Verizon vs T-Mobile Prepaid: Who Should You Go With?

The age old question: prepaid vs postpaid. There are many who swear by and defend their opinion for each option of cell phone plan, but ultimately we think it’s all about your cell phone usage and preference. Prepaid cell phone plans normally come with no contract and you would pay for your service in advance to actually use it, so you know exactly what you’re getting and paying for what you need- easy as that. Prepaid is also commonly referred to as “pay as you go” and it’s great for those who don’t spend all their time on their phone. The ones who don’t need all the fancy bells and whistles that come with postpaid plans.

A postpaid phone plan is paid for monthly and this is the plan with all the fancy extras like potential subscription service perks, cloud storage, etc. Most postpaid plans will also have “unlimited” data, so these plans are great for those who find themselves on their phone 24/7- (no shame from us here)!

As you’re stewing over which is better for you, you might come across some providers that offer prepaid and postpaid plans that might interest you. In this case we’re talking about Verizon and T-Mobile Prepaid which are two really great options for your cell phone plan. But which is better? Well, we’re going to go over all the details you need to know so you can see which one reigns supreme: Verizon vs T-Mobile Prepaid.

• Quick Overview: Verizon and T-Mobile Prepaid
• What the Coverage Looks Like from Both Providers
• How the Plans Compare: From Price to Features
• The Verdict

Quick Overview: Verizon and T-Mobile Prepaid

Before we go over what the coverage and phone plans look like from each provider we should first talk about the two companies by themselves, so you can get an idea of what to expect from each of them.

-> Verizon

Just under 25 years ago, Verizon got their start in the wireless game and has quickly become a go-to service for millions of customers. There’s two major advantages Verizon has under its belt as to why they appeal to the masses. One is because of their reliable coverage, they have the most nation-wide coverage spanning over 70% of the country which is great for those living in more rural areas. If you’ve ever been out of the city and lost a signal you know how frustrating that can be, but with Verizon’s 4G LTE signals reaching far and wide you’ll have much better luck on their network compared to others.

The second biggest draw Verizon has is their sheer amount of perks and benefits you can get when signing up for one of their postpaid unlimited plans. We will go over all the perks later on when we talk about phone plans, but if you are a fan of bundling and saving on select streaming services and other fun additions then you will definitely be interested in what Verizon has in store. With those two positives, Verizon is a force of nature to be reckoned with. 

However, the price might not be worth it and getting locked down into a contract, that’s where the T-Mobile Prepaid service comes in handy…

-> T-Mobile Prepaid

T-Mobile is one of the “big three” alongside Verizon and AT&T. Also growing exponentially since their own debut, they have made waves as a company boasting about their widespread 5G coverage and plan options. There’s a lot of perks that come along with a T-Mobile postpaid plan, but we’re talking about their prepaid plans which may be a bit more cost-efficient if you’re looking to save money and have access to their widespread network. 

Plus, you aren’t tied down to any contract which, if it’s important to you, then you will definitely enjoy the look of their prepaid plans. Even though their prepaid plans may not look as flashy as their postpaid plans, T-Mobile still has got some perks from their prepaid options that you won’t find from many other providers which is a huge bonus.

What the Coverage Looks Like from Both Providers

Next we’re breaking down what kind of coverage and network strength you can expect from both providers. Now obviously it’s not a secret that Verizon and T-Mobile are both powerhouses, but let’s get into the thick of it, starting first with Verizon.

-> Verizon

We’ve said it before and we will say it again, Verizon is number one in nationwide 4G LTE coverage, which is great for our friends who don’t find themselves in 5G areas quite often. (As of right now 5G areas can be typically sought out after in more urban areas). And as for Verizon’s 5G coverage, well they are a bit behind in the races when comparing them to T-Mobile and AT&T, so you may have a tougher job finding consistent 5G areas to flock to with them. 

