Which carrier is better? Visible vs. Verizon?
Whether you are looking for a way to save money on your cell phone bill or trying to decide which carrier to stick to, you may be weighing the differences between Verizon Wireless and Visible.
Verizon owns Visible, which means you will be a Verizon customer no matter which you choose. The difference really comes down to priority. Visible is made for anyone who wants the dependable service of the Verizon network at great discount prices. Verizon is for those who want the comfort of having the most high-speed data, even if it means paying a premium price.
Let us go into detail.
Overview of Verizon
Verizon is an American company with a large market share known to give good service. In addition to Wi-Fi connections, it offers data networks, fiber networks, and phone networks. Billed as the largest wireless communications service provider in the US, the company is one of the seven ‘Baby Bells’ that formed after a lawsuit involving AT&T and the US Department of Justice.
Settled in 1982, the court case saw AT&T having to relinquish control of the Bell System – a system that provided telephone services to most of the US and Canada. After the monopoly was broken, Bell Atlantic came into existence in 1984 – the precursor to Verizon.
Following the acquisition of GTE in 2000, Bell Atlantic changed its name to Verizon, a portmanteau of veritas, the Latin word for truth, and horizon.
Verizon was named sixth globally in 2016, and the company’s dedication to innovation has been steady over the years. It was an early adopter of 3G and 4G LTE networks, which completely altered the mobile data landscape and laid the foundation for today’s mobile industry. The Internet of Things (IoT) revolution, video streaming, and mobile applications were all made possible thanks to the company’s ground-breaking work in improving network capabilities.
Typically, Verizon’s influence extends well beyond its remarkable infrastructure and into many parts of modern life. Initiatives addressing climate change, digital inclusivity, and community support are just a few of the results of the company’s commitment to corporate responsibility and sustainability.
Verizon is divided into four business units, wireless services, residential and small business services, enterprise services and partner programs.
Overview of Visible
Verizon launched its startup Visible, a prepaid cell phone carrier, in 2018. The telecommunications company created Visible to provide customers with an unlimited, affordable option with no annual contract.
Visible is a fully digital company that uses Verizon’s network to provide unlimited talk, text, and data coverage to its customers at a lower price.
Visible runs on Verizon’s 4G LTE and 5G network, which has received awards for its overall performance and coverage. For users who perceive coverage as a priority, Visible offers the same coverage as Verizon, which reaches 99% of the U.S. population. However, since Visible operates on Verizon’s network, users may be deprioritized in favor of Verizon subscribers during busy network times.
For shoppers who want ongoing access to high-speed data, signing on to a different plan as a prioritized customer might be a better fit.
The company still has its Visible Unlimited plan but is now also offering new customers two monthly unlimited data plans – Visible and Visible+ – at $25 and $45 (taxes and fees included), respectively. But those who don’t need unlimited data may be interested in looking for another plan from a different cell phone company.
However, one thing to note is that Visible no longer offers Party Pay as an option for new customers. Current customers will be able to keep this service on their original plan.
Visible vs. Verizon: Comparison
Visible vs. Verizon: Plans
When it comes to plans, Visible takes the crown in simplicity, but Verizon has a ton more features. Visible keeps things simple with its plans focusing on unlimited data, while Verizon’s postpaid plans most differentiate themselves with different subscription perks. Verizon also offers multi-line savings to encourage customers to bring the whole family to the carrier.
Visible is much more focused on the single-user experience and, with one or two lines, can be a lot cheaper than a comparable plan at Verizon.
Verizon’s plans
Verizon has eight postpaid unlimited plans. Verizon’s two newest unlimited choices, Unlimited Plus and Unlimited Welcome are included with Verizon’s myPlan feature. Launched May 18, 2023, these two plans resemble Welcome Unlimited and 5G Get More Unlimited, but instead of Verizon picking which bundled add-ons are included, you get to choose your own for $10 per month each.
Plan add-ons include options like a Disney bundle, Walmart+, and Apple One, plus add-ons like 100GB of mobile hotspot or data for your smartwatch. All of these add-ons come in at $10 per month, which is less than most would cost separately. It’s also worth pointing out that you can change or cancel these add-ons anytime, so you’re not stuck paying for a service you don’t use like with a traditional plan.
These add-ons can also be added to older plans if you don’t want to switch, such as Welcome Unlimited.
It’s also worth noting that if you don’t want any add-ons, Unlimited Plus comes in at $10 less than 5G Get More Unlimited, which offers the same unlimited premium data, albeit with less hotspot data.
| Unlimited Plus | Unlimited Welcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Price (per month) | 1 line: $80 | 1 line: $65 |
| 4 lines: $45 | 4 lines: $30 | |
| 5G | Ultra Wideband 5G | Nationwide 5G |
| Talk and text | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Data | Unlimited premium | Unlimited |
| Hotspot | 30GB high-speed | None |
Verizon has a wide selection of cell phone plans available for customers and customized family plans, making it possible for groups to select different plans that suit their individual needs. This could be beneficial for families that want to add grandparents to a line or add a plan for kids that will help parents track their child’s location and limit their content viewing.
Visible’s plans
Visible, by comparison, has just two plans to choose from, and they both get unlimited data. The base plan, called Visible, comes in at $25 per month with taxes and fees included. This plan has unlimited talk, text, and data with unlimited hotspot data at 5Mbps. In addition, it comes with Spam Protection to help reduce the number of spam calls you get and includes unlimited calls and texts to Mexico and Canada.
