Xfinity Mobile vs. Verizon Wireless Cell Phone Plans Review

Verizon Wireless is one of the biggest names in the cell phone industry. The company offers powerful cell phone plans with the best cell coverage, the best family plan for kids, and tons of data. But they are expensive.

That’s where Xfinity Mobile comes in. Xfinity’s cell phone service offers unlimited data plans that are cheaper than Verizon’s. But there’s a catch: You have to be an existing Xfinity Internet customer to sign up. Also, the carrier’s plans tend to offer less full-speed data.

So, which one is better for you, Xfinity or Verizon? We’ll go over everything you need to know in this article.

Xfinity Mobile vs. Verizon Wireless Cell Phone Plans Review:

• Xfinity Mobile vs. Verizon Wireless: Plans and pricing
• Xfinity Mobile vs. Verizon Wireless: Data Performancee
• Xfinity Mobile vs. Verizon: Coverage map
• Xfinity Mobile vs. Verizon Wireless: Phones and devices
• Xfinity Mobile vs. Verizon Wireless: Customer service
• Is Xfinity Mobile as good as Verizon?
• What to look for in a cell phone plan
• FAQ

Xfinity and Verizon both offer a wide variety of cell phone plans, which can make it hard to compare the two carriers. Here are a few factors that you can consider when comparing the two:

• Network: Verizon and Xfinity Mobile both use Verizon's award-winning network which has provides an excellent coverage experience 
• Prices: Verizon has more expensive plans ranging from $35 to $90 monthly compared to Xfinity which offers plans from $20 to $50.
• Data: Both offer limited data plans or unlimited data plans depending on your needs.
• Speeds: Of the two, Verizon offers more high-speed unlimited data, whereas Xfinity is prone to slower speeds due to deprioritization.

For both providers, you get the best deal when you bundle with internet. Xfinity Mobile plans are exclusive to Xfinity Internet customers, so make sure to factor that into your decision. 

Verizon wireless unlocks great discounts when you bundle with a Verizon Fios or 5G home internet plan. You can get 300Mbps fiber internet service for as low as $35 monthly. 

Despite the name, unlimited data plans are rarely truly unlimited. Almost all of them have some sort of soft (or hard) data cap. Once you blow through your allotted data, your speeds can be drastically reduced. 

Verizon Wireless’s unlimited data plans tend to offer more unthrottled data and more perks than Xfinity Mobile does. That said, the prices are higher. Here’s a look at the options:

Verizon’s Unlimited plans cost $65 to $90 monthly and come with sizable chunks of hotspot data and truly unlimited data. The Unlimited Plus and Unlimited Ultimate plans come with unlimited premium data, plus premium hotspot data.

Xfinity Mobile’s unlimited data plans cost between $20 and $50 per month, which is more affordable than Verizon’s unlimited plans, even though many of the perks are the same.

Xfinity's Unlimited Data plan comes with 30GB of premium data, while the Unlimited Plus plan gets 50GB of premium data. After you use all the premium data, your speeds are reduced depending on how congested the network is. If you check how much data you need, you may be surprised to find you won't use this much data in a month.

In terms of hotspot data, Unlimited offers unlimited hotspot data at 3G speeds while Unlimited Plus gives you 15GB of high-speed data to use before unlimited 3G speeds.

If you don’t need all the data, then there are several limited-data plans from both Verizon and Xfinity. These plans are prepaid and are rather stripped down.

Here’s a look at Verizon’s limited-data options.

Verizon's limited data plans cost $35 per month.  There’s no price difference between the talk-and-text-only and 15GB-a-month plans. Unless you’re sure you don’t need any data for Google Maps or posting selfies on Insta, we recommend going to the 15GB Prepaid option.

All of Xfinity Mobile's plans come with unlimited talk and text. Xfinity Mobile's By the Gig plan costs just $20 per month for 1GB of data, and this can be shared among lines. They also let you use your (limited) data as hotspot data. Other than that, there aren’t really any perks to speak of.

We always say it: The best way to knock a bunch of money off your cell phone bill is to get a family plan. When you bundle up with your kids, partner, parents, siblings, and close friends, you can all save a bunch.

Both Verizon and Xfinity offer family plans with up to 5–10 individual lines. Let’s peek at Verizon’s plans first.

