- If you're deciding between T-Mobile, Verizon, or AT&T,
this video is for you.
I'll be comparing all of the cell phone plans
currently available, and letting you know
which ones are best.
I'll provide my recommendations
for both individuals and families,
so you can make sure you're getting the best deal possible.
Timestamps are in the video description,
and let's get into it.
Each carrier offers three different types of plans
to choose from.
Entry-level plans, mid-tier plans, and top-tier plans.
Let's start with the entry-level plans.
These are the most affordable, and probably the plans
most people are going to be considering.
We have T-Mobile Essentials, Verizon Start Unlimited,
and AT&T Unlimited Starter.
And right upfront, I'll tell you,
these plans aren't worth it.
Why?
Quite simply, you can get better plans for less.
On T-Mobile, you could opt for T-Mobile Prepaid's
$50 unlimited plan, and save $120 per year,
for literally the exact same service.
On Verizon, you could get Visible's $40 unlimited plan,
and save yourself a cool $360 per year.
And on AT&T, you could opt for AT&T's Prepaid,
and get an Unlimited plan for just $50 per month,
and save yourself $180 per year.
Because you can get unlimited data for less money,
I don't think entry-level plans are worth it
from any of the major carriers.
That's it.
There are actually two reasons you may consider
these entry-level plans.
Number one, you want to finance your device.
Currently, device financing is only available
through these postpaid plans.
Your options if you go with prepaid,
is typically to finance through Affirm.
This can work great for some people,
but still the device trade-in deals and financing options
from the major carriers,
tend to be some of the best on the market.
And number two, you have a family plan.
With four lines on one account,
the cost per line drops to between 30 and $35 per month,
which is honestly a lot more reasonable.
If you pair these family discounts
with a device financing deal,
then I could see how these plans
may be appealing to some people.
So if you do decide to sign up, which plan is best?
Taking a look at the full comparison here,
and you can see there are four main differences.
Number one, T-Mobile includes unlimited hotspot data
at 600 kilobits per second, while Verizon and AT&T,
don't include any hotspot data at all.
Number two, AT&T includes unlimited data roaming
in Canada and Mexico, at full LTE speeds,
when on partner networks.
Verizon includes just half a gig of high-speed data per day,
before unlimited data at 128, kilobits per second.
And T-Mobile speeds are always kept,
at 128 kilobits per second.
Number three, the perks.
Verizon gives you six month free trial of Apple Music,
Disney+, and Discovery+, T-Mobile offers T-Mobile Tuesdays,
and AT&T gives you nothing.
And number four, tablet lines
are actually cheaper on T-Mobile.
$15 a line versus $20 a line on Verizon and AT&T.
The rest of the plan features are basically the same.
All plans include unlimited data that's deprioriotized,
480p standard definition video streaming,
and the same cost for wearable devices.
If I had to choose, I would go with T-Mobile's plan here
because it's the cheapest option,
and it does include the best hotspot feature.
That said again, I don't really recommend
any of these plans,
because you can get the same unlimited data,
for less from other carriers.
So with that said, let's move on to the mid-tier category.
The mid-tier plans bump things up in price,
but T-Mobile's plan remains the cheapest.
It's just $70 per month, compared to $75 from AT&T,
and $80 from Verizon.
Again, including all auto pay discounts.
The full breakdown here reveals
there are seven key differences.
First T-Mobile includes the most priority data,
with 100 gigabytes compared to just 50 gigabytes
on Verizon or AT&T.
Second, Verizon and AT&T include the most hotspot data here,
with 15 gigs compared to a measly five gigs
on T-Mobile.
Third, Verizon enables up to 720P video streaming,
compared to 480P streaming on the other plans.
Fourth, AT&T continues to offer the best option
for roaming in Canada and Mexico,
with unlimited high-speed data.
Fifth, T-Mobile adds in unlimited
international data roaming,
with speeds up to 128 kilobits per second.
Sixth, T-Mobile includes all taxes and fees with their plan.
This saves T-Mobile customers, about $70 per year
compared to the other plans,
which is basically an extra free month of service.
And finally seventh, are the perks.
Verizon includes Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+,
along with six months of Apple Music,
and 12 months of discovery+.
T-Mobile offers one standard definition screen on Netflix,
but only with two or more lines,
and you still get T-Mobile Tuesdays here.
And AT&T doesn't include any notable perks with their plan.
I think T-Mobile's plan is the best here.
It's the most affordable at $70 per month,
with taxes and fees included.
And the 100 gigabytes of priority data is huge
for average consumers.
Most people use data directly
on their smartphones, instead of hotspot data.
