Spectrum Mobile vs T-Mobile: Plans Compared

If you’re looking for a Spectrum Mobile and T-Mobile comparison, here's our unbiased take on how these carriers stack up. In this overview, we compare cell phone plan details like pricing, multi-line discounts, coverage, and more, on a plan-by-plan basis, so you know exactly what you’re getting with each phone plan. 

You can compare and contrast other top carriers with our Plan Finder.

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Spectrum Mobile vs T-Mobile: Similarities

• Both T-Mobile and Spectrum Mobile cell phone plans provide customers with 4G LTE coverage and 5G coverage.
• T-Mobile and Spectrum Mobile offer some hotspot data with their unlimited plans – not all hotspot data is equal though, so read our section below if this matters to you.
• T-Mobile does include taxes and fees in its mid-level and premium plan pricing, and all Spectrum Mobile plans include taxes and fees as well.
• Both providers offer virtually unlimited talk and text to Mexico and Canada.
• Both Spectrum Mobile and T-Mobile offer early phone upgrade options.

Spectrum Mobile vs T-Mobile: Differences

• Spectrum Mobile is a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO). That means it rents a network’s infrastructure, rather than building and maintaining its own. Spectrum Mobile specifically leases from Verizon’s network. T-Mobile owns all its infrastructure.
• Spectrum Mobile will slow down its customers after a certain amount of data usage, even on "unlimited" plans.
• Only Spectrum Internet customers or cable customers can get a Spectrum Mobile cell phone plan at the advertised price, while T-Mobile plans are available to everyone.
• With T-Mobile, you can save money with multi-line discounts. Spectrum Mobile plans are a flat rate per line.
• Spectrum Mobile includes no streaming perks bundled in, while T-Mobile’s mid-level and premium cell phone plans include benefits like streaming subscriptions (see below for details).

Spectrum Mobile vs T-Mobile: Coverage

Spectrum Mobile uses the Verizon network to provide its wireless service which means Spectrum Mobile coverage is more or less on par with Verizon coverage. We say "more or less" because during busy network times, Verizon gives priority to its customers ahead of Spectrum and other MVNOs that lease space on their network.

Verizon’s 4G LTE network is generally understood to be the best in America, outdoing the likes of AT&T and T-Mobile. Verizon’s 5G network, while smaller and less far-reaching, is among the fastest available and rapidly expanding. The combination of these two networks means that Verizon offers some of the best coverage in the country. 

Meanwhile, T-Mobile’s nationwide 4G LTE and 5G networks blanket the country, allowing customers to take advantage of the carrier’s fast and reliable cellular service.

To compare Spectrum Mobile and T-Mobile coverage, enter your address in our T-Mobile coverage map, or use our Verizon coverage map as a proxy for Spectrum.

Spectrum Mobile vs T-Mobile Entry-Level Unlimited Plans

For anyone interested in a cost-effective unlimited cell phone plan from T-Mobile or Spectrum Mobile, you can compare these entry-level plans below. These cell phone plans are a good fit for light data users who don’t need to use their phones as hotspots very often. If you mostly use your phone’s Internet connection to browse today’s headlines, catch up on emails, and scroll on social media, but not much more, then these plans are worth a look.

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Spectrum Mobile vs T-Mobile Mid-Level Unlimited Plans

If you want at least a good amount of high-speed data, but aren’t ready to spring for top-of-the-line plans, you might find these mid-level unlimited cell phone plans to be a good compromise between price and high-speed data. These cell phone plans will most likely suit the needs of an average data user who uses a mobile hotspot around one to three times per week, maybe plays some mobile phone games, streams a few of their favorite weekly shows, and browses social media for no more than an hour per day. 

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Spectrum Mobile vs T-Mobile Premium Unlimited Plans

This is a short comparison because Spectrum Mobile doesn’t offer comparable premium unlimited plans. If you'd consider yourself a heavy data user – that is, someone who uses their phone to connect as a mobile hotspot more than three times per week, uploads videos and photos to social media apps, streams unlimited amounts of YouTube videos and shows, and enjoys playing graphic-intensive games – you’ll want a plan that can keep up with your data use. The T-Mobile unlimited cell phone plans below offer you all the premium data you can use, with no need to worry about data slowdowns.

