Both Straight Talk and Cricket Wireless run on AT&T’s LTE and they are the two main options when it comes to prepaid solutions for this this network. Cricket was founded in 1999 and it is a prepaid service that supports text, data and voice. It was acquired by AT&T in 2014. Straight Talk is an affordable prepaid service that is the result of a partnership between TracFone Wireless and Walmart. The main difference between Cricket and Straight Talk is that the first places limits on speed. We will take a look at these two plans to help you choose the best option.
Straight Talk or Cricket Wireless – Which one should you select?
It should be said that both options work well and they offer great value for money. Regardless of which one you choose, you can expect good quality and coverage. AT&T is one of the largest carriers in the United States and it provides efficient HSP and LTE coverage. In addition, both plans are set to save you a lot of money when compared to a contract plan. Prepaid plans allow you to keep track of your expenses and they are very practical. The main difference with a contract plan is that you need to bring your own phone or buy one, which could cost you more initially. However, in the long run, you won’t spend as much money as with a contract.
Value for money
Straight Talk
The smartphone plan of Straight Talk costs $45 and it gives you unlimited calls and texts, as well as 3GB of 4G data. Once your 4G data has been used, you also get unlimited 64kbps data. There is also a plan that gives you 100MB of data for $30 and if you need to call abroad, you can opt for the $60 plan that supports this option. If you purchase 3 to 12 months of service in advanced, you can save money every month thanks to the great discounts available.
Straight Talk offers a wide variety of smartphones including iPhones, but if you already have a phone that is compatible with the service, you can just purchase the SIM card. It is possible to buy plans, phones and plans on Walmart’s website or you can go to a store. Straight Talk also supports plans on T-Mobile, but since AT&T provides better coverage, it is advisable to opt for this carrier. One of the advantages of bringing your own phone is that Straight Talk gives you 5GB of high speed data.
Cricket
In 2013, AT&T announces its plans to acquire Cricket and the acquisition was completed in 2014. AT&T relaunched the Cricket brand and it merged it with AIO Wireless, its other prepaid carrier. Cricket has three smartphone plans with prices that go from $30 to $60. You get unlimited calls and texts with all plans, as well as unlimited 2G data after you have used the monthly data allowance of 4G, which is 1GB for $30 plans, 4GB for $40 plans, 8GB for $50 plans and unlimited when you opt for a $60 plan. Keep in mind that in the plans that are between $40 and $60, there is an auto pay credit. After the Auto Pay Creidt, the $60 plan costs $55 per month and it is a great option thanks to its unlimited data offer.
Data, speeds and flexibility
Straight Talk offers convenient plans and it doesn’t place caps on data speeds. On the other hand, Cricket gives you more data and more plans, but it imposes caps on speeds. If you need multiple lines, Cricket is the best option since they offer great discounts. That being said, Straight Talk offers great quality and like Cricket, it gives you flexibility to choose the option that better suits your needs. In general, prepaid services are more convenient since you are not tied by a contract and can leave the service and move to another provider if needed.
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“In general prepaid services are more convenient since you ARE tied to a contract” appears to be incorrectly stated. I thought there was no contract.
Hi Karen, yes that was a typo, thanks for pointing it out.
Straight Talk doesn’t put a cap on data, but they do reduce the speed. :/