Fast T-Mobile 5G Metro by T-Mobile
Metro is one of the prepaid carriers owned by T-Mobile, and unsurprisingly uses the carrier's network for all of its coverage needs. Metro offers multiple unlimited plans with multi-line discounts making it a solid option for families that love to stream.
ProsTotally unlimited dataMulti-line discountsHotspot data on most plans ConsExpensive for a single lineNo light planFew high-end Androids for sale From $40/month Bundle to save Xfinity Mobile
Xfinity Mobile is operated by the cable giant Comcast with plans complementing its home internet plans. Xfinity Mobile uses Verizon's towers for LTE and 5G coverage with tons of its XfinityMobile Wi-Fi hotspots from Xfinity Internet customers.
ProsSolid bundles with home internet plansStrong Verizon and XfinityWiFi coverageSimply multi-line discounts ConsNo truly unlimited planTaxes and fees are extraRequires an Xfinity Internet plan From $20/month ✕ Remove Ads
The Big Three mobile carriers own prepaid brands as well, helping them cover multiple price points without diluting their premium brand identity. It turns out that getting customers to bundle home internet and mobile phone service together makes them less likely to switch, thanks to easy billing and maybe even some discounts. This has led to T-Mobile becoming a big player in home internet with both it and Metro by T-Mobile offering home internet options.
Xfinity providing cell phone service to its home internet customers isn't all that different, and with the right pricing, it could be a good move for some customers. Xfinity Mobile can also leverage the massive Xfinity internet network with Wi-Fi access from its residential and business gateways. The company has even enabled gigabit speeds using these hotspots for iPhone users, with Android support coming later.
✕ Remove Ads Mobile carrier features
Metro by T-Mobile is a fairly straightforward prepaid carrier with three unlimited plans and one 10GB plan. Metro also has a handful of older Heritage Plans that may offer some customers a better value. The best way to save with Metro is to bring multiple lines to the carrier with discounts for up to five lines. At least you'll know exactly what you need to pay before signing up with taxes and fees included.
One annoying thing about Metro is that if you want more than one line, you need to sign up in a store instead of online. There is a $25 activation charge in-store as well, so if you're bringing two or more lines, you're looking at a bit more upfront cost. Metro's current plans are called Metro Flex, and they all come with some hotspot data. With the pricier plans, the only major difference is international texting and the inclusion of Amazon Prime with the top plan.
✕ Remove Ads
Xfinity Mobile is a different beast altogether with two unlimited plans and a pay-as-you-go option. Available only to Xfinity Internet customers, Xfinity Mobile uses Verizon's network whenever its own Wi-Fi coverage is unavailable. While the plans aren't totally unlimited, the two unlimited options come with plenty of data for most people, and when you remember that Wi-Fi usage doesn't count against your data, even heavy users should be fine.
Xfinity Mobile has solid multi-line savings with a flat rate for additional lines on unlimited plans. If you're looking to add a line to the base unlimited plan, it costs $20 per extra line, while the Unlimited Plus plan comes in at $30 per line. Keep in mind that taxes and fees are extra, so you'll need to pay a few extra dollars per line when the bill comes. Speaking of, there's a good chance you can get a bundled deal with multiple Xfinity services.
✕ Remove Ads Mobile coverage and reception
With Metro by T-Mobile, you're looking at T-Mobile coverage. This is good if you live in urban or suburban areas with strong mid-band 5G coverage, as Metro has some of the best speeds of any prepaid carrier.
T-Mobile has been working to expand its 5G coverage into more rural areas, and while it has made progress, it still falls short of AT&T and Verizon in terms of pure coverage area. Still, it's worth taking a look at Metro's coverage map, or even trying T-Mobile's data for free if you've got an unlocked phone.
✕ Remove Ads
Xfinity Mobile's network is a bit more complicated with not only Verizon 5G coverage, but also many Xfinity WiFi hotspots from residential and business internet gateways. These hotspots offer fast data with up to gigabit download speeds on the latest iPhones, with Android support coming later. Still, even the slower speeds will be fine for browsing, streaming, or chatting.
