Mint Mobile vs. Metro: T-Mobile 5G without T-Mobile prices

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  Mint Mobile

  Stick with what you need

  Mint Mobile offers plans from 5GB up to 40GB, with multi-month discounts available on each. You can also bring the whole family because Mint Family offers the best rates at three months rather than 12. Mint’s plans are great for lighter users or those who do most of their browsing on Wi-Fi.

  Pros

  • Strong single-line savings
  • Mint Family makes multiline plans more affordable
  • Full 5G speeds on T-Mobile

  Cons

  • Fees added at checkout
  • Must buy at least three months
  • Doesn?t support ACP discounts

  From $15/month

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  Metro by T-Mobile

  Unlimited data plans for less

  Metro by T-Mobile has four data plans, with three offering totally unlimited data. The carrier sets its plans apart with hotspot data, Google One memberships, and international texting. If you’re looking for unlimited 5G data on T-Mobile’s network, Metro is a great prepaid alternative.

  Pros

  • Three unlimited plans available
  • Multi-line savings for family accounts
  • Solid international add-ons available, Taxes and fees included

  Cons

  • Expensive for one line
  • Streaming locked to 480p

  From $35/month

The Big Three carriers each own and operate prepaid brands using their networks, helping them cover more of the market without dropping prices on their premium postpaid service. Two of T-Mobile’s most well-known prepaid brands are Metro by T-Mobile and Mint Mobile. Metro sticks with unlimited plans, acting more like a stripped-down postpaid carrier, while Mint Mobile flips the script with much smaller plans with discounts for extended plans.

Mobile carrier features

Prepaid carriers come in a few flavors. Some lighter options like Mint Mobile trim the fat to keep costs down, while Metro by T-Mobile’s plans look a lot more like a postpaid carrier. Metro’s cheapest plan has 5GB of data, but the other three plans have unlimited data on T-Mobile’s network. With T-Mobile continuing to offer some of the best 5G speeds nationwide, that’s a good deal.

Instead of imposing a speed limit or a hard data cap, usage over 35GB in a month is simply set to a lower priority on the network. This means you may see lower speeds than a lighter user on a congested tower, but generally should get more than usable speeds, even if you blow past that 35GB number.

Mint, on the other hand, is a lot stricter with its data. You can get plans with 5GB, 15GB, 20GB, and 40GB limited, which is realistically plenty for anyone. If you use all of your Mint Mobile data before the end of the month, your speeds are sharply cut to just 2G speeds. You can still get emails and send messages, but much more than that is cumbersome. If you’re using Wi-Fi at home and taking a bit of care about what you download while you’re away from home, however, even heavy users should be able to find a Mint Mobile plan that works.

When it comes to hotspot data, Mint Mobile simply shares its data on the three cheaper plans with the 40GB plan, called Unlimited, getting 10GB of hotspot data. Metro includes hotspot with its two priciest plans; 8GB on the $50 plan and 20GB on the $60 plan. Both carriers limit video streaming to 480p to save data, so you’ll need a VPN for HD streaming or downloading videos ahead of time.

One thing to consider is that if you sign up in a Metro by T-Mobile store, you may be required to pay a $25 activation fee for each line. Beyond that, Metro includes all taxes and fees in its plan prices, so you can get a good idea of what you’ll pay upfront. Mint Mobile does not include fees, so you’ll also be paying government taxes and fees and a recovery fee, which adds up to a few dollars each month. You’ll be able to see this cost once you put in your shipping details before final checkout.

Metro by T-Mobile has another trick up its sleeve with 5G Home Internet. Metro’s home internet is basically the same as T-Mobile 5G Home service, but you’ll need to buy the gateway for $25. After that, it’s just $50 with unlimited data at 5G speeds.

If you’re looking for international usage, Metro’s top plan includes unlimited texting to 210+ countries, but that’s about it. You can get a $5 add-on for calls and texts, as well as 5GB of roaming data in Mexico and Canada. There are also some other options to allow calling and texting to Latin American countries, add HD video streaming, add data, and more. Metro by T-Mobile has a few add-ons worth exploring if you need more from your plan.

Coverage and reception

Both carriers use the T-Mobile network with LTE and 5G coverage, so you can expect coverage and speeds on the two carriers to be mostly identical. T-Mobile has the largest 5G network in the country thanks to its 2.5GHz spectrum on band n41. T-Mobile also uses bands n25, n66, and n71 for more coverage and speed where it’s needed. Some rural areas will be stuck with LTE for the time being, but most of T-Mobile’s coverage has been updated with at least nationwide 5G.

If you’re coming from Verizon or AT&T, you can expect similar coverage levels in urban and suburban areas, though T-Mobile can fall behind in rural coverage. Reference Mint’s coverage map or Metro’s coverage map to determine how well your area is covered.

Phone compatibility

The T-Mobile network is one of the most compatible for phones, so you should be able to bring nearly any modern unlocked phone to either Metro by T-Mobile or Mint Mobile. You can expect all the best Android phones to work well with this network with full 5G support. Some international models may lack full band support, but as we experienced in our Nothing Phone 2a review, even phones with limited band support can work well enough on T-Mobile’s network.

If you’re looking for a new phone, you can bring a device you bought directly from a manufacturer, or pick up a new one at your carrier of choice. Metro sticks more to budget and midrange phones, so if a flagship is preferred, you’ll need to shop elsewhere. Still, if you’re okay with a budget device, there are some new line savings at Metro.