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What Is an Unlimited Plan? An unlimited dataplan is a phone plan that includes unlimited data, but not all the data in an unlimited plan is necessarily of the high-speed variety.Lower-priced unlimited plans tend to include unlimited deprioritized data that slows down when networks are busy. While some entry-level plans include some amount of high-speed data, many do not. Mid-level unlimited plans typically include a mix of high-speed data, capped at a certain amount, and unlimited  deprioritized data. The priciest unlimited plans are where you'll find truly unlimited premium data.

Spectrum Mobile vs T-Mobile Capped Plans

All top carriers provide a selection of unlimited data plans to choose from, but only some offer capped plans. T-Mobile doesn't, for instance. Spectrum Mobile, by contrast, offers a “By the Gig” model of capped data consumption, where you pick a plan based on how much data you think you use every month. You can share your data across all the lines on your account, which is appealing to wireless customers who don’t use very much cellular data as they rely on home WiFi, but want the option to get connected just in case.

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What Is a Capped Plan? Also sometimes called “By the Gig” plans, capped plans offer customers a set amount of data per month instead of unlimited data. All the data on capped plans is deprioritized, which means you may experience data slowdowns when the network is congested. Capped data plans can be a cost-effective alternative to unlimited plans if you don’t mind deprioritized data and know how much data you use in a typical month. The key is not to exceed your cap, as doing so can result in significant fees.

Spectrum Mobile vs T-Mobile: Hotspot data

Although all these plans offer unlimited data, it’s natural to want to know whether that includes hotspot data, too. In short, not always. If you are a frequent hotspot user, this is a point to look at very closely. 

Unlimited cell phone plans offer unlimited data. This data is deprioritized, AKA subject to slowdowns. Alongside that, certain plans allot you a budget of “premium” data which they won’t slow down. Some plans, like Verizon, offer a hotspot data allowance which is separate from that budget. For example, Verizon might provide you with 50 GB of premium data per month, with an additional 10 GB of premium hotspot data on top. 

With Spectrum Mobile cell phone plans, on the other hand, your data will be subject to slowdowns after you hit a set amount of use. Any hotspot data you get is included in that cap. On an unlimited data plan with Spectrum Mobile, you might have an allowance of 30 GB of premium data, of which 5 GB can be used for hotspots. Once those 5 GB are used, you'll only have 25 GB of data remaining until you end up in the slowdowns area. 

Basically, if being able to create lots of high-speed hotspots matters to you, always read the fine print to make sure the plan will suit your needs. 

The Bottom Line

Choosing between plans can be difficult, but our free, unbiased Plan Finder makes comparing plans a whole lot easier. We sort through thousands of options in seconds to show you the best cell phone plans to meet your needs. Just tell us how many lines you’d like, whether you want hotspot data included, and what streaming services you’re interested in. 

Still in research mode? Check out our guide on how to choose the best cell phone plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Spectrum Mobile or T-Mobile better?

When comparing Spectrum Mobile and T-Mobile, the key differences come down to their pricing models and data offerings. Spectrum Mobile operates on Verizon's network and is only available to Spectrum Internet customers. Conversely, T-Mobile is open to everyone and offers perks like streaming services and multi-line discounts. For heavy data users or those who need mobile hotspots, T-Mobile's premium plans provide more high-speed data, while Spectrum's plans may slow down after a certain usage limit.

Does Spectrum Mobile use T-Mobile Towers?

No, Spectrum Mobile doesn't use T-Mobile's towers—it runs on Verizon's network for both 4G LTE and 5G coverage. With access to Verizon's fast 5G speeds and reliable 4G LTE, Spectrum Mobile covers over much of the U.S. 

Can anyone join Spectrum Mobile?

No, Spectrum Mobile is only available to Charter or Spectrum residential internet customers, so not everyone can join. Since their plans are tied to Spectrum's internet service, you'll need to live in an area where Spectrum is offered. If you're already a Spectrum Internet user, though, you're eligible to sign up.