Straight Talk vs Spectrum: Who Should You Go With?

From coverage to data caps, there are a lot of factors to take into account when you’re in the market for a new wireless carrier. You’ve got to have your own “must-haves” and a list of things you can be flexible on- (for example, everyone has a budget range for how much they are willing to spend on a cell phone plan and that range can be flexed a bit more if the cost-benefit analysis exceeds your standards).

 As you’re beginning your journey into the cell-phone world you’ll notice that a lot of providers offer enticing deals, but trying to decide between two can lead to a bit of stress, especially when there’s so much to cover.

Luckily we’re here to help you in that endeavor by pairing up two wireless carriers and deciding which is the better option to pick. And today in the match-up ring is Straight Talk vs Spectrum which are two MVNOs that have each come with their own advantages and disadvantages. So sit back and relax while we go over everything you need to know about both providers so you can make an informed decision on who to sign up with.

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

Quick Overview: Straight Talk and Spectrum

Before we take a look at what the coverage and phone plans look like from each provider, let’s first talk a bit about the two carriers separately so you can get a general idea of what to expect from them. Or read even more in-depth reviews, pros and cons about both spectrum and straight talk.

-> Straight Talk Wireless

Straight Talk Wireless, or Straight Talk, has been a part of the wireless game since 2009 when touch screen cell phones were just starting to hit their stride in this pivotal digital age. And as more and more people were getting cell phones, the need for a wireless carrier that fit the needs of many arose- that’s where Straight Talk Wireless came in. 

This prepaid provider is all about versatility, they’ve got a wide range of plans covering not just wireless phones but also Homephone plans, Home Internet plans, Tablet plans, Hotspot plans, and more. They’ve got a list of bundles and deals that entice anyone looking to save and potentially get more benefits to go along with their monthly bill.

Straight Talk Wireless has plans that are basic enough to cover essential phone needs like calling, texting, and sporadic data usage, and plans that offer a bit more perks like a Walmart+ membership which we will definitely get into later.

-> Spectrum Mobile

Compared to Straight Talk, Spectrum Mobile is a bit different than your average MVNO. To sign up for and access Spectrum Mobile you have to have Spectrum Home Internet. Yup, that’s right, in order to be on a Spectrum phone plan you first have to have their Home Internet, which you might not be interested in if you are secure in your home internet. But we will say if you’re thinking of changing the whole landscape of your phone and home internet needs, Spectrum is worth the shout as their bundle deals between the Home Internet and mobile plans are pretty nice.

When Straight Talk’s wide array of plans might become overwhelming, Spectrum Mobile keeps things as simple as can be as they have two phone plans to choose between. It’s the perfect fit for those who aren’t a fan of comparing and contrasting a million plans just to get service on their phone.

A REALLY Helpful Tip to Know

What is a MVNO?

A MVNO stands for Mobile Virtual Network Operator and it is a term used to describe smaller carriers, like Straight Talk Wireless and Spectrum Mobile, that don’t own their own cell towers/infrastructure. These providers instead will work with a carrier that does and will piggyback signal off of them to provide coverage to their customers. This leads to more budget-friendly options for the general public but can lead to some drawbacks including data deprioritization. 

What is data deprioritization?

Data deprioritization is “the temporary slowing of data speeds for certain customers in order to give priority to other customers.” This will happen when there’s a lot of others in your location also using their devices, aka a high traffic area. Or when the network is congested and the network needs to essentially “breathe” for a bit but slowing down your speeds and giving those directly subscribed to the parent provider priority. This isn’t just a MVNO thing, some providers that own their own cell towers also do this, but it’s more common to find them in MVNOs.

What the Coverage Looks Like from Both Providers

Coverage is an important aspect to any phone plan, and it’s good to know what kind of coverage you can expect from your potential provider before signing up so you can sleep well knowing that you have strong signal strength for all of your data needs. 

-> Straight Talk Wireless

With Straight Talk Wireless being a MVNO you know that instead of providing coverage directly from the source- Straight Talk themselves, they work with another to provide coverage. Normally you’ll find that most MVNOs only work with one other provider, but Straight Talk is different. They work with not just one, but four other carriers. They “share networks with the best four carriers” which in this case are: Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint- (although Sprint was acquired by T-Mobile in 2020 they still provide coverage through their cell towers that were established before the merge). 

