Buy in bulk
Mint Mobile
From $15 per month at Mint Mobile
Pros
- T-Mobile LTE network
- Unlimited talk and text
- Unlimited plan is available
- Free calls to Canada and Mexico
- Hotspot on every plan
Cons
- Must buy in bulk
- Unlimited plan slowed at 35GB
Save money by buying in bulk. Plans come with unlimited talk and text and have no overages after you've used your data. Speeds are lowered, but you can upgrade your plan mid-cycle or easily add more data.
Big on data
Boost Mobile
From $10 per month at Boost Mobile
Pros
- T-Mobile or Sprint network
- Unlimited data
- Hotspot on all plans
- Unlimited music streaming
- Shrink-it! Plan reduced bill
Cons
- Unlimited plan slows at 35GB
Whether you have better Sprint or T-Mobile coverage, Boost Mobile has a plan for you with plenty of data and great international calling and roaming options. You can save money with multiple lines on either network.
Mint Mobile will be cheaper overall, but Boost has a lot of features going for it and favors the data-heavy user. Boost Mobile can also be a better value if you bring more than one line. If you use more of an average amount of data and your main goal is to save money, then Mint Mobile makes a lot of sense with its bundles saving you money over time.
Mint Mobile vs. Boost Mobile What do you actually need from a phone service?
When you sign up for phone service with one of the big three carriers, you'll likely end up paying for a list of features you don't need or just way more data than you'll use. A prepaid carrier like Mint or Boost Mobile can help you save by giving you only what you need. Boost Mobile focuses on giving customers a lot of choices so they can choose only what they need. Mint Mobile has simplified the data choices into just four categories but allows you to save money by buying six or 12 months upfront.
| Mint Mobile | Boost Mobile | |
|---|---|---|
| Network | T-Mobile | Sprint T-Mobile |
| Minimum | 3 months | 1 month |
| Discounts | Bundle | Multiple lines On-time payments with Shrink-It! |
Mint Mobile uses only the T-Mobile network for its service. You can check your Mint coverage to be sure you're covered. Boost Mobile is a little more complicated since it used to use Sprint's network but has recently started offering service on T-Mobile's network as well. Sprint coverage on Boost is called the Nationwide Network and it has different coverage from its T-Mobile map, or what it calls the Expanded Network.
Mint Mobile vs. Boost Mobile Mint Mobile packages
Mint Mobile doesn't operate with traditional contracts. You pay upfront for your term, which can be three months, six months, or 12 months, with "buying in bulk" saving you more money in the long run. All plans include unlimited nationwide talk, text, and data, though you only get so much 4G LTE per month. Unlimited international texting is included in all plans. The unlimited plan will be slowed down at 35GB of usage and only comes with 5GB of hotspot data.
Right now, there is a promotion at Mint Mobile that brings the price of the 8GB and 12GB plans down to the same $15 per month as the 3GB plan when you buy three months. That's $45 upfront. You'll need to pay attention, though, because, after your initial three months, your price will return to standard rates.
| 3GB | 8GB | 12GB | Unlimited | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 months | $15 per month ($45 total) $25 per month renewal ($75 total) |
$20 per month ($60 total) $35 per month renewal ($105 total) |
$25 per month ($75) $45 per month renewal ($135 total) |
$30 per month ($90) $40 per month renewal ($120) |
| 6 months | $20 per month ($120) | $25 per month ($150) | $35 per month ($210) | $35 per month ($210) |
| 12 months | $15 per month ($180) | $20 per month ($240) | $25 per month ($300) | $30 per month ($360) |
Add Data at a rate of $10 for 1GB or $20 for 3GB if you need more. You can also upgrade to the next plan if you feel you'll need more every month in the middle of your billing cycle.
Mint Mobile vs. Boost Mobile Boost Mobile Plans
After Dish bought Boost Mobile, it began offering plans on the T-Mobile network and the Sprint network. The Sprint network has been branded as the Nationwide Network while the T-Mobile network is referred to as the Expanded Network.
Boost Mobile has four plans on the Nationwide network that all have multiline savings. If you sign up for the 3GB plan at Walmart, you can get 6GB of data.
| 3GB (6GB at Walmart) | 35GB | 35GB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Talk and Text | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Tidal service | 6 months | 6 months | 6 months |
| Hotspot | uses data | 12GB | 30GB |
| Price 1 Line | $35 | $50 | $60 |
| Lines 2-5 | $60, $90, $120, $150 | $80, $110, $140, $170 | $100, $140, $180, $220 |
The expanded network has some more flexibility starting at just 1GB of data and going up to 35GB. This is also home to the Shrink-It! Plan, which starts at $45 per month with 15GB of data but comes down to $35 per month after six on-time payments.
The two largest unlimited plans come with 35GB of high-speed data. The $50 plan has 12GB of mobile hotspot data and SD streaming. The $60 plan takes the mobile hotspot up to 30GB and adds HD streaming. You can also add another line for $20 less than the first.
Mint Mobile vs. Boost Mobile Which phones are offered and compatible?
One place that Mint Mobile has a definite advantage is in supported phones. While Boost Mobile uses the Sprint network and can technically work with Sprint phones, many Sprint phones cannot be activated on Boost Mobile. For the most part, you will need a compatible Boost Mobile phone. You can check your IMEI on Boost's website, but unless you bought it unlocked or from Boost Mobile in the first place. Your chances are slim.
On the Expanded Network, you need to use one of Boost's approved phones. The list is growing all the time and it already includes some popular phones such as the Moto G7 Play and Galaxy S20 5G.
Mint Mobile, on the other hand, uses T-Mobile's GSM network for everything and will work with nearly any unlocked phone that supports T-Mobile's bands — and that's most of them. This makes it much easier and cheaper to switch to Mint Mobile if you don't want to get a new phone.
Booth carriers will support 5G on the T-Mobile network with a compatible phone at no additional cost. Most of the best-unlocked phones will work on either carrier.
International usage
With Mint, you pay by the minute, text, or MB. The rates are $0.05 per text sent, $0.25 per minute, and $0.20 per MB. These rates come down to $0.02 per text, $0.06 per minute, and $0.06 per MB for Canada and Mexico. Calls to Canada and Mexico are included with the plan, however.
Boost, however, offers international packages in the form of the Todo Mexico Plus plan for $5 per month, which included calling and texting to and from Canada and Mexico as well as 8GB of data to use while visiting Mexico. The International Connect Plus plan offers unlimited texting to more than 70 countries as well as calling to landlines. 200 minutes are also included for mobile lines for $10 per month.
Mint Mobile vs. Boost Mobile Mint Mobile makes a lot of sense
Boost Mobile has a great variety of plans, and it has some of the best add-on services of any carrier for people that want to go to Mexico. Boost has also solved one of its biggest problems, it's weak coverage, by adding the T-Mobile network as an option. A new array of plans means that pretty much anyone could find a good fit with Boost Mobile.
Mint Mobile keeps things simple and has kept its number of plans down where Boost has continued to add more. The result is that with Mint Mobile, it's easy to find the right plan and save on it with a longer service term. Whether you need the full 35GB of data on the unlimited plan or can get by on the 3GB plan, you can get one of the best monthly rates on Mint.
Save in Bundles
Mint Mobile
Buy more to save more
From $15 per month at Mint Mobile
Mint Mobile saves you money by offering plans in a bundle. Buy a large chunk to increase your savings with plenty of data on T-Mobile's LTE network.
Big on Data
Boost Mobile
Plenty of data for most users
From $10 per month at Boost Mobile
Boost Mobile works with the new T-Mobile network to provide a strong connection, and you can also stick with the Sprint network if it works better for you.
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