AT&T vs. T-Mobile Pre-Paid: Which Carrier is Better?

AT&T and T-Mobile are two major carriers in the United States. They provide expensive plans with unlimited high-speed data, high data priority, and a variety of extras and add-ons. These plans are for high-data users who use their phones a lot every day and are able to make the most of their 4G LTE and 5G networks. These expensive plans offer stable data in all but areas of the highest congestion, like sporting events and concerts. 

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

T-Mobile Pre-Paid and AT&T are both major wireless carriers, meaning they own and operate their own networks around the country. At this point, all three major wireless networks in the United States have fantastic 5G networks backed by 4G LTE networks in more areas around the country, generally further from major metropolitan areas. AT&T provides comparable coverage with T-Mobile. Both networks have excellent nationwide coverage with 4G LTE and 5G coverage maps. AT&T has better coverage in certain areas, while T-Mobile takes the cake in other regions. Make sure to check local coverage maps for more information about your area.  

Since they are both major wireless networks, AT&T and T-Mobile have similar data priorities. However, T-Mobile offers more priority data across its cell phone plans, starting with 50 GB of priority data with its cheapest plan.  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. MVNO data 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, just like T-Mobile. 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, very similar to T-Mobile Pre-Paid’s options. 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, and 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 is that 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. 

T-Mobile Pre-Paid Cell Phone Plans

T-Mobile Pre-Paid cell phone plans offer a contract-free way to get service from a major wireless provider. There are currently four total cell phone plans from T-Mobile pre-paid, one of which offers 10 GB high-speed data and the other three offering unlimited high-speed data. All of these cell phone plans have incredible mulit-line savings, as well, keeping in kind with the mainline plans available from T-Mobile and other major wireless networks.

• T-Mobile Pre-Paid Unlimited Plus 
• T-Mobile Pre-Paid Unlimited Promo
• T-Mobile Pre-Paid Unlimited 
• T-Mobile Pre-Paid 10 GB

T-Mobile Unlimited Plus

The headline plan from T-Mobile Pre-Paid is $60 a month with one line and then $30 a line after that when adding more lines. This makes the cell phone plan less expensive for each additional line you add, perfect for big families looking to make the most out of a major wireless provider. Family plans are great for friends, too! If you have some roommates or other pals, you can save a lot on your monthly cell phone bill. On top of unlimited high-speed data, this plan comes with 10 GB of high-speed hotspot data, perfect for people who need to boot up their laptop or a tablet on occasion when out and about.

T-Mobile Unlimited Promo

This cell phone plan is best when you add a pair of lines, only costing $75 for both. It comes with unlimited high-speed data and 3 GB of high-speed mobile hotspot data, the same as T-Mobile Pre-Paid Unlimited. These plans are pretty expensive for what you get, but can still be a good option if you want the least expensive way to get unlimited high-speed data from a major wireless network. We will break it down in the next section, but one of the major differences between major networks and MVNOs is that major network customers experience far less congestion than any MVNO does. Major networks operate on a much higher priority for their customers. 

T-Mobile Pre-Paid customers operate on Tier 2, so customers will receive more congestion than customers on T-Mobile premium data and less congestion than MVNOs. 

T-Mobile 10 GB

Last but not least is T-Mobile 10 GB, starting at $40 a month. This is a steep price to pay for 10 GB, where several MVNOs offer a similar data allocation for around half as much each month, but what we like about this plan is that it is one of the least expensive ways to be a part of T-Mobile. 

With 10 GB of high-speed data each month, you must be careful about when and where you use your data. You do get great 5G data speeds, but that means just about any cell phone activities will consume your data allocation with great haste. 10 GB is a good amount, but it is easy, for instance, to use 1 GB a day on your commute to and from work, which would leave you in the sticks before the month is even halfway over. 

There are, fortunately, a lot of ways to limit your data consumption, letting you use your phone a lot without stressing your limited high-speed data allocation. If you get this plan, make sure to download media on WiFi and also connect to WiFi networks whenever you can to limit your data consumption. 

Major Wireless Network vs. MVNO

Both AT&T and T-Mobile are major wireless networks. Their cell phone plans, coverage, and overall experience are much more similar than they would be for an MVNO like Cricket Wireless or Mint Mobile. Let’s break down some of the key differences between Major Wireless Networks and MVNOs, just in case an MVNO sounds like a better fit. 

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

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 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 at high speed. 

Just about every MVNO offers limited high-speed data and then an unlimited pool of throttled data, around 2G or 3G speeds. This makes MVNOs unreliable in terms of data speeds. Anytime there is a danger of congestion within a major wireless network, the high-speed data given to MVNO customers is slowed down to allocate more bandwidth to major wireless customers. 

AT&T and T-Mobile, as major networks, do not throttle their customers' data (their plans have unlimited high-speed data) and see less data deprioritization than MVNOs. AT&T and T-Mobile’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, similar to T-Mobile. You can call AT&T’s customer service line at 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. 

T-Mobile's contact information is 800-937-8997, or you can access its help page here. 

The Verdict

AT&T’s cell phone plans offer more robust data allocations and add-ons but are a bit more expensive. Overall, we recommend AT&T’s cell phone plans, or regular T-Mobile cell phone plans. If you are interested in prepaid offerings, there are lots of amazing MVNOs with much more affordable plans than T-Mobile Pre-Paid. If you do want a major wireless network cell phone plan, we recommend using their normal cell phone plans. Though a bit more expensive, they come with a lot of benefits that make it worthwhile. 

Want to compare other carriers?

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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 does the network coverage of AT&T compare to T-Mobile?

AT&T and T-Mobile both offer extensive nationwide coverage, but there are differences in their network strengths. AT&T generally has stronger coverage in rural and suburban areas, thanks to its well-established infrastructure. T-Mobile, on the other hand, is known for its strong presence in urban areas and has been expanding its 5G network rapidly. To determine which carrier has better coverage in your specific area, it’s best to check their coverage maps and customer reviews.

Which carrier offers better data speeds, AT&T or T-Mobile?

Data speeds can vary based on location, network congestion, and the type of technology used by the carriers. AT&T has been recognized for its fast 4G LTE speeds and has also been expanding its 5G network. T-Mobile, however, has been aggressively rolling out its 5G network and often leads in 5G coverage and speed. For the most accurate comparison, consult recent speed test results and coverage reports specific to your area.

How do AT&T and T-Mobile compare in terms of plan pricing and features?

AT&T and T-Mobile offer a variety of plans at different price points, each with unique features. AT&T tends to have slightly higher prices but includes features like more premium data, larger hotspot allowances, and perks such as HBO Max subscriptions on select plans. T-Mobile offers competitive pricing and includes features like Netflix on Us, international roaming in over 200 countries, and free in-flight Wi-Fi on certain plans. Comparing the specifics of each plan will help you determine which carrier offers the best value for your needs.

What are the differences in customer service between AT&T and T-Mobile?

Customer service experiences can vary widely, but generally, T-Mobile has received high marks for its customer service, often praised for its responsive and friendly support. AT&T also offers solid customer service but has received mixed reviews in terms of responsiveness and issue resolution. Reading customer reviews and reports from independent consumer organizations can provide insight into which carrier might offer better customer service for your needs.