Visible Wireless offers two powerful and affordable unlimited data plans that will be perfect for people who use their phones a lot. The basic unlimited plan only costs $30/month, and the premium plan (with 50 GB of high-speed data monthly) costs $45/month. Meanwhile, Xfinity Mobile has a few cheap limited data plans that will be perfect for folks who don’t stream, scroll, or Snapchat all day. But you have to be an existing Comcast customer to sign up.
Data: So much of what we do on our phones, from TikTok to Google Maps, uses data. You want to make sure you have enough 4G LTE or 5G data to meet your needs. Price: There are tons of great looking deals out there right now. But be sure to read the fine print (some promotional prices end after a few months) and take a look at the competition before settling on a plan. Coverage: There are three major networks—AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. All three companies run great networks, but one may offer better coverage in your area. Performance: There are many factors, from data speeds to mobile hotspots, that can affect the overall performance of your cell phone plan. Make sure you’re getting the most bang for your buck.
The biggest problem is probably data throttling and deprioritization. Your 4G LTE data speeds will usually hover in the 5–12 Mbps range, which is slower than traditional phone plans from a company like AT&T or T-Mobile. You can avoid those shortcomings by paying the extra $15/month to get the Visible+ premium plan, which comes with 50 GB of high-speed data every month. If you’re able to sign up, Xfinity Mobile offers more options than Visible Wireless. You can go for an unlimited data plan for $45 a month, or you can get a more flexible By the Gig plan. Here’s a look at these options side by side. There are three starting options for your By the Gig plan: 1 GB, 3 GB, and 10 GB. For each GB that you use over that starting amount, you’ll be charged an extra $15. That can add up pretty fast, so if you’re a heavy data user, it’s best to just get an unlimited data plan. This plan has drawbacks similar to Visible’s, too. Your download speeds will be capped at 5–12 Mbps, and users of 20 GB or more of data could see their speeds go even lower. Your hotspot data speeds will be capped at 600 Kbps and your video streaming will be capped at 480p resolution. At $45, it’s a lot cheaper than many other unlimited plans. But it’s not cheaper than Visible’s. So, if we have to choose an outright winner in the unlimited data plan category, we’d definitely choose Visible. Both Visible and Xfinity use Verizon’s network. So you’ll get basically the same coverage with either one. This is great news, because Verizon operates the best network in the country. Just check out this coverage map. But if we compare each company’s customer service apps, we can see that Visible Wireless’s app has a 4.4-star rating on the Apple App Store, while Xfinity Mobile has an impressive a 4.8-star rating. Sometimes app ratings are misleading because the reviewers may be responding to bugs or flaws in the software, not necessarily a bad customer service experience. But these days, putting out a buggy app is bad customer service.
Plans: Visible’s unlimited data plan is an amazing powerhouse that gets you everything you could want for just $40 a month. Xfinity’s unlimited plan is a bit pricier without any obvious advantages. But lower-data users will be happy with Xfinity’s By the Gig plan. Coverage and performance: Both Visible and Xfinity are on Verizon’s network. Also, both companies are MVNOs that can have their data speeds deprioritized. So, performance wise, these two carriers are basically the same.
If you’ve already made your decision you can sign up for Visible or Xfinity online. If you’re still not sure then you might want to take a look at these other great plans.
