Which carrier should you pick?

• Visible

  Unlimited data

  Visible has only two phone plans but with unlimited data and extremely competitive pricing, Visible is a strong pick for light and heavy users alike. Visible uses the Verizon network for coverage with LTE and 5G access.

  Pros

  • Unlimited data on both plans
  • Taxes and fees are included
  • Vast Verizon coverage with 5G

  Cons

  • Lower priority data
  • 480p video streams
  • No multi-line discounts

• Boost Mobile

  Cheap data

  Boost Mobile is a prepaid carrier owned by DISH Wireless that has a wide range of prepaid plans with multi-month savings available. Boost also offers one of the best add-ons for traveling to Mexico with Todo Mexico.

  Pros

  • Strong coverage with AT&T, T-Mobile, and DISH 5G
  • Todo Mexico add-on is a great value
  • Multi-month savings available

  Cons

  • Coverage can be confusing
  • Many plans only available to new customers
  • Taxes and fees are extra

There’s something special about having truly unlimited data like you can have with Visible. With a Visible plan, you get to download or stream as much as you want without needing to spare a thought for how much data you’ve used. That being said, most people don’t need more than a few gigabytes (GB) of data, meaning you can save some cash with a more appropriate plan. Boost Mobile has a wide range of plans starting at just 1GB — you can find the right fit for your needs without wasting money on unnecessary unlimited data.

Price and availability

Visible has no brick-and-mortar stores, so if you want to get signed up, you’ll need to do so online. This can be accomplished on Visible’s website or with the Visible app on Android or iOS. Taxes and fees are included with Visible, so there’s no surprise at checkout. With its base plan coming in at $30 per month, Visible is one of the cheapest unlimited plans with hotspot data you can get.

Boost Mobile, by contrast, has quite a few physical store locations with both branded stores and partner retailers. You can visit these stores to buy a new phone or sign up for service. You can also get started with Boost Mobile online using its website. Boost has a wide range of plans, with its cheapest 1GB plan costing just $100 for 12 months of service.

Mobile carrier features

Visible and Boost Mobile are prepaid carriers operated by larger companies that are building their own 5G networks. Visible is Verizon’s low-cost prepaid option and exclusively uses Verizon’s LTE and 5G for coverage. While Visible’s data is a lower priority than the data on Verizon’s postpaid plans, it’s still a compelling option to many. Visible’s two plans come with truly unlimited data, so you don’t get throttled for heavy usage.

Boost Mobile is owned by DISH Wireless, a newer carrier working to build its own nationwide 5G network. For the time being, Boost Mobile customers will be using either the T-Mobile or AT&T network for the majority of their data. This should give Boost customers plenty of coverage while DISH continues to expand its own coverage over the next couple of years.

Boost Mobile also has some multi-month plans, so those who are willing to pay for a longer-term upfront can save some money. Boost also offers the Todo Mexico plan add-on, which allows for calls to and roaming in Mexico. At just $5 per month, Todo Mexico is one of the cheapest ways to stay connected while visiting Mexico.

Coverage

Visible uses the Verizon network for all of its coverage, which is to say, Visible has excellent coverage in urban, suburban, and rural areas. Visible can use LTE and 5G on Verizon’s network, so if you have a phone that supports it, you can connect to Verizon’s growing 5G network. Visible’s performance won’t quite match Verizon’s in a head-to-head speed test due to network prioritization, but it should be fine for most everyday usage.

If you want higher prioritization on Visible, upgrading to the Visible+ plan comes with access to higher 5G speeds with Verizon Ultra Wideband and 50GB of premium data to help keep your phone feeling fast, even in congested areas.

Boost’s coverage situation is a bit more complicated, with the carrier scrambling to keep its network functional while undergoing a massive change. And for the most part, it has been smooth sailing. Boost Mobile used to run on the Sprint network, but when T-Mobile purchased Sprint, Boost Mobile was sold off to DISH. DISH then moved much of its coverage over to T-Mobile but has also partnered with AT&T for coverage. Finally, DISH is building its own 5G network with its own spectrum.

For now though, Boost customers will be on AT&T or T-Mobile most of the time while DISH keeps trucking and building its own network. There are a handful of phones being sent out with a new Boost SIM, dubbed the “rainbow SIM,” that can connect to all three networks. This is a promising development, but support is limited to a few specific phones.

Phone compatibility

Visible works with a solid range of Android phones, including many of the best Android phones, but you should still check Visible’s BYOD compatibility tool before committing. For the best results on Verizon’s 5G network, your phone should support bands n2, n5, n66, and n77. Bands n260 and n261 can get some extra speed with mmWave in urban areas if you have the Visible+ plan.

