The following is a review provided to us by TTG reader, Doug, who uses Twigby Mobile. Since we have never written about them before at the site, I asked Doug if he'd chime in about his experience. Thanks Doug! If you ever have a product that you'd like to review at the site (and we haven't covered it yet) – please shoot us a note.
In April 2017, I finally decided to switch phone carriers. I just couldn’t take paying for what I knew was more than we needed. Many of my friends could not believe I was going to switch to an “unknown” carrier. Thankfully sites like three frugal guys are around to help educate!
I’d never had a problem with off brands, so it is probably a little easier for me to venture into this new world. Most of these other carriers simply use the big guy’s networks. This allows them to not have all the ancient overhead that the big carriers have. I narrowed it down to two carriers. I was trying to decide between Twigby and Tello. (yes, that’s their names.)
Plans start at $9 $6.75/mo at Twigby
Twigby is offering new customers 25% off their first six months when signing up for a cell phone plan.
Why I chose Twigby
I went with Twigby for a couple of reasons. First and foremost – COVERAGE IS KING!!! Twigby uses both Sprint and Verizon. This is what closed the deal for me. I assumed all of these carriers have their gimmicks, yet Twigby really seemed to have their act together. My number ported easily to a phone I already had (what a plus to not have to buy a phone). And they even gave me a free month!!
Now that I have had it for a while, my friends cannot believe how little I pay. I get unlimited texts, 500 minutes and 500MB for $17 a month. I use Wi-Fi almost exclusively and within my account settings I could choose the speed I want my 500MB a month to be at. I slowed it up just a bit, and now happy to report it works as they said it would.
When I’m away from Wi-Fi, I still use my data and have (as of today) more than enough MB’s to finish my month. I may actually speed it up next month and see if I get closer to using up my allotment.
They also offer what they call Overage Protection for FREE. They give you the reins to not allow your service to move up. I really like this.
I was skeptical of a “Chat Only” contact method. Again I was wrong. Seems I get my questions answered quicker that when I would have to WAIT on HOLD forEVER before. When I tried contacting Tello, they just did not seem too bright. Not sure if they were a newbie or not. Seemed I knew more about their service. Not good.
Just check out their reviews. PC mag just put them in front of Tello as well. I guess I’m not the only one that sees it.
I'm so sold on Twigby that I switched my wife (she just wanted another flip phone – Yes they have flip phones and it was under 20 Bucks). She is OLD SCHOOL and did not want to switch. She got the rugged flip phone and she hates to admit it, but she loves it.
The speakerphone volume, and that it is waterproof, is a plus. She is now not as leery to have her phone near the pool.
I picked up an Apple iPhone for my granddaughter. They are actually pretty cheap at Twigby. I was shocked. It was just over $100. Twigby pointed out that in their help section that an iPhone comes with many restrictions to help my daughter manage where my granddaughter can go on the web. She says that these tools within the phone work great. This is the extra mile
I keep telling all my friends about Twigby. They are people, not money-grubbers. And there are no contracts, or junk activation fees. And they shipped both phones for free. What’s not to love about not having a contract!!!
Payback
I’m saving the best part for last. They also PAY their customers to recruit for them. For each of my friends that I refer to Twigby, I also get $10 credit. My friends also get the 10 buck credit. This is huge. I have them lined up!!!
If you are ready to save big and get better service – in my opinion – (for what it is worth :) you need to check out Twigby.
Coverage map
Some pros
- The coverage. two networks are always better than one!
- The prices. One phone and plan. Create what you need.
- My daughter likes that she can monitor my grandaughter's use from the Twigby app.
- No contracts or activation junk fees. No monthly charge just to have service.
- Referral credits. $10 for every referral is the best I've seen in prepaid. And my friends even get $10.
And cons
- Data packages cap out at 4gb. It looks to stay unlimited but at a slower speed. I don't think it will be an issue for me.
- Have to pay more to get the latest phones since it is prepaid. But seem to make it back on plan price.
- Credit or debit card only. No cash payments.
Have you heard of Twigby or are you currently using their service? What are your thoughts?
