The short answer is: Twigby will appeal to some with its incredibly cheap talk, text, and (limited) data plans. But its data speeds, coverage, and perks can’t hold a candle to Verizon’s. Those who want strong mobile performance should go with the big V. That was the short answer. For the long answer, read the rest of this article. We’ll go over everything you need to know about Twigby and Verizon.

Data: If you don’t have enough data you won’t be able to stream, browse, game, or work on your phone. Be sure to look for data caps, throttling, and deprioritization in the fine print! Price: Mobile prices are always fluctuating. The only way to be sure you’re getting the best deal is to compare prices using tools like the WhistleOut charts in this article. Coverage: AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon all run nationwide 4G LTE and 5G networks. Check out coverage maps to see which one covers your area the best. Features: Hotspot data, HD video streaming, in-flight texting, free streaming accounts—the list of perks goes on and on. Get a plan that’s loaded up with the features you want.

In short: Twigby’s plans are cheap, but Verizon’s offer way more. We’ll get into all the nitty-gritty details about both carriers now, beginning with Twigby. The problem comes when the network gets busy. The parent company can (and often does) slow down data speeds for MVNO customers, who pay less. That means Twigby customers will often see significantly slower data speeds than customers on, say, T-Mobile or AT&T. If you want reliable high-speed data for working, gaming, or streaming, then Twigby might not be the right carrier for you. That leaves us with the company’s four unlimited data plans. Each of these plans gives you unlimited talk, text, and data. All four plans get you onto Verizon’s rapidly expanding  5G network too. But here’s what makes each plan unique.

The Start Unlimited Plan is the cheapest and weakest of Verizon’s unlimited plans. You won’t get any hotspot data and your regular data will be subject to deprioritization, so you can’t count on having fast 4G speeds all the time. The Do More Unlimited Plan comes with a respectable 50 GB high-speed data cap, but your video streams will be throttled at 480p. This plan gives you 15 GB of mobile hotspot data and cool business perks to help you get more work done, like 600 GB of Verizon Cloud storage. The Play More Unlimited Plan is a great plan for streamers. It has a 50 GB high-speed data cap and 15 GB of hotspot data. You’ll also get unlimited HD video streaming and cool free subscriptions to Hulu, ESPN, and Disney+. The Get More Unlimited Plan gives you everything you could need in a cell phone plan: a 50 GB data cap, unlimited HD streaming, all the subscriptions listed above, and a boatload (30 GB) of mobile hotspot data.

Basically, if you want performance above all else, then one of the unlimited plans from Verizon is the way to go. Plus, you might be able to score a nifty discount. But when it comes to Twigby vs. Verizon, only one carrier really delivers in the family plan department. That carrier is Verizon. It has tons of cool family plans (you can read more about them in our full Verizon review). Meanwhile, Twigby offers no family plan discounts. To demonstrate how much better Verizon’s family plans are, we made this little chart. It shows two plans, each with four lines. The Verizon plan comes with unlimited data for every line, while Twigby comes with just 40 GB split between four lines. Verizon often runs BOGO deals, discounts, and other promotional deals on flagship devices like the iPhone 12 or Galaxy S21. Meanwhile, Twigby focuses on discount phones, like the iPhone SE (2020). These WhistleOut charts will show you the most popular phone deals from each carrier right now.

Plans: If you don’t need a ton of data and just want the lowest price, then Twigby has tons of low-data plans for under $30 a month. Verizon is the opposite: it offers high-performance, high-data plans that cost a pretty penny. Family plans: Twigby technically lets you add extra lines to your phone plan, but you won’t get any discounts for doing so. Verizon, on the other hand, offers significant cost savings when you sign up for a family plan. Coverage and performance: There’s little competition when it comes overall performance. Verizon offers faster data, better coverage, and more special features and perks.

If you’re looking to get a cell phone plan that costs less than a movie ticket, Twigby’s the way to go. But if you prize performance—fast data, good coverage, and other perks—then Verizon is the company for you. We looked at every plan offered by both carriers, and evaluated them based on data allotments, data speeds, cost, coverage, and special features. We used our own proprietary data from over 100,000 mobile customers to inform our recommendations about data performance. Ultimately, our analysis relied on public information, user reviews, our own data, and our own broad experience as cell phone reviewers. If you want to learn more about how we review cell phone plans, you can read this article.