Visible vs. Spectrum Mobile: Which carrier is better?

‍Visible and Spectrum Mobile are popular carriers that offer decent amounts of data with their plans for cheap prices. Both providers are best known for their uncomplicated, “easy-to-read” phone plans. But just like any other carrier, each 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 

If you'd rather just read the pros and cons of Visible, read this.

Coverage & Reception - How do Visible and Spectrum Compare?

Visible and Spectrum Mobile are both on the Verizon network.

Visible and tkt 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 and Spectrum Mobile are MVNOs of Verizon. 

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. Their 5G may not be as wide-spread as their two major competitors, T-Mobile and AT&T, but they do hold high standings in the “5G Games Experience, 5G Voice App Experience, and 5G Video Experience.”

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

Plan Options - A Closer Look at Visible vs. Spectrum

Visible offers truly unlimited data, and Spectrum Mobile offers a By the Gig plan. 

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. 

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

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.

Spectrum Mobile Plans 

Spectrum Mobile plans require you to purchase Spectrum Internet to use. 

Spectrum Mobile offers three plans, and one offers flexible amounts of data. It’s important to note that Spectrum Mobile requires you to purchase Spectrum Internet to use their mobile services. 

In order to be on a Spectrum phone plan you first have to have their Home Internet, which you might not be interested in if you like your current home internet plan. If you are interested in switching it up, Spectrum isn’t a bad place to look as their Home Internet and Mobile bundle plans are pretty enticing to look at.

You can have up to 10 lines on one account, and you can mix and match between what plans each line has. Spectrum Mobile, as a Verizon MVNO, is a QCI tier 8. We’ve done a deep dive on Verizon before, including Everything You Need to Know About Verizon Transfer PINs, which is super helpful when looking at devices.

If you purchase your phone from Spectrum Mobile, your device will be locked until it's paid in full. The plans they offer renew monthly, and taxes and fees are included with the advertised price. 

By the Gig Plan

This plan allows you to buy the specific amount of data you need. 

This plan costs $20 a month for the first GB, then $5 for each additional gigabyte, so those prices can add up quickly if you’re in need of more than just one GB for the month.

Once you stop buying data, access slows to 3G speeds. With 3G speeds, users can expect to continue scrolling social media and send texts or emails without issue, but may find difficulty with streaming video or playing games. You can use up to 5GB as hotspot data as well, then access slows to 3G speeds. 

The plan costs $20 a month for the first GB and $5 for each additional GB per month.

Unlimited

This plan also slows speeds after the cap. 

This plan gives users 30GB of normal Spectrum speed(s) data, which slows to 3G speeds after the cap. Users also have access to 5GB of mobile hotspot data, which also slows to 3G speeds after the cap.

The plan costs $30 per month. At this rate, you get 30GB of regular speeds at $1.00 per GB. 

Unlimited Plus

This plan gives you 50GB of full speed data.

This plan gives users access to 50GB of full speed data, which slows to 3G after the cap. Users get access to 10GB hotspot data with their highest tier plan. 

The plan costs $40 per month. At this rate, you get 50GB at $0.80 per GB. 

Features - A Close Look at Visible vs. Spectrum

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 with their plans.

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. Visible offers more features with their plans, like domestic roaming and international connection 

Domestic Roaming Data

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

Mexico & Canada Connection

Visible offers 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. 

Spectrum Mobile offers Free Calls to Mexico and Canada (2,000 minutes/mo) on all of their plans and Free Roaming in Mexico and Canada (after 5 GB speeds reduced to max. 256 kbps) with their Unlimited Plus plan only.

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:

Spectrum Mobile offers Free Global Texting to and From Anywhere (in over 200 countries) with all of their plans, and international talk and data are at pay-per-use rates with their Global Day Pass(es).

Video Streaming Quality

Visible’s plans stream at 480p Standard Definition. Spectrum Mobile’s By the Gig and Unlimited plans stream at 480p Standard Definition resolution. Their Unlimited Plus plan streams at 720p High Definition. 

Streaming Services

Visible and Spectrum Mobile do not offer this feature. 

Cloud Storage

Visible and Spectrum 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.

If you buy a phone from Spectrum Mobile, the carrier allows you to pay for your device in installments over time if you enroll in the Spectrum Mobile Device Payment Plan.

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. Spectrum Mobile offers spam protection, but it must be turned on by the user. 

Free Trial

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

Customer Service 

Visible does not have physical stores, leaving all of their customer service to online support. Spectrum Mobile has stores across the country, as well as 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. Spectrum Mobile has multiple stores across the country, and users can find the store closest to them with their store locator. You can also call Spectrum at (866) 782-2681 for support over the phone from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET Mon. through Fri. They also offer chat support 24/7. 

The Verdict

Visible offers the better deal overall.

Due to included features and the price per GB, Visible offers a better deal on their plans than Spectrum Mobile. As Spectrum Mobile also requires you to sign up for their internet services, Visible is also less of a hassle than Spectrum Mobile can possibly be.

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 Visible with other carriers before: Visible vs. Total by Verizon: Which carrier is better?

And if you want to compare and contrast Visible and Spectrum 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.