Visible vs. Verizon Wireless: Plans, Pricing, Data and More

Whether you’re looking for a way to save money on your cell phone bill or you’re trying to decide if it’s best for you to stick to one of The Big Three, you may be weighing the differences between Verizon Wireless and Visible.

In this article, I’ll take a close look at Verizon Wireless and Verizon-owned Visible to help you determine which service provider offers the best plan for you.

I’ve researched hundreds of phone plans and have tested out several service providers (including Visible and other Verizon-owned MVNOs) to compare the features that matter most.

This article was updated in September 2023 and I review it every six months. Detailed notes on all updates can be found here.

Visible vs. Verizon Wireless: Which Should You Get?

Verizon Wireless is a well-known cell phone service provider. In fact, it’s one of “The Big Three” along with T-Mobile and AT&T. Verizon offers three different 5G unlimited data plans and four prepaid plans. 

Visible is a smaller, more affordable option with the same network coverage. It’s actually owned by Verizon Wireless. Visible offers two different prepaid unlimited data phone plans.

When you’re trying to decide which cell phone service provider to use, consider your needs first. Are you looking for the cheapest unlimited option? Visible. The best add-on perks and features? Verizon. 

In this guide, I’ll walk through the key features that you should consider when deciding between Visible and Verizon Wireless. 

Table of Contents:

• Plans and Pricing
• Data
• Mobile Hotspot
• Coverage
• International Features
• Family Plans
• Phone Selection
• Final Thoughts
  

Below, you’ll find direct comparisons between Visible and Verizon Wireless to help you decide which option is right for you.

Plans and Pricing

One of the most important things to consider is whether your cell phone provider offers a plan that meets your needs. 

Visible offers two cell phone plans: Visible and Visible+. Both include unlimited talk, text and data with access to Verizon’s 4G/LTE and 5G nationwide networks. Visible+ also includes access to Verizon’s faster 5G Ultra Wideband network. Visible plans range from $25-$45 per month with taxes and fees included. 

Verizon offers three different 5G unlimited plans. Like Visible, these plans include unlimited talk, text and data. Verizon’s Unlimited Welcome offers access to the same 4G/LTE and 5G nationwide networks while Unlimited Plus also offers access to Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network. Unlimited Ultimate also includes 60GB of mobile hotspot and unlimited international data. Verizon’s plans cost $65-$90 monthly plus taxes and fees for one line. You can also add additional perks for $10 each per month.

In the table below, you can see a full list of Visible’s cell phone plans as well as Verizon’s unlimited plans (with an autopay discount included).

Plan	Data Deprioritization	Price	Multi-Line Discounts	Mobile Hotspot	Benefits
Visible	Anytime	$25 (taxes & fees included)	No	Unlimited with speeds up to 5Mbps	Spam Protection
Visible+	After 50GB	$45 (taxes & fees included)	No	Unlimited with speeds up to 5Mbps	Spam Protection
Verizon Unlimited Welcome	Anytime	$65 (taxes & fees extra)	2 lines for $55 3 lines for $40 4 lines for $30	None	Perks available for $10 per month
Verizon Unlimited Plus	Never	$80 (taxes & fees extra)	2 lines for $70 3 lines for $55 4 lines for $45	Unlimited (30GB high-speed)	Perks available for $10 per month
Verizon Unlimited Ultimate	Never	$90 (taxes & fees extra)	2 lines for $80 3 lines for $65 4 lines for $55	Unlimited (60GB high-speed)	Unlimited international data Additional perks available for $10 per month

Verizon also offers a discount for bringing your own device that ranges from $5-$15/month for the first 36 months. Still, Visible offers cheaper plans for one line but no multi-line discounts. Additionally, Visible’s plan price includes taxes and fees. You can learn more about Visible’s plans and pricing in our full review.

However, Visible doesn’t offer high-speed mobile hotspot. Plus, Verizon’s Unlimited Plus and Unlimited Ultimate plans are the only plans that offers truly unlimited high-speed data with no deprioritization based on usage or network congestion.

Verizon’s plans used to include a variety of entertainment and storage perks, but now you’ll have to pay an additional $10 per month for each additional perk you choose. These optional perks include the Disney bundle, 100GB of mobile hotspot, Apple One, Walmart+, Apple Music Family, Smartwatch Data & Safety, +play Monthly Credit, 3 TravelPass Days and/or 2TB of cloud storage. You can learn more about Verizon’s new myPlan options here.

It’s worth mentioning that Verizon also offers a selection of prepaid plans. Verizon Prepaid plans range from $30 to $60 per month with autopay and offer varying amounts of data, though deprioritization can occur anytime. You can check out the details of Verizon Prepaid plans here.

