Virgin Plus Review: Average 4G coverage with great perks

Virgin Plus has long positioned itself as the “fun” flanker brand in Canada, but branding only gets you so far. After spending time using Virgin Plus as my primary carrier, the bigger question became whether it actually delivers where it counts: coverage, speeds, pricing, and real-world value. Virgin Plus runs on Bell's Canada-wide network, spanning all major metros including Ottawa, Edmonton, Vancouver and Toronto.

Short answer? Virgin Plus does a lot right in 2026 but also misses the mark in some very important ways. While Virgin provides what's arguably the best perk package of an MVNO, Bell's removal of 5G networking support leaves the brand with only 4G LTE support for Canadians. 

If you're looking to avoid paying higher prices and get some great customer benefit packages with your monthly plan, Virgin Plus' 60GB data, Talk & Text plan is worth considering. However, if faster 5G speeds and baked-in plan perks are a deciding factor for you, you might be left feeling like Virgin Plus is a bit antiquated for the times.

Here’s my full Virgin Plus review, based on hands-on testing and real-world use.

How I tested Virgin Plus

This past month, I have been using Virgin Plus' 60GB data, Talk & Text plan.

During the testing period, I leveraged the plan to power my communication with friends and family, support my workflow, and stream content during down moments.

Virgin Plus plans and pricing

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Virgin Plus has scaled back its assortment of plans available. If you already have a device and are looking to activate service on a BYOD term, you won't find many options. In my case, as I brought over my iPhone 17 Pro, I went with the carrier's 60GB Talk & Text plan for $45 per month. If you are activating a new device through the carrier, Virgin Plus does offer a cheaper 40GB Talk & Text plan as well.

Here are Virgin Plus' current mobile plan options:

Virgin Plus family plans

Virgin Plus doesn’t call them traditional “family share plans” the way some carriers do. Instead, they give you savings through add-a-line discounts, shared billing, shared perks, and Member Benefits, all under one account. This means you can consolidate voice, text, and data for your whole household without unnecessary complexity.

Here’s what family plans look like with Virgin Plus in 2026:

• Add-a-line discounts for each line on your account
• Shared billing on your monthly statement
• Ability to pick different plans for each line while still saving money
• Access to Virgin Plus Member Benefits, a catalogue of deals and savings on entertainment, food, travel, and retail

If a primary account holder operates on Virgin Plus' 60GB Talk & Text plan, their monthly cost would be $65/month. Now, if they add two additional lines on the 40GB Talk & Text plan and are enrolled in autopay, the total monthly cost would be as follows:

• Line 1 (60GB Talk & Text plan): $55/mo
• Line 2 (40GB Talk & Text plan): $50/mo
• Line 3 (40GB Talk & Text plan): $50/mo
• Monthly total: $140/mo + taxes

Using the same example, a family of three could save $15 a month, in addition to the $10 per account enrolled in autopay. Considering all factors, a three-line multi-plan can save around $540 annually. The annual savings ultimately depend on the number of lines on your account and the individual plans you choose.

How I rated Virgin Plus

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Price

Virgin Plus plans are competitively priced relative to major carriers, especially for mid-tier options like the 60GB Talk & Text plan. While there are cheaper flanker brands, Virgin Plus’ balance of coverage and plan features often justifies the price for many users.

At the time of writing, Virgin Plus' 60GB Talk & Text plan is far more affordable than the Big Three and comes with all the plan inclusions you'd hope for. With things like hotspot access included in the plan, you won't have to worry about additional costs to power your workflow while away from Wi-Fi.

Score:  4 out of 5

Value

The value proposition is strong, particularly when you factor in Virgin Plus Member Benefits. Available to all post-paid customers, Member Benefits offers perks and discounts on entertainment, dining, and experiences that accompany many plans. These don’t reduce your base bill, but in my experience, I actually used several offers that saved me money on things I was planning to do anyway. For instance, I was able to pop into the Member Benefits app and redeem $80 on a Walmart Online Grocery order.

Although Member Benefits won't inherently impact the price of your monthly bill, the perks could have an effect on everyday purchases. Member Benefits include savings on grocery orders, coffee, clothing purchases and more. Although the timing didn't align for me during my review, I did consider the potential savings I could have had in booking a trip out to Vancouver this spring.

Score:  4 out of 5

Data speeds

During my testing, Virgin Plus delivered solid LTE speeds that were more than sufficient for daily needs like streaming, messaging, social media, and moderate hotspot use. I regularly saw speeds in the 100–200Mbps range in downtown Toronto, which are the speeds that most users need.

However, unlike some competitors, Virgin Plus does not offer Bell’s full 5G access to customers, meaning you won’t get top-tier 5G speeds where those are available. Even so, the reliable 4G LTE performance makes up much of that gap for everyday connectivity.

