Twigby vs. Ting Mobile: Which carrier is better?

Twigby and Ting Mobile are popular prepaid carriers that offer great prices on limited data plans. Each carrier has its positives and negatives, but which offers better phone plans? Let’s put them head to head and see which brand comes out on top.

In this article, we plan to discuss the ins and outs 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

Twigby is on the Verizon network, while Ting Mobile is on both Verizon and T-Mobile.

Twigby and Ting Mobile are mobile virtual network operators, or MVNOs. 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. Twigby is an MVNO of Verizon, and Ting Mobile is an MVNO of both Verizon and T-Mobile. You can choose which network you go with if you choose Ting Mobile

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.

Plan Options

Ting Mobile offers a flexible data plan, and Twigby offers several limited plans.

Like most plans you’ll see on the market, both carriers offer unlimited talk and texting options with any plan you choose. Twigby offers several limited data plans along with an unlimited plan and a plan without data, and Ting Mobile offers a flexible data plan, several limited plans, and 2 unlimited plans. Both companies deprioritize data, which means your connection may slow down during times of high traffic, such as a concert or a crowded parking lot.

Twigby Plans

Twigby plans give you a discount for the first three months of service.

Twigby offers 5 plans, ranging from plans with no data included to unlimited data. All plans offer unlimited talk and text, and all data plans offer hotspot access. All plans allow up to 50 lines on an account. All Twigby plans are on QCI tier 9.

If you purchase your phone from Twigby, your device will be sold to you unlocked after activation. The plans they offer renew monthly, and taxes and fees are not included with the advertised price.

No Data Plan

This plan does not have data access.

With this plan, you do not have access to any data. This means you must have a WiFi connection in order to browse the internet, send emails, stream videos, and play games. According to Twigby, you also need to have WiFi access to use iMessage on iPhones. You also do not have access to group messaging on basic or Android phones.

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You do not have hotspot access on this plan either.

The plan costs $10 per month, and $5 for the first 3 months.

2GB Plan

This plan gives you 2GB per month before slowing down.

This plan gives you 2GB per month, which slows to 2G speeds after the cap. This slower speed allows you to send texts and emails or browse the internet, but playing games and streaming video. The plan also allows for mobile hotspot access with the 2GB included in the plan. This access stops at the 2GB cap.

The plan costs $15 per month. At this rate, you get 2GB at $7.50 per GB. This plan costs $5 per month for the first 3 months.

5GB Plan

This plan gives you 5GB per month if you use their service.

This plan gives you 5GB of data to use per month, which then slows to 2G speeds after you reach the cap.

The plan costs $20 per month. At this rate, you get 5GB at $4 per GB. The plan alos gives you the first 3 months of service at $10 per month.

8GB Plan

This plan gives you 8GB monthly.

This plan gives you 8GB per month of service, which slows to 2G speeds after this cap. You also get access to mobile hotspot data, which stops at 8GB.

The plan costs $26 per month. At this rate, you get 8GB at $3.25 per GB. The plan also gives you service at $16 per month for the first 3 months.

Unlimited Plan

This plan gives you 20GB before slowing speeds.

This plan gives you 20GB of data before slowing down to 2G speeds. You also get 20GB of mobile hotspot data access, which stops at the cap.

The plan costs $35 per month. At this rate, you get 20GB at $1.75 per GB. You get service at $25 per month for the first 3 months.

Ting Mobile Plans

Ting Mobile offers several unlimited and limited plans, as well as a pay-as-you-go plan.

Ting Mobile offers varying unlimited and limited plans with the ability to include an unlimited number of lines on your plan. Any fast data you don’t use will roll over to the next month. Their QCI tier changes depending on which network you choose. If you choose T-Mobile, your QCI tier will be 7. It will be tier 9 on Verizon’s network.

Image courtesy of Ting Mobile’s website.

Their unlimited plans also include varying amounts of hotspot data.

They also offer a pay-as-you-go, or flexible, plan, where you pay for the exact amount of data you use.