Data

When it comes to data, you’ll find a variety of unlimited options between Visible and Verizon. However, not all of these unlimited plans offer access to the same type of data: Customers may experience deprioritization (slower speeds) at different times. 

In the table in the above section, you can see when deprioritization may occur for customers on each plan. For Visible’s basic plan and Verizon Unlimited Welcome, deprioritization may happen at any time when there’s heavy traffic on the network. Both of these plans provide access to Verizon’s 5G Nationwide network.

Visible+, Verizon Unlimited Plus and Verizon Unlimited Ultimate each provide access to Verizon’s fastest 5G Ultra Wideband network.

According to Verizon’s website, here’s the difference between 5G Ultra Wideband and 5G nationwide: 

• 5G Ultra Wideband is Verizon’s highest-performing 5G. The network uses a high-band (mmWave) and mid-band (C-band) spectrum to deliver a faster 5G experience. 5G Ultra Wideband provides speeds up to 10 times faster than 5G Nationwide.
• 5G Nationwide is the everyday 5G available across the country. This service uses a low-band spectrum to provide solid coverage with performance comparable to 4G LTE.

To find out whether or not you live in a 5G Ultra Wideband-covered area, check out the coverage section later in this article.

Visible+ includes 50GB of high-speed data before deprioritization. Once customers on this plan have used 50GB of data, they’ll notice slower speeds during times of congestion. Alternatively, Verizon Unlimited Plus and Unlimited Ultimate are the only plans that offer truly unlimited access to high-speed data where customers’ data cannot be deprioritized based on usage. If you need truly unlimited high-speed data, Verizon Unlimited Plus or Unlimited Ultimate is the best plan for you.

Mobile Hotspot

With a mobile hotspot, you can share cellular data with nearby devices like other phones, laptops and tablets. Both of Visible’s plans, as well as Verizon Unlimited Plus and Unlimited Ultimate, include unlimited mobile hotspot. However, the meaning of “unlimited” varies from one plan to the next. 

First, we’ll take a closer look at Visible’s plans. Both Visible and Visible+ include unlimited mobile hotspot, but both plans have max data speed caps at 5Mbps. 

The difference between the two plans is deprioritization. With Visible’s basic plan, you may notice slower mobile hotspot speeds at any time. Visible+ offers 50GB of premium data before deprioritization. 

Verizon also offers unlimited mobile hotspot with its Unlimited Plus and Unlimited Ultimate plans. Unlimited Plus includes 30GB of premium mobile hotspot before unlimited lower-speed data. Unlimited Ultimate includes 60GB. With these plans, speeds are limited to 3 Mbps when on 5G Ultra Wideband and 600 Kbps when on 5G / 4G LTE after exceeding your monthly hotspot usage.

Verizon’s Unlimited Welcome plan is the only option that doesn’t include any mobile hotspot. However, you can add 100GB of high-speed mobile hotspot for $10 per month to any of Verizon’s unlimited plans.

Ultimately, both of Visible’s plans and two of Verizon’s plans offer unlimited mobile hotspot. However, each plan offers a different amount of premium data. Verizon’s Unlimited Plus plan offers 30GB of significantly faster speeds; however, after using 30GB, you’d find slightly faster speeds with Visible for the remainder of the month (3 Mbps vs 5 Mbps).

Coverage

Visible and Verizon offer access to the same towers. That means that your coverage is going to be about the same with either cell phone service provider. 

I checked out each provider’s coverage map. Here, you can see a screenshot of Verizon Wireless’ coverage map with covered areas colored in and red indicators where you’ll find Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband coverage: 

To see if you’ll have coverage in your area with Verizon, visit the Verizon Wireless website and enter your address or ZIP code on the interactive map. 

Visible also offers an interactive map online that shows seemingly identical coverage. Below, you can see a screenshot of Visible’s coverage map: 

To see if you’ll be covered before switching to Visible, enter your address or ZIP code on Visible’s coverage map online.

International Features

All of Visible and Verizon’s plans include unlimited talk and text from the United States to Mexico and Canada. Visible’s basic plan is the only plan from either provider that doesn’t offer unlimited talk, text and data roaming in Mexico and Canada. With Visible+, data speeds are reduced to 2GB after 0.5GB/day when connecting outside of the U.S. 

All of Verizon’s plans also include unlimited talk, text and data when traveling in Mexico and Canada. Data speeds are reduced to 3G after 2GB/day when connecting outside of the U.S. Verizon’s plans all include international texting from the U.S. to over 200 countries and territories worldwide.

Verizon’s Unlimited Ultimate plan is the only plan that includes unlimited international features at no additional charge. With this plan, you’ll get unlimited talk, text and data when traveling in 208+ countries and destinations. After 10 GB/mo of high-speed data, get unlimited 2G speeds.