On Virgin Plus' 60GB Talk & Text plan, I was able to stream content pretty routinely while I was off a Wi-Fi signal. Throughout the month, Toronto was hit with a number of snowstorms, but I did find many excuses to get out and venture to a local coffee shop. Here, I set up my laptop for a couple of afternoons and ran my workflow off Virgin Plus' hotspot access.

I found that 60GB of data is enough for my needs. With this data allotment running on 4G LTE, I was able to tackle emails, scroll through social media and even write aspects of this review remotely. I had Spotify and YouTube streaming from my iPhone 17 at the same time, listening to a playlist and a few podcasts, all the while chipping away at my work.

It's worth noting that one afternoon, I did take a Zoom meeting call remotely, leveraging my hotspot once again and saw some diminished returns on video quality. The bitrate on my laptop struggled a bit during my call, with some incremental moments of video stutter. It wasn't enough to drop the call entirely, but I could see the blemishes in using 4G LTE exclusively for video calls.

Score:  3.5 out of 5

Coverage and network reliability

Virgin Plus’ coverage runs on Bell’s network, making it among the most extensive in Canada. Running on Bell's coast-to-coast infrastructure ensures access in nearly all places where Canadians live. Virgin Plus users can rely on reliable coverage for talk, text, and data in cities and towns across the country. In provinces such as Ontario, you’ll see consistent service throughout the Greater Toronto Area, Ottawa region, and southern Ontario communities.

Throughout my testing, I was able to take calls on the congested sidewalks of Toronto and in the subway system without any issues. In more rural pockets outside of the GTA, Virgin Plus' coverage remained reliable and strong.

I do have a bit of minor contention when it comes to Virgin Plus' networking. In 2024, Bell decided to pull the plug on Virgin Plus' access to 5G services. Before that, Virgin Plus steadily offered 5G plans and a network to support the infrastructure. Now, customers are only given options and plans running on Virgin Plus' 4G LTE network.

Within a vacuum, Virgin Plus' 4G LTE service is very reliable and spans most rural and metro areas across Canada. Though I can't help but ignore how unfortunate it is that, as recently as a few years ago, 5G access was available to customers. The infrastructure is clearly available. Though for one reason or another, customers are left with minimal options and flexibility when it comes to 4G versus 5G plans.

Score:  4 out of 5

Customer service

My support interactions were mixed overall. Simple questions about plan features and activation were usually resolved quickly, but more detailed billing or account inquiries took longer and sometimes required being placed on hold when speaking to a representative over the phone. 

Alternatively, Virgin Plus does support its app, which is functional for managing your plan, monitoring usage, and accessing Member Benefits. Arguably, it’s not as polished as some competitors’ apps. I personally find the Fido app to be much easier to navigate. Still, I found it adequate for most self-serve tasks. It has easy-to-use navigation options and allows me to look into most aspects of my plan if I don't want to interact with customer service.

Anecdotally, Virgin Plus doesn't have the best reputation when it comes to customer service. Online research showed that many customers were dissatisfied with the carrier's customer service. At times, lowered reviews are attributed to pricing conflicts. However, many low reviews stem from interacting with customer service directly. Now, that doesn't necessarily align with my experiences, but it is worth pointing out nonetheless.

Score:  3 out of 5

Signing up with Virgin Plus

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Signing up with Virgin Plus is a straightforward process. You can shop plans directly on the website, select a plan that fits your needs, choose Bring Your Own Phone (BYOP) or financing, and opt for either a physical SIM or eSIM—I personally find an eSIM to be faster and easier to activate. With an eSIM, you don't have to worry about having a SIM card shipped to you or activated at a store/kiosk. You can activate it immediately without leaving your comfy chair.

During signup, you can also choose to keep your existing number by porting it over. Just be sure not to cancel your old service before the port completes. Virgin Plus automates the entire process so you don't ever have to worry about losing your phone number if switching carriers. 

Virgin Plus does charge a $80 connection service fee. So, keep this in mind when activating: Your initial bill will look high with that fee tacked on.

Managing my plan

Virgin Plus offers two apps on iOS and Android. The first is its core Virgin Plus My Account app. Within this app, you can manage your phone plan, monitor your monthly data usage, and handle billing. Additionally, you can make plan updates or purchase add-ons for travel if you desire. I find the app to be pretty intuitive. 

Navigating the Virgin Plus My Account app on iOS, I never ran into any software issues or bugs. There's a pretty good in-app usage monitor that I frequently kept an eye on. While I didn't ever intend to exceed my 60GB allotment, I was occasionally nervous at times when I was done uploading larger files to the cloud over a hotspot.

