Verizon Wireless vs. Visible Wireless Review

We’ve written hundreds of reviews, and in that time, we’ve learned a bit about evaluating cell phone plans. Here are things you should be sure to consider when choosing your next plan.

• Data: Knowing how much data you actually use each month is important. But not all data is created equal. Be sure you have the data speeds you need to support your lifestyle.
• Price: There are a bunch of new discount providers out there who may be offering more for less. Be sure you compare prices before signing up.
• Coverage: Three main networks cover the country: AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. Take a look at coverage maps to get on the one that has good coverage in your area.
• Performance: Everything from 5G infrastructure to mobile hotspot data will affect the overall performance of your cell phone plan. Get a plan that has the features you need (and not the ones you don’t want).

Unlimited talk, text, and 4G LTE data is the standard when it comes to cell phone plans. Both Verizon and Visible have a lot to offer. We’ll begin with Visible.

Visible isn’t like traditional phone carriers. Rather than offering up a wide range of plans to suit everyone’s needs, the company has gone for something more elegant. It only has two plans. Visible's base plan gives you unlimited talk, text, and data for $25/month, and the Visible+ plan gives you unlimited everything along with 50 GB of guaranteed high-speed data every month for $45/month.

For just $25 you can get Visible’s plan, which comes with the following features:

• Unlimited talk, text, and data
• Access to 5G networks where available (and with a 5G capable device)
• Coverage on Verizon’s huge network
• Unlimited hotspot data
• Deals on the newest phones

And for just $15 more, you can get the $45 Visible+ plan, which comes with everything offered in the $25 unlimited plan plus the following features:

• 50 GB of premium data every month
• $10/month off of Verizon Home Internet
• Unlimited talk and text to Mexico and Canada
• Spam protection
• International calling from the United States to over 30 countries
• International texting from the United States to over 200 countries

There’s really no arguing these are some of the best cell phone plans on the market, at least for the right kind of customer. The biggest problem that some users will have with Visible is the data speeds …

So, you might be asking, why does a Verizon-owned company have a plan that offers so much value for so little money? The big catch has to do with data throttling and deprioritization.

Both Verizon and Visible use the same network, but Visible customers won’t get as much bandwidth on their line. So, rather than seeing data speeds of 25–30 Mbps, Visible customers will have 4G speeds capped at 5–12 Mbps. That’s enough for lots of basic activities, like streaming music on Spotify, but it might struggle with HD video and intense gaming.

On top of that, your speeds can be slowed down even more when the network is congested. That’s because Verizon is taking bandwidth from its discount brand (Visible) and giving it to customers that pay more on traditional plans.

What about 5G? Visible customers will have their 5G data capped, but rather than 12 Mbps, it will be 200 Mbps. That’s probably faster than your home internet, so don’t worry about it too much.

You can essentially avoid data throttling altogether if you pay the extra $15/month for the Visible+ data plan. For $45/month, you get 50 GB of priority, high-speed data every single month. If you're finding that your data speeds crap out with the base Visible plan, it's probably worth upgrading. Don't worry, you're still paying less for Visible+ than any unlimited plan directly from Verizon.

Verizon offers two unlimited data plans, the Unlimited Welcome and Unlimited Plus. But just how good are these plans? Take a look for yourself, then we’ll talk details.

Both of Verizon’s plans will give you unlimited talk, text, and data, plus access to the company’s rapidly growing 5G network (seriously, these 5G poles have been sprouting up in my neighborhood in Salt Lake City like weeds). But there are some important differences between these plans.

Here’s what you need to know.

• The Unlimited Welcome Plan is a basic unlimited plan without any frills. No hotspot data, no HD video streaming, and it has the possibility of deprioritization. We’ll be honest, it’s almost twice the cost of Visible’s plan and offers less. Not a good look.
• The Unlimited Plus Plan is more beefed up. For one, your data won’t be deprioritized (unless you use more than 50 GB). You’ll also get 30 GB of hotspot data, an Apple One subscription, plus other subscription perks (depending on which of the two you choose).

In short, if you’re looking for a bare-bones unlimited data plan and don’t mind slower data, go with Visible. But if you’re willing to shell out extra dough for faster data, free subscriptions, and other perks then go with one of the higher-tiered plans here.