Plans start at $9 $6.75/mo at Twigby
Update 10/1/18: Twigby is offering 6 month promotional pricing (25% off plans) when you sign-up for new service:
Minutes
- 300 –
$9$6.75 - 500 –
$11$8.25 - Unlimited –
$13$9.75
Data
- Wifi only –
$0$6.75 - 200 MB –
$3$2.25 - 1GB –
$6$4.50 - 2 GB –
$10$7.50 - 3 GB –
$15$11.25 - 5 GB –
$20$15 - 10 GB –
$30$22.50
Update 6/4/19: During the month of June, Twigby is offering referral credits of $20 to you (once signed up) and for your referral(s).
Comparison of other MVNOs
| MVNO | Network Used | Plan Price (Min. available) | Calls to Mexico & Canada Included in Plan | Customer Service | Plan Friendliness (Ability to uprade / downgrade at will) | Free Tethering |
| Boost | Sprint | $35 (Unlimited / 3GB data) | $5 extra | Fair | 1 month notice | No |
| Consumer Cellular | AT&T, T-Mobile | $15 (250 min / no data) AARP members can get 15% discount. | International direct dial | Good | Anytime | - |
| Cricket | AT&T | $30 (Unlimited Talk / Text Plan/5GB) | Smart / Pro Plans only | Fair | 2x per billing cycle | Yes |
| Gen Mobile | Sprint | $5 (Unlimited text) | Yes (over 101 countries) | Good | Yes | Yes |
| Republic Wireless | Sprint, T-Mobile | $15 (Unlimited talk / text), + $5/GB | No | Fair (Most CS logged to community) | 2x per billing cycle | Yes |
| Straight Talk Wireless | AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon | $35 (Unlimited text/talk + 2GB) | Add-on | Good | Anytime | No |
| Tello | Sprint | $7 (100 min / Unlimited text/Unlimited data) | Yes (texts and MMS only) | Good | Anytime | Yes |
| Ting Free $50 credit through this link | Sprint, T-Mobile | $10 (Unlimited text/talk / $5/GB Data. Plans based on what you use). Free $50 credit with signup through this link | Yes | Good | Okay | Yes |
| TracFone | Verizon Wireless, AT&T, T-Mobile US, Sprint Corporation, and U.S. Cellular | $14.25 for auto-renew (200 min / 500 texts / 500mb) | No | Fair | Okay | No |
| Twigby | Sprint, Verizon | $5 (Unlimited Text/Talk, 1GB Data) | Yes (and China) | Good | Yes | Yes |
| UNREAL | Sprint | $15 (Unlimited text + talk + data - up to 1GB) | No | Fair | Yes | No |
| Visible | Verizon (Visible is not considered a traditional MVNO) | $40 (unlimited talk,text and data) | No | Good | Only one plan offered | Yes |
TTG may receive a commission on sales made through the links on this post – at no cost to you. Thank you for helping to support the site.
Twigby
Varies Pros
- The coverage
- Prices
- No contracts or activation junk fees
- Referral credits
Cons
- Data packages cap out at 4gb
- Have to pay more to get the latest phones since it is prepaid
- Credit or debit card only
71 Comments
Ported my Samsung Galaxy S9 over from Verizon 5 months ago and have been very happy with Twigby running on the Sprint network for the price. They are now switching over to the Verizon network and I got set up yesterday and have fantastic coverage now – except the new network no longer supports wifi calling – which is a bummer because cell coverage is terrible where I work :(
I’ve used Twigby since 2017. Great service. Family cell phone bill went from $145/month to $60. My only complaint is how long it takes Twigby when you want to make changes. Ordered a SIM card to finally switch my wife over (she was a Republic Wireless holdover) and it took 10 days to receive it in the mail. I’m on day 2 now waiting for the number to transfer and just got charged for another month of service by Republic because Twigby has been so freaking slow. Once activated I rarely need to contact them, but if you plan to switch and try to time it right with you current carrier leave plenty of buffer. Twigby’s process is SLOW and inefficient.
I’ve had Twigby for a while and am generally satisfied. However, there have been 2 network data outages where you cannot contact them because you don’t have data and cannot get online, and they don’t notify anyone, update their Facebook page (accessed once I got to a wifi connection), or offer any compensation for the outage. The outage I’m currently in could last 72 hours according to their chat (again, had to wait until I was on wifi before I could communicate with them). So, when you don’t have internet because their service is having trouble, you also have no way to communicate with them. Major issue if your business depends on stable internet connectivity.
