Twigby Mobile vs. AT&T Cell Phone Plans Review

Before we dive into all the nitty-gritty stuff about plans and pricing, let’s talk more broadly about how to choose the perfect cell phone plan. You’ll want to consider the following features.

Data: Making sure you have enough data to support your work, gaming, streaming, and scrolling habits is essential to choosing the right plan. Check for data caps and slowdowns in the fine print.

Price: Don’t overpay! That might seem obvious, but you’d be surprised at how many people are paying too much. Look at comparison charts to make sure you’re getting the best deal available.

Coverage: Three major networks operate in North America—AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. Check coverage maps to see which has the best coverage in your area.

Features: Not all plans come with features like hotspot data, international benefits, and HD video streaming. Get a plan that has all the perks and benefits you want.

Comparing AT&T and Twigby Mobile is kind of like comparing a Michelin 3-star restaurant and the mom-and-pop diner down the street. Obviously, one has fancier food. But not everyone wants the best, especially when it costs twice as much.

The only way to figure out which restaurant (or cell phone carrier) is right for you is to look at the menu (the plans). So let’s do it. We’ll start by looking at everything Twigby Mobile has to offer.

The easiest way to explain Twigby Mobile’s plans is to just show them to you. So take a look at this chart.

Twigby Mobile’s plans are rather straightforward. You get unlimited talk, text, and standard data with every plan, then a certain amount of high-speed data. There is no unlimited high-speed data plan, (like AT&T's Unlimited Premium^® PL plan) which will be a definite deal breaker for many people.

Twigby Mobile’s plans don’t really come with any special features besides hotspot capability. You can use your allotted mobile data to tether your phone to other devices.

As you can see, all of Twigby Mobile’s plans are under $30 a month! That makes it one of the cheapest carriers around. But keep in mind that these prices are just promotional. After your first three months, they will all go up by $10. That 10GB plan for $15 will go up to $25 a month after the promo ends (which is still a decent price).

Here’s one of the biggest drawbacks for Twigby Mobile customers: data deprioritization.

Because Twigby Mobile is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), it doesn’t actually own its own cellular network. Instead, it rents bandwidth from a larger company. When the network gets busy, Twigby Mobile customers are among the first to see their data slowed down.

When your data is being deprioritized, it can be hard to do some basic things, like stream music or video. It might not be a big deal for some people, but if you rely on your phone for work or regular internet connectivity, then Twigby Mobile might not cut it.

While Twigby Mobile focuses on stripped-down plans with limited data, AT&T does the opposite. Its plans are big and bold. Most of them come with unlimited data and tons of perks. Check it out.

Other than the 4GB, 5GB, and 8GB plans, all of AT&T’s postpaid cell phone plans come with unlimited talk, text, and data. All of these plans also get you access to AT&T’s 5G network. But there are a few key differences between the Unlimited Starter^® SL, Extra^® EL, and Premium^® PL plans.

• Unlimited Starter^® SL comes with a few restrictions. Your video streaming will be pegged at 1.5 Mbps (so no HD). You will get 5GB a month in hotspot data. And while you'll have unlimited data, your speeds are subject to slowdowns from deprioritization.
• Unlimited Extra^® EL gives you some more privileges. Your video streams will still be throttled, but you’ll get 30GB of hotspot data and a 75GB data cap (without deprioritization).
• Unlimited Premium^® PL lets you have HD quality video streaming, 60GB of hotspot data, and no high-speed data cap.

These three unlimited data plans from AT&T are serious performers. You’ll get fast data speeds in pretty much every metropolitan and suburban area. But, of course, they aren’t the cheapest.

The prices you see in the chart above are, like Twigby Mobile’s, just promotional. They include a $250 credit applied over the first 6 months of your bill. So the prices for the Starter, Extra, and Elite plans are actually more like $66, $76, and $86 a month, respectively.

Frontline workers have had a heck of a year, to say the least, and AT&T wants to show some love. That’s why they’re offering up some pretty wild deals for first responders, students, nurses, and military families. Check it out.

These prices still include that $250 credit, but even the normal price is less than $50 a month. That’s a great deal for an unlimited data plan on AT&T.

Twigby Mobile’s plans are cheap and have serious limitations when it comes to the amount and speed of its mobile data. AT&T, on the other hand, is pricier but offers lots of full-speed data and tons of perks.

Family plans are probably the best way to save money on your phone bill without sacrificing value. And when it comes to these two carriers’ family plans, there isn’t really any competition. AT&T has great family plan deals, Twigby Mobile doesn’t.

In fact, Twigby Mobile doesn’t offer any discounts for adding multiple lines to your account. Here’s a little comparison of a four-line family plan account with Twigby Mobile and with AT&T.

It's hard to see because of the promo pricing, but all three of AT&T’s unlimited data plans will actually be only slightly more expensive or equal to Twigby Mobile’s 10GB plan when you have four lines. Just remember that Twigby Mobile's promotional pricing ends after three months, so your full bill for a Twigby Mobile family plan would jump to $100 per month. That means you're paying the same for four 10GB lines with Twigby Mobile as you would for four unlimited-data lines with AT&T.

The math there is easy—AT&T wins.

What good is a cell phone plan if you don’t get any service bars? No good at all. So take a peek at these maps to see which company offers better coverage in your area.

We’re going to go out on a limb here and guess that Verizon's map looks better to you. Rural mobile customers will enjoy better coverage on Verizon’s network, but that's only as long as they don't run out of high-speed data. Once they hit their soft data cap, Verizon prioritizes its own customers over Twigby Mobile's users.

AT&T Wireless customers won't have to worry about deprioritization, plus it also offers great coverage and data speeds.

It’s time to ditch that old clunker with the broken screen. And there’s no better time to find a great deal on a new iPhone than when you’re signing up for a new plan.

AT&T offers some great deals and payment plans on flagship phones from major brands like Apple and Samsung. But if you’re looking for a cheaper phone, like the iPhone 13, then Twigby Mobile will deliver. Here are some charts showing the most popular phone deals from each carrier.

Is this a David and Goliath story, where little Twigby Mobile defeats big AT&T? Or is it more like a Marvel movie, where the superpowered hero inevitably wins? You get to decide. Hopefully, this recap will help you figure out which carrier is right for you.

• Plans: Twigby Mobile has tons of cheap plans for less than $30 a month. But they’re pretty weak in terms of data allotment and performance. AT&T’s plans cost more, but they include tons of data, fast speeds, and cool perks.
• Family plans: AT&T handily takes the medal for best family plans. You can get steep discounts on unlimited data plans when you add extra lines. Twigby Mobile, on the other hand, offers no family plan discounts at all.
• Coverage and performance: When it comes to overall performance—coverage, data speeds, hotspot data, and device selection—AT&T just wins. It’s clearly better for those who seriously work, game, or stream on their phone frequently.

If Twigby Mobile’s clearance-sale style prices are looking good to you, then sign up on their website! Or, if you’re making eyes at all that sweet, sweet AT&T data, then you can sign up here.

We began our research on Twigby Mobile and AT&T with the most basic metrics: plan features and costs. We looked at every plan from both carriers, relying on data from WhistleOut comparison charts and the companies’ own websites.

We added our own proprietary data from over 100,000 mobile customers to this public information to evaluate each company’s plans based on data allotment, data speeds, coverage, price, and special features.

Overall, we spent two days researching and writing this comparison review. If you’re curious, you can learn more about our process for evaluating cell phone plans in this article.

If we didn't cover what you need to know in the article above, hopefully we answer it here. If not, drop us a question in the comments, and we'll try to get you a better answer.