Pros

• Verizon's 4G LTE network is a strong backbone
• Can still get perks
• Can mix and match plans
• Three-year price guarantee

Cons

• No access to Verizon's fastest 5G networks
• No hotspot data included

Pros

• Access to Verizon's fastest 5G networks
• More hotspot data
• 50% off smartwatch or tablet line
• Can get perks like the streaming bundles as paid add-ons
• Can mix and match plans on the same account

Cons

• Price jump from Unlimited Welcome feels steep
• Verizon makes the pricing complicated on its website

I've gone back and forth about including the Unlimited Ultimate plan in this lineup (and not just because it's the third of three plans Verizon offers). It's the most expensive one, at $85 a month for a single line, or as low as $55 a month per line for four lines, which is $30 more than the Unlimited Welcome plan. (In fact, those prices were $5 cheaper at the beginning of 2026, and then got notched up a few months later.)

But the more apt comparison is between Unlimited Ultimate and Unlimited Plus, which is a difference of just $15 per line. That's not a stretch to add unlimited hotspot data, unlimited international talk, text and data when traveling, international calling from the US (up to 300 minutes), up to 50% off two data plans for a smartwatch or tablet, 4K video streaming and the best current phone offers when buying a phone or upgrading one.

The key is that most people won't need all this. If you travel frequently, particularly out of the US, then Unlimited Ultimate makes a lot of sense. Not having to pay separately for the daily TravelPass option is worthwhile in that case. (That's why we named it as the best plan for international travelers in our Best Travel Phone Plans guide.) But the majority of people looking at Ultimate are going to be fine with Plus.

No, you can upgrade your phone and stay on the same plan. However, depending on which models you're considering, you may get better deals if you're on the Unlimited Ultimate plan.

Yes, several Verizon discounts are available if you qualify for them. If you're a teacher, nurse, student, veteran, active military or first responder, you can get up to $25 applied to your account (not per line).

Residents of Florida who are 55 and older can qualify for the Florida 55+ Mobile Discount, which saves $20 a month for one line and $30 a month for two lines.

More Verizon discount details can be found here.

The three major companies in the US -- T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon -- offer services directly and have robust nationwide networks that offer 4G LTE (fast) and 5G (even faster) data. They all promise coverage that blankets most of the US, and they're actively expanding 5G coverage everywhere they can.

But maps are one thing, and experience is another. That's why it's impossible to say that one carrier is objectively better than another. For example, T-Mobile's service in New York may be excellent, but Verizon might be more reliable in parts of rural Iowa. Or you may have basic 5G coverage but not faster millimeter-wave 5G.

If possible, ask neighbors, friends or family near you about which carriers they use and how fast or reliable the wireless service is. And don't forget to consider not just where you live, but also the places you frequent: Your house might get a clear signal, but your workplace could be in a cellular black hole.

You may also be able to test-drive a network -- go to a carrier's store and ask if there are free ways to try out the company's service. T-Mobile offers a free three-month Network Pass, Verizon has a 30-day "trial" program, and AT&T has its own 30-day eSIM free trial program.

"5G" is an umbrella term that encompasses the current fifth-generation cellular wireless network technologies. All major carriers and phones support 5G, which can offer faster data speeds than older technologies such as 4G LTE or 3G.

Essentially, there are three types of 5G: Millimeter-wave (mmWave), which can be fast but has limited range; low-band 5G, which has slower speeds but works on a broader range; and midband, which is a balance between the two that's faster than low-band but also covers a larger range than millimeter-wave. Midband also incorporates C-band, a batch of spectrum auctioned off by the Federal Communications Commission in 2021.

Your phone's 5G connection depends on which type blankets the area you're in, as well as other factors, such as population density and infrastructure. For instance, mmWave is super fast, but its signals can be thwarted by buildings, glass, leaves or being inside a structure.

When your device is connected to a 5G network, it may appear as several variations, such as 5G, 5G Plus, 5G UW or others, depending on the carrier. Here’s a list of icons you see at the top of your phone for the major services:

AT&T: 5GE (which isn't actually 5G, but rather a sly marketing name for 4G LTE), 5G (low band), 5G Plus (mmWave, midband)

Verizon: 5G (low band, also called "Nationwide 5G"), 5G UW/5G UWB (midband and mmWave, also called "5G Ultra Wideband")

T-Mobile: 5G (low band), 5G UC (midband and mmWave, also called "Ultra Capacity 5G")

There's also 5G Reduced Capacity (5G RedCap), a lower-power, lower-capacity branch of 5G used by devices such as smartwatches and portable health devices; the Apple Watch Ultra 3, for example, connects via 5G RedCap.

Just around the corner is 5G Advanced, promising much faster speeds because of carrier aggregation, or combining multiple spectrums.

Unlimited plans were once rarities, but now nearly all plans -- especially postpaid plans -- offer unlimited data. If you're on T-Mobile, all your plans are unlimited, and Verizon no longer lets new users sign up for a shared data plan. Although everyone's wireless needs are different, we think unlimited plans are the best option for most phone users, especially when choosing a new plan. 

Only AT&T still offers a tiered data plan where data flow stops when you reach the limit. For example, the AT&T 4GB plan isn't great. It has a 4GB-per-line plan that runs $50 a month for one line ($160 for four lines). Each line here gets 4GB of data, but if you go over that threshold in a month, you're paying $10 for every 2GB. That plan also doesn't include access to its 5G networks. 

The company's basic unlimited plan, Value 2.0, costs $50 per month for one line or $120 per month for four lines.

If you have one or two lines and don't use a lot of data, you may be fine with a plan like this, though if you have just one line, we'd recommend switching over to T-Mobile's Essentials Saver or AT&T's $50 per month Value 2.0. Two lines of that T-Mobile plan run $80 a month, which is still $10 cheaper than two lines of AT&T's 4GB plan, and you won't have to worry about how much data you're using. 

For most people, we really do believe that unlimited is the best choice when choosing a new plan.