Verizon offers a variety of cell phone plans to choose from, and it turns out some plans are much better than others.
In this article, I’m going to be breaking down the different cell phone plans available from Verizon.
I’ll compare the plan prices, features, and family discounts, and I’ll let you know which ones are worth signing up for and which ones to avoid.
Verizon offers a total of four postpaid cell phone plans to choose from:
With Verizon’s postpaid plans, you pay for your month of service anytime during the month or even for a period after the month.
Verizon typically issues you your bill midway through your month, and it is typically due midway through your next month of service.
Verizon will not turn off your service if you don’t pay your bill on time. Instead, they will just charge you a late fee.
The postpaid plans, except for 5G Start Unlimited, also include what’s called “premium data.”
Premium data, also referred to as “priority data,” is a data amount included in the plan that gives you higher priority access on the network.
Having priority data means that anytime the network is busy, such as at a sports game, a concert, at the airport, or possibly during rush hour traffic, your speeds will be slightly faster than customers who do not have priority data.
Verizon also offers excellent family discounts with their postpaid plans. The price drops by as much as 50% per line compared to single-line pricing.
Now let’s break down each of the postpaid plans. I’ll cover what each plan includes, what features are supported, the included perks, and if the plan is worth signing up for.
Verizon’s four postpaid plans are 5G Start Unlimited for $70 per month, 5G Play More Unlimited for $80 per month, 5G Do More Unlimited for $80 per month, and 5G Get More Unlimited for $90 per month.
The four main differences between each of these plans are:
Verizon’s 5G Start Unlimited plan is their most affordable option. It’s $70 for unlimited data on the Verizon network.
Unfortunately, the data is deprioritized with this plan. This means when the Verizon network is busy, you may notice temporarily slower speeds compared to the other plans. When the network is no longer busy, your speeds will resume being at full speed.
5G Start Unlimited includes access to Verizon’s LTE and Nationwide 5G networks. However, it does not include access to Verizon’s new Ultra Wideband 5G.
Ultra Wideband 5G boasts fast speeds ranging from 200Mbps all the way up to 4.5Gbps. Nationwide 5G, by comparison, typically ranges from about 20Mbps to 100Mbps.
If you’ve got a new 5G phone and you’re looking for the fastest speeds available, you’ll miss out on the fast speeds if you choose 5G Start Unlimited.
Hotspot data is also not included with 5G Start Unlimited, and video streaming is limited to 480p standard definition.
Thankfully, this plan does include unlimited international texting from the U.S. to over 200 countries; unlimited talk, text, and 0.5GB of high-speed data per day in Canada and Mexico; and Verizon Call Filter to screen incoming calls and filter plans. These features come standard with all of Verizon’s postpaid plans.
Finally, the “perks,” if you can call them that, included with this plan are more trials than anything else. You get Disney+, Apple Music, and Apple Arcade or Google Play Pass free for 6 months. After the 6 months? Verizon will tack on the cost of the subscription to your Verizon bill.
Despite being the most affordable Verizon postpaid plan, I have to say I don’t think 5G Start Unlimited is worth it.
You can find a way better value by going with Visible or US Mobile.
Visible’s unlimited plan comes out to just $25 per month, and it includes unlimited data at full speeds and unlimited hotspot data with speeds up to 5Mbps.
And US Mobile’s Unlimited All plan is a great option for families. It’s just $25/month per line when you have 3+ lines, and US Mobile throws in a perk as well. You can choose your favorite streaming service, music service, or gaming service to be included in your bill. Families of four will get two perks included for free in their service.
Visible and US Mobile are also deprioritized, the same as 5G Start Unlimited.
So to summarize, you are getting the same service and more features at better prices by going with Visible or US Mobile.
The only reason and I mean the only reason, to consider 5G Start Unlimited is if you wanted to finance a phone through Verizon. That’s it. Considering you’d save between $480 to $540 per year by going with Visible or US Mobile, I simply cannot recommend 5G Start Unlimited. Save up and buy a phone outright. You can also find great deals on gently used phones on Swappa.
Verizon’s 5G Play More unlimited plan is one of their two mid-tier plans. It’s the plan I personally recommend to most people, and the plan that I think is the best value for money.
5G Play More Unlimited is $80 per month. It includes 50GB of priority data, 25GB of high-speed hotspot data before unlimited hotspot data at 600Kbps on 5G Nationwide and 3Mbps on 5G Ultra Wideband, and 720p video streaming.
A huge upgrade with 5G Play More unlimited (and the rest of the postpaid plans) is that it now includes access to Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network. 5G Ultra Wideband is Verizon's fastest network and boasts speeds up to 4.5Gbps. That’s over 21x faster than the average Internet speed in America.
Verizon just expanded their 5G Ultra Wideband network, too. It now covers over 90 million people. With impressive speeds and performance, getting a 5G phone and the Play More plan really can make for a great experience.
