Verizon vs. Mint Mobile: Which is right for you?

Verizon has long been known for having some of the best coverage in the country and largely still maintains that lead, but T-Mobile has done a lot of work to close that gap. In many urban and suburban areas, the T-Mobile network that Mint uses may deliver better results, especially when it comes to 5G. Even so, rural customers may find Verizon's coverage to be worth the higher cost of its postpaid plans, even if coverage is on the slower LTE network. Verizon will also have higher priority data in times of congestion than Mint will on the T-Mobile network.

• Carrier deals: Verizon | AT&T | T-Mobile | Mint Mobile | Visible

Verizon vs. Mint Mobile: Can Verizon justify its prices?

There's no argument that Verizon's plans are more expensive than Mint's. Verizon, however, has a handful of strengths that Mint simply can't offer. One important consideration is how you buy phones. While either carrier will let you buy a phone outright, Verizon has been very aggressive with its new phone pricing for customers willing to commit to one of its 3-year payment plans. Even so, it's hard to ignore the appeal of a free or heavily discounted high-end phone with its payment plans.

Verizon also offers a handful of sweet perks that you can mix and match for just $10 more on your phone bill every month. Start with the Unlimited Welcome plan, for instance, and you can add the Disney Plus streaming bundle for one month and switch to 2TB of cloud storage the next. Or hey, why not both? Paired with multi-line discounts, a family could save some serious cash if they want to enjoy lots of perks with their carrier. 

Mint keeps things very simple in contrast and for many people that like to keep tighter control over the things they buy, it could be well worth giving up the bundled features from Verizon. Mint's plans simply come with varying data amounts and unlimited domestic talk and text. You'll also get a free mobile hotspot and calling to Mexico and Canada. You can save on Mint by paying for a longer-term upfront with the best savings coming from 12-month plans. Since you probably intend to have cell phone service year-round anyways, you can save a bit of cash if your checking account can take the one-time hit. 

It's worth noting that T-Mobile formally acquired Mint Mobile in March 2023, so some of these details may change in the coming months — but we'll be here to update this page when and if that occurs. 

Better coverage nationwide doesn't mean better for you

Mint Mobile is now owned by T-Mobile, and simply put, that carrier's 5G network is significantly stronger than Verizon's. That's not to say Verizon's network isn't catching up, but Verizon customers will be seeing a lot more LTE in their status bars for the next couple of years at least, especially outside of cities. Verizon's C-band 5G rollout is underway and making good progress but it had a late start compared to T-Mobile's mid-band 5G. In fact, Verizon only began deploying C-band 5G in January of 2022, so its progress is admirable but understandably behind.

One odd thing to note is that Verizon only offers C-band speeds, what it calls Ultra Wideband, to its 5G Play More, 5G Do More, and 5G Get More customers. With a network that's supposed to have much higher capacity than low-band and LTE coverage, it's an odd limitation. Even stranger, however, is that some Verizon customers have reported phones on 5G Start connecting to Ultra Wideband without the network icon and a speed cap. It remains to be seen how Verizon will continue with this 5G strategy.

T-Mobile on the other hand simply allows all phones to connect to its whole network. Even prepaid customers, like those on Mint Mobile, can access its mid-band 5G at full speed. With 235 million people covered and growing, T-Mobile's mid-band network is one of Mint Mobile's biggest strengths.

Verizon vs. Mint Mobile: Mint Mobile's plans

Mint Mobile offers four data plans on T-Mobile's network with 5G and in our Mint Mobile review, we saw generally good 5G speed. With Mint, you have the selection between 5GB, 15GB, 20GB, and unlimited data, though no plan will ever cut you off entirely (you'll just see your speeds slow down). Unfortunately, the unlimited plan is throttled at 40GB, but this should still be plenty for most users.

The unique thing about Mint Mobile is that you have to purchase your plan in three, six, or 12-month bundles. There is an introductory offer for the first three months, but after that, you'll have to join for 12 months to get the best savings. For instance, the unlimited plan for 12 months will only cost $30 per month, which is a great deal when you compare it to other carriers.

If you bring more than one line with Mint Family, you can get the 12-month rate with only three-month renewals. This can help lessen the impact of the larger multi-month payments you'll need to make with Mint's plan structure.

