US Mobile vs. MobileX: Which MVNO gives you the most for your money?

• Three networks available

  US Mobile

  US Mobile gives customers a wide range of plans to choose from with large unlimited plans and an affordable Light Plan. US Mobile also supports coverage from each of the Big Three networks so users can use the network that works best for them.

  Pros

  • Pick the network that works best for you
  • Wide range of competitive plans
  • Solid international options available

  Cons

  • No multi-line discounts for families
  • No truly unlimited plan
  • Unlimited Flex only available annually

  From $10/month

• Budget-focused

  MobileX

  MobileX is an MVNO trying to do things its own way with a simple and cheap Personalized Access plan and a couple of unlimited plans for heavier users. With coverage on the Verizon network, most people should have a solid connection with MobileX.

  Pros

  • Affordable pay-as-you-go plan
  • Strong Verizon coverage with UWB 5G
  • Free prediction period for new lines

  Cons

  • Taxes are extra
  • No multi-line or multi-month discounts

  From $3.48/month

US Mobile and MobileX have a lot in common when it comes to pricing and plans, but if you look deeper, there are a few differences to keep in mind. Both carriers offer by-the-gig plans to help people save, and unlimited options for heavier users; the biggest difference comes down to the networks, with US Mobile offering coverage on AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon and the ability to switch between them if needed, while MobileX only uses Verizon.

Unlike a lot of prepaid carriers, both US Mobile and MobileX are MVNOs that aren’t owned by a big carrier. For example, Visible and Mint Mobile are owned by Verizon and T-Mobile, respectively. While data priority is still lower than some postpaid plans, you can expect solid coverage and data speeds on both of these carriers’ networks, though US Mobile manages to stand out with coverage on all three.

Mobile carrier features

US Mobile is a fairly straightforward prepaid carrier with a handful of unlimited options and a cheaper By the Gig plan. There’s even a $10 Light Plan with 2GB of data for those who use most of their data on Wi-Fi, but still want plenty of data for Spotify and messaging when they head out. US Mobile also includes hotspot data with all of its plans, so if you need data on your tablet or laptop, you can get connected with Wi-Fi or just a USB-C cable.

If you need international features, international texting and calling is included with most plans, and available as an add-on for the rest. If you’re heading to Mexico, Canada, or Puerto Rico, you can also use roaming with up to 10GB of data on the top plan. You can also pick up an international eSIM from US Mobile if you’re heading to another country abroad.

When it comes to pricing, US Mobile offers several of its plans with annual payments, which can save you money overall. While there are no multi-line discounts for families, if you bring three or more lines to the top Unlimited Premium plan, you can get a free streaming perk.

MobileX keeps its features simple with a focus on talk, text, and data, which is what most people care about the most. MobileX has an international calling and texting add-on available as well as international roaming, but these add-ons are available for all plans. MobileX has a pay-as-you-go plan called Personalized Access as well as two unlimited options. The two unlimited plans get 10GB of hotspot data.

Perhaps MobileX’s most interesting feature is a free 10-day trial of its Personalized Access that helps predict how much data you’ll actually need. Once you know that, you can decide which plan fits you best, or follow the app's recommendation. If you stick with Personalized Access, data comes in at $2.10 per gigabyte, which is doubled to 2GB thanks to a limited-time offer that lasts at least through the end of 2024.

MobileX is also, helpfully, available in Walmart stores, so if your phone isn’t eSIM-ready, or you just prefer a physical SIM, you can pick one up without waiting for shipping.

Mobile coverage and reception

Since US Mobile offers coverage on each of the Big Three carrier networks, you can be reasonably assured that you can get strong coverage with US Mobile.

When you’re setting up your phone on US Mobile, you can choose between Verizon (Warp), T-Mobile (Light Speed), and AT&T (Dark Star) with the option to change later on thanks to a feature called Teleport. US Mobile’s unlimited plans come with two free Teleports and cost $2 after that. You even have the option to increase the priority of your connection on the AT&T SIM for an extra fee if you want.

You can check US Mobile’s coverage map to see which networks are available in your area. If you click the Advanced tab, you can even see some performance estimates for each network.

MobileX, on the other hand, sticks with Verizon for its coverage, and while Verizon has some gaps in rural areas, you can still expect strong coverage. MobileX gets full access to Verizon 5G as well, including Ultra Wideband mid-band and mmWave coverage. MobileX’s performance wasn’t great when it was first available, but the carrier has made changes to improve its connection quality, so it shouldn’t feel too different from a standard Verizon plan.

Phone compatibility

Since US Mobile supports all three networks, you can bring just about any phone you want, provided your phone is unlocked and works in the US. Even international models could work on the T-Mobile network, as we found in our Nothing Phone 2a review.

For the most part, any of the best Android phones should work without issue on any of the three. For example, if you’ve got a popular model designed for the U.S. market, like the Galaxy S24, Pixel 9, or iPhone, it should work well on any of these SIMs.

If you’re looking at MobileX, on the other hand, compatibility isn’t quite as good. Still, US Mobile works with a large range of devices, so it’s worth checking MobileX’s compatibility tool. Some phones, for example, may not work with eSIM but may work perfectly well on MobileX with a physical SIM.

