AT&T and Verizon are two of the largest and most popular wireless carriers in the United States. Both carriers offer a wide range of plans and features, making it difficult to choose which one is right for you.
In this article, we’ll compare AT&T and Verizon head-to-head to help you decide which carrier is better for your needs. We’ll look at coverage, pricing, plans, features, and customer service.
What to Look For When Purchasing a Cell Phone Plan
Knowing what you want is the first step in selecting the best cell phone plan. Before we get into the meat of this review, here are a few plan features we believe are worth considering.
- Data: Everything from sending picture messages to scrolling through TikTok requires 4G LTE/5G data. Make sure you have enough to sustain your daily activities.
- Price: Comparison tools can help you ensure you’re getting the best deal. Another carrier may offer a very similar cell phone plan for less money.
- Coverage: In cities, the three major carriers—AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon—all have fairly good 4G coverage. However, rural areas and emerging 5G networks face a different story. Examine the coverage maps for Verizon and AT&T to ensure you’ll get the service you require.
- Benefits: Some users value extra features such as HD streaming and hotspot data. Check the fine print on your plan to ensure it includes everything you want.
AT&T vs. Verizon: Pricing and Value
Historically, Verizon was the most expensive carrier, but that is no longer the case. In fact, AT&T is now more expensive, with its Start plan starting at $65 compared to Welcome’s starting price of $60. The difference between Unlimited Extra and myPlan Unlimited Plus is even greater, with the latter costing $10 less. Finally, we have AT&T’s Unlimited Premium vs. myPlan Unlimited Ultimate, with the former being $10 more expensive than Verizon’s offering.
You can mix and match individual plans to ensure that everyone gets the data they require with no overages, and you can save a lot of money by purchasing in bulk. Their activation support specialists will get everyone set up for free.
Let’s take a look at what you actually get and how it compares:
Verizon myPlan Unlimited vs. AT&T Unlimited Starter Welcome:
Both provide LTE and 5G connectivity without the option of a hotspot. You will also receive similar international benefits. Verizon also lets you add a few extra perks for $10 each, which we’ll go over in more detail later.
AT&T Unlimited Extra vs Verizon myPlan Unlimited Plus:
Both have the same LTE/5G access, but the Verizon option has twice the hotspot access (30GB). It also has the option to add perks for $10 per piece.
Which is better? When we compare the big boys, we see many of the same trends. Verizon once again outperforms AT&T by providing a whopping 60GB of hotspot access. There are the same $10 perks. However, Verizon also provides 10GB of high-speed international data, which AT&T cannot match.
At the end of the day, it’s clear who offers the best value and price, and, surprisingly, Verizon is the winner. AT&T has recently lagged behind the other major carriers, and for the first time in a long time, we’re praising Big Red.
AT&T vs. Verizon: Coverage & Speed
Both carriers claim to have the most extensive coverage area in the United States, but it all depends on the network you want. AT&T once had the largest 3G network, but it has since been phased out in favor of widespread 4G LTE coverage. Verizon, on the other hand, has had a significant lead in 4G LTE for several years. Both are still important for customers outside major cities, though some users now have faster options.
If you look at each carrier’s 5G access, you’ll notice that speed and availability are once again the key factors. Verizon’s high-end 5G coverage relies on a high-speed mmWave network, which is lightning-fast but has a limited range. In addition, Big Red now has a more accessible Nationwide 5G network to fill in the gaps. AT&T, on the other hand, relies primarily on a low-band network that covers a much larger portion of the country, albeit at lower speeds.
Looking at AT&T’s coverage map above, you can immediately see where its 4G LTE and 5G access are available, but Verizon is a little trickier. If you want the fastest mmWave coverage, you’ll need to get up close and personal with street-by-street maps. You can, however, view Verizon’s new Nationwide 5G network right here.
AT&T may be a better fit, depending on where you live. It’s also less congested and more consistent in most states. However, when it comes to speed and coverage, Verizon will be the better option for the vast majority of users. Part of me wants to give Verizon the win, but I’ll be diplomatic and call it a tie.
AT&T vs. Verizon: Advantages and promotions
Neither AT&T nor Verizon provides any significant benefits by default, though AT&T’s Premium tier does provide HD streaming versus the 480p that Verizon defaults to for the majority of its plans. However, Verizon allows you to upgrade to HD for an extra $5 monthly.
