Verizon vs REALLY: Who Should You Go With?

In today’s age of technology, we are constantly evolving, seemingly at a faster and faster rate. With that high demand and rapid consumerism, having wireless technologies that reflect our cell phone usage is paramount, along with having the carriers behind those technologies keep up with our wants. There are many wireless carriers out there, and it seems like everywhere you turn there’s a new carrier popping up. But what if, when you’re shopping for a provider, you narrow down your search to two options and want a guide comparing the two that’s easy to understand. 

Luckily you’ve come to the right place.

We’re bringing together two giants in the tech world, one you know as Verizon which needs no introduction as they are one of the “big three” in wireless and have made their name well known. The other is REALLY, aka REALLY Wireless, a rising carrier that aims to be a pioneer in the cell phone world by being “the world’s first fully encrypted & private phone service.” These two head-to-head will certainly be interesting, so let’s take a look and compare the two so you can see what each carrier is about.

• Quick Overview: Verizon and REALLY Wireless
• What the Coverage Looks Like from Both Providers
• How the Plans Compare: From Price to Features
• The Verdict

Before we go over what the coverage and phone plans look like from each provider we should first talk about the two companies as a whole, so you can get an idea of what they’re like. 

-> Verizon

In 2000, Verizon put its stock in the wireless game and since then they’ve never looked back. We mentioned at the top that they are one of the “big three” and that makes them a tough contender for anyone to match up against. As a company by themselves, they are known for having the most nation-wide 4G LTE coverage out of any carrier in the United States. In fact, they cover over 70% of the country which is an impressive feat and is a definite plus to those who live in more rural areas, as finding coverage out there can get a bit dicey.

Besides their impressive widespread coverage, Verizon is known for having the best “bundle” plans. They don’t just offer the basics: data, unlimited talk and text, and hotspot coverage- they also offer a ton of package deals with streaming services, cloud storage, and more. You’re not just getting a phone plan with Verizon, you’re getting a phone plan with benefits you might already be paying for in your own life at discounted rates- how cool is that? Of course Verizon doesn’t offer the most “budget-friendly” phone plans out there, but at least you’re paying for a ton of benefits on top of your service.

-> REALLY Wireless

If you aren’t keeping up with tech news then you might not have heard of REALLY Wireless before, but let us introduce you, because we’re sure you’re going to be interested once you hear who they are. 

REALLY is a company all about flipping the traditional wireless company on its head. We said at the beginning that they are “the world’s first fully encrypted & private phone service,” which means that they make your privacy their top priority. In today’s world of oversharing online, scammers & hackers popping up left and right it’s imperative to have reliable phone security. REALLY wants to make it so when you’re signed up under them you will never have to worry about someone trying to steal your valuable online information, they want to keep your digital footprint masked so you can browse with the freedom of knowing no one is peeking in on your movements. 

With REALLY Wireless you are out of the limelight and not held to something that is constantly under the guise of scammers trying to find their way in. You’ve seen the news articles pop up of data breaches impacting a wireless provider before. Verizon even had their own data breach happen to their employees earlier this year. 

While traditional, centralized, wireless networks have dead zones- (areas with no signal), and set ups that don’t always have the best security, REALLY Wireless doesn’t. They want to eliminate the digital divide by setting up initiatives like the G.O.A.T Program which is their way to give back by “giving away phone service to those who otherwise wouldn't have access, but also single moms, musicians, artists, teachers, firefighters and those who are seldom recognized.”

What the Coverage Looks Like from Each Provider

Now that we’ve gotten a summary of each provider, let’s jump into what their coverage looks like.

-> Verizon

We’ve already mentioned that Verizon is the leader in 4G LTE coverage, and with that comes blanket coverage for everyone, not just those closer to cities. Think about the amount of times you’ll be on a roadtrip and when you get to more rural, country-sdie areas, your signal isn’t nearly as strong as it was when you were closer to home. That’s because cell towers are lacking in those areas, but Verizon has the edge and has been known to be the most reliable provider in those specific areas. That’s great for 4G LTE users and 5G users to fall back on, but what is their 5G coverage like, as that’s slowly becoming the new wireless precedent.

Well, unfortunately Verizon is at the bottom of the list when comparing it to AT&T and T-Mobile, their two major competitors, but not by a huge amount. When you do get in an area with Verizon’s 5G coverage you can expect some powerful speeds though as they win the “5G Games Experience, 5G Voice App Experience, and 5G Video Experience” categories. This means that when you’re on their 5G network you can make the most out of it as their processing power outweighs other providers by a decent margin. 

When you’re looking into wireless carriers you will notice a tab on their website marked as “Coverage” or “Coverage Map” and this gives you a map showing off an approximation of their network’s signal. You will be able to see if your area is covered and what type of coverage it is, 5G, 4G LTE, etc. Here’s a look at Verizon’s Coverage Map:

Although not shown completely, Verizon offers coverage in the majority of the United States along with parts of Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands. You can type in your own address and/or city to explore more of their coverage map here.

