Visible and AT&T are some of the most popular carriers on the market. 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:
Visible 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. Visible is an MVNO of Verizon.
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.
Like most plans you’ll see on the market, both carriers offer unlimited talk and texting options with any plan you choose. Both carriers also offer premium data, which does not slow down no matter the amount of network traffic. They also deprioritize data, meaning you’ll have slower connection speeds in high traffic areas like concerts venues and sports arenas.
Visible only offers 2 plans – Visible Base and Visible +. Visible + offers more features as well as premium data. Both plans offer a hotspot, with the data coming from your overall plan data. As an MVNO on Verizon’s network, Visible is on QCI tiers 8 and 9. Visible + has higher priority for its 50GB of premium data, tier 8, which will be further explained below. Visible Base is on tier 9.
It’s also important to note that Visible is a single line carrier – meaning you can only have one phone on an account. If you’re buying a plan for your family or with your significant other, you need to make separate accounts with separate plans for everyone.
If you purchase your phone from Visible, your device will be locked for the first 60 days after activation. Both plans they offer renew monthly, and taxes and fees are included with the advertised price.
Like most plans you’ll see on the market, Visible’s base plan has unlimited talk and text.
Visible Base also has unlimited data with no cap – meaning you have truly unlimited data that never slows down no matter how much you use. However, the Visible base plan is always deprioritized. Your data and connection will slow down at any point of high traffic in your area.
The plan also includes unlimited mobile hotspot data. Again, your data is deprioritized and may slow down in times of high network traffic.
The plan costs $25 per month.
Visible + gives you access to Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network, which is their network for premium data. As such, the 50GB of premium data you get with this plan will not slow down no matter how much network traffic in your area. After you use the 50GB, your data is unlimited – but subjected to the same deprioritization as the other plan. The mobile hotspot is also premium data for the first 50GB, then deprioritized after.
At this rate, you get the 50GB of premium data at $0.90 per GB.
The plan costs $45 per month, with a $10 welcome discount for the first month.
AT&T only offers one limited plan. The rest are unlimited plans with varying amounts of premium data.
If you purchase your phone from AT&T, 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.
Each month, you get 4GB of full speed data and hotspot access included. Once you reach that limit, both your data access and hotspot access stop. Access begins again at the start of the next month. It’s important to note that this plan charges overage fees if you use more than the allotted amount.
The plan costs $60 per month at full price, and $50 with the Autopay discount. With this plan, you get 4GB per month for $15 per GB.
Value Plus gives you unlimited, but deprioritized, data. With this, you’ll have full speeds the whole month because the plan doesn’t have any data cap. Speeds will only slow down for high network congestion. It does not offer hotspot access.
This plan costs $60 per month at full price, and $50 with the included Autopay discount.
AT&T offers deprioritized unlimited data with this plan. Like their Value Plus plan, your speeds won’t slow down because of any data cap – only because of high network congestion. This plan also offers 3GB of hotspot data, which slows to 2G speeds once you run out. With 2G speeds, users can still send texts and emails or browse the internet. However, it’s difficult to stream video or play games without access to WiFi.
This plan costs $75 at full price, and $65 with Autopay.
Unlimited Extra is the first plan to offer premium data with AT&T’s services. You get 50GB each month, then unlimited deprioritized data afterwards. You also get 15GB of hotspot data, which slows down to 2G speeds after that cap.
This plan costs $85 per month before the $10 Autopay discount, and $75 per month after. You get 65GB per month for $1.30 per GB at full price.
AT&T offers users unlimited premium data. No matter what, whether it be the amount you use or the network traffic, your speeds will not slow down. They also give 50GB of hotspot data with this plan, and speeds slow to 2G once you run out for the month.
This plan costs $95 per month before the discount, and $85 with Autopay.
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.
Visible and AT&T both offer domestic roaming data on their plans.
Visible offers talk and text in Mexico and Canada. However, Visible does not include roaming data for Mexico and Canada with Visible Base. Visible + includes roaming data that slows down to 2G speeds after 0.5GB each day. AT&T includes talk, text, and data in Mexico and Canada included with all of their plans.
Visible does not give you international roaming data. However, Visible + gives you international talk and text. Visible Base does not offer this feature. AT&T offers international text, but calling and roaming data capabilities require an additional add-on.
Visible’s plans stream at 480p Standard Definition. All AT&T plans with the exception of Unlimited Premium stream at 480p Standard Definition, and Unlimited Premium streams at 4k Ultra High Definition.
Visible and AT&T do not offer this feature.
Visible does not offer this feature. AT&T offers an add-on for cloud storage.
If you buy a phone from AT&T, the carrier allows you to pay for your device in installments over time. Visible does not offer this feature.
Both carriers offer WiFi calling, which allows you to send and receive phone calls over a WiFi connection rather than cellular reception.
Visible offers spam protection on both of their plans, which blocks spam calls and protects you from potential fraud. AT&T offers AT&T Active Armor on all of their plans, which blocks spam calls.
Visible offers a 15 day free trial. AT&T does not offer this feature.
Visible is a digital-only carrier, meaning they only offer customer support online. Visible offers 24/7 chat support from a live agent. AT&T offers thousands of brick-and-mortar stores across the country, and you can find one near you with their store locator. You can also call (800) 901-9878 on Mon. through Sat. from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET.
When it comes to price per GB, Visible offers a much better deal on their plans compared to AT&T. They also offer many of the same features included, so Visible is the better option between the two carriers. However, if you’re looking for absolutely unlimited premium data, AT&T’s Unlimited Premium plan is a fine option.
We’d recommend checking your data usage before committing to a plan.
Are you still unsure which carrier to choose, or which phone plan to pick? Use really.com to compare your top choices and find the best deal to fit your needs. Really allows you to compare and sort between most phone plans on the market without the hassle!
Yep, we offer premium wireless service on the T-Mobile® 5G Network, the nation’s largest and fastest 5G network. If you are in our dewi coverage areas, you’ll also get access to our decentralized phone network powered by the people which will give you even faster speeds and better coverage.
Nope, it’s pay as you go.
Yeah! You put your card on file and prepay each month so that you never experience any disruption.
Yep, but it’s super easy to unlock your device as long as it’s paid off. Chat with us and a real human can help you here.
We have some recommendations on what we think you should get, from iPhones to Droids. Check out our list here which includes affordable places online to get a good deal.
It means we are building a phone network that is powered by the people. Your neighbors put small radios on their roof and help extend the phone network to cover deadzones™ and get even faster speeds. Right now our DeWi network is available in Austin, but we’ll be expanding to other cities REALLY soon. Learn more about DeWi here.
Great question. If you’re in Austin, TX, you’ll install 2 new SIMs. The REALLY nationwide SIM as your first SIM, which will give you voice / text & data on the nation’s largest and fastest 5G network powered by T-Mobile®. Your 2nd SIM will give you access to the REALLY DeWi network in Austin, TX, which you’ll prioritize when available so that you get even faster speeds and better coverage. Depending on your device, you may be able to install eSIMs via a QR code.
Yep, we are powered by T-Mobile®, the nation’s largest and fastest 5G network. If you are in Austin, TX you’ll also get access to our decentralized phone network powered by the people which will give you even faster speeds and better coverage.
The plan is unlimited, but once you reach 20GB you may experience slower speeds depending on network usage.
You get 10GB of hotspot data per month, but can add more if you need to.
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