When you come to that point where you’re asking if you should switch phone carriers, you’ll have a lot of daunting details to wade through. Features like 5G speed, hotspot data and included streaming services all have to be considered in addition to price.

Here, we’re looking at two of the biggest cellular companies in the US: T-Mobile and Verizon.

These two aren’t the only carriers, of course, but being among the biggest players means you’re likely looking at them first before checking out smaller providers or prepaid options (many of which are owned by T-Mobile, Verizon and the third major company, AT&T).

It’s not lost on me that you might be reading this because you were affected by Verizon’s widespread and lengthy outage in January. While every carrier suffers from service outages, that one was especially impactful, and the causes are still largely unknown.

T-Mobile

Last year, T-Mobile nabbed the title of Best Mobile Network in the US by Ookla, and it wrapped the calendar by being named the best carrier for network quality by J.D. Power. What’s notable here is that both of those titles used to be dominated by Verizon. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by CNET’s parent company, Ziff Davis.)

Verizon

Verizon started 2026 with price cuts across its plans, but then it struggled through an unusual daylong outage, uncommon for a big carrier. But from a network standpoint, Verizon is still a strong choice if you’re within its coverage umbrella. It’s also the most flexible option among the major carriers when it comes to mixing plans and perks.

Do you have T-Mobile or Verizon coverage where you are?

Before we even get into specs and features, check that you’re covered by T-Mobile’s or Verizon’s network where you expect to use your phone. All the major carriers in the US have broad coverage across the country, so you’re likely served by one or all of them.

If you haven’t already, look up your location on the T-Mobile coverage map and the Verizon coverage map.

But also keep in mind that the carriers’ maps won’t necessarily reflect the network conditions on the ground, even though they can zoom in down to the neighborhood level. You may see fast 5G speeds on the map, but local interference or physical structures could mean actual connections are not as robust.

Weak signals mean reduced call clarity and more drain on your phone’s battery as it tries to stay connected. Plus, when you’re paying for fast 5G data speeds, you want to make sure you’re actually seeing that performance. So if possible, ask friends, family or someone you know in your area about their experiences with their carriers.

T-Mobile vs. Verizon: Comparing price and value

Carriers want to encourage you to subscribe to their top-tier plans that offer larger high-speed data allowances, streaming services and other perks because those are the most expensive and profitable options. That’s not a surprise.

But at the end of 2025, Verizon unexpectedly lowered its plan prices across the board — it’s more common for a carrier to add features to make plans more appealing than to drop the price.

And at the start of 2026, T-Mobile introduced a new plan available for a “limited time,” the Better Value plan, designed for families or groups with three or more lines as a way to attract new customers and reward longtime subscribers with more perks than the similarly priced Experience More plan. 

When you’re looking at costs, keep in mind that plan pricing is based on the number of lines in use — usually those are separate phones, but it’s common now to include cellular access on a smartwatch or tablet. As you add more lines, the cost per line goes down.

Comparing single-line plans

If you’re approaching this decision on cost alone, T-Mobile’s Essentials Saver plan at $50 a month is slightly cheaper than Verizon’s Unlimited Welcome at $55 a month (which used to be $65 a month). At the top end of the scales, T-Mobile’s Experience Beyond plan costs $100 a month, while Verizon’s Unlimited Ultimate plan costs $80 a month.

We’ll get into perks and what’s offered on the more expensive plans shortly because Verizon takes a different approach than other providers. But it’s worth pointing out here that the Verizon Unlimited Welcome plan offers only 5G speeds, not the fastest 5G Ultra Wideband (5GUW), even if you’re in an area that supports 5GUW with a compatible phone. To get the best bandwidth, you need to move up to the Unlimited Plus ($70) or Unlimited Ultimate ($80) plan.

T-Mobile’s Essentials Saver (and Essentials, which costs $60) includes 50GB of high-speed data, then unlimited data at slower speeds. Verizon’s Unlimited Plus and Unlimited Ultimate plans do not restrict the amount of high-speed data.

Single-line price advantage: T-Mobile

Comparing multiple-line plans

When we start looking at plans that cover three or more lines, things get more complicated. At the most affordable end, for four lines you’ll pay $100 a month for the T-Mobile Essentials plan and Verizon’s Unlimited Welcome plan. (The T-Mobile Essentials plan is priced at $105, but the company has an Essentials 4 Line Offer that brings it down to $100.)

In both cases, you don’t get any streaming perks or hotspot data. And remember that Verizon’s plan is limited to only 5G speeds, not the faster 5GUW.

The next steps up are hefty price jumps: $170 for T-Mobile’s Experience More or Better Value plans and $160 for Verizon’s Unlimited Plus plan. You get unlimited fast 5G data on both and hotspot data — but with a key difference.

Streaming services are included in T-Mobile’s plans but cost extra on Verizon’s plans. That gives you more flexibility to pick and choose on Verizon, but adding just one streaming package (such as Netflix and HBO Max with ads) puts the Unlimited Plus plan at the same $170 price as T-Mobile’s midtier plans.

