Mint Mobile vs. Xfinity Mobile Cell Phone Plans Review

We’ve written hundreds of these reviews, and we’ve learned a thing or two about evaluating plans. Here are some features that you’ll want to make sure you look at before you make your choice.

• Data: Knowing how much data you need is key to choosing the right plan. Keep in mind that not all data comes at the same speed. Some plans will be subject to data throttling and deprioritization.
• Price: There are more cellular carriers than many people realize, and some of them offer wildly cheap plans. Be sure that you compare prices between multiple carriers before signing up for a plan.
• Coverage: There are three major networks in the country. Check coverage maps to figure out which one has the best coverage in your area.
• Features: There are tons of features and perks—like hotspot data, international benefits, and HD video streaming—that don’t come standard on every plan.

Mint and Xfinity Mobile both offer a good spread of lower-data plans as well as unlimited talk, text, and data options. Mint’s prices tend to be better, but some people may like Xfinity’s By the Gig option. We’ll go over the two carriers’ plans in detail, beginning with Mint.

Mint Mobile has four plans to choose from. Every one of these plans comes with the following:

• Unlimited talk and text
• 5G network access
• Mobile hotspot data
• T-Mobile coverage

The only major difference between each plan is the cost and the amount of data you get. And right now, new customers can get any plan for $15 for the first three months. Take a look.

With the three limited data options, you’ll get 5GB, 15GB, or 20GB of 5G and 4G LTE data. After you reach your data limit, your speeds will be reduced to 128 Kbps, which is very slow (you won’t be able to stream video or audio reliably with those speeds).

So what about Mint’s “unlimited” data option? Well, we put the word unlimited in scare quotes for a reason. It’s more like a 40GB plan because after you use that much data, your speeds will go way down. While 40GB is a lot of data, it’s hardly unlimited.

One more thing to note about Mint’s plans is that they are all subject to data deprioritization. This means that customers are always at risk of having their data slowed down when the network is busy, even before reaching their data cap. (This is also true for Xfinity’s plans.)

In short: Mint’s plans are an awesome deal if all you need is 5–40GB of high-speed data, and you don’t mind the risk of occasional data slowdowns due to deprioritization. But if you need truly unlimited data or the very fastest data speeds, then you might want to look elsewhere.

If you’re an existing Xfinity home internet or cable customer, then you’re eligible to hop on an Xfinity Mobile plan. If you’re not, then you’re out of luck (but don’t sweat it; Mint is probably a better choice anyway). Here are the plans that Xfinity Mobile sells.

You can split Xfinity Mobile’s plans into two main categories: By the Gig and Unlimited Data.

The By the Gig plans start at just $20 per 1GB. That means just $20 gets you unlimited talk and text and 1GB of data. Plus, you’ll get free access to millions of Xfinity-operated Wi-Fi hotspots throughout the country.

You can go up to the 3 GB or 10 GB plans if you think you’ll use more data. On any By the Gig plan you’ll be charged an extra $20 for every GB of data you use beyond the original allotment. That can add up fast, so if you use a lot of data, then the Unlimited option may be a better choice.

Xfinity Mobile’s Unlimited Data plan will get you unlimited talk, text, and data, plus 5G access and hotspot data. But your download speeds will be throttled at 5–12 Mbps (check out T-Mobile for unthrottled speeds), and your data will be capped at 30GB (so much for unlimited). After you hit that cap, your speeds can be reduced even more.

To summarize, Mint’s limited-data plans offer more data for less money. Neither company offers an amazing unlimited data plan (for that, check out Visible, AT&T, or Verizon), but Mint’s plan is probably a slightly better deal because its data cap is higher. We hate to say it, but Xfinity doesn’t really offer any clear advantages over Mint.

Getting a family plan is one of the best ways to get more bang for your buck. Unfortunately, only Xfinity offers savings in the family plan department. Here’s what you need to know.

You can have up to five lines on a single Mint Mobile account. This allows one person (the primary account holder) to make payments and changes to each line. But that’s really the only benefit of getting a family plan. Mint doesn’t offer any discounts or extra perks for those who add lines.

Xfinity Mobile offers great multi-line savings with their unlimited data plans.

• 1 line — $50/mo.
• 2 lines — $80/mo. (or $40 per line)
• 3 lines — $110/mo. (or $36.66 per line)
• 4 lines — $140/mo. (or $35 per line)

As you can see, Xfinity Mobile's family plans with unlimited data offer a much better deal than Mint's "no family plans" approach.

Both Mint and Xfinity are mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), which means that instead of operating their own cellular networks, they lease bandwidth from other, larger companies. In this case, Mint uses T-Mobile’s network, and Xfinity uses Verizon’s.

There are benefits to both of these networks. T-Mobile’s network has the largest 5G infrastructure in the country and the fastest 4G speeds. So if you want speed, Mint is the way to go. Meanwhile, Xfinity’s Verizon-run network has the best nationwide coverage.

Here’s a look at the two network’s coverage maps.

The best time to get an awesome deal on a new phone is when you’re signing up for a new plan. Mint and Xfinity both offer some sweet deals on the newest flagship devices, like the iPhone 15. Take a look at some of the best-selling phones from each company.

That’s it for our in-depth analysis of Mint and Xfinity. But we like to do a quick recap before we say goodbye. Here’s the short version of everything we said above:

• Plans: Mint and Xfinity’s plans look pretty similar from afar. But a close look reveals that Mint’s plans offer more bang for your buck at every level. Unfortunately, neither carrier offers an amazing unlimited data plan.
• Family plans: You can add extra lines to your account with both Mint and Xfinity. However, you won’t see any family plan price discounts unless you go with Xfinity.
• Coverage and performance: Both Mint and Xfinity have issues with data throttling and deprioritization. Mint’s T-Mobile-run network can theoretically offer better data speeds, but Xfinity’s Verizon-run network gives you more nationwide coverage.

We hope that this Mint vs. Xfinity review helped you find the perfect plan!

Read Full Mint Review | Read Full Xfinity Mobile Review | View Mint Mobile Plans | View Xfinity Mobile Plans

When we review cell phone carriers, we consider every angle: price, coverage, data speeds, and special features. We use our own proprietary data from over 100,000 mobile customers to help us evaluate each carrier's overall performance so that we can make informed and helpful recommendations to our readers.

We also analyze all available information, including comprehensive plans and price comparison charts sourced from reputable platforms such as Whistle Out, and we consult third-party analyses like OpenSignal to inform our comparisons. Beyond industry research, our team actively engages with real users of each carrier, helping us understand a mobile carrier's issues and strengths from the customer's perspective.