The short answer is if you’re looking for a powerful unlimited data plan with fast data speeds, then AT&T is the carrier for you. But if you want a super-cheap plan with slower data, then go with Twigby. If you’re not sure, don’t worry. We wrote this whole article to help you decide. We’ll go into details about both carriers’ plans, price, performance, and coverage. Data: Making sure you have enough data to support your work, gaming, streaming, and scrolling habits is essential to choosing the right plan. Check for data caps and slowdowns in the fine print. Price: Don’t overpay! That might seem obvious, but you’d be surprised at how many people are paying too much. Look at comparison charts to make sure you’re getting the best deal available. Coverage: Three major networks operate in North America—AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. Check coverage maps to see which has the best coverage in your area. Features: Not all plans come with features like hotspot data, international benefits, and HD video streaming. Get a plan that has all the perks and benefits you want. The only way to figure out which restaurant (or cell phone carrier) is right for you is to look at the menu (the plans). So let’s do it. We’ll start by looking at everything Twigby has to offer. Twigby’s plans don’t really come with any special features, besides hotspot capability. You can use your allotted mobile data to tether your phone with other devices. As you can see, all of Twigby’s plans are under $20 a month! That makes it one of the cheapest carriers around. But keep in mind that these prices are just promotional. After your first 6 months, they will actually double! Yes, you read that right. That 10 GB plan for $17.50 will go up to $35.00 a month after the promo ends (which is still a decent price). Because Twigby is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), it doesn’t actually own its own cellular network. Instead, it rents bandwidth from a larger company (Sprint). When the network gets busy, Twigby customers are among the first to see their data slowed down. When your data is being deprioritized, it can be hard to do some basic things, like stream music or video. It might not be a big deal for some people, but if you rely on your phone for work or regular internet connectivity, then Twigby might not cut it.
Unlimited Starter comes with a few restrictions. Your video streaming will be pegged at 1.5 Mbps (so no HD). You will get 3 GB a month in hotspot data. And even before you hit the 50 GB data cap, your speeds are subject to slowdowns from deprioritization. Unlimited Extra gives you some more privileges. Your video streams will still be throttled, but you’ll get 15 GB of hotspot data and a 50 GB data cap (without deprioritization). Unlimited Elite lets you have HD quality video streaming, 40 GB of hotspot data, and no high-speed data cap. And it even hooks you up with a free HBO MAX subscription!
These three unlimited data plans from AT&T are serious performers. You’ll get fast data speeds in pretty much every metropolitan and suburban area. But, of course, they aren’t the cheapest. The prices you see in the chart above are, like Twigby’s, just promotional. They include a $250 credit applied over the first 6 months of your bill. So the prices for the Starter, Extra, and Elite plans are actually more like $65, $75, and $85 a month, respectively. In fact, Twigby doesn’t offer any discounts for adding multiple lines to your account. Here’s a little comparison of a four-line family plan account with Twigby and with AT&T. The math there is easy—AT&T wins. Sprint was actually bought out by T-Mobile, so hopefully Twigby customers will get a coverage boost soon. But in the meantime, AT&T’s network is superior for coverage and data speeds. AT&T offers some great deals and payment plans on flagship phones from major brands like Apple and Samsung. But if you’re looking for a cheaper phone, like the iPhone XR, then Twigby will deliver. Here are some charts showing the most popular phone deals from each carrier.
Plans: Twigby has tons of cheap plans for less than $20 a month. But they’re pretty weak in terms of data allotment and performance. AT&T’s plans cost more, but they include tons of data, fast speeds, and cool perks. Family plans: AT&T handily takes the medal for best family plans. You can get steep discounts on unlimited data plans when you add extra lines. Twigby, on the other hand, offers no family plan discounts at all. Coverage and performance: When it comes to overall performance—coverage, data speeds, hotspot data, and device selection—AT&T just wins. It’s clearly better for those who seriously work, game, or stream on their phone frequently.
If Twigby’s clearance-sale style prices are looking good to you, then sign up on their website! Or, if you’re making eyes at all that sweet, sweet AT&T data, then you can sign up here. We added our own proprietary data from over 100,000 mobile customers to this public information to evaluate each company’s plans based on data allotment, data speeds, coverage, price, and special features. Overall, we spent two days researching and writing this comparison review. If you’re curious, you can learn more about our process for evaluating cell phone plans in this article. Since T-Mobile bought Sprint recently, it would make sense if Twigby customers were eventually moved over to T-Mobile’s network, but there hasn’t been any announcement about that yet.
