Cricket Wireless vs T-Mobile: Plans Compared

T-Mobile is a major carrier that offers a wide selection of postpaid plans aboard the company’s own national 4G and 5G networks. Cricket Wireless is a smaller brand, or MVNO, that’s owned by AT&T and occupies space on that network. 

Trying to decide between Cricket and T-Mobile for your cell phone service? In this article, we’ll break down their respective offerings so you can figure out which one is best for your particular needs. 

Cricket Wireless vs T-Mobile: Similarities

• Both offer unlimited plans.
• Both T-Mobile and Cricket’s plans include international calling privileges.  
• Certain T-Mobile and Cricket unlimited data plans feature free streaming subscriptions. 
• Both sell a range of mid-range and flagship smartphones, from Android devices like the Samsung Galaxy S24 to iOS devices like the Apple iPhone 15.
• Both Cricket Wireless and T-Mobile allow you to sign up for multiple lines of service (also known as family plans), which result in cost savings. 
• Both T-Mobile and Cricket include taxes and fees in their advertised cell phone plan prices. 

Cricket Wireless vs T-Mobile: Differences

• Similar to other major carriers like Verizon, T-Mobile’s plans are postpaid—meaning you pay for your service at the end of the month. Cricket’s plans, meanwhile, are prepaid, and can be paid for in advance on a monthly or 12-month basis. 
• T-Mobile gives its customers access to its main national coverage network; Cricket offers coverage via the AT&T 4G and 5G coverage networks. 
• T-Mobile’s plans are among the most expensive around, while Cricket’s are distinctly cheaper. 

Cricket Wireless vs T-Mobile: Unlimited Plans

T-Mobile has done away with its capped plan offerings, opting to go all-in on unlimited. As a result, the carrier now sells five different unlimited data plans: the entry-level Essentials Saver and Essentials, the mid-range Go5G, and premium Go5G Plus and Go5G Next. 

Essentials and Essentials Saver both include unlimited 3G mobile hotspot data allowances, while Go5G, Go5G Plus, and Go5G Next feature varying amounts of decidedly faster 5G hotspot data. Additionally, the latter three of these unlimited plans come bundled with streaming perks like free Netflix and AppleTV subscriptions, and data in 210+ countries. 

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Cricket sells three unlimited plans: the entry-level 12-Month Unlimited Plan ($25/month), the mid-range $55/month Unlimited Plan, and the premium $60/month Unlimited + 15 GB Mobile Hotspot Plan. 

Cricket’s $60/month unlimited plan most closely resembles something you’d get from a postpaid carrier. It includes unlimited high-speed data, 15GB mobile hotspot allowance, a Max streaming subscription, unlimited texts from the U.S. to 37 countries, and Mexico and Canada usage privileges. This is a great value if you’re looking for a perks-heavy unlimited plan but don’t want to pay major carrier prices. 

Cricket’s mid-range offering, the $55/month Unlimited Plan, lacks a mobile hotspot data allowance, a Max subscription, and, most importantly, unlimited premium mobile data (you get unlimited deprioritized data). However, some of the other perks are intact, like unlimited texts from the U.S. to 37 countries and Mexico and Canada privileges.

If this $55/month Unlimited Plan doesn’t seem like much of a deal, rest assured you can save a lot by prepaying for it for a year. This brings it down to $25/month—not a bad deal if you’re on board with sticking with Cricket for the next 12 months.

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What Is an Unlimited Plan? As the name suggests, an unlimited data plan is a phone plan that includes unlimited data. However, not all unlimited data plans include unlimited premium (aka high-speed) data. The lowest-priced unlimited plans tend to include primarily and often only unlimited deprioritized data (or data that slows down when networks are busy). Mid-level unlimited plans typically include a mix of high-speed data, capped to a certain amount, and unlimited deprioritized data. Premium unlimited plans are where you can find truly unlimited high-speed data, without restrictions.

