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Mint Mobile and AT&T are some of the most popular carriers on the market. Each carrier has its positives and negatives, but which offers better phone plans? Let’s compare them and see which is better.
In this article, we plan to discuss the details of both carriers and what they offer. We’ll also cover:
- What the coverage of both carriers looks like
- How prices of their plans compare to how much data you get
- The features each carrier offers for their plans
Unsure of what you need out of a plan? Check out our guide on how to choose the best phone plan.
Coverage & Reception
Mint Mobile is on the T-Mobile network.
Mint Mobile is a mobile virtual network operator, or MVNO. This means that they purchase 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 cheaper price. Mint Mobile is an MVNO of T-Mobile.
Often, the quality of coverage comes down to your area. One carrier’s coverage may be better in New York, while another’s coverage may be better in California. 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. This coverage map provides information about coverage from 2G to 5G for several providers.
However, T-Mobile’s 5G coverage and access is hailed as the best coverage overall.
Plan Options
Mint Mobile offers multi-month plans, while AT&T offers premium data.
Both carriers give you unlimited talk and texting options with any plan you choose. Mint Mobile gives you plans where you pay for multiple months of connection up front. Both companies deprioritize data, meaning you’ll have slower connection speeds in high traffic areas like concerts venues and shopping centers. AT&T, however, gives you premium data depending on the plan, which doesn’t slow down no matter how high the network traffic is.
Mint Mobile Plans
Mint Mobile offers 4 plans, each with multiple options for lengths of service.
Mint Mobile offers plans ranging from 5GB to Unlimited (40GB) data, giving customers more options to meet their needs. Mint Mobile only offers 3, 6, or 12 month plans to sign up for. However, your data is reset every month. Their current New Customer Offer allows you to purchase a 3 month plan at the best deal. Mint Mobile also offers a deal where you can get 6 months of free service if you purchase a phone and a 6 month plan. Mint Mobile allows up to 5 lines on one account, each with their own customizable plan data to draw from.
As a T-Mobile MVNO, Mint Mobile is on tier 7 of 9 Quality of Service Class Identifiers (QCIs).
This indicates the priority level of the carrier on T-Mobile’s network compared to T-Mobile-specific plans. This means they’re at a higher priority compared to MVNOs on Verizon or AT&T’s networks. As such, you may experience higher speeds while being deprioritized than other MVNOs. Unfortunately, no carrier is perfect. That would be nice!
We’ve compiled a detailed list of Mint Mobile’s pros and cons to help you decide whether or not this is the right carrier for you.
Mint Mobile Family Plan Savings
Mint Mobile’s family plan lets multi-line accounts (starting at just two lines) enjoy their lowest prices on three-month contracts. For single-line accounts, users need to take out 12-month contracts to get those same prices. On multi-line accounts, each user can pick their own plan from the four offerings, letting Mint Mobile stay flexible if there are certain people who only need 4 GB and others who need the 40 GB on their unlimited plan.
We recommend prioritizing staying under the 40 GB high-speed data cap of their unlimited plan if you want to make a Mint Mobile account. If you hit the cap, you are reduced to 3G speeds for the rest of the month, and 3G speeds are incredibly slow. There are huge differences in high-speeds versus throttled speeds, and that’s always a big downside to MVNOs that offer limited data plans. So, while thinking about Mint Mobile, make sure you take your monthly data usage into account!
Mint Mobile Contracts
Alongside Mint Mobile’s family plan savings, they also offer contracts of three distinct lengths - three, six, and twelve months. They never offer month-to-month plans, but three months still gives you a fair amount of flexibility to change plans within Mint Mobile or switch carriers if you wish. As a single-line account, Mint Mobile lets you get their least expensive plan prices, but to do so you must purchase one year of service all at once. This is okay if you are a long-time customer and know what you want, but it is tough as a new customer.
Mint Mobile does offer a new-customer incentive which is a three-month contract at those low prices even if you are a single-line account, which is a great way to try out their service.
Mint Mobile keeps your phone locked for the first year after purchase. After, you must request to have your phone unlocked. Taxes and fees are not included with the advertised price.
5GB
5GB of full speed data is included before you get unlimited data at slow speeds.
This plan gives you 5GB of data and mobile hotspot access. The plan is again deprioritized, then slows down to 2G speeds after the 5GB allotment. With 2G speeds, users can expect to send text messages and emails or scroll the internet, but streaming video or playing games will be difficult. Hotspot data comes from the 5GB and stops after hitting that amount. The plan costs $15 per month and $45 for the first 3 months. To get the same deal afterwards, you need to purchase 12 months of service. At this rate, you get 5GB for $3 per GB.