However, if you do live in an area that’s currently covered with Verizon’s 5G network then you can expect some jam-packed peak powerful performance as they’ve been noted to be winners in “5G Games Experience, 5G Voice App Experience, and 5G Video Experience.” If you’re someone that streams on the go, enjoys your casual Facetime call, or even likes to game on your phone- then you’ll be impressed by the processing speeds of Verizon in 5G covered areas.

What you can expect from any wireless provider’s website is a “Coverage Map” which is a map that gives the potential customer a look at their network’s coverage. You can zoom in and out of the map, and type in your hometown so you can see if the coverage you need is available in your area. Here is a look at Verizon’s coverage map:

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Although not pictured above, it is good to note that Verizon offers coverage in the majority of the United States along with parts of Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands. Take a look at Verizon’s full coverage map here.

-> T-Mobile Prepaid

We teased earlier that T-Mobile outranks Verizon in 5G, but in actuality they outrank everyone. T-Mobile is currently the leader in the race for 5G which is a huge draw as more and more people get 5G capable phones and want to experience 5G speeds. Now they are funnily enough in third place for 4G LTE coverage compared to Verizon and AT&T, but not by a whole lot. If you’re someone who’s always up-to-date with current tech then you might actually like that T-Mobile is winning in 5G but a bit lacking in LTE.

Also T-Mobile Prepaid plans are on the same network as their postpaid plans. There’s no discrepancy between the two so rest assured you don't need to worry about paying more for better coverage.

T-Mobile also covers the majority of the United States along with parts of Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands, which as you can note is similar to Verizon. You can view the full T-Mobile coverage map here.

Where Verizon might fall behind in 5G, T-Mobile picks it up.

How the Plans Compare: From Price to Features

This is where we get into the fun stuff: the phone plans. You get an idea of what the phone plans are like for Verizon and T-Mobile prepaid. First up we have Verizon and we want to say right off the bat that their phone plans are going to look a little bare at first but remember they are all about bundling, so we’re going to list out the plans and then all the perks you can get in select bundles.

And here are the perks you can get with these plans- (not all perks are available with each plan, make sure to look into their bundles on their plans page):

• 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).

Lot’s of amazing benefits that could save you money in the long run!

Moving onto T-Mobile Prepaid plans, they have four options available:

It’s not as fancy as Verizon’s perks but if you don’t necessarily care about those bells and whistles then the price drop might be of interest to you. Also, you get to be a part of T-Mobile Tuesdays which is a program for T-Mobile customers where every Tuesday you can get free stuff, great deals, potential savings, and exclusive offers. (T-Mobile Tuesdays are definite plus because you can end up saving some money and who doesn’t enjoy saving a few extra bucks a month)?

You’re also able to customize your plan with add-ons like Mexico & Canada Coverage and North America Stateside International calling for $5/mo and $15/mo respectively.

The Verdict

When comparing Verizon and T-Mobile Prepaid, you’re essentially bringing back the age old question we talked about in the intro of: prepaid vs postpaid. With prepaid, you don’t have to worry about a contract and you’re paying as you go, so you know what you’re getting and when you’re getting it. With postpaid you are more likely to have those benefits, (as seen under Verizon’s postpaid plan perks), and you are more-than-likely to have a larger data cap, if one at all. Though you are locked into a potential contract and you might not need all those extra extras.

Ultimately it’s up to preference of prepaid and postpaid, whatever you find yourself gravitating towards, then either Verizon or T-Mobile Prepaid are solid options for those two types of phone plans. We’d push more towards the “Unlimited Welcome” plan from Verizon if you find yourself on the line as the price difference between that plan and all of T-Mobile’s Prepaid plans isn’t that big and we want you to get the most bang for your buck here. 

So there you have it, Verizon’s “Unlimited Welcome” plan is our choice if you are in the middle of the two options, and if you are a one-line user. For family plans we suggest taking a look solely at Verizon as the more lines you add the lower the price drops and you all get a taste of those sweet perks as they can be a benefit to not just one, but multiple people.

And if you want to compare and contrast Verizon and T-Mobile 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.