Verizon is one of the four largest mobile carriers in the US, and Total Wireless is an MVNO that uses the network of Verizon. So, you might deduct that Verizon is the one to go with, but the all-out comparison of Total Wireless vs. Verizon might change your thought.
Both operators offer a lot of attractive deals and monthly plans to attract customers. In this article, we will cover all those along with the performance of both networks so that you can make a decision without any regret.
Quick Intro of Both Operators
Total Wireless is actually a sub-brand of Tracfone, which is a subsidiary of América Móvil. That is Mexico’s largest telecommunications company owned by one of the richest persons alive on earth. The thing is that the operator that we are comparing here has an entirely different service and features than the main company. You may use coupon code INSTANT25 and get 25% off phone + plan purchase from Trackfone.
On the other hand, Verizon is an American multinational company that has the second-largest network in the country only after AT&T. The carrier has more than 153.1 million mobile customers and is preferred by a lot of people for its services.
- Total Wireless vs. Verizon – The ultimate battle 2023
- 1. Total Wireless vs. Verizon: Single-Line Plans
- 2. Total Wireless vs. Verizon: Family/Shared Plans
- 3. Total Wireless vs. Verizon: Prepaid Plans
- Total Wireless vs. Verizon: International Calls
- Total Wireless vs. Verizon: Other Benefits
- Total Wireless vs. Verizon: Phone Deals
- Total Wireless vs. Verizon: Plan Deals
- Total Wireless vs. Verizon: Other Facilities
- Total Wireless vs. Verizon: Performance
- Pros and Cons of Both Operators
- Final Verdict
Total Wireless vs. Verizon – The ultimate battle 2023
1. Total Wireless vs. Verizon: Single-Line Plans
The unlimited plans from Total Wireless come with three different options that are perfect for light, moderate, and heavy users. Its most significant benefit is that you won’t have to sign a contract to get the plans.
- Paying $25 per month per line, you will get 1GB high-speed internet, unlimited talk, text, and 5% discount if autopay is enabled.
- Paying $35 per month per line, you will get 5GB high-speed internet, unlimited talk, text, 5GB hotspot data sharing, and a 5% discount if autopay is enabled.
- Paying $50 per month per line, you will get 25GB high-speed internet, unlimited talk, text, 10GB hotspot data sharing, and a 5% discount if autopay is enabled.
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The unlimited plans from Verizon Wireless come with four different options that are perfect for light, moderate, and heavy users. A side note is that the plans include unlimited talk, text, and basic data to use in Mexico and Canada.
- Start Unlimited costs $70 per line per month that includes unlimited talk, text, data, Apple Music for six months, and Disney+ for 12 months.
- Play More Unlimited costs $80 per line per month that includes unlimited talk, text, 25 GB premium data, 15GB 4G hotspot, 720p video streaming, Apple Music for six months, and Disney+ for 12 months.
- Do More Unlimited costs $80 per line per month that includes unlimited talk, text, 50 GB premium data, 15GB 4G hotspot, 480p video streaming, Apple Music for six months, and Disney+ for 12 months.
- Get More Unlimited costs $90 per line per month that includes unlimited talk, text, 75 GB premium data, 30GB 4G hotspot, 720p video streaming, Apple Music for six months, and Disney+ for 12 months.
2. Total Wireless vs. Verizon: Family/Shared Plans
Like always, the more lines you will go for, the more discount you will get on the plan pricing. The plans below are for family accounts with two or more lines, and after the data limit, your connection speed will be reduced to 2G.
- For two lines and 30GB 4G internet, you will have to pay $60 that will also include up to 10GB hotspot, unlimited talk, text, 5% discount by enrolling in auto-refill and sharing the data between two lines.
- For three lines and 60GB 4G internet, you will have to pay $85 that will also include up to 10GB hotspot, unlimited talk, text, 5% discount by enrolling in auto-refill and sharing the data between three lines.
- For four lines and 90GB 4G internet, you will have to pay $100 that will also include up to 10GB hotspot, unlimited talk, text, 5% discount by enrolling in auto-refill and sharing the data between four lines.
Verizon also offers shared data plans for the whole family, and we have to say the plans and pricing are not so great.
- The first one costs $35 and includes 2GB high-speed 4G data, unlimited talk, text, data carryover, safety mode, and 1GB add-ons for an additional $15.
- The second one costs $50 and includes 4GB high-speed 4G data, unlimited talk, text, data carryover, safety mode, and 1GB add-ons for an additional $15.