15GB
You get 15GB of full speed data, then unlimited slow data.
This plan gets you 15GB of full speed data and mobile hotspot data. This plan is also deprioritized and slowed down to 2G speeds after 15GB. Your hotspot data comes from the 15GB allotment and stops after 15GB. The plan costs $20 per month and $80 for the first 3 months. To get the same deal afterwards, you need to purchase 12 months of service. At this rate, you get 15GB at $1.33 per GB.
20GB
This plan also gives you unlimited slow data after 20GB.
As it says in the name, you get 20GB of full speed data. This plan is deprioritized, however, and it slows down to 2G speeds after you reach the 20GB cap. The plan also includes mobile hotspot capabilities. Data comes from the 20GB allotment and stops after hitting that amount. The plan costs $25 per month and $75 for the first 3 months. To get the same deal afterwards, you need to purchase 12 months of service. At this rate, you get 20GB at $1.25 per GB.
Unlimited
Mint Mobile’s Unlimited plan gives you 40GB before slowing down speeds.
With Mint Mobile’s Unlimited plan, you get 40GB of data. Your data is deprioritized, and it slows down to 3G speeds (512 kbps) after 40GB. At 3G, you can still send texts, send emails, and scroll through social media without too many issues. Streaming video might be a bit slower. While this may be a negative for those who use large amounts of data, most users use about 20GB of data per month or less, according to Ericsson Mobility. This plan also gives you 10GB of mobile hotspot data, allowing your phone to become a WiFi connection for other devices. Data stops after 10GB.
The plan costs $30 per month, or $90 for the first 3 months. After that, the price is $40 per month. To get the same $30 per month deal, you need to buy 12 months worth of service. At this rate, you get 50GB at $0.60 per GB.
Does Mint Mobile sound promising? We’re glad to hear it! If you are ready to swap carriers and are currently an AT&T customer, make sure to request an AT&T transfer PIN, which lets you swap your current number to a new carrier. This makes the process much easier and lets you keep all your contacts and other personal information when you make the switch.
AT&T Plans
AT&T offers premium data with some of their plans.
AT&T only offers one limited plan. The rest are unlimited plans with varying amounts of premium data.
If you purchase your phone from AT&T, your device will be locked for 60 days after activation.
The plans they offer renew monthly, and taxes and fees are not included with the advertised price.
4GB
This plan is the smallest one AT&T offers.
Each month, you get 4GB of full speed data and hotspot access included. Once you reach that limit, both your data access and hotspot access stop. Access begins again at the start of the next month. It’s important to note that this plan charges overage fees if you use more than the allotted amount.
The plan costs $60 per month at full price, and $50 with the Autopay discount. With this plan, you get 4GB per month for $15 per GB.
Value Plus
This plan gives you unlimited data.
Value Plus gives you unlimited, but deprioritized, data. With this, you’ll have full speeds the whole month because the plan doesn’t have any data cap. Speeds will only slow down for high network congestion. It does not offer hotspot access.
This plan costs $60 per month at full price, and $50 with the included Autopay discount.
Unlimited Starter
This plan gives you unlimited data.
AT&T offers deprioritized unlimited data with this plan. Like their Value Plus plan, your speeds won’t slow down because of any data cap – only because of high network congestion. This plan also offers 3GB of hotspot data, which slows to 2G speeds once you run out. With 2G speeds, users can still send texts and emails or browse the internet. However, it’s difficult to stream video or play games without access to WiFi.
This plan costs $75 at full price, and $65 with Autopay.
Unlimited Extra
This plan gives you limited premium data.
Unlimited Extra is the first plan to offer premium data with AT&T’s services. You get 50GB each month, then unlimited deprioritized data afterwards. You also get 15GB of hotspot data, which slows down to 2G speeds after that cap.
This plan costs $85 per month before the $10 Autopay discount, and $75 per month after. You get 65GB per month for $1.30 per GB at full price.
Unlimited Premium
This is AT&T’s biggest and best plan they have to offer.
AT&T offers users unlimited premium data. No matter what, whether it be the amount you use or the network traffic, your speeds will not slow down. They also give 50GB of hotspot data with this plan, and speeds slow to 2G once you run out for the month.
This plan costs $95 per month before the discount, and $85 with Autopay.
