Tello vs. Twigby: Which Cell Service Is Right for You?

Tello's unlimited phone plan offers 35GB of fast data, which is more than Twigby provides. And while Twigby’s comparable plan starts at a lower price point, it goes up after a few months.

Hello, Tello! Tello’s unlimited plan comes with endless texting, talking, and data. You can surf and stream as much as you like without extra charges on your phone bill—to a point. After you’ve used 35GB of 5G data, things will slow down to 2G, which can be quite slow.

Tello’s $25 price point is the same price as Twigby’s plan but ends up being cheaper in the long rung. While Twigby’s price eventually goes up, the Tello unlimited phone plan stays the same.

Twigby has multiple plans with unlimited talking and texting plus one plan with unlimited data, and it’s … something of a doozy.

Yes, Twigby’s unlimited data plan is just as affordable as Tello's, so it looks like a great deal at first. Unlimited talk, text, and data for $25? Sign you up, right? Oh, but read the fine print. After the first 20GB, your unlimited data comes in at 2G speeds.

Also, unfortunately, $25 a month is just the introductory offer. After the first three months, you’ll pay $35 a month for unlimited data with Twigby.

It's really a no-brainer to go with Tello's unlimited plan. You'll get more data, won't worry about price hikes, and it's the same price as Twigby's plan.

When it comes to family plans, Tello is the clear winner. It offers tons of different options, while Twigby provides only one.

Tello has a wide range of family plans that cover various price points, minutes, and data caps. (All come with unlimited text, so you never have to worry about that.) You won't get any family-plan discounts or perks, but you can bundle multiple lines into one tidy monthly bill.

Our favorite thing about Tello family plans is that they’re highly customizable! Every member of the family can have different limits. So, for instance, if you want your 12-year-old to have just 5 GB and 500 calling minutes each month but your 19-year-old to have unlimited everything, you can do that.

You also don’t have to pay an extra fee for having multiple people on your cell phone plan, so there are no tricky hidden prices. But you also don’t get a discount.

Twigby has just one family plan option: Four lines for $100 with unlimited calls and data. This offer is four unlimited plans in a metaphorical trench coat, so you'll likely see the same data restrictions in the family plan as with the unlimited Twigby phone plan.

Most families don’t fit the four-person mold that Twigby offers, so we prefer Tello’s customizable options by far.

If you’re looking for an affordable prepaid plan, go to Tello. Twigby, sadly, doesn’t deal in prepaid.

Tello has various prepaid plans for folks who want to do a lot of calling.

Each prepaid Tello plan works out to $10 for each 1,000 minutes of phone call. There are no plans with unlimited calls.

All of Twigby’s plans are prepaid. Since we already prefer Tello plans, that puts Tello ahead in this arena, too.

We already discussed this a bit in the unlimited plans section, but when it comes to data, Tello is king and Twigby is … queen? Hmm, maybe more like a duke living in a distant corner of the kingdom.

As you can see, Tello data ranges from $9 for 1 GB to $25 for unlimited. With me so far?

Okay, now let's look at Twigby. At first glance, Twigby rules at this cheap cell phone plan thing. After all, 2 GB for $5 is better than 1 GB for $5.

But surprise! Your Twigby plans will jump by $10 after three months. Suddenly, these data deals aren't very good anymore—especially the unlimited data plan, which, as we discussed earlier, gets really slow after the first 20 GB of usage.

So, in short, you’ll get a sweet discount with Twigby for the first three months, but in the long run, Tello is a much better data deal.

As MVNOs, Tello and Twigby each rely on another carrier to provide their network coverage.

Both have great coverage, but Twigby squeaks ahead because it uses the Verizon network, which covers the U.S. more thoroughly than the T-Mobile network that Tello uses.

As you can see, Tello’s coverage is still great—but it has some awkward gaps, like most of Nebraska. Meanwhile, Twigby is available in many places where Tello might drop out.

And what about outside of the U.S.? Twigby takes the cake there, too.

Tello offers free international calling to 60+ countries, including China, India, and Mexico.

Twigby, on the other hand, includes international calling to 80+ countries, such as Australia, Canada, China, India, and Mexico. That’s roughly a 33% increase in call destinations.

When you head abroad, though, neither service has roaming or full coverage in either Canada or Mexico, the two countries closest to the U.S., which is something other providers do offer.

However, with both Tello and Twigby, you should at least have access to Wi-Fi calling and mobile hotspot services abroad.

Based on what we’ve told you so far, you might be ready to go all in on a Tello or Twigby plan. But there’s one more thing to consider: Customer service.

In this case, the two services are pretty evenly matched. Both have high customer support ratings on sites like TrustPilot, but they also have some fair criticism floating around the internet.

So, no matter which cell phone provider you use, you'll likely run into both pros and cons in the customer service department.

Got your SIM card ready to switch? Let's run through each item again to show why we recommend Tello over Twigby.

• Unlimited plans: Tello. Tello’s fast unlimited plan has more speedy data and, in the long run, a lower cost than Twigby’s.
• Family plans: Tello. Tello features a variety of highly customizable family plans, while Twigby has a single family plan.
• Prepaid plans: Tello. Tello offers prepaid plans, something Twigby doesn’t have for customers.
• Data: Tello. Compared to Twigby, Tello offers more and faster data without price increases over time.
• Coverage: Twigby. Twigby’s Verizon network connection covers more ground than Tello’s T-Mobile network.
• Customer service: Tie. Both services have ups and downs in the customer service realm.

If neither of these is cutting it for you, don’t panic. You can look at other MVNOs like Mint Mobile, Visible Wireless, and Boost Mobile. And be sure to check our Best Cell Phone Plans piece for extra help.

Or, if you're leaning towards Tello but need to do more research, you can read our comparison reviews of Boost Infinite and Tello, Spectrum Mobile and Tello, or Verizon and Tello.

How do we compare phone plans? It’s a bit complicated, but to give a fast and dirty version, we look at these things:

1. Plans (price, data, lines)
2. Coverage
3. Customer service

The telecommunications industry is rife with hidden fees and promo bait-and-switches. We looked at both Tello and Twigby phone plans and dug deep to determine if what they’re offering is really what they’re offering. In some cases, unfortunately, it isn’t—as we note throughout this article.

We also examine coverage to see how likely it is to get the service you pay for. Tello and Twigby both have good coverage, so you should get phone service in most areas of the U.S.

Finally, we look at customer service. Even the best cell phone providers tend to be less customer friendly than we like, so we keep that in mind. Even with a grain of salt, though, Tello and Twigby both have good reputations.