Verizon does not include perks, but it does sell them for $10 each. The following are the Verizon options:
- Disney Bundle (Hulu, Disney Plus, ESPN Plus)
- 2TB Cloud Storage
- 100GB Mobile hotspot
- Walmart+ Membership
- Apple One
- Apple Music Family
- Smartwatch Data
- 3 TravelPass Days
AT&T has no perks, either optional or otherwise. It used to provide HBO Max, but that is no longer available. Verizon’s top-tier Ultimate plan also has one of the best international perks of any major carrier, with only Google Fi Wireless outperforming it.
Both carriers have a good selection of promotions, though you’ll be saving money on new devices rather than plans. Check out our guides to the best Verizon deals and the best AT&T deals for more information.
In the end, Verizon provides more. You can even add a perk to its Plus and Ultimate plans and pay the same as AT&T’s perkless alternatives.
AT&T vs. Verizon: Phone Options
Carrier-exclusive phones are no longer as popular as they once were. Many of the major US carriers offer nearly identical device lineups, with the only difference being whether the phone uses GSM or CDMA. AT&T and Verizon are no exceptions, but Big Red exclusively offers a good selection of Motorola phones, such as the folding Razr.
As previously stated, one of the primary differences between AT&T and Verizon is the distinction between GSM and CDMA. Big Red is on the CDMA side, while AT&T is on the GSM side. GSM is a newer technology that is more common than CDMA, which can be beneficial if you travel abroad frequently.
Verizon’s full phone lineup is available on their website, as is AT&T’s.
Verizon vs. AT&T: Customer Service
Both carriers provide equally poor customer service.
We won’t sugarcoat it: the entire telecommunications industry, including AT&T and Verizon, has a customer service problem. While these two companies are more likely to respond to your call (or email or chat) than smaller MVNOs like Mint Mobile and Visible Wireless, they are unlikely to provide an exceptional experience.
If you have a question or a problem with Verizon or AT&T, here are the best ways to contact them.
Customer Service at AT&T
- Call 1-800-331-0500
- Tag @ATTCares on Twitter
- Go to att.com/support and participate in a community forum.
Customer Service at Verizon
- Call 1-800-922-0204, follow @vzwsupport on Twitter, and go to verizon.com/support/. Verizon Community Discussion Forums
Verizon vs. AT&T Data
If you’ve ever sat next to a friend while trying to access the same YouTube video, you’ll know that no two phones have the same data speeds. This is particularly true if the phones are connected to different networks.
So, Which Service Provider Has the Fastest Speeds?
Verizon has faster data speeds than AT&T (though both are slower than T-Mobile), according to our proprietary data from over 100,000 mobile customers.
An infographic that ranks wireless networks in terms of speed: T-Mobile is ranked first, followed by Verizon and AT&T. Sprint is unranked because it was acquired by T-Mobile in 2020.
Of course, these are just average 4G LTE network speeds. Depending on your location, plan, and other factors, there will be some variation. And, if you go over your data cap, your speeds will slow down regardless of the network (which is why we like AT&T’s higher data cap).
Despite being slower than Verizon, AT&T’s average data speeds are nearly 30 Mbps, which is sufficient for watching videos, playing games, and browsing social media.
What About Data from 5G Networks?
AT&T and Verizon are taking different approaches to deploying 5G network infrastructure. While AT&T quickly deployed “low-band” 5G across the country, Verizon has focused on specific cities, where it is deploying much faster “high-band” 5G capable of reaching speeds of 200+ Mbps!
As a result, AT&T customers will likely have 5G coverage in more places (for example, I have 5G coverage all over Salt Lake City on my AT&T phone), but it will be slower than 4G LTE coverage.
Meanwhile, Verizon customers will experience more limited 5G coverage, but it will be faster than most people’s home internet connection.
Verizon’s rural 4G coverage simply outperforms the competition.
AT&T has slightly better coverage in many areas when it comes to 5G coverage (which you can see in the maps above by clicking on just the “5G” box). However, as previously stated, Verizon’s wide-band 5G network is significantly faster than AT&T’s low-band network.
Which is better, AT&T or Verizon?
In the AT&T vs. Verizon battle, it’s clear that Big Red has jumped ahead of its once-close rival. In almost every relevant category, Verizon is either superior or tied. However, just because it is less expensive does not mean it is the better option for you. AT&T has better coverage in some areas and a larger 5G network. If you live in AT&T territory, Verizon’s advantages will be meaningless.
- AT&T 5G COVERAGE: Maps, Cities, Plans & All to Know
- VERIZON BLACK FRIDAY DEALS: Best Deals & Offers 2023
- AT&T FIBER VS XFINITY: Which Is Better Provider?
- TOP 10 VERIZON COMPETITORS & ALTERNATIVES IN 2023
- VERIZON VS AT&T: Full Comparison & Review
References