Mint’s store is more well-rounded with some higher-end options. If you get a 12-month plan with your new phone, you can save $50, though the savings aren’t quite as strong as Metro’s. It’s worth accessing Mint’s deals page for extra savings on some phone models. Mint also offers monthly payments via Affirm, though a down payment may be required.

Plans

Plans can make or break a carrier if it doesn’t offer enough value to justify a switch. Metro’s plans skew towards the high end, with unlimited data acting as a drop-in replacement for T-Mobile’s postpaid plans. Mint, on the other hand, asks customers to get a better understanding of their usage to find a plan that closely fits their needs. While this doesn’t give you as much flexibility to splurge on data, the fact is that most of us don’t need a ton of data.

If you’re unsure what an average month of data usage looks like to you, check your previous bill. Even if you’re on an unlimited plan, carriers track data usage, so you should be able to view how much data you typically use. While you’re there, make sure you’re not making monthly payments on any phones or devices as you’ll need to pay those off before bringing them to another carrier.

Metro’s plans

Metro has four main phone plans with a few heritage plans still available as a result of its merger agreement when it acquired Sprint. For the most part, Metro’s current plans offer the best value for new customers. Metro’s cheapest plan is a 5GB data plan with unlimited talk and text. This plan costs $30 and is a good pick for those getting free or reduced-cost service through the federal Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). ACP can pay for up to $30 per month, so it’s no surprise to see a $30 plan at Metro.

Metro’s cheapest unlimited plan costs $40 per month and simply gets unlimited domestic talk, text, and data. A promotion also gives customers a free year of Vix, a Spanish-language streaming service. And if you want to add a line, you’ll pay full price for the second line. But for three lines, the total is just $90, while four lines are only $100 per month.

The $50 unlimited plan comes with a couple of nice extras starting with hotspot data. This plan includes 8GB of data that can be shared with other devices using your phone’s mobile hotspot feature. You also get a 100GB Google One membership to back up your most important files. On this plan, each additional line is just $30, so a four-line plan will set you back $110 per month.

The top $60 unlimited plan is, unsurprisingly, Metro’s most fully featured plan. It includes 25GB of hotspot data and the same 100GB Google One membership as the $50 plan. Like the other two unlimited plans, Vix streaming is also included for a year. Uniquely, this plan comes with texting to 120+ countries and destinations around the globe. At $30 per additional line, four lines cost $150.

You’ll need to sign up with Auto-Pay enabled to get these prices, or you’ll need to add $5 to your final bill. And son’t forget to check Metro’s deals page as it has some decent savings on new lines. If you need four new phones for the family, you can even get four Galaxy A15 5Gs with unlimited data for $100 per month.

Mint Mobile’s plans

Mint’s plans are fairly straightforward, with three limited options and one unlimited plan. Mint’s cheapest plan has 5GB of high-speed data, unlimited talk, and unlimited text. If you buy three months of service, this plan costs $25 per month or $45 total. If you pick up a year, it decreases to $15 per month, $180 total.

The next plan up comes with 15GB of data and is likely the best fit for most people. This plan costs $35 per month or $105 with a three-month payment. For 12 months, it comes in at $20 per month or a $240 annual payment. Similarly, the 20GB plan is $45 per month if you buy three months for $135. It costs $25 per month, or $300 if you buy the year.

These three plans can each share all their data in a mobile hotspot. They also get slowed down to 2G speeds if you go over your monthly data allotment. This slowed data still works for basic tasks like messaging and receiving emails, but will be a pain for browsing and even music streaming. Luckily, Mint lets you upgrade mid-cycle if you find your plan isn’t big enough.

The Unlimited plan is a bit different, with 40GB of high-speed data plus 10GB of hotspot data. This plan is the most expensive, at $30 per month when you pay for 12 months for a total of $360, but costs $40 with three-month payments.

Mint doesn’t have multiline savings the same way Metro does, but if you want to bring multiple lines with Mint Family, you still get some financial relief. Mint Family gives you Mint’s best 12-month rates, but you only need to renew every three months. That makes the upfront cost of a multiline, multi-month plan a bit more palatable.

Which should you get?

For lighter users, it’s an easy win for Mint Mobile. The carrier’s multi-month savings make its plan a better overall value. If you’re bringing three or more lines, however, the favor starts to swing back to Metro. With the 15GB plan, for example, you can get service for just $20 per month when you pay for a year of service. For many people, 15GB of data is plenty, especially if they use Wi-Fi at home. You can even try Mint Mobile for $45 for the first three months on any plan if you’re still unsure if it’s right for you.

Mint Mobile

Editor’s choice

Great for users who don’t need a lot

Mint Mobile’s plans are a great pick for lighter users looking to save, especially if they’re only bringing a single line. If you can pay for 12 months at once, Mint is one of the best values you can get.

From $15/month

Mint is a great option if you’re looking for a basic phone plan with enough data to get by and a simple discount structure. Unfortunately, Mint’s extra fees start to wipe away its advantages when it comes to larger data amounts. Metro’s unlimited data plans are a great option for heavier users looking to save. Whether you can go ten minutes without watching or listening to streamed content, or require the flexibility to use as much data as you want, Metro is still a great way to save over postpaid carriers, especially with multiple lines.

Metro by T-Mobile

Runner-up

Great for heavier users

Metro by T-Mobile is still a great deal for heavier users, especially if they’re bringing multiple lines. It’s got unlimited data on three plans with some of the best rates on a four-line unlimited plan anywhere.

From $35/month