Visible+ comes with all of the features of the cheaper plan but adds in faster 5G support with full-speed Ultra Wideband 5G access and 50GB of premium data per month. The international features also get a shot in the arm with unlimited talk, text, and data in Mexico and Canada, as well as calling 30+ countries and texting 200+ countries. You can even save $10 per month on Verizon Home Internet with this plan.
Visible limits both of its plans to 480p video streaming. On the base plan, this limit is par for the course compared to other price-competitive plans, but with Visible+ advertising a “Premium Network Experience,” it feels quite basic.
If you have one of the best smartwatches, you can get unlimited data on it for just $5 per month with Visible.
| Visible | Visible+ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price (per month) | $25 | $45 |
| Data | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| 5G | Nationwide only | Nationwide and Ultra Wideband |
| Premium data | None | 50GB |
| Mobile hotspot | Unlimited (5Mbps) | Unlimited (5Mbps) |
| Video streaming | SD 480p | SD 480p |
If you’re looking to save with Visible, you can save $5 per month by using PayPal when you sign up. You can use this discount on either of Visible’s plans.
Visible vs. Verizon: Mobile carrier features
Verizon’s postpaid plans have a lot more going on with numerous bundled services, premium data allotments, and high-speed hotspot data. While Verizon’s plan and pricing complexity can make picking the right one more challenging, it could still be the right choice for many. Verizon also offers a discount on its home internet service on its more premium plans, so if you can get both, the Verizon bundle could save you some money.
It’s worth noting that Verizon’s best prices require paper-free billing and auto-pay to be enabled. Speaking of billing, Verizon offers multi-line discounts on its postpaid plans. The more lines you get, the lower the per-line price, with the best prices for five or more lines.
Visible has managed to stand out in a sea of other prepaid carriers thanks to its low price, simple billing, and unlimited data. For example, other prepaid carriers advertise unlimited plans with a high-speed cap, usually around 35GB. Visible doesn’t do this and instead implements a rather generous 200Mbps speed limit on nationwide 5G and LTE, which is much quicker than most people can realistically utilize on the phone.
If you want a little more network performance, you can upgrade to Visible+, which comes with 50GB of premium data and Ultra Wideband 5G support.
One of Visible’s best features is that it includes taxes and fees in the price of the plan. That means you know how much your bill will be from the moment you sign up. You also don’t need to enroll in auto-pay or sign up for multiple months to get Visible’s best rates.
Visible vs. Verizon: Mobile coverage and reception
Verizon and Visible share the same network, so coverage is very similar. That, however, does not mean performance will be the same. Verizon and other big carriers prioritize data connections so that the most important data gets through first; however, Visible’s base unlimited plan is a lower priority than Verizon’s postpaid plans.
Head-to-head, a Visible+ plan should outperform a Visible plan in an area with many Verizon users.
Premium data is like being in the first boarding group for a flight. You get on sooner and don’t need to spend as much time waiting around, but eventually, everyone is getting on the same plane. In other words, a side-by-side simultaneous speed test on Visible and Verizon will show faster speeds on Verizon, but done one after another, the speeds should be much more equal.
Data prioritization is less of an issue on Verizon’s latest Ultra Wideband 5G coverage. If your phone supports Verizon’s latest C-band 5G coverage, the extra capacity can smooth over these priority differences. Overall, the impact of network prioritization depends heavily on where you live and how strong Verizon’s network is in that area.
If you’re unsure if Visible’s base plan will be fast enough, you can start with it and upgrade to Visible+ if needed.
Visible vs. Verizon: Phone compatibility
Visible works with a wide range of smartphones, including iPhones and Androids. While there can be some compatibility issues with carrier-branded devices for things like visual voicemail, there’s a good chance you can bring your current unlocked phone to Visible. You can check Visible’s BYOD compatibility tool before joining to be sure.
And since Visible uses Verizon’s network, any phone that works on Visible will work on Verizon without issue. You can check Verizon’s BYOD tool to be sure. Any of the best Verizon phones should work on either carrier, so you have several options.
One thing to keep in mind is that most of Verizon’s phone deals require a 36-month payment plan. So remember that if you sign up for one of these payment plans and want to leave Verizon, change your plan, or upgrade your phone, you may need to pay off the remaining balance.
Visible also sells a solid range of phones, but it doesn’t offer payment plans on phone sales, though you can sign up for a payment plan using Affirm. If you want an unlocked phone on a payment plan, some of the best Android phones, such as the Samsung Galaxy S23 or Google Pixel 7 can be financed directly from the manufacturer. And to your carrier, it looks like any other unlocked phone.
To get the most out of Verizon’s 5G network, your phone should support multiple 5G bands, including bands n2, n5, and n66 for nationwide 5G. For Ultra Wideband 5G, band n77 (C-band) makes up most of the carrier’s fast 5G footprint. In some cities and other venues like sports arenas and airports, you may be able to connect to mmWave 5G bands at n260 and n261.
Visible vs. Verizon: Conclusion
Visible is, without a doubt, the simpler and cheaper pick, but Verizon offers many more bonus perks with its plans. If you’re willing to do the math and bring a few lines with you, you can get some competitive rates.
Also, heavier users may find Verizon’s higher speeds in congested areas and high-speed hotspot data worth the extra cash.
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