Twigby vs. T-Mobile Prepaid: Which carrier is better?

Twigby and T-Mobile Prepaid offer great deals on their plans for those who want to save the most money, but still want great service. 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 

Unsure of what you need out of a plan? Check out our guide on how to choose the best phone plan. 

Coverage & Reception

Twigby is on the Verizon network. 

Twigby is a mobile virtual network operator, or MVNO. 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. Twigby is an MVNO of Verizon. T-Mobile Prepaid is a specific subsection of T-Mobile. 

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

T-Mobile Prepaid offers premium data, and Twigby 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. Twigby offers several limited data plans along with an unlimited plan and a plan without data. Both companies deprioritize data, meaning you’ll have slower connection speeds in high traffic areas like concerts venues and shopping centers. T-Mobile Prepaid also offers premium data, which is data that doesn’t slow down due to network traffic congestion.

Twigby Plans

Twigby plans give you a discount for the first three months of service. 

Twigby offers 5 plans, ranging from plans with no data included to unlimited data. All plans offer unlimited talk and text, and all data plans offer hotspot access. All plans allow up to 50 lines on an account. All Twigby plans are on QCI tier 9. 

If you purchase your phone from Twigby, your device will be sold to you unlocked after activation. The plans they offer renew monthly, and taxes and fees are not included with the advertised price. 

No Data Plan

This plan does not have data access. 

With this plan, you do not have access to any data. This means you must have a WiFi connection in order to browse the internet, send emails, stream videos, and play games. According to Twigby, you also need to have WiFi access to use iMessage on iPhones. You also do not have access to group messaging on basic or Android phones. 

You do not have hotspot access on this plan either. 

The plan costs $10 per month, and $5 for the first 3 months. 

2GB Plan 

This plan gives you 2GB per month before slowing down. 

This plan gives you 2GB per month, which slows to 2G speeds after the cap. This slower speed allows you to send texts and emails or browse the internet, but playing games and streaming video. The plan also allows for mobile hotspot access with the 2GB included in the plan. This access stops at the 2GB cap.

The plan costs $15 per month. At this rate, you get 2GB at $7.50 per GB. This plan costs $5 per month for the first 3 months. 

5GB Plan 

This plan gives you 5GB per month if you use their service. 

This plan gives you 5GB of data to use per month, which then slows to 2G speeds after you reach the cap. 

The plan costs $20 per month. At this rate, you get 5GB at $4 per GB. The plan also gives you the first 3 months of service at $10 per month. 

8GB Plan 

This plan gives you 8GB monthly. 

This plan gives you 8GB per month of service, which slows to 2G speeds after this cap. You also get access to mobile hotspot data, which stops at 8GB. 

The plan costs $26 per month. At this rate, you get 8GB at $3.25 per GB. The plan also gives you service at $16 per month for the first 3 months. 

Unlimited Plan 

This plan gives you 20GB before slowing speeds. 

This plan gives you 20GB of data before slowing down to 2G speeds. You also get 20GB of mobile hotspot data access, which stops at the cap. 

The plan costs $35 per month. At this rate, you get 20GB at $1.75 per GB. You get service at $25 per month for the first 3 months. 

T-Mobile Prepaid Plans

T-Mobile Prepaid plans offer premium data with hotspot access. 

T-Mobile Prepaid offers 3 different plans, one being limited data and the other two unlimited. You can have up to 5 lines on these plans. The QCI value of these plans is 6, which is the highest tier.

You can purchase If you purchase your phone from T-Mobile Prepaid, your device will be locked for 12 months after activation. The plans they offer renew monthly, and taxes and fees are not included with the advertised price. 

Prepaid 10GB 

This plan gives you 10GB of premium data.

T-Mobile Prepaid’s only limited plan has 10GB of premium data. After you use 10GB, your access to data stops. The plan also includes mobile hotspot access that uses the 10GB and again stops once you use this amount. 

The plan costs $40 per month. At this rate, you get 10GB at $4 per GB. 

Prepaid Unlimited 

This plan gives you unlimited mobile hotspot data, but at slower speeds. 

This plan gives you access to 50GB of premium data, which then becomes unlimited but deprioritized. You also get mobile hotspot access, which is limited to 3G speeds at all times. 3G speeds allow you to scroll social media and send texts or emails, but streaming video or playing games will be slower. 

The plan costs $50 per month. At this rate, you get 50GB at $1 per GB. 

Prepaid Unlimited Plus

This plan gives you 10GB premium mobile hotspot data included. 

This plan, like their other unlimited prepaid plan, gives you 50GB of premium data. Data becomes deprioritized after the 50GB. You also get 10GB of extra premium data dedicated to mobile hotspot access. After you use the 10GB, data slows to 3G speeds. 

The plan costs $60 per month. At this rate, you get 60GB at $1 per GB. 

Features

Twigby offers better international capabilities, and T-Mobile Prepaid offers music streaming. 

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. 

Domestic Roaming Data

All T-Mobile Prepaid plans offer domestic roaming capabilities. Twigby does not offer this feature. 

Mexico & Canada Connection

Twigby plans allow unlimited talk in Mexico and Canada, but not text or data. T-Mobile does not offer talk, text, or data included for Mexico and Canada, but they offer an add-on for access at an additional $5 per month. 

International Connection

Twigby allows unlimited talk in up to 80 countries, but not text or data. T-Mobile Prepaid does not offer international text and data, but an add-on is available for international talk (when you’re in the United States) for $15 per month. 

Video Streaming Quality

All Twigby data plans stream at 720p High Definition resolution. Their No Data plan requires WiFi to stream video. Both of T-Mobile Prepaid’s unlimited plans stream at 720p High Definition, and their 10GB plan streams up to 4k Ultra High Definition.  

Streaming Services

Twigby and T-Mobile Prepaid do not offer this feature.

Music Services

T-Mobile Prepaid offers a subscription to Music Unlimited with all three of their prepaid plans. Twigby does not offer this feature. 

Cloud Storage

Twigby and T-Mobile Prepaid do not offer this feature.

Device Financing

If you buy a phone from either carrier, the carrier allows you to pay for your device in installments over time. Twigby only allows device financing with PayPal. 

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

T-Mobile Prepaid offers scam protection on all three of their plans, which filters calls and blocks spam callers. Twigby does not offer this feature. 

Free Trial

Twigby and T-Mobile Prepaid do not offer this feature. 

Customer Service 

Twigby does not have physical stores, leaving all of their customer service to online support. T-Mobile has thousands of stores across the country. 

Twigby is a digital-only carrier, meaning they only offer customer support online. They offer chat support from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. CST Mon. through Fri. and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. CST Sat. through Sun. You can also email Twigby Customer Support at [email protected]. T-Mobile offers several stores across the country, and users can find the closest one with their store locator. They also offer customer support online with their website live chat, their support website for common questions, and over the phone at 1-800-937-8997. 

The Verdict

T-Mobile Prepaid offers better deals.  

When it comes to price per GB and included features, T-Mobile offers better deals on their plans than Twigby. If you need very small amounts of data, however, Twigby is still a solid choice to choose from. 

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

Want to compare other carriers?

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