Verizon offers family plans from $120 to $220 monthly for four lines with unlimited data. When you break down the cost per line, it’s a lot cheaper. Normally, four lines on the Unlimited Welcome plan would cost you over $250 a month. When you bundle up in a family plan, it’s less than half the price! That’s wild.

Xfinity Mobile offers family plans for about $100 to $140 monthly for four lines with unlimited data up to 50GB. 

Getting four lines on Xfinity Mobile's Unlimited Premium Plan saves you $60 a month. The discount may not be as steep as Verizon’s, but it's nothing to sneeze at.

Xfinity Mobile and Verizon Wireless actually use the same 4G and 5G networks. That means that the wireless data performance is, ideally, the same with both carriers. However, there are some important differences.

Because Xfinity Mobile is a Verizon mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), it doesn’t own its own cell phone towers. Instead, it leases the network bandwidth from Verizon to give its customers service. That means that Xfinity customers may experience slower speeds on the network, especially after they’ve used up their data allotment.

This is also true for Verizon Wireless’s cheaper unlimited plans (Unlimited Welcome and Unlimited Prepaid). On these plans, customers can have their data deprioritized when the network is busy.

So, how fast will your data be? When you’re not experiencing deprioritization or throttling, you should get around 30Mbps or more, depending on where you are.

One way that Xfinity compensated for its sometimes slower data speeds is with a huge network of internet hotspots. The company operates over a million of these hotspots throughout the country, and Xfinity Mobile customers can connect to them for free. When you’re connected, you don’t need to use your mobile data, and your speeds will likely be much faster.

Because Xfinity Mobile uses Verizon’s cell phone towers to power its service, the coverage map for the two carriers is exactly the same. This is good news because Verizon actually has the best nationwide coverage in the U.S. Which means using a prepaid service like Xfinity Mobile will have better coverage than Tello, which uses T-Mobile's network.

You can see how Verizon and Xfinity’s 4G LTE and 5G coverage looks in your area with this nifty interactive map.

Both carriers have an impressive phone selection with options from Apple, Samsung, Google, and other major companies. In general, Verizon Wireless has better cell phone deals on new devices and better policies about trading in and upgrading old devices.

You can check out deals on the best Xfinity Mobile phones and Verizon Wireless phones in this chart. Just click on the phone you want to see all of the plans available from both providers with that particular model.

If you don’t want to spend the big bucks on a new phone, you can always bring your own device with Xfinity and Verizon. You’ll even be able to keep your old number. Nice.

Most cell phone companies are notoriously bad at picking up the phone. (Odd, right?) But Xfinity and Verizon both do an okay job with customer service. Notice we didn’t say an “amazing job.”

Both companies score pretty high on the American Customer Satisfaction Index’s Satisfaction Benchmarks. Check out their scores for the last two years in this chart.

You can reach these carriers using the following numbers:

• Xfinity Mobile customer service: +1-888-936-4968
• Verizon Wireless customer service: +1-800-837-4966

But the best way to get help with your cell phone plan is to head into a brick-and-mortar store. There are plenty of Xfinity Mobile stores and Verizon Wireless retail locations. Just ask Google!

Xfinity Mobile is just as good as Verizon in terms of network coverage and connection experience, because they use the same towers. Xfinity Mobile is generally cheaper, but Verizon offers more full-speed data. However, because Verizon owns the network, its customers are likely to see better performance. Plus, Verizon’s pricier plans come with truly unlimited full-speed data.

What are the ingredients for a great cell phone plan? We think (and write) about this stuff all day, so we like to think we’ve learned a thing or two. Here’s what to look for when you’re considering a new mobile plan:

• Cheaper plans: You can get the same cellular coverage as Verizon when you sign up for a much cheaper wireless plan through a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO). Providers including Xfinity Mobile, Visible, US Mobile all use Verizon's towers and offer cheaper plan options. 
• Data caps: Most unlimited data plans aren’t really unlimited. Check the fine print for information about a data cap. Some carriers like Xfinity or Verizon do offer unlimited data without a soft cap, but you'll sometimes pay a steeper price for it. Many cheaper plans will significantly slow your data speeds after you use a certain amount (usually 20 to 50 GB).
• Coverage: There are three major networks in the U.S. AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon all have huge coverage areas, but some are better in certain areas. Check out a coverage map before you sign up.
• Deals: Many companies will offer amazing introductory deals but gauge their prices after the first three months. Be sure to read the fine print and get a deal that will last you in the long run.