- The third one costs $70 and includes 8GB high-speed 4G data, unlimited talk, text, data carryover, safety mode, and 1GB add-ons for an additional $15.
- The fourth one costs $40 and includes 5GB high-speed 4G data for one device only, unlimited talk, text, data carryover, and other regular features.
3. Total Wireless vs. Verizon: Prepaid Plans
You have to understand that Total Wireless is a prepaid mobile operator, which means that the plans mentioned in the above sections are prepaid plans. So, let’s talk about the prepaid plans of Verizon Wireless below and compare the pricing. The plans from Verizon include unlimited talk, text, and unlimited text to more than 200 international destinations.
- For only $40, you will get 3GB premium data per month along with a 3GB bonus and mobile hotspot.
- For only $50, you will get 8GB premium data per month along with an 8GB bonus, unlimited calling to Mexico and Canada, and mobile hotspot.
- For only $70, you will get unlimited premium data per month along with no annual cost, unlimited calling to Mexico and Canada, and mobile hotspot.
Total Wireless vs. Verizon: International Calls
Total Wireless offers a single prepaid calling card so that you can make international calls through their mobile app. With the app, you will be able to call any international destinations.
- The operator offers a $10 international calling card valid for 30 days that you can buy more than once every month as you need.
For travelers, Verizon comes with more promising plans than Total Wireless, which includes different options to meet different requirements.
- For $5 per month per line, you can enjoy unlimited calls to Mexico and Canada for $0.00 per minute, as well as calls to over 230 destinations at a low rate.
- For $5 per month per line, you can call to over 40 destinations without any cost and another 190 destinations at a low rate.
- You can also don’t choose to buy any of the above plans and call those countries at a regular rate.
Total Wireless vs. Verizon: Other Benefits
There are several reasons to choose the service of Total Wireless, and let’s see them below.
- First of all, switching to Total Wireless is so easy that you won’t hesitate a bit while choosing their services and prepaid plans.
- This is a prepaid operator, which means that you won’t have to sign or agree on any contract and switch carriers whenever you want.
- The coverage of Total Wireless is better than many other MVNOs as it uses the network of Verizon Wireless.
- You can get the latest brand-new smartphones for a very low price and flexible monthly payment options.
- The operator offers great deals, affordable monthly plans, and phones so that everyone can get something.
Verizon is also not very behind from Total Wireless in terms of benefits and other features than simple data plans.
- Verizon has the second largest network in the country with the capability of 5G network technology that is expanding every day.
- Verizon also offers affordable plans, but you will have to get more lines and get fantastic discount rates with autopay.
- The unlimited plans and higher data amount packages come with extra features like Apple Music, Disney, etc. that will save you more money.
- Verizon comes with other services too that you can bundle with the data plan, and it will get you discounted rates.
- For travelers, Verizon comes with exclusive rates so that you can stay connected with the rest of the world without spending too much money.
Total Wireless vs. Verizon: Phone Deals
From the online store, you can get amazing discounts on Total Wireless compatible phones. Now, let’s see some of the deals that are available right now and can financially benefit you.
- You can buy iPhone 6s Gold 32GB from their shop for only $99.99, which is set after a $50 discount on the retail price.
- You can buy Samsung Galaxy A10e from their shop for only $99.99, which is set after a $40 discount on the retail price.
- You can buy Samsung Galaxy A20 from their shop for only $179.99, which is set after a $50 discount on the retail price.
- You can buy LG Journey LTE from their shop for only $49.99, which is set after a $30 discount on the retail price.
- You can buy LG Solo LTE from their shop for only $69.99, which is set after a $60 discount on the retail price.
- You can buy LG Stylo 5 LTE from their shop for only $129.99, which is set after a $70 discount on the retail price.
- You can buy reconditioned iPhone 6s Space Grey 32GB from their shop for only $59.99, which is set after a $120 discount on the retail price.
- You can buy ALCATEL MYFLIP from their shop for only $9.99, which is set after a $20 discount on the retail price, and the phone is perfect for seniors.
Those are some great deals, but you can get even greater Verizon phone deals for existing customers as well as new customers. Various offers require one to meet different conditions, and you should check all those before making a purchase. Verizon totally dominates on this Total Wireless vs. Verizon battle.
- You can get a Samsung Galaxy S20 5G UW brand-new phone without paying anything after getting a line and an eligible monthly data plan.
- You can get the latest brand-new phone with a huge $700 discount after getting a line, trading in a selected device, and an eligible monthly data plan.
- You can get up to $900 off from the retail price of Motorola Edge+ after trading in a selected device, and an eligible monthly data plan.
