Is Boost’s new service ready?

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  Simple and affordable data plans

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  Mint Mobile
  

  Mint Mobile is a T-Mobile-owned prepaid carrier with four plans ranging from 5GB up to 40GB. Customers can save by paying for a longer term upfront, up to 12 months at a time. With T-Mobile 5G behind it, Mint can be a good way to save for light and heavy users alike.

  Pros

  • Strong 5G coverage on the T-Mobile network
  • Mint family is available
  • Multi-month savings on all plans

  Cons

  • Taxes and fees are extra
  • Must buy a minimum of three months
  • Only uses the T-Mobile network

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  Ready for a new phone?

  
  Boost Mobile
  

  Boost Mobile is more than a prepaid brand with its own burgeoning 5G network coverage with gaps filled in by other carriers. You can even get a new phone bundled with your plan including iPhone and Samsung Galaxy phones. You can even save on new phones with the large plans.

  Pros

  • Strong coverage with Boost and partner 5G
  • Strong phone savings with a new plan
  • Solid international features available

  Cons

  • Taxes and fees are extra on the cheaper plan
  • No family plan
  • No truly unlimited data plan

Boost Mobile has changed a lot since its time owned by Sprint and is now building its own 5G network with coverage that has reached a lot of towns and cities across the country. In the meantime, the carrier uses coverage from AT&T and T-Mobile to fill where native coverage is not available. With Boost, you get a new carrier with competitive plans that may even be bundled with a new phone.

Mint Mobile is owned by T-Mobile, so it doesn’t really need to compete in the same way as Boost Mobile. For example, there’s no need for Mint Mobile to attract customers that would use T-Mobile postpaid. Mint Mobile stays competitive with other carriers by offering four plans with up to 40GB of data and a multi-month pricing structure extra makes it easy to pick the right plan. Mint Mobile even has its Mint Family deal to make bringing multiple lines to the carrier more affordable.

Mobile carrier features

Mint Mobile’s plan structure is fairly easy to understand, with four plans and multiple terms lengths for each. Mint Mobile’s plans are available for three, six, or 12 months with lower monthly prices when you opt for the longer term. You’ll need to pay the full amount upfront, so while you save over the course of the year, you’ll need to make a fairly big payment right off the bat. If you’re bringing multiple lines, up to five, you can use Mint Family to get Mint’s best rates renewed every three months instead.

Mint’s plans are all technically unlimited with a fixed amount of high-speed data that’s slowed to 2G speeds if you use it all. Mint’s cheapest plan only comes with 5GB, but you can get up to 40GB of high-speed data with the unlimited plan. If you want to use your connection on another device like a tablet or laptop, you can share your data using mobile hotspot. The unlimited plan, however, comes with 10GB of dedicated hotspot data.

Boost Mobile has gone through a lot of changes in the past couple of years, but its most recent plans are the biggest change yet. Boost really only has three unlimited plans with a fixed amount of premium high-speed data. The base unlimited plan can be paired with an iPhone or a Samsung Galaxy phone if you’re ready for a new phone. These device plans come with annual upgrades so you can be sure you’re on the latest version of the device. While the base model is included in the plan price, you have the option to upgrade to another option, like the Galaxy S24 Ultra if you pay the difference.

Taxes and fees are included in Boost’s two upgraded unlimited plans, but if you choose the base plan or one of the device plans, you’ll need to pay extra taxes and fees. You can still get many of Boost’s classic add-ons as well, such as Todo Mexico, which is now renamed to North America Connect and is still just $10. This add-on comes with 5GB of roaming data as well as talk and text while in Mexico or Canada.

While not Boost’s best features, it certainly is interesting that the carrier is working to build its own 5G network. Still, this network is still growing, so if you head to an area with no Boost coverage, your phone will use either the AT&T or T-Mobile network. Boost has been making steady progress on its network coverage, but you’ll still likely be connected to a partner network every so often.

Mobile coverage and reception

Since it’s owned by T-Mobile, it’s no surprise that Mint Mobile uses the T-Mobile network for all of its coverage. For most people, that’s a good thing, with T-Mobile’s the largest and fastest 5G network in the country. Like any network, T-Mobile still has some weak spots, and if you look into some rural areas, you’ll still see some gaps on Mint’s coverage map, but for the most part, you can expect fast and reliable 5G performance on a wide range of phones.

Boost Mobile is quite different when it comes to its network. Boost itself is building a nationwide 5G network, but since the carrier is starting in a distant fourth place in terms of coverage, it also relies on AT&T and T-Mobile to fill in the gaps. Make no mistake, Boost’s network is growing, but if you take a road trip, you’ll still more than likely connect to one of these other networks from time to time. It’s impossible to predict when and if Boost’s network will reach coverage levels similar to the Big Three, but for the time being, it’s a good option for the price.

Phone compatibility

When it comes to compatibility, Mint Mobile will work with just about any unlocked phone. That includes some of the best Android phones like the Google Pixel 9 Pro, Galaxy S24 Ultra, and even some cheaper models like the Moto G Stylus 5g 2024. Mint’s network is also one of your best bets for using an international phone like the Nothing Phone 2a in the United States. To make the most of T-Mobile’s 5G, your phone should support bands n41 and n71 at least.

Boost Mobile has a wide range of 5G bands to look out for with both low-band and mid-band options. You’ll want a phone that’s compatible with T-Mobile’s and AT&T’s networks as well. Look for mid-band support on bands n77 and n41, with low-band support on n71. For the most part, you don’t need to think about all of these bands and just focus on getting a phone that’s largely compatible with carriers in North America. You can check your IMEI on Boost’s website to make sure your phone is compatible before bringing it with you.

