Straight Talk: Which plan is the best one for you?
Straight Talk is one of the most unique mobile virtual network operators, as they offer a wide range of unique plans for you to take advantage. They provide their network services through Verizon, which offers great 5G coverage across the country. Straight Talk offers several different plans, but which plan is best for you?
In this article, we’ll cover:
- What each Straight Talk plan offers
- What deals Straight Talk offers for its users
- Which Straight Talk plan is the best deal
Unsure of what you need out of a phone plan? Read our guide on how to choose the best one to suit your needs.
What to expect from Straight Talk
Straight Talk offers multi-month plans as well as several unlimited plans.
What makes Straight Talk unique from their competitors is that they only offer one limited data plan – the Basic Phone Plan. Users also get limited minutes with this plan. Otherwise, every plan is marketed as unlimited talk, text, and data. Users also have the option of buying several months of service at once – 3, 6, or 12 months.
Their plans offer up to 480p Standard Definition resolution when streaming. Straight Talk offers international connection capabilities, depending on the plan.
Coverage
Straight Talk uses Verizon’s network to give users the best speeds.
As Straight Talk is an MVNO, they buy coverage from one of the main network providers with their own infrastructure – specifically Verizon, while others buy from AT&T and T-Mobile.
The best coverage for you comes down to your location. It’s important to compare between providers on a coverage map of your specific city. Ookla’s coverage map allows you to see where cellular towers are located and which company owns them. Comparing tower locations can help you determine which of the big 3 network providers meet your needs.
The Plans
Straight Talk offers plans with different renewal times, features, and data allotments.
Straight Talk offers a large variety of plans to meet your specific needs, whether it be international capabilities or large hotspot allotments. These plans also come with deprioritized data, which is when data slows down due to high network traffic. This can happen in a busy store or restaurant. The average phone user uses about 20GB of data per month, so most of these plans are excellent for the average data user.
Let’s talk about each Straight Talk plan individually, and what they offer for their customers.
Best Overall: Silver Unlimited
While it's not Straight Talk’s biggest plan, the Silver Unlimited Plan offers the best price for the amount of features included. With this plan, you get 60GB of full speed data before it slows down to 2G speeds. At 2G speeds, users can still send texts and emails or scroll the internet, but streaming video or playing games is not possible without WiFi.
This plan costs $45. You get 65GB per month for $0.69 per GB.
Pros: lots of data
Cons: deprioritized
Conclusion: best for heaviest data users
Runner Up: Gold Unlimited
This is Straight Talk’s biggest plan, and it offers the second best price relative to what you get from the plan. It offers 60GB of full speed data each month as well as 15GB of hotspot data. Hotspot access stops once you hit the 15GB cap, and hitting the 60GB cap means your speeds will slow to 2G speeds.
Gold Unlimited costs $55. You get 75GB per month for $0.75 per GB.
Pros: lots of hotspot data
Cons: deprioritized
Conclusion: best for heaviest data users
Extended Unlimited- 12 Months
Unlike the other plans, this plan requires users to pay in a lump sum for a year of service. Here, you get 25GB of full speed data and 5GB of hotspot data. Hotspot access stops once you hit the limit, and data speeds slow to 2G when you use up the 25GB.
The 12 month plan costs $495 per year, or $41.25 per month. With this plan, you get 30GB per month for $1.38 per GB.
Pros: price
Cons: deprioritized
Conclusion: best for average to heavy data users
Extended Unlimited- 6 Months
This version of the Extended plan lasts 6 months. The plan includes 25GB of full speed data each month, which slows to 2G speeds after the limit. You also get 5GB of hotspot access, which stops at the cap.
The 6 month plan costs $255 per year, or $42.50 per month. With this plan, you get 30GB per month for $1.42 per GB.
Pros: hotspot data
Cons: annual price is better
Conclusion: best for average to heavy data users
Extended Unlimited- 3 Months
This is the shortest extended plan that Straight Talk offers. This plan offers the same features: 25GB full speed data, then unlimited 2G speeds, and 5GB of hotspot data. Your hotspot access stops once you hit the 5GB mark.
With this plan, you get 30GB per month for $1.44 per GB.
Pros: hotspot data
Cons: more expensive than the longer plans
Conclusion: best for average to heavy data users
Platinum Unlimited
This plan offers 20GB of full speed data, which slows to 2G speeds once you hit the limit. You also get 20GB of hotspot data, which stops once you reach the cap. This plan offers the most hotspot data out of every plan.
With this plan, you get 40GB per month for $1.63 per GB.
Pros: lots of hotspot data
Cons: deprioritized
Conclusion: best for heavy data users
Unlimited International
The international plan is unique, as it comes with international calling capabilities. You also get 25GB of full speed data each month. It slows to 2G speeds once you hit the limit. You also get 5GB of hotspot data that stops once you hit the cap.
With this plan, you get 30GB per month for $2 per GB.
Pros: international calling feature
Cons: no international texting, roaming data
Conclusion: best for travelers
Bronze Unlimited
As one of Straight Talk’s smaller plans, you get 10GB of full speed data and 5GB of hotspot data. Hotspot access stops once you reach the limit, and regular data speeds slow down once you hit that cap.
With this plan, you get 15GB per month for $2.33 per GB.
Pros: hotspot access included
Cons: deprioritized
Conclusion: best for light to average users
Basic Phone Plan
This is the smallest plan Straight Talk offers, and also the most expensive. This plan gives you 1500 minutes each month as well as 100MB of full speed data. You get unlimited texting, and hotspot access is not available with this plan.
The Basic Plan costs $30. With this plan, you get 100MB per month for $300 per GB.
Pros: simplicity
Cons: expensive
Conclusion: best for those with constant WiFi, those who don’t need data
Family Plan Offerings
Straight Talk only allows single line accounts — with one exception.
Straight Talk allows only single lines on each account, meaning you’d need separate accounts for each line. However, the Gold Unlimited plan offers a 2-line version for $90 per month.
Features
Straight Talk’s offered features depend on the plan.
Straight Talk offers several features their users can take advantage of, which include:
feature
details
Customer Service
Straight Talk conducts all customer service online.
There are several ways to contact their customer support lines:
chat support
phone support
Conclusion
Straight Talk’s Silver Unlimited plan is the best they offer.
With decent features, high data amounts, and a good price, the Unlimited Silver plan offers the most bang for your buck. The Gold Unlimited plan is also a great option, especially if you’re using more than one line.
To have a comprehensive picture of how much data you use month to month and what plan you need, we’d recommend checking your data usage before committing to a plan.
Want to compare other carriers?
Really.com helps users compare between features, coverage, price, reviews, and more!
Are you still unsure if you want to go with a Straight Talk plan? Use really.com to compare your top choices and find the best deal to fit your needs. Really allows you to compare and sort between most phone plans on the market without the hassle!