And if you like Verizon, there's more where that came from. Verizon is a huge company, and it doesn’t just deliver cell phone service. If you like dealing with Verizon, then check out the company’s home internet and cable TV services.

Let’s talk a bit more about the prices here. Verizon’s higher-tiered plans cost at least twice as much as Visible’s unlimited plan. At $65 and $80 a month with AutoPay, these are some of the priciest plans in the entire industry.

Paying these premium prices may be worth it for many customers who want the best of the best. But if you’re not sure you need the highest speeds or twenty different subscriptions, then maybe opt for another carrier.

Read Full Verizon Review | View Verizon Plans | Read Full Visible Review | View Visible Plans

If you have more than one person in your household who wants an unlimited data phone line, there's almost no downside to going in together on a family plan. You’ll get steep discounts, easy bill management, and, if you're lucky, a few other perks.

Here’s the lowdown on Visible and Verizon’s family plans.

If you add lines to your Visible account, you can score some incredible discounts. And the people you add to your account don’t have to actually be family (they don’t even have to live with you). It works a bit differently than traditional family phone plans and functions more like a referral code you can share with friends or family. Here's how it works:

Visible gives you what they call a "Friend code." Each time your friend code is used to open a new Visible account, you and your referral will get $20 off your next month of phone service. And you can share your code as many as up to 12 times, adding up to over $200 in savings.

Once again, Verizon has more plans to offer than Visible. But don’t let all the choices overwhelm you. These plans are basically the same as the individual plans, only with more lines (and some decent discounts).

The only new addition to the mix is the new myPlan offer, which lets added lines customize their plan. Each person on the plan can choose their own unlimited data plan and still receive a family plan discount.

You can have up to 10 lines on each family account. With each line you add, you’ll see the price per line go down, until you reach five lines. Each additional line after that won’t reduce your overall price per line (but it's still a great deal!).

If you look at an Unlimited Plus with four lines, for example, it will cost you $180 a month with AutoPay. If you were to buy each of those lines separately, even with AutoPay, it would cost you $240! If you didn’t have some incentive to call up your siblings before, you do now.

Read Full Verizon Review | View Verizon Plans | Read Full Visible Review | View Visible Plans

As we stated above, both Verizon and Visible are on the same network. So your coverage will be identical with both carriers. This is great news because Verizon’s network is the best in the nation. See what the network is like in your area with this nifty coverage map.

Of course, since it’s a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), Visible customers may experience slower data speeds even in areas where they have coverage.

But the good news is that the Verizon network has really great upload and download speeds overall.

Read Full Verizon Review | View Verizon Plans | Read Full Visible Review | View Visible Plans

The newest flagship devices from brands like Apple and Samsung are basically handheld supercomputers. You can do anything with these awesome machines … if you can afford them.

Luckily, you can often score unbelievable deals on new phones when you’re signing up for a new unlimited plan. Both Visible and Verizon tend to have at least one promotion going at any given moment.

Check out the top phones that are sold by each company below.

Read Full Verizon Review | View Verizon Plans | Read Full Visible Review | View Visible Plans

The time has come to make a decision. Which will it be, Verizon or Visible? Maybe a quick recap will help you make up your mind.

• Plans: Visible keeps things simple with one cheap and powerful unlimited talk, text, and data plan. Verizon has more plans to choose from, and the top-tiered ones offer better data speeds, perks, and overall performance than Visible, but they are also much pricier.
• Family plans: You can get some incredible discounts when you add additional lines to your account with either one of these carriers. Verizon’s myPlan offer is great for larger families, while Visible’s referral program is ideal for those on a tight budget.
• Coverage and performance: Visible and Verizon use the same network, but Verizon’s customers (especially those on more expensive plans) will get preferential treatment when it comes to data speeds and perks.

There you have it. We hope that this article has helped you find the best cell phone plan for your lifestyle, whether it's with Verizon, Visible, or another company altogether!

Read Full Verizon Review | View Verizon Plans | Read Full Visible Review | View Visible Plans

We hope to provide the most informative, honest, and useful reviews on the internet. When we compare two cell phone carriers, we take everything into account, from the price to the perks. We use in-depth research, customer reviews, and our own proprietary data from over 100,000 cell phone users to inform our recommendations.