Family plan savings on either carrier

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  Unlimited data with perks

  Verizon

  Verizon has strong nationwide coverage with simple, yet feature-rich plans to choose from. Verizon keeps its prices down thanks to multi-line discounts and keeping streaming perks as add-ons.

  Pros

  • Strong nationwide LTE and 5G coverage
  • Easy-to-understand plan structure
  • Multiline, veteran, and first responder discounts

  Cons

  • Taxes and fees are extra
  • Expensive for a single line
  • 5G coverage still lags behind T-Mobile

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  Multi-line and multi-month savings

  Cricket Wireless

  Cricket is a prepaid carrier owned and operated by AT&T. Cricket uses the AT&T network for coverage, so it has strong nationwide LTE coverage with a mid-band 5G network that’s steadily improving.

  Pros

  • Strong nationwide coverage on AT&T
  • Multi-line and multi-month discounts available
  • Taxes and fees included

  Cons

  • No hotspot on multi-month options
  • SD streaming on all plans

It’s easy to overlook Cricket with its fairly typical set of plans and less hype than brands like Visible and Mint Mobile. Still, Cricket offers competitive plans compared to other prepaid brands, and of those running on AT&T, it’s one of the best options. AT&T has strong rural coverage and, for many people, its reliable LTE coverage is a good enough reason to stick with the carrier, even if AT&T has fallen behind in terms of 5G.

Verizon builds its own network and has been rushing to get its mid-band Ultra Wideband 5G network up and running in as many cities and towns as possible. The result is a coverage area dotted by fast 5G with LTE bridging the gaps between. Verizon’s plans are designed to take advantage of this network with unlimited data and plenty of hotspot data for most people.

Mobile carrier features

Verizon is one of the Big Three carriers for a reason, with vast coverage including an expanding 5G network C-band spectrum with quick speeds. Verizon’s postpaid plans all come with unlimited data, so you can make the most of its network. Separating the plans is the inclusion of higher-priority premium data, high-speed hotspot data, and, of course, international roaming.

With larger Verizon plans, you’ll get bigger discounts on new phones, as well as more credit for BYOD devices if you’re a new customer. You can also bundle home internet service with either Verizon 5G Home or Fios internet for as low as $35 per month. If you’re looking for something to watch with your fast internet connection, you can get streaming perks from Verizon for $10 per month, plus other perks like Apple One or Walmart+.

Cricket also gets unlimited data on several of its plans without a high-speed data cap. If you only want data, Cricket even has a handful of data-only plans that can also be used with things like hotspot devices, tablets, and laptops. If you’re looking for savings, some of the larger plans support multi-line savings so you can bring the whole family.

The unlimited plan can also be paid in 3-month or 12-month increments, with discounts for paying for a longer term upfront. Cricket also includes taxes and fees in the plan pricing, so you have a good idea of what you’ll be paying before you get your bill.

Signal and reception

Verizon has its own network and coverage with LTE and 5G coverage across the country, and has earned a strong reputation for reliability. Verizon has nationwide LTE coverage with spots of Ultra Wideband 5G blanketing cities and towns across the country. If you live more than a few miles outside of town, you may not see 5G on Verizon at your house for quite a while, but LTE should be more than enough for most people.

Check Verizon’s coverage map to get an idea of what coverage looks like in your area. While Verizon has kept its foot on the gas with 5G expansion, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got good coverage when you sign up, as it’s hard to predict just how Ultra Wideband 5G expansion will continue on the Verizon network. If Verizon LTE coverage isn’t good enough at your home, 5G probably won’t do any better.

Be sure to check Verizon’s coverage map, to see what kind of coverage you have in your area. If you’ve got an unlocked phone, you can also set up a free trial to make sure coverage is strong where you live and work.

Cricket’s AT&T network is known for strong nationwide coverage, too, especially in rural areas; AT&T is building a 5G network with its own chunk of mid-band spectrum. Both AT&T and Verizon had to hold off on 5G expansion while their mid-band spectrum got cleared across the country, so both carriers fell behind T-Mobile’s 5G coverage. However, since both carriers got full access to their mid-band spectrum, expansion has been consistent.

You can check Cricket’s coverage map to see if 5G is available in your area. You can also get a free trial of Cricket if you have an unlocked phone with eSIM support.

Phone compatibility

Both carriers have generally strong phone support, with Cricket’s AT&T network being a bit friendlier to less common models, like OnePlus 12, or international phones. That said, Verizon still supports the majority of phones made for the North American market. If you want to be sure, you can check your phone’s compatibility by entering the IMEI on Cricket’s website. You can also check your IMEI at Verizon’s site.

For 5G compatibility on Verizon, your phone should support bands n2, n5, n66, and n77, at least with n260 and n261 mmWave 5G also available in some cities, arenas, and airports. Most of Verizon’s fast Ultra Wideband 5G coverage will use band n77, so it’s important to make sure your phone is compatible.

AT&T’s 5G bands are fairly similar with a chunk of dedicated spectrum on band n5, mid-band spectrum at n77, and mmWave at n260. Like Verizon, AT&T’s fastest 5G, called 5G+, uses mid-band and high-band spectrum. AT&T has mmWave coverage in quite a few cities and venues, so if you spend a lot of time in congested areas like this, a phone will mmWave could very well be worth it.

