Independent since 2019 · No paid placement, ever Prices re-checked weekly · Last verified July 30, 2026
6 plans reviewed Carrier guide

Cricket Wireless Plans

AT&T's in-house prepaid brand. Six plans, taxes included in every price, and one tier that escapes the deprioritization defining the rest of prepaid.

Cricket is owned by AT&T outright rather than licensing the network as a third party, and that shows up in one specific place: the Supreme tier carries priority data (QCI 8) instead of the deprioritized traffic class every other prepaid plan gets. On a congested tower, that is the difference between working and not.

The other thing Cricket does well is honest pricing. Taxes and fees are included, so the advertised number is the number. Every price below assumes AutoPay — Cricket charges $5 more in the first month, then the AutoPay rate takes over.

Cricket Wireless at a glance

Network
AT&T 5G + 4G LTE, nationwide
Owned by
AT&T — a subsidiary, not a third-party MVNO
Plans
6 — four monthly tiers plus 3-month and 12-month prepay
Taxes & fees
Included in every advertised price
AutoPay
Required for the rates shown; first month is $5 higher
Data priority
Deprioritized on all tiers except Supreme, which has priority data
Typical speeds
144–445 Mbps on 5G+, 51–290 Mbps on 5G, 7–59 Mbps on LTE
Video
SD on cellular across the lineup
Activation fee
$25 — in Cricket stores only; free online
Free trial
14 days via the tryCricket app, without disturbing your current service
Contract
None; no credit check
Retail support
Yes — thousands of Cricket stores

Every Cricket Wireless plan compared

Prices are what Cricket Wireless advertises. The line under each plan name is what you actually pay once taxes and fees land.

Plan Price Data Hotspot Best for
12-Month Unlimited Effective $300 prepaid · BYOD, new single line Price$25/mo DataUnlimited, deprioritized HotspotNot included Best forThe cheapest unlimited on AT&T's network, if you can prepay
Sensible 10GB Effective $35 first month · $10 per extra GB Price$30/mo Data10GB, then 128 Kbps HotspotNot available Best forLight users who genuinely stay under 10GB
Select Unlimited Effective $40 first month · new lines only Price$35/mo DataUnlimited, deprioritized HotspotAdd-on available Best forFamilies — four lines for $100/mo
3-Month Unlimited Effective $45 for three months · BYOD, new single line Price$15/mo DataUnlimited, deprioritized HotspotNot included Best forTrying Cricket, or a short-term line
Smart Unlimited Effective $50 first month Price$45/mo DataUnlimited, deprioritized Hotspot15GB Best forThe balanced default with hotspot included
Supreme Unlimited Effective $60 first month Price$55/mo DataUnlimited priority (QCI 8) Hotspot50GB Best forAnyone who needs data to work at rush hour

Plan names link to our full review of that tier. We re-verify every price against the carrier daily.

See plans at Cricket Wireless → Prices re-checked weekly · we may earn a commission

What it really costs

Cricket includes taxes and fees, so comparisons against Straight Talk and Total Wireless are closer than sticker prices suggest — Cricket Smart at $45 all-in is roughly Straight Talk Silver at $48–51 effective, and Cricket includes taxes in that number while Straight Talk adds them at checkout.

Every rate assumes AutoPay, and the first month costs $5 more on each monthly tier. Budget $50 for your first Smart Unlimited bill, not $45.

The multi-month plans are the best value in the lineup and the most restricted. 12-Month Unlimited at $25/mo requires prepaying $300, bringing your own phone, and opening a new single-line account — and it has no hotspot. Read those conditions before treating it as the headline price.

Sensible 10GB is hard to justify at $30. Select Unlimited is $5 more and unlimited, and Sensible drops to 128 Kbps once the 10GB is gone or charges $10 per extra gigabyte. The capped tier only makes sense if you want a hard stop on usage.

The two cheapest monthly tiers are thinner than they look. Neither Sensible nor Select includes usage in Mexico and Canada, international texting, cloud storage or HBO Max — those start at Smart Unlimited. Both still include unlimited calls and texts from the US to Mexico and Canada.

Cricket Wireless is a good fit if…

✓You want AT&T coverage without an AT&T bill, and you want the price you see to be the price you pay.
✓You need data that works during congestion — Supreme is the only prepaid plan on AT&T's network with priority traffic.
✓You're putting a family together; Select Unlimited runs four lines for $100/mo.
✓You can prepay. Three months at $15/mo or twelve at $25/mo undercut nearly everything on AT&T's network.
✓You travel to Mexico or Canada — but check the tier: usage there is included on Smart and Supreme only.

Look elsewhere if…

−You tether on a budget. Hotspot only appears at Smart Unlimited and above — Sensible has none and Select charges for an add-on.
−You watch video on cellular and care about quality; Cricket streams SD across the lineup.
−You want month-to-month flexibility at the lowest price — the cheap rates require 3 or 12-month prepayment.
−You're an existing Cricket customer eyeing Select Unlimited or the prepay plans; those are new-line only.
−You want international texting or roaming on a budget tier — Sensible and Select have neither.

Frequently asked questions

Is Cricket Wireless owned by AT&T?

Yes. Cricket is a subsidiary of AT&T and its in-house prepaid brand, not an independent MVNO licensing the network. That ownership is why the Supreme tier can offer priority data (QCI 8), which third-party AT&T MVNOs cannot.

What is the cheapest Cricket Wireless plan?

12-Month Unlimited at $25/mo, which requires prepaying $300 for the year, bringing your own compatible phone, and opening a new single-line account. Among month-to-month plans the cheapest is Sensible 10GB at $30/mo with AutoPay, though Select Unlimited is unlimited for $5 more.

What's the difference between Cricket Smart and Supreme?

Three things. Supreme has priority data that doesn't slow during congestion, a 50GB hotspot instead of 15GB, and HBO Max with Ads plus 150GB of cloud storage. Smart is deprioritized like standard prepaid. The gap is $10/mo.

Which Cricket plans include hotspot?

Smart Unlimