necessarily mean it will work on the other even though the Verizon network is used for both carriers.

Visible's network is all digital, which means that all of your calls on Visible will use VoLTE. VoLTE is still a little new for carriers in general, so for now, extra care is being taken to make sure devices work flawlessly. The list of supported phones is expanding all the time, so you will need to check for new phones on Visible's help page.

Currently, all iPhones after the iPhone 6 are supported on Visible and Samsung's Galaxy S8 series and newer, the Google Pixels after the Pixel 3, and a handful of other devices.

Visible vs. Verizon Wireless So, which should you get?

If you've confirmed you have coverage on Visible's network, Visible is your best bargain. While it is possible to build a cheaper plan on Verizon Wireless, you won't get the same amount of data, and you certainly won't get Visible's unlimited hotspot. Keep in mind, Verizon Prepaid might have a plan that's a solid fit as well. It's also worth remembering that there are other options on the massive Verizon network though Visible is one of the best MVNOs that use Verizon's network. As long as you know you're covered, Visible is a simple and complete network that works for nearly every smartphone user.

Enough of everything

Visible

One plan fits all

$40/mo. at Visible

Get Visible's simple unlimited plan with no contract on one of the best LTE networks available. Stay connected on more devices with an unlimited hotspot.

More is more

Verizon Wireless

The king of coverage

From $30/mo. at Verizon

Verizon is known for its fantastic data network and continues to stand above with plans designed to fit everyone's needs and a ton of options available.