AT&T vs. T-Mobile Cell Phone Plans Review: Premium Power or 5G Perks

First things first, let’s compare T-Mobile vs. AT&T plans. Both carriers have three main unlimited single-line plans:

Below, we take a closer look at each of the plans in comparison to the equivalent plan from the other carrier:

Experience More is T-Mobile’s mid-tier option, defined by unlimited premium data and a larger hotspot allowance. Users don’t bump up against a premium data cap while gaining access to more hotspot data—all without the higher cost of the top plan. Experience More also features some sweet perks, like bundled streaming services on eligible lines.

With 75GB of premium data and 30GB of hotspot, AT&T Unlimited Extra offers a balance between performance and affordability. These mid- and upper-tier plans are built for users who want predictable performance, with enough hotspot data to handle routine work and travel needs. And though AT&T’s plans don’t include streaming perks, they include practical features like ActiveArmor security and roaming in Mexico and Canada, which provide extra plan utility.

Experience Beyond is T-Mobile’s most feature-rich plan, centered on its massive 250GB high-speed hotspot allowance. This is by far the largest hotspot of the two carriers, and it makes the plan especially appealing to remote workers, content creators, and anyone who regularly tethers their phone to laptops or tablets. Beyond also includes T-Mobile’s full perk bundle on eligible lines, such as streaming services and weekly promotional offers.

AT&T Unlimited Premium is less expensive than T-Mobile’s top-tier plan but remains a highly capable performance option. It includes unlimited premium data, 60GB of high-speed hotspot, and 4K UHD video streaming, which together offer a potent combination of speed and consistency. Another Premium standout feature is its high-speed roaming in 20 Latin American countries—a clear advantage for users who travel frequently in that region or have family abroad.

Both T-Mobile and AT&T offer meaningful savings when you add more lines. For instance, Huh’s bill dropped by around $30 per month after she joined a group plan, and my family’s seven-line AT&T plan costs roughly $22 per line each month (with an additional alumni discount procured by my dad).

The exact amount of a multi-line discount depends on your plan, number of phone lines, and any other deals you’re signed up for.

T-Mobile ties its biggest phone discounts to its premium tiers like Experience Beyond, often offering the latest iPhone for free when you sign up with a qualifying plan. T-Mobile’s Yearly Upgrade and JUMP! programs also help customers get newer and better devices on a regular basis.

AT&T’s cell phone deals are equally aggressive, including free phone offers that require trade-ins and unlimited plans. AT&T also distinguishes itself with its Next Up Anytime upgrade program, which allows yearly upgrades. For device enthusiasts, this flexibility can be a major advantage, especially when paired with home internet bundling discounts.

T-Mobile leans heavily into exciting perks: Netflix, Hulu, Apple TV+, and T-Mobile Tuesdays. These add up over time (I can’t even tell you how many free movie tickets we’ve accumulated through my husband’s T-Mobile Tuesdays).

In contrast, AT&T focuses on more practical benefits: security features, international roaming, and wide-ranging eligibility discounts. The Premium plan’s unlimited high-speed data in Latin America is one of its biggest advantages.

When it comes to network coverage, T-Mobile is a strong option, especially if you’re outdoors frequently. But if you’re in office buildings, stores, or other dense indoor spaces, AT&T’s signal tends to outperform.

T-Mobile’s coverage shines in outdoor environments and regions where 5G deployment is strong. OpenSignal ranks T-Mobile highest in 5G coverage and availability, and Huh’s experience across Washington state backs this up. Even in remote areas like Jones Island, she reported reliable use of maps, messaging, weather, and navigation.

Meanwhile, AT&T's indoor coverage is unmatched among the Big Three. AT&T customers consistently report better indoor signals than Verizon or T-Mobile, and OpenSignal finds that AT&T users spent 99.6% of their time on a broadband connection (although that includes slower connections, like 3G). AT&T also tied with Verizon for the top Southwest regional ranking in a J.D. Power study.

T-Mobile’s higher-tier plans include satellite texting through Starlink. In other words, when you’re in an area that you typically wouldn’t receive coverage (hiking, anyone?), you can still send and receive messages through the internet. You can also do other online activities through this satellite internet connection, although they will likely be slower than you’re used to.

Similarly, AT&T is in the process of working with AST SpaceMobile to roll out voice, text, and data in remote areas.

Both T-Mobile and AT&T offer unlimited data, although the way they parcel data with their plans is wildly different. T-Mobile is for users who want large premium-data buckets and broad 5G availability, while AT&T is a dependable option for users who frequently work inside buildings or need a stable backup when home internet falters.

Every T-Mobile postpaid plan includes unlimited data (though Essentials data is deprioritized after the first 50GB, Huh says users are unlikely to reach the deprioritization point). Huh’s T-Mobile data on the Essentials plan ranges from around 44 Mbps in congested downtown Seattle areas to more than 200 Mbps in smaller cities, providing consistently smooth performance outside peak congestion zones.

AT&T takes a more tiered approach to premium data, but even its lowest-tier Unlimited Starter plan includes unlimited standard data, though it is always deprioritized during congestion. The next tier, Unlimited Extra, adds 75GB of premium data, and the top-tier Unlimited Premium offers unlimited premium data. In our testing, AT&T’s speeds exceeded expectations here in Utah, and the service often held up well during home internet outages.

As for hotspot data, T-Mobile includes an unlimited hotspot at roughly 3G speeds on the Essentials plan. These allotments significantly increase in higher tiers, culminating in 250GB of high-speed hotspot data with Experience Beyond. AT&T’s hotspot structure is more segmented—5GB on Starter, 30GB on Extra, and 60GB on Premium—but AT&T’s hotspot performance is dependable during outages or travel, typically supporting standard productivity tasks without difficulty.

T-Mobile earns a slightly stronger customer service rating than AT&T. Huh rarely needs support with her T-Mobile service, and her sign-up went smoothly, though she did feel some pressure to buy a phone on a payment plan. When she called in, representatives followed long troubleshooting scripts that sometimes felt unnecessary. Overall, though, T-Mobile's customer experience is consistent and straightforward.

AT&T’s customer service is more mixed. Some customers we’ve spoken with have needed repeated visits to stores to handle account issues, and setting up my AT&T eSIM two years ago was a truly horrible experience. However, AT&T’s online chat can be quick and efficient, and it’s a nice alternative to calling on the phone (where are my fellow introverts at?).

AT&T is still a solid option for heavy data users. With strong indoor coverage, premium data options, and robust hotspot tiers, AT&T delivers predictable performance in many environments.