Best Verizon plans of 2024: Pricing, recommendations, and more

It’s tough to escape the grasp of the Big Red Network in the United States. Verizon is just about everywhere when it comes to advertising and coverage. Although it’s often more expensive than its rivals, Verizon remains the most popular carrier in the US. Let’s look at the best Verizon plans and how they compare against the competition.

The best Verizon plans at a glance

It’s no secret that Verizon’s plans tend to be a bit complicated, or at least that was the case. In mid-May of last year, Verizon introduced its new MyPlan strategy, replacing its existing postpaid options with two simplified Unlimited choices: Unlimited Welcome and Unlimited Plus. Since then, a third option has been added, but that’s still much less confusing than AT&T and T-Mobile’s plans. 

As for Verizon’s old plans? There’s no way to sign up for them anymore, but you can keep the plan grandfathered in, just be aware Verizon has announced it raising prices for its older plans. 

Let’s break it down:

• Unlimited Welcome is the best for most. The new Unlimited Welcome plan is the new entry option. It gives you access to Verizon’s LTE and 5G network, though only its low-band nationwide network and not its faster ultrawide option.  You get unlimited data but no premium data, meaning your line may experience deprioritization during times of congestion. No perks are included, but you can add various perks for $10 a month, including Apple One, 100GB mobile hotspot access, a Disney Plus Bundle, a three-day travel pass, and more.  
• Unlimited Plus is ideal if you want the best speeds possible. Unlimited Plus offers the same as the base plan but gives you 30GB of premium data and access to the 5G Ultra Wide network. You also get 30GB of premium hotspot data. Again, you don’t get any extra perks in the base pricing, but you can add additional perks for just $10 each. It’s also worth noting you’ll get better network prioritization over the Welcome tier. 
• Unlimited Ultimate is better for travelers and those who want the latest phones. The Ultimate plan gives you 60GB of hotspot data, perfect if you travel a lot domestically. There’s also 10GB of international high-speed data. Verizon says it doesn’t throttle speeds internationally, either. 

As you can see, Verizon keeps its plans simpler than ever. Ironically,  T-Mobile just made its plans a bit more complicated, so it’s nice to see Verizon going in the other direction. Not interested in either of these choices? Verizon prepaid plans require no credit check or obligation, and there are quite a few more options depending on your usage needs. 

Here’s what Verizon Prepaid has to offer at a glance:

• Talk & Text is perfect for senior citizens and those with basic needs. You’ll pay just $30 with autopay, but you don’t get data at all. If you really need Verizon’s network and don’t plan to get a smartphone or are happy sticking to Wi-Fi, this plan works, but other prepaid options from alternative networks will be much cheaper.
• 15GB plan is the best for those who don’t need an unlimited plan. You’ll only be able to use 15GB of data, and you might still suffer from prioritization during peaks, but this is a good plan for those who have limited data needs. You’ll pay $35 a month, but after nine months, that price goes down to just $25 a month via loyalty discounts.
• Unlimited plan is best for single users who don’t care about perks. At just $50 a line, this is a relatively cheap way to get unlimited data, and it gets even more affordable at nine months, thanks to a $10 monthly discount. You will get unlimited data but will be deprioritized during peaks. 
• Unlimited Plus plan is best for single users who don’t care about perks but want unlimited talk, text, data and yet also are looking to avoid deprioritization when possible. You’ll pay $60 a line, but after nine months, that goes down to just $50 a month. You’ll get 50GB of priority data and 5GB of hotspot data. 

Verizon Prepaid vs Postpaid: What’s the difference? 

At a glance, it can be pretty hard to tell the difference between Verizon postpaid and prepaid options. So what’s the major difference? Let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of prepaid service: 

TL;DR: the biggest differences are customer service, extras, and roaming. If you don’t care bout these things, prepaid can be a great way to save money. And best of all, you don’t need a credit check to qualify. 

Verizon MyPlan perks: what are they, and how do they work? 

As we mentioned above, the new MyPlan offerings do things a bit differently. Instead of giving you free perks, they give you the option to add any perk you want for just $10 a month. You can control your perks through the Verizon app and can easily add and remove options as you need them. Only need a hotspot access for a month? You can add that easily. Same with Travel Pass and others.

The total list of optional perks at launch is as follows:

• Disney Bundle (Hulu, Disney Plus, ESPN Plus)
• 2TB Cloud Storage
• 100GB Mobile hotspot
• Walmart Plus Membership
• Apple One
• Apple Music Family
• Smartwatch Data
• Three TravelPass Days

Verizon says more perks will be introduced in the future, and we’ll update the list as new options are added.

Verizon made a big change to its plan structure earlier this year, removing several plans and streamlining everything into just two plans: myPlan Unlimited Welcome and myPlan Unlimited Plus.  Have one of the old Play/Do/Get More plans? You might want to hold off on upgrading, depending on your situation. You might save money if you don’t need perks at all. For big families (especially those that use perks), you might end up paying more. 

Which of Verizon’s plans do we recommend?

We’ve already highlighted who each plan is for in the section above, but which ones do we actually recommend? For those interested in postpaid, we’d say Unlimited Welcome is the best choice if you don’t mind some deprioritization during peaks and don’t plan to use hotspots regularly. You can always add hotspot access as a perk when you do need it.

Unlimited Plus really only matters if you want access to 5G Ultra Wideband, need the monthly hotspot allotment, or are looking for higher priority during times of congestion. For what it is worth, our family has an older Verizon plan that does deprioritize during congestion, and we have never really noticed it as an issue. Of course, where you live will have a lot to do with that, so your mileage may vary. Need more data? We’d suggest the Unlimited Ultimate plan instead. 

