Metro vs Cricket Wireless: Who Should You Go With?

When you’re looking to switch to a new cell phone carrier there are a lot of things to consider, a lot. From price and data, to coverage, international benefits, hotspot availability, and much more. A lot of people have deal makers and deal breakers when it comes to cell phone providers so being able to find your “golden goose” of a carrier is a very good feeling. The only problem is there are so many out there to choose from. You’ve got your prepaid, your postpaid, your smaller carriers, and biggest carriers, the picks can get a bit overwhelming. 

But luckily there are many guides out there, like this one, to help you compare providers so you can narrow down your search. Today we’re looking at Metro vs Cricket Wireless. Metro by T-Mobile and Cricket Wireless are two great MVNO options for your future phone carrier as they both come with their own set of advantages and disadvantages. We’re going to go over the important info for you to know so you can see what each provider has, let’s get started!

• Quick Overview: Metro and Cricket Wireless
• What the Coverage Looks Like from Both Providers
• How the Plans Compare: From Price to Features
• The Verdict

Quick Overview: Metro and Cricket Wireless

Before we go over what the coverage and phone plans look like from each provider we should first talk about Metro by T-Mobile and Cricket Wireless as companies so you can get an idea of what to expect from each!

-> Metro by T-Mobile

Metro has had a couple different names in the past, formerly known as MetroPCS, then Metro by T-Mobile, and now commonly referred to as just “Metro.” This carrier is a branch on the T-Mobile tree, T-Mobile of course is a part of the “big three” in wireless alongside Verizon and AT&T. Metro is a MVNO known for their easy-to-follow phone plans and great alternative to T-Mobile in case you don’t want to pay for the full postpaid plans T-Mobile has as some of those plans might be a bit out of your budget.

But wait- what’s a MVNO?

A MVNO stands for Mobile Virtual Network Operator and it is a term used to describe smaller cell phone carriers that don’t own their own cell towers/infrastructure. They instead piggyback off a provider that does, and in Metro’s case it is T-Mobile. MVNOs will have cheaper prices for consumers but may come with a few “downsides” including but not limited to data deprioritization and throttling which are considered to be the major ones in the MVNO world.

• What is data deprioritization? Data deprioritization is “the temporary slowing of data speeds for certain customers in order to give priority to other customers.” And this will happen when there is network congestion (two many data transmissions all at once from millions of phones) or if you are in a high traffic area like a concert or sporting event and there are thousands of others also using their phone the same as you. The primary network, T-Mobile in Metro’s case, will give priority to direct T-Mobile customers and your data will be a bit slower until the problem(s) are solved. 
• What is data throttling? Throttling is  “the dramatic slowing of your data speeds to the point that it becomes almost unusable.” And unlike data deprioritization, throttling will last until the start of your next billing cycle date. This occurs when the user goes over their monthly allotment of data for the month, or data “cap” as it’s usually referred to. These speeds are significantly slower than deprioritized speeds and can be quite a pain to deal with if you aren’t connected to wifi.

With Metro by T-Mobile you are getting a direct line from T-Mobile for coverage but may experience these two things as it is a MVNO.

-> Cricket Wireless

You’ll probably remember seeing one or two Cricket Wireless stores back in the day spattered around your local shopping center or neighborhood. They were once an independent phone carrier but was acquired by AT&T in 2013. So no, you aren’t crazy in thinking Cricket Wireless hasn’t been around in a while- they have, just as a MVNO under the AT&T umbrella.

Cricket Wireless is all about prepaid or “pay as you go” cell phone plans which means that instead of having a monthly bill you get, you instead pay for your service in advance of its use- that way you are paying for exactly what you’re going to get. No contract and a lot more flexibility as you get to cancel at any time with no questions asked. A lot of people prefer prepaid as they get to know what their service will entail and aren’t tied down to the provider itself. With Cricket Wireless you’ll get a straight-forward sign up and won’t have to worry about jumping through all those annoying hoops you may get from another provider.

What the Coverage Looks Like from Both Providers

Now that we’ve talked about each provider, let’s dive into one of the most important aspects of a cell phone carrier: coverage.

-> Metro by T-Mobile

We’ve said it and it’s in the name but Metro is covered by T-Mobile. T-Mobile is the leader in 5G coverage compared to its two major competitors, Verizon and AT&T, and all other MVNOs and independent providers. It’s a huge feat to have as we look to the future in 5G technology with slow roll outs of 5G+, 5G Advanced, Ultra Wide-Band, and more. Plus with more and more people getting 5G capable phones they of course want to experience those 5G speeds and T-Mobile is certainly not a bad start.

