Kellen
Now that we’re a full year into the return of unlimited data on almost all US wireless carriers, it’s time for an update on the current unlimited data plans from Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint. Like we did last February and then again in August, we’ve got it all laid out for you in a comparison table below.
Unlimited Data Plans Comparison
| Verizon | AT&T | T-Mobile | Sprint | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Go Unlimited: $75 for 1 line, $65/line for 2 lines, $40/line for 4 lines Beyond Unlimited: $85 for 1 line, $80/line for 2 lines, $50/line for 4 lines Autopay required Taxes and fees not included | Unlimited Choice: $60 for 1 line, $115 for 2 lines, plus $20 for lines 3-10 Unlimited Plus: $90 for 1 line, $145 for 2 lines, plus $20 for lines 3-10 Autopay required Taxes and fees not included | T-Mobile One: $70 for 1 line, $120 for 2 lines T-Mobile One Plus: Same price + $10/line/mo T-Mobile One Plus International: Same price + $25/line/mo Autopay required Taxes and fees included | Unlimited Freedom Promo: $60 for 1 line, $100 for 2 lines, $0 for line 3-5 Unlimited Freedom (in 12 months): $60 for line 1, $100 for 2 lines, $30 per line 3 and 4 Autopay required |
| Data | Go Unlimited: Unlimited data with throttling in congested areas per line any time Beyond Unlimited: Premium Unlimited data with throttling in congested areas per line after 22GB | Unlimited Choice: Unlimited data at 3Mbps max speed Unlimited Plus: Unlimited data with throttling in congested areas per line after 22GB | Unlimited data with network management per line after 50GB | Unlimited data with throttling in congested areas per line after 23GB -Music streaming throttled to 1.5Mbps -Gaming throttled to 8Mbps |
| Hotspot | Go Unlimited: Unlimited at 600kbps Beyond Unlimited: 15GB 4G LTE speeds per line; 600kbps after | Unlimited Choice: No tethering Unlimited Plus: 10GB 4G LTE per line; 128Kbps speeds after | T-Mobile One: Unlimited at 3G speeds (512kbps) T-Mobile One Plus: 10GB 4G LTE per line; 3G speeds after T-Mobile One Plus International: Unlimited 4G LTE data | 10GB 4G LTE data per line; 2G speeds after |
| Video Quality | Go Unlimited: DVD-quality (480p) Beyond Unlimited: HD-quality (720p) | Unlimited Choice: Up to 480p Unlimited Plus: Stream video in HD quality, when available; customer can throttle with Stream Saver | T-Mobile One: Up to 480p T-Mobile One Plus and Plus International: Unlimited HD+ video streaming | Up to 1080p video |
| Canada and Mexico Roaming | Go and Beyond Unlimited: Unlimited calling and texting to and from, plus 512MB/day 4G LTE data in either country (2G after) | Unlimited Choice and Plus: Unlimited calling, texting, and data to and from; need to turn on free Roam North America feature. | T-Mobile One and One Plus: Unlimited calling and texting; up to 5GB 4G LTE T-Mobile One Plus International: Unlimited talk, text, and 4G LTE data | Free text and data up to 2G speeds |
| Other Bonuses | Verizon Up rewards program | Unlimited Choice: Free HBO; Save $15/mo on DirecTV Now Unlimited Plus: Free HBO; Save $15/mo on DirecTV Now | T-Mobile One: Unlimited texting and 1 hour free WiFi on GoGo flights; Free Netflix (with 2+ lines) T-Mobile One Plus and International: Unlimited in-flight WiFi on GoGo flights | 1 Hulu Limited Commercials plan |
| Sign-up | Verizon Unlimited | AT&T Unlimited | T-Mobile Unlimited | Sprint Unlimited |
Whose Unlimited Data Plans Changed?
I’m not sure if this is good news or not, but there are few changes since that last update. In fact, the only notable changes were to pricing from a couple of carriers (T-Mobile and Sprint) that were likely the result of promo pricing expiring. Verizon and AT&T both stayed the same since that last comparison.
Outside of pricing, we’ve got a clearer breakdown of T-Mobile’s Canada/Mexico roaming, as well as their hotspot availability and caps depending on which version of T-Mobile ONE you subscribe to.
The other big change is the list of freebies, with AT&T now offering free HBO to both plans, T-Mobile offering free Netflix, and Sprint tossing in a Hulu Limited Commercials plan. Verizon still only offers Verizon Up as a potential bonus.
Which carrier has the best unlimited plan?
All depends on what you need. As I said in the last comparison, our readers tend to be split between T-Mobile and Verizon these days. Verizon’s network continues to be rated the best, but T-Mobile’s continues to improve at a rapid pace. AT&T did show big improvements in the last big RootMetrics report too, while Sprint, well, they seem to be waiting for 5G to make a big splash.
I can tell you that as someone who tests networks a lot, I use both Verizon and T-Mobile. I like both. In Portland, T-Mobile has been better for me, mostly because of where I live. But when I leave the city, I often make sure I grab my Verizon phone because I know their network reach is the best there is. I know that doesn’t help you much, I’m just pointing out that those ideas about each network that have persisted for years are still very much a part of the equation.
In terms of value, they are all pretty similar. T-Mobile’s ONE plan starts out low, but as you upgrade to ONE Plus for the 4G LTE hotspot, you start creeping up quickly to Verizon and AT&T’s top tier plans. Your best bet to decide is to find the phone you want at the best price and then see which carrier has the best coverage map for the areas you live in. Coverage will always be king.
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