Cricket Wireless vs T-Mobile: Capped Plans

As mentioned, T-Mobile has axed its capped plan offerings in favor of unlimited data plans. Cricket Wireless, on the other hand, sells two capped data plans, both of which feature unlimited talk and text and a modest allotment of data: the $40/month 10 GB Plan, and the $30/month 5 GB Plan. 

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Both of Cricket’s capped plans are relatively stripped down offerings, lacking hotspot data, streaming subscriptions, or premium data. Still, they’re worth looking into if you tend to mostly stay connected to WiFi for data purposes and just want a cheap way to enjoy AT&T’s network. 

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What Is a Capped Plan? Also known as “By the Gig” plans, capped plans offer customers a set amount of data to use per month, instead of unlimited data. All the data on capped plans is deprioritized, which means you may experience data slowdowns when the network is congested. Capped data plans can be a cost-effective alternative to unlimited plans. If you don’t mind deprioritized data and you know how much data you use in a typical month, it makes sense to only pay for the data you’re going to use. The key is not to exceed your cap as doing so will subject you to significant fees.

Cricket Wireless vs T-Mobile Coverage

T-Mobile’s nationwide 4G LTE and 5G networks blanket the country, allowing customers to take advantage of the carrier’s fast and reliable cellular service. 

Cricket Wireless customers get access to AT&T’s national coverage network. It's important to note, however, that Cricket’s reliance on subleased network space can in some instances result in slightly inferior service. Major carriers tend to prioritize their customers ahead of smaller carriers—even ones they own like Cricket or the T-Mobile-backed Mint Mobile—at least in times of network congestion. That said, these differences in coverage speeds may be mostly minor. 

To compare Cricket vs T-Mobile Coverage, check out our T-Mobile coverage map, and use our AT&T coverage map as a proxy for Cricket.

Cricket Wireless vs AT&T: Perks

T-Mobile is one of the best carriers to go with if you’re seeking extras to go along with your cell phone plan. All three of T-Mobile’s flagship plans— Go5G, Go5G Plus, and Go5G Next—also include dedicated mobile hotspot data, while the latter two include free Netflix With Ads and Apple TV+ streaming subscriptions. Plus, these plans feature varying amounts of international privileges like free in-flight Wi-Fi and data access in 210+ countries. Note that Go5G Next gives you the option to upgrade your phone every year. 

While Cricket’s international and hotspot perks aren’t on par with T-Mobile’s, the MVNO does feature Max subscriptions (with ads) with its premium $60/month unlimited plan. This makes Cricket’s offering a nice value, since an ad-supported Max subscription costs $9.99/month on its own. 

The Bottom Line

Signing up with T-Mobile means you get the full postpaid carrier experience, with great coverage, lots of perks, and the ability to pay for your service after you’ve received it on a monthly basis. It also means, of course, high prices: T-Mobile’s plans are some of the most expensive on the market. 

Cricket Wireless offers a more distinctly prepaid experience, so some of the massive premium data and hotspot allowances are absent from the carrier’s unlimited plans. However, they do include a few nice perks (like a Max subscription). Plus, you get the backing of AT&T’s great coverage when you sign up with Cricket. 

Still not sure which plan is right for you? Check out our article on what to look for in a wireless plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Cricket Wireless a better service than T-Mobile?

T-Mobile gives you solid coverage and lots of perks—but it comes at a higher price point. Cricket Wireless, which runs on AT&T’s network, is a more budget-friendly option with decent perks like a Max subscription, though it doesn’t have all the benefits that T-Mobile offers. The right choice really depends on whether you’re after top features or just need reliable service without a high monthly bill.

Does Cricket use the same towers as T-Mobile?

No, Cricket Wireless doesn’t use T-Mobile’s towers—it runs on AT&T’s network. T-Mobile customers get the full benefit of the company’s 4G and 5G coverage, while Cricket, as a prepaid service on AT&T’s network, might experience slower speeds during peak times.

What happens if I use all my data on Cricket?

If you use up all your high-speed data on Cricket, your speeds will slow down for the rest of the billing cycle, but you’ll still be able to connect. Some apps might run a bit slow during this period.