But although T-Mobile is winning in 5G, they are the underdog in terms of 4G LTE coverage, coming in at number three against Verizon and AT&T. It’s not a drastic difference but it might be noticeable in more rural areas if you aren’t close to a cell tower.

Coverage Maps are maps showing off a provider’s approximate network coverage and they are a great way for prospective customers to take a look at their own town by typing in their ZIP so they can see what it looks like from their POV. You’re able to zoom in and out and in some cases see the type of coverage that’s available in your area. Here’s a look at Metro’s coverage map:

On the Metro by T-Mobile coverage map you do get a look at what type of coverage is available in your area. Here’s a close look at New York, Pennsylvania, and other Northeastern United States:

This will be very helpful as it can let you know if the coverage you desire is available in your area.

-> Cricket Wireless

Cricket Wireless gets their coverage from AT&T, which is of course a part of the big three. And we’ll say that AT&T is very much considered to be the “middle of the pack” when comparing it directly to the other two. Their 4G LTE sits comfortably between the two, behind Verizon but ahead of T-Mobile, and their 5G network is above Verizon but below T-Mobile, so you know at least that you’ll be nestled in between the other two providers.

AT&T does have a reputation of having a stronger signal in more urban areas than most other MVNOs and providers, which is great if you live near or in the city. Here’s a look at Cricket Wireless’s coverage map which is similar to AT&T’s Coverage Map:

This shows off AT&T’s impressive range of coverage both in the United States and in Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. You can take a look for yourself and view Cricket’s full coverage map here.

How the Plans Compare: From Price to Features

Let’s next talk about the cell phone plans from each provider- which is the fun part isn’t it? You get to see the prices, how much data you’re going to get, international benefits, and potential fun perks with certain plans. Starting first with Metro by T-Mobile’s unlimited plans:

Then for our limited data users:

There are some pretty unique benefits that come with Metro’s unlimited plans that you wouldn’t normally find with a MVNO. The VIX subscription and cloud storage alone is a pretty perk, but getting Amazon Prime with your Metro Flex Plus plan is a huge bonus, especially if you are already paying for Amazon Prime yourself. Their limited data plan is a bit on the expensive side, but not too shabby, plus you get access to T-Mobile Tuesdays which is their program for customers to get free stuff, great deals, potential savings, and exclusive offers every Tuesday.

As for Cricket Wireless, they have four unlimited plans and two “fixed” or “limited” data plans. We’ll first look at their unlimited plans:

And then here is their “fixed” or “limited” data plans:

Both their unlimited and limited data plans all come with storage while their unlimited data plans each come with international benefits, and on their highest paying plan you can get a HBO Max subscription with ads. Cricket keeps things pretty simple which might be exactly what you’re looking for as a lot of the time people don’t need the number of add-ons you’ll find from a postpaid plan or a plan from one of those bigger carriers.

The Verdict

Now that we’ve gone over what Metro by T-Mobile and Cricket Wireless’ coverage, plans, and benefits it’s time we talk about which we think makes the better choice. If you’re looking for “Unlimited” data and find yourself glancing at either Metro’s and/or Cricket Wireless’ unlimited plans then we think you should go with Metro by T-Mobile. Overall Metro’s prices for their unlimited plans may be a bit higher, but they aren’t too different from Crickets “unlimited” plan’s prices, and we think that Metro is giving you more bang for your buck with their T-Mobile Tuesdays, cloud storage, international benefits, and their supreme 5G coverage which really brings Metro to be their winner. 

If you aren’t looking for an unlimited plan or you don’t need all those fancy perks then to save money, definitely still go for Metro as you also get a bit more with their limited plans than you do with Cricket Wireless.

Though we will say to put some favor into Cricket’s column, if you are a fan of prepaid then their “12-Month Unlimited Plan” where you prepay $300 upfront is a solid choice for what you get as prepaid plans are normally more bare-bones than postpaid options. 

And if you want to compare and contrast Metro by T-Mobile and Cricket Wireless to over 1,200 other phone plans so you know you’re getting the service that’s right for you, then make sure to check out the REALLY compare page which allows you to look at pricing, coverage, what phone plans are available, current deals and steals, and how you can make the most of your potential phone bill.