Mint Mobile vs. Verizon Prepaid: Which carrier is better?

Mint Mobile and Verizon’s prepaid plans are popular options that offer stellar deals for its customers.  Each carrier has its positives and negatives, but which offers better phone plans? Let’s compare them and see which is better.

In this article, we plan to discuss the details of both carriers and what they offer. We’ll also cover:

• What the coverage of both carriers looks like
• How prices of their plans compare to how much data you get
• The features each carrier offers for their plans 

Coverage & Reception

Mint Mobile is on the T-Mobile network, while Verizon is one of the major phone networks.

Mint Mobile is a mobile virtual network operator, or MVNO. This means that they purchase service access wholesale from one of the three major networks that own infrastructure across the country – AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile – giving customers service at a much cheaper price. Mint Mobile is an MVNO of T-Mobile. 

However, Verizon Prepaid is a specific designation of Verizon plans. Unlike their most popular plans, such as the myPlan Unlimited Plus option that debuted earlier this year, these plans are prepaid. As such, users pay for the service before using it. 

Often, the quality of coverage comes down to your area. One carrier’s coverage may be better in New York, while another’s coverage may be better in California. It’s important to compare between providers on a coverage map of your specific city. Ookla’s coverage map allows you to see where cellular towers are located and which company owns them. This coverage map provides information about coverage from 2G to 5G for several providers.

However, T-Mobile’s 5G coverage and access is hailed as the best coverage overall. 

Plan Options

Mint Mobile offers more limited data options, while Verizon Prepaid offers premium data. 

Both carriers give you unlimited talk and texting options with any plan you choose. Both companies deprioritize data, meaning you’ll have slower connection speeds in high traffic areas like concerts venues and shopping centers. Verizon also offers premium data, which does not slow down during high traffic. 

Mint Mobile Plans

Mint Mobile offers 4 plans, each with multiple options for lengths of service.

Mint Mobile offers plans ranging from 5GB to Unlimited (40GB) data, giving customers more options to meet their needs. Mint Mobile only offers 3, 6, or 12 month plans to sign up for. However, your data is reset every month. Their current New Customer Offer allows you to purchase a 3 month plan at the best deal. Mint Mobile also offers a deal where you can get 6 months of free service if you purchase a phone and a 6 month plan. Mint Mobile allows up to 5 lines on one account, each with their own customizable plan data to draw from.

As a T-Mobile MVNO, Mint Mobile is on tier 7 of 9 Quality of Service Class Identifiers (QCIs).

This indicates the priority level of the carrier on T-Mobile’s network compared to T-Mobile specific plans. This means they’re at a higher priority compared to MVNOs on Verizon or AT&T’s networks. As such, you may experience higher speeds while being deprioritized than other MVNOs.

Mint Mobile keeps your phone locked for the first year after purchase. After, you must request to have your phone unlocked. Taxes and fees are not included with the advertised price. 

5GB

5GB of full speed data is included before you get unlimited data at slow speeds. 

This plan gives you 5GB of data and mobile hotspot access. The plan is again deprioritized, then slows down to 2G speeds after the 5GB allotment. With 2G speeds, users can expect to send text messages and emails or scroll the internet, but streaming video or playing games will be difficult. Hotspot data comes from the 5GB and stops after hitting that amount. The plan costs $15 per month and $45 for the first 3 months. To get the same deal afterwards, you need to purchase 12 months of service. At this rate, you get 5GB for $3 per GB.

15GB 

You get 15GB of full speed data, then unlimited slow data. 

This plan gets you 15GB of full speed data and mobile hotspot data. This plan is also deprioritized and slowed down to 2G speeds after 15GB. Your hotspot data comes from the 15GB allotment and stops after 15GB. The plan costs $20 per month and $80 for the first 3 months. To get the same deal afterwards, you need to purchase 12 months of service. At this rate, you get 15GB at $1.33 per GB. 

20GB

This plan also gives you unlimited slow data after 20GB. 

As it says in the name, you get 20GB of full speed data. This plan is deprioritized, however, and it slows down to 2G speeds after you reach the 20GB cap. The plan also includes mobile hotspot capabilities. Data comes from the 20GB allotment and stops after hitting that amount. The plan costs $25 per month and $75 for the first 3 months. To get the same deal afterwards, you need to purchase 12 months of service. At this rate, you get 20GB at $1.25 per GB. 

Unlimited

Mint Mobile’s Unlimited plan gives you 40GB before slowing down speeds. 

With Mint Mobile’s Unlimited plan, you get 40GB of data. Your data is deprioritized, and it slows down to 3G speeds (512 kbps) after 40GB. At 3G, you can still send texts, send emails, and scroll through social media without too many issues. Streaming video might be a bit slower. While this may be a negative for those who use large amounts of data, most users use about 20GB of data per month or less, according to Ericsson Mobility. This plan also gives you 10GB of mobile hotspot data, allowing your phone to become a WiFi connection for other devices. Data stops after 10GB. 

The plan costs $30 per month, or $90 for the first 3 months. After that, the price is $40 per month. To get the same $30 per month deal, you need to buy 12 months worth of service. At this rate, you get 50GB at $0.60 per GB. 

Verizon Prepaid Plans

Verizon offers a prepaid plan with premium data.