I am looking at joining Twigby. Can you send me a referal code?
I have had Twigby for several months now, and have loved the low rates and coverage. But just recently I found out a strange happening. I have been texting a friend for a number of weeks. Today I sent her a text message, but with a photo attached. She got it, but the phone number that showed it coming from was not mine. She answered back and the person asked – WHO ARE YOU? So I have to chat with Twigby – the only way you can communicate with them – and see if they know what went wrong.
Can you explain to me why there are comments in this thread from 2017 but the top of the article indicates it was published in 2019? Sounds to me like this is a paid advertorial and not an actual story from a Twigby customer. Who is this Doug anyways? Doesn’t seem legit.
Hi Concerned. Yes, this was originally published in ’17 and then we updated and republished it again in ’19. This is an actual TTG reader who reached out to us and offered to submit his review of Twigby. Hope this alleviates your concerns. We do however receive commissions on this post if someone decides to go ahead and purchase service from Twigby (at no cost to the reader).
You left out a key “con” about Twigby, one you may not be aware of. While they advertise that you get two networks for the price of one, in truth you only get 1-1/4 networks, because they don’t let you use the Verizon network for data … just voice and text messages. Also, if there’s even one bar on Sprint and 5 bars on Verizon, you get Sprint. So you only get to use Verizon when there is no Sprint availability at all, and you don’t get to use Verizon for any smart phone activities at all.
Thanks for bringing up this point about Twigby, Walt.
I used Twigby for a short time. The lack of VoLTE and Wi-Fi Calling prompted me to switch to Verizon Prepaid. Also when using Twigby and having my phone display “No Service” when my partner’s Verizon Prepaid phone had several bars, switching was a no brainer!
Thanks for sharing your experience with Twigby, Larry.
Twigby has WiFi calling. I use it.
Not anymore… When they switched to all Verizon, the wifi calling gone. I chatted with someone at Twigby at length yesterday. The new contract with Verizon is no wifi calling. I live in a rural area and may cell never rings at home.
Beware “Certified” means refurbished not authentic. Twigby sent me a broken device. Instead of sending me a replacement for their error, I had to choose between buying a second potentially broken phone and hoping for a credit on the first one or send back my phone with no service for days. I’ve now been without service for four days. Tell me again how great their service is. They claim to care and want to solve your problems. Their solution is for the customer to keep paying for more broken devices or pay for no service at all. That’s a garbage policy.
When I signed up I ordered a Samsung S7. After waiting for over a month, I contacted them and they said they were out. Notice, they never contacted me about it. I had to contact them. So they offered me an S7 Gold and I said fine. Two weeks later it showed up.
However, we lost Sprint service twice in the last 9 months. First time was for 3 days, and last time was for 5 days. Twigby was totally useless. Their chat is useless. It’s only available during short business hours and their staff is just stupid. This was an area wide outage and they had nothing to say. Not even an apology. There is NO phone number. There is email and they did respond in 24 hours, however they didn’t even address the situation of being down for (at the time) 3 days. After 5 days of zero service, I canceled the service. THEY COULDN’T HAVE CARED LESS.
I know Sprint being down in the area is not their fault, but they said they also supported Verizon. So after 1-2 days down for everyone in our area, why didn’t they just switch everyone over to Verizon which was working in our area? Seems the least they could have done. Also this is was at Christmas time, one of the most critical times to have reliable service. Also this was the 2nd time in 9 months for an extended loss of service.
Plans/Price gets an A, service gets a D, and support gets an F.
Super disappointed with them. I referred several people to their website (no commission, I was happy to send people there) but the total lack of compassion for their customers and ZERO phone support just killed the deal for me.
Could not disagree more. I’ve had better customer service with twigby. The ATT store I would go to was no help and their customer service was overseas. We have two phones with them. One for me and my husband. Two smartphones. We are retired and the price is hard to beat.
Changed over to Twigby over a year ago. Completely satisfied I am always in coverage for phone or text. As far as data goes if I take a few pictures it’s not an emergency that they go up to my photo service immediately. When I get back to wi-fi they can go up then. I understood when I went with Twigby that you can’t pick and choose which network and when. The price is really reasonable. If you need all the bells and whistles all the time, everywhere you go you should probably pay the larger amount and go with Verizon etc. If you’ve got more time than you’ve got money like me then finding this service was a blessing.
