VS

With the massive number of prepaid MVNOs and carrier options, it’s sometimes hard to keep track of it all and even harder to compare and decide which company is the right one for you. So, every once in a while we’re going to go through and do a Face-off of two popular companies, comparing plans and services to help you better decide. Today, we’ll look at Ultra Mobile and Cricket Wireless. Cricket is one of AT&T’s prepaid brands, while Ultra is an international calling-centric T-Mobile MVNO. Here’s how they compare:

Plan Prices – Price range? What is included?

Ultra Mobile – Plans range from $19 – $49

All plans include unlimited talk and text within the United States, and unlimited global text. Additionally, all plans include some data and international calling options to 30 or 60 countries. View all the plans and options here.

Cricket Wireless – Plans range from $30 – $60

All plans include unlimited talk and text, and the $40 – $60 plans qualify for a $5 discount when customers sign up for auto-pay. Additionally, the $50 and $60 plans have international options available as well, and all plans include unlimited low speed data.

Unlimited Talk/Text – Is it offered? What is the lowest price?

Ultra Mobile – Yes, the $19 plan includes unlimited talk and text in the united state, unlimited talk to 60 countries, 100 MB data, $1.50 call anywhere credit, and $5 rollover roaming credit.

Cricket Wireless – Yes, the $30 plan includes unlimited talk and text, and 1 GB of data.

Data Ranges – What is the most and least data available?

Ultra Mobile – Data ranges between 100 MB and 5 GB, with unlimited 2G available.

Cricket Wireless – Data ranges between 1 GB and 12 GB high speed. After the high speed is used, customers are throttled until the plan renews.

Pay-As-You-Go Rates – What are the pay-as-you-go per minute rates?

Ultra Mobile – N/A

Cricket Wireless – N/A

International Calling – What options are available? What does it cost?

Ultra Mobile – There are dozens of different countries included in the different international calling options and nearly all of the plans feature some international credit. Rates are variable by country. For more information visit this page.

Cricket Wireless – Cricket customers with a $50 or higher plan can qualify for unlimited talk, text, and data to and from Mexico and Canada. Additionally, qualifying customers can choose to add a $10 international calling package to one of 12 available countries including Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Philippines, and Vietnam. Read more information here.

Activation Fees – How much do they cost?

Ultra Mobile – no fee

Cricket Wireless – no fee

BYOD – Can you activate your own device?

Ultra Mobile – Yes, all locked T-Mobile phones and most unlocked GSM phones can be activated, provided you have a SIM card.

Cricket Wireless – Yes, Cricket allows activation of a variety of phones, although you must purchase a SIM card. Check compatibility here.

Network/Coverage – What network does it use?

Ultra Mobile – T-Mobile | Coverage Map

Cricket Wireless – AT&T | Coverage Map

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