Four-line price advantage: About even

T-Mobile vs. Verizon: Comparing perks

I’ve been hinting about how T-Mobile and Verizon handle perks, so now it’s time to get into the details. The key difference is that Verizon offers them as separate add-ons.

For example, the T-Mobile Experience More plan includes Netflix Standard with ads, but what if you prefer Disney Plus for your streaming entertainment? Verizon has a bundle that includes Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN Plus with ads that you can select for $10 a month.

Verizon also lets each person on a multiline account choose which perks they want. Maybe one person finds value in the Google AI Pro subscription ($10) while another family member would rather add YouTube Premium ($10).

So keep that modularity in mind as we look at the perks available for each company’s plans.

Hotspot data

Hotspot data lets you use your phone as a mobile data source. If you’ve ever stayed in a hotel that charges eye-watering fees for using its Wi-Fi, you’ll appreciate the ability to connect your laptop (or tablet or other devices) to a Wi-Fi network created by your phone using cellular data.

T-Mobile shook up this category with the introduction of its Better Value plan in January 2026. The Experience More plan has 60GB of high-speed hotspot data, after which the speed drops significantly but is unlimited for the rest of the month. For the same monthly price of $170, the Better Value plan gives 250GB of high-speed data.

To compare, Verizon’s Unlimited Plus plan has 30GB of high-speed hotspot data, then unlimited at slower speeds. But if you find yourself using a hotspot often, you can add another 100GB high-speed allocation to the line for $10 a month.

Hotspot advantage: T-Mobile

Streaming services and other perks

Are you tired of juggling lots of subscriptions? The carriers know people are suffering subscription fatigue and now integrate deals such as included or reduced-cost streaming services and other services. When other criteria, such as price, pencil out similarly between carriers, the perks can sometimes sway your decision.

T-Mobile’s Experience More, Better Value and Experience Beyond plans include Netflix Standard with ads and streaming quality of up to 4K resolution. The Experience Beyond and Better Value plans also toss in Hulu. Apple TV used to be part of the lineup, but now it’s a separate $3-per-month add-on.

Verizon offers multiple streaming bundles as $10-per-month additions: Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN Plus with ads; Netflix and HBO Max with ads; YouTube Premium; and Apple Music Family. Fox One can be added for $15 a month, as can Apple One, which includes Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple Arcade and Apple iCloud Plus cloud storage and services.

The ability to make international calls and to get data access while traveling is another important perk for many people. T-Mobile’s Better Value and Experience Beyond plans include unlimited talk and text and 30GB of high-speed data in Mexico and Canada, then unlimited data at slower 256Kbps data speeds.

While traveling to other countries, the Better Value plan offers unlimited texting and 30GB of high-speed data, while the Experience Beyond plan offers just 15GB of high-speed data and is the carrier’s most expensive postpaid plan at $215 for four lines. The Experience More plan has 5GB of high-speed data.

For Verizon, you need to bump up to the Unlimited Ultimate plan at $200 a month to get international perks, including unlimited talk and texting, but just 15GB of high-speed data. However, after that amount is reached, the unlimited data is faster at 1.5 Mbps than T-Mobile’s downshifted speed.

Streaming services and perks advantage: T-Mobile

T-Mobile vs. Verizon: Prepaid options

The comparisons until now have been with each carrier’s unlimited postpaid plans, which is what we generally recommend for most people. Each company also offers plans that you prepay each month or each year. The prepaid market is broader than just the top three carriers — though they also own many of those players — but for this comparison, we’re sticking to the branded prepaid options from T-Mobile and Verizon.

The most affordable prepaid plan from T-Mobile is Starter Monthly at $40 a month for a single line or $130 a month for four lines. It includes 15GB of high-speed data and unlimited 2G data speeds after.

For $20 more a month ($60 single, $150 for four lines), the Unlimited Plus Monthly plan comes with 50GB of high-speed data and then unlimited 5G. T-Mobile calls this “premium data,” which means after you’ve used up 50GB, you may see slower speeds depending on how congested the network is.

Verizon’s prepaid plans start at $35 a month (with a $10 Auto Pay discount) for a single line or $140 a month for four lines on the 15GB plan, which true to its name, has 15GB of high-speed data — but not 5GUW access — then unlimited 2G speeds for the rest of the month. The high-end plan, Unlimited Plus, has 50GB of up to 5GUW speeds and 25GB of hotspot data for $60 (one line) or $180 (four lines) a month.

Prepaid options advantage: T-Mobile, but just barely

T-Mobile vs. Verizon: Which carrier is the best?

Verizon’s across-the-board price cuts made its plans more appealing, but in a direct comparison, T-Mobile takes the lead here.

We like the flexibility of Verizon’s approach to perks, especially if you want multiple streaming services at discounted rates compared to subscribing to them separately.

But in many matchups, Verizon ends up being more expensive.

Other carriers to consider

The other main entry to consider is AT&T, which we put up against T-Mobile in another comparison. It’s the largest wireless carrier in the US and has been actively improving its network, including enabling a block of spectrum licenses it purchased to boost 5G performance.

For prepaid plans, definitely check out our Best Prepaid Plans of 2026 list for alternatives, some of which rely on T-Mobile’s and Verizon’s infrastructure.