The nice thing is that this Wi-Fi coverage doesn't use up your high-speed data, so if you mostly stick to your neighborhood or businesses with Xfinity, you might not use much data at all. That said, even if you leave home, you'll get fast Verizon speeds with mid-band support for Ultra Wideband 5G. If you're considering Xfinity Mobile, the network more than likely won't be an issue.
Phone compatibility ✕ Remove Ads
When it comes to phones, Metro comes out ahead in terms of compatibility with T-Mobile's network working with most unlocked phones. T-Mobile is even one of your best bets for international phones, though they'll likely lack some bands. As always, for the best speeds and coverage, you should get a phone made for the US market.
Luckily, you can use any of the best Android phones on Metro, and most of them on Xfinity Mobile. You can check your IMEI to make sure your phone will work with Metro.
If you're bringing your own phone, the most popular models, like the Samsung Galaxy S24 series, work great with Xfinity Mobile. Naturally, iPhones are also a good fit for the network. Some other options, like OnePlus phones, are unlikely to work well with Xfinity Mobile. If you want to keep your phone when joining Xfinity Mobile, check your IMEI on Xfinity Mobile's site.
✕ Remove Ads
If you're ready for a new phone, though, you can bring just about any model to Metro by T-Mobile, but the carrier mostly sells budget phones. There are some solid options available, like many of the best budget Android phones. While Metro carries some high-end iPhone models, too, like the iPhone 16 Pro Max, it doesn't carry many high-end Android options.
If you want a flagship Android on Metro, your best bet is to buy from another retailer or even the manufacturer and bring it with you. You might even have some trade-in and payment plan options with the manufacturer or retailers like Best Buy.
Plans
When it comes to plans, both carriers offer unlimited options, though Metro's plans technically come with more data. That being said, the vast majority of users could find a solid option on either carrier. Just keep in mind that when you're comparing prices, Metro includes taxes and fees while Xfinity adds them on, and they're a little steep.
✕ Remove Ads Metro's plans
Metro has four main plans, with a couple of special options for promotions. Most people considering Metro will be interested in one of the carrier's Flex plans. On the low end, Flex Start with unlimited data and 8GB of hotspot data. This plan starts at $50 per month with auto-pay enabled but comes down to $40 per month with four lines. All Flex plans come with a 100GB Google One plan, which is great for photo and data backups.
Next up is Metro Flex Up, which comes in at $60 per month, with an upgrade to 25GB of hotspot data. This plan also gets international texting to 210+ countries. This plan comes in at $10 more than the Metro Flex Start no matter how many lines you get, so if the 25GB of hotspot data can be useful, you can upgrade the whole family for just $10 more.
✕ Remove Ads
Metro Flex Plus is $70, with all of the above included. In addition, you get Amazon Prime included. At $10 more than the previous plan, this is a worthwhile upgrade if you already pay for Prime, which is $5 more on its own.
If you need something lighter, you can get a fairly standard 10GB plan for $40 per month. This plan also gets some multi-line savings, so you can get the family connected. This plan does not come with the Google One perks.
Flex Start
Flex Up
Flex Plus
10GB
Price (1 line)
$50
$60
$70
$40
Price (4 lines)
$155
$165
$175
$130
Taxes and fees
Included
Included
Included
Included
Requirements
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Data
Unlimited
Unlimited
Unlimited
10GB
Hotspot data
8GB
25GB
25GB
Shared
✕ Remove Ads
If you've only got one line and are bringing your number, you can get a special $25 per month unlimited plan. While it doesn't come with any hotspot data or extras, if you've got a single line, and you want unlimited data on the T-Mobile network, it doesn't get much better than this.
Keep in mind you'll need to enable auto-pay and multiple lines are not supported. You can find this plan on Metro's deals page, and you'll need to go through a couple of extra steps to sign up, but it should be well worth it to the right customer.
