Hotspot is the line item where T-Mobile has pulled clearly ahead of Verizon: more data at the top of the lineup, and the same allowance for less money in the middle. It is also where its cheaper Standard plan is least honest, because it advertises unlimited hotspot and doesn't run it at a speed you can work on.
Hotspot allowance on every T-Mobile plan
| Plan | Price | High-speed hotspot | After the allowance |
|---|---|---|---|
| T-Mix Loaded | $95/mo | 250GB | 3G speeds |
| T-Mix More | $75/mo | 60GB | 3G speeds |
| T-Mix Standard | $55/mo | None | 3G from the start |
| T-Mix Saver | $45/mo | Not listed | — |
What those numbers buy you
Allowances this large are hard to picture, so it helps to convert them. Tethered video calls run roughly 1GB an hour and HD streaming closer to 3GB, while documents, email and browsing barely register. A full week of remote work from a hotel (calls most of the day, no streaming) lands somewhere near 20GB.
On that arithmetic, T-Mix More's 60GB covers about three weeks of working entirely off the hotspot. T-Mix Loaded's 250GB covers a household that has replaced home internet with it. Most people who think they need the bigger number do not, which is the single most useful thing to know before choosing between the two.
That settles the top of the lineup. T-Mix Loaded is $20 more than T-Mix More for 190GB extra (plus a third Pick and more data abroad), which only matters if the hotspot is carrying a household rather than a laptop.
How T-Mobile compares to Verizon
T-Mix More gives 60GB for $75. Verizon's best allowance is also 60GB, on Unlimited Ultimate, for $95. Same tethering, $20 a month apart, and Verizon has nothing at all above that number — T-Mix Loaded's 250GB is matched only by AT&T Elite 2.0.
Cheaper ways onto the same network
If you want T-Mobile's towers and not its bill, three plans run on the same network for less. US Mobile Unlimited Premium is $32.50/mo on annual prepay with 50GB of hotspot on its T-Mobile network — within 10GB of T-Mix More at under half the price. Metro's $60 plan includes 25GB with taxes already in, and Mint Unlimited is $30/mo with 20GB.
None of them reach 60GB, and all three sit behind T-Mix More during congestion. But for tethering under about 20GB a month, the postpaid premium buys very little.
For most people the answer is T-Mix More: the best tethering per dollar on the network, $20 under Verizon's equivalent, and more headroom than a laptop will use. Go to T-Mix Loaded only if the hotspot is replacing home internet. Skip Standard entirely if you tether at all, and if you tether lightly, US Mobile reaches the same towers for under half the price.
Ranked by what you can tether at full speed, not by what the plan is called.
See the hotspot roundup →Frequently asked questions
How much hotspot data does T-Mobile give you? +
Does T-Mix Standard have hotspot? +
Is T-Mobile or Verizon better for hotspot? +
Is 60GB of hotspot enough? +
What happens after you use T-Mobile's hotspot allowance? +
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Jean writes ShopCellPlans' reviews. He compares carrier plans using each carrier's own published prices, its FCC broadband labels and reporting from named outlets, and ranks them on the bill you actually get, taxes and fees included, not the price on the ad.