Visible vs. T-Mobile: Which carrier is better?

Visible and T-Mobile’s postpaid plans are popular phone carriers that offer great deals on the highest data speeds. 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

Visible is on the Verizon network.

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.

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

Plan Options

Visible and T-Mobile both offer premium data and unlimited deprioritized data.

Like most plans you’ll see on the market, both carriers offer unlimited talk and texting options with any plan you choose. Both companies offer premium data, which does not slow down no matter the amount of network traffic. Both companies deprioritize data, meaning you’ll have slower connection speeds in high traffic areas like concerts venues and sports arenas.

Visible Plans

Both Visible plans offer unlimited data.

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.

Visible Base

This plan is always depriotized.

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 +

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

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.

T-Mobile Plans

T-Mobile plans include varying amounts of data, numbers of lines allowed, and discounts.

T-Mobile’s postpaid options include 6 plans. Their Essentials and Essentials Savings plans allow for up to 6 lines, Magenta and Magenta MAX allow for up to 12, and their GO5G and GO5G Plus plans allow for up to 8 lines. All T-Mobile postpaid plans are QCI tier 6.

If you purchase your phone from T-Mobile, your device will be locked for 40 days after activation. The plans they offer renew monthly, and taxes and fees are included with the advertised price on Magenta MAX, Magenta, GO5G, and GO5G. The Essentials plan does not include taxes with the advertised price.

T-Mobile also includes additional discounts for seniors, veterans and military, and first responders.

Essentials

This plan is deprioritized after the premium data cap.

The Essentials plan comes with 50GB of premium data, then unlimited deprioritized data afterwards. The plan also includes unlimited 3G hotspot data. With 3G speeds, users can expect

The plan costs $65 per month, and $60 with Autopay. At full price, you get 50GB of premium data at $1.30 per GB.

Magenta

This plan gives you 100GB.

This plan gives users 100GB of premium data access before slowing to deprioritized speeds. You also get 5GB of premium hotspot data before unlimited 3G speeds.

The plan costs $75 per month, and $70 with Autopay. At full price, you get 105GB at $0.71 per GB.

Magenta MAX

This plan gives you unlimited data access.

Magenta MAX is one of T-Mobile’s most popular and well known plans, as it gives users unlimited premium data access. This means that you get unlimited high speeds without worrying about deprioritization or data caps.

The plan costs $90 per month, and $85 with Autopay.

GO5G

This plan gives you premium data.

This plan gives users 100GB of premium data before unlimited deprioritized data. Users also get 15GB of full speed hotspot data before slowing to unlimited 3G speeds.

The plan costs $80 per month, and $75 with Autopay. At full price, you get 115GB of premium data at $0.70 per GB.

GO5G Plus

This plan gives you unlimited premium data access.

GO5G Plus is one of T-Mobile’s biggest plans, as it gives you unlimited premium data. This means that you get unlimited full speed data without any cap or deprioritization. Users also get 50GB of hotspot data before slowing to 3G speeds.

The plan costs $95 per month, and $90 with the Autopay discount.

GO5G Next

This plan allows you to switch phones every year.

GO5G Next is one of T-Mobile’s biggest plans, as it gives you unlimited premium data. This means that you get unlimited full speed data without any cap or deprioritization. You also get 50GB of premium hotspot data Once you run out of premium data, you get unlimited deprioritized hotspot data.

What makes this plan stand out from GO5G Plus is that it allows you to get a new phone every year rather than waiting two years. Otherwise, the plans are the same.

This plan costs $105 each month, but the autopay discount brings the price to $100.

Features

Visible and T-Mobile offer similar features.

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 T-Mobile offer similar features, but T-Mobile also offers streaming discounts.

Domestic Roaming Data

Visible and T-Mobile offer domestic roaming data on their plans.

Mexico & Canada Connection

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. All T-Mobile postpaid plans include talk, text, and roaming data in Mexico and Canada. The amount of roaming data varies per plan. For example, their GO5G Plus plan includes 15GB of high speed data, then unlimited data at 3G speeds.

International Connection

Visible does not give you international roaming data. However, Visible + gives you international talk and text. Visible Base does not offer this feature. T-Mobile plans include international texting and international pay-per-use calling for $0.25 per minute. Magenta, Magenta MAX, GO5G, GO5G Plus, and GO5G Next plans include 5GB of full speed international data, and unlimited 3G data after the cap.

Video Streaming Quality

Visible’s plans stream at 480p Standard Definition. T-Mobile’s Magenta MAX, GO5G Plus, and GO5G Next plans include 4k Ultra High Definition streaming, and their other postpaid plans include 480p Standard Definition.

Streaming Services

T-Mobile includes free Netflix Basic for single line users and free Netflix Standard with 2+ line plans, as well as free AppleTV+, on Magenta MAX, GO5G Plus, and GO5G Next. T-Mobile’s Magenta and GO5G plans include free Netflix Basic and 6 months of AppleTV+. Visible does not offer this feature.

Cloud Storage

Visible and T-Mobile do not offer this feature.

Device Financing

If you buy a phone from T-Mobile, the carrier allows you to pay for your device in installments over time. Visible 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

Visible offers spam protection on both of their plans, which blocks spam calls and protects you from potential fraud. T-Mobile offers Scam Shield Premium with GO5G Plus, GO5G Next and Magenta MAX.

Free Trial

Visible offers a 15 day free trial. T-Mobile does not offer this feature.

Customer Service

Visible does not have physical stores, leaving all of their customer service to online support. T-Mobile has thousands of stores across the country.

Visible is a digital-only carrier, meaning they only offer customer support online. Visible offers 24/7 chat support from a live agent. T-Mobile offers several stores across the country, and users can find the closest one with their store locator. They also offer customer support online with their website live chat, their support website for common questions, and over the phone at 1-800-937-8997.

The Verdict

Visible+ is better than T-Mobile Essentials.

Due to the price per GB, Visible+ offers the better deal than T-Mobile Essentials. However, if you want more from a plan, T-Mobile’s Magenta and GO5G plan lines offer great deals and a lot included with their plans.

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