UScellular vs. Verizon: Which carrier is better?

UScellular and Verizon are very popular phone carriers that offer large data buckets. Each carrier has its positives and negatives, but which offers better phone plans? Let’s put them head to head and see which brand comes out on top. 

In this article, we plan to discuss the ins and outs of both carriers and what they offer. We’ll also cover:

• What the coverage of both carriers looks like
• How prices of their plans compare to how much data you get
• The features each carrier offers for their plans 

Unsure of what you need out of a plan? Check out our guide on how to choose the best phone plan. 

Coverage & Reception

UScellular is on all networks – including their own!

UScellular is a mobile virtual network operator, or MVNO. This means that they purchase service access wholesale from one of the three major networks that own infrastructure across the country – AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile – giving customers service at a much cheaper price. UScellular uses infrastructure from all three big networks. They also have their own towers in select areas. 

Often, the quality of coverage comes down to your area. One carrier’s coverage may be better in New York, while another’s coverage may be better in California. It’s important to compare between providers on a coverage map of your specific city. Ookla’s coverage map allows you to see where cellular towers are located and which company owns them. This coverage map provides information about coverage from 2G to 5G for several providers.

However, T-Mobile’s 5G coverage and access is hailed as the best coverage overall. 

Plan Options

Verizon and UScellular both offer premium data. 

Like most plans you’ll see on the market, both carriers offer unlimited talk and texting options with any plan you choose. UScellular and Verizon both offer premium data, which does not slow down no matter the amount of network traffic. Each carrier also deprioritizes data on certain plans, meaning you’ll have slower connection speeds in high traffic areas like concerts venues and sports arenas.

UScellular Plans

UScellular offers several plans to choose from, with some including premium data and the option to bring your own device.

UScellular is unique, as it offers prepaid and postpaid plans. All except one of their prepaid plans include limited data. Otherwise, UScellular plans are postpaid. They all feature premium data as well. 

They offer two versions of their postpaid plans – promotional unlimited and unlimited evolved. Their promotional plans offer an option to bring your own device and a $10 Autopay discount, while their Evolved line offers a $5 Autopay discount and allow you to purchase devices with them. They encourage users to go with the Unlimited Evolved plan to save more money if there are multiple users on the account. 

If you purchase your phone from UScellular, your device will be locked for 120 days after activation. The plans they offer renew monthly, and taxes and fees are not included with the advertised price. 

Prepaid 2GB

This is the smallest plan US Cellular offers, and it gives you 2GB of premium data each month with included hotspot access. Once you run out of data, speeds slow to 2G and hotspot access stops completely. 

The Prepaid 2GB plan costs $25 per month. With this plan, you get 2GB per month for $12.50 per GB. 

Prepaid 5GB

This plan comes with 5GB of premium data as well as included hotspot access. After the cap, users get 2G speeds and hotspot access stops completely. 

This plan costs $30 per month, and you get 5GB per month for $6 per GB. 

Prepaid 8GB

This plan comes with 8GB of premium data as well as hotspot access. Once you use up the 8GB, speeds slow to 2G and you lose hotspot access. 

This plan costs $35 per month, and you get 8GB per month for $4.38 per GB. 

Prepaid Unlimited 

This is the smallest unlimited plan that US Cellular offers. It gives you 15GB of premium data each month with hotspot access included. Once you use 15GB, speeds slow to 2G and hotspot access stops. 

Prepaid Unlimited costs $40 per month. With this plan, you get 15GB per month for $2.67 per GB. 

Prepaid Unlimited Plus

As the biggest prepaid plan US Cellular offers, this plan gives you 35GB of premium data each month. It slows to 2G speeds after that limit. At 2G speeds, users can expect to still be able to send texts and emails or browse the internet, but playing games or streaming video will be difficult without WiFi. It also offers hotspot access that stops at the same cap. 

With this plan, you get 35GB per month for $1.57 per GB. 

Basic Unlimited (BYOD)

With this version, the plan also comes with 100GB of deprioritized data. It slows down to 3G speeds after the cap. This plan comes with 100GB of deprioritized data and is the smallest postpaid plan US Cellular offers. It doesn’t include hotspot access. Once you use up the 100GB, the plan slows down to 3G speeds. At this speed, users can still send texts and emails or browse social media, but playing games and streaming video may be slower without WiFi. 

This version of the plan allows you to bring your own device, and you can also purchase a hotspot add-on.

The BYOD version of this plan costs $40 before the $10 Autopay discount. With this plan, you get 100GB per month for $0.40 per GB. 

Basic Unlimited

With this version, the plan also comes with 100GB of deprioritized data. It slows down to 3G speeds after the cap. 

The plan costs $35 before the $5 Autopay discount.  With this plan, you get 100GB per month for $0.35 per GB. 

Everyday Unlimited (BYOD)

With Everyday Unlimited, users get 50GB of premium data each month. After 50GB, speeds slow to 3G speeds. This plan also comes with 25GB of hotspot data, and access stops at that cap. This version of the plan allows you to bring your own device. 

The BYOD version of this plan costs $50 before the $10 Autopay discount, and $40 after. At full price, you get 75GB per month for $0.67 per GB. 

Everyday Unlimited

This plan is the same as the other Everyday Unlimited plan, as it offers 50GB of premium data and 25GB of hotspot data. Speeds slow down to 3G after the 50GB cap, and hotspot access stops once you use that allotment. 

This plan costs $45 per month before the $5 Autopay discount. At full price, you get 75GB per month for $0.60 per GB. 

Even Better Unlimited (BYOD)

This is the biggest plan US Cellular has to offer. It gives its users unlimited premium data and 50GB of hotspot data. Once you reach the hotspot cap, your access stops completely. This version of the plan allows you to bring your own device.

