Verizon is one of the major nationwide cellular carriers in the United States and has many different plan offerings. They have extensive coverage in the lower 48 and are a commonly used cellular provider by many full-time travelers.
Verizon Wireless also owns Visible, Tracfone, and Total Wireless, which are all prepaid cellular service MVNOs.
Plan Specifications
Verizon postpaid direct offers a variety of plans - both phone and data only. While Verizon's flagship is unlimited call, text, and data smartphone plans, they also offer some capped data bucket phone plans, as well as some data-only plans for data-only devices and tablets.
**TOP PICKS**
Top Pick Notes: Verizon direct offers a few plans that we consider top picks worth focusing your research on. Here are the highlights of the plans we recommend and why we consider them top picks:
Data Only: Mobile Internet
- Device: Hotspots, Tablets, & Routers
- Data: 150GB High-Speed Hotspot Data (other tiers available)
- Price: $60/mo when added to eligible unlimited smartphone plans. Standalone: $110/mo 1 line or $80/mo additional lines.
- Notes: Speeds go to 600 Kbps after the cap is reached on LTE/Nationwide 5G and 1080p video resolution. 5G UW areas have 3 Mbps speeds after cap and 4K UHD video. Verizon also offers prepaid versions of these plans for slightly lower prices with some drawbacks.
- More Info: View the 'Data Only' tab on this page
Smartphone: Unlimited Ultimate, Unlimited Ultimate w/ 100GB Mobile Hotspot Add-on, Unlimited Plus w/ 100GB Mobile Hotspot Add-on
- Device: Smartphones
- Data: Unlimited On Device, No Network Management, 200-300 GB High Speed Mobile Hotspot Data
- Price: $90-$100/mo
- Notes: Hotspot data slowed to 6 Mbps after high-speed cap is exceeded
- More Info: View the 'Smartphone' tab on this page
For more plans that provide lots of data: Top Pick Data Plans Guide
Data Only
Verizon offers data plans for hotspots, tablets, laptops, and smartwatches.
Phone plans that qualify for the bundling discount are: Unlimited Plus, Unlimited Ultimate, Get More Unlimited or Do More Unlimited smartphone plans. Plus and Essential plans are not available standalone - they must be added to accounts with a smartphone lines. Unlimited Ultimate can get the applicable discount on two eligible connected device plans; all other plans can get the discount on one connected device plan.
Mobile Internet for Hotspots & Tablets
- Premium Hotspot 150GB **TOP PICK**
- $60/month if bundled with a qualifying unlimited phone plan
- Standalone pricing: $110/month 1st line; subsequent lines $80/month
- Pro Hotspot 100GB
- $40/month if bundled with a qualifying unlimited phone plan
- Standalone pricing: $90/month 1st line; subsequent lines $60/month
- Plus Hotspot 50GB
- $20/month if bundled with a qualifying unlimited phone plan
- $40/month if bundled with a non-qualifying phone plan
- Essential Hotspot 15GB
- $10/month if bundled with a qualifying unlimited phone plan
- $20/month if bundled with a non-qualifying phone plan
Plan Specifications:
- Carrier Networks Used: Verizon
- Carrier Relationship: Direct
- Plan Activation:
- Device Types Permitted: Hotspot & Router
- eSIM: No
- Autopay Discount:
- Paper Free Billing:
- Additional Fees:
- Activation Fee: $40 for any new device added or upgraded on a line
- Monthly Carrier Fees: Yes
- Taxes Extra: Yes
- Plan Period: 30 days
- Lines Permitted Per Account: 20
- Notes: Not Specified
- Data Allotments:
- On Device: Not Applicable
- Hotspot/Tethering:
- Premium Hotspot: 150GB high speed then speeds limited
- Pro Hotspot: 100GB high speed then speeds limited
- Plus Hotspot: 50GB high speed then speeds limited
- Essentials Hotspot: 15GB high speed then speeds limited
- Additional Data Options: Not Applicable
- Network Priority: Always Prioritized
- Video Streaming Throttle: No
- Domestic Roaming: Yes
- International Roaming:
- Canada/Mexico: 2GB/day, then 3G speeds
- If more than 50% of your talk, text, or data usage in a 60-day period is in Canada or Mexico, use of those services in those countries may be removed or limited
- TravelPass can be added for $12/month for talk/text/data in 210+ countries
- Extras: Not Specified
Smartphone
Verizon introduced the myPlan family of plans in May 2023. Verizon treats its 5G coverage as two separate entities: 5G Ultra-Wideband (5G UW) and 5G Nationwide (5G NW).
