Cricket Wireless Pros and Cons: All You Need to Know Before You Sign Up

Cell phone plans are constantly changing. With new carriers popping up, the evolution of networks and technology, and each carrier jockeying for users, figuring out which carrier is best for you can be a challenge. It is all too easy to think that it’s not worth the time to delve into whether your current plan is the one that’s best for you because, well, you’ve been on your current cell phone plan for years. 

There are two major kinds of cell phone providers — the major networks, like AT&T, T Mobile, and Verizon, and MNVOs, like Cricket Wireless. The major networks have their own cell phone towers that they maintain and strengthen to provide the best service they can. MNVOs like Cricket Wireless use the infrastructure created by one of those major networks to provide the same excellent coverage while offering more affordable plans. This article will cover all you need to know about the pros and cons of Cricket Wireless. Let’s get into it.

Cricket Wireless Pros and Cons

There are a lot of cell phone providers on the market, making it difficult to decide which one is the best for you. In this section, we will cover the pros and cons of Cricket Wireless to help you decide if you like Cricket Wireless for your new cell phone plan. There are many factors to this decision, including data consumption, coverage, price, phone selection, cell phone plans, customer service, and more.

PRO — Unlimited High-Speed Data

Cricket Wireless offers unlimited high-speed data with its two unlimited plans. For an MVNO, that’s amazing. With the data intensity of so many phone processes, regular mobile data usage will quickly rack up data usage throughout the month. With Cricket Wireless, you can use however much data you want without needing to worry about slowdowns on the horizon. 

We want to highlight this as the best part of this MVNO. There are almost no MVNOs out there that offer unlimited high-speed data. Make sure you read the fine print as you browse the offerings. Almost every MVNO has an “unlimited” plan, but most are unlimited 3G data with a limited 5G and 4G LTE data allocation. Most of these plans offer between 30 and 50 GB per month, which, while sizable, is not a lot if you use your phone on the mobile network every day. 

As data speeds increase, so does your phone’s data consumption. It is all too easy to burn through any limited data allocation before the month is done, leaving you with slow, slow 3G data for the rest of the time. These unlimited plans are not meant for high-data users. If you are a high-data user (>50 GB a month), then unlimited high-speed data plans are your best option. 

PRO — Multi-Line Savings

Cricket Wireless provides fantastic multi-line savings. The single-line account prices at Cricket Wireless are good but more expensive than what you can find in other MVNOs. With multiple lines, however, the prices get much more competitive. 

PRO — Cell Phone Plans

Cricket’s two unlimited plans provide unlimited high-speed data, which separates them from other MVNOs. Few MVNO data plans offer the same. Cricket Wireless has four major plans. Each plan comes with unlimited talk and text, as well as the same 5G and 4G LTE coverage that AT&T users get. The phone plans at Cricket Wireless are competitively priced and come with a variety of benefits and shortcomings, just like their competitors. Their four major plans are

• Unlimited data + 15 GB Mobile Hotspot
• Unlimited data
• 10 GB data
• 5 GB data

Unlimited data + 15 GB Mobile Hotspot — $60 a month (Cricket Core)

This is Cricket’s most expensive plan with all the bells and whistles they can provide. Compared with their third-tier plan, you get a lot of goods for that extra $5 a month. The 15 GB mobile hotspot is a versatile extra bonus that lets you conduct a significant amount of work on the go each month, as long as you aren’t using it to stream! 

Unlimited data — $55 a month

The unlimited data plan comes with unlimited high-speed data, which is a fantastic part of any MVNO plan. Cricket’s two unlimited plans are very similarly priced, making the change from one to the next not a big deal. Check out the add-ons of the Unlimited + plan to see if it’s worth the extra money! 

Since Cricket phone plans are a month-to-month affair, it is easy to jump between plans based on your needs. If you start with Unlimited and decide it’s not right for you, you can bump yourself up or down a tier. 

10 GB data — $40 a month

As we travel down their plans, we get to their second tier plan, one of two that do not come with unlimited data. This plan and the first tier plan are both excellent if you know that you don’t need more than their allotted amounts of data each month. 