Now, the reason behind the plan’s name comes from its included perks. Verizon was going for an entertainment and gaming-focused plan (hence, “play more”), so the plan includes a free Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ subscription, and Apple Arcade or Google Play Pass. You also get 6 months free of Apple Music.
I think a lot of people will enjoy having popular streaming and gaming services included for free in their cell phone plan. I have this plan personally, and I’ve been loving the Disney+ subscription.
The 5G Do More unlimited plan from Verizon is almost identical to the 5G Play More unlimited plan.
You get the same 50GB of premium data, the same 25GB of high-speed hotspot data, the same 720p video streaming on 5G Nationwide and 4K streaming on 5G Ultra Wideband, and of course the same access to the 5G Ultra Wideband network.
So what changes?
The perks.
5G Do More swaps out the streaming services with benefits more suited for business individuals and travelers. You now get up to 50% off a connected tablet, hotspot, or Hum plan, which are all great for getting work done on the go. Considering the Verizon tablet plans range from $20 to $30 per month, you’d be saving $10 to $15 per month with this perk.
You also get one TravelPass day per month. A TravelPass is basically an international data pass, so you can use your talk, text, and data when you travel abroad. One TravelPass is equal to one 24-hour period of international use. What’s great is that you can accumulate up to 12 TravelPass days per year, which is perfect for a week-long trip to a foreign country.
5G Do More also includes 600GB of Verizon Cloud storage. Now, I don’t recommend using your cell phone carrier for cloud storage because that will make it even more difficult to leave the carrier or switch to another plan. But there is no doubt having 600GB of extra space in the cloud will come in handy in a pinch.
Finally, you do get 6 month free trials of Disney+, Apple Arcade or Google Play Pass, and Apple Music. As with 5G Start Unlimited, if you keep the services after your trial period they are tacked on to your bill.
Honestly, the real benefit to 5G Do More is the 50% off connected device plans perk.
If you need a tablet plan or hotspot plan, then 5G Do More is a better choice for you. However, most people probably don’t need a tablet or hotspot plan, so they will be better off with 5G Play More. Keep in mind that Verizon supports mix-and-match with their unlimited plans, so you can have some lines on 5G Play More for the streaming perks and some lines on 5G Do More for the tablet line discount.
The 5G Get More unlimited plan is the most premium plan Verizon offers. It includes the most premium data, the most hotspot data, and all of the perks of the previous plans combined.
It is also the most expensive plan. 5G Get More Unlimited starts at $90 per month for a single line. For most people, I don’t think it’s worth getting 5G Get More. Sure, it’s a nice plan, but ultimately I think you will get what you need from either 5G Play More or 5G Do More, and you’ll save $120+ per year.
That said, if you do want the best of the best of what Verizon has to offer, this plan is for you.
5G Get More includes unlimited priority data, 50GB of high-speed hotspot data, 720p video streaming on 5G Nationwide and 4K streaming on 5G Ultra Wideband, and of course access to the 5G Ultra Wideband network.
As for the perks? Like I said, this plan includes all of them.
You get Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, Apple Arcade or Google Play Pass, Apple Music, 50% off a connected device plan, one TravelPass day per month, and 600GB of Verizon Cloud storage.
If you were planning on signing up for all of the streaming services and getting a tablet line, then sure, 5G Get More is a great value. But like I said, for most people I think 5G Play More is the move.
Verizon 5G Play More Unlimited is my ultimate recommendation for the best overall Verizon postpaid plan.
I think it includes the best balance between features, premium performance, and perks. I think a lot of people will enjoy the free streaming services, especially with all the time we’ve been spending at home lately.
That said, the best Verizon postpaid plan for you ultimately depends on what your needs are.
Are you someone who frequently goes on business trips, both domestically and abroad? Then 5G Do More may be a better option for you.
Are you someone who needs a tablet plan or hotspot plan? Again, 5G Do More may be the better option.
Are you someone who wants Disney+, Hulu, or ESPN+ included with their plan? Or Apple Arcade or Google Play Pass to keep your kids occupied with games on their phones? Then 5G Play More unlimited is likely the plan for you.
All that said, keep in mind that Verizon does support mix-and-match. You can literally pick the perfect plan for each person in your family, and you’ll all still get the family discount.
You can also typically share the perks between lines on your account, too. For example, you will all be able to share the login for the Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ streaming services, and with iCloud Family you’ll all be able to share Apple Arcade.
With this in mind, it may actually be better for families to have some lines on 5G Play More and some lines on 5G Do More to make sure they are getting all available perks. It would likely be cheaper than putting everyone on the 5G Get More plan.
Finally, the one plan to avoid is 5G Start Unlimited. Sure, it’s tempting because it’s the cheapest, but don’t get it. As I mentioned in the article, you can get better plans with more features, the same performance, and lower prices from Visible and US Mobile.
