Cricket Wireless: Which plan is the best one for you?

compare phone plans and save up to 80%

compare phone plans and save up to 80%

Cricket Wireless is one of the most well known mobile virtual network operators, as they offer good deals with their services. They provide their network services through AT&T, which offers great 5G coverage across the country. Cricket Wireless offers several different plans, but which plan is best for you?

In this article, we’ll cover:

  • What each Cricket Wireless plan offers 
  • What deals Cricket Wireless offers for its users
  • Which Cricket Wireless plan is the best deal

Unsure of what you need out of a phone plan? Read our guide on how to choose the best one to suit your needs.

What to expect from Cricket Wireless

Cricket Wireless offers premium data with its best plan. 

Cricket Wireless offers premium data, as well as deprioritized data. Premium data is offered on their Unlimited + 15GB hotspot plan, where data doesn’t slow down no matter the amount of network traffic in the area. Their other plans offer deprioritized data, which slows down during heavy network traffic in crowded areas, like concerts and stores. All plans come with Cricket Call Defense, which filters calls and protects users from spam. 

Their plans offer up to 480p Standard Definition resolution when streaming. They also offer talk, text, and data in Mexico and Canada as well as access to international text services on their unlimited plans. New accounts with their 10GB plan also offer talk, text, and data in Mexico and Canada. 

Coverage

Cricket Wireless uses AT&T’s network to give users the best access. 

As Cricket Wireless is an MVNO, they buy coverage from one of the main network providers with their own infrastructure – specifically AT&T, while others buy from Verizon and T-Mobile. 

The best coverage for you comes down to your location. It’s important to compare between providers on a coverage map of your specific city. Ookla’s coverage map allows you to see where cellular towers are located and which company owns them. Comparing tower locations can help you determine which of the big 3 network providers meet your needs. 

The Plans 

Cricket Wireless offers hotspot access and unlimited premium data with its biggest plan. 

Cricket Wireless offers multiple unlimited and limited data plans. The average phone user uses about 20GB of data per month, so keep that in mind when shopping for a new phone plan:

5GB

$30 (no autopay discount)
data
5GB, then data slows to 2G speeds
Hotspot access
N/A
Best for:
Lightest data users, those with decent WiFi access
More Details

10GB

$40 before the $5 autopay discount
data
10GB, then data slows to 2G speeds
Hotspot access
N/A
Best for:
Light data users
More Details

Unlimited

$55 before the $5 autopay discount
data
Unlimited, but deprioritized, data
Hotspot access
10GB add-on available
Best for:
Heavy and average data users
More Details

Unlimited + 15GB Hotspot

$60 before the $5 autopay discount
data
Unlimited premium data
Hotspot access
15GB, then access stops
Best for:
Heaviest data users
More Details

Let’s talk about each Cricket Wireless plan individually, and what they offer for their customers. 

Best Overall: Unlimited + 15GB Hotspot

This plan with Cricket Wireless includes unlimited premium data. No matter how much data you use, this plan’s data doesn’t slow down. It also includes 15GB of premium hotspot data, which slows to unlimited deprioritized data afterwards. This plan also includes an ad-supported tier plan of Max and 150GB of Cloud Storage. 

The plan costs $60 per month before the $5 Autopay discount.

Pros: separate hotspot access, premium data, many features

Cons: deprioritized hotspot after 15GB

Conclusion: best for heaviest data users and those who want extra features

Runner Up: Unlimited

With this plan, users get unlimited deprioritized data. It doesn’t slow down with a cap. This plan does not include hotspot access, but you can purchase an additional 10GB of hotspot data for an additional $10. This plan is best for heavy and average data users. 

The plan costs $55 per month before the $5 Autopay discount. 

Pros: unlimited data 

Cons: Hotspot access not included

Conclusion: best for heavy and average data users

10GB 

This plan includes 10GB of full speed data before slowing to 2G speeds when you reach the cap. With 2G speeds, you can still browse the internet or send emails and texts, but you need WiFi to play games or stream video. This plan also does not include hotspot access. This plan is best for those who use less data than average, or have a decent WiFi connection. 

The plan costs $40 per month before the $5 discount. At the full price rate, you get 10GB at $4 per GB. 

Pros: full speed data

Cons: no hotspot access

Conclusion: best for lighter data users

5GB

This plan includes 5GB of full speed data. After the 5GB cap, this plan slows to 2G speeds. This plan does not include hotspot access. This plan is best for those who have a decent WiFi connection or use a small amount of data. 

The plan costs $30 per month, with no available Autopay discount. You get 5GB at $6 per GB. 

Pros: full speed data

Cons: no hotspot access, expensive

Conclusion: best for light data users and those with a decent WiFi connection  

Family Plan Offerings

Cricket Wireless requires family plans to share data. 

Cricket Wireless allows up to 5 lines on one account, and users use a shared amount of data with the other users.

Features

Cricket Wireless’s offered features depend on which plan you purchase. 

Cricket Wireless offers several features their users can take advantage of, which include: 

feature

Domestic Roaming
Mexico and Canada Talk
Mexico and Canada Text
Mexico and Canada Data 
International Talk
International Text 
International Data 
Streaming quality 
Device Financing
WiFi Calling

details

Included
Included on unlimited plans and new 10GB plan accounts
Included on unlimited plans
Included on unlimited plans and new 10GB plan accounts
Add-on available
Included on unlimited plans
Not included
480p Standard Definition resolution
Included
Included

Customer Service

Cricket Wireless offers customer service both in stores and online. 

Cricket Wireless offers several stores across the country, and users can find the closest store to them with the website’s store locator. If you’d rather receive support online, there are several ways to contact their customer support lines:

chat support

hours:
9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Mon. through Sat., 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Sun.

phone support

hours:
9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mon. through Sat.

Conclusion

Cricket Wireless’s unlimited plans offer a lot for their users. 

Out of all of their plans, Cricket Wireless’s unlimited plans offer the best deals for their users. The Unlimited + 15GB hotspot plan is an especially good deal, as it offers several features and unlimited premium data. 

To have a comprehensive picture of how much data you use month to month and what plan you need, we’d recommend checking your data usage before committing to a plan.

Want to compare other carriers?

Really.com helps users compare between features, coverage, price, reviews, and more!

Are you still unsure if you want to go with a Cricket Wireless plan? Use really.com to compare your top choices and find the best deal to fit your needs. Really allows you to compare and sort between most phone plans on the market without the hassle!

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compare phone plans and save up to 80%

compare phone plans and save up to 80%