Hotspot and tablet plans can be added to phone lines; see the Data Only tab for more information.
Mobile Internet for Smartphones
- Unlimited Ultimate - $90/month **TOP PICK**
- Unlimited Ultimate w/ 100GB Hotspot Add-on - $100/month **TOP PICK**
- Unlimited Plus w/ 100GB Hotspot Add-on - $90/month **TOP PICK**
Plan Specifications:
- Carrier Networks Used: Verizon
- Carrier Relationship: Direct
- Plan Activation:
- Device Types Permitted: Smartphone
- eSIM: Yes
- Autopay Discount: Yes, $10/line
- Paper Free Billing: Not Specified
- Additional Fees:
- Activation Fee: $40 for any new device added or upgraded on a line
- Monthly Carrier Fees: Yes
- Taxes Extra: Yes
- Plan Period: 30 days
- Lines Permitted Per Account: 10
- Notes: Per line rate decreases with additional lines
- Data Allotments:
- On Device: Unlimited
- Hotspot/Tethering:
- Unlimited Ultimate: 200 GB
- Unlimited Ultimate w/ 100GB Hotspot Add-on: 300 GB
- Unlimited Plus w/ 100GB Hotspot Add-on: 130GB
- Additional Data Options: Not Specified
- Network Priority: Always Prioritized
- Video Streaming Throttle: No
- Domestic Roaming: Yes
- International Roaming:
- Unlimited Ultimate: 15 GB in 210+ countries, then 1.5 Mbps speeds; 2GB/day in Canada/Mexico, then 3G speeds
- Unlimited Plus & Welcome: 2GB/day in Canada/Mexico, then 3G speeds
- If more than 50% of your talk, text, or data usage in a 60-day period is in Canada or Mexico, use of those services in those countries may be removed or limited
- TravelPass can be added - 5GB of high speed data per day in 210+ countries. $6/day for Canada and Mexico, and $12/day for other eligible countries. Unlimited calling and texting also included
- Extras: Can be added for $10/month
- 100GB Mobile Hotspot Data
- Netflix & Max (With Ads) - Includes Netflix (with ads) and Max (with ads)
- Disney Bundle - Includes Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu
- Apple One - Includes Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and iCloud+
- Apple Music Family
- YouTube Premium
- Google One AI Premium
- Unlimited Individual Cloud Storage
55+ Unlimited
An unlimited plan for seniors with a Florida address. Starting at $45/line.
Pricing Grid Comparison
We only track smartphone plans that meet our criteria for mobile internet, which is having at least 50GB of mobile hotspot data. Other smartphone plans may be available from the carrier other than those listed here.
If you want information on other available smartphone plans, our friend Stetson Doggett manages the website Best Phone Plans, which provides comprehensive information on all plans provided by each carrier.
Tablets
Verizon offers data plans for hotspots, tablets, laptops, and smartwatches. Phone plans that qualify for the bundling discount are: Unlimited Plus, Unlimited Ultimate, Get More Unlimited or Do More Unlimited smartphone plans. Plus and Essential plans are not available standalone - they must be added to accounts with a smartphone lines. Unlimited Ultimate can get the applicable discount on two eligible connected device plans; all other plans can get the discount on one connected device plan.
Mobile Internet for Tablets
- Unlimited Plus Tablet
- $25/month (plus taxes and fees) if bundled with an unlimited phone plan
- Standalone pricing: $110/month. Unlimited Ultimate gets a discount off two eligible connected device plans; all other qualifying phone plans get a discount off one. Discount applied to the highest priced eligible connected device plan on account
- Unlimited Tablet
- $20/month (plus taxes and fees) if bundled with an unlimited phone plan
- Standalone pricing: $100/month. Unlimited Ultimate gets a discount off two eligible connected device plans; all other qualifying phone plans get a discount off one. Discount applied to the highest priced eligible connected device plan on account
Plan Specifications:
- Carrier Networks Used: Verizon
- Carrier Relationship: Direct
- Plan Activation:
- Device Types Permitted: Tablet
- eSIM: No
- Autopay Discount:
- Paper Free Billing:
- Additional Fees:
- Activation Fee: $40 for any new device added or upgraded on a line
- Monthly Carrier Fees: Yes
- Taxes Extra: Yes
- Plan Period: 30 days
- Lines Permitted Per Account: 20
- Notes:
- Data Allotments:
- On Device: Not Applicable
- Hotspot/Tethering:
- Unlimited Plus Tablet: On Device Only, 100GB high speed then speeds limited
- Unlimited Tablet: On Device Only, 15GB high speed then speeds limited
- Additional Data Options: Not Applicable
- Network Priority: Always Prioritized
- Video Streaming Throttle: No
- Domestic Roaming: Yes
- International Roaming:
- Canada/Mexico: 2GB/day, then 3G speeds.
