Visible vs. Total by Verizon: Which carrier is better?

Visible Wireless is an excellent option for cheap wireless coverage on Verizon’s 4G LTE and 5G networks. They are an MVNO that only has a few plans, but those plans provide a ton of value and are priced very competitively with other unlimited MVNO plans. They sell a service that is much more affordable than what is offered by Verizon, with a small catch, of course. Like all MVNOs, visible users are deprioritized when there is high data usage in the area. If you are willing to part with priority data that comes with a major wireless provider, you will be hard-pressed to find a better deal than the ones available at Visible. 

Total is an MVNO that operates on Verizon’s network. Between its fantastic service, reliable coverage, and impressive set of cell phone plans, there is a lot to like about this MVNO. The plans are pricey, but multiline savings make their plans much more reliable. There is a lot to like about this service, and we will get into that in this article. Total is known for no-contract cell phone plans and fantastic multi-line savings. Starting with a prepaid cell phone plan is an excellent way to try out Total’s service firsthand. 

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 or read about Visible's pros and cons.

Coverage & Reception - Visible vs. Total by Verizon

Visible and Total by Verizon are both on the Verizon network.

Visible and Total by Verizon 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 Total by Verizon are both MVNOs of Verizon. 

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

Visible offers truly unlimited data, and Total by Verizon offers a variety of plans. 

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, meaning 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 2 plans – Visible Base and Visible+. Visible+ offers more features as well as premium data. Both plans offer a hotspot, with the data coming from your overall plan data. As an MVNO on Verizon’s network, Visible is on QCI tiers 8 and 9. Visible+ has higher priority for its 50GB of premium data, tier 8, which will be further explained below. Visible Base is on tier 9.

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. 

Visible Base

Visible’s base plan offers unlimited talk, text, and data on Verizon’s 5G and 4G LTE networks for just $25 per month. There are no data caps, but your speeds may be deprioritized during times of network congestion. For most users, this is a great option that balances affordability and reliable performance, especially if you're not in a high-traffic area. The plan also includes unlimited mobile hotspot usage, with speeds capped at 5 Mbps—perfect for basic tasks like browsing and messaging.

The plan costs $25 per month. 

Visible+

For $45 per month, the Visible+ plan provides all the perks of the base plan, plus 50 GB of premium data, ensuring faster speeds without deprioritization even during busy times. This plan also grants access to Verizon’s ultra-fast 5G Ultra Wideband network. In addition, Visible+ includes international calling to over 30 countries and texting to 200+ countries, making it ideal for frequent travelers or those who need enhanced connectivity.

At this rate, you get the 50GB of premium data at $0.90 per GB. 

The plan costs $45 per month, with a $10 welcome discount for the first month.

Does Visible sound promising? We’re glad to hear it! If you are ready to swap carriers and are currently a Verizon customer, make sure to request a  Verizon Transfer PIN, which lets you swap your current number to a new carrier. This makes the process much easier and lets you keep all your contacts and other personal information when you make the switch. Switching from Verizon to a Verizon MVNO lets you keep the same network while saving on your cell phone bill. This is also a great chance to see how much data deprioritization affects your area. If you notice much slower speeds, it is important to stick with priority data. You might not even notice the difference! In that case, MVNOs are incredible options. 

Total by Verizon Plans

All Total plans offer hotspot access. 

Total by Verizon offers 4 plans: 2 unlimited and 2 limited. You get QCI tier 9 with their plans, which means your data is deprioritized. With deprioritization, your data will slow down in high traffic locations due to increased network activity. High traffic would be places like sports stadiums and busy stores. Their plans include a 5% Autopay discount.

You can have up to 5 lines on one plan. If you purchase your phone from Total by Verizon, your device will be locked for 60 days after activation. The plans they offer renew monthly, and taxes and fees are not included with the advertised price. 

5GB

This plan slows to 2G after the cap.  

As the smallest Total by Verizon plan, this plan offers 5GB before slowing to 2G speeds. At 2G speeds, users can scroll social media and send texts or emails, but streaming shows or playing games without WiFi will be difficult. The plan also includes hotspot access 

The plan costs $30 per month at full price, and $28.50 with Autopay. At this full price, you get 5GB each month at $6 per GB. 

15GB

Speeds slow down after the cap. 

The 15GB plan, as its name says, includes 15GB of full speed data. After the cap, speeds slow down to 2G. You can also use the 15GB as hotspot data, but access ends after you reach your monthly data cap. 

The plan costs $40 per month, and $38 with the Autopay discount. At this rate, you get 15GB at $2.67 per GB. 

Unlimited

This plan offers additional hotspot data

The regular unlimited plan offers unlimited data with 30GB of full speed data. Again, data slows down to 2G speeds at the cap. This plan also comes with 10GB of mobile hotspot data, and access stops at that cap. 

