Cricket Cell Phone Plans Review

Cricket offers two unlimited wireless plans, and while they've throttled unlimited speeds in the past, Cricket now offers premium unlimited data. This means speeds will only slow down from congested usage, rather than slowing down due to hitting a data cap.

And there are no catches with unlimited calls or unlimited texting.

The differences between Cricket Wireless plans really boil down to data usage, how often you pay, and whether or not you want to set up autopay.

Here’s a bit of pro advice: you should do autopay and save a couple of bucks every month. Do that, and you’ve got yourself a super cheap wireless bill.

The biggest catch with Cricket Wireless plans is how your download speeds cap at 4 Mbps (4G) or 8 Mbps (LTE) and streaming speeds cap at 1.5 Mbps.

Translation: you’ll have a slower connection than you would with another mobile company.

Of course, we’re talking a few extra seconds when you’re googling something. If you’re pretty patient with your internet and streaming speeds, you can get an affordable unlimited plan.

You can also get a hotspot connection, but it’ll cost you an extra $10 a month if you don't get it included with the Unlimited $60 plan. You’ll get decent speeds for the first 8 GB, but after that, things will slow to an absolute crawl at 128 Kbps. Yikes.

So, how does Cricket compare with the best cell phone carriers? Let’s take a look:

Don’t you love it when you organize search results by price and find there’s a super-affordable option? That’s where Cricket Wireless comes in.

Before you get too excited, keep in mind that Cricket’s wireless data speeds are pretty slow. This isn’t, like, a “Tortoise and the Hare” situation either. Cricket is the tortoise, everyone else is the hare, and in this case, the tortoise loses terribly.

But if you can live with the slower internet download speeds and so-so streaming quality, you do get an awfully cheap wireless cell phone plan with a decent network.

Cricket allows new customers to add up to five lines of service onto one account, saving $10 more with each added line. The maximum discount you can get is $150. And while we don't love a savings cap, we've definitely seen other carriers with weaker family plans or no group-saving features at all.

Before you decide on a plan, you should probably determine how much you value quick internet speeds. Sure, you can save a pretty penny by opting for the slower speed, but you might be giving up some of your sanity in the process. Seconds at a time. While waiting for your Instagram stories to load.

Now, let’s compare Cricket’s family plans with the other major carriers out there.

Cricket’s family plans aren’t a steal like the individual unlimited plans are. Compared to the competition, the family plans aren’t significantly cheaper—which is disappointing.

Metro by T-Mobile and Cricket Wireless are essentially the Spider-man pointing meme when it comes to family plans. Both offer similar prices and neither offers lightning-fast speeds. The advantage with Cricket is that you might save some up-front costs compared to Metro.

Cricket is compatible with most of the flagship phones out there. Or maybe you like Cricket phones less traveled—and if so, you can get Nokia, Motorola, and Alcatel phones as well.

If you’re a Google Pixel fan, though, you won’t be able to buy one directly through Cricket. But you can buy an unlocked Google Pixel and set up your network that way.

Here are some of the most popular phones compatible with Cricket.

Data speed will never be Cricket’s claim to fame, but its overall service coverage is surprisingly good. Cricket uses AT&T’s network, which means it offers the same coverage that you’d get with a more expensive carrier. Currently, AT&T covers around 68% of the country with 4G coverage.¹

The only catch is that your data speeds can be deprioritized in favor of AT&T users in crowded areas. In other words, your internet connection might drop out of the blue in a crowded Costco because AT&T's network gives priority to its own users.

Check out the map below to get an idea of what your coverage will be like with Cricket Wireless.

There is a treasure trove of awful experiences² with Cricket customer service agents. So we decided to find out for ourselves.

We had a simple question—can we use an unlocked Google Pixel phone with our Cricket account? We were only on hold for a few minutes, but when we got through, we didn’t get much help.

We got the confirmation you can use a Google Pixel with Cricket, but when we asked for additional information on how to make the switch, they just told us to “look online.”

Now, our agent might’ve just been having a bad day, but in our experience, Cricket customer service is consistent with its poor reviews.

There are quite a few MVNOs that use AT&T's network like Pure TalkUSA, and Straight Talk that have cheap cell phone plans to offer as well.

Would it be a wireless provider if it didn’t have a few hidden fees? Sadly, there are some additional Cricket fees to consider.

The fees are nothing egregious, but they are annoying. Who wants to pay a $25 activation fee? No one, that’s who.

If you take anything from this Cricket review, it’s this formula:

Cheap wireless + solid coverage - bad internet = Cricket Wireless.

For some people (like Instagram models), Cricket is probably not the hashtag best choice, but for folks who want a phone more than a smartphone, it makes a lot of sense.

• Plans: Cricket offers straight-up plans that are competitive with other providers. Whether you want an unlimited plan or a family plan, there’s a good chance Cricket will be your cheapest option.
• Coverage: Cricket uses AT&T’s network, so you can expect reasonable coverage if you live and work in a city. Out in the country, though, you’re out of luck.
• Speed: With a download speed of 4 Mbps and streaming speeds of 1.5 Mbps, Cricket is no Speed Racer.
• Customer service: Cricket doesn’t have the best customer service, but for simple questions, they’ll get the job done.

Overall: Cricket is precisely as advertised. It’s cheap, works, and doesn’t offer blazing internet download speeds. It’s a perfect phone for those who primarily want to talk and text, with minor app usage.

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