Cricket versus Verizon wireless is almost a story of Verizon vs AT&T. That’s because Cricket runs piggyback on AT&T’s network. Which isn’t a bad thing at all with that network winning awards for speed and reliability. You’re probably familiar with a mega telecom like Verizon which touts arguably the best and largest network in the nation but also has all of the trimmings you’d come to expect from a ubiquitous company like Verizon. Cricket, on the other hand, wants to save you a few bucks (or maybe even hundreds of bucks!) by getting you on their cheaper, lower bandwidth allocation plans.
Does that sound like you? Want to dive into the details of both Cricket and Verizon? Here we go:
Plans & Pricing WINNER: Cricket Wireless
Coverage & Reliability WINNER: Verizon Wireless
Data & Other Features WINNER: Verizon Wireless
OVERALL WINNER: Verizon (but Cricket is a great budget option!)
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Cricket vs. Verizon: Plans & Pricing
Here’s a category that Cricket shines brightest in. Dollar for dollar, we think Cricket is the best valued plan in the mobile world right now. With plans that include a bit of everything starting about about thirty bucks, it’s hard to go wrong with that kind of value. They also have great family deals from time to time where you can get four lines for about $100, and that includes some streaming data too so for a frugal family discount you might feel more comfortable with four phones on Cricket.
Verizon has some great plan options with some features that you’ll possibly require (see Features section below where Verizon beats Cricket handedly). We’re giving Cricket the win here only because their normal plans come in at 40-50% cheaper and those $100 family bundles just can’t be matched monetarily by Verizon right now. Will you be happy on Cricket without all the features Verizon has going? Maybe not! And you can still find great family deals from time to time at Verizon.
Cricket vs. Verizon: Coverage
Verizon is usually voted “Best Network” for coverage. They’ve invested a ton in expanding their reach across rural America as well as concentrating on urban areas too. If you travel a lot, are on the road or live in the rural parts of the US, Verizon might be the only network you can rely on comfortably.
Verizon Coverage Map (click Map to Interact)
Cricket is no slouch when it comes to coverage. Just look at all the green on that map below! That’s because they run on AT&T’s network so if you’re not on Verizon’s that’s where you’ll want to be. Again, Verizon is stronger in rural areas but Cricket’s network could possibly work for you depending on where you live:
Cricket Coverage Map (click Map to Interact)
Cricket vs. Verizon: Data & Other Features
Verizon’s biggest advantage, besides their massive, best in nation network, is their full suite of features. You can get 5G, Unlimited, Hot Spot Access and a great deal (sometimes free!) on Disney+, ESPN and Hulu. Those three might save you $20-$30 per month if you’re already subscribing to them separately.
Cricket has all of the features (less Disney) mentioned above but they’re not bundled or included in the low price plans that you’re probably considering Cricket for. You can add a mobile hot spot for $10 a month, for example, or get 5G access for an additional fee. It still might save you some cash to go with a Cricket plan with an addon but you can quickly add up to the cost of a lower tier Verizon plan here so you’ll want to compare both depending on what you need.
Cricket vs. Verizon: Which is Better for You?
If you’re looking to save some green, go with the green: Cricket Wireless. You’ll get a great network with cheap pricing and any feature you need could be added with an additional fee. If you land a sweet deal like $100 for four or five lines then by all means ride that into the sunset! But if you’re wanting to save some cash on streaming services, need all the features anyway and don’t care quite as much about $10-$15 per month in savings: go with a Verizon plan.
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