Twigby Cell Phone Plans Review

Everyone and their 71-year-old mother-in-law want an unlimited data plan these days. We get it, unlimited plans allow you to watch TikTok videos while you stream Spotify. But for those who don’t need so much data, there are other, cheaper options.

Like Twigby.

Yes, Twigby. What does the name mean? Does it have something to do with twigs? Is it a kind of stick bug? The truth is, we don’t know. But we do have all the details on the company’s plans, coverage, and phones in this Twigby review.

Twigby plans

You can get whatever you want. Unless what you want is unlimited data.

What we like

Twigby is a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO), which means it uses other companies’ cellular networks to provide service (in this case, it uses Sprint and Verizon). MVNOs tend to be cheaper and more flexible than traditional providers.

And those low-priced, customizable plans are precisely what we like most about Twigby.

Design your own plan

Twigby’s website has a simple plan-building tool that lets you choose how many minutes and how much data you want on your plan. (All Twigby plans come with unlimited texting.) Here’s a screenshot of the tool.

Image: screenshot taken from Twigby.com

You can mix and match the options to your heart’s content. And don’t worry too much about getting it right, because Twigby doesn’t have overage charges on its plans.

If you happen to go over your allotted minutes (too much gossiping with your bestie) or data (too much Fortnite Mobile), then you’ll just be bumped up to the next tier. You’ll pay the standard rate for that tier, and then your plan will reset in the next month.

Or, if you don’t want to pay for more data, you can set your plan so that you don’t get bumped up to the next price tier when your data is used up. Instead, your service will be reduced to 2G speeds (kind of like going from broadband to dial-up).

There are some perks you’ll get with Twigby no matter how you customize your plan. Here’s a look at what comes standard on every plan:

• Mobile hotspot capability
• Unlimited domestic texting
• Unlimited global texting and international calling at no extra charge to places like Canada, Mexico, Norway, India, Malaysia, Thailand, and China
• Wi-Fi calling capability
• No contract

Cheap limited data options

As we’ve mentioned, Twigby doesn’t have any unlimited plans. But the company does have some of the cheapest limited data plans on the market.

For example, if you just need 300 minutes of voice calling and 1 GB of data (enough for occasionally checking your email or Google Maps), then Twigby can hook you up for just over $10 a month.

Twigby 300 minute plan with 1 GB data

What we don’t like

Sure, MVNOs like Twigby are cheap. But there’s a reason that not everyone uses them. In Twigby’s case, the lack of unlimited plans, poor network coverage, and slim phone selection will drive many customers away.

No unlimited data plans

These days, phone plans are all about the data—that sweet 4G, LTE data that lets you post pictures of your chihuahua to Instagram and dominate in PUBG Mobile. So Twigby’s lack of unlimited data options is probably going to be a deal-breaker for many folks.

The most data that you can get with a single line on Twigby is 10 GB. Here’s what that plan looks like.

Twigby 10 GB plan

10 GB is actually quite a bit of data (more than enough to stream the entire first season of The Mandalorian). But when you’re paying more than $30, you might as well shell out a few more dollars for a cheap unlimited plan from a company like Sprint.

Limited network performance

Twigby’s service piggybacks off two networks: Verizon and Sprint. Of the “big four” networks, Verizon has the best coverage (woohoo!), but Sprint has the worst (dang).¹

Unfortunately, Twigby primarily uses Sprint. Verizon is just a backup network, and Twigby customers can only use it for talk and text (not data). So, if you live in rural Idaho, this might not be the ideal plan for you (maybe try Verizon instead).

Limited phone selection

We’ll go over Twigby’s poor selection of phones further down in this review. But for now, let’s just say that if you’ve had your heart set on buying a new iPhone 11 Max Pro, this is not the cellular company for you.

How do Twigby’s plans compare?

The competition between low-cost MVNOs is fierce. But Twigby holds its own. In fact, the company undercuts the prices of many of its competitors when it comes to low-data plans.

Twigby 1 GB data plan comparison

But when you start adding more data onto your Twigby plan, it starts to lose its competitive edge. A 10 GB plan costs almost as much as unlimited plans from some other companies.

