Prepaid carriers have evolved significantly in the US from being viewed as an option for those with poor credit or little cash to spare. Many have upped their game and can more favorably compete with postpaid options from carriers like AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon.
In this article, we compare one of the most popular prepaid services with the most popular traditional carrier, Mint Mobile vs Verizon, to determine which carrier is best suited for your needs. Let’s take a quick look at the following chart to see what each carrier offers, and then we’ll break it down in more detail below.
Update (12/8/23): We’ve updated this article to reflect new Verizon and Mint plan changes and a few other small details.
Verizon MyPlan Unlimited Welcome
Cost: $65 for one line
Talk & Text: Unlimited
Data: Unlimited 4G LTE
Extras: 5G Nationwide, 480p streaming, Talk & Text in Mexico and Canada, texting in over 200 countries, can add perks for $10 each
Verizon MyPlan Unlimited Plus
Cost: $80 for one line
Talk & Text: Unlimited
Data: Unlimited 4G LTE, 5G Nationwide, Ultra wideband 5G
Extras: Everything from Welcome, as well as 10GB high-speed international data
Verizon MyPlan Unlimited Ultimate
Cost: $75 for one line
Talk & Text: Unlimited
Data: Unlimited 4G LTE, 5G Nationwide, 5G wideband
Extras: Everything from Plus, as well as 10GB high-speed international data
Verizon Prepaid 15GB
Cost: $35 w/ autopay
Talk & Text: Unlimited
Data: 15GB of LTE/5G access
Extras: $5/day for calls, text, and data in Mexico or Canada
Verizon Unlimited Prepaid
Cost: $50 w/ autopay
Talk & Text: Unlimited
Data: Unlimited LTE/5G data
Extras: Calling, text, and data in Mexico & Canada
Verizon Unlimited Plus Prepaid
Cost: $60 w/ autopay
Talk & Text: Unlimited
Data: Unlimited LTE/5G data, including ultra wideband 5G
Extras: Calling, text, and data in Mexico & Canada
Mint 5GB
Cost: $45 for first three months promotion
Talk & Text: Unlimited
Data: 4GB LTE/5G access
Extras: Hotspot up to data limit
Mint 15GB
Cost: $60 for first three months promotion
Talk & Text: Unlimited
Data: 10GB LTE/5G access
Extras: Hotspot up to data limit
Mint 20GB
Cost: $75 for first three months promotion
Talk & Text: Unlimited
Data: 15GB LTE/5G access
Extras: Hotspot up to data limit
Mint Unlimited
Cost: $90 for first three months promotion
Talk & Text: Unlimited
Data: 40GB premium data, Unlimited 4G/5G and unlimited slowed speeds
Extras: 10GB hotspot access
Mint Mobile vs Verizon: pricing and value
Right now, the economy is in a tough place, and that’s driving many of us to cut costs where we can. This is likely one of the main reasons prepaid phone service has seen so much growth in the last few years. To little surprise, Mint Mobile offers significant savings over Verizon’s postpaid and prepaid offerings. However, there is a catch: you have to pay for months of service in advance to see truly substantial discounts.
Mint Mobile lets you start with a 3-month offer that gives you its highest discount rate. As an example, the 5GB plan is $45 for the first three months, but after that, it goes up to $75 for three months unless you switch to a six or 12-month plan. The yearly plan sees the best discounts, as a year of service will cost you the equivalent of $15 a month.
Mint Mobile’s yearly plans range from $180/yearly to $360/yearly — which is the equivalent of $15 to $30 a month. In contrast, Verizon’s plans range from $35 to $80 a line. Of course, Verizon has the advantage of family discounts which can make it a better deal long term for those with larger families. Mint Mobile also bundles things for families, but the discount rates aren’t much different than what you’d pay when getting a single line.
One big difference between Mint and Verizon is the way they handle data allotments. Verizon only has one limited plan with 15GB of data, and it’s a prepaid option. You can use it for mobile data as well as a hotspot, but when you’re out, there is no more data for the month. Mint Mobile has several data plans going from as little as 5GB to its “Unlimited” plan, which actually only gives you 40GB of high-speed data. After you hit those caps? You’ll get unlimited data on every plan, just only at 600Kbps.
Verizon’s 15GB will stop providing when you hit the cap, but its unlimited plans have no caps. However, you might see some deprioritization depending on the exact plan. format_quote
Mint Mobile coverage vs Verizon: how do they compare?
Verizon’s network needs no introduction as Big Red is known for its extensive US-wide network. While it’s not without its dead zones, Verizon tends to be a reliable option almost anywhere you travel. Just keep in mind that its prepaid packages won’t have the same roaming agreements as the postpaid options, so they might have a few more dead zones in certain rural areas particularly. You can take a closer look at their 4G and 5G coverage by looking at Verizon’s official coverage map.
Mint Mobile works a bit differently, as it’s what they call an MVNO (mobile virtual network operator). The short explanation is that Mint doesn’t have its own towers and instead buys wholesale coverage from T-Mobile and resells it to consumers at a discounted price. The good news is that T-Mobile’s coverage is pretty solid, even if not as extensive as Verizon’s. T-Mobile claims 99% of Americans can receive 4G LTE reception — of course, that stat might not translate perfectly to Mint Mobile as an MVNO.
While it will likely come very close, big carriers tend to have roaming agreements, at least for their postpaid plans, which sometimes help fill in the holes in their coverage. Mint Mobile wouldn’t have that arrangement in place. Just something to keep in mind. For a better idea of their coverage, be sure to check out Mint’s official coverage map.
Another consideration is deprioritization, which applies to Verizon prepaid plans and all of Mint Mobile’s plans.
Verizon will always prioritize its own postpaid plans and then its prepaid options. T-Mobile does the same. That means Mint Mobile may see deprioritization in times of extreme congestion. In most cases, this shouldn’t hinder using your phone; it just means you might not always get the same exact speeds as you would with a T-Mobile postpaid account. format_quote
For those that go with Verizon, prepaid will see deprioritization over the paid plans in times of congestion. The same applies for postpaid, as the Welcome plan will see deprioritization from time to time, though in my own tests, it’s never a real issue. You’ll still get good speeds, just maybe not as fast as you’d get with Unlimited Plus during congestion. format_quote
Mint Mobile vs Verizon: Extras, perks, and promotions
Mint Mobile is a no-frills option when it comes to extras, though it does give you free calling to Mexico and Canada. There are also low rates available for calling 160 other countries as well.
As for promotions, Mint often runs specials on phones. For example, you can buy a Pixel 8 from Mint for $579 with a 12-month plan, which is already cheaper than the retailer price but even better, you’ll get a free pair of Pixel Buds Pro too. format_quote
Turning to Verizon, there are so many promotions, and trade-in offers that it’s hard for Mint to compete on volume. Check out our deals guide for more of the best Verizon deals.
Verizon used to offer a ton of perks, but now it takes a different approach. All plans give you international access in Mexico and Canada, but perks like streaming services and cloud storage are now optional add-ons. Most add-ons cost $10 each a month.
The total list of optional perks is currently: 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 format_quote
Mint Mobile vs Verizon: Phone selection
Verizon is…