Verizon’s Prepaid section offers 1 no data plan, 1 limited data plan, and 2 unlimited plans. Their data plans include deprioritization, and their Unlimited Plus plan includes premium data. Premium data does not slow down, even in times of high network congestion and traffic.

They also offer a plan with no data, which means you cannot access social media, email, or the internet without a WiFi connection. 

A Verizon Prepaid plan can have up to 10 lines. If you purchase your phone from Verizon, your device will be locked for 60 days after activation. The plans they offer renew monthly, and taxes and fees are not included with the advertised price. All plans come with an Autopay discount that is applied after the first month. 

No Data 

This plan does not offer data included with the plan, only unlimited talk and text. 

This plan includes unlimited talking and texting, but does not include data or hotspot access. The plan costs $35 per month normally, and $30 per month with the Autopay discount.

15GB 

This plan gives you 15GB before slowing down your data. 

This plan gives users 15GB of deprioritized data which slows down to 2G speeds after this cap. You will still be able to send texts and emails or browse the internet, but streaming video or playing video games will be very difficult. This plan also gives you mobile hotspot access with the 15GB, which stops after the 15GB cap. 

The plan costs $45 per month normally, and $35 per month with the Autopay discount. At this rate, you get 15GB at $2.33 per GB. 

Unlimited

This plan gives you unlimited, but deprioritized, data. 

This plan offers unlimited data without a cap, which means your data will not slow down because of the amount you use. However, this plan is deprioritized and will face slower speeds during high network connection. This plan also gives you 5GB of full speed data for hotspot access, which is then slowed to 600kbps, or 3G, speeds after this cap. 

The plan costs $60 per month normally, and $50 per month with the Autopay discount. 

Unlimited Plus 

This plan gives you 50GB of premium data, then deprioritized data. 

As Verizon’s biggest prepaid plan, this plan offers 50GB of premium data included. After the 50GB cap, this plan becomes deprioritized. This plan also offers 25GB of premium hotspot data, which is also deprioritized after the cap. 

The plan costs $70 per month normally, and $60 per month with the Autopay discount. At this rate, you get 75GB at $0.80 per GB. 

Features

Mint Mobile and Verizon Prepaid offer similar features, but Verizon Prepaid offers more overall. 

If you’re looking for a plan with more included features, such as international connection or domestic roaming data, it’s best to compare carriers with what they offer. Mint Mobile and Verizon Prepaid offer similar features, with Verizon Prepaid additionally offering domestic roaming capabilities and spam call blocking. 

Domestic Roaming Data

Mint Mobile does not include this feature. Verizon Prepaid does allow domestic roaming capabilities. 

Mexico & Canada Connection

Mint Mobile offers talk and text in Mexico and Canada included and roaming data at $0.06 per MB. Verizon Prepaid plans include talk, text, and data in Mexico and Canada. However, their No Data plan requires users to pay $5 per day to use these capabilities. 

International Connection

Mint Mobile gives you international text included, while international talk and data are pay-per-use. International talk is $0.25 per minute, while international data is $0.20 per MB. All Verizon Prepaid plans include international text. 

Video Streaming Quality

Mint Mobile’s Unlimited plan streams at 480p Standard Definition, while their limited data plans stream at 4k Ultra High Definition. Verizon Prepaid’s 15GB and Unlimited plans stream at 480p Standard Definition, and their Unlimited Plus plan streams at 4k Ultra High Definition. Their No Data plan requires WiFi to stream video. 

Streaming Services

Mint Mobile and Verizon Prepaid do not offer this feature. 

Cloud Storage

Mint Mobile and Verizon Prepaid do not offer this feature. 

Device Financing

If you buy a phone from either carrier, they allow you to pay for your device in installments over time. 

WiFi Calling

Both carriers offer WiFi calling, which allows you to send and receive phone calls over a WiFi connection rather than cellular reception. 

Spam Protection

Mint Mobile does not offer this feature. Verizon Prepaid offers protection from spam and fraud calls with the app Digital Secure. 

Free Trial

Mint Mobile offers a 7 day free trial. Verizon Prepaid does not offer this feature. 

Customer Service 

Mint Mobile does not have physical stores, leaving all of their customer service to online support. Verizon offers thousands of stores across the country, as well as online customer support. 

Mint Mobile is a digital-only carrier, meaning they only offer customer support online and over the phone. Mint Mobile offers chat support 24/7 and support over the phone at (800)-683-7392 from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. PST every day of the week. Verizon offers thousands of locations across the country, and you can find the closest store to you with their store locator. For support over the phone on prepaid plans with Verizon specifically, users can call 1-888-294-6804 on Mon. through Sat. at 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST on Sunday. 

The Verdict

Mint Mobile offers better deals overall, but Verizon’s Unlimited Plus plan is an amazing deal. 

When it comes to the price per GB of data, Mint Mobile offers better deals than Verizon’s prepaid plans. Their limited plans are much cheaper than Verizon’s. However, if you use a lot of data, you may want to go with Verizon’s prepaid Unlimited Plus option, as they offer premium data. Their data will not slow down with this plan, which gives you a better connection than most phone plans. 

We’d recommend checking your data usage before committing to a plan.

Want to compare other carriers?

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