Luckily, on both carriers, most of the best Android phones support all the required bands, including phones like the Galaxy S24 Ultra and even the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Plans

When it comes to plans and pricing, Cricket and Verizon don’t have much in common. Verizon mostly focuses on its unlimited postpaid plans with a fairly low barrier to entry, solid discounts, and add-on perks separate from the main plan features. Cricket’s plans come in a wide variety, starting on the low end with 5GB of data and ranging up to unlimited data with a hotspot. Cricket also has multi-month discounts on its base unlimited plan.

Verizon’s plans

Verizon’s cheapest postpaid plan is Unlimited Welcome, starting at $65 per month for the first line; with four lines, it comes down to $30 per line. This plan gets unlimited data, but it’s at a lower priority than Verizon’s other postpaid plans. There’s also no hotspot data included, though you do get usage in Mexico and Canada, and streaming video on basic 5G or LTE is limited to 480p.

If you’re planning on buying a new phone, keep in mind that this plan gets the lowest new device discounts.

Verizon’s middle plan is called Unlimited Plus and starts at $80 per month, but with four lines, it comes down to $45 per line. This plan comes with unlimited premium data, full Ultra Wideband 5G speeds, and 30GB of high-speed hotspot data. There’s also an upgrade in savings when you bring your own device of up to $360 and better new device savings. Streaming is also up to 720p when not on Ultra Wideband.

Verizon’s top plan is Unlimited Ultimate, starting at $90 per month for a single line, or $55 per line with four lines. This plan gets the best of Verizon with full 5G speeds, 60GB of mobile hotspot data, international calling, texting, and data in 210+ countries and destinations. This plan also gets Verizon’s best phone upgrade deals and up to $540 in bill credits if you bring your own phone. Streaming is also upped to 1080 on LTE and nationwide 5G.

Verizon doesn’t include taxes and fees, so your bill will be a few dollars more per line than the plan’s listed price. Also, remember that Verizon offers some good deals on add-ons, which all cost $10.

For example, you can get a Disney Bundle with Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu, which would cost more if you got it directly from Disney. Similarly, you can get an Apple One membership if you have an iPhone for less than paying Apple. You can even get some plan add-ons like international day passes or even 100GB of hotspot data.

Verizon also has four prepaid plans, starting with a talk and text-only plan for $30 per month. There’s a 15GB plan for $5 more per month that also supports roaming in Mexico and Canada, and you get 5G access, but not full Ultra Wideband speeds. For $50 per month, you can get an unlimited plan with basic 5G speeds and 5GB of hotspot data. At the top end, Unlimited Plus looks a lot like a postpaid plan with full 5G speeds and 25GB of hotspot data.

On the two unlimited prepaid plans, additional lines cost just $20 per month. The 15GB plan and up also get loyalty discounts with the lowest price available after nine months of service. This price matches the auto-pay discount, so if you’re willing to set auto-pay on a debit card, you can save right away.

Cricket’s plans

Cricket really only has four plans, though some differences in payment options and discounts give you a few options on some plans. Starting with the cheapest, the 5GB plan comes in at $30 per month and gets, you guessed it, 5GB of data with 5G speeds. There are no multi-line discounts for this plan, and additional data comes in at $10 per 1GB.

Cricket’s 10GB plan comes in at $40 for a single line but also qualifies for multi-line discounts. With four lines, Cricket 10GB costs $110 per month or $27.50 per line. There’s no hotspot data, but usage in Mexico and Canada is included.

Next, the base unlimited plan comes in at $55 per month for a single line. With four lines, it comes down to $100 per month, making it a better pick for families than the 10GB plan. Usage in Mexico and Canada is included and hotspot data is available if you don’t mind paying extra.

Speaking of payments, if you’ve got a single line and want to save, you can pay for this plan for three months to get it for $40 per month, or annually to get it for $25 per month. Keep in mind that there’s no hotspot add-on for the 3-month and 12-month plans.

Cricket’s top plan, the Unlimited + 15GB Mobile Hotspot Plan, comes in at $60 per month for the first line, with four lines coming in at $130. As you may have deduced, this plan gets unlimited mobile data with 15GB of hotspot data. Max with Ads is included, so you have something to watch with that unlimited data as well.

Which should you get?

When it comes down to it, Cricket is the better overall value with lower plan pricing, multi-line and multi-month options, plus, taxes and fees are included. Whether you’ve got one line or four, Cricket’s most expensive plan is cheaper than Verizon’s cheapest, and you really don’t give up a lot for it.

As long as you’ve got strong AT&T coverage in your area, Cricket is a good value compared to Verizon’s plans. If you need help getting set up, Cricket has physical stores around the country, but if you can set things up yourself, you can save a $25 activation fee per line to save even more.

Verizon can still be the right choice for a lot of people thanks to its excellent coverage, unlimited data, and multi-line discounts. Verizon may also be cheaper for you when you due to how you can save on services with Verizon’s add-on perks.

Besides that, Verizon Home Internet is available with a discount for either Fios fiber internet service or 5G Home Internet. While Verizon home internet isn’t available for everyone, if it is for you, you could save quite a bit with a bundle.