T-Mobile recently forced its legacy customers to adopt its modern phone plans, which has rankled plenty of people who were happy with their grandfathered plans (or just don’t like change). That’s given thousands of subscribers a reason to shop elsewhere, and many of them are no doubt looking at Verizon. But phone plans can be confusing, so I’m here to compare these two heavyweight carriers in terms of specs (like 5G speed and hotspot data), cost and perks (like streaming services). T-Mobile and Verizon aren’t the only carriers, of course, but them being among the biggest players means you’re likely looking at them first before checking out smaller providers or prepaid options (many of which are owned by T-Mobile, Verizon and the third major company, AT&T ). It’s not just T-Mobile that’s disrupted its customers. After Verizon’s widespread and lengthy outage in January, you may be getting around to investigating alternatives. While every carrier suffers from service outages, that one was especially impactful, and the causes were never revealed . T-Mobile Last year, T-Mobile nabbed the title of Best Mobile Network in the US by Ookla , and it wrapped the calendar by being named the best carrier for network quality by J.D. Power. What’s notable here is that both of those titles used to be dominated by Verizon. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by CNET’s parent company, Ziff Davis.) T-Mobile Like T-Mobile’s 5G network is generally robust and has broad coverage 5-year price guarantee on its higher-tier plans T-Satellite service in places without signal T-Mobile Tuesdays and Magenta rewards program Don’t like One of the most appealing options, the Better Value plan, is offered for a limited time, though T-Mobile has not set an end date for its availability Taxes and fees are added on top of plan prices Everyone must be on the same plan Verizon Verizon started 2026 with price cuts across its plans, but then it struggled through an unusual daylong outage , uncommon for a big carrier. But from a network standpoint, Verizon is still a strong choice if you’re within its coverage umbrella. It’s also the most flexible option among the major carriers when it comes to mixing plans and perks. Verizon Like Solid 5G network Each person on the account can have a different plan Each person can choose perks separately (with added costs) Call Filter spam blocking Don’t like Some plans do not take full advantage of 5G, even if you have the hardware to handle it Taxes and fees are added on top of plan prices Do you have T-Mobile or Verizon coverage where you are? Before we even get into specs and features, check that you’re covered by T-Mobile’s or Verizon’s network where you expect to use your phone . All the major carriers in the US have broad coverage across the country, so you’re likely served by one or all of them. If you haven’t already, look up your location on the T-Mobile coverage map and the Verizon coverage map . But also keep in mind that the carriers’ maps won’t necessarily reflect the network conditions on the ground, even though they can zoom in down to the neighborhood level. You may see fast 5G speeds on the map, but local interference or physical structures could mean actual connections are not as robust. Weak signals mean reduced call clarity and more drain on your phone’s battery as it tries to stay connected. Plus, when you’re paying for fast 5G data speeds, you want to make sure you’re actually seeing that performance. So, if possible, ask friends, family or someone you know in your area about their experiences with their carriers. Stronger AT&T signal in your area? See our AT&T vs. Verizon comparison See at CNET James Martin/CNET T-Mobile vs. Verizon: Comparing price and value Carriers want to encourage you to subscribe to their top-tier plans that offer larger high-speed data allowances, streaming services and other perks because those are the most expensive and profitable options. That’s not a surprise. But at the end of 2025, Verizo
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