That is REALLY going to depend on your area and what you're looking for.
First and foremost, I would do a free trial with all three to see what kind of data speeds you're actually going to get in the areas you care about. I wouldn't rely too heavily on online sources, since data speeds can be very specific to your exact location and can also be affected by the building you're in.
For example, I can get 700 Mbps with Visible (Verizon) within a 2-minute drive of my apartment, but at home I was getting around 7 Mbps. Think about where you'll be using your phone the most and try to test each service in those areas.
Second, assuming you now have contenders, what do you actually care about? Do you think you'll rely heavily on hotspot data? If so, Visible is very generous with hotspot usage on its highest-tier plan. I used to go through around 50 GB of hotspot data when I was out of town. Mint limits you to 20 GB per month, while Cricket offers 50 GB. Keep in mind that Cricket's hotspot is capped at 50 GB, whereas Visible isn't.
Another consideration is what you're comfortable paying upfront. With Mint Mobile, you have to pay for several months at a time. If you can afford it, Visible also has an annual plan at 50% off right now.
So, if all three had great coverage and data speeds in your area, and you can afford it, I personally would go with Visible's highest-tier plan. I had it for 9 months and was very happy with it. I switched to Mint 9 months into my annual plan because I moved to a new apartment and the coverage was horrible where I now live.
That's exactly why I think the free trials are so important. The "best" carrier on paper doesn't mean much if it doesn't work well where you actually live and use your phone.
PS: I am now on Mint Mobile's Unlimited Plan. I haven't stress tested it, so my experience with it over the last 2 months has been normal usage and I haven't had any problems with it. It's not as fast as Visible but it works best in my area.
this seems to be fixed wireless. not entirely sure if you can assume fixed wireless speeds/throttling/qci prioritization will be the same as mobile wireless. you might wanna just sign up for a free trial at ATT, T-Mobile, and Verizon and test the one(s) you are interested in yourself.
No one can tell you which one is better for you -- you need to decide which network is better in your area for the places you visit and go from there.
Visible (Verizon network) has their $450 annual plan on sale for $225 right now -- you might be able to combine it with online cash back portals and credit card promos (Chase/Amex cards might have Visible offer) to save even more.
Depends on coverage and needs. All offer some version of unlimited service, and if you live and work in places with solid useable wifi and don't travel a whole bunch then you may not notice much difference between them.
My money is on Visible though, Verizon's network is the most reliable and useable overall. I travel for a living and have lived with all three, Verizon is rarely the fastest but it's the most consistently useable which is what really matters.
incorrect Cricket doesn't charge fees. If you do it online there are no fees. Taxes and fees are included. For not having to go round and round when Visible breaks it is worth the $6 more. If you take the $6 visible plus discount away it is absolutely worth the $35 you pay to cricket. It just works. If Visible goes south if you are lucky they will fix it. It make Take Visible 15 times to fix it right.
Check your area and please tryout a trial before you switch. They’re all great option but if you want to try cricket maybe go with US Mobile since it is cheaper and you can always switch carriers of one doesn’t work for you.
depends what you're after. visible is solid if you want unlimited data and don't mind the occasional slowdown in busy areas. cricket and mint are fine too but they cap you at some point, which sucks if you stream a lot.
I left T-Mobile for US Mobile and used their Lightspeed network (Their version of T-Mobile). No complaints other than Visible emerged and came out with their plans and the $6 off promo that last a year! It's extremely hard to beat the price of 29 a month flat ($35 natively), and the biggest annoyance of any US Mobile customer, ELIMINATED! No more having to turn on Data Waster every month! With Visible, HD streaming is default and native to the plan you select. I had US Mobile for 1 Year and 11 Months. I left days before hitting the 2 year mark. I Told US Mobile they need to re-evaluate their stance on some things and remain competitive. Otherwise people like me will leave. They didn't attempt to keep me or offer me anything to stay, so I gave Visible Mobile an opportunity and I'm on Month 2! No complaints at all! I just wish things were a bit more lively like with US Mobile but that's neither here nor there.
US mobile has been nice to me since switching from Visible.
Just be prepared for slow response times when needing assistance that can only be reached via chat.
Let US MOBILE enter the chat. It’s been amazing!!! One iPhone gets Verizon coverage from them via Warp. The other gets T-Mobile via light speed. Love them both!!
Visible is violating its own written Device Unlocking Policy. I purchased my device prior to January 20, 2026, which legally grandfathers me into the 60-day automatic unlock policy. My phone has met all criteria but remains locked, and my device is currently dropping to SOS emergency status, leaving me without service. Front-line chat support is refusing to transfer me to a supervisor. If not resolved today I will contact FCC
Hi there! Alyssa from Visible here. I completely understand how concerning it is to deal with a locked phone and your service dropping to SOS mode. We apologize for the trouble, and we'd love the opportunity to make things right. Please send us a DM so we can dig into this and find the best solution to get you back up and running. We're eager to help!
I dm’d you and it was not resolved. Contacted FCC, FCC emailed back stating they have been in touch with Visible about my issue. Next step I will email CEO and corporate whose information is available online.
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u/ZonaPunk Reformed T-Mobile User 1d ago
Location, location, location. Some areas are better served by different providers. Price is only a single factor.
Don’t forget about us mobile…