Xfinity Mobile vs. T-Mobile Cell Phone Plans Review

Check out Xfinity Mobile's website to learn more about phone plan prices.

The best way to ensure that you get the right cell phone plan is to know exactly what you want before you go into the store. Here are some tips from us (who write about this stuff every day).

• Data caps: Very few unlimited data plans are truly unlimited. Most have a soft data cap (usually between 25 and 50 GB). Once you hit that allotment, your speeds can be steeply reduced. Try to figure out exactly how much data you really need before you choose a plan.
• Coverage: T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon are the three big networks in the United States (Xfinity uses Verizon’s network). Check out coverage maps to see which one has the best coverage in your area.
• Deals: Never pay full price if you don’t have to. Most cell phone companies have promo deals for new customers. Sometimes they will pay off your old cell phone bill, give you a prepaid credit card, or even give you a free phone when you switch.

Now that you know how to choose a plan, let’s get into the details of Xfinity Mobile vs. T-Mobile.

Between T-Mobile and Xfinity Mobile there are over a dozen different cell phone plans to choose from. This can be a little bit overwhelming for customers, which is why we’ve broken down our comparison review into three parts: unlimited plans, data plans, and family plans.

Let’s begin with everyone’s favorite, unlimited data plans.

We’re going to let you in on a little secret. Not all unlimited data plans are, in fact, truly unlimited. In fact, most of them have a sort of soft data cap. After you hit that data cap, your speeds can be significantly reduced.

And there are other important differences between unlimited data plans. Some come with hotspot data and others don’t. Some plans give you nice perks, like international calling and free subscriptions, while others are just bare bones.

In general, T-Mobile’s plans tend to offer more truly unlimited data options and more of the neat features. However, they also cost more. Here’s a look at the carrier’s variety of unlimited data plans.

T-Mobile’s six different unlimited data plans have some key differences. The lower-end plans, like Essentials and Essentials Saver, have data caps of 50GB. After you hit that limit, your data will be deprioritized.

On the higher end, you have plans like Go5G, Magenta MAX, and Go5G Plus. These plans come with 100GB or more of high speed data, plus tons of hotspot data and other nifty perks. If you have the cash, these are some of the very best plans on the market from any cellular provider.

If you’re not interested in dropping almost $100 a month on your cell phone plan, then you might find Xfinity Mobile’s plans more appealing. The company’s mix of affordability and performance is one of the reasons it tops our list of the best cell phone plans.

Of course, the biggest drawback with all of Xfinity’s plans are the data caps, which are the following:

• Unlimited Intro Data Option: 20GB
• Unlimited Plus Data Option: 30GB
• Unlimited Premium Data Option: 40GB

You’ll also miss out on some other perks with Xfinity, like free subscriptions and high amounts of hotspot data. The Unlimited Plus and Unlimited Premium plans will give you 5GB and 15GB of hotspot data, respectively, but that’s still a far cry behind T-Mobile’s offerings.

T-Mobile’s prices are top-shelf, but so are its extra features. Here’s a list of some of the features you can get with the higher-tier plans.

• 40GB mobile hotspot data
• Free Netflix subscription
• Unlimited calls and international messaging
• Unlimited 4K UHD video streaming
• Free in-flight texting
• Free AAA membership
• Get thanked for being a customer with T-Mobile Tuesdays

Not everyone needs an unlimited data plan. If you only use a few basic apps, like Google Maps, Instagram, and maybe a little bit of TikTok, then a limited data plan might be the way to go. Both Xfinity Mobile and T-Mobile offer decent limited data plans.

Here’s a look at the data plan options from T-Mobile. All of these plans come with unlimited talk and text.

For $25 a month you can get 6.5GB of high-speed data that works as a mobile hotspot. That’s a great deal for teenagers, seniors, and others who aren’t totally addicted to their phones like the rest of us.

Xfinity Mobile also has a couple of decently priced data plans for those who don’t need unlimited data. You can do a by-the-gig plan that just charges you for the data you use. 

With Xfinity Mobile, you can also use your data as a mobile hotspot, which is great for those who travel a lot for work or like to spend time in a camper van or RV.

