Get prepaid service on your preferred network

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  Single-line savings

  Visible

  Visible is a prepaid carrier owned and operated by Verizon Wireless with two unlimited data plans, simple pricing, and full 5G coverage on Verizon. Visible’s plans are cheap, but you can save even more by paying for the full year upfront.

  Pros

  • Unlimited data on both plans
  • Unlimited hotspot data
  • Taxes and fees included

  Cons

  • No multi-line discounts for families
  • Base Visible plan doesn’t get Ultra Wideband speeds

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  Better for more lines

  Metro by T-Mobile

  Metro by T-Mobile uses T-Mobile’s network for all of its coverage, which isn’t a bad thing considering T-Mobile has the best 5G coverage and speeds on average. Metro’s plans feature multi-line discounts for families with taxes and fees included.

  Pros

  • Google One cloud storage with most plans
  • Multi-line discounts for families
  • Taxes and fees included

  Cons

  • No multi-month discounts for single lines
  • Auto-pay is required for the best prices

All the major carriers in the US have started offering prepaid service under different brands, with Verizon behind Visible and T-Mobile behind Metro. These prepaid carriers offer another option for budget-conscious customers who don’t want to give up the networks they’ve come to trust.

Visible’s plans appeal to customers who only have a single line and don’t want to worry about counting gigabytes. Metro’s plans also focus on unlimited data, but to get the best prices, you’ll need to bring multiple lines and sign up for auto-pay.

Mobile carrier features

One of Visible’s best features is its simplicity, but when it comes to features, it has nailed the most important ones. Both of Visible’s plans come with unlimited data that doesn’t have a high-speed cap like some other carriers, such as Mint Mobile.

Visible also includes unlimited hotspot usage, with the base plan getting 5Mbps and the Plus plan getting 10Mbps. If you get stuck without Wi-Fi, Visible’s hotspot data won’t blow your socks off, but it’s fast enough to get some work done or even stream videos.

If you have an Apple Watch, you can also get data on that for just $10 per month with the base plan, or for free with Visible+. If you can get Verizon home internet, 5G or Fios, you can save $5 with the base Visible plan or $10 with Visible+.

Metro by T-Mobile also offers unlimited data on three out of its four plans. While its data may be deprioritized at 35GB of usage, that won’t be a problem for most people. Metro’s unlimited plans also come with a 100GB Google One plan for cloud backup; the top plan even includes Amazon Prime.

If it’s available, you can even save on 5G Home Internet with T-Mobile Home Internet for Metro by T-Mobile, which is similar to T-Mobile Home Internet, except you buy the hardware upfront instead of it being included with the service.

Metro by T-Mobile customers also get access to T-Mobile Tuesdays, a set of perks and discounts available in the T Life app, formerly known as the T-Mobile app.

Mobile coverage and reception

Visible uses Verizon’s network for all of its coverage with both LTE and 5G access. In its infancy, Visible’s data was quite slow, but these days, you can expect fast LTE and 5G speeds, comparable to plans directly from Verizon. Verizon’s network is known for strong nationwide coverage, but when it comes to 5G, it fell significantly behind T-Mobile and is still scrambling to catch up with its fast C-band and mmWave 5G, known as Ultra Wideband 5G.

This scrambling has paid off, however, and Verizon has solid 5G coverage in a lot of cities and towns across the country, but there are still big LTE gaps between them. LTE is still plenty fast for most of what we do on our phones, so it’s not a huge deal for now.

If you need the extra speed that comes with Ultra Wideband 5G, check Visible’s coverage map to see what kind of coverage you can expect where you live and work. If you’ve got an eSIM-capable (and unlocked) phone, you can get a free trial of Visible’s network for 15 days.

Metro by T-Mobile, as you might expect, uses T-Mobile’s network for its coverage. T-Mobile’s 5G network is second to none and has covered much of the nation with its quick Ultra Capacity 2.5GHz 5G network. T-Mobile got access to this 2.5GHz spectrum thanks to its purchase of Sprint, meaning it could start building while Verizon was stuck waiting for auctions and delays from concerned pilots with older altimeters.

All that means T-Mobile’s 5G network is the most complete with fast coverage across much of the country.

T-Mobile still has a few more holes in rural areas than Verizon, so it’s a good idea to check Metro by T-Mobile’s coverage map before signing up, especially if your neighbors are cows. You can also get a trial from T-Mobile to get an idea of coverage if you’ve got an unlocked phone.

Phone compatibility

Most phones designed for the North American market will work just fine on Visible’s Verizon network. That includes most of the best Android phones you can buy, including the Galaxy S24 Ultra and Google Pixel 8. If you’re an iPhone user and want to get your Apple Watch connected, you’re in luck with Visible. However, the best smartwatches for Android are not compatible, so you’ll need to stick with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for those.

If you’re looking to bring a phone to Visible, it should support bands n2, n5, n66, and n77 at minimum for strong 5G coverage. For faster speeds in congested areas, like downtown in big cities or arenas, bands n260 and n261 are needed for Verizon mmWave coverage.