Unlike Visible, Verizon does offer a few international add-on options. You can get a TravelPass for $10 per line per day plus taxes and fees. It allows you to use your phone just like you do in the states with unlimited calling, texting and 4G/LTE data. You can also add a 3-day TravelPass perk for $10 per month, which is a $20 savings.

You can learn more about Verizon’s TravelPass online. You can also check out more of Verizon’s international add-on options including an international monthly plan for $100 on Verizon’s website.

As you can see, Verizon offers better options for international roaming outside of North America. However, if you just need roaming in Mexico and/or Canada, Visible’s basic plan is the only option that doesn’t include it. Still, you can expect reduced speeds in Mexico and Canada with any of these plans unless you use a TravelPass with Verizon.

Family Plans

If you’re looking for a family plan, know that you won’t find any multi-line discounts with Visible. However, unless you’re shopping for four lines, you’ll likely still be able to save with multiple lines for the full cost on Visible. 

Below, you can see much you can expect to pay per line depending on the number of lines you have on your family plan. Note that Visible prices include taxes and fees while Verizon’s taxes and fees are extra. Additionally, Verizon’s plan prices include an autopay discount.

Plan	Price Per Line for 1 Line	Price Per Line for 2 Lines	Price Per Line for 3 Lines	Price Per Line for 4+ Lines
Visible	$25	$25	$25	$25
Visible+	$45	$45	$45	$45
Verizon Unlimited Welcome	$65	$55	$40	$30
Verizon Unlimited Plus	$80	$70	$55	$45
Verizon Unlimited Ultimate	$90	$80	$65	$55

As you can see, Verizon offers more multi-line discounts. Verizon also offers a discount for bringing your own device that ranges from $5-$15/month for the first 36 months. However, Visible still offers cheaper plans overall.

Phone Selection

Both Verizon Wireless and Visible allow you to bring your own phone to the network. As long as your phone is paid off, unlocked and compatible, this is a great way to save the most money with either provider. Follow these steps to find out if your phone is unlocked.

You can check your phone’s compatibility online using your IMEI number with Visible or Verizon Wireless. 

Alternatively, you may be looking to purchase a new phone through your service provider. Both Verizon Wireless and Visible offer a selection of phones that you can buy outright, pay on a monthly installment plan or get for “free” when you switch to the new provider. 

As of September 2023, Verizon Wireless offered 84 different smartphones. You can check out the full selection online. Of those 84 phones, 35 devices were available for free via billing credits over 36 months. 

Visible offered 35 different phones for sale. Two models were available for free with an eligible trade-in: the Orbic Joy or the TCL 30 LE. You can check out the full selection of phones available from Visible online.

Both Verizon Wireless and Visible offer some of the newest smartphones available including the iPhone 14 series and the new Google Pixel 7.

Even if you do need a new phone, you may find a better deal elsewhere. Before you make your final choice, be sure to check out our top picks for the best places to buy unlocked phones. Once you buy an unlocked phone, you can bring it with you to Visible or Verizon Wireless to avoid buying a new one through the provider. 

Final Thoughts

To help you determine whether you should opt for Verizon Wireless or Visible, I took a closer look at seven different elements of each phone service provider including plans and pricing, data and hotspot, coverage, phone selection and more. 

After considering each of these categories, here’s where each provider came out on top: 

I didn’t highlight either phone service provider as the best for phone selection, although Verizon Wireless did offer a bigger selection as of September 2023. Instead, I recommend that you bring your own unlocked device to either phone service provider in order to save the most money. You can check your phone’s compatibility online at each provider’s website.

Ultimately, Verizon Wireless and Visible provide access to the same networks, so you get the same coverage throughout the country with either provider. You’ll also find unlimited mobile hotspots with any of Visible’s plans as well as Verizon Unlimited Plus.

Finally, two of Verizon’s plans as well as Visible+ offer access to Verizon’s highest-performing 5G network: 5G Ultra Wideband. However, access to 5G Ultra Wideband isn’t offered with either company’s lowest-tier plan (Visible or Verizon Unlimited Welcome).

If you’re thinking about switching from Verizon Wireless to Visible, here’s what you’ll lose: international roaming capabilities, high-speed mobile hotspot, optional (paid) perks and a multi-line discount. However, you’ll still have access to Verizon Wireless’s high-speed data and you’ll keep the same coverage.

I tried out Visible myself earlier this year, and you can read about my full experience here. You can also see how Verizon holds up to the other two major cell phone service providers in this unlimited plans comparison.

For more options, check out our top picks of the best Verizon MVNOs or the best overall cell phone plans available this year. If you do decide to switch providers, check out this guide that we put together to take you step-by-step through the process. 

Thinking about switching to Visible? Ask your questions and see what others have to say about the service in our Clark.com Community! And check out the latest conversations around cell phones.