Plans

When it comes to plans, both of these carriers keep their options fairly simple, but there is also a lot of overlap between the two in what you can get. MobileX offers more data overall than US Mobile but falls behind in hotspot data and international features. Neither carrier has multi-line discounts, but US Mobile has multi-line perks on its top unlimited plan as well as a shared data option with its By the Gig plans.

US Mobile’s plans

US Mobile has three unlimited options and a shared data plan called By the Gig. Starting with By the Gig, you get a line and 2GB of data for $10 per month as the cheapest option. Also called the Light Plan, if you only have one line, you can pay $96 annually, which works out to $8 per month. If you need more data than that, it comes in at $2 per gigabyte or $15 per 10GB. This data can be shared with others with additional lines coming in at $8 each.

Moving up to unlimited, the cheapest unlimited option is called Unlimited Flex. This plan works out to $17.50 per month, but it must be paid annually at $210 per year. With taxes and fees included, this plan is cheap considering it comes with 10GB of high-speed data, 5GB of hotspot data, and international calling and texting.

Unlimited Starter is a bit more expensive at $25 per month, or $270 per year, but it comes with 35GB of high-speed data and an upgrade to 10GB of hotspot data. International texting is included, but if you want international calling or roaming, you’ll need an add-on. With the annual plan, international calling is included with 1GB of data on an international eSIM. There can be some slight differences in international features between the networks, however.

Unlimited Premium is a fairly substantial step up with 100GB of high-speed data, 50GB of hotspot data, international calling, texting, and roaming included. This plan even comes with unlimited Teleports, so if you want to use a different network on a weekend getaway, you can. If you bring three or more lines to this plan, you can get a free streaming perk, such as Netflix or Disney+.

At $44 per month or $390 per year, this plan is one dollar cheaper monthly and $5 cheaper annually than Visible’s top Visible+ plan.

US Mobile also has an Apple Watch plan that’s free with Unlimited Premium, or $9.50 per month with other plans. You can save 20% by paying annually as well.

One nice thing about US Mobile is that taxes and fees are included, so you’ve got a better idea of what exactly your bill will be before setting up your plan.

MobileX’s plans

MobileX only really has three plans: Personalized Access, Unlimited 10, and Unlimited. Personalized Access costs $3.48 at its cheapest thanks to a $1.98 platform fee and $1.50 for 50 minutes and texts; you can upgrade to 150 minutes for $2.50; unlimited for $4.50. Talk and text to Mexico and Canada is also available for $4.50; data is cheap at just $2.10 per gigabyte, and with a promotion running until the end of 2024, MobileX will match your data.

If you need more than a few gigabytes of data, Unlimited 10 could be a solid choice at $14.88 per month. This plan gets 10GB of high-speed data and 10GB of hotspot data; for a lot of people, especially those who mostly use data at home on Wi-Fi, this could be all they need. Check your previous phone bills to see how much data you typically use. If you’re close, you may be able to save some data with the right Android settings.

If you just want to use your phone without thinking about how much data you use, MobileX’s Unlimited plan is a strong choice with 10GB of hotspot data, and up to 199GB of high-speed data. While MobileX’s website doesn’t mention it, this plan shows up as Unlimited199 in the MobileX app. Still, that’s a ton of data and nearly double US Mobile’s biggest plan.

MobileX charges extra for taxes and fees, but it keeps the fees reasonable and doesn’t feel sneaky. Taxes will depend on where you live, and in my area, they work out to $1.37 with a basic Personalized Access plan with 1GB of data.

Which should you buy?

Technically speaking, MobileX is cheaper than US Mobile when it comes to comparable plans.

For example, MobileX’s Unlimited 10 is cheaper than US Mobile’s Unlimited Flex, but lacks international calls and texts. This could be a drag for some people, but if you use a messenger app, like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger, to talk to friends and family abroad, you don’t need that feature at all. It’s also worth remembering that MobileX only uses Verizon's network, so if you don’t have strong coverage, it may not be right for you.

If you use a ton of data, MobileX's top unlimited plan is a strong pick. With a massive 199GB of high-speed data, this plan allows you to stream and download to your heart's content. Most people will come in well under that number, but it can still be nice to have the peace of mind that even if you're on your phone nearly every waking hour, you won't run out of data.

MobileX

While you give up some features compared to USMobile, for most people, MobileX is cheaper or very close in price. Since most people really just need talk, text, and data, MobileX’s simplified feature set could be exactly what you’re looking for.

From $3.48/month

US Mobile will still come out ahead for a lot of people thanks to its network choices, annual plan pricing, and international features. It also offers the most hotspot data, with its top plan coming with an impressive 50GB of hotspot data. That’s more than many postpaid plans and could be a great fit for a professional who wants a backup internet option, or someone who wants to download, update, and stream from their laptop or tablet without Wi-Fi.

US Mobile

US Mobile gives its customers a lot of freedom to choose their plans, features, and network. With three unlimited options and a By the Gig plan, you can still save a lot with US Mobile compared to a postpaid carrier.

From $10/month