Boost Mobile vs. Straight Talk – An in-depth Comparison
Are you looking to get yourself a line from a budget mobile carrier and are wondering where to look? Boost Mobile and Straight Talk are two common services, but which one is better?
Budget mobile carriers have been on a steady increase over the last couple of years, and they have gained traction among the general populace for their ability to provide services that could be regarded as comprehensive at an affordable rate. Boost Mobile and Straight Talk are counted among some of the most commonly used mobile carriers, and they are largely preferred for their capacity to remain pretty affordable.
When to use Boost Mobile
This mobile carrier combines incredible plans for both family and individual use, and it is also pretty affordable. This makes it an ideal match for persons who have unique data, call and SMS needs, but who are also keen on saving on a good deal of money. Seeing as its coverage has the tendency to get spotty, this mobile carrier proves best for people in metropolitan areas where coverage is pretty good.
When to use Straight Talk
Also a conveniently affordable mobile carrier, Straight Talk proves pretty popular among individuals who have the need for high speed data and friendly call and SMS rates for regular use. You will notice that Straight Talk does not come with family packages (or any that cover multiple lines), meaning that it proves most ideal for individuals who also want to keep from spending lots of money on their mobile carrier.
Boost Mobile vs. Straight Talk Features Comparison
Feature |
Boost Mobile |
Straight Talk |
Network Type |
MVNO |
MVNO |
Number of Plans |
10+ |
3 |
Monthly Subscriptions |
$35 – $60 |
$35 – $55 |
Mobile Hotspot |
Available |
Not Available |
Action |
Boost Mobile vs Straight Talk -What criteria did we use to evaluate them?
Seeing as both Boost Mobile and Straight Talk are MVNO operators that ideally depend on larger mobile carrier towers for network transmission, we focused our attention to the efficiency of coverage received by users, whether or not they are in a metropolis. We also sought to find out the number of plans that were available to each customer, and how much they were required to part with to maintain the services needed.
Boost Mobile vs. Straight Mobile – A detailed Review
Boost Mobile Review
As earlier mentioned, Boost Mobile happens to be an MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator), meaning that it depends on other major mobile carrier towers for transmission of network. For this reason, the company is spared of tower maintenance fees, allowing them the ability to stay pretty affordable.
To transmit their mobile network across the country, Boost Mobile solely relies on Sprint which delivers good coverage in most areas, but you will notice a couple dead zones, especially in regions that are removed from major metropolitan areas. However, you are unlikely to get stuck with zero bars.
One of the features that stands out a good deal about Boost Mobile is that it comes with both individual and family plans. This means that family members and even individuals who are looking to operate multiple lines at the same time can access Boost Mobile services for regular use. There are more than 10 bundles from which to choose, but we highlighted a few below.
Boost Mobile Individual Plans
Number of Lines |
Key features |
Subscription fee |
1 |
Unlimited call, text and data. Data throttling beyond 500MBs |
$40 per month |
1 |
Unlimited call, text, data. Data throttling beyond 2.5GB |
$50 per month |
1 |
Unlimited call, text, data. Data throttling beyond 5GB |
$60 per month. |
Boost Mobile Family Plans
Plan / Number of lines |
$50 Plan – 35GB
Unlimited talk, text, data, 12GB hotspot |
$60 Plan – 35GB
Unlimited talk, text, data, 30GB hotspot |
$35 Plan – 3GB
Unlimited call, text, data, mobile hotspot included |
$35 Plan – 6GB
Unlimited call, text, data, mobile hotspot included |
2 lines |
$80 |
$100 |
$60 |
$60 |
3 lines |
$110 |
$140 |
$90 |
$90 |
4 lines |
$140 |
$180 |
$120 |
$120 |
5 lines |
$170 |
$220 |
$150 |
$150 |
With each plan, you will notice that there is a particular data limit provided. While you are not going to be locked out of the internet entirely when this limit is exceeded, you will notice a significant drop in speeds. This is because the speeds are capped above the provided limit so that they run at 2G instead of 3G/4G.
Feature |
|
Number of available plans |
10+ |
Network Type |
MVNO |
Mobile Hotspot |
Available |
Pros
- There are multiple plans from which to choose
- There are both family and individual plans
- The plans are pretty affordable
- Mobile hotspot is provided for most plans
Cons
- Poor network coverage in some areas
Straight Talk Review
Straight Talk is a mobile carrier that has been widely used over a good deal of time, and this is largely because of its affordability and dependability. Just like Boost Mobile, Straight Talk is an MVNO that depends on major established carrier towers for transmission of network. This is one of the reasons why their network is widely spread, and is good in most regions of the country.
Like most other budget mobile carriers, Straight Talk offers a couple plans to choose from, and they come with different features for different users. One characteristic worth noting, however, is the fact that there are not family plans, meaning that Straight Talk only caters to individuals who are looking to run singular lines.
There are three main plans to choose from, and they are detailed below.
Number of lines |
Data Provided |
Monthly Subscription Fee |
1 |
Unlimited calls and SMS + 3 GB data |
$35 |
1 |
Unlimited calls and SMS + 25 GB data |
$45 |
1 |
Unlimited calls and SMS + 100 GB data |
$100 |
From the table above, you will notice that there are certain data limits provided for each plan. In case the allotted data runs out, you will not be locked out of the internet entirely, but you will notice a significant speed drop since it goes from 4G to 2G.
In addition, you will experience data deprioritization which causes your internet speeds to drop during peak hours of internet use, and when you are in an area that is crowded.
Feature |
|
Number of available plans |
3 |
Network Type |
MVNO |
Mobile Hotspot |
Not Available |
Pros
- Three plans from which to choose
- Great coverage
- Pretty affordable
Cons
- No family plans
- Data deprioritization
- Limited mobile hotspot
Boost Mobile vs. Straight Talk – How do they compare?
Number of available plans
Wit Straight Talk, you are going to enjoy up to 3 plans to choose from, but they are all limited to individual use. However, Boost Mobile comes with more that 10 plans intended for both individual and family use, making it better than Straight Talk.
Data Prices
With the three available individual plans, Straight Talk subscriptions range from $35 to $100, and for this you get data that ranges from 3GB to 100GB.
Boost Mobile, however, offers a lot more data for both family and individual use, with plans ranging from $40 to $220 per month, making it better than Straight Talk.
Mobile Hotspot
With Straight Talk, you will only have access to mobile hotspot on one plan, but Boost Mobile offers hotspot to every user on every plan. This makes it better than Straight Talk.
Conclusion
Even though Straight Talk offers better coverage as far as network goes, Boost Mobile takes the game to a new level by offering many plans to choose from, unlimited data and even hotspot for both family and individual users. The combination of these features makes a better mobile carrier than Straight Talk.
FAQs
- Are there Boost Mobile Plans that are cheaper than $15?
Yes, there are.
- Is Straight Talk the same as Simple Mobile?
No, it is not.