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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 Ting, a T-Mobile and Sprint MVNO, and FreedomPop, which operates using Sprint and AT&T’s network. Since both companies operate using a CDMA and GSM carrier, I thought it would be a good match-up. Here’s how they compare:

Plan Prices – Price range? What is included?

Ting – Plans range from $6 – $72

Ting uses a build your own plan concept starting at $6 for one line, with various amounts of minutes, texts, and MB’s available for purchase. Rather than you paying for what you’d like at the beginning of the cycle, you pay your bill for what you have used at the end, although you can set limits for usage. You can view all of the options for building your plans here.

FreedomPop – Plans range from $0 – $44.99

FreedomPop offers two different sets of plans; one for Sprint’s network (titled “for our phones”) and one for AT&T’s network (titled “for our SIMs”). Some plans include WhatsApp usage, so while using the app data would not come out of the customers allotment. You can view the plans in detail here.

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

Ting – None of the options for talk or text are unlimited. Minutes max out at 4,800 for $11, and texts max out at 2,100 for $35. Overages are $.019 per minute and 1/4 cent per text added to your bill.

FreedomPop – Yes. All plans except the “freemium” plans that use WhatsApp include unlimited talk and text with various amounts of data.

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

Ting – Data options start at 100 MB for $3, and work up to 2 GB for $20. Customers are granted a 5% grace period for data overages, but after that an additional GB needs to be purchased for $10.

FreedomPop – FreedomPop’s free plans include 500 MB of data. On the paid plans, data starts with 1 GB for about $20 all the way up to 4 GB for $44.99. It’s a little bit complicated with the two sets of plans, but you can view them in detail here.

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

Ting – It isn’t technically pay as you go, but you’ll pay your bill at the end of the month for everything you’ve used!

FreedomPop – N/A, no pay as you go options available.

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

Ting – International features are not included, but you can view calling rates here.

FreedomPop – A couple of plans do include international calling and texting to certain destinations, or you can choose a special international plan here.

Activation Fees – How much do they cost?

Ting – No activation fee.

FreedomPop – No activation fee.

BYOD – Can you activate your own device?

Ting – Yes, Sprint devices and unlocked GSM devices can be activated here, and SIM cards are available for $9. You can check device compatibility here.

FreedomPop – Yes, Sprint phones and unlocked GSM devices can be activated here, and SIM cards are available for $10. You can check device compatibility here.

Network/Coverage – What network does it use?

Ting – Sprint and T-Mobile | Coverage Map

FreedomPop – Sprint and AT&T| Coverage Map

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