Metro vs PureTalk: Who Should You Go With?

Whether you’re looking to sign up for a cell phone carrier for the first time and are slightly overwhelmed by the sheer amount of providers out there or have been in the cell phone game for a while and are in need of a switch that better fits your current cell phone needs, we’ve got you covered. 

Today we’re going to be putting two MVNOs up against each other, comparing their coverage, prices, data plans, international benefits, hotspot availability, and more. Matching up this time is Metro vs PureTalk. Metro also known as Metro by T-Mobile and PureTalk are two options with lots of pros and cons to look for. If you aren’t familiar with these carriers then we’ll give you a rundown of them both so you can choose which one is better. So let’s get started:

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

Quick Overview: Metro and PureTalk

Before we go over what the coverage and phone plans look like from each provider we should first talk about each provider by themselves as companies so you can get an idea of what they are like.

-> Metro by T-Mobile

You might have known Metro by its previous name MetroPCS, but now it’s known as Metro by T-Mobile, or simply just “Metro.” Metro by T-Mobile is under the wings of T-Mobile and T-Mobile of course is a part of the “big three” in wireless alongside Verizon and AT&T. 

What you might not know is that Metro is classified as a MVNO and a MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) is a term to classify smaller cell phone carriers like Metro and PureTalk that don’t own their own cell towers and infrastructure and instead piggybacks off a carrier that does. This leads to MVNOs having more affordable prices for customers so that way cell phone connectivity and wireless communication is a bit more accessible. 

Now of course reading this you might wonder why everyone doesn’t just sign up for a MVNO if the prices are cheaper than those bigger carriers- well, with a MVNO you will be spending less but you are more subject to data deprioritization and throttling. 

But what is data depreciation and throttling? Well let us explain:

Data deprioritization is “the temporary slowing of data speeds for certain customers in order to give priority to other customers,” which will occur when you are in a high traffic area like a concert, sporting event, or somewhere where a lot of people are all trying to use their phones at once, or when there is network congestion. The primary network, in this case T-Mobile, will give data speed priority to its direct customers instead of those who are signed up through a MVNO. These are temporary speeds and will go back to normal when you either move location or the network adjusts itself.

Throttling is “the dramatic slowing of your data speeds to the point that it becomes almost unusable,” and this will happen when the phone user goes over their monthly allotment of data or their “data cap” for their current billing cycle. Your speeds will grow super slow compared to what you are used to which can be a big inconvenience if you are someone who uses data regularly. But don’t worry your normal speeds will return at the start of your next billing cycle or when you add more data on.

Every MVNOs data deprioritization and throttling limits and numbers are different so as a REALLY tip, always make sure to check the fine print in your phone plan’s terms so you can stay ahead of the curve and stay away from slow data.

-> PureTalk

PureTalk is also a MVNO, this time under the AT&T umbrella, and they are a phone carrier that is focused on one thing: simplicity. Their phone plans are pretty limited (you’ll see more on that when we get to our phone plan section), but their rates are affordable and if you aren’t looking for all those fancy bells and whistles that come with phone plans nowadays then you might have found your future carrier.

PureTalk has always had a heavy market towards seniors, U.S. veterans, and military members, the company’s CEO is a military veteran himself, and they partner with a few military organizations and even offer a 15% off military discount for those who have served.

Now it is good to note that PureTalk has been known to advertise as “anti-woke” according to this Reddit thread with pictures of a PureTalk advertisement they got in the mail. Justin Baragona, a Senior Media Reporter, at The Daily Beast detailed the potential hypocrisy of PureTalk here. Always do your research as this is something that may sway some people to sign up or dissuade people from signing up. 

What the Coverage Looks Like from Both Providers

We’ve talked a little bit about each provider, now we get to talk about each carrier’s coverage network and what it would look like should you sign up for one of them, starting first with Metro.

-> Metro by T-Mobile

Since we know that Metro gets their coverage from T-Mobile let’s dive a little into T-Mobile’s coverage. Right now T-Mobile has the honor of being the leader in 5G coverage which is a pretty great feat to have, especially when almost everyone in the country has a cell phone and more people are upgrading to 5G capable phones to experience those 5G speeds.

