Visible vs. Hello Mobile: Which carrier is better?

Visible and Hello Mobile are both popular prepaid carriers, as they offer 5G coverage across the country, and since more and more people have been upgrading to 5G capable phones, it’s nice to see providers, provide, that service. These two have made quite the name for themselves specifically for their budget-friendly phone plans. 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 

Coverage & Reception - How do Visible and Hello Mobile Compare?

Visible is on the Verizon network, while Hello Mobile is on the T-Mobile network. 

Visible and Hello Mobile are mobile virtual network operators, or MVNOs. 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. Visible is an MVNO of Verizon, while Hello Mobile is an MVNO of T-Mobile. 

A common aspect of MVNOs you should know about is they are more likely to subject users to data deprioritization and throttled speeds. 

• Data deprioritization is “the temporary slowing of data speeds for certain customers in order to give priority to other customers.” Which means that those who are direct customers of the “parent” company will get network priority when you’re in a high traffic area like a concert hall or sports stadium, or when there’s network congestion.

• Throttling is also more likely to occur with MVNOs and “the dramatic slowing of your data speeds to the point that it becomes almost unusable.” This will happen when you go over a certain number of gigabytes of data for the month, which is referred to as a “data cap.” You’ll see this number displayed somewhere on your carrier’s website. Your normal speeds will slow down until the start of your next billing cycle.

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.

Verizon has the most nation-wide 4G LTE coverage out of every wireless carrier in the country which is no small feat. Covering over 70% of the country, Verizon has had it’s footprints all over the map giving reliable coverage to even the most rural of areas when it comes to LTE.

However, T-Mobile’s 5G coverage and access is hailed as the best coverage overall. So you can expect some pretty solid 5G speeds for any MVNO under the T-Mobile umbrella. Their 4G LTE isn’t as widespread as their two major competitors, Verizon and AT&T, but it’s by no means a dealbreaker.

Another good way to look at your coverage options is to go directly to the source and see what the Visible and Hello Mobile coverage maps look like from the websites themselves, then you can see the Visible Wireless Coverage Map here and the Hello Mobile Coverage Map here.

Plan Options - A Close Look at Visible vs. Hello Mobile

Visible offers truly unlimited data, and Hello Mobile offers several limited plan options. 

Like most plans you’ll see on the market, both carriers offer unlimited talk and texting options with any plan you choose. Visible offers premium data, which does not slow down no matter the amount of network traffic. Both companies deprioritize data, which you know means you’ll have slower connection speeds in high traffic areas like concerts venues and sports arenas.

Visible Plans

Both Visible plans offer unlimited data. 

Visible only offers two plans – Visible Base and Visible+. Visible+ offers more features as well as premium data. Both plans offer a hotspot, with that data coming from your overall plan data. As an MVNO on Verizon’s network, Visible is on QCI tier 9. Visible+ has higher priority for its 50GB of premium data, which will be further explained below. 

Image courtesy of Visible’s website.

It’s also important to note that Visible is a single line carrier – meaning you can only have one phone on an account. If you’re buying a plan for your family or with your significant other, you need to make separate accounts with separate plans for everyone. 

If you purchase your phone from Visible, your device will be locked for the first 60 days after activation. Both plans they offer renew monthly, and taxes and fees are included with the advertised price. As you can see there are a lot of Pros and Cons with Visible Wireless, so it’s always good to read up before you sign up!

Visible Base Plan

This plan is always deprioritized.

As we said before, like most plans you’ll see on the market, Visible’s base plan has unlimited talk and text. 

Visible Base also has unlimited data with no cap – meaning you have truly unlimited data that never slows down no matter how much you use. However, the Visible base plan is always deprioritized. Your data and connection will slow down at any point of high traffic in your area, so you have access to Visible’s high-speed data no matter how much you use, but they can’t guarantee that it will stay consistent at all times.