If you’re looking to save money and really want to stick to Verizon directly, we’d say most budget shoppers should get the Unlimited Prepaid plan. It’s at least $15 cheaper than Verizon’s least expensive postpaid plan and even includes hotspot access. Of course, you’ll get lower priority than any of Verizon’s postpaid plans. You’ll also get less extensive roaming and lower-quality customer service. If you really want ultrawide 5G, you’ll need to pay $10 more and get Plus Unlimited. If you don’t care about improved 5G, it’s probably not worth the extra cost. Just remember prepaid plans don’t have discounts for multiple lines, making them a better option for a single user. 

Don’t use a lot of data? The 15GB Prepaid plan is actually decently priced and is also worth consideration.

We take a closer look at our favorite plans below and dive into what makes them stand out.

Welcome Unlimited: The best Verizon plan for most users

Verizon Welcome Unlimited is the most affordable way to get Verizon’s service. It starts at $65 a line but scales down to as cheap as $27 a line for five lines. As the least expensive Verizon plan, it does cut a few features, but it still covers the basic Verizon experience.

You still get unlimited access to 4G LTE with 5G Nationwide access on compatible devices. It also packs unlimited talk and text, including in international locations like Mexico and Canada. Welcome Unlimited offers 480p streaming, which is in line with Verizon’s 5G Start plan, but it drops a lot of extras like hotspot access and there is no priority data included.

Verizon recently axed free perks, instead giving you the power to add perks for a discounted rate. Each perk costs $10 a month and can easily be switched. Some of the perks included a Disney Plus bundle, a Walmart Plus membership, Apple Music Family, and more. All of these rates are cheaper than they’d cost outside of Verizon.

Plus Unlimited: For those who want the fastest experience possible

Verizon Plus Unlimited takes everything from the Welcome plan but adds extras like 5G ultra wideband access and 30GB highspeed premium hotspot data with 600Kbps speeds after you use up your cap. You’ll also be prioritized over the Welcome tier during times of congestion.

Those are really the only major differences. It still packs unlimited talk and text, including in international locations like Mexico and Canada. You still get 480p streaming, so there are no full HD options, unfortunately. 

Verizon recently axed free perks, instead giving you the power to add perks for a discounted rate. Each perk costs $10 a month and can easily be switched. Some of the perks included a Disney Plus bundle, a Walmart Plus membership, Apple Music Family, and more. All of these rates are cheaper than they’d cost outside of Verizon.

Ultimate Unlimited: For those who travel regularly

Verizon Ultimate Unlimited takes everything from the Plus plan but adds double the hotspot data at 60GB. There’s also 10GB of high-speed international data included. That’s honestly about it. Everything else remains the same. 

15GB pre-paid: Great for those who don’t need a lot of data

At just $35 a month with autopay, you get 15GB of data to use how you wish. Your hotspot feeds from your total data cap, but it should still be plenty. You’ll also get unlimited talk and text, plus calls to Canada and Mexico are included at no extra cost.

One of the best things is the loyalty perk, which can bring your cost down to just $25 a month after nine months. This is actually pretty competitive, considering it’s service directly from a major carrier. 

Unlimited prepaid: A good value for prepaid service 

The last Verizon plan on the menu gives you a taste of unlimited data at a prepaid rate. At just $50 with autopay and as little as $40 a month after 9 months of service, this is actually a really decent value. The unlimited prepaid plan might also be your best option for North American travel, as talk, text, and data in Canada and Mexico are included at no extra charge.

Unlike the Welcome tier for postpaid customers, you do get 6GB of hotspot access. After you blow through your cap, you can still use it but you’ll be limited to 600Kbps — basically just enough to check emails and such. 

Verizon vs the competition

If you’re ready to switch carriers, it might help to check out a head-to-head-to-head showdown. We’ve stacked Verizon against the top options from both AT&T and T-Mobile to help you choose. Sprint no longer makes the cut because of the merger with T-Mobile. 

As you can see, the top-tier plans follow similar pricing structures, and unlimited talk, text, and data are all standard. Prices are also pretty comparable now. 

Obviously, there are many more plans from each carrier. If you’re looking to dive deeper, we recommend looking at our guides to the best T-Mobile plans and best AT&T plans. 

Want Verizon service on a budget?

It’s no secret that Verizon’s service is some of the most expensive around. As one of the largest and fastest networks in the US, you could argue that’s justified. Luckily, you don’t have to send your money right to Big Red to use its service, as several MVNOs rely on Verizon.

Check out the table below for more information:

US Mobile

US Mobile is a unique Verizon MVNO in that you can build your plan just how you like it. In fact, everyone in your entire family can customize a plan. You pick your talk, text, and data, and US Mobile gives you a price. There’s even a brand-new unlimited plan that costs just $40 per month. The unlimited plan offers your choice of subscription services for free with two, three, and four-line plans.

Red Pocket

You may not be as familiar with Red Pocket, but it’s an effective way to save money, thanks to its variety of plans. There are plenty of limited service options to choose from, all the way up to unlimited access. Red Pocket actually runs on all of the Big Three networks, but you’ll lock into a carrier when you sign up.

PagePlus

PagePlus is similar to Red Pocket, with limited and unlimited service tiers. The pricing structure is about the same, but PagePlus warns on its website about using more than 60GB of data per month. You can also opt for pay-as-you-go minutes, data add-on cards, and international add-on cards.

Total Wireless

Total Wireless has several single-line and family plans, and each includes unlimited talk and text. The data is unlimited as well, though you have to pay more for unlimited high-speed access. Total’s basic unlimited plans offer just 1GB of high-speed data before you fall back down to 2G speeds.

Visible

Visible serves as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Verizon, but it offers one plan at one price. You can save with Party Pay, and unlimited talk, text, and data are included. There’s no international access, but we’ve had good personal experiences with Visible.

Frequently asked questions