Naw – he really likes their service, Hank.
I switched from being a Republic Wireless user to Twigby. I have regretted it ever since.
1. You CANNOT talk via wifi and for me, I am in a wifi environment which has poor cell signal and I can’t talk on my phone. My cell is my home phone, so this is a huge problem. Turns out the verizon cell tower is only activated “when the Sprint tower is non-existent.” For me, I have one bar through Sprint, and cannot talk through wi-fi, so I basically can’t use my phone.
2. Texts don’t always go or come through.
3. The live chat is rude and unhelpful. Do not feel valued at all.
Chat is not rude. That is ridiculous. You sound like you have an agenda. Oh, and I use WiFi calling all the time with Twigby.
Is there an app required like Unreal Mobile? I don’t want that. I don’t want VOIP.
Hi Michelle. According to Twigby, there is no app required to use the service.
They don’t require an app altho they have one. Beware – if you get a new iPhone Xr from Apple, the Twigby data will not work with it. Although Twigby blames this on Sprint, Sprint denies any problem. Twigby’s customer representatives are not prepared to answer questions other than the normal ones. If a customer disagrees with them, they can get testy and rude. I would not recommend the service.
I use Cricket and I am thinking of switching to Twigby. Is there roaming fees?
Hi Danae – According to their website, “We give our customers the option to stop any and all overage charges, do not charge for roaming, and choose to not charge an unnecessary activation fee like most companies do.” Let us know how it works out for you if you make the switch!
I have used Twigby for several years and have been generally pleased. It is true that when the Sprint Network is unavailable service switches to the Verizon network, but it is NOT the same Verizon network that Verizon subscribers have access to. Twigby does not tell you this but when I questioned why my Twigby phone did not work in a semi-remote area and my Verizon phone did (I have two phones), they admitted that Twigby does not have access to the entire Verizon network.
I still use Twigby but if you are in a semi-remote area you may not have service.
Thanks for sharing your experience with Twigby, Gary.
Ting works the same way. You must be in a VERY remote area before it switches to Verizon.
Was in my final month of a Sprint BYOD promotion offering FREE service for a year (which actually cost me about $3 and change monthly for taxes). The best Sprint could or would do to keep me was $50/month for unlimited across the board. I found Twigby, saw the coverages, saw the pricing, read the reviews, and brought my phone over. While it’s only been about a week, I see NO difference in performance. The transition was seamless.
Was all ready to sign up with Twigby, but contacted them first to find out if we can receive US text messages outside the US. Nope. Too bad. Hopefully, this will be available soon.
Oh that’s too bad. Yeah, you can receive global texts while in the US – just not when you are outside the US. “With Twigby Unlimited Global Texting, you can text as much as you want to anyone in the United States and over 180 other international countries. Just be sure you’re in the U.S. when sending and receiving texts.”
I am contemplating switching my service from Straight Talk to Twigby.
Initially I purchased an Apple iphone thru Verizon and eventually switched my service to Straight Talk using my same phone and number.
#1 If I go outside of the Sprint area I will be able to talk and text thru Verizon correct?
#2 However, if I am out of the Sprint area I would not have any data coverage is that correct?
#3 I live right across the street from a Verizon tower. Is there any chance I could get Verizon
service at my house?
Hi Julie. In answer to your questions, #1, yes, you’ll have access to talk/text but #2 you won’t have data when outside of Sprint area. I’d check with Twigby support for question #3. Please let us know how it goes if you make the switch!
They did it again. Twigby just added more data to their plans. DId you see that?
Hey Greg – Yup, pretty nice huh? We’ve updated the post to reflect this. ^
Twigby has switched to Sprint-only service, no Verizon.
I used your review to make my decision and now cannot get a refund on my service.
Very bad customer support
Hi Hank. Sorry to hear you weren’t happy w/ their service. According to their site, Twigby does use Verizon – but only when you go outside of Sprint coverage:
Twigby customers have access to two of the largest nationwide networks covering over 270 million people. Twigby primarily operates on the Sprint network for talk, text and data. Twigby customers must live within adequate Sprint coverage. However, if a customer ever finds themselves outside Sprint coverage, customers can also use the Verizon network for talk and text. If you are outside of Sprint coverage, this switch-over will happen automatically and requires no action on your part.
