Verizon Wireless Shared Data Plans

Verizon Wireless boasts far and away the top network coverage in the country. However, Verizon has some of the most expensive phone plans among the major carriers (a group that also includes T-Mobile, Sprint, and AT&T), and their unlimited plans cost as much as $90/month. Unfortunately, their shared data plans aren’t much cheaper. The least expensive Verizon shared data plan is the Small (S) plan and it still costs $55/month for only 2GB of data. Here are all of the Verizon shared data plan prices:

• Small (S) Plan: 2GB for $35/month (+ $20/month per line)
• Medium (M) Plan: 4GB for $50/month (+$20/month per line)
• Large (L) Plan: 8GB for $70/month (+$20/month per line)
• 5GB Plan: 5GB for $40/month (+$20/month per line)

Verizon Shared Data Plans

As opposed to Verizon unlimited plans, Verizon shared data plans come with a predetermined, limited data allowance. Once you reach that allowance, you will be charged $15 per 1GB of data that you go over. Conversely, if you don’t use all of your data that month, it will rollover to the next month.

Just because it’s called a “shared” data plan doesn’t mean you have to sign up for it with someone else. You can get a shared data plan just for you or you can have up to 10 lines on one account. A major downside to the shared data plans is the additional $20/month per line smartphone access fee added to your plan.

To put this pricing into perspective, these plans are very expensive, especially considering the meager data allowances that come with them. Only the single-line Small and 5GB plans cost less than Verizon’s unlimited plans—which start at $70/month, without a monthly phone access fee.

For instance, if you sign up for the Small (S) plan with four lines, your monthly bill will be $28.75 but you’ll only have 500MB of data—it’s likely that you’ll wind up using more than that, and that extra $15 per every GB you go over can quickly add up.

As for perks, the Small (S), Medium (M), and Large (L) plans include unlimited international texting to over 200 countries, while the 5GB plan comes with unlimited calling to Mexico and Canada. Although these benefits are nice, they don’t necessarily justify the high price tags on these plans, especially when Verizon’s family plans include more international capabilities.

If you’re looking to save money on a shared or family plan, it may be wise to consider a Verizon unlimited family plan. That way no one has to stress about their data use; plus, it’ll more likely be more economical in the long run.

Verizon Shared Data Plans Vs. Regular Verizon Family Plans

Family plans are the best way to get all of the perks of a Verizon unlimited plan at an affordable price. Verizon offers four options for 4-line family plans. These family plan options include:

• Start Unlimited: $140/month
• Play More Unlimited: $180/month
• Do More Unlimited: $180/month
• Get More Unlimited: $220/month

Choosing a 4-line family plan on any of these unlimited plan options can save you up to $35/month per line, or $140/month total. That’s up to $1,680/year in savings. If you’re a budget-minded customer who still wants all the benefits Verizon has to offer, you may want to consider the Start Unlimited, Play More Unlimited, or Do More Unlimited on a 4-line family plan.

Start Unlimited

At $140/month, or $35/month per line, Start Unlimited is actually cheaper than the Large (L) plan, which only includes 8GB of data—not to mention it includes:

• Six-month Apple Music
• Unlimited international texting
• Unlimited talk and text + .5GB of 4G data Mexico and Canada

The one disadvantage is that your data may be deprioritized at any time during network congestion.

Play More Unlimited

At $180/month, or $45/month per line, Play More Unlimited will only cost you an additional $7.50/month per line when compared to the Large (L) plan, and it includes way more great features, such as:

• Apple Music
• HD streaming
• 15GB of 4G LTE mobile hotspot
• 25GB data deprioritization threshold
• Unlimited international texting
• Unlimited talk and text + .5GB of 4G data Mexico and Canada

Do More Unlimited

At $180/month, or $45/month per line, Do More Unlimited will only cost you an extra $7.50/month per line when compared to the Large (L) plan, and it has awesome perks, such as:

• Six-month Apple Music
• Unlimited international texting
• Unlimited talk and text + .5GB of 4G data Mexico and Canada
• 15GB of 4G LTE mobile hotspot
• 50GB data deprioritization threshold
• 500GB of Verizon Cloud storage

Verizon Mix and Match

With Verizon family plans, you are able to mix and match your unlimited plans to satisfy every family member’s cellular needs. They are one of the few carriers to offer this customizable feature.

Verizon: Pros and Cons

Like any other carrier, there are advantages and disadvantages to going with Verizon, but ultimately your decision will depend upon your personal preferences and priorities.

Verizon Pros:

• 70% nationwide coverage (the best out of the four major carriers)
• Apple Music subscription
• International texting to more than 200 countries
• Mexico and Canada privileges
• Mobile hotspot
• Verizon Cloud storage
• Mix and match unlimited family plans
• A great selection of plan options, including shared data, unlimited, prepaid, family, and kids plans

Verizon Cons:

• Expensive cell phone plans
• Fewer international benefits than some competitors
• No streaming subscriptions included
• Monthly smartphone access fee for shared data plans