Verizon’s 5G Start plan and Verizon’s 5G Play More plan both offer unlimited minutes, texts, and data. While the 5G Start plan comes in at a lower price point, the 5G Play More plan offers more features and perks.
Pricing
Verizon prices the 5G Start and 5G Play More plans based on the number of lines on an account. The 5G Play More plan costs $10 per line more each month than the 5G Start plan. The table below shows the plans’ prices before taxes and fees but after a discount for automatic payments and paperless billing.
| Lines | Start | Play More |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $70 | $80 |
| 2 | $60 | $70 |
| 3 | $45 | $55 |
| 4 | $35 | $45 |
| 5+ | $30 | $40 |
Coverage
Both the 5G Start and 5G Play More plans offer the same extensive coverage through Verizon’s industry-leading network.
Speeds
When Verizon’s network is not congested, subscribers on the 5G Start and 5G Play More plans will tend to experience the same speeds. However, Play More plan subscribers have an advantage when the network is congested thanks to a 50GB allotment of premium data that refreshes each month.
5G Play More subscribers that have premium data available will have high-priority network access when Verizon’s network. As a result, they’ll experience faster speeds than some other users on the network during periods of congestion.
5G Start subscribers have low-priority data by default. When Verizon’s network is not congested, these subscribers will typically experience solid speeds. However, they may see speeds slower than other users on the network during congestion. Fortunately, congestion is rare in most areas.
Hotspot Access
The Play More plan comes with a 15GB per month allotment of full-speed mobile hotspot data. The 5G Start plan has a 5GB allotment.
Other Perks
The 5G Play More plan comes with free access to Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu. Play More subscribers can also choose either no-cost access to Apple Arcade or Google Play Pass.
The 5G Start plan includes six month free trials of Disney+ and either Apple Arcade or Google Play Pass.
Both the 5G Start plan and the 5G Play More plan come with six months of free access to Apple Music.
5G Start or 5G Play More?
Choosing between the 5G Start and 5G Play More plans can be tricky. If you hate experiencing sluggish speeds during congestion, I suggest opting for the 5G Play More plan. If you’re looking to save a bit of cash, I suggest going with the 5G Start plan. You can always upgrade to the 5G Play More plan at a later date.
Verizon allows customers on multi-line accounts to mix-and-match among unlimited plans. If members of your family have different needs, it may make sense to put some people on the Play More plan and others on the Start plan. Note that Verizon only requires one line on the Play More plan for eligibility to access Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu.
