T-Mobile bundles more into its plans than either rival, and most subscribers don't use half of it — the perks arrive quietly and never get mentioned again. Here's what's actually attached to each tier, what it's worth in real money, and the one inclusion that beats every headline perk on the list.
What comes with each tier
- Experience More ($85/mo, taxes included) — Netflix on Us, international data, and in-flight Wi-Fi, plus a 60GB hotspot.
- Experience Beyond ($100/mo, taxes included) — an Apple TV+ and Hulu bundle, T-Mobile Tuesdays, more in-flight Wi-Fi, and free 5G data in 215+ countries at the highest speeds in the lineup.
- Essentials and Essentials Saver — the value tiers. Fewer perks; this is where people are surprised to find streaming isn't included.
- Metro (T-Mobile's prepaid brand) — no streaming bundles, but a 5-Year Price Guarantee across tiers and HD video on the $60 premium plan.
In-flight Wi-Fi — the most underused one
Included on Experience tiers, and the perk people most often don't realise they have. It's free Wi-Fi on participating flights, activated in the air rather than booked ahead — which is exactly why it gets forgotten. If you fly even occasionally it's worth more per year than the streaming bundle, since in-flight Wi-Fi otherwise runs $8 to $20 a flight.
International data
Experience More includes international data; Experience Beyond raises it to free 5G data in 215+ countries at the fastest speeds T-Mobile offers. For regular travellers this is the strongest single reason to be on T-Mobile rather than a cheaper MVNO on the same towers — Verizon and AT&T generally charge daily rates for the equivalent, and most MVNOs don't offer it at all.
T-Mobile Tuesdays
A weekly app giveaway — small discounts, occasional free items, periodic larger promotions. Genuinely free, and genuinely minor. Treat it as a bonus rather than a reason to choose a plan; anyone weighing $15/mo between tiers should not let Tuesdays decide it.
What perks are worth against a cheaper plan
The honest test: add up only the perks you would otherwise pay for. Netflix and an Apple TV+/Hulu bundle are real money if you already subscribe — and worth nothing if you don't. Once you've got that number, compare it against the gap to a cheaper plan on the same network.
- Mint Unlimited renews at $40/mo on T-Mobile's network — a $45/mo gap to Experience More, or $540 a year.
- US Mobile Unlimited Premium is $32.50/mo with a choice of T-Mobile or Verizon at signup.
- Metro keeps you on T-Mobile's network with a 5-Year Price Guarantee and retail-store support, without the streaming bundles.
- If your perks total less than the gap — and for most households they do — the cheaper plan wins on arithmetic.
Same towers, from $25 to $100. See what you give up at each step down.
Best T-Mobile MVNO plans →
Jean Gilles has researched personal finance, consumer technology, and wireless pricing for over a decade. He founded ShopCellPlans in 2019 and writes every review on the site.
Frequently asked questions
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