If you purchase your phone from Ting Mobile, your device will be sold to you already unlocked. The plans they offer renew monthly, and taxes and fees are not included with the advertised price.

Flex Plan

This plan gives you a rate of $5 per GB.

As a flexible plan, Ting Mobile allows you to pay for the exact amount of data you use. Any data you buy can be used as hotspot data.

The plan costs $10 per month, and each GB you use is $5. For example, if you used 1GB, you’d pay $15.

Set 5

This plan gives you 5GB, then slow data afterwards.

Ting Mobile gives you 5GB of data with this plan, and all plan data can be used as a hotspot data. After the cap, you can use unlimited slow data at 2G speeds, or 128 kbps. This allows you to send text messages and emails or browse websites, but not much else.

The plan costs $25 per month. At this rate, you get 5GB at $5 per GB.

Set 12

This plan is 12GB with hotspot data and unlimited slow data.

Set 12 gives you 12GB of data, and all of it can be used as hotspot data. Again, data slows to 2G speeds after the cap.

The plan costs $35 per month. At this rate, you get 12GB at $2.92 per GB.

Unlimited

This plan slows down after 22GB of full speed data.

Ting Mobile’s unlimited plan gives you 22GB of full speed data before slowing down to 2G speeds for the rest of the month. The plan also gives you separate hotspot data, which stops after 12GB.

The plan costs $45 per month. At this rate, you get 22GB of full speed data and 12GB of hotspot data at $1.32 per GB.

Ollo Unlimited Pro

Their biggest plan gets you 35GB of full speed data and 18GB of hotspot data.

Ollo Unlimited is Ting Mobile’s biggest plan, which gives you 35GB of full speed data before slowing down to 2G speeds. You also get an additional 18GB of hotspot data, which stops after you reach that cap.

The plan costs $55 per month. At this rate, you get 35GB of full speed data and 18GB of hotspot data at $1.04 per GB.

Features

Ting Mobile offers domestic roaming, while Twigby offers international connection.

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. For example, Ting Mobile offers domestic roaming, while Twigby offers international connection in Mexico and Canada or beyond.

Domestic Roaming Data

Ting Mobile offers domestic roaming with no specific limits. Twigby does not offer this feature.

Mexico & Canada Connection

Twigby plans allow unlimited talk in Mexico and Canada, but not text or data. Ting Mobile offers pay-per-use rates on talk, text, and data for both Mexico and Canada. Talk rates are $0.30 per minute, text rates are $0.12 per message, and data rates are $0.20 per MB.

International Connection

Twigby allows unlimited talk in up to 80 countries, but not text or data. Ting Mobile offers varying pay-per-use rates depending on the country.

Video Streaming Quality

All Twigby data plans stream at 720p High Definition resolution. Their No Data plan requires WiFi to stream video. All Ting Mobile plans offer 1080p High Definition streaming.

Streaming Services

Twigby and Ting Mobile do not offer this feature.

Cloud Storage

Twigby and Ting Mobile do not offer this feature.

Device Financing

If you buy a phone from Twigby, the carrier allows you to pay for your device in installments over time with PayPal. Ting Mobile does not offer this feature.

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

Twigby and Ting Mobile do not offer this feature.

Free Trial

Twigby and Ting Mobile do not offer this feature.

Customer Service

Twigby and Ting Mobile do not have physical stores, leaving all of their customer service to online support.

Twigby is a digital-only carrier, meaning they only offer customer support online. They offer chat support from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. CST Mon. through Fri. and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. CST Sat. through Sun. You can also email Twigby Customer Support at twigby.support@twigby.com. Ting Mobile offers chat support 24/7, and phone support at the number 1-855-846-4389.

The Verdict

Ting Mobile offers better deals on data, but Twigby offers more features.

Ting Mobile offers a better price for GB than Twigby on their plans, making them the cheaper provider overall. Twigby offers more features with their plans, however, which may be the better option if you’d like international connection and device financing.

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