Virgin Plus also supports its Member Benefits app. With eligible plans, including the 60GB Talk & Text option, you're automatically enrolled in the Member Benefits program. Member Benefits support a rotating suite of discounts and offers on:

• Food and restaurants
• Entertainment and events
• Retail and experiences

In my experience, these benefits actually deliver tangible value if you check the app often. I redeemed offers on dining and retail that I was already planning to use, which felt like real savings rather than promotional fluff. It was easy to find and redeem promo cards for purchases that fit my routine and needs. Though it took time for me to get into the habit of checking the app throughout the month.

Am I satisfied with the 60GB Talk & Text plan?

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The 60GB Talk and Text plan from Virgin Plus is clearly designed for the average Canadian smartphone user. The plan comes with the standardized bells and whistles most users want from a phone plan in 2026. On top of a sizeable amount of data, Virgin Plus supports unlimited Canada-wide calling and texting. Other inclusions are call display, voicemail, and hotspot access. 

For what is included in the plan, I'm pretty content with the pricing model. Virgin Plus sits as a cheaper alternative to the Big Three but doesn't skimp out on plan inclusions. It's a nice balance overall.

Data allotment

Virgin Plus' 60GB data pool is ample for someone who streams music and video, uses navigation daily, and occasionally tethers a laptop or tablet. For many readers, this will be plenty of data. Though it's not a catchall, as data-heavy users may feel a bit confined by 60GB.

Average everyday use example

On a typical weekday, my usage looked like this:

• Streaming Spotify for 45-minutes at the gym
• Google Maps navigation during walks
• Slack, email, and social media usage throughout the day
• YouTube or Netflix streaming during lunch
• Downloading and uploading 1080p video to Google Drive

By the end of the month, I consumed 45GB, leaving a comfortable buffer. Even towards the end of my billing cycle, I never felt like I had to ration data. Virgin Plus' 60GB Talk & Text plan is technically an unlimited plan, but you could get your speeds slowed. If you exceed the data allotment, Virgin Plus throttles your speeds to around 512Kbps until the billing cycle resets.

Gaming and streaming

The Virgin Plus 60GB Talk & Text plan delivers plenty of data for streaming and light cloud gaming. Although 4G LTE isn't the best option for streaming content, it is still possible. During my testing, I consistently streamed HD content on Netflix, YouTube, and Prime Video without buffering interruptions. For example, a couple of hours of Netflix at 1080p can use roughly 3 to 4GB per hour. So, I felt free enough to stream a couple episodes of Just a Dash on Netflix and Fallout on Prime Video while commuting.

Cloud gaming and more data-intensive use cases are also supported, but with some practical limits, given this is an LTE-based plan rather than a premium 5G. When I tested streaming light cloud gaming through services like Xbox Cloud Gaming or similar browser-based play, sessions were playable for casual games and navigation. Though, I did find some bitrate issues and lag on many occasions. Virgin Plus certainly isn't equipped to power a thorough playsession but can be used to passively play a game via the cloud.

Virgin Plus versus the competition

When you stack Virgin Plus’s 60GB Talk & Text (BYOP) plan up against comparable mid-tier offerings like Fido’s 40GB, Lucky Mobile’s 40GB, and Fizz’s 60GB, the differences become clearer. I’ve found that 60GB on Virgin Plus gives plenty of room for regular streaming, messaging, and navigation. Whereas the 40GB plans from Fido and Lucky can feel constrained sooner for heavier users

Fizz Mobile is a bit of an outlier. Recently, the MVNO added 5G network support. So, on data alone, Fizz’s 60GB plan edges out the competition with 5G speeds, followed by Virgin Plus’s 250Mbps. Lucky and Fido sit at up to 150Mbps each. But data quality is only part of the picture. 

Where Virgin Plus really separates itself is in its plan perks and holistic value. The 60GB Talk & Text plan includes access to Virgin Plus Member Benefits, which can translate to real savings on dining, entertainment, or experiences. These are active benefits you tend to use rather than lofty welcome bonuses. Fido’s standout perk is a modest 3% cash-back value when paired with a Rogers Red credit card, which benefits very specific users. Lucky Mobile has no meaningful perks and Fizz’s biggest appeal is the absence of an activation fee. 

When you weigh price against network reliability, data allowance, and extras, Virgin Plus’s 60GB plan strikes a balanced value proposition for Canadians who want dependable coverage, generous data, and ongoing benefits without stretching into premium pricing territory.

Recap: Would I recommend Virgin Plus?

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After hands-on testing in Toronto and rural areas across Southern Ontario, I've experienced enough of Virgin Plus' plans and features. I can confidently say: Virgin Plus is a strong choice for most Canadians who want reliable nationwide coverage and straightforward plans that don’t break the bank. 

There are some caveats to this, however. If you need top-of-the-line speeds or a data pool that can power a more intensive workflow, Virgin Plus might be a letdown. If 4G LTE is enough, you'll receive a nice suite of Canada-wide talk and text features, hotspot access with real extras like Member Benefits, to make its plan options stand out.