The plan also includes unlimited mobile hotspot data. Again, your data is deprioritized and may slow down in times of high network traffic. 

This plan has two payment options, you can either pay monthly or annually. 

The Visible Base Monthly plan is $25 per month (taxes and fees included) and the Visible Base Annual plan is $275 a year (taxes and fees included, save $25 with this payment option).

Visible+

This plan gives you 50GB of premium data, then unlimited deprioritized data. 

Visible+ gives you access to Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network, which is their network for premium data. As such, the 50GBs of premium data you get with this plan will not slow down no matter how much network traffic in your area. After you use the 50GB, your data is unlimited – but subjected to the same deprioritization as the Visible Base plan. The mobile hotspot is also premium data for the first 50GB at speeds up to 10Mbps, then is deprioritized after. 

This plan has two payment options, you can either pay monthly or annually. 

The Visible+ Monthly plan is $45 per month (taxes and fees included) and the Visible+ Annual plan is $395 a year (taxes and fees included, save $145 with this payment option). At this rate, you get the 50GB of premium data at $0.90 per GB. 

Hello Mobile Plans

Hello Mobile offers a free month of service with a six month plan.

Hello Mobile offers eight plans, with four of them being advertised as unlimited. Their limited plans range from 500MB to 5GB of data. As a T-Mobile MVNO, Hello Mobile’s QCI tier is 7. Their plans are also deprioritized, meaning you’ll face slowed data in times of heavy traffic. Just like Visible there are a lot of Pros and Cons with Hello Mobile, so it’s always good to read up before you sign up! Hello Mobile also offers up to 5 lines for one plan. 

Hello Mobile sells phones already unlocked. The plans they offer renew monthly, and taxes and fees are included with the advertised price. 

500MB 

This plan’s data stops after 500MB.

The plan includes 500MB of data per month, stopping after that amount. But if you need to refill or add more data for the month then you can do so by visiting their Refills page where you can add and/or upgrade data and minutes. To do this you will need to login first.

The plan costs $5 per month. At this rate, you get 500MB at $0.01 per MB. 

1GB 

This plan costs $10 per month.

The plan includes 1GB of data per month, stopping after that amount, and if needed you can refill your data, upgrade your plan, or add additional gigabytes for the month on the refills page.

The plan costs $10 per month. At this rate, you get 1GB at $10 per GB. 

4GB

This plan is $15 per month.

This plan is 4GB, stopping after that amount, and if needed more you can go to their refills page via your account.

The plan costs $15 per month. At this rate, you get 4GB at $3.75 per GB. 

5GB

This plan is $20 per month.

This plan is 5GB, stopping after that amount, and if needed more you can go to their refills page via your account.

The plan costs $20 per month. At this rate, you get 5GB at $4 per GB. 

Unlimited (6 Month)

Hello Mobile’s website states this plan is the best in terms of value. 

This plan has unlimited data. Hello Mobile’s data threshold number is not advertised and from looking at their website it seems they haven’t put that information anywhere that’s easily accessible, in fact looking through their terms and conditions we couldn’t find anything concrete. According to a few other reports from a few online sources it looks like their data cap is set at 15 to 20GBs and after that is reached you’ll start to get your speeds throttled. 

With 15GB being full speed data, after that your data will slow to 64 kbps. This speed is almost unusable, making it difficult to send emails and texts as well as using social media. 

The plan costs $17.50 per month with a $105 upfront payment required. At the monthly rate, you get 15GB at $1.16 per GB. 

Unlimited (3 Month)

This is their second best value plan according to Hello Mobile themselves.

This plan also has unlimited data, but no confirmed data cap number besides the estimated 15 to 20GB. With this plan you’ll get 15GB of full speed data, after that your data will slow to 64 kbps.

The plan costs $23 per month with a $69 upfront payment required. At the monthly rate, you get 15GB at $1.53 per GB. 

Unlimited (Monthly)

This is their monthly plan with no upfront payment required.

