Visible vs. Twigby Cell Phone Plans Review

You’re here to figure out which phone carrier is better for you, Visible or Twigby. So here’s the short answer up front:

Visible is best for those who want a lot of data and a newer phone, but Twigby is probably better for those who just want a simple, stripped down cell phone plan that’s super cheap.

We’ll go into all the details of these two carriers, including price, performance, network, and customer service. But first, let’s talk about the basics.

Before we jump into our full review let’s take a moment to explain what you should look for in a new cell phone plan. Here are some of the factors you may want to consider.

• Data: Do you use your phone for work, gaming, streaming, or other data-heavy activities? Then make sure you actually have enough 4G LTE or 5G data so that you don’t get cut off or overcharged.
• Price: There are tons of discount carriers in the market these days. Make sure you’re getting the most bang for your buck by comparing prices before making your final decision.
• Coverage: Three companies—AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon—are all competing to make the best mobile network. Be sure you’re on the one that has good coverage in your area.
• Performance: Some cell phone plans offer faster data speeds, more perks (like hotspot data), and better features than others. Be sure you’re getting the performance you need.

Sometimes reviewing two cell phone companies is like comparing apples to apples. But in this case, it’s like comparing apples to asparagus. Visible and Twigby are very different companies with very different types of plans.

Let’s dive into the details so you can figure out which one is right for you. We’ll start with Visible.

Visible offers two unlimited data plans. The base Visible unlimited plan costs $30/month and gets you unlimited talk, text, and data on Verizon's network. The new Visible+ plan gives you the same thing along with 50 GB of high-speed data every month. If you've researched MVNO carriers before, you know that the biggest downside is lack of guaranteed high-speed data. The Visible+ plan costs $45/month, but you'll get tons of speedy data to use every month.

Here’s a quick rundown of what you’ll get on both Visible plans.

• Unlimited talk, text, and data
• Access to 5G networks where available (and with a 5G capable device)
• Extensive coverage on Verizon’s network
• Unlimited hotspot data
• Deals on the newest phones

There are plenty of $70 to $80 plans out there that still don’t have as many features. Plus, you can spice things up by adding additional lines to your Visible plan. And by “spice things up,” we mean save a boatload of cash (we’ll talk about this more below).

The biggest problem you’ll run into with Visible Wireless is data throttling and deprioritization. Generally speaking, data speeds on smaller MVNO carrier tend to fall on the slower side, and you run the risk of getting your data speeds throttled when the network gets busy. You can avoid the data speed issues by forking over the extra $15/month to get the Visible+ plan.

Visible puts everything into one big plan. Twigby takes the opposite approach. The company offers a bunch of cheap, customizable plans that you can mix and match.

Seriously, just look at all of these plans.

You may notice that all of these plans are under $20, making Twigby one of the cheapest carriers in the industry. At $17.50, the company's cheapest plan is less than half the price of Visible’s unlimited data plan.

And if you’re not seeing exactly what you want in these plans, you can customize your own using Twigby’s online plan building tool.

However, before you get too attached to these super-low prices, make sure you read the fine print. Many of the listed prices are actually promotional deals that end after six months. After that initial period your monthly bill can as much as double in price!

Price increases, data slowdowns, and the lack of an unlimited data plan are three strikes that definitely make Twigby less attractive to potential customers.

One of the easiest ways to save money on your cell phone bill without compromising on the features you want is to get a family plan. Sadly, Visible recently ditched its Party Pay program (but reduced its prices overall, to be fair), and Twigby doesn't even give you a discount when you bundle lines together. Both carriers get a dark mark for this category.

Twigby lets you have up to five lines on a single account. Each line can customize its own talk, text, and data allotment. So you, your spouse, and your kids can all share a single bill, even if you’re on different kinds of plans.

Here’s an example of a four-line plan where each line has a different talk, text, and data allotment.

While Twigby’s family plans offer convenience, they won’t actually save you a ton of money. The cost of service doesn’t go down when you add additional lines, and there aren’t any special perks or promotional deals for family plans (at least not right now).

Visible Wireless and Twigby are both mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), which means that they don’t actually own and operate their own cell phone towers. Instead, they rent bandwidth from established networks.

So Visible customers will actually be on Verizon’s network, and Twigby customers will be on Sprint’s network with Verizon as a backup, or as Twigby puts it, "Twigby customers use two of the largest nationwide cellular networks." Check out these coverage maps from those two companies to see which covers your location best.

In general, Verizon’s network is considered much more powerful than Sprint’s. There’s wider range, better 5G infrastructure, and faster 4G LTE data speeds. This is why Twigby uses the network as a backup when customers are outside of Sprint’s range.

It's worth noting that the Sprint network was acquired by T-Mobile in 2020, so we're curious to see how that affects Twigby and its customers in the future.

If you're wondering how Verizon and Sprint (or T-Mobile, for that matter) stack up in terms of download and upload speeds, here's how we rank them based on our own research.

We won’t beat around the bush on this one: neither company has amazing customer service. Small MVNO carriers that Visible and Twigby tend to rely on online forums, chats, and other indirect customer service channels, which can be frustrating.

That said, judging by app ratings, customers do seem to be a bit more satisfied with Visible. The Visible Wireless app has a 4.4-star rating on the Apple App store, while Twigby’s app retains a 3.1-star rating.

We’re not going to lie: for most people, Visible offers a better deal. But there may be some folks—like those who don’t need much data—who will prefer Twigby. Here’s a quick recap to help you figure out which is best for you.

• Plans: Visible offers one amazing plan with unlimited everything for just $40 a month. Twigby, on the other hand, has tons of plans that are super cheap (at least for the first six months), but don’t offer nearly as much data.
• Family plans: Neither carrier offers family plan discounts, but at least Twigby lets you group manage data plans under a single account.
• Coverage and performance: Visible Wireless gives you unlimited data on the nation’s biggest network (Verizon), but you might see some slowdowns during times of network congestion. Twigby relies mostly on Sprint’s less powerful network, but it should give you enough service in most metropolitan areas.

We hope that this article has helped you figure out whether Visible or Twigby is the better carrier for your lifestyle. If you’re ready to take the plunge, you can sign up for Visible or Twigby online!

At Reviews.org, we evaluate products from every angle. When we review cell phone plans—like Visible's and Twigby’s plans—we look at price, performance, coverage, customer service, special features, and more to give you the fullest picture possible. For this review we looked at every plan offered by both companies and compared them to the competition so that you can find the best possible plan for you and your family.