AT&T vs. Credo Mobile: Which Carrier is Better?

AT&T is one of the three major wireless networks popular in the United States, and Credo Mobile is an MVNO that operates on Verizon’s network. It provides affordable plans with the caveat that it is more likely to experience data deprioritization than major wireless providers.

In this article, we plan to discuss the ins and outs of both carriers and what they offer. We’ll also cover:

• What the coverage of both carriers looks like
• How do the prices of their plans compare to how much data you get
• The features each carrier offers for their plans 

Coverage & Reception

Credo Mobile is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO). This means it purchases service access wholesale from one of the three major networks that own infrastructure across the country—AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile—giving customers service at a much lower price. Credo Mobile uses Verizon’s network.  

Credo Mobile is comparable with AT&T regarding coverage and reception, as both AT&T and Verizon have excellent nationwide coverage with 4G LTE and 5G coverage maps. AT&T has better coverage in certain areas, while Verizon takes the cake in other regions. Make sure to check local coverage maps for more information about your area.  

The other significant difference between the coverage and reception of these carriers is that AT&T customers have a far higher data priority than Credo Mobile’s customers. When there is more traffic on a network than it can handle, the owning company (AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon) will throttle the data of specific customers. To evade slowing everyone’s data speed at once, carriers have users divided into tiers with different data priorities. In the United States, that priority data is roughly divided into three tiers, like so: 

• Tier 1 Data has the maximum data speeds at all times. If tier-one data is ever slowed down, it means no network customers can access high-speed data. This may occur at sporting events, concerts, or other large congregations of people
• Tier 2 Data retains maximum speeds after MVNO customers' data is slowed down. This is excellent on all but the busiest occasions. If congestion returns after MVNOs are slowed down, then T2 gets slowed to make room for Tier 1 Data, which this plan offers, to stay at max speeds. With T2 data, you may notice slowdowns in bigger cities where there are many residents and commuters. 
• Tier 3 Data, or MVNO data, is always the first tier of data to receive slowdowns. US Mobile utilizes MVNO data, which is an excellent way to use major wireless networks with affordable plan pricing. 

So, AT&T offers plans that have either tier 1 or tier 2 data, and Credo Mobile offers plans that are on tier 3 data. If you live in a major metropolitan area, you will notice far more slowdowns due to data deprioritization than if you live in a suburban or rural area. 

Plan Options

AT&T offers various plans that provide unlimited data, while Credo Mobile offers a quartet of data plans with, importantly, an option for unlimited high-speed data. Along with high-speed data, both carriers offer unlimited talk and text along with various features and add-ons. First up, let’s talk about AT&T’s cell phone plans. 

AT&T Cell Phone Plans

AT&T offers three unlimited plans at various price points, with each one offering various add-ons, high-speed data, and more. All plans have immense multi-line savings between two and five lines. If you open an account with friends and family, everyone will save big on their cell phone service. Let’s outline AT&T’s cell phone plans. 

• AT&T Unlimited Starter Plan
• AT&T Unlimited Extra Plan
• AT&T Unlimited Premium Plan

Each of AT&T’s cell phone plans is a great option for people who want unlimited high-speed data, with their starter plan offering unlimited high-speed data and the two premium plans offering premium data, extra hotspot data, and more. Let’s break it down. 

AT&T Unlimited Starter Plan 

AT&T’s Unlimited Starter plan offers unlimited high-speed data, 5 GB of hotspot data, AT&T’s Active Armor cell phone security. Along with this, AT&T limits phone streaming on mobile data to standard definition. A single-line account here costs $65 per month, lowering down to $30 a month for a five-line account. One thing you will notice among major wireless providers — they all have incredible multi-line savings. This makes these high-cost plans most valuable for customers who plan on adding multiple lines to their accounts. 

AT&T Unlimited Extra

AT&T’s Unlimited Extra offers 75 GB of premium data, which will never get slowed down unless the network is maximally congested (think NFL game), as well as 30 GB of high-speed hotspot data, which is a great addition to the plan for those who use their laptops on the go. AT&T still only offers standard definition streaming on their Unlimited Extra plan. 

AT&T Unlimited Premium

AT&T’s most expensive plan, Unlimited Premium, comes with 60 GB high-speed hotspot data, unlimited premium data, and 4K UHD streaming. This plan is very expensive, and we only recommend it for people who will get the most out of it. This high-powered plan is excellent for those who use their phones and other devices routinely while on the move. 

Credo Mobile Cell Phone Plans

Credo’s unlimited plan provides unlimited high-speed data, which separates them from other MVNOs. Few MVNO data plans offer the same. Credo Mobile has five cell phone plans. Each plan comes with unlimited talk and text, as well as the same 5G and 4G LTE coverage that Verizon users get. The phone plans at Credo Mobile are competitively priced and come with a variety of benefits and shortcomings, just like their competitors. Their four major plans are

Unlimited data

This is Credo’s most expensive plan with all the bells and whistles they can provide. This cell phone plan provides immense value, but it is incredibly expensive at its opening price. That price becomes much more affordable as you add more lines. It is even less expensive with five lines than their 15 GB plan! Credo’s unlimited data plan is perfect for multi-line accounts that use lots of high-speed data every month. 

This plan is very similar to what you see at AT&T. One of the big benefits of this plan is the option to switch to plans that offer limited data at a price that is lower than anything AT&T can offer. 

15 GB

Credo Mobile’s 15 GB cell phone plan is rarely a better choice than its unlimited cell phone plan. It starts at the same price as their unlimited plan and ends more expensively. The second line does reduce the cost per line by $25, an insane drop. This second line makes it much more affordable and significantly less expensive than Credo’s unlimited plan. 

