Visible vs. Red Pocket Mobile: Which carrier is better?

Visible and Red Pocket Mobile are popular prepaid carriers. Each carrier has its positives and negatives, but which offers better phone plans? Let’s put them head to head and see which brand comes out on top. 

In this article, we plan to discuss the ins and outs of both carriers and what they offer. We’ll also cover:

• What the coverage of both carriers looks like
• How prices of their plans compare to how much data you get
• The features each carrier offers for their plans 

Coverage & Reception

Visible is on the Verizon network, while Red Pocket Mobile is on all three networks 

Visible and Red Pocket Mobile are mobile virtual network operators, or MVNOs. This means that they purchase service access wholesale from one of the three major networks that own infrastructure across the country – AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile – giving customers service at a much cheaper price. Visible is an MVNO of Verizon, while Red Pocket Mobile uses all three networks. This means you can choose which network you prefer.

Often, the quality of coverage comes down to your area. One carrier’s coverage may be better in New York, while another’s coverage may be better in California. It’s important to compare between providers on a coverage map of your specific city. Ookla’s coverage map allows you to see where cellular towers are located and which company owns them. This coverage map provides information about coverage from 2G to 5G for several providers.

However, T-Mobile’s 5G coverage and access is hailed as the best coverage overall. 

Plan Options

Visible offers truly unlimited data, and Red Pocket Mobile offers several limited plans. 

Like most plans you’ll see on the market, both carriers offer unlimited talk and texting options with any plan you choose. Visible offers premium data, which does not slow down no matter the amount of network traffic. Red Pocket Mobile offers several limited data plans of varying sizes. Both carriers deprioritize data, which means your connection may slow down during times of high traffic, such as a concert or a crowded store. 

Visible Plans

Both Visible plans offer unlimited data. 

Visible only offers 2 plans – Visible Base and Visible +. Visible + offers more features as well as premium data. Both plans offer a hotspot, with the data coming from your overall plan data. As an MVNO on Verizon’s network, Visible is on QCI tiers 8 and 9. Visible + has higher priority for its 50GB of premium data, tier 8, which will be further explained below. Visible Base is on tier 9.

It’s also important to note that Visible is a single line carrier – meaning you can only have one phone on an account. If you’re buying a plan for your family or with your significant other, you need to make separate accounts with separate plans for everyone. 

If you purchase your phone from Visible, your device will be locked for the first 60 days after activation. Both plans they offer renew monthly, and taxes and fees are included with the advertised price. 

Visible Base

This plan is always depriotized.

Like most plans you’ll see on the market, Visible’s base plan has unlimited talk and text. 

Visible Base also has unlimited data with no cap – meaning you have truly unlimited data that never slows down no matter how much you use. However, the Visible base plan is always deprioritized. Your data and connection will slow down at any point of high traffic in your area. 

The plan also includes unlimited mobile hotspot data. Again, your data is deprioritized and may slow down in times of high network traffic. 

The plan costs $25 per month. 

Visible +

This plan gives you 50GB of premium data, then unlimited deprioritized data. 

Visible + gives you access to Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network, which is their network for premium data. As such, the 50GB of premium data you get with this plan will not slow down no matter how much network traffic in your area. After you use the 50GB, your data is unlimited – but subjected to the same deprioritization as the other plan. The mobile hotspot is also premium data for the first 50GB, then deprioritized after. 

At this rate, you get the 50GB of premium data at $0.90 per GB. 

The plan costs $45 per month, with a $10 welcome discount for the first month.

Red Pocket Mobile Plans

While they offer more plans than Visible, their unlimited slow data after full speed limits is almost unusable. 

Red Pocket Mobile offers 10 plans. 5 of their plans are paid monthly, and others require you to pay for a full year of service. The annual plans are slightly cheaper, but you must commit to 12 months of service. All plans from Red Pocket Mobile are deprioritized.

Red Pocket Mobile’s QCI tier varies depending on which service you choose. If you choose T-Mobile, which is listed on their website as GSMT, you’ll be on tier 7. The GSMA network, or AT&T, you'll be at tier 8. Verizon’s network, or CDMA, Red Pocket Mobile will have tier 9. 

If you purchase your phone from Red Pocket Mobile, your device will be locked for 12 months after activation. You must submit a request to unlock your device. Taxes and fees are not included with the advertised price. 

500MB Annual

This plan is only available as an annual deal. 

Unlike other Red Pocket Mobile plans, your data stops after 500MB. You do not have access to slow data after your allotment. You also have mobile hotspot access with this plan, and can use up to 500MB in hotspot data. After, your mobile hotspot access stops.

This plan costs $5 per month. At this rate, you’ll get 1GB at $10 per GB. 

1GB

This plan gives you 1GB for $10, and includes mobile hotspot access. 

This plan, as listed, gives you 1GB of data per month. You can use all of the plan’s data as hotspot data. However, hotspot data stops after 1GB. Otherwise, you get data at 64 kilobits per second. This is incredibly slow – not even 2G speeds. You can send and receive emails or texts at this speed, but not much else. 