What T-Mobile lacks in though is their range of 4G LTE connection as they are number three when compared to Verizon and AT&T directly. That means that those who exclusively use 4G LTE might, and we say might as still T-Mobile’s 4G is only a couple percent behind Verizon and AT&T, have some trouble getting a fast signal.

When you’re looking into switching to a new carrier you’ll notice that most of their websites will have a tab called “Coverage” or “Coverage Map” which is used to show you a map of their network’s coverage. You can zoom in and out of the map, type in your ZIP to see what coverage is like in your area, and in some cases, like Metros, you’ll be able to see the type of data that’s available in your area:

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:

A super helpful approximation map to help those see if they will have reliable signals where they live and if that type of network will work for you.

-> PureTalk

With PureTalk you will be getting your connection thanks to AT&T, another one of the big three. AT&T is very much considered “middle of the pack” when it comes to Verizon and T-Mobile. Their 4G LTE sits comfortably between the two, as does their 5G network. What AT&T is known for though is their strong connection in urban areas which is great if you are someone that’s always on the go in the city. Here’s what PureTalk’s coverage map via AT&T:

If you take a look at AT&T’s official coverage map you’ll notice the two are very similar, so taking a peek at that will give you a good outline of what to expect.

How the Plans Compare: From Price to Features

We’ve come to the fun part of the guide where we talk about the phone plans of both providers and you get to compare them to each other to see which one stacks up better for your needs. And just like we’ve been doing this whole article so far we’ll first start with Metro by T-Mobile and their unlimited plans:

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Then for our limited data users:

With MVNOs you normally won’t see the type of perks you get with Metro’s unlimited plans. Every unlimited plan comes with a VIX subscription and cloud storage- (cloud storage is always a huge plus), and with the Metro Flex Plus fan you’re getting an Amazon Prime subscription included in which is even better- especially if you already are paying for a subscription of your own. And every plan, including their limited data plan, comes with T-Mobile Tuesdays which is their program for customers to get free stuff, great deals, potential savings, and exclusive offers every Tuesday. 

Now we will say these prices are a bit on the pricier side, so let’s next take a look at PureTalk’s plans to see how they compare.

PureTalk’s plans are a bit different than your average phone plan as they are super bare-bones as they come with data, talk, text, a mobile hotspot, and that’s it. Here’s a breakdown of their plans for one line:

As we talked before about data throttling, PureTalk users will experience throttled speeds when they go over their data limit as stated here on their website: “After you have used your plan’s high-speed data allowance, we will not turn off your data. Your speed will be throttled to 256 kbps.” And for unlimited data users: “After 60GB of data usage you will experience slower speeds.” 

From that glimpse you can see PureTalk doesn’t have any of the fancy perks that Metro by T-Mobile has. They give you the basics plus a hotspot and that’s it! Which again, if that’s what you or someone you love has been searching for then this might be a good option for you. The one cool thing about PureTalk is the more lines you add the more you save. With a second line you get 10% off, a third line gets you 15% off, and four lines and up gets you 20% off.

The Verdict

We’ve come to the verdict, where we will take in what we’ve learned and give you our opinion on which carrier we think beats out the other. Looking at the coverage, prices, plans, and benefits we think that Metro by T-Mobile is the winner today. For the number of benefits you get with both their “Unlimited” and “Limited” plans, it far outweighs what PureTalk has to offer. 

Especially if you are looking for an “Unlimited” plan then absolutely go for Metro by T-Mobile as their prices aren’t too different from PureTalk’s and you’re getting so much more. Though PureTalk has more “Limited” data plan options, the lack of perks is a bit of a con, especially when comparing it to Metro’s plans, even Metro’s one limited data plan. Plus with T-Mobile’s reliable coverage you’ll get to enjoy their superb 5G network which we all know from our “Coverage” section is the best out there right now.

So yes, Metro by T-Mobile is our winner today, and if you want to compare and contrast Metro by T-Mobile and PureTalk 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.