-> REALLY Wireless

Now you already know that REALLY Wireless is a bit different than your average wireless carrier. Remember when we talked about how going on a road trip can cause network drops the further you’re away from major cities? Well REALLY understands that, they lay it all on the line: “big wireless puts a few big towers in a city which creates super annoying deadzones.” Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, all of them are a part of “centralized wireless” and REALLY is here to make it so you are your own cell tower.

When you sign up for REALLY Wireless you’ll be given a small radio which provides the signal you need to be on the REALLY network and when more people get the radios the signal strength increases. The technical term for this is called Decentralized Wireless or DeWi for short, it’s powered by people for people. No more relying on these big networks with spotty connection, the more people who take part the more we can have strong network reliability all throughout the globe. 

Obviously these are big dreams, right now their DeWi network is only available in Austin, but they are ready to expand. They do offer “premium wireless service on the the nation’s largest and fastest 5G network,” and have their own mock up of a coverage map:

Learn more about DeWi here, this gives you more info on the decentralized movement and how you can get started.

With reliable coverage you can make your phone a hotspot so you can connect your laptop to get work done!

How the Plans Compare: From Price to Features

It’s time to get into the fun stuff, the phone plans! Here we will go over special features and what type of data you can expect from each carrier’s plans. First up we’re going to go over Verizon’s postpaid plans, and they will initially look a bit different than you might be expecting because as we said before, Verizon is all about bundling and choosing perks from their list which we will go over after showing you the base plans:

It’s good to note here that the prices we listed above aren’t necessarily the finalized prices you will see when you’re checking out. These are the prices with AutoPay and without taxes and fees, so be aware of that if you’re planning out your budget. 

And here we have the list of Verizon’s perks that you can mix and match to your specifications as long as you have a postpaid unlimited plan like the ones above.

• The Disney Bundle which gets you Disney+ Premium with no ads, Hulu with ads, and ESPN with ads. Original price is $18.99/mo, only 10/mo. with Verizon savings (Terms Apply).
• Netflix & Max which gives you Netflix Standard with ads and Max with ads plan. Original price is $16.98/mo, only $10/mo. with Verizon savings (Terms Apply).
• Apple One which has Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and iCloud+ all in a bundle. Perfect for Apple phone users. Original price for individuals is $19.95/mo, only $10/mo. with Verizon savings and original family plans normally pay $25.95/mo, now only $20/mo (Terms Apply).
• The Walmart+ Membership which has its own benefits you can read about on the plans tab. Original price is $12.95/mo, only $10/mo. with Verizon savings (Terms Apply).
• Apple Music Family which allows six members to enjoy Apple Music. Original price is $16.99/mo and Verizon customers pay $10/mo. (Terms Apply).
• A 100GB Mobile Hotspot originally priced at $45/mo now only $35/mo. (Terms Apply).
• Smartwatch Data & Safety which is normally $20/mo is now only $10/mo. (Terms Apply).
• +play Monthly Credit, a Verizon platform that lets you manage all of your digital subscriptions from one place. You can save $5/mo off your $15/mo credit.(Terms Apply).
• 3 TravelPass Days. TravelPass lets you call, text, and use data in 210+ countries around the world. These three days, 24 hour sessions, are included each month. Originally it’s $30/mo, only $10/mo. with Verizon savings (Terms Apply).
• 2TB Cloud Storage that’s originally $14.99/mo and with the addon it’s $10/mo. (Terms Apply).

As you can tell, these perks will surely be beneficial if you are paying for some already. Make sure to read the terms so you know what to expect and how to go about getting some of these perks when signing up for a Verizon phone plan.

Verizon also has prepaid plans which you can view here if that is something that piques your interest. 

REALLY Wireless has two prepaid, no contract plans with a ton of security benefits, let’s take a look:

One motto REALLY Wireless stands by is there’s: “no spying, no tracking, no hacking. we never sell your data, because we don’t have it.” In the age of online over-sharing it’s good to know that REALLY has your back and you don’t have to worry about anything leaking that you don’t want out there. 

You may not have the fancy bells and whistles of Verizon, but you do exchange it for some peace of mind if you are someone conscious of your online presence. 

And it’s a really, (hah), easy process to set up as it all is set up via eSIM. Best for dual-SIM capable phones, (which most phones are nowadays). When you sign up they will provide you with an eSIM to download. If that sounds like that could be a confusing process for you, don’t worry as there’s a real person at REALLY ready to help you through the process of downloading and installing your eSIM.

The Verdict

When you’re comparing Verizon and REALLY you are essentially choosing between two things: perks or in-depth internet security. We won’t lie and say REALLY isn’t a commitment, but it’s a movement for a reason, they want to change the mobile industry for the better and if you are concerned with your internet footprint being seen by potential scammers then you won’t find a safer carrier than REALLY.

But if this isn’t your game, Verizon offers the deals and perks we like to see from a phone plan in today’s world. With streaming services and other valuables offered with their unlimited postpaid plans, it’s a safe bet when you’re trying to choose a new wireless carrier. None are bad options, they just are very different from the other, it all depends on your needs.

And if you want to compare and contrast Verizon and REALLY Wireless to over 1,200 other phone plans so you know you’re getting the service that’s right for you, then make sure to check out the REALLY compare page which allows you to look at pricing, coverage, what phone plans are available, current deals and steals, and how you can make the most of your potential phone bill.