5GB Annual

This plan gives you 5GB per month for a year of service. 

While you pay for the entire year’s worth of service up front, you get 5GB of data each month. All plan data can be used as hotspot data. You get unlimited slow data after the 5GB, but hotspot data is capped. 

The plan costs $15 per month and $180 annually. At this rate, you get 5GB per month at $3 per GB.

5GB Monthly

This plan gives you 5GB per month, and you pay monthly instead of annually. 

This plan gives you 5GB per month. All plan data is usable as hotspot data. Again, the plan gives you unlimited slow data at 64 kbps after the initial cap.

The plan costs $20 per month. At this rate, you get 5GB per month at $4 per GB. 

10GB Annual

This plan also gives you unlimited slow data after the 10GB cap.

You get 10GB per month for a year of service. Again, your plan gives you the ability to use all plan data as hotspot data. While you get unlimited slow data at 64 kbps after 10GB, you cannot use hotspot data after this cap. 

The plan costs $20 per month and $240 annually. At this rate, you get 10GB per month at $2 per GB.

10GB Monthly 

This plan gives you 10GB for $30 per month. 

With this plan, you get 10GB per month. Again, this can be used as hotspot data until the cap. Afterwards, you get unlimited slow data without hotspot access. 

The plan costs $30 per month. At this rate, you get 10GB at $3 per GB. 

25GB Annual

This plan offers their highest data allotment.

As one of Red Pocket Mobile’s biggest plans, this plan offers 25GB per month for a year. You also get hotspot access for all plan data until the cap. Much like other plans they offer, you get unlimited slow data at 64 kbps after the cap. 

The plan costs $30 per month, or $360 annually. At this rate, you get 25GB per month at $1.20 per GB.

25GB Monthly 

This plan is Red Pocket Mobile’s most expensive plan. 

Red Pocket Mobile offers you 25GB per month with this plan. Like their other plans, you get to use all plan data as hotspot data until the cap. After, you get unlimited slow data.

The plan costs $40 per month. At this rate, you get 25GB at $1.60 per GB. 

Features

Visible offers more features with their plans. 

If you’re looking for a plan with more included features, such as international connection or domestic roaming data, it’s best to compare carriers with what they offer. Visible offers more features with their plans, such as domestic roaming and spam protection. However, Red Pocket Mobile includes better streaming quality.

Domestic Roaming Data

Visible offers domestic roaming data on their plans. Red Pocket Mobile does not offer this feature. 

Mexico & Canada Connection

Visible offers talk and text in Mexico and Canada. However, Visible does not include roaming data for Mexico and Canada with Visible Base. Visible + includes roaming data that slows down to 2G speeds after 0.5GB each day. Red Pocket Mobile offers talk in Mexico and Canada with all plans and text with their annual plans. 

International Connection

Visible does not give you international roaming data. However, Visible + gives you international talk and text. Visible Base does not offer this feature.  Red Pocket Mobile offers international talk with all of their plans, and text with their annual plans only. 

Video Streaming Quality

Visible’s plans stream at 480p Standard Definition. All Red Pocket Mobile plans offer 720p High Definition streaming.

Streaming Services

Visible and Red Pocket Mobile do not offer this feature. 

Cloud Storage

Visible and Red Pocket Mobile do not offer this feature. 

Device Financing

Visible and Red Pocket Mobile do not offer this feature. 

WiFi Calling

Both carriers offer WiFi calling, which allows you to send and receive phone calls over a WiFi connection rather than cellular reception. 

Spam Protection

Visible offers spam protection on both of their plans, which blocks spam calls and protects you from potential fraud. Red Pocket Mobile does not offer this feature. 

Free Trial

Visible offers a 15 day free trial. Red Pocket Mobile does not offer a free trial.   

Customer Service 

Visible and Red Pocket Mobile do not have physical stores, leaving all of their customer service to online support. 

Both Visible and Red Pocket Mobile are digital-only carriers, meaning they only offer customer support online. Visible offers 24/7 chat support from a live agent. Red Pocket Mobile also offers 24/7 chat support from a live agent, or you can call at (712) 775-8777 from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily and text at (305) 842-3314 from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. 

The Verdict

The better carrier completely depends on what you’re looking for.  

Visible and Twigby have very few similarities, despite being MVNOs with access to the same carrier. As such, the better carrier depends on what you need from a plan. If you don’t use much data at all, you’ll find a better deal with Red Pocket Mobile’s plans. If you use a lot of data and travel often, Visible is the better choice.  

We’d recommend checking your data usage before committing to a plan.

Want to compare other carriers?

Really.com helps users compare between features, coverage, price, reviews, and more!

Are you still unsure which carrier to choose, or which phone plan to pick? Use really.com to compare your top choices and find the best deal to fit your needs. Really allows you to compare and sort between most phone plans on the market without the hassle!