This plan also has unlimited data, but no confirmed data cap number besides the estimated 15 to 20GB. With this plan you’ll get 15GB of full speed data, after that your data will slow to 64 kbps.

The plan costs $25 per month. At this rate, you get 15GB at $1.67 per GB. 

Unlimited + Hotspot Included

This plan comes with a mobile hotspot.

This plan has unlimited data, but no confirmed data cap number besides the estimated 15 to 20GB. This plan also comes with a hotspot but there is no GB number attached to that either, we’ve estimated in the past that it’s 5GB. With this plan you’ll get 15GB of full speed data, plus the hotspot, after that your data will slow to 64 kbps.

The plan costs $40 per month. At this rate, you get 15GB at $2.67 per GB. 

Features - Visible vs. Hello Mobile

While both carriers offer pretty good deals for their customers, there are some differences in the features and benefits that may entice you to pick one over the other. If you’re a frequent traveler, talk to your international friends and family a lot, or are looking for a bit more “perk” with your plan then this section will break down all of that juicy info so you can know what you’re potentially gonna get.

Visible offers more features included than Hello Mobile. 

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. 

Domestic Roaming Data

Visible offers domestic roaming data on their plans. Hello Mobile does not include this feature. 

Mexico & Canada Connection

Visible and Hello Mobile both offer talk and text in Mexico and Canada. However, Visible does not include roaming data for Mexico and Canada with Visible Base. Visible+ includes 2GBs of roaming data per day that slows down to 2G speeds after you use it each day. Hello Mobile offers talk on Landline to Canada and talk and text to Mexico on all of their plans.

International Connection

Visible does not give you international roaming data, but you can buy it with their Global Pass. Though, Visible+ gives you international talk and text, Visible Base does not offer this feature. The Global Pass is an add-on with their plans, you can get these benefits:

Hello Mobile offers international calling included with their plans. (Landline only for some).

Video Streaming Quality

Visible and Hello Mobile plans stream at 480p Standard Definition. 

Streaming Services

Visible and Hello Mobile do not offer this feature.

Cloud Storage

Visible and Hello Mobile do not offer this feature. 

Device Financing

Visible has partnered with Affirm which is a financial company and through them you can “Buy Now and Pay Later” with select phones and Smartwatches. You can get APR financing through Visible’s deal with Affirm- (note that you may need to make a down payment, so be aware of that before you look into the program). Then once you’re done paying off said loan, the device(s) are yours. More information you need on Visible and Affirm can be found here.

Hello Mobile also works with Affirm on their website’s phone shop, and you also need to see if you qualify through them to sign up in order to  “Buy now and pay 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

Visible offers spam protection on both of their plans, which blocks spam calls and protects you from potential fraud. Hello Mobile does not offer this feature. 

Free Trial

Visible offers a 15 day free trial.  Hello Mobile does not offer this feature.   

Customer Service 

Visible  and Hello Mobile do not have physical stores, leaving all of their customer service to online support. 

Visible is a digital-only carrier, meaning they only offer customer support online. Visible offers 24/7 chat support from a live agent. Hello Mobile offers customer support over the phone from 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. EST Mon. - Fri. and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST on Sat. and Sun at 1-888 95-HELLO (43556), as well as live chat. 

The Verdict

The better carrier depends on what you’re looking for, but Visible offers better unlimited deals.

Visible and Hello Mobile both offer very different plans for their users, so the best plan for you depends on what those exact needs are. With Visible’s unlimited plans, you get several more features included as well as a cheaper price per GB. But if you’re looking for a limited data plan, Hello Mobile is the obvious option. 

However we will say overall it seems that Visible is better in terms of quality and transparency with what you’re getting from a phone plan and provider experience.

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!

We’ve compared Hello Mobile with other carriers before: Mint Mobile vs. Hello Mobile: Which carrier is better?

And if you want to compare and contrast Visible Wireless and Hello 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.