AT&T vs. Verizon

AT&T has been around a very long time — one of those Ts used to stand for “telegraph”! It can trace its history all the way back to The Bell Telephone Company, named after one of its founders, Alexander Graham Bell (a.k.a. the guy who invented the telephone). Pretty cool. AT&Ts wireless plans are roughly on par with its other major-carrier peers, with some cushy premium features and premium prices too. Customer service is… not the best.

Verizon is one of the giants of global telecommunications — in fact, it’s the second-largest telecom company in the world. It runs one of the three major U.S. wireless networks and has built a reputation for premium-priced postpaid plans paired with… let’s call it consistently disappointing customer service.

US Mobile offers similarly featured plans, often for half the price — plus access to all three major mobile networks on one plan. Just saying. But let’s see how these two carriers compare.

AT&T vs. Verizon Overview

AT&T · Our rating: 2 / 5 · Trustpilot: 1.3 / 5
Network: AT&T  |  Postpaid unlimited plans from expensive to very expensive  |  Additional taxes and fees apply
PlanPriceData and speedsExtras
AT&T Unlimited Premium® PL$46 – $86/mo. per lineUnlimited priority data
Unlimited hotspot with 60 GB of premium data
4K video streaming		Unlimited data, talk & text in Canada and Mexico.
Unlimited texts to 200+ countries
$12/day international data.
$15/mo. international calling add-on
AT&T Unlimited Extra® EL$36 – $76/mo. per lineUnlimited high-speed data, including 75 GB of priority data
480p video streaming
Unlimited hotspot with 30 GB of premium data		Unlimited data, talk & text in Canada and Mexico.
Unlimited texts to 200+ countries
$12/day international data.
$15/mo. international calling add-on
AT&T Unlimited Starter® SL$31 – $66/mo. per lineUnlimited high-speed data
480p video streaming
QCI 9
Unlimited hotspot with 5 GB of premium data		Unlimited data, talk & text in Canada and Mexico.
Unlimited texts to 200+ countries
$12/day international data.
$15/mo. international calling add-on
The Value Plus VL$31 – $51/mo. per lineUnlimited high-speed data
480p video streaming
QCI 9
No hotspot		Unlimited data, talk & text in Canada and Mexico.
Unlimited texts to 200+ countries
$12/day international data.
$15/mo. international calling add-on
Postpaid unlimited plan prices vary based on number of lines and other account factors. Additional taxes and fees apply. Activation fees, late fees and roaming charges can apply on postpaid plans.
AT&T also offers prepaid plans ranging from $25-$65/mo.

Features

AT&T offers prepaid and postpaid wireless plans, but most customers associate the company with postpaid, so that will be our focus. Their unlimited plans range from The Value Plus VL to their top-tier AT&T Unlimited Premium® PL. We can’t figure out what the letters at the end of the plan names are for.

AT&T postpaid plans will subsidize new phone purchases with a 36 month installment agreement. These subsidies are reflected in the price, as we’ll see below.

Verizon sells both prepaid and postpaid wireless plans, but most people think of Verizon primarily for its postpaid options, so that’s where we’ll keep our attention. Their lineup stretches from the minimalist Unlimited Welcome plan all the way up to the feature-heavy Unlimited Ultimate plan.

One thing that sets Verizon’s postpaid plans apart from typical prepaid offerings is the option to finance a new phone through a 36-month agreement. The catch? That subsidy shows up in your monthly bill whether you’re upgrading your phone or not. The international roaming on the Unlimited Ultimate plan is broad and genuinely strong, though.

US Mobile Unlimited plans offer similar features without locking you into multi-year contracts or any individual network. Instead of subsidizing phone purchases, US Mobile has lower prices. Device trade ins are available.

Pricing

If you’ve got one line on an AT&T unlimited plan, you’re going to pay for the privilege. If you’re bringing children, siblings, parents, aunts, and uncles along, the prices can get much more reasonable. AT&T postpaid customers pay for phone subsidies, so be sure to use them!

Verizon sells both prepaid and postpaid wireless plans, but most people think of Verizon primarily for its postpaid options, so that’s where we’ll keep our attention. Their lineup stretches from the minimalist Unlimited Welcome plan all the way up to the feature-heavy Unlimited Ultimate plan.

One thing that sets Verizon’s postpaid plans apart from typical prepaid offerings is the option to finance a new phone through a 36-month agreement. The catch? That subsidy shows up in your monthly bill whether you’re upgrading your phone or not. The international roaming on the Unlimited Ultimate plan is broad and genuinely strong, though.

US Mobile charges about the same for a single line as either carrier does for a line on a stacked family plan. Do with that information what you will.

Reviews

AT&T isn’t winning any customer experience awards. One reviewer on Trustpilot created an account with the name “NO” just to post two negative reviews, three years apart. That’s commitment! Critical reviews are generally more favorable. AT&T Unlimited Extra® EL is The Wirecutter’s top pick “for more coverage in more places” (though, of course, US Mobile has all the coverage in any place that has coverage). One WhistleOut writer, however, decided to move from AT&T to US Mobile 👀.