You’re getting a taste of a few providers instead of just the one, at least, for now that is as talks have begun to circulate that Straight Talk will soon go to the “one” normal provider which is Verizon. Straight Talk Wireless is a brand of TracFone Wireless, Inc. and TracFone was bought by Verizon officially back in 2021 and it’s been said that Verizon eventually wants TracFone users and those on the same branch to merge over to Verizon and Verizon only. So if the “multi” provider intrigues you, keep that in mind as you look at Straight Talk phone plans in the future.

Verizon has been known to say they are the nation-wide leader in coverage and that’s true, at least for their 4G LTE coverage that is. Spanning over 70% of the country, their LTE coverage is number one, that means those who are in more rural areas will have better luck with Verizon then they may with another. Though Verizon is behind in 5G, their  “5G Games Experience, 5G Voice App Experience, and 5G Video Experience” is quite impressive.

When you’re looking at a potential provider you’re going to want to take a look at their coverage map. A coverage map is a map that gives an approximation of the carrier’s network. You’re able to look at your hometown and see what kind of coverage is expected in your area. In Straight Talk’s case you will have to type in your ZIP code and phone model to take a look at their map, as an example here’s coverage in New York with the iPhone 15 128GB:

Straight Talk’s coverage is in the United States only- (not pictured is parts of Hawaii and Alaska which are also covered). You can see what Straight Talk’s network looks like in your own hometown via their coverage map here.

-> Spectrum Mobile

Spectrum Mobile works directly with Verizon to provide coverage to customers. Now we just talked about how Verizon is the leader in LTE coverage, which again, if you live in an area that’s more land than buildings then you’ll probably have a better time with Verizon than you would with another provider. Along with that we also discussed Verizon’s impressive 5G streaming and calling experience which is nice when you are in an area covered by 5G. As we know Verizon is number three in 5G, so be sure to check your area for coverage statistics so you can get the best from Verizon and Spectrum.

Spectrum Mobile

Similar to Straight Talk Wireless, Spectrum Mobile covers the United States, but a bonus is they also cover parts of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Which is already a bit of a plus in their column when comparing the two. From a map perspective it’s clear that on the West Coast and Pacific Northwest side of the map, Spectrum is a bit more sporadic in their coverage. Need to see if you’re covered by Spectrum Mobile? View Spectrum Mobile’s full Coverage Map here.

How the Plans Compare: From Price to Features

Let’s get to the fun stuff, the phone plans. We’re going to go over all the perks, benefits, and basics each phone plan offers from both providers starting first with Straight Talk’s three most popular plans:

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And then we have variations of those plans:

Straight Talk’s Platinum, Gold, and Silver all come with additional benefits that you’d normally not find from a MVNO like a Walmart+ Membership which gets you free delivery from the store, mobile scan and go, and more. Along with cloud storage, a very useful perk for those who have thousands of photos and videos in their phone’s library. Other than that Straight Talk has hotspot and some international benefits that go with their other plans.

Next we’re taking a look at Spectrum Mobile’s phone plans. They have two types, “Unlimited Data Plans” and “By The Gig.” One gives you unlimited data while the other is a more “pay as you need it” phone plan. Here is their Unlimited Data Plans:

Pretty basic when it comes to “extras” but those prices can’t be beat, here is their “By The Gig” plan:

Their “by the gig” plan is our least favorite for sure, paying $20 for one gig is a bit much, especially if you need a few more gigs than you initially expected- those numbers can climb quickly! 

We will say a major pro in Spectrum Mobile’s column is their data caps for their unlimited plans, for Unlimited you get 30GBs at high speeds till your speeds are throttled and for the Unlimited Plus plan you get 50GBs at high speeds till your speeds are throttled till the start of your next billing cycle.

Throttling refers to the “the dramatic slowing of your data speeds to the point that it becomes almost unusable.” This will happen after you go over a data cap, but don’t worry your speeds will go back to normal at the start of your next month.

The Verdict

We got the coverage, price, and plan information from both our contenders Straight Talk Wireless and Spectrum Mobile, now’s the time to give the verdict on which you should go for. For simplicity sake, if you aren’t willing or want to change your home internet, then absolutely go for Straight Talk Wireless. 

Unfortunately although Spectrum has some good price plans for the amount of data you get per month, you have to get Spectrum Home Internet along with it, it’s required, which is a huge con if you aren’t wanting to change your home setup. Plus with Straight Talk you’re getting a wider range of plans and payment options, while Spectrum gives you only two unlimited plans and their “By The Gig” plan which is expensive should you need a lot of data for a certain month. Straight Talk Wireless wins today's match-up!

And if you want to compare and contrast Straight Talk and Spectrum Mobile 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.