So I think the extra priority data is more important
than having extra hotspot data.
The five gigs of hotspot data that T-Mobile does include,
should still be plenty for average consumers.
In second place, I would recommend Verizon's Play More plan.
I do appreciate the extra 15 gigs
of high-speed hotspot data here,
and I'm honestly a really big fan,
of the Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ bundle.
Plus, it's nice that Verizon's plan goes up
to 720 P video streaming.
So even though Verizon is the most expensive plan
in this category, I do feel it's a good value.
When it comes to family plans, T-Mobile's plan
continues to be the best option.
It's the same price as AT&T plan at $40 per line.
But with taxes and fees included,
T-Mobile's plan does end up being cheaper,
and you save between 240 to $480 per year,
compared to the other options.
And in second place here, I would actually go with AT&T.
The $20 monthly difference between AT&T and Verizon,
means you could get AT&T, and the Disney+ bundle,
and still save money in comparison to Verizon.
Next up, we have the top-tier plans.
These are the best plans each carrier has to offer.
They include the most features,
and they are the most expensive.
T-Mobile and AT&T plans are $85 per month,
while Verizon's plan is $90 per month,
with all auto-pay discounts applied.
The full breakdown of these plans reveals
there are seven key differences.
First, T-Mobile offers the most priority data here.
You get truly unlimited priority data,
compared to only 50 gigs on Verizon,
and a more respectable 100 gigs on AT&T.
Second, T-Mobile gives you the most hotspot data.
You get 40 gigabytes compared to 30 gigabytes
on the other carriers.
Third, T-Mobile and AT&T up the ante,
and provide full 4k video streaming.
Verizon unfortunately stays stuck at 720P.
Forth, AT&T continues to offer the best solution for roaming
in Canada and Mexico, with unlimited high-speed data.
Fifth, T-Mobile continues to offer the best
international solution, with unlimited data
now at 256 kilobits per second.
You also now get unlimited in-flight Wi-Fi and texting,
on GoGo enabled flights.
Sixth, T-Mobile continues to include taxes and fees.
Seventh are the perks.
Verizon includes Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, and Apple Music here,
as well as a 12-month free trial,
of the new discovery+ streaming service.
AT&T includes HBO Max,
which pairs nicely with their 4k streaming.
And T-Mobile now offers Netflix Basic, which is one screen
at standard definition quality, for single-line users.
And finally eighth, the tablet and wearable pricing.
Verizon actually offers a 50% discount here,
bringing the cost of their tablet and wearable plans,
down to just $10 a line for tablets,
and $5 a line for wearables.
So which plan is the best here?
T-Mobile's Magenta MAX clean sweeps the other plans,
with its impressive amount of included features
and benefits.
The combination of unlimited priority data,
40 gigs of hotspot, 4k streaming,
and the included free international data roaming,
make T-Mobile the best option here in my opinion.
And not only that, it's the most affordable with taxes
and fees included.
T-Mobile has started offering some serious value
with their new Magenta Max plan.
In second place, I would actually put AT&T's plan.
Their plan is honestly still a great value.
With 100 gigs of priority data, 4k video streaming,
and HBO Max.
Plus you can easily get discounts on AT&T Unlimited Elite,
by becoming an AARP member,
or if you qualify for other discount programs.
When we look at family pricing here,
T-Mobile continues to keep the pressure on.
Four lines comes up to just $50 a line,
which is the same as AT&T.
But again, T-Mobile includes those taxes and fees,
so families actually end up saving around 240
to $480 per year, compared to the other options.
That's easily enough to cover the cost of HBO Max,
or the Disney+ bundle, which in my opinion
make the perks with the other plans,
basically irrelevant.
That said, AT&T does offer that signature discount,
up to $10 off per line on their Unlimited Elite plan.
And if you are able to qualify for that,
then I think AT&T's plan is easily a close second,
and even a first choice.
If you're in an area with better AT&T coverage,
then T-Mobile coverage.
And funny enough with Verizon's Get More unlimited plan,
you actually get less.
Why is that not surprising?
You get less priority data, less hotspot data,
and you get lower quality video streaming.
In fact, the only person getting more is Verizon themselves,
because they're getting more of your money.
This plan is the most expensive plan we've covered so far,
and it's one of the most expensive cell phone plans
out there.
So where does that leave us?
Ultimately I feel T-Mobile,
is providing some of the best value plans
in the industry right now.
They're offering great features, perks, and benefits,
and they're coming in at some of the most
affordable price points in the industry.
If you haven't tried T-Mobile recently,
I would seriously consider giving them another chance.
That's it for this video.
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I'm Stetson, thank you so much for watching,
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