The plan costs $50 per month, and $47.50 with Autopay. At full price, you get 40GB at $1.25 per GB. 

Unlimited Plus 

This is not only their biggest plan, but the best plan Total by Verizon has to offer.

Unlimited Plus offers unlimited data, and data speeds are at full speed capacity until the 30GB cap. After the 30GB cap, speeds slow to 2G. You also get 20GB of mobile hotspot data each month, and access stops once after the cap.

The plan costs $60 per month, and $57 with the Autopay discount. At this rate, you get 50GB per month at $1.20 per GB. 

What are the Features of Visible and Total by Verizon?

Visible and Total by Verizon offer similar features on 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. Most of the features Total by Verizon offers come with their 15GB, Unlimited, and Unlimited Plus plans. 

Domestic Roaming Data

Visible and Total by Verizon offer domestic roaming data on their plans. 

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 roaming data that slows down to 2G speeds after 0.5GB each day. Total by Verizon offers talk and text in Mexico and Canada on all plans, but offers data on their 15GB, Unlimited, and Unlimited Plus plans only if you purchase multiple lines. 

International Connection

Visible does not give you international roaming data. However, Visible + gives you international talk and text. Visible Base does not offer this feature. Total by Verizon offers international talk and text on their unlimited plans. 

Video Streaming Quality

Visible’s plans stream at 480p Standard Definition. Total by Verizon plans stream up to 4k Ultra High Definition resolution. 

Streaming Services

Total by Verizon offers a Disney+ Basic plan included for 6 months on their Unlimited plan, or for the duration you have the Unlimited Plus plan. Visible does not offer this feature. 

Cloud Storage

Visible and Total by Verizon do not offer this feature. 

Device Financing

If you buy a phone from Total by Verizon, the carrier allows you to pay for your device in installments over time. Visible does not offer this feature. 

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. Total by Verizon does not offer this feature. 

Free Trial

Visible offers a 15 day free trial. Total by Verizon does not offer this feature.   

Customer Service 

Visible and does not have physical stores, leaving all of their customer service to online support. Total by Verizon offers several stores across the country.

Visible is a digital-only carrier, meaning they only offer customer support online. Visible offers 24/7 chat support from a live agent. Total by Verizon offers stores across the country that you can visit, and you can find them with the store locator. Otherwise, you can contact their customer support over the phone at (800) 837-4966.

MVNO Pricing Categories: Where Visible Fits In

• Low-Cost MVNOs (e.g., Mint Mobile): Low-cost options offer the cheapest plans by limiting data and requiring multi-month commitments to lock in low prices, but for just $25/month, Visible’s unlimited data with no long-term contracts is a clear winner for users who want flexibility and don’t want to manage data caps.
• Mid-Tier MVNOs (e.g., Cricket Wireless): Mid-tier providers offer more robust plans at $50-$60/month but often come with slower speeds and fewer premium features—Visible’s $25 plan provides the same unlimited data at a fraction of the cost, while the $45 Visible+ plan offers more perks like 50 GB of premium data. Total by Verizon is another Mid-Tier MVNO. 
• Premium MVNOs (e.g., Google Fi): Premium carriers justify their higher $50+ pricing with extra perks like international roaming and premium data, but Visible+ offers similar features at $45/month, making it a better choice for those wanting high-end options without the high-end price tag.
• Pay-As-You-Go MVNOs (e.g., Ting): Pay-as-you-go models are perfect for users who rarely need data and want flexible monthly costs, but for anyone using more than a few gigabytes, Visible’s unlimited plans are far more predictable and affordable at $25/month.

The Verdict

Visible offers better deals.  

Does Visible sound promising? We’re glad to hear it! If you are ready to swap carriers and are currently a T-Mobile customer, make sure to request a  T-Mobile transfer PIN, which lets you swap your current number to a new carrier. This makes the process much easier and lets you keep all your contacts and other personal information when you make the switch. 

Visible and Total by Verizon both operate on Verizon’s network. We believe that Total by Verizon’s pricing is just a bit too high relative to the competition. Visible’s base plan, at $25, offers unlimited high-speed data, and Total by Verizon’s comparable plan, at $30 only gives 5 GB of high-speed data. Total by Verizon is structured closer to a major wireless carrier than Visible, with stores fully stocked with the latest and greatest cell phones, as well as a nice list of features and add-ons. 

Overall, Visible completely outmatches Total by Verizon. Both MVNOs leverage Verizon’s network, but Visible offers way more in their two cell phone plans. 

We’d recommend checking your data usage before committing to a plan. There are dozens of carriers out there, each with its own pros and cons. We recommend looking into many different carriers before coming to a final decision. You can start by comparing Verizon and Spectrum Mobile! These two carriers offer insights into certain other kinds of carriers, being a major wireless carrier as well as a carrier locked behind an internet account. Spectrum Mobile offers great bundles, but you must be a Spectrum Internet customer to use them. 

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!