They would absolutely NOT allow me to switch to Verizon, even though Sprint coverage in my area is dismal.
Nor would they give me a refund.
For this switch to occur, there cannot be an INKLING of a Sprint signal … as if the Sprint tower were on the moon. I did get the Verizon switch 30 miles south of Cody, WY down the Southfork River, but most often, when the Sprint signal is weak or even VERY weak, you are dead in the water.
Hello Hank,
This is Marco. I work for Twigby. Three Thrifty Guys reached out to us on your concern.
Twigby customers have access to two of the largest nationwide networks covering over 270 million people. Twigby primarily operates on the Sprint network for talk, text and data. Twigby customers must live within adequate Sprint coverage. However, if a customer ever finds themselves outside Sprint coverage, customers can also use the Verizon network for talk and text at no additional charge. If you are outside of Sprint coverage, this switch-over will happen automatically and requires no action on your part.
Agree completely! I did the same, and now am very disappointed. I purchased my Samsung Galaxy through Twigby, and sadly it does not seem to quality as a transfer phone back to my original carrier who I much preferred.
I see you say that they have a data cap at 4GB.
I found on there site that they actually offer unlimited 2G data with all data plans. So High speed maybe capped but not data. You may want to reword.
just an observation
We love twigby. Had the cut rate carrier tello before. Just not good coverage. our tello phones worked with twigby also. pay a couple bucks more but soo worth it! We also bought to iphones for our kids. total bill is right at $76 for 4 lines.
Excellent – thanks for sharing your experience, Greg.
You should inform everyone that Twigby primarily operates on the Sprint network for talk, text and data. Twigby customers must live within adequate Sprint coverage. However, if a customer ever finds themselves outside Sprint coverage, customers can also use the Verizon network for talk and text. If you are outside of Sprint coverage, this switch-over will happen automatically and requires no action on your part. So if a customer is out of Sprint coverage he won’t have data.
Thanks for the information Jose!
How good are the phones? Any issues and can you transfer a prepaid phone number from verizon
Hi Ronny. The phones are quite affordable ranging from $24 to $314. Some are certified used (like the iPhone they have available). Prices on phones are slashed right now + you can get 50% off the plans for your first two months as well. Sounds like you can port over prepaid numbers as well – so that’s a bonus. Check out their “bring your own phone” section for more details. Let us know how you like em if you switch!
I tried to sign up 3 times and used different credit cards all time and I got a email 4 hours later ad below
When I chat online asking what this is I was told they can’t give me a answer it’s really weird
And I can’t even call there is NO phone # to reach them
We apologize for the inconvenience, but we are unable to process your order. The order does not meet the requirements of our order security policy. We have cancelled the order and the pending payment authorization with your financial institution. Please contact your bank if you have questions regarding the availability of funds.
Twigby Order Fulfillment
Hi Eli. I would contact their billing department to see what could be the matter. They can be reached at billing@twigby.com and are sure to respond promptly. Best.
Thank you for this article. We have known we were paying to much with Sprint. There 50% off deal and free christmas shipping also help me stretch our xmas budget. I was nervous about losing our numbers. had them for as long as I can remember. No issues. Love twigby.
Glad you were able to save some Kurt! Love to hear more about your experience as you use them.
Can you tell me how Twigby uses both Sprint and Verizon towers? Does it always go to the strongest signal? Also if you are driving and you are connected to a Sprint Tower will it hand off to a Verizon Tower while driving/talking if the Sprint connection gets weak? Thanks!
Hey John. According to their website, this is what they have to say about using the two networks:
Twigby primarily operates on the Sprint network for talk, text and data. Twigby customers must live within adequate Sprint coverage. However, if a customer ever finds themselves outside Sprint coverage, customers can also use the Verizon network for talk and text. If you are outside of Sprint coverage, this switch-over will happen automatically and requires no action on your part.
Hope that helps.
Thanks. I’m a bit torn between Tello and Twigby. Wondering if the Verizon talk/text backup feature tips the scales in Twigby’s favor..
