Historically and generally speaking, Verizon has been the carrier with the best coverage across the US. But this has been significantly changing in recent years. Verizon is no longer light years ahead of T-Mobile like it was a few years ago. Thanks to major network improvements and smart business decisions T-Mobile has made, the carrier is now considered one of Verizon’s biggest threats, which would’ve been seen as laughable not long ago.
But since both carriers are now similar, is it worth switching from Verizon to T-Mobile or vice versa? The answer to this is “it depends.” Everybody looks for different things when it comes to choosing their mobile carrier.
For example, a person’s biggest consideration when choosing a mobile carrier would be price, while the other would be data speed. If you’re wondering if you should switch from Verizon to T-Mobile or from T-Mobile to Verizon, these are the most important aspects to consider before making that decision. And in which way one carrier might serve you better than the other.
In this article, we will discuss:
Coverage
When considering whether to stay or switch to T-Mobile or Verizon, the most crucial factor in determining your decision should be the coverage. This is because having the fastest or cheapest plan is worthless if we do not have any coverage.
So, who has better coverage, Verizon or T-Mobile? When it comes to 5G network coverage, T-Mobile has better coverage than Verizon. With its 5G Extended Range network, T-Mobile claims that it covers 326 people across two million square miles. While they don’t specify how many people their network covers, Verizon claims that its 5G Nationwide network covers more than 2,700 cities across the US.
Verizon 5G Nationwide is the equivalent of T-Mobile’s 5G Extended network. These networks use low frequencies to deliver data. While they give you the best coverage, the low frequencies will give you slower data.
This is the total opposite of Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network or T-Mobile’s Ultra Capacity 5G. These networks run on higher frequencies, which in turn, give you the fastest 5G speeds but do not have a good coverage or travel that far.
T-Mobile coverage vs. Verizon
So, in the end, is Verizon better than T-Mobile regarding coverage? Nope. When it comes to 5G coverage, the latest independent report from Opensignal shows that T-Mobile has better 5G coverage. But the same report also concludes that while Verizon lacks 5G coverage, they have a more robust network that offers a better experience. The carrier offers better upload speed, a better 5G video experience, a better voice experience, and a better 5G game experience.
It is important to know that although T-Mobile has more 5G coverage, Verizon has better overall 4G LTE coverage, especially in rural areas. But 4G LTE will be eventually phased out.
Keep in mind that carriers’ coverage range is heavily area-dependent. This means that while you might have the perfect coverage and speed in your house, your cousin might have the worst speed and coverage on the other side of the town while on the same plan and carrier.
Winner: T-Mobile
Is T-Mobile cheaper than Verizon?
After coverage, what people care the most about a cell phone carrier is the price of their plans.
So, who has better prices when it comes to plans, T-Mobile or Verizon? Verizon has always been infamous for being an expensive carrier. Unfortunately, the price gap between T-Mobile and Verizon is no longer that big. Below is a comparison of Verizon’s cheapest plan with T-Mobile’s cheapest plan.
Verizon Unlimited Welcome vs. T-Mobile Essentials
| Lines | Unlimited Welcome | Essentials |
| 1 | $60/Line ($60) | $60/Line ($60) |
| 2 | $50/Line ($100) | $45/Line ($90) |
| 3 | $35/Line ($105) | Free ($90) |
| 4 | $25/Line ($100) | $26.25/Line ($105) |
If prices are one of your main concerns, T-Mobile is cheaper than Verizon. As you can see from the table above, for single users, both carriers have the same price on their cheapest plan.
Things begin to change as you add more lines to your account or are on a family plan. As you can see, T-Mobile is $10/month cheaper than Verizon for accounts with two lines. Additionally, on a third line, you will save $15 monthly with T-Mobile’s Essentials over Verizon’s Unlimited Welcome.
Winner: T-Mobile
Who has better customer service and satisfaction?
What else would we want from a carrier if we had a plan with a fair price and good coverage? That would be customer service and reasonable overall customer satisfaction.
When it comes to customer service, Verizon and T-Mobile both have great customer satisfaction ratings. Although both carriers have nearly the same ratings, T-Mobile comes up slightly above Verizon regarding customer service and satisfaction.
Based on a survey conducted by ACSI (American Customer Satisfaction Index) of 15,881 participants, T-Mobile customers are more satisfied than Verizon customers by one point. T-Mobile obtained 74 points in the satisfaction survey, while Verizon received 73 points.
As for customer care, T-Mobile came up in first place with 827 points out of 1000 points measurements. This data comes from the latest 2023 U.S. Wireless Customer Care Study conducted by J.D Power. The study ranks Verizon second in customer service satisfaction with 813 points.
Winner: T-Mobile
In conclusion: Verizon or T-Mobile?
In conclusion: Should you switch from Verizon to T-Mobile or from T-Mobile to Verizon? The answer to this heavily depends on the person’s needs and location. As previously stated, cell coverage heavily depends on location. Verizon might have the best signal in one part of the town, but the same thing could be said for T-Mobile at the other end of the same town.
Why keep/switch to Verizon
Since Verizon has better overall network coverage (not just 5G), you should stay/switch to Verizon if your job relies on you moving across the state or the country. For example, a truck driver, travel technician, or train conductor would be the type of person who should keep or switch to Verizon. Also, if you spend a lot of time in rural areas, Verizon is t
Why keep/switch to T-Mobile
On the other hand, if you never leave your city and mostly travel from your work office to your home and get good T-Mobile reception, you should definitely switch to or keep T-Mobile if you already have it. They have better plan prices and better customer service.
At the end of the year, your bank account will have a few hundred dollars more that did not go to Verizon Communications shareholders through dividend payments.
At this point, unless you constantly travel, live in a rural area, or a rare city with poor reception from other carriers, having Verizon is just a status symbol. Other carriers have caught up with them and have surpassed them in many aspects.
Lastly, you should take advantage of the carriers’s tryout. If you have a phone that has an eSIM, you can try Verizon or T-Mobile for 30 or 90 days for free without getting up from your seat.