August 18th 2023 note: For a limited time, Mint is letting new customers sign up for any 3-month plan and only pay $15 per month. That includes the 40GB Unlimited plan. The table below shows the regular monthly price outside of this promotional period. 

With each plan, you'll get unlimited talk, text, free mobile hotspot data (up to 5GB on the unlimited plan), and free calling to Mexico and Canada. If you need to call other countries, it's best to stick to a third-party app like WhatsApp to avoid being charged extra. International roaming is available to you if you have to travel overseas, but you'll have to load your UpRoam account with $5, $10, or $20 increments in advance and pay rates by country.

Should you ever run out of data on your Mint plan, you can always add 1GB or 3GB by paying a respective $10 or $20 extra. If you find that you're using too much data (Mint Mobile has a feature called UnliMINTed that will let you know), you're also able to switch to a lower plan. All in all, Mint Mobile does its best to make sure you're not spending more money than you should be spending on your wireless bill. It's an excellent carrier to consider if you need a single line and you're able to pay for a few months upfront, but if you're seeking a multi-line discount, you'll have to look elsewhere.

Verizon vs. Mint Mobile: Verizon's plans

Although Verizon previously offered six distinct unlimited plans, they've recently changed their entire wireless structure by introducing the new myPlan program. 

This mix-and-match wireless program requires customers to choose between two basic plans, Unlimited Plus and Unlimited Welcome for $65/month and $60/month for one line, respectively. These two plans are pretty stripped down, with little more than unlimited talk, text and 5G data. The more-expensive Unlimited Plus plan also comes with a 30GB mobile hotspot, 5G Ultra Wideband, and access to some exclusive Verizon deals.

Once you pick your base plan, you get to choose from a long list of perks that can be added to your plan for $10 each. These add-ons range from a simple mobile hotspot to international benefits and the Disney Plus streaming bundle. 

The nice thing is that you can change up your perks at any time with zero penalty. Only want Disney Plus for a month to catch up on your favorite show? Simply remove the Add-On when you're ready and you'll no longer be charged for the perk. Although it's inevitably pricier than Mint, the myPlan system really puts you in the driver's seat of your own phone plan, and if you intend to pay for these perks anyway, you'll definitely be saving cash in the long run. 

Here is the full list of Add-Ons available with the myPlan program: 

• Disney Bundle: Includes Disney Plus (no ads), Hulu (with ads), and ESPN Plus (with ads)
• 100GB Mobile Hotspot
• Apple One: Includes Apple Music, Apple TV Plus, Apple Arcade, and iCloud Plus
• Walmart Plus Membership
• Apple Music Family
• Smartwatch Data and Safety
• +play Monthly Credit
• 3 days of TravelPass
• 2TB of Cloud Storage

As with previous Verizon plans, the myPlan system still lets you save money on your monthly bill when you add additional lines, going as low as $25/month per line. 

Verizon vs. Mint Mobile: Which phones will work?

Verizon will work with a wide selection of phones that are compatible with the Verizon network. If you're looking to purchase a new one, you can check its website to see whether there's a good deal. Most of the best Android phones will be compatible, but if you're not sure, you can always check with your IMEI number.

Mint Mobile also has a decent selection of phones sold on its website for you to browse through, but if you're planning on bringing your own device, then you're in luck because any device that works with the T-Mobile network will work with Mint. This means most unlocked devices that are 4G LTE and VoLTE friendly will be compatible. If you're not sure, you can use Mint's compatibility checker through its app or by typing in your IMEI number on its website.

Verizon vs. Mint Mobile: Which should you get?

Verizon is the right carrier for you if you want as many features and perks as you can possibly get out of a cell phone plan, and don't mind spending a bit extra for the fastest data speeds possible. It's an even better option if you have a decent-sized family since the price per line significantly drops as you add more lines. Welcome Unlimited also offers a simpler option for those that don't want all of the perks of the pricier plans.

Mint Mobile, on the other hand, is a prepaid carrier wholly-owned by T-Mobile, but for the most part, you should get good coverage and plenty of performance. It's also much more affordable and the best choice if you're looking for one or two lines and you're able to pay for 12 months of service. Since Mint's introductory rates apply to its three-month plan, you're not locked in for too long if you find the network doesn't work for you.

• Carrier deals: Verizon | AT&T | T-Mobile | Mint Mobile | Visible