T-Mobile vs Verizon 5G Home Internet: Prices & Trials

T-Mobile and Verizon 5G Home Internet both start at $50 a month with qualifying AutoPay alone in the current public offers. Verizon includes taxes and fees in its advertised plan price; T-Mobile adds them. A phone bundle can change the comparison, but neither carrier is automatically faster at your house. Compare the exact address offer, then try the connection during your normal busy hours.

U.S. prices in USD, checked November 4, 2026. This guide compares current official terms, not independently tested speeds. It covers cellular home internet, not Verizon Fios or T-Mobile Fiber.

Compare prices with the same discounts

The T-Mobile plan cards and Verizon 5G Home plan selector show these recurring rates. The AutoPay column does not require buying a mobile phone plan. Each service still needs address eligibility; the cheapest available plan may differ at your location.

Verizon advertises $35, $45 and $60 respectively with Auto Pay, paper-free billing and a qualifying Verizon postpaid phone plan. Business, data-only and Verizon One accounts are excluded from this particular Mobile + Home discount. Its Auto Pay rules require a bank account or Verizon Visa Card for new discount enrollment. An ordinary credit card is not interchangeable.

T-Mobile’s current phone-line offer is a $20 monthly bill credit with qualifying postpaid voice and internet lines. Credits can take two bill cycles and stop after disqualifying changes. A separate comparison table displays lower prices that do not match the main cards. Do not stack every displayed discount into a promised rate. Save the offer applied to your cart and read the eligibility terms.

If getting a discount requires changing phone plans, add that change to the household bill. Saving $15 on internet while spending another $20 on mobile service would increase the combined cost by $5 a month. Those figures illustrate the calculation, not a quote for either carrier.

Fees and price guarantees change the longer-term bill

T-Mobile’s Rely label lists a $35 connection charge, a $2.60 monthly recovery fee, Texas’s 0.749% recovery fee and location-dependent taxes. Verizon advertises no monthly router charge or extra taxes on these plans, but says a $99 professional setup charge may apply, with waivers for selected plans and locations. Confirm the charge on the actual order.

For a conditional 24-month comparison, suppose both entry plans remain $50 for all 24 cycles, with no phone bundle, optional services or promotions. That is $1,200 in base service on either side. Adding T-Mobile’s $35 connection charge and 24 recovery fees of $2.60 gives $1,297.40 before location-dependent taxes and Texas’s extra fee. Add any quoted Verizon setup charge to its side. This is a worksheet, not your final bill.

T-Mobile advertises a five-year rate guarantee with exclusions. Verizon’s tiers list three-, four- and five-year base-rate guarantees; discounts and add-ons are not themselves price locked. A protected base rate does not guarantee that every future household bill is identical. Check recurring extras using the internet-plan fee checklist.

Why national speed claims do not pick the winner

Verizon’s important plan information describes different versions of the same plan name. For example, its 5G Home Ultimate typical download range is 85 to 250 Mbps on one network type and 300 to 1,000 Mbps on another. The faster version is not a promise for every address.

Use the Broadband Facts label attached to each address offer. Compare typical download with typical download, and look at upload and latency too. A national maximum cannot tell you whether a work call will stay connected upstairs. A phone’s 5G result also does not establish the home gateway’s service eligibility or performance.

Check that both quotes really say 5G Home Internet. Verizon Home Internet Lite, Fios and T-Mobile Fiber have different service terms. If the address check offers something else, compare that product separately rather than applying this price table to it.

Unlimited data still has network rules

T-Mobile’s network disclosures say home internet normally has the priority of mobile heavy-data users. New home customers exceeding 1.2TB in a billing cycle receive the lowest priority during competing demand; usage status resets next cycle. This is congestion management, not a fixed slowdown that must begin the instant you cross the threshold.

Verizon’s plan information also subjects unlimited data to network management. It does not guarantee a particular speed in your room. If your household uses large game downloads or cloud backups, check recent usage and try those tasks before giving up the old connection.

The trial clocks and equipment deadlines differ

T-Mobile’s 15-day Test Drive instructions start the clock at activation for retail purchases or the shipped notification for online and phone orders, regardless of when you set up. Keeping service does not earn a free first 15 days. Its Test Drive page says to return equipment within 45 days of cancellation, while the current cancellation instructions say 14 days. Arrange the return promptly, plan around the shorter deadline and get written instructions for your account.

Verizon’s current 30-day money-back terms require cancellation within 30 days of activation. They refund eligible service charges, excluding setup, equipment charges and add-ons; the refund can take 30 to 60 days after equipment return. Its wireless equipment-return FAQ requires returning Verizon-owned equipment within 30 days of disconnection. Sending a router back does not itself cancel service.

Write down both the last cancellation date and the equipment-return date. If you cancel, retain the confirmation and return receipt. A trial refund does not erase a non-return charge or automatically cancel entertainment subscriptions.

Try the connection where you actually use it

1. Save both address quotes, labels and renewal conditions. Note the first bill, normal bill and trial start date before ordering.
2. Set up promptly using the supplied gateway instructions. Try suitable locations before adding a mesh system. An extender cannot fix a weak outside cellular connection.
3. Compare one device close to the gateway with the room where it struggles. This helps separate indoor WiFi coverage from the outside internet connection.
4. Repeat your normal evening routine, including your employer’s VPN, a video call or the game you play. Record dropouts as well as speed. This is a suggested home check, not a laboratory rating.
5. Keep your existing service until the new one supports those tasks and you understand the next bill. If neither does, keep looking rather than choosing from a national speed chart.

For the differences within T-Mobile’s lineup, see the Rely, Amplified and All-In comparison. Choose the carrier first by address, total cost and a usable connection, then decide whether a higher tier’s extras are worth paying for.