Features
Mint Mobile offers a free trial with their service, while AT&T offers spam protection.
If you’re looking for a plan with more included features, such as international connection or domestic roaming data, it’s best to compare carriers with what they offer.
Domestic Roaming Data
Mint Mobile does not include this feature. AT&T includes domestic roaming capabilities with all of their plans.
Mexico & Canada Connection
Mint Mobile offers talk and text in Mexico and Canada included and roaming data at $0.06 per MB. AT&T includes talk, text, and data in Mexico and Canada included with all of their plans.
International Connection
Mint Mobile gives you international text included, while international talk and data are pay-per-use. International talk is $0.25 per minute, while international data is $0.20 per MB. AT&T offers international text, but calling and roaming data capabilities require an additional add-on.
Video Streaming Quality
Mint Mobile’s Unlimited plan streams at 480p Standard Definition, while their limited data plans stream at 4k Ultra High Definition. All AT&T plans with the exception of Unlimited Premium stream at 480p Standard Definition, and Unlimited Premium streams at 4k Ultra High Definition.
Streaming Services
Mint Mobile and AT&T do not offer this feature.
Cloud Storage
Mint Mobile does not offer this feature. AT&T offers an add-on for cloud storage.
Device Financing
If you buy a phone from AT&T or Mint Mobile, the carrier allows you to pay for your device in installments over time.
WiFi Calling
Both carriers offer WiFi calling, which allows you to send and receive phone calls over a WiFi connection rather than cellular reception.
Spam Protection
Mint Mobile does not offer this feature. AT&T offers AT&T Active Armor on all of their plans, which blocks spam calls.
Free Trial
Mint Mobile offers a 7 day free trial. AT&T does not offer this feature.
Customer Service
Mint Mobile does not have physical stores, leaving all of their customer service to online support. AT&T offers stores across the country.
Mint Mobile is a digital-only carrier, meaning they only offer customer support online and over the phone. Mint Mobile offers chat support 24/7 and support over the phone at (800)-683-7392 from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. PST every day of the week. AT&T offers thousands of brick-and-mortar stores across the country, and you can find one near you with their store locator. You can also call (800) 901-9878 on Mon. through Sat. from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET.
The Verdict
When comparing Mint Mobile and AT&T, it’s clear that both serve different needs. AT&T excels for high-data users with truly unlimited high-speed data, making it the superior choice for those who stream, game, or rely heavily on mobile data without worrying about slowdowns. On the other hand, Mint Mobile stands out in terms of affordability, especially for budget-conscious users willing to prepay for service. If you need extensive data and premium performance, AT&T is the better option. However, Mint Mobile offers excellent value for lighter-data users looking for cost-effective plans.
We’d recommend checking your data usage before committing to a plan.
Want to compare other carriers?
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How does Mint Mobile Compare to Other Carriers?
There are loads of MVNOs out there! Mint Mobile is awesome, but there are a lot of other options if you aren’t sure if Mint Mobile is right for you. There are a lot of awesome MVNOs that offer good plans, but some of them are too highly priced for what they offer. In other words, there are MVNOs that specialize in something specific, be it high data caps, powerful multi-line plans, powerful single-line plans, affordable low-data plans, etc. So Mint Mobile has distinct advantages compared to some MVNOs, like PureTalk or Consumer Cellular, and situational advantages compared to others, like Hello Mobile or Visible. Let’s break down how Mint Mobile compares to some other MVNOs!
- Mint Mobile vs. Visible: Mint Mobile offers more affordable plans and a wider selection than Visible, which has higher starting prices and fewer plan options.
- Mint Mobile vs. Tello: Tello has lower data speeds and a 25GB cap on its "unlimited" plan, making Mint Mobile the better option for faster and more flexible plans.
- Mint Mobile vs. Cricket Wireless: Cricket Wireless has drawbacks like limited international coverage, monthly data expiration, and data throttling, whereas Mint Mobile offers more consistent value and service.
- Mint Mobile vs. PureTalk: Mint Mobile’s pricing and overall great service put them ahead of PureTalk. Want a deeper dive into the subject? We’ve covered Mint Mobile vs. PureTalk in-depth for you!
Mint Mobile vs. Boost Infinite: Boost Infinite is ideal for high-data users with unlimited high-speed data, but Mint Mobile stands out for its pricing, multi-line savings, and overall service quality. Want a deeper look into Mint Mobile vs. Boost Infinite? You can check out the whole review on our website!