- If more than 50% of your talk, text, or data usage in a 60-day period is in Canada or Mexico, use of those services in those countries may be removed or limited.
- TravelPass can be added for $12/month for talk/text/data in 210+ countries.
- Extras: Not Specified
Other
Mobile Internet for Home Internet
We track information on Verizon's Home Internet Plans and equipment here: Verizon Home Internet
Mobile Internet for Wearables
Verizon offers Smartwatch Plans with 15GB of high-speed data for $10/month.
Mobile Internet for Business Plans
Verizon offers business plans for smartphones, tablets, and data devices. See our Gear Center entry for more details.
Mobile Internet for Laptops
With the introduction of the Lenovo Flex 5G laptop, Verizon rolled out plans for the Lenovo 5G device as well as other laptops, including Chromebooks, with integrated cellular modems.
There are two available options:
-
- Unlimited: $10/month (plus taxes and fees) when added to an existing plan, laptop alone: first line on account is $75/month with paper free billing & autopay, $80/mo without. All subsequent lines are $20/mo.
- 15GB/month of 5G Nationwide/LTE data, then unlimited at 600 Kbps
- 15GB/month of 5G Nationwide/LTE hotspot data (counts against the on-device data cap)
- 720p streaming
- No access to Verizon 5G UW network
- More Unlimited: $15/month (plus taxes and fees) when added to an existing plan, laptop alone: first line on account is $85/mo with paper free billing & autopay, $90/mo without. All subsequent lines are $30/mo.
- Unlimited 5G Ultra Wideband data, both on-device and mobile hotspot
- 30GB/month of 5G Nationwide/LTE data, then unlimited at 600 Kbps
- 30GB/month of 5G Nationwide/LTE hotspot data (counts against the on-device data cap)
- Unlimited 4K video streaming on 5G UW, 720p on 5G Nationwide and LTE
- Unlimited: $10/month (plus taxes and fees) when added to an existing plan, laptop alone: first line on account is $75/month with paper free billing & autopay, $80/mo without. All subsequent lines are $20/mo.
Mobile Internet for Connected Car Plans
Verizon provides Connected Car plans for certain car manufacturers. In order to utilize these plans, you must have a car that is equipped with Verizon Wi-Fi capabilities or a Hum Connected Car device.
Plans are described as "unlimited" but only the first 15GB is high speed. The remainder of the data used is capped at 600 Kbps speeds.
Currently Available Plans
- Unlimited/15GB at high speed + In Vehicle Wi-Fi: $20/month if added to a phone line; $75/month if purchased standalone
- Unlimited/15GB at high speed (for Hum device only): $10/month
News, Videos, & Status
Videos
News Stories
Alternatives to Consider
Also consider some of our other top pick data plans:
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Shopping for Cellular Data Plans
Finding the right plans for your needs is no easy task - quite simply mobile travelers using cellular data as their primary way online is not how most carriers have designed their plans. Many of us want plans that provide copious amounts of data.
Here's our video going over ways to get LOTS of data for use in your travels:
But a data plan alone will not keep you online. You also need the right gear, signal enhancing strategy and planning your travels around the options you carry with you. Head on over to our collection of guides:
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Top Data Plan Picks
Our constantly updated list of the BEST data plans.
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Which Carrier is Best?
Is Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile or Dish best for your travels?
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Selecting Data Plans
Our deep dive into understanding data plans and shopping for them.
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Data Plan Pricing Grid
Our always updated spreadsheet comparing all data plans suitable for mobile internet.
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Getting LOTS of the Data
Learn how to get lots of cellular data in your mobile internet arsenal.
Mobile Internet Resource Center (dba Two Steps Beyond LLC) is founded by Chris & Cherie of 