Metro by T-Mobile vs. MobileX: How many lines are you bringing?

• Family plan savings

  Metro by T-Mobile

  Metro by T-Mobile is one of T-Mobile’s prepaid brands with a handful of unlimited plans available. Metro also has some multi-line discounts for families and some solid add-ons included, like high-speed hotspot data and international texting.

  Pros

  • Multi-line savings for families
  • Lots of hotspot data for prepaid
  • Fast T-Mobile 5G coverage

  Cons

  • Multiple lines must sign up in a store
  • Poor single-line value

  From $40/month

• Single-line savings

  MobileX

  MobileX is an MVNO that uses Verizon’s LTE and 5G network for coverage, with some of the cheapest data of any carrier. With a truly unlimited plan and some cheaper options for light users, MobileX has a plan that can help just about any user save.

  Pros

  • Fast 5G coverage on Verizon
  • Cheap entry-level plans
  • Unlimited plan updated to truly unlimited

  Cons

  • Taxes are extra
  • No multi-line or multi-month savings

  From $4.08/month

If you’re looking to switch from one of the Big Three carriers to prepaid to save some money, both Metro by T-Mobile and MobileX are worth a look. Metro sticks to a few simple plans with multi-line savings, for the most part. MobileX focuses more on the single-line experience with an easy-to-use app, cheap data for light users, and an unlimited plan for heavier users. MobileX uses the Verizon network, so there will be differences when it comes to coverage and data speed.

To pick the right carrier and plan, it’s important to understand your needs so you can find one that gives you as much of what you need as possible without making you pay for a bunch of features you won’t use. As we’ve seen with postpaid carriers, premium plans not only get more data but also a bunch of extra features that most customers won’t even use.

Mobile carrier features

There aren’t too many surprises with Metro by T-Mobile, with a sensible set of unlimited plans, a collection of older Heritage Plans, and some special BYOD plans available. That’s a lot of choice, but it means that you could find the perfect plan at Metro. Most of Metro’s plans also have discounts for those bringing multiple lines, so if you’re looking to manage all of your lines from a single account, Metro could be the better choice.

Metro’s main plans differentiate themselves with hotspot data, international add-ons, and even Amazon Prime. Metro’s top Flex plane, for example, comes with Prime, so you could save on that service if you already pay for it. All of these Flex plans also get a 100GB Google One plan as well, so you can keep your phone backed up.

MobileX sticks to single-line value with its three plan options. MobileX has a custom plan called Personalized Access that’s a great fit for lighter users who need less than 6GB of data per month. If you buy too much data, you don’t lose it, with bill credits for the unused amount on your next bill. You can also choose how many minutes and texts you want, if any, at all. If you want unlimited, that’s $4.50, but if you only need 50 minutes and texts, that’s $1.50. Data comes in at a very competitive $2.10 per gigabyte.

MobileX has evolved since we first reviewed the service and even now has a truly unlimited plan for just $24.88, which puts it in the ballpark of some of the best prepaid unlimited plans, like Visible or the Unlimited Starter at US Mobile. With 10GB of hotspot data, this plan makes MobileX a good pick for heavy users as well as light users.

Mobile coverage and reception

Metro by T-Mobile, unsurprisingly, uses T-Mobile for all of its coverage with full access to 5G. For most people, T-Mobile is a good pick and Metro was even found to be the fastest prepaid carrier in a report from Ookla. T-Mobile has the best 5G coverage in the country and is taking victory laps with further 5G upgrades already in the pipeline. Despite this, T-Mobile isn’t as strong as Verizon in rural areas, with a few more dead zones. Still, the carrier has been making significant progress improving its coverage, so it’s worth taking a look at Metro by T-Mobile’s coverage map or even trying out the network if you’ve got an unlocked phone.

MobileX uses the Verizon network for its coverage, which is good news for most people. While its speed averages fall behind T-Mobile, Verizon’s network still has plenty of speed for just about anyone with 5G coverage continuing to improve. If you live in an urban or suburban area, there’s a good chance you’ll be on Verizon 5G most of the time. Verizon is also known for its strong rural coverage, so if T-Mobile isn’t a good fit, Verizon may be. Luckily, many of the best value data plans use Verizon, so if you want the network but MobileX doesn’t fit right, you can still find good value on the network.

Phone compatibility

Metro by T-Mobile works well with most of the best Android phones released in the last few years. Even phones like the OnePlus 12, which may not work well on Verizon, are a good fit for the network. International models like the Nothing Phone 2a will technically work on T-Mobile but lack some of the carrier’s 5G bands, which can lead to inconsistency and lower speeds. Your best bet is to use a phone made for the North American market from the last few years. For the best results, your phone should support band n71 for coverage and n41 for speed on Metro's T-Mobile network.