If you’re ready for a new phone, both carriers have a solid range of devices available, skewing more towards entry-level and mid-range devices. If you buy it through Mint, your options are to pay the phone off entirely, or finance it with Affirm. You can also bundle a plan with your new Mint phone for some extra savings. On Boost, you can buy a phone using a standard 36-month payment plan, similar to AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. If you get one of the two higher-end unlimited plans, you can even get some new device savings.

Plans

When it comes to plans, these two carriers offer very different options. Mint keeps its plans very simple with the only major differences between them being the amount of high-speed data. Boost’s plans, on the other hand, have quite a few differences setting them apart, from international usage to bundled phones. Boost’s plans also focus more on device upgrades, with its two high-end plans coming with some new device savings.

Mint Mobile’s plans

Mint’s three fixed data plans each follow the same formula, with unlimited talk and text paired with some amount of high-speed data. If you manage to use up your high-speed data, you will be slowed to 2G speeds until the end of the current month. With Mint’s plans, you’ll also choose a three-month, six-month, or 12-month plan with more savings for the longer terms.

Mint’s cheapest plan comes with 5GB of data and comes in at $15 per month if you pay for a year. That comes up to $20 for six months, and $25 for 12 months. Moving up to the 15GB plan, you’re looking at $20 per month for the annual plan, $25 per month for six months, and $35 per month for three months. The 20GB plan comes in at $25 per month for 12 months, $35 for six months, and $45 for three months.

Moving up to Mint’s unlimited plan, you get 40GB of on-device high-speed data and 10GB of dedicated hotspot data. This plan costs $30 per month for 12 months, $35 per month for six months, and $40 per month for three months. At three months, this unlimited plan is even cheaper than the 20GB plan.

If you’re bringing multiple lines, you can use Mint Family to make the payments a bit smaller. Mint Family works by giving you Mint’s best rates renewed every three months instead of 12. You need to add two to five lines for Mint Family to use it, but if you’re bringing the whole family, this can make the initial payment a lot lower. While it’s not directly a discount, it is nice that you can get Mint’s best rates for a shorter term.

If you’re thinking about trying Mint, you can get your first three months for $15 per month for three months on any plan. This can be helpful to make sure the T-Mobile network works for you, and to help you find out how much data you’ll actually need so you don’t overbuy when it comes time to renew. You can also start with a seven-day free trial if you want to check your coverage without moving your number.

Boost Mobile’s plans

Boost Mobile has three unlimited plans, with two extra versions of the cheapest plan bundled with a new phone. Starting with that cheapest plan, you get 30GB of high-speed data with no contract for $25 per month plus taxes and fees. This plan, simply called Unlimited, is also available with an iPhone, called Infinite Access for iPhone, or a Samsung Galaxy, called Infinite Access for Galaxy. With these plans, you’ll get the bundled phone or an upgrade if you pay the difference. These also come with North America Connect so you can talk, text, and use data while roaming with 5GB of data.

If you want a more premium plan, Unlimited+ takes the high-speed data up to 40GB and comes with hotspot access that shares your data. There’s no contract required, but if you want to buy a phone on a payment plan, you’ll need a credit check. Unlimited+ also comes with the Global Talk & Text add-on which comes with talk and text to 200 countries. It’s also worth noting that taxes and fees are included with this plan, so you know upfront what you’ll need to pay. This plan comes in at $50 per month and if you’re ready for a new phone, you can save $300 on it.

Unlimited Premium is a bit more expensive at $60 per month, but for the right person, the upgrades will be worth it. First, you get 50GB of high-speed data with unlimited talk and text. Hotspot data is again shared with your primary pool of data. This plan gets the same Global Talk & Text add-on, but also comes with North America Connect, which includes talk and text in Mexico and Canada as well as 5GB of data to use. If you’re looking for a new phone, you can save up to $430 on it with this plan.

One thing to keep in mind with these plans is that auto-pay is required for the prices you see. If you don’t want to enable auto-pay, your prices will be $5 more per month.

Which should you buy?

If you’re a fairly heavy user or you want a new phone bundled with your service, Boost Mobile is undoubtedly the way to go. Boost’s cheapest unlimited plan comes with 30GB of data, but costs the same as a 12-month 20GB plan from Mint Mobile, without needing to pay for multiple months. Boost makes it easier to upgrade with payment plans for new phones, or even by bundling in a new phone with your plan using Infinite Access for iPhone or Infinite Access for Galaxy.

If you want one of the bigger plans, you can get more data and savings on a new device. Boost’s two larger unlimited plans also come with taxes and fees included in the price, so there’s no guessing what your bill will be.

Boost Mobile

Boost Mobile’s unlimited plans aren’t for everyone, but if you need a lot of data, Boost’s $25 unlimited plan is a great value. You can even get a bundle with a new phone.

For many people, unlimited data simply isn’t necessary and one of Mint Mobile’s plans will be more than sufficient. Since Mint can scale as low as 5GB, it goes unchallenged for light users who don’t want to waste money on data they don’t need. Moving up, to the 15GB plan, Mint Mobile still offers a way to save over Boost Mobile with monthly payments as low as $20 per month.

With Mint’s highly-compatible T-Mobile coverage, just about any phone will work with the carrier, and its multi-month plans make it easy to save.

Mint Mobile

Mint still stands out as a strong prepaid value so long as you’re willing to sign up for a year at once. Mint’s light 5GB and 15GB plans are an excellent value for lighter users who still want fast and reliable data on the T-Mobile network.