Verizon Wireless offers some of the most powerful unlimited plans on the market, with amazing coverage, tons of hotspot data, flexible family plan options, and a rapidly expanding 5G nationwide network that offers unprecedented speeds. There’s no question that it’s one of the best carriers around. The only real downside is the cost: Verizon’s plans run about $5 to $15 more than similar plans from its competitors.
So, is Verizon worth its top-shelf price? If you want the best coverage and fast data speeds, then we think you’ll like Verizon’s options. Read on to learn all the nitty-gritty details about Verizon Wireless cell phone plans.
How to Choose the Perfect Plan
We’ve spent countless hours researching, testing, and writing these reviews. In that time, we’ve come up with some important features to consider when choosing your next cell phone plan. Here are some tips before we get into the in-depth review.
- Data: If you don’t have enough high-speed data, then your smartphone is basically useless. Make sure you have the 4G LTE and 5G data that you need for work, gaming, streaming, scrolling, and everything else.
- Price: Get the best price available by comparing plans using tools like the Whistle Out widgets in this article.
- Coverage: All three major networks—AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon—have pretty good 4G coverage in major cities. But 5G nationwide coverage and rural coverage can vary widely. Check coverage maps for the carrier with the best network in your area.
- Features: There are tons of extra features—like mobile hotspot data, international benefits, and HD video streaming—that you can get. Check the fine print to see what a plan offers before you sign up.
Verizon Unlimited Plans
Verizon gives you everything you want, if you can afford it.
Yes, Verizon’s prices are a bit higher than its main competitors (AT&T and T-Mobile). But we think Verizon’s coverage, speed, and performance—three things the company rates highly for—make the price worthwhile. Take a look at the company’s unlimited plan pricing and features to decide for yourself.
Verizon unlimited plans features
On the surface, these four unlimited plans may look pretty much the same (besides price, of course). They each come with unlimited talk, text, and data. But there are actually some significant differences. This chart breaks it all down.
As you can see, the real difference between these plans comes down to data allotment and perks. The 5G Start plan is the cheapest, but your data speeds can be deprioritized at any time, making it hard to reliably stream, game, or work on your phone. This plan also comes with no mobile hotspot data, and you have to pay extra for ultra-wideband 5G.
The Play More and Do More plans are quite similar. They both come with 50 GB of high-speed 5G/4G LTE data (can be slowed after that cap), 720p streaming quality, and 25 GB of hotspot data. Play More gives you more free subscriptions and Do More comes with Verizon Cloud storage and other business perks.
The Get More plan has pretty much all of the above (but a smidge better): Unlimited premium data (no data deprioritization cap to be seen here), 720p video streams, free subscriptions, cloud storage, plus 50 GB of hotspot data! It’s a real powerhouse of a plan.
Verizon unlimited plans comparison
Now let’s put those Verizon prices in context with the other major wireless competitors. Be forewarned: price isn’t everything. Of course, we all want to pay less for our wireless plans, but remember that perks, speed, and coverage matter too.
Imagine you’re stuck waiting at the DMV and your data speeds are too slow to stream. Or what if your car breaks down and your coverage is too shoddy to call AAA? There are some very real reasons that people pay extra for Verizon.
Discounts for seniors, first responders, and others
Never pay full price for anything if you don’t have to. There are several ways to get discounts on Verizon plans. For those who are 55+ there is an unlimited data plan that can save you $20 a month or more. Here’s a look at the company’s senior plan. Verizon will also hook up students, teachers, first responders, active military, and nurses. Eligible customers can save at least $10 with these plans.
Verizon Family Plans
Family plans can save you money and get you more perks. We love family plans. There is simply no better way to save money on your phone bill, no matter which carrier you’re with. When it comes to Verizon, you can cut your phone bill in half when you have four lines on your account. Just check out the prices in this chart.
Verizon’s Mix and Match family plan lets each member of your family get the unlimited plan they want (Do More, Play More, etc.) while still getting family plan discounts. This way your teenager can get the streaming perks and you can get the business perks.
Verizon’s Just Kids plan
Smartphones are powerful machines. But when little kids have all that power in their hands it can lead to trouble. Thankfully, Verizon offers the best parental controls in the industry with its Just Kids plan. This plan allows guardians to control what content and apps are on the device, who their kid can contact, and track their location.