You can bring your own compatible device to Visible and even activate it with eSIM, or you can buy a new phone directly from Visible, as Visible sells a wide range of Android and iOS devices. Keep in mind that Visible does not offer payment plans directly, but if you can’t pay the full price, you can sign up for payments with Affirm.

Long story short, most unlocked phones will work with Boost Mobile. Boost Mobile uses AT&T and T-Mobile for most of its coverage, and both networks have strong compatibility for unlocked devices. So if your phone is unlocked, there’s a good chance you can bring it with you to Boost. Check Boost’s compatibility tool to see if your phone is supported.

If you’re looking for a phone that you can bring to nearly any carrier, many of the latest flagship phones — like the Samsung Galaxy S23+ or the Google Pixel 7 — will work with either network.

Carrier plans

The most important aspect of a phone carrier is its plans, and both Visible and Boost Mobile have a wide enough variety of plans to suit most people. Boost Mobile accommodates light users a bit better than Visible; however, both carriers offer significant savings over postpaid carriers. Visible’s plans stand out for their simplicity and straightforward pricing, while Boost offers a wider range of options.

Mint Mobile’s plans

Visible has just two plans, both completely unlimited. But unlike unlimited plans from competitors like Mint Mobile, Visible’s speeds don’t slow down if you actually use you’d data. Visible implements a reasonable 200Mbps speed limit on its nationwide 5G connections, and Ultra Wideband connections are virtually uncapped with a 5Gbps limit in place. In addition, both Visible plans come with unlimited hotspot data at 5Mbps and talk and text to Mexico and Canada.

The base Visible plan comes in at $30 per month with unlimited talk, text, and data. This plan is the best pick for most people, but if you want a bit more speed or better international perks, the upgrade to Visible+ may be worthwhile.

Visible+ costs $45 per month and adds in a few nice perks, like access to Verizon’s full 5G network, including Ultra Wideband 5G. This network can be much faster than nationwide 5G thanks to C-band and mmWave spectrum. Even so, Ultra Wideband’s coverage area is much smaller than nationwide 5G, so you may not actually benefit from it. Luckily, Visible+ also includes 50GB of premium data meaning your connection will be faster if a tower is congested, even on LTE and nationwide 5G.

Visible+ comes with unlimited talk, text, and data in Mexico and Canada. In addition, it expands international calling to 30+ countries and international texting to 200+ countries. And if you want Verizon Home Internet, you’ll save $10 per month with this plan.

If you or someone in your family has an Apple Watch, you can also connect it for $5 per month.

If you’re looking to save even more on Visible service, you can sign up for Visible and pay your bill with PayPal to take an extra $5 off your bill.

Boost Mobile’s plans

Boost’s plan structure is a bit more complicated, with six plans with multi-month pricing. The cheapest monthly option is the 5GB plan at $15 per month, but if you’re willing to pay for 12 months upfront, the 1GB plan can be had for $100 per year or $8.33 per month. Boost also has three unlimited plans, with the main difference between them being how much hotspot data is included.

Keep in mind that if you’re buying a new phone, you may have fewer plans to choose from. It’s also worth noting that not all plans are available to new customers, taxes and fees are extra, and some plans require auto-pay.

The Todo Mexico add-on comes in at $5 per month. It includes 8GB of data to use in Mexico, unlimited calling and texting to and from Mexico, unlimited calls and texts to Canada, and texting to 200+ countries.

One thing to remember is that Boost’s unlimited plans technically have a limit. For instance, unlimited plans on Boost will be slowed down to 512kbps if you use more than 30GB of data in a month. This is a lot of data, and most people won’t even touch it, but it could be an issue if you’re a heavy user.

Visible vs. Boost Mobile: Which is right for you?

Visible’s simplicity and relatively low cost make it the better overall choice for someone who wants to forget about keeping track of data or save money over a postpaid plan from one of the major carriers. Visible also keeps pricing simple with taxes and fees included, so you know exactly what it will cost to get started. If you find that the base Visible plan isn’t giving you the speed you need, you can easily upgrade to Visible+ for faster 5G and premium data.

Visible

Unlimited for less

Visible’s prepaid unlimited plans make it a great option for heavy users looking to save or postpaid customers looking to lower their bills without giving up their data. Customers can even upgrade to Visible+ for faster 5G speeds if they need it.

The fact of the matter is that no one needs completely unlimited data, and with Wi-Fi at home, you may need less data than you think. If you only need a few GB of data each month, you can save with Boost’s 5GB or 15GB plan, depending on if you’re willing to pay for multiple months. You also have the option of getting one of Boost’s unlimited plans if you like the network and need the data.

Boost Mobile

More ways to save

Boost Mobile has a wide range of data plans that make it easy for most people to find a plan that fits. Customers can save a lot of money with Boost, with smaller plans than Visible and multi-month discounts on some plans.