Cricket Wireless is owned by AT&T and offers great prices on access to the vast AT&T network. Cricket uses the AT&T network for all of their plans. Unlike signing up for AT&T service, there is no contract and no credit check. The carrier works with most unlocked phones, making it easy to get great coverage.

Cricket Wireless coverage map

Source: AT&T (Image credit: Cricket)

AT&T has been building one of the largest and fastest networks for years. Cricket customers will have access to the vast majority of the network that AT&T customers have; as long as things don't get too crowded, similar speeds are possible. The network has great compatibility with unlocked phones, making it a quick choice to get connected.

Cricket Wireless will no longer limit the speed of your data connection in the future. If you have a compatible phone, coverage has been updated to allow 5G on every plan.

5G coverage is part of the AT&T network that hasn't reached all of Cricket's plans. Cricket only allows unlimited more customers and data only plans to use the next-gen network, which is why other carriers have been quick to implement it. Cricket is one of the cheapest ways to test out 5G on AT&T.

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Cricket Wireless Buyer's Guide: The plans

Cricket has four main plans for phones and they all come with unlimited talk and text in the U.S., as well as access to Cricket Call Defense. Cricket Call Defense is designed to identify and block fraudulent calls. All Cricket plans are available with a $5 auto pay discount.

Multi-line discounts are available when you bring the whole family. It can be up to five lines.

5GB10GBUnlimited Cricket CoreUnlimited Cricket More
Talk, text, and picture mailUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited
5G accessNationwide 5GNationwide 5GNationwide 5GNationwide 5G
HotspotNoneNone$10 for 10GB15GB
Video streamingNo limit (480p default)No limit (480p default)480p 1.5Mbps480p 1.5Mbps
Single line price$30$40 ($35 with autopay)$55 ($50 with autopay)$60 ($55 with autopay)
Multi-line prices2 lines: $603 lines: $904 lines: $120

5 lines: $150

2 lines: $703 lines: $904 lines: $110

5 lines cost $130.

2 lines: $803 lines: $904 lines: $100

5 lines: $125.

2 lines: $903 lines: $1104 lines: $130

5 lines: $170.

Cricket has partnerships with Boingo and LinkNYC to provide free wi-fi for their customers. This benefits customers by giving them fast and reliable data in areas that may not be optimal for cellular data use. Sports stadiums and military bases are included in these areas. There are many LinkNYC points in New York City that provide services. Your phone can connect to these points as well.

Simply Data is one of the data plans that Cricket has. The plans come in 20 and 100 gigabytes. 5G and unlimited data speeds are included in all of these plans. The plans are great for someone who doesn't need a phone number.

Cricket Wireless Data Plans Dec

Source: Cricket (Image credit: Cricket)

Cricket Wireless Buyer's Guide: International Service

Signing up for one of the unlimited plans will allow you to call other countries with Cricket. The plans come with calling to 37 countries for free.

  • Argentina
  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Brazil
  • Canada*
  • China
  • Colombia
  • Dominican Republic
  • France
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Hong Kong
  • Hungary
  • India
  • Ireland
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • Malaysia
  • Mexico
  • Netherlands
  • Nigeria
  • Paraguay
  • Peru
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Romania
  • Singapore
  • South Korea
  • Spain
  • Switzerland
  • Taiwan
  • Thailand
  • Turkey
  • UK
  • Venezuela

Cricket has add-ons for certain plans. Cricket International is $5 per month and you can make calls to 35 countries. Cricket International Extra costs $10 to $15 per month for a few countries.

Cricket Wireless add-on compatibility

(Image credit: Cricket Wireless)

Cricket's unlimited plans have usage in Mexico and Canada. Canada usage must stay under 50%. This can be great for people who travel to Mexico or Canada frequently.

Cricket Wireless Buyer's Guide: The phones

Samsung Galaxy S22

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

If you want a new phone, you can buy one from Cricket. Cricket has a wide range of phones, including high-end devices like the S21 FE. The attractive Moto One 5G is a mid-range device. Financing is available if you need it.

One of the nice things about AT&T's network is how well unlocked phones work. Any unlocked device will work.

BYOD compatibility example

(Image credit: Source: Cricket Wireless)

5G support is more restricted. The Cricket Dream 5G is supported by the Apple phones, as well as the other phones sold by Cricket.

There are a few more options. Even though Cricket does not sell the model, the S22 series is supported on 5G. The phones that should work on the network with 5G are not supported. It is best not to bet on unofficial support just yet, as other 5G devices may work with the proper settings. AT&T has a limited 5G footprint.

Cricket Wireless Buyer's Guide: Do you go with Cricket?

If you live and work in an area with good coverage, you should try out a prepaid carrier. Premium data is one of the main reasons for opting for AT&T postpaid over Cricket. The data is prioritized over other data. Cricket customers may see their speeds plummet if a tower is very congested, while AT&T customers may not. For most people, it won't be a big deal and for many, it won't even be noticeable. It can be hard to predict because it comes down to your area.

If you decide that Cricket isn't a good fit, you're not locked into it.

There is more competition if you are looking at other carriers. For less money, Mint Mobile offers similar data amounts. It has great 5G coverage since it is based on T-Mobile.

Cricket continues to be one of the best carriers you can get as long as you are looking at the unlimited plans.