• Visible logo
    Visible
    Best for a single line

    Visible is a prepaid carrier owned by Verizon that keeps its plans simple with just two unlimited options. Both plans feature totally unlimited data, but if you want the best of Verizon’s network, upgrading to the more premium Visible+ plan brings faster 5G access and 50GB of premium data.

    Pros
    • Totally unlimited data on both plans
    • Taxes and fees are included
    • Strong coverage on Verizon?s network
    Cons
    • Full 5G speeds limited to Visible+
    • No multi-line savings
    • The watch plan only supports Apple Watch
  • US Mobile logo
    US Mobile
    Best for families

    US Mobile is a prepaid carrier that offers coverage on Verizon or T-Mobile, including a flexible custom plan as well as two unlimited plans with multi-line discounts. Unlimited plans even come with Ultra Wideband 5G access, premium data, and some high-speed hotspot data.

    Pros
    • Unlimited data on two of its plans
    • Multi-line discounts available for families
    • Access to Verizon C-band and mmWave 5G
    Cons
    • Taxes and fees are extra
    • T-Mobile SIM doesn't get as much high-speed data

If you're looking for a ton of data for cheap on a prepaid carrier, Visible is one of the first carriers to consider, with totally unlimited data on Verizon's network. US Mobile provides a similarly compelling value, and its flexibility may be worth a few extra bucks to some people. US Mobile also works on Verizon or T-Mobile, making a wider range of phones compatible. Still, Visible's plan simplicity and low prices make it an unbeatable value for single-line users.

Mobile carrier features

US Mobile SIM and Visible SIM with a Galaxy Android phone

Visible is owned by Verizon Wireless and uses the carrier's network for all of its coverage, giving customers access to Verizon LTE and 5G, with its more premium Visible+ plan enabling full Ultra Wideband 5G speeds. The company keeps its pricing simple, with taxes and fees included, so the price you pay is the price you see. Also, with a Welcome Discount promotion running until the end of May 2023, Visible is one of the cheapest carriers for unlimited data.

Visible includes unlimited hotspot data with both of its plans with a 5Mbps speed limit. Even so, this hotspot data is enough to check emails, browse the web, and even do a little streaming if you can put up with a bit of buffering. Although large downloads will be slow and gaming is a no-go, it's still a great feature to have in a pinch.

On the other hand, US Mobile gives many more choices, so light users and heavier users can both find a plan that works. US Mobile's flexible custom plan allows users to pick their talk, text, and data allotments individually, with data starting at 50MB and ranging up to 15GB. If you need more data than that, US Mobile has two unlimited plans which qualify for multi-line discounts if you bring the whole family.

Unlimited Basic comes with 40GB of premium data and 5GB of hotspot data, while Unlimited Premium takes that up to 100GB of premium data and a massive 50GB of hotspot data. Unlimited Premium also includes a free streaming subscription for those bringing three lines and another subscription for those with four lines.

Visible

US Mobile

Network

Verizon

Verizon or T-Mobile

5G

Included

Included

Taxes and fees

Included

Extra

eSIM

Supported

Supported

Mobile coverage and reception

Speed test on Galaxy S20+ on MobileX Verizon 5G

Visible only uses Verizon Wireless for its coverage, which is good news since Verizon has strong nationwide LTE and 5G coverage with fast Ultra Wideband 5G coverage in many urban and suburban areas. As a result, most people will have excellent coverage with Verizon, even those living in the country. Regarding speed, however, Visible's plans are treated a bit differently, with only Visible+ supporting Ultra Wideband 5G.

Ultra Wideband 5G refers to Verizon's faster 5G signal using C-band and mmWave spectrum. In essence, this allows for very fast speeds, but coverage is much more limited than low-band LTE or 5G. Even so, customers on the basic Visible plan may notice their phones connecting to these bands, but the speeds will likely be much lower than with Visible+.

US Mobile customers can use Verizon (Warp 5G) or T-Mobile (GSM) for coverage, but not both at once. In order to get the full premium data amounts out of your plan, you'll need to choose Verizon because T-Mobile has lower high-speed data allotments. For example, US Mobile's Unlimited Premium plan comes with 100GB of premium data on Verizon compared to 40GB on T-Mobile, which means that heavy users should stick with a Verizon SIM if their phone supports it.

Still, some people will prefer T-Mobile for its wider 5G coverage and fast mid-band 5G coverage. T-Mobile has managed to pull out a lead in mid-band 5G deployment, helping it to have the fastest overall network, according to Ookla's quarterly market analysis. So if you're looking for the fastest 5G possible, T-Mobile may be the better pick.

Phone compatibility

Samsung Galaxy S23 held in a hand with a castle in the background

If your phone works on Verizon and launched a few years ago, it probably works on Visible as well. Visible also works with most of the best Android phones unlocked, such as the Pixel 7 series and the Galaxy S23 series. You can check your phone for compatibility with Visible's compatibility tool or by downloading the Visible app.

US Mobile's support is similar for its Verizon SIMs, but it also has the advantage of the T-Mobile network for just about any other phone. That means that T-Mobile-only phones, like the OnePlus Nord N20 or the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate, could be activated on US Mobile but not Visible.

To get the most out of 5G on the Verizon network, your phone should support bands n2, n5, and n66 for nationwide 5G and band n77 for C-band. In some urban areas, you could also connect to mmWave 5G with bands n260 and n261. Nationwide and C-band compatibility is most important as these bands make up most of Verizon's 5G coverage.

If you're going with a T-Mobile SIM on US Mobile, you'll want support for bands n71 and n41, primarily with n260 and n261 mmWave in a few cities. For the most part, T-Mobile uses its m41 band for its fast 5G coverage, with carrier aggregation providing higher speeds.