MobileX and its Verizon network work with the most popular Android phones, like the Galaxy S24 or the Pixel 9. Naturally, iPhones work on both of these carriers as well. MobileX supports Verizon's Ultra Wideband 5G, so for the best results, you phone should support 5G with mid-band n77 support. If you’ve got an unusual phone, your best bet is T-Mobile’s network, but Verizon could very well work with your device. You can even confirm your IMEI number on MobileX’s website.

Plans

Metro’s plans will look more familiar to someone coming from a postpaid carrier, with four primary plan options with multi-line discounts. Most of Metro’s plans also come with unlimited data, so the biggest differences are the extras. MobileX, on the other hand, keeps its plans very simple with the main choice being how many minutes and texts you need, plus how much data you need. If you’re a light user, MobileX will more than likely be a better fit, while Metro can make a lot of sense for families.

Metro’s plans

Metro has just four main plans, but it has a couple of promotional BYOD plans as well as a handful of Heritage Plans still available. Heritage Plans are Metro’s older plans that are still available by calling customer service. You won’t be able to sign up for them online or in-store.

Starting with Metro’s cheapest main plan, the 10GB plan, you get unlimited talk and text with 10GB of high-speed data each month. This plan comes in at $40 per month for the first line with multi-line discounts available. For example, four lines would cost $135 per month, or $33.75 per line.

Moving up to the main Flex unlimited plans, Flex Start is the cheapest option at $50 per month for a single line. This plan gets unlimited data and 8GB of high-speed hotspot data. Also included with all Flex plans is a 100GB Google One membership for cloud backups.

Flex Up comes in at $60 per month for the first line and takes the hotspot data up to 25GB. It also adds in an unlimited international texting to 210+ countries add-on. For $10 more, you can get Flex Plus, which comes with all of the perks of Flex Up plus a subscription to Amazon Prime. The difference in cost between these flex plans is always $10 no matter how many lines you bring, so if you already pay for Prime, you can get it for a discount with this plan.

There are also some BYOD plans to consider. If you only have a single line and bring your phone and number with you, you can get unlimited data for just $25 per month. If you need a new number, you can get a 5GB plan for $30 per month, but you still need to bring your own phone.

MobileX’s plans

For MobileX, the obvious starting point is its Personalized Access plan. This plan starts with a $1.98 platform fee, with talk and text coming in at $1.50 for 50 minutes and text, $2.50 for 150 minutes and texts, and $4.50 for unlimited talk and text. Data comes in at a flat $2.10 per gigabyte, which makes MobileX one of the cheapest pay-as-you-go options out there. If that's not good enough, MobileX is also matching the data you buy for a limited time, making this plan even cheaper.

If you need more than 6GB of data, MobileX’s Unlimited 10 plan comes in cheaper at $14.88 per month. This plan gets 10GB of high-speed data with unlimited talk and text. You can also use that 10GB in a mobile hotspot to share with your other devices as well.

One of MobileX’s latest plan updates affected its top unlimited plan the most. This plan got upgraded to truly unlimited data, so you can use as much as you want without slowdown. You get 10GB of hotspot data to share with your other devices as well. This plan also includes unlimited talk and text to 90+ countries including Mexico and Canada.

MobileX does add taxes and fees on at the end, but these are fairly cheap and shouldn’t have a huge impact on your buying decision.

Which should you buy?

For most people, especially those with only one line, MobileX makes more sense than Metro. With MobileX updating its unlimited plan to have truly unlimited data and very competitive pay-as-you-go pricing, light and heavy users alike can get a strong deal at MobileX. For example, Metro’s cheapest current unlimited plan only matches MobileX’s cost, and requires you to bring your own phone and number. MobileX’s unlimited plan is straightforward and doesn’t have any special hoops to jump through.

If you’re a light user who only needs a gigabyte or two, MobileX’s Personalized Access plan is the way to go. Even with unlimited talk and text, it comes in under $10 making it a good alternative to other cheap light options like US Mobile.

MobileX

MobileX has kept its plans simple and cheap, and it’s paying off for customers with some of the most affordable plans around. While competition is fierce among prepaid carriers, MobileX has been nimble enough to keep its plans relevant.

From $4.08/month

Metro by T-Mobile could still be a good pick for families, with truly unlimited data on every line and hotspot data for each. This high-speed hotspot data can be used by mom and dad to finish up a bit of work, or by the kids to finish home learning without having to be in the house. Hotspot data can also be a godsend if your kids are gamers and need a connection to play their favorite games.

Metro by T-Mobile will also get faster 5G than MobileX on average, though your area may be different, so if you’re looking for the best prepaid data speeds, those are on Metro.

Metro by T-Mobile

Metro is a solid pick for families with multi-line discounts on its unlimited plans and a couple of BYOD plans to choose from. With T-Mobile’s fast 5G network behind it, Metro is a good pick for those looking for fast data as well.

From $40/month