Verizon family plans comparison
Adding lines to your Verizon plan will save you money. But your bill will still be higher than it could be with other carriers. If you’re willing to go with a discount carrier, like the Verizon-owned Visible Wireless, you could get a four-line plan for as little as $100 a month.
Verizon Prepaid Plans
If you want a prepaid plan, Verizon is probably not the carrier for you. The classic cellular loophole of getting a cheaper deal with a prepaid plan sadly doesn’t work too well with Verizon. The prepaid plans end up being more expensive than cheaper services. But Verizon prepaid plans still offer excellent coverage, so you do have that going for you. Also, not all of Verizon’s prepaid plans come with features like hotspot tethering. If you’ve ever needed to access your computer on the go, you know how important a hotspot can be. Oh, and one more thing—you could experience slower speeds due to data deprioritization (which is a fancy way of saying you’re at the back of the line when the network is congested). If you’re set on getting a prepaid plan, you might want to check out Metro by T-Mobile.
Verizon Cell Phones and Devices
The Big V has great deals on the hottest new phones. The best time to score an awesome deal on a new phone is when you’re signing up for a new plan. Verizon can hook you up with a great price on the latest devices, like an Apple iPhone 13, Samsung Galaxy S22, or Google Pixel 6. This chart shows some of Verizon’s most popular deals on new phones and devices.
Verizon’s Performance
Verizon stacks up very well against the competition when it comes to coverage and speed
Verizon has owned the championship belt for best coverage for a while now, and it’s no different in 2021. Verizon offers 4G coverage to 70% of the country, which leads all major networks.
This is why Verizon costs more than the wireless competition—good coverage costs money. If you’re the type that ventures to parts unknown (like North Dakota or something), or even if your area is just more rural, you’ll probably want the reliability Verizon provides. Check out the Verizon coverage map below to see what we’re talking about.
You might notice that Verizon’s 5G coverage isn’t half-bad either. The company hasn’t quite caught up to T-Mobile when it comes to 5G nationwide coverage. But its ultra-wideband 5G network is growing fast (towers went up in my Salt Lake City neighborhood last year), meaning that you could get 200+ Mbps speeds if you live in the right area!
Verizon Customer Service
Verizon could improve its customer service, but so could every other cell phone carrier. The cell phone industry as a whole struggles with its customer service, and sadly, Verizon is no exception.
Keep in mind you can still get help with your Verizon account or phone through online chat (if you’re signed into your Verizon account) or throw some hashtags Verizon’s way on Twitter and Facebook. We’d like to see Verizon innovate and improve when it comes to customer service. And a more transparent way of allowing customers to price and compare plans wouldn’t hurt, either.
How to pay your Verizon bill
Getting a hold of Verizon customer service may be hard. But giving Verizon your money isn’t. There are tons of ways to pay your Verizon bill: with the app, online, over the phone, by mail, or by signing up for Verizon autopay. You can get a step-by-step guide to paying your Verizon bill and signing up for autopay in this article.
Recap: Is Verizon good?
If you’re looking for the TL;DR on how Verizon’s cell phone service compares, look no further.
- Unlimited plans: You can go for the cheaper 5G Start plan if you’re okay with occasional data slowdowns. If you want reliable speeds and more perks, like mobile hotspot data, then opt for one of the pricier options, like the 5G Do More plan.
- Family Plans: If you’ve got a couple of family members who will share a family plan with you, then do it. It will save you a ton of money, but your bill will probably still be higher than it would be with another company.
- Performance: Verizon’s coverage and data speeds earned top ratings again and again. You can’t argue with that.
- Customer service: It’s fairly easy to reach Verizon online, but the entire wireless service provider industry leaves something to be desired when it comes to customer service.
If you’re all about fast speeds and the best coverage, Verizon is a great pick. If you want to get the best possible price, do what you can to work within a family plan. If you’re a single user, reach out to family and friends and see if you can hop on a plan.
Methodology
This Verizon Wireless review is the result of dozens of hours of research over several years. We’ve monitored Verizon’s plans, performance, and coverage over the years so that we can provide the most informative and helpful analysis to our readers.
We used publicly available information about Verizon wireless plans, customer reviews, and our own data from over 100,000 mobile users to evaluate Verizon’s overall value and data speeds. We hope that this review has helped you find the perfect cell phone plan. If you’re curious you can read more about our reviewing process in this article.