We say it all the time: Family plans are where it’s at. There’s simply no better way to get a good deal on your cell phone bill. Just bundle up with your kids, spouse, aunt, cousin, or housemates to get a killer deal from either Xfinity or T-Mobile.

Here’s a glimpse at T-Mobile’s family plan discounts.

It’s hard to exaggerate how great these T-Mobile deals are. Normally, the Magenta MAX plan (which is one of the very best plans available from any carrier) costs a whopping $85 a month. When you bundle up with four lines it goes down to just $200 a month (or $50 per line). You can’t argue with a deal like that.

Xfinity Mobile also has some (somewhat less) great deals for customers who choose multi-line plans.

Normally, you’d have to dish out a pretty penny each month for one line on the Premium Data Option. But when you go with four lines will save you $60 a month. It’s still not as great as T-Mobile’s Magenta MAX deal, but it’s nothing to sneeze at. 

Xfinity Mobile is actually a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), which means that it doesn’t operate its own cell phone towers. Instead, it “rents” tower bandwidth from Verizon. That means you’ll get great coverage, but your data speeds can often suffer. And even a customer with Verizon gets priority over Xfinity Mobile users.

While T-Mobile’s lower-tiered plans can also have some issues with deprioritization and throttling, its pricier plans come with much more full-speed data than Xfinity.

Plus, T-Mobile customers will be on the network that generally tends to have the fastest download speeds, according to OpenSignal.

If you’re in a metropolitan area and you haven’t blown through your data cap, you should see decent enough speeds with both Xfinity and T-Mobile. You should have no problem streaming, gaming, and doom scrolling. But if faster speeds are a priority for you, then T-Mobile is the way to go.

There’s one way that Xfinity gets a leg up over T-Mobile. It operates over a million of these hotspots throughout the country. Xfinity Mobile customers can use these hotspots for free, giving them faster speeds and saving precious mobile data allotments.

As we mentioned above, Xfinity cell phone service uses Verizon’s mobile network. That means customers will enjoy the best nationwide coverage in the U.S. You’ll get full bars in almost every city and suburb, and even in some rural communities.

T-Mobile’s coverage isn’t as impressive. While almost every metro area will have great coverage, there are some major gaps in parts of the rural west. The best way to determine which carrier has better coverage in your area is to look at these interactive maps.

If you’re looking to pick up a new phone when you switch, both T-Mobile and Xfinity have plenty of great models to choose from. That said, we think that T-Mobile tends to offer better deals on top-shelf phones, like the iPhone 15 Pro.

Here’s a look at the most popular phones that both companies sell. You can click on the phone to see all of the plans and deals that are available from both carriers with that device.

We won’t lie, cell phone companies aren’t known for their spectacular customer service. That said, you can definitely get help from both T-Mobile and Xfinity if your phone is acting up or you want to change plans. The best way to get help is always to go into a brick-and-mortar store and talk to a real, flesh-and-blood human.

If you can't do that, you can reach these two carriers at the following numbers:

• Xfinity Mobile customer service: +1-888-936-4968
• T-Mobile customer service: +1-800-937-8997

If you want to know about the general customer service reputation of T-Mobile and Xfinity, then you can check out these numbers from the annual American Customer Satisfaction Index. Xfinity does a little bit better than T-Mobile, but both companies are in the C range (if this was a high school test score).

T-Mobile has some of the most powerful unlimited data plans on the market. Xfinity’s plans don’t offer as much high-speed data or as many perks, but the prices are lower. Ultimately, you have to decide which one is better for you.

Here’s a quick recap of the most important data to help you make up your mind.

• Plans and prices: T-Mobile’s unlimited data plans start at $50 a month and go all the way up to $90. Xfinity’s plans are significantly cheaper, but they also offer fewer perks and require Xfinity Internet service.
• Data performance: T-Mobile has faster speeds overall, and you’ll get more unthrottled data with its plans. But most users will be just fine with Xfinity’s Verizon-backed service.
• Devices and deals: Both companies offer the latest and greatest cell phones, but we think that T-Mobile’s deals tend to be better for new customers.
• Customer service: Xfinity Mobile scores a tad higher on the customer service rankings, but T-Mobile’s service is fine, especially if you go into a brick-and-mortar store.