That’s about 30% savings each month compared to the unlimited data plan. Also, one of the add-ons is one GB of extra data for $10, so if you go way over one month, you can shell out to continue having high-speed data through the end of the cycle. One gig of data for $10, naturally, is terrible value, so you want to make sure you won’t exceed your data allotment or be comfortable with low-speed data to make this plan worthwhile. 

5 GB data — $30 a month

Cricket’s cheapest phone plan is 5 GB of data each month for $30. Like the other set data plan, this one allows you five gigs of high-speed data each month, slowing your speeds down to a crawl if you exceed it. You have the same option to add on an extra gig of data for $10, but it is still inadvisable. 

Cricket’s limited-data plans are not well-priced compared to other MVNOs, so if you are looking for a low-data plan we recommend MVNOs like Tello Mobile or Mint Mobile. 

PRO — Phone Selection

Cricket Wireless has a crazy amount of cell phones available at their store. They have feature phones, affordable smartphones, and the latest and greatest. You should check your phone’s compatibility before switching, but it is likely that your device will work just fine! It’s awesome that their store is as populated with devices as it is because you can decide whether or not you want a new, expensive, and fancy phone or an older, more practical model. 

PRO — Price

This is huge. You can get unlimited high-speed data at Cricket Wireless for only $25 a month (with four lines). This amazing price is second to none among MVNOs and much more affordable than major wireless providers. 

PRO — Coverage

Cricket Wireless uses AT&T’s excellent nationwide network, providing their customers with fantastic coverage in almost every state. This ensures you are covered no matter where you are and where you go. Make sure to check your local coverage maps for information regarding the best cell phone coverage in your area! 

CON — Data Deprioritization

Cricket Wireless, like all MVNOs, operates with MVNO data. This means Cricket Wireless customers are slowed down first whenever there is congestion in the area, while major wireless customers retain maximum data speeds.

Cricket Wireless users have high-speed data whenever there isn’t congestion in a major wireless network. This is hard to predict. Festivals, concerts, and sporting events are common times when a lot of congestion hits the area. If you’ve ever been to a football game and tried to access your phone for just about anything, we are certain that you’ve seen what it feels like to try to use data with congestion. 

At maximum congestion, no one can load anything on their device, but major wireless customers have high-speed data in most instances. As long as you don’t sign a device or plan contract, users can test Cricket Wireless for a couple of months to gauge how well the service works for them. It is very likely that you live in an area where there is not much daily congestion, making the data you receive from this MVNO the same data that major wireless customers receive. 

Cricket Wireless At a Glance

Cricket Wireless is best known for its high-speed data caps and affordable cell phone plans. They truly have something for everyone. What we like is that their highest-data plan provides a gigantic allocation of high-speed data. One of our biggest complaints about some MVNOs is that their highest allocation data plan provides less than 50 GB of data. Cricket Wireless’s Unlimited plans provide unlimited high-speed data, perfect for high-data users. Cricket Wireless has a lot to offer. Deciding on an MVNO is always a challenge, but let’s look at some basic information about Cricket Wireless.

• What sets Cricket Wireless apart? With so many MVNOs, it is important to know what sets Cricket Wireless apart when considering switching wireless providers. Their high data caps set them apart from the competition, offering unlimited high-speed data on their two unlimited plans. 
• What’s the price of Cricket Wireless plans? Cricket Wireless has loads of plans, from a 5 GB plan for $30 a month to an unlimited plan for $55 a month. They have multi-line savings, data sharing, and low, medium, and high-data plans. This lets users choose between plans to find what they want but keep in mind that Cricket’s limited data plans are not well-priced compared to the competition. 
• What kinds of plans does Cricket Wireless offer? Cricket Wireless has a good number of cell phone plans. They offer unlimited high-speed data plans as well as limited data plans with 5 or 10 GB a month. 
• What network does Cricket Wireless use? Cricket Wireless runs on AT&T’s network. AT&T’s 4G LTE and 5G networks, and, by extension, Cricket Wireless’s network, cover almost all of the continental United States, meaning you’ll get great coverage no matter where you are. 
• Can you bring your own cell phone? Yes! If you have a phone that works for you, you can bring your own device to Cricket Wireless. To bring your device onto Cricket Wireless’s network, you have to check your device’s compatibility, make sure your device is “unlocked,” and order a Cricket Wireless SIM card. 
• Does Cricket Wireless have any stores? Yes! Cricket Wireless has many retail locations across the country, making it a great place to go whenever you have problems with your device or account. Customer service is always better in person! 