One of the T-Mobile network’s greatest strengths is its phone compatibility. You can even use international phones like the Nothing Phone 2a on this network. Just don’t expect every feature, like Wi-Fi calling, to work on all models.

Most phones made for North America should work without too many issues, but for the best speed and coverage on 5G, your Metro by T-Mobile phone should support bands n71 and n41. T-Mobile also uses some of its other bands for carrier aggregation in some areas to improve 5G speeds. For the most part, however, bands n71 and n41 are the more important.

Plans

Visible and Metro by T-Mobile have taken fairly different approaches to their plans, with Visible sticking to just two fairly simple options. Metro by T-Mobile, on the other hand, has four main plans to choose from, with multi-line discounts to keep the price down. Metro also has a handful of add-ons available, as well as some data-only plans for devices like tablets, laptops, or mobile hotspots.

Visible’s plans

Visible only has two plans, which makes it a fairly simple choice to figure out which one you need.

Starting with the cheaper of the two, the self-titled Visible plan comes with unlimited data, hotspot data at 5Mbps, and videos stream at SD resolutions. Visible is just $25 per month, but it’s also available for $275 per year, saving $25; taxes and fees are included, so what you see is what you pay for. Unlike a lot of prepaid unlimited plans, there’s no high-speed data cap, so you can keep using your data as much as you’d like.

Visible+ is a fairly large upgrade and, for the price, a great deal for heavier users. Visible+ also comes with unlimited data, but it has access to Verizon Ultra Wideband 5G speeds with 50GB of premium data, meaning you can keep your fast connection speeds even during times of heavy congestion.

Visible+ also gets unlimited hotspot data, but its speed has been doubled to 10Mbps, which is plenty for browsing the web and even watching HD videos, provided you don’t mind a few seconds of buffering. Visible+ costs $45 per month, or $395 per year, representing a savings of $145.

If you want to head to Mexico or Canada, Visible+ also includes usage with 2GB of high-speed data per day. While both plans feature calling to Mexico and Canada, Visible+ also gets calls to 30+ countries and texting to 200+ countries as well.

For a limited time, you can save on Visible’s plans with the code “CHAMP” at checkout. This gets you Visible for $20 per month for 24 months, or Visible+ for $35 per month for 24 months. You can also save on Verizon home internet with $5 off with Visible and $10 off with Visible+.

Metro’s plans

Metros’s plans are a bit more traditional with three unlimited options and a 10GB plan on the low end. Starting with the 10GB plan, you get unlimited talk and text, and full 5G access for $40 per month with auto-pay. If you bring four lines, the plan comes in at $135 per month or just over $33 per line.

Moving up to unlimited, the cheapest plan is called Metro Flex Start. You get unlimited data that may be slowed at 35GB of usage, 8GB of hotspot data, and a 100GB Google One Plan. Naturally, talk and text are also unlimited. This plan is fairly basic, but with a starting price of $50 per month, it’s reasonably affordable. With four lines, it comes to $155 per month, or just under $40 per line.

Metro Flex Up takes the price up to $60 for a single line, but gets 25GB of hotspot data and comes with unlimited texting to 210+ countries. It gets the same 35GB of prioritized data as the Start plan. If you bring four lines, Flex Up comes in at $165 per month or $41.25 per line.

Metro Flex Plus is Metro’s Flex Up plan with Amazon Prime. As a result, it costs $10 more no matter how many lines you bring. Essentially, you’re paying $10 per month for Amazon Prime and its features, which costs $14.99 if subscribed directly through Amazon. If you want Metro and pay for Amazon Prime already, the upgrade is a no-brainer.

Keep in mind that Metro by T-Mobile requires auto-pay for these prices, otherwise it costs $5 more per month. Metro by T-Mobile also offers some of its old plans if you call customer support. These are known as Heritage Plans and could be a better fit for some, such as the old Unlimited plan with only 15GB of data.

Which should you buy?

Visible and Metro by T-Mobile both have some of the best value data plans available, but for most people, Visible stands out as the better value. Visible’s base plan is hard to beat at just $25 per month, without promotion, and is an incredible value with the currently available discounts.

With Visible, you get totally unlimited data, so you can use your phone without worrying about how many gigabytes you’ve consumed. While Visible is slower than Visible+ or Verizon’s postpaid plans, it’s still plenty fast for most people. The unlimited hotspot is also great for road trips, camping trips, or even if you just have unreliable internet at home. With taxes and fees included, annual discounts, and even savings on home internet, Visible is tough to beat.

Metro by T-Mobile could still be a good choice for those with multiple lines and a need for high-speed hotspot data. It’s also worth keeping in mind that T-Mobile’s 5G coverage may be a better fit for your family thanks to multi-line discounts. Metro by T-Mobile also has stronger support for international phones and some budget phones, so if you prefer a unique phone, like a Nothing phone, Metro by T-Mobile is a solid choice.