Plans

Before choosing your next phone plan, it's important to think about how much data you actually need. The reality is that many unlimited plans come with a chunk of premium data, but many of us don't need as much. Premium data is much more important to those living in an area with a lot of connections. Why? The tower your phone connects to is a shared resource, and if multiple devices are trying to download data at once, the tower's resources will be split between them. This split isn't even, and those with premium data will be given priority.

Even so, if your area is well-served by Verizon, you may not even notice the lower speed. For those looking to save, it could be worth it to start with a cheaper plan and only upgrade if you find it necessary.

Visible's plans

Visible only has two unlimited plans, and they both come with totally unlimited data. The base Visible plan normally starts at $30 per month, but with a Welcome discount available until the end of May 2023, it's just $25 per month. Visible's base plan comes with nationwide 5G access as well as unlimited hotspot data at 5Mbps. Unlimited talk and text to Mexico and Canada is also included.

Moving up, Visible+ adds a few nice features starting with 50GB of premium data and access to Verizon full 5G speeds with Ultra Wideband. This plan is normally $45 per month but is down to just $35 with the Welcome discount. Visible+ comes with the same 5Mbps hotspot as the base plan while taking the international feature up a notch with unlimited talk, text, and data in Mexico and Canada. International calling is upgraded to 30+ countries, and international texting to 200+ countries is included.

Visible

Visible+

5G

Nationwide

Ultra Wideband

Premium data

None

50GB

Hotspot data

Unlimited (5Mbps)

Unlimited (5Mbps)

International roaming

None

Mexico and Canada

International texting

Mexico and Canada

200+ countries

International calling

Mexico and Canada

30+ countries

If you're an Apple Watch user, Visible's smartwatch plan comes in at just $5 per month. You can also get $10 off the Verizon Home Internet service with Visible+ or $5 off with Visible.

US Mobile's plans

US Mobile has a bit more going on in terms of plans starting with its custom plan builder; customers can choose their minutes, texts, and data amounts to build a plan tailored specifically to their needs. You can start with as little as 75 minutes of talk time and 50 texts or choose an unlimited talk and text plan for just $8. After that, you choose your data from 50MB to 15GB. If you need more than that, you'll have to step up to one of US Mobile's unlimited plans.

Starting with Unlimited Basic, customers get unlimited talk, text, and data starting at $35 for a single line. This price comes down to $30 per line with two lines, $25 with three lines, or $20 with four lines. In addition, this plan comes with 40GB of premium data, 5GB of hotspot data, and international texting if you're using Verizon. Calls to Canada are also included.

Unlimited Premium upgrades the premium data to 100GB and the hotspot data to 50GB, which is a lot even compared to postpaid carriers. This plan also includes one international eSIM per month with up to 10GB of data to use abroad. This plan costs $45 for a single line, but that comes down to $40 with two lines. If you bring three lines, it's $35 per line, and you get to choose a free streaming subscription such as Disney Plus or even Playstation Plus. With four or more lines, the price is $30 per line, and you can choose a second perk.

Unlimited Basic

Unlimited Premium

Premium data

40GB (30GB on GSM)

100GB (40GB on GSM)

Hotspot data

5GB

50GB

International Roaming

$10

Included

Single-line price

$35

$45

Multi-line price (per line)

2 lines: $25

2 lines: $40

3 lines: $20

3 lines: $35

4+ lines: $15

4+ lines: $30

Subscription perks

None

3 lines: 1 perk

4 lines: 2 perks

US Mobile also has a shared data plan for families, allowing you to choose how much data you want for your whole family. This could be useful for families with a wide range of usage habits, such as a parent who uses little data and a child who never stops streaming. Although US Mobile does not include taxes and fees in its plan prices, they estimate between $1 and $5 for fees. That's not a huge deal, but worth keeping in mind.

Which is right for you?

Visible SIM with a Samsung Galaxy S20+

For the most part, choosing between Visible and US Mobile depends on how many lines you want to bring. Visible makes the most sense for single-line users with straightforward pricing. With unlimited data and unlimited hotspot data, Visible is great for someone who spends a lot of time on the go. While the base Visible plan lacks premium data, the savings will make its lower speed worth it for many people. And truthfully, if you live in an area with strong Verizon coverage, you may not even notice the speed difference.

On the other hand, if you find you need more performance, you can upgrade to Visible+ with 50GB of premium data and Ultra Wideband 5G speeds. Even with the extra cost, it's still one of the cheapest unlimited plans you can get, especially if you sign up while the Welcome discount is still available.

Visible logo
Visible
Best for one line

Visible is a prepaid carrier owned by Verizon that keeps its plans simple with just two unlimited options. Both plans feature totally unlimited data, but if you want the best of Verizon's network, upgrading to the more premium Visible+ plan brings faster 5G access and 50GB of premium data.

If you need to connect a whole family, US Mobile makes a lot more sense. While Visible's promotions keep it out front for a couple of lines, when you bring four or more lines with you, things swing back in favor of US Mobile. The Unlimited Basic plan provides plenty of data for most people, and with four lines, its $20 per line price makes it a bargain. Plus, if your family likes to stream, the upgrade to Unlimited Premium could very well be worth it, thanks to the increase in hotspot data and the streaming subscription perks.

US Mobile logo
US Mobile
Best for multiple lines

US Mobile is a prepaid carrier that offers coverage on Verizon or T-Mobile. US Mobile offers a flexible custom plan as well as two unlimited plans with multi-line discounts. US Mobile's unlimited plans even come with Ultra Wideband 5G access, premium data, and some high-speed hotspot data.