Let’s give Verizon credit where it’s due: the network itself earns praise for its coverage, speed, and overall reliability. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for its customer service. One forum user summed it up pretty cleanly: “Verizon has some of the worst in-store, on phone and online customer service I have ever experienced.” Ratings on Trustpilot and Consumer Affairs both sit below 1.5/5, and the Better Business Bureau gives Verizon Wireless an outright F. Professional reviewers tend to be more balanced, with some calling out the Unlimited Ultimate plan’s international perks as a standout.

If only there were a carrier that offered all the advantages of all of the major mobile networks with an overall excellent customer experience.

Verdict

We’re going to give a slight edge to AT&T here. If you do a lot of international travel, you might be better off with Verizon. But besides that, you’re getting similar features for “less” (albeit still plenty!) with AT&T.

But if you’d like the flexibility of access to all three major networks at an even better price, we not-so-humbly suggest US Mobile. We’re Consumer Report’s top-rated mobile carrier, with plans ranging from $8/mo. for a Light plan to $44/mo. for our Unlimited Premium plan, offering uncapped premium data, unlimited hotspot, a free smartwatch plan, 20 GB/mo. of International roaming data, and much more.

Check out the best plans in mobile here >

AT&T vs. Verizon: Frequently Asked Questions

1. So which one? AT&T or Verizon?

AT&T generally offers similar features at slightly lower prices than Verizon, earning it a narrow advantage for most users. Verizon, however, may be the better choice for heavy international travelers thanks to its robust roaming features. Users looking for lower prices or access to multiple networks may prefer more flexible alternatives like US Mobile.

2. How do AT&T and Verizon compare in background and reputation?

  • AT&T traces its roots to The Bell Telephone Company founded by Alexander Graham Bell, giving it one of the longest histories in U.S. telecommunications.
  • Verizon is the second-largest telecom company in the world and one of the three major U.S. mobile networks.

Both providers are known for nationwide coverage, but each struggles with customer service quality according to customer reviews.

3. Are AT&T and Verizon expensive mobile carriers?

Yes. AT&T and Verizon are both considered premium-priced carriers, especially for single-line plans. Costs drop significantly only when adding multiple lines. In many cases, consumers can find similar features at lower prices from alternative carriers.

4. What AT&T unlimited plans are available?

AT&T offers four main postpaid unlimited plans:

AT&T Unlimited Premium® PL

  • $46–$86/line
  • Unlimited priority data
  • 60GB premium hotspot
  • 4K streaming

AT&T Unlimited Extra® EL

  • $36–$76/line
  • 75GB priority data
  • 30GB hotspot

AT&T Unlimited Starter® SL

  • $31–$66/line
  • Unlimited high-speed data
  • 5GB hotspot

Value Plus VL

  • $31–$51/line
  • Unlimited data
  • No hotspot

AT&T also offers prepaid plans from $25–$65/mo.

5. What Verizon unlimited plans are available?

Verizon’s postpaid unlimited plans include:

Unlimited Ultimate

  • $55–$100/line
  • 4K video and video calls
  • Unlimited premium hotspot
  • Strong international data features

Unlimited Plus

  • $45–$80/line
  • 30GB premium hotspot
  • 5G Ultra Wideband access

Unlimited Welcome

  • $30–$65/line
  • No hotspot
  • Basic 5G speeds

Verizon also offers prepaid plans ranging from $45–$70/mo.

6. Do AT&T and Verizon include international roaming?

AT&T International Features

  • Unlimited talk, text, and data in Canada and Mexico
  • Unlimited texting to 200+ countries
  • $12/day international data pass
  • $15/mo international calling add-on

Verizon International Features

  • Unlimited talk, text, and data in Canada and Mexico
  • Unlimited texting to 200+ global destinations
  • Unlimited Ultimate plan includes unlimited international data with 15GB of high-speed usage

7. Do both carriers offer phone subsidies?

Yes. AT&T and Verizon both offer phone subsidies through 36-month installment agreements on postpaid plans. These subsidies are reflected in the monthly plan prices, which can make the plans more expensive even if you don’t regularly upgrade your device.

8. What do customer reviews say about AT&T and Verizon?

AT&T Reviews

  • Trustpilot: 1.3/5
  • Common complaints: customer service issues
  • Positive notes: strong coverage, favorable professional reviews for certain plans

Verizon Reviews

  • Trustpilot: 1.2/5
  • Many customers cite poor customer service experiences
  • Strengths: fast, reliable nationwide network performance; strong international features on top-tier plans

9. Which carrier is cheaper for single-line plans?

Neither AT&T nor Verizon is a budget-friendly choice for single lines. Both carriers reserve their best pricing for customers with multiple lines. Users with one or two lines usually find better value through carriers with more flexible pricing models.

10. Which carrier offers better savings for families?

Both AT&T and Verizon offer significant discounts as more lines are added. AT&T typically comes out slightly cheaper for families, but both carriers only become competitively priced at higher line counts.

11. What is the bottom-line verdict on AT&T vs. Verizon?

Consumers seeking lower prices, contract-free service, or access to multiple major networks often find better value with modern alternative carriers.

AT&T offers similar features to Verizon at somewhat lower prices, making it the better value for most people.

Verizon stands out for international roaming and the reliability of its network but carries higher monthly costs.