Heard about Verizon’s new unlimited data plan but wonder how it compares to T-Mobile, Sprint and AT&T? Check out our complete break down of the deal, here.

On Monday, Verizon announced its plans to finally rejoin the unlimited data game, after removing such plans from its offerings nearly seven years ago. According to the official press release, Verizon is offering unlimited data plans starting at $80 for the first line and offering discounts for each additional line. But how does Verizon’s new unlimited data plan compare to plans offered by the other three leading mobile service providers? Which company offers the best deal? Which network is the most reliable? Which plans have additional fees? Below, we’ve put together the most comprehensive breakdown of Verizon’s new unlimited data plan when compared against T-Mobile, AT&T and Sprint. We’ve compared not only the prices for one line but for multiple lines, along with any restrictions or added fees. We’ve also provided some comparison information when it comes to the quality of data your unlimited plan will include and at what point your data becomes throttled. We hope the analysis will help you make the best decision you can as to which service provider is best for your personal needs.

Verizon New Unlimited Plan: All The Details, Plus Special Phone Offers

• Verizon’s Unlimited Data plans start at $80 for the first line. This does not includes extra taxes and fees. The plan includes unlimited data, talk and text on your smartphone with paper-free billing and AutoPay.
• Add a second line for $60 and your monthly bill comes to $140. This does not include extra taxes and fees.
• Add a third line and it costs just $20 more for a monthly bill of $160. This does not include taxes and fees.
• After your first three lines, you can add up to an additional 10 lines for just $20 each, all with unlimited text, talk and data. This does not include taxes and fees.
• For customers switching from another provider to Verizon, the company is offering one of 8 popular phones for free including best sellers like the iPhone 7, Google Pixel and Galaxy S7. Customers simply need to bring an eligible trade-in phone. Eligible phones are listed here.

How Does Verizon’s Unlimited Data Plan Compare To T-Mobile, Sprint And AT&T

We’ve gone over the basics of Verizon’s plan, but how does it really compare in terms of price and quality of other plans? Below we’ve placed Verizon’s offer next to each of its competitors and pointed out the pros and cons.

Price:

In terms of price most of its competitor’s come out ahead of Verizon, unless you are adding more than four lines. Here’s the breakdown:

Verizon

• Verizon Line 1 = $80
• Verizon Line 2 = $60 ($140 total)
• Verizon Line 3 = $20 ($160 total
• Verizon Line 4 = $20 ($180 total)
• Verizon Line 5 and up = $20 each (Limit 10)

T-Mobile

• T-Mobile Line 1 = $70
• T-Mobile Line 2 = $50 ($120 total)
• T-Mobile Line 3 = $20 ($140 total)
• T-Mobile Line 4 = $20 ($160 total)

Sprint

Sprint is running a one year promotion that comes out much cheaper than Verizon, but unfortunately only lasts for a year. Its offering is as follows:

• Sprint Line 1 = $50
• Sprint Line 2 = $40 ($90 total)
• Sprint Line 3, 4 and 5 = FREE ($90 total)

After the promotion period, here’s what Sprint’s plan looks like:

• Sprint Line 1 = $60
• Sprint Line 2 = $40 ($100 total)
• Sprint Line 3 = $30 ($130 total)
• Sprint Line 4 = $30 ($150 total)
• Sprint Line 5 = $30 ($180 total)

This makes 5 lines at Sprint still $20 cheaper than Verizon, provided the additional taxes and fees run similar to Verizon’s

AT&T

AT&T cannot truly be compared as the company only offers unlimited data to customers who bundle it with DirecTV. However, if you are a DirecTV customer, here are the prices AT&T offers for unlimited data plans.

• AT&T Line 1 = $100
• AT&T Line 2 and up= $40 each

Looking at these prices, AT&T clearly falls last in terms of affordability.

Data Quality/Throttling

One significant difference between Verizon and its competitors is that Verizon does not downgrade the quality of videos streamed on its service the way T-Mobile, Sprint and AT&T do. If you love high definition streaming Verizon may be the better choice.

On caveat, however, is that your data will take lower priority to other customers if you hit a 22GB threshold on Verizon. The threshold is the same at AT&T but at Sprint and T-Mobile it’s slightly higher, capping at 23GB and 28GB respectively. It’s also important to keep in mind that with Verizon offering high definition streaming, data thresholds may be reached a lot quicker.

Network Quality

Verizon has been considered the hands down the best network for a number of years, but OpenSignal’s recent State of Mobile Networks: USA report indicates that may not be true any longer. The report places T-Mobile and Verizon on equal ground in terms of network quality.

If you are interested in taking advantage of Verizon’s new unlimited data plan offer, check out the complete details of the deal here.

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