- You can get a Galaxy S10e after buying Galaxy S10get and getting two lines on a selected unlimited plan. It will also include an additional $300 if you switch to Verizon with your number.
- You can get LG V60 ThinQ 5G UW without paying anything if you switch to Verizon, trade-in a selected device, and get an eligible monthly data plan.
- You can get a Motorola Razr with a huge $1000 discount if you switch to Verizon, trade-in a selected device, and get an eligible monthly data plan.
Total Wireless vs. Verizon: Plan Deals
After a lot of time spent on research, we couldn’t find any discounts or offers on monthly plans from Total Wireless. On the other hand, Verizon is offering a lot of discounted plans for people in services. They also participate in the lifeline program and provide Verizon internet for low-income families.
- For military families, Verizon is offering $30 per month for the Start Unlimited data plan for four lines after submitting the documents and enabling autopay.
- For first responders., Verizon is offering $30 per month for the Start Unlimited data plan for four lines after submitting the documents and enabling autopay.
- For nurses on the frontline, Verizon is offering $30 per month for the Start Unlimited data plan for 4 lines after submitting the documents and enabling autopay.
- For teachers, Verizon is offering $30 per month for the Start Unlimited data plan for 4 lines after submitting the documents and enabling autopay.
Total Wireless vs. Verizon: Other Facilities
One of the main reasons that people love Verizon over Total Wireless is the extra benefits and some more plans that are customized for people with special needs. Let’s see some of them that are the most helpful and noticeable ones.
- Verizon offers a special monthly plan called Just Kids, which has features perfectly suitable for parents. When you get 4 lines, you can buy this plan for the devices that your kids use. For only $35 per month per device, you will get 5GB data, and 20 contacts set by the parents along with location tracking and content filtering features that might require additional charges.
- By bringing your own phone or existing phone to Verizon, you will be able to get $250 and pay no activation fee. The company will also not check your credit, and you won’t find these benefits if you switch to Total Wireless.
- Moreover, you can get $100 when you switch to Verizon, bring your own tablet, keep the number, and go for an eligible line for the new line.
Total Wireless vs. Verizon: Performance
The performance of both operators is evaluated on two sections, and they are coverage and speed. For the test, it was not possible to take enough sample data for some reason, and we tried our best to give you an overview.
For the coverage, we read thousands of customers’ reviews and got the idea that Verizon has a strong network in the city and populous areas. Other than populated areas, the coverage is not that impressive, which is also true for Total Wireless.
Now, let’s talk about the speed difference between both networks, and we used different phones to test it. Speed test by Ookla online app was used in this regard, and we got enough speed on both networks that will let you stream HD videos without any buffer.
The average download speed of Verizon was 20 Mbps, where Total Wireless was providing 24.7 Mbps. On the other hand, the average upload speed of Total Wireless was 11 Mbps, where Verizon Wireless was providing 14.7 Mbps. Both are close enough to let you play high-end games online without any lag.
Pros and Cons of Both Operators
First of all, let’s see the sunny side of Total Wireless and Verizon that will make you realize the reasons to choose them.
- Total Wireless comes with very affordable plans, 5% auto-refill discount, and Affordable add-ons.
- Total Wireless won’t require a credit check to sign up, change your phone number or get a new phone.
- Total Wireless has a reliable coverage reviewed by its thousands of customers and offers up to 4 lines per account.
- Verizon also has excellent coverage reviewed by its thousands of customers and offers up to 10 lines per account.
- Verizon won’t require a credit check to sign up, change your phone number or get a new phone.
- Verizon comes with mobile hotspot features along with a $5 auto-pay discount, military discount, and reward program.
Now, let’s talk about the downsides of the operators that some people can’t tolerate and are forced to think about switching.
- Total Wireless has simple, bare-bones plans with no extras, and all plans are limited in data usage.
- Total Wireless allows only unused add-on data rolls over, and features no international texting.
- Verizon comes with more expensive plans than the majority of other prepaid phone plans of other companies.
- Verizon offers unlimited premium plans that are not truly unlimited, which means that you will get slower speeds after the limit.
Final Verdict
One big difference between them that we didn’t mention while comparing everything and writing Total Wireless vs. Verizon is Verizon offers lifeline services. If you are eligible for lifeline services, your only option will be to get Verizon wireless free government phone and plan.
For others, the decision may change, and any of the operators can be the preference depending on people’s needs. So, if you are a light user with not the requirement of only basic plans, you should go with Total Wireless. But those who travel a lot and need more features than just data should choose Verizon Wireless without any doubt.