The BYOD version of this plan costs $60 before the $10 Autopay discount. 

Even Better Unlimited

This is the same plan as the BYOD version of Even Better Unlimited. It offers unlimited premium data and 50GB of hotspot data that stops at the cap. 

This plan costs $55 per month before the $5 Autopay discount. 

Verizon Plans

Verizon offers unlimited data with all of their postpaid plans.

Verizon offers 3 postpaid plans: myPlan Unlimited Welcome, myPlan Unlimited Plus, and myPlan Unlimited Ultimate. This means you pay after the month of service instead of before. They all offer unlimited data, but at different prioritization levels. One offers unlimited deprioritized data, while the others offer unlimited premium data. The Unlimited Plus and Ultimate plans have a QCI level of 8, while Unlimited Welcome has a QCI level 9. 

You can have up to 12 lines on one Verizon plan account. Devices bought from Verizon are locked for the first 60 days after activation. Their postpaid plans renew monthly, and taxes and fees are not included with the advertised price. 

myPlan Unlimited Welcome

This plan offers unlimited, but deprioritized, data. 

This plan offers unlimited data, but your connections are subjected to deprioritization. You may experience slower speeds when in high traffic areas. The plan does not come with hotspot access, but 100GB of hotspot data can be bought as an additional add-on for $10 per month. 

The plan costs $70 per month for one line normally, and $60 per month with the Autopay discount. 

myPlan Unlimited Plus 

This plan gives you unlimited premium data. 

This plan offers unlimited premium data, which means users can use however much they want without experiencing slower speeds. The plan also includes 30GB of hotspot data, which is also premium. However, your hotspot data will be deprioritized after 30GB. The 100GB add-on is also available to include with this plan. 

The plan costs $75 per month normally, and $65 per month with the Autopay discount. 

myPlan Unlimited Ultimate 

This plan gives you unlimited premium data. 

This is Verizon’s newest and biggest plan, and it offers unlimited premium data every month. You also get 60GB of premium hotspot data, but your hotspot data becomes deprioritized after you hit that limit. 

This plan costs $85 per month without the $10 Autopay discount, which would bring the price to $75 per month. 

Features

Verizon offers add-ons for their plans, while UScellular offers features included.  

If you’re looking for a plan with more included features, such as international connection or domestic roaming data, it’s best to compare carriers with what they offer. Verizon offers additional features with their plans for a fee.  

Domestic Roaming Data

UScellular and Verizon offer domestic roaming data on their plans.

Mexico & Canada Connection

UScellular offers talk in Mexico and Canada on all plans except their Prepaid 2GB and 5GB plans as well as text and data on all unlimited plans. Verizon includes talk, text, and 2GB of data per day in Mexico and Canada with their postpaid plans.  

International Connection

Verizon offers an add-on for 3 Travel Pass days per month for Welcome and Plus, but Ultimate offers international talk, text, and data included. UScellular does not include this feature.  

Video Streaming Quality

UScellular includes 1080p HD resolution on Prepaid Unlimited Plus and Even Better Unlimited, 720p HD resolution on Prepaid Unlimited and Everyday Unlimited, and 480p SD resolution on all other plans. The myPlan Unlimited Welcome plan by Verizon streams at 480p Standard Definition, while the myPlan Unlimited Plus and Ultimate plans stream at 4k Ultra High Definition.

Streaming Services

Verizon offers several add-ons to their plans for Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, and Apple One, which includes Apple TV+. They also offer a +Play add-on, which allows you to use credit to choose between several streaming services like Max and Netflix. They also have an add on for Walmart+, which includes a Paramount+ membership. Each is $10 per month. UScellular does not include this feature.  

Music Services

Verizon includes several add-ons for Apple Music Family and AppleOne, which includes Apple Music. Each add-on is $10 per month. UScellular does not offer this feature. 

Gaming Services

Verizon offers an add-on for +Play, allowing you to sign up for an XBox Game Pass. They also offer an Apple One add-on, which includes Apple Arcade. UScellular does not offer this feature. 

Cloud Storage

Verizon offers an add-on for 2 terabytes (TB) of Cloud Storage for $10 per month, as well as an add-on for AppleOne, which includes iCloud+. UScellular does not include this feature.  

Device Financing

If you buy a phone from either carrier, they allow you to pay for your device in installments over time. 

WiFi Calling

Both carriers offer WiFi calling, which allows you to send and receive phone calls over a WiFi connection rather than cellular reception. 

Spam Protection

All UScellular plans offer spam protection included. Verizon offers call filtering and spam protection through their Call Filter program, but the app must be installed and enabled to work.

Free Trial

UScellular and Verizon do not offer this feature.  

Customer Service 

Verizon and UScellular offer stores across the country. 

Both carriers offer several stores across the country, and UScellular’s stores can be found through the store locator. They also have chat and phone support at (888) 994-9400. Hours vary depending on your timezone. Verizon offers thousands of locations across the country, and you can find the closest store to you with their store locator. For support over the phone, call 1-800-837-4966 or 1-800-VERIZON. Customer support is also available over chat on their website and through Facebook Messenger. 

The Verdict

UScellular offers a better deal. 

Because of their prices, UScellular is the much better deal between both carriers. Since most of the features Verizon offers are add-ons, you should go with UScellular instead. 

We’d recommend checking your data usage before committing to a plan.

Want to compare other carriers?

Really.com helps users compare between features, coverage, price, reviews, and more!

Are you still unsure which carrier to choose, or which phone plan to pick? Use really.com to compare your top choices and find the best deal to fit your needs. Really allows you to compare and sort between most phone plans on the market without the hassle!