On that same page, you'll also find a 5GB plan for those that need a new number. This plan comes in at $30 per month, with the option to bring multiple lines. Keep in mind, however, that there are no multi-line discounts for this plan.
✕ Remove Ads Xfinity Mobile's plans
Moving on to Xfinity Mobile, you've got just three plans to consider. On the cheap end, there's a By the Gig plan that costs $20 per line with 1GB of data per line. Data is shared and comes in at $20 per additional gigabyte. This data can get expensive very quickly, so this is really only suitable for light users or those who mostly use their phone on WI-Fi.
Moving up, the cheaper unlimited plan, called Unlimited, starts at $40 per month, but additional lines are just $20 each. Unlimited comes with 30GB of high-speed data, and if you manage to use it all, speeds are slowed to 1.5Mbps down until the end of the month. Hotspot usage is included at 3G speeds, which is enough to check your email or browse the web, but won't be ideal for streaming video or working from this hotspot connection. Usage in Mexico and Canada is also included at up to 256Kbps.
✕ Remove Ads
Unlimited Plus comes in at $50 per month with additional lines at $30 each. High-speed data is increased to 50GB, and if you manage to use it all, speeds are only slowed to 5Mbps. You get 15GB of high-speed hotspot data and usage in Mexico and Canada comes with 5GB of high-speed data. Streaming video also gets an upgrade to HD, while the base unlimited plan only gets SD quality.
By-the-Gig 1GB
Unlimited
Unlimited Plus
Price per month (line 1)
$20
$40
$50
Additional lines
$20
$20
$30
High-speed data
1GB
30GB (1.5Mbps down after)
50GB (5Mbps down after)
Hotspot data
Shared
Unlimited 3G-speed
15GB high speed
Talk and text
Unlimited
Unlimited
Unlimited
Mexico and Canada
Add-on available
Included
Included
Taxes and fees
Extra
Extra
Extra
✕ Remove Ads
Take a look at Xfinity Mobile's Broadband Labels under the plan you're considering to get a better idea of the fees you'd need to pay. For the most part, it's a few dollars per line thanks to Xfinity Mobile's Universal Connectivity Fee and Regulatory Recovery Fee, which are fees from Xfinity, not the government.
Which should you buy?
Overall, Metro by T-Mobile makes more sense to more people, especially since you don't need to use Xfinity Internet to use it. While Xfinity Internet can be fast and reliable, there are a lot of new options available from 5G providers like T-Mobile, and fiber providers like AT&T. If you combine your mobile and home internet plans, it makes it more difficult to leave one if you find a better deal.
✕ Remove Ads
Metro's unlimited plans all come with hotspot data, and with multi-line savings, they can be a great option for families. With full 5G speeds and unlimited data, you also don't need to worry about how much data you use or whether you'll be throttled. If you're an Xfinity Internet customer, you'll still be able to use XfintyWiFi access points as well. With Metro turning in excellent 5G speeds and strong phone compatibility, it's the strong option.
Metro by T-Mobile
Metro by T-Mobile is a strong option for many, especially for those multiple lines. With the fast T-Mobile 5G network behind it, it's a strong choice for heavier users looking to save over a postpaid carrier.
From $40/month ✕ Remove Ads
While Metro comes out on top for pure value for most people, that may not be the case for you. Xfinity Mobile can offer solid deals and bundles for those who use multiple services it offers. For example, Xfinity Mobile has a promotion for new customers who sign up for its 300Mbps home internet package that includes a free By the Gig line. There are also savings on new phones if you want a higher-end plan.
Xfinity Mobile's unlimited plans can be a good fit for many, with plenty of high-speed data for most people, strong Wi-Fi coverage, and reasonable speeds for those that go over their high-speed data. With additional lines coming in at a reasonable fixed rate, Xfinity Mobile could be a good choice to get the whole family connected.
Xfinity Mobile
Xfinity Mobile isn't the best deal when looking at plans and prices alone, but with the right promotion or bundle, it can be a solid way to save on wireless with strong Verizon coverage and fast XfinityWiFi speeds.
From $20/month ✕ Remove Ads