The Best 5G Phone Plans: Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T Compared

There’s no doubt that 5G access has come a long way in the past couple of years or so, allowing for faster speeds across the board. All three of the major U.S. carriers now offer nationwide networks, and all include 5G support in their main plans and some of them have prepaid 5G phone plans.

Given the fact that all of the carriers offer 5G coverage in their plans, you might be wondering which offers the best 5G plans. From AT&T, to T-Mobile, to Verizon, all plans have their pros and cons. Here’s everything you need to know.

AT&T 5G Phone plans

AT&T offers three 5G cell phone plans — AT&T Unlimited Starter, Unlimited Extra, and Unlimited Elite. All three of the cell phone plans have unlimited data, but there are some caveats to that — such as how much hot spot data you’ll get, when you’ll get throttled to slower speeds, and so on. And, of course, each unlimited data plan comes in at a different price point. Here’s a quick rundown of those prices.

For most users who simply want unlimited data without any extras or frills, the Unlimited Starter plan is the way to go. You’ll still get unlimited talk, text, and data on your 5G device, and while your video streaming is limited to standard definition (480p), that likely won’t be too much of an issue for most people. The one caveat is that this data plan doesn’t really have any so-called “premium data.” That’s to say, if there’s any mobile network congestion or similar issues, you’ll be among the first to get throttled download speeds.

The Unlimited Extra plan does have some of that premium data. With Unlimited Extra, if you’ve used 50GB or less for the month, you’ll retain top download speeds during times of congestion. Unlimited Extra also gets you 15GB of mobile hot spot data per line, per month.

Last but not least is Unlimited Elite, which doubles the premium data to 100GB, doubles the hot spot data to 30GB, and chucks in an HBO Max plan. That, of course, comes at a steeper price — it’s the most expensive high-speed data plan that AT&T offers.

All three plans offer access to AT&T’s 5G network, including its nationwide Sub-6 network, and the mmWave cells that it has in many big cities around the country. AT&T’s network is probably the weakest right now, given the fact that the wireless carrier has less spectrum allocated to its Sub-6 network compared to others. But, for most, it won’t really matter, and the company will continue to rapidly improve its network over the coming years.

While AT&T’s plans are solid for loyal AT&T customers, frankly, you can get more for less from T-Mobile. T-Mobile’s cheapest plan is $5 cheaper than AT&T’s, but it includes premium data, mobile hot spot usage, and you’ll get a stronger 5G network.

AT&T Plans

Highs:

• HBO Max included in Unlimited Elite plan
• Extensive 4G network

Lows:

• Weakest 5G network for now
• No hot spot data in Starter plan
• Data throttling at any time in Unlimited Starter plan

T-Mobile 5G Phone plans

T-Mobile’s two cheaper plans are cheaper than AT&T’s with one line and with multiple lines — and they seem to offer more. The most expensive plan is the T-Mobile Magenta Max plan, which offers some features that no one else on the market currently does. First thing’s first, though — here’s a look at pricing on T-Mobile.

T-Mobile Essentials is the cheapest, coming in at $60 for one line, or $30 per line for three. On this plan, you’ll get 50GB of premium data, plus unlimited hot spot usage on 3G speeds. Compare that to AT&T, which doesn’t let you use any hot spot data on its cheapest plan.

Next up is Magenta. On this plan, you’ll get 100GB of premium data, along with 5GB of hot spot data at high speeds, then unlimited at 3G speeds. Magenta also gets you a Basic subscription to Netflix, if you have two lines or more.

Magenta Max may be expensive, but it’s also great for those who really use their data. That’s because Magenta Max offers unlimited “premium data” — or in other words, it will never throttle you based on your data usage. You’ll also get 40GB of hot spot data, the ability to stream video at 4K, and a Netflix Basic subscription with one line, or a Netflix Standard subscription with two or more lines.

The T-Mobile 5G plan was the first to offer a nationwide 5G network, and as a result, the carrier offers one of the strongest 5G networks so far. Its mmWave coverage is a little limited, but T-Mobile’s 5G network will continue to grow and improve over the next few years, as will its competitors.

T-Mobile Plans

Highs:

• A robust 5G network, compared to the others
• Cheapest plans are as good or better than rivals’
• Netflix subscription

Lows:

• Not as much high-speed hot spot data
• Overall network coverage lacking in rural areas

Verizon 5G Phone Plans

Last but not least is Verizon, which steps its plans up from three plans to four. Those plans are more expensive than AT&T and T-Mobile, and while you will get some extra perks, you’ll have to consider whether or not those perks are actually worth it for your needs. Before we go into details, however, here’s a look at Verizon’s pricing.

As you can see, Verizon’s 5G plans are the most expensive of the bunch — and for most people with a 5G smartphone, it won’t be worth the price. The cheapest plan is the Start Unlimited plan, which includes unlimited talk, text, and data, but doesn’t come with any premium data, nor does it allow access to a hot spot. You’ll also get six months of Disney+, Apple Music, and Discovery+, but after that 6 months, you’ll have to either cancel those subscriptions or start paying.

The next two plans cost the same, but prioritize different things. Both Play More and Do More get you unlimited hot spot data with 15GB of 5G connectivity or 4G LTE access on a hot spot. They also both offer 50GB of premium data. But Play More gets you a full subscription to Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+, and Apple Music for six months, and Discovery+ for 12 months. Do More swaps those subscriptions out for 50% off an Unlimited connected devices plan, and 600GB of Verizon cloud storage.

Last but not least is Get More Unlimited, which gives you all the perks of Do More and Play More, plus it increases the Apple Music subscription to a full one, and gives you 30GB of hot spot data instead of 15GB.

Verizon’s plans may end up being cheaper for those who already pay for services like Disney+ and Apple Music or who plan on doing so — but people who wouldn’t use those services should probably look elsewhere. Factoring in T-Mobile’s Netflix subscription and AT&T’s HBO Max subscription is also worth doing.

Verizon’s 5G service and coverage map are solid, plus it offers more mmWave cells than anyone else — though, considering how spotty and unreliable those cells are, that shouldn’t necessarily be a major consideration when shopping for a new plan, especially given we expect more carriers to offer more mmWave cells as the 5G rollout continues.

Verizon Plans

Highs:

• Lots of subscription offerings
• More mmWave areas than anyone else
• Largest overall network coverage, including rural areas

Lows:

Editors’ Recommendations