Cricket Wireless vs. Competitors

The market is saturated with wireless providers. It is difficult to narrow it down, but it is important to cross your T’s and dot your I’s before you sign on to a new carrier. It is all too easy to overpay for wireless service when it’s not what you need. Cricket Wireless is a fantastic provider for users who use a lot of data but are okay with an MVNO instead of a major wireless provider. Let’s take a look at how Cricket Wireless holds up against the competition. 

Cricket Wireless vs. AT&T

Cricket Wireless runs on AT&T’s network and provides users with the same fantastic coverage and 5G network that the major wireless provider’s users receive. AT&T customers have no chance of data deprioritization, which can happen for Cricket customers in two ways. If you go over your data allocation on a limited-data account, your data speeds are reduced to 3G speeds for the rest of the month. That’s pretty drastic. The other is if you are in an area of high bandwidth usage. If AT&T’s network is strained, all of their MVNO users get their data slowed down. 

AT&T users may have no chance of data deprioritization, but they pay a much steeper price for their service. The main trade-off between these companies is the cost of their service. If you want premium service, go with AT&T. If, however, you are okay with the possibility of slower service with the knowledge that you are saving big, then Cricket Wireless is the move. With unlimited high-speed data, Cricket Wireless customers receive an experience that’s very close to that of a major wireless provider.  

Cricket Wireless vs. Visible Wireless

Visible Wireless is an MVNO that runs on Verizon’s network, and they also have unlimited plans with no data cap. Visible Wireless’s greatest strength is that its unlimited plan includes unlimited high-speed data. The big downside is that they only have unlimited plans, so their service does not cater to low-data users. Cricket Wireless and Visible Wireless are two of our favorite MVNOs, so we recommend checking out what they bring to the table before deciding on one over the other. 

Cricket Wireless vs. Hello Mobile

Cricket Wireless has a great list of cell phone plans. Their Unlimited + plan comes with a huge list of bells and whistles for just $55 a month. Cricket is better for high-data users, while Hello Mobile provides excellent plans for low-data users. Hello Mobile offers a 5G plan for $20 a month, which is only two-thirds the price of what Cricket offers. Hello Mobile is more affordable for low-data accounts, and they offer many great low-data cell phone plans.

Cricket Wireless: Review Summary

The Good

• Multi-Line Savings. While the prices start high, multi-line accounts rack up serious savings. 
• Reliable Network.  Cricket Wireless works on AT&T’s network, providing all its users with some of the best cell coverage in the nation. 
• Affordable Plans. As long as you are on their lowest price point, the cell phone plans from Cricket Wireless are very well priced compared to the competition. 

The Bad

• High Starting Prices. The single-line pricing of Cricket plans is much higher than other MVNOs that provide similar amounts of data. 
• Strange Pricing. The multi-line pricing on the two limited-data plans means low-data users cannot save as much as those on unlimited plans.
• Data deprioritization. This is a common problem with MVNOs, but there is always the chance that your data will get slowed way down in times of high usage.

There’s a lot to like about Cricket Wireless: excellent network, high-speed data, and a well-stocked store. There are, of course, pros and cons, but Cricket Wireless is high on our list of excellent mobile providers. If you are willing to save big on your unlimited high-speed data cell phone plan, then Cricket Wireless is the way to go! If you want more information regarding cell phone plans in your area, you can check out Really’s comparison tool for all the information you need!