Twigby 10 GB plan comparison

Twigby family plans

Great for low-tech families who just want the basics

What we like

You’ve probably caught on to Twigby’s basic theme by now: cheap, customizable, low-data plans that are good for people who don’t need the fanciest new phone.

The company’s family plans offer the same thing, just for more lines.

Have up to five lines

Some family plans are capped at four lines (we’re looking at you, Visible Wireless), but with Twigby, you can have up to five. That one extra line will make the difference for quite a few families.

Customize your family plan

Let’s face it: every family is weird in its own way. So why not have a plan as unique as you are?

Just like with individual plans, you can choose the number of minutes and data that you want on your family plan. For example, here’s what it looked like to have five lines, with 300 minutes on each line (1,500 minutes total) and no data.

Twigby family plan with five lines and 1500 minutes

At $33.75 a month for all five lines, this is one of the cheapest family plans we’ve ever seen. Of course, it has no data at all.

Here’s a look at a plan where each line has a different amount of data and minutes. You might notice that it’s about three times more expensive than the plan above with no data.

Twigby family plan with five lines and varying minutes/data allotments

What we don’t like

Twigby’s family plans have the same flaws as its individual plan, so we’ll keep this short and sweet.

No unlimited data options

Not having unlimited data might be a problem for one person. But when you’re splitting your data with your media-obsessed spouse and Snapchatting kids, it can become a genuine emergency.

Limited coverage in rural areas

Sprint’s network (which Twigby uses) may be good in your neighborhood, but is it good in your brother’s neighborhood? These are questions to consider before you bundle up on a family plan together.

Limited phone selection

If your kids are excited about the new Samsung Galaxy model, just wait until they see the brick-like Sonim XP Strike and the retro, 1990s-style Alcatel Cinch!

Image: screenshot of Twigby’s Shop Phones page

To be fair, Twigby does offer some iPhone and Galaxy models. They’re just the ones that were released about four years ago.

Yep, Twigby’s phones will have your kids saying, “thanks. . . I guess.”

How do Twigby’s family plans compare?

If you’re looking for a simple family plan with limited data (or no data at all), then Twigby’s offerings are among the cheapest, if not the cheapest. Here’s a look at how a five-line plan from Twigby compares to other popular providers.

Twigby family plans comparison

As with all Twigby plans, the more data you add, the less competitive the price becomes.

Twigby coverage

It’s a mix of the best and the worst in the industry. 

All MVNOs rely on another, larger company’s networks to provide cell service to their customers. In this case, Twigby relies on two networks.

Twigby primarily uses Sprint, which is known as the slowest and least reliable network of the “big four.”^{1, 2}

Sprint Coverage Map

Source: Sprint

Perhaps it’s because Sprint is so unreliable that Twigby has tapped a backup network: Verizon. Verizon is considered the best network in the industry, with great speeds and coverage.^{1, 2}

Verizon Coverage Map

Source: Verizon

Verizon’s network is only available when Sprint’s is not. And even then, you can only use it for calls and texts, not data.

So, in short, Twigby customers should have great coverage through Sprint when they are in cities and suburbs. But, when they make their way into more rural areas they might have to rely on the backup Verizon network, which means no data.

Twigby cell phones and devices

If you’ve got to have the latest iPhone, this isn’t the company for you.

Twigby’s selection of new devices is slim. A lot of the phones look like props for a period piece set in the ’90s. There are some higher-end devices, but they’re almost exclusively older models.

Here’s a look at some of the most popular phones available from Twigby.

You can bring your own device, but compatibility is—you guessed it—limited. Be sure to run a search for your device on Twigby’s compatibility tool before you switch.

Twigby customer service and mobile app

Twigby customer service could be worse. But it could be better too.

As with most MVNOs, there isn’t much data out there about Twigby’s customer service. That said, we can glean a few insights from online customer reviews.

For example, Twigby’s mobile app retains a 3.4-star rating in the Apple Store and a 3-star rating on Google Play.^{3, 4} That’s not too impressive, but it could be worse. Let’s call it a “C-”.

The most common complaints that Twigby customers have written about are technical: the app crashes, a phone number is transferred incorrectly, etc. The company seems to be good at responding to customer complaints and fixing the issues.