Since Credo phone plans are a month-to-month affair, it is easy to jump between plans based on your needs. If you start with Unlimited and decide it’s not right for you, you can bump yourself up or down a tier. 

9 GB data

As we travel down their plans, the data allocations get smaller and smaller. A 9 GB monthly data allocation is not very much, but it lets you use your phone a bit while out and about. You will need to put some thought into limiting data usage, but it is a different equation than, say, Credo’s 3 or 1 GB cell phone plan. 

Credo’s 9 GB cell phone plan grants you just about 50% savings if you open a five-line cell phone plan, but the bulk of the savings come from the first two lines. As long as you have two other people with whom to open the account, you are in for some serious savings. 

1 and 3 GB 

Credo’s cheapest phone plans both have very small data allocations but start much less expensive than their other offerings. Like the other set data plans, they offer a few gigs of high-speed data each month, slowing your speeds down to a crawl if you exceed it. 

Credo’s limited-data plans are not well-priced compared to other MVNOs, so if you are looking for a low-data plan, we recommend MVNOs like Tello Mobile or Mint Mobile. 

Major Wireless Network vs. MVNO

One of the biggest differences between AT&T and Credo Mobile is that AT&T is a major wireless network, while Credo Mobile is an MVNO. There are several key differences between these kinds of carriers. Let’s get into it.

Data throttling and data deprioritization are two key differences between major wireless networks and MVNOs. 

Deprioritization

Data deprioritization occurs when a network is too “busy” to handle the current level of traffic. This happens all the time across the country, but the frequency of deprioritization is hard to quantify. 

Certain plans from major wireless networks will also allocate an amount of data on the premium tier before deprioritizing your account for the rest of the month. This gives you a pool of congestion-free data each month; you have a higher risk of slowed-down data once you use it up.

Throttling

Data throttling occurs when you are on a limited data plan and use up all your data for the month. This is completely separate from network congestion. This is the dramatic slowing of data, where speeds will be a lot slower than those who’ve just been deprioritized. At the beginning of next month, you will get a new data allocation and return it to high speeds. 

As an MVNO, Credo Mobile’s data fluctuates far more than AT&T’s data, as Credo Mobile receives data deprioritization far more. This makes Credo Mobile, among other MVNOs, unreliable in terms of data speeds. Anytime there is a danger of congestion within Verizon’s network, the high-speed data given to Credo Mobile’s customers is slowed down to allocate more bandwidth to major wireless customers. 

This congestion is seen most in big cities around the United States. In those cities, the network is stronger but not strong enough to handle the city's residents and the commuters coming in for work. Places like New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Miami, to name a few, are all areas where MVNOs experience a lot of congestion. 

It is harder to predict the congestion in less populated cities and rural areas around the country. Festivals, concerts, and sporting events are common times when a lot of congestion hits the area. If you’ve ever been to a football game and tried to access your phone for just about anything, we are certain that you’ve seen what it feels like to try to use data with congestion. 

AT&T, a major network, does not throttle its customers' data (its plans have unlimited high-speed data) and sees less data deprioritization than Credo Mobile. AT&T’s customers have either tier 1 or tier 2 data, so MVNOs will always be deprioritized before major wireless networks. 

Customer Service 

AT&T has physical locations and robust online customer service offerings, while Credo Mobile only has online customer service. You can call AT&T’s customer service line at this number: 844-931-0552. You can also reach AT&T’s help pages following this link, which has answers to frequently asked questions, the option to chat, and more. 

Credo Mobile's contact information is 800-411-0848, or you can access its help page here. 

The Verdict

Due to data deprioritization, Credo Mobile is best for people without high-speed data when they are out and about. Though Credo Mobile offers unlimited high-speed data, it is priced comparably to AT&T without the data priority that you get with the major network. It is nice that users can switch to lower-data cell phone plans to save, but there are other MVNOs with similar data allocations at far better prices. 

Overall, we recommend AT&T over Credo Mobile. The pricing between these two companies makes the additional data priority and plan features a clear reason to go with AT&T.  

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 which carrier to choose or which phone plan to pick? 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!

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I choose the right cell phone provider? 

Choosing the right provider depends on your location, budget, and data usage. Research the coverage maps of major providers in your area to determine which one has the best coverage for you. Also, consider customer reviews for each provider's service quality and customer support.

How can I choose the right cell phone plan?

To choose the right plan, assess your usage habits—how much data, talk time, and texts you need. Look for plans that fit your requirements and budget. Compare different providers' offerings and check for additional features like international roaming, hotspot data, or family plans.

Who does Credo Mobile use for mobile?

Credo Mobile has agreements with Verizon to provide high-speed data coverage nationwide. Check their website or contact customer service to confirm which major carrier they currently use for their mobile services, as this may vary by region.

Is AT&T faster than T-Mobile?

In many areas, AT&T and T-Mobile offer competitive speeds. Performance can vary depending on your location, network congestion, and the quality of service. Check your specific area's speed test data and coverage maps to determine which provider offers faster speeds.

Who provides better coverage, AT&T or Credo Mobile?

AT&T provides faster and more reliable data speeds, but Credo Mobile has comparable coverage, as they use Verizon’s network. The exact coverage is dependent on your area. If you live in a major metropolitan area, you will experience much more data deprioritization using Credo Mobile than you would in, say, a rural area. 

Should I use an MVNO or a major wireless provider?

It depends on your priorities. MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators) often offer more affordable plans with similar coverage since they use the same network that major providers use. However, major providers may offer better perks, such as higher data speeds, broader coverage, and more premium features. Evaluate your budget and needs to make the right choice.