Visible vs. Twigby: Which carrier is better?

Visible and Twigby are popular prepaid carriers that offer some of the best deals you can get among MVNOs. 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 and Twigby are both on the Verizon network.

Visible and tkt 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. Visible and Twigby are both MVNOs 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.

Plan Options

Visible offers truly unlimited data, 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. Visible offers premium data, which does not slow down no matter the amount of network traffic. Twigby, on the other hand, offers several limited data plans along with an unlimited plan and a plan without data. Both carriers deprioritize data, which means your connection may slow down during times of high traffic, such as a concert or a crowded parking lot.

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. This indicates the priority level of the carrier on Verizon’s network compared to Verizon specific plans. 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 $30 per month, and the first month gives you a $5 welcome discount.

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.

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.

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.

Features

Twigby and Visible offer completely different features with their plans.

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 offers several different features included with their plans compared to Twigby, such as spam protection and international texting. However, Twigby includes device financing and better streaming quality.

Domestic Roaming Data

Visible offers domestic roaming data on their plans. Twigby does not offer this feature.

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. Twigby plans allow unlimited talk in Mexico and Canada, but not text or data.

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. Twigby allows unlimited talk in up to 80 countries, but not text or data.

Video Streaming Quality

Visible’s plans stream at 480p Standard Definition. All Twigby data plans stream at 720p High Definition resolution. Their No Data plan requires WiFi to stream video.

Streaming Services

Visible and Twigby do not offer this feature.

Cloud Storage

Visible and Twigby 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. 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. Twigby does not offer this feature.

Free Trial

Visible offers a 15 day free trial. Twigby does not offer this feature.

Customer Service

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

Visible is a digital-only carrier, meaning they only offer customer support online. Visible offers 24/7 chat support from a live agent. Twigby offers 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.

The Verdict

The better carrier completely depends on what you’re looking for.

Visible and Twigby have very few similarities, despite being MVNOs of the same carrier. As such, the better carrier depends on what you need from a plan. If you don’t use much data at all, you’ll find a better deal with Twigby’s plans. If you use a lot of data and travel often, Visible is the better choice.

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