Hi Aaron, With your advice we switched our 3 Smartphones from Sprint to Twigby and look forward to saving a healthy amount. The only drawback I’ve found so far is that the Voicemail App on our Samsung phones no longer work (they were Sprint based I believe). Twigby does have their own voicemail which we configured but it does not tell you when you have messages waiting, nor does it show the number that left a voicemail.
I was wondering if you or your readers can recommend a voicemail app that is compatible with Twigby?
Thanks
Hello John –
The team at 3 thrifty guys sent us your question. We have confirmed that all of the Sprint Galaxy S7 have visual voicemail. However, there are a couple of steps that must be completed in order to set it up. You may or may not have accidentally bypassed these at the beginning.
See this link on set up for Visual Voicemail in Galaxy S7.
We will continue to research for the Samsung Galaxy S3 and let you know what I find. If you have any questions on any of this, please go to Twigby.com and click on GET HELP and chat with us
Thank you for your question and for being a Twigby Customer!
Twigby Customer Support Team
Thanks for responding. This is the exact Visual Voicemail App we used when we had Sprint. It stopped working when we switched to Twigby. I’m not seeing anything new in these instructions. Is there something that needs to be done after switching to Twigby?
Thanks
We have had twigby for 6 months for our son. Works so well, we just switch our other two lines over. Get half off for two months and great new phones. Thanks for sharing.
THANKS!!!!! we just switched with the 50% off discount. what a deal
Excellent. Love to hear your thoughts on the service after you’ve had a chance to check it out.
I switched to Twigby from Straightalk a couple of months ago and it’s been awesome! Easy to use, quick responses on the chat, super cheap and the service is fine. The website is very clean and straightforward. Never use straight talk!
Is there an average cost of taxes and fees? Does this up the bill by very much? I am in Indiana.
Hi Deborah. They are fairly nominal and align with most other carrier taxes / fees. They also depend on where you live too. Twigby says on their FAQ page: “surcharges may range from 1.3% to 3% of your monthly charges”. Hope this helps.
Mine are only $2.12 a month. I really like what I pay for twigby. works well for us.
Be wary of customer service with Twigby! I was really disappointed that there is no way to talk to a human at the company. They only offer support by chat, email, or postal mail (yes, seriously, their site says to send in questions by mail and gives the address on their contact page (https://twigby.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/115007924508-Other-ways-to-contact-Twigby). I used chat support multiple times, and it was not good at all.
I would guess that if everything went smoothly on your account this would not be an issue, but in my first two days with them I had two different problems. My number didn’t port successfully first, which they were able to resolve. Then when I contacted them for more help on day 2 for a different issue (by chat) I got no help and was told a ticket would need to be opened with a different team. I was instructed to contact them the next day (a Friday) for an update. When I reached them by chat to follow up I was told there was no update and they had no clue whether my problem could be resolved or not.
Luckily I am not out any money at this point because of their free first month. I have already started the port of my number back to my previous provider. What a frustrating waste of my time.
Hi Jim,
We’re very sorry to hear about your experience and we are disappointed with how things have started for you since switching to Twigby. This is not normal! We take customer support very seriously and have already escalated your remarks to the appropriate divisions since your posting. If you can, please send an email to billing@twigby.com and we will work to rectify all of your issues directly with you.
As for our support systems – we have chosen to offer online chat exclusively as it helps us maintain great efficiency when handling multiple customers at all times throughout the day, as well as enabling us to help keep costs low to pass savings onto our customers! Thankfully, our support usually gets pretty great remarks, but we welcome to hear about anytime we could be doing better and greatly appreciate you lifting this up so that we can get better.
-Twigby Support
I just switched to Twigby from Ting and Freedompop (2 lines). Ting has nice service, but its pricing schedule is no longer competitive. Freedompop boasts free plans, but there are many hidden charges, and software is not reliable. Plus their support line is bad.
I have had no issues for the two short weeks with Twigby. Online chat was really helpful, no hidden charges, and phone worked 100% time. As happy as I can so far.
Thanks for letting us know about your experience Frank
I haven’t heard of Twigby before, so thanks for featuring them. I LOVE that they also can use Verizon’s towers. I have Google Fiber, which is good, but I do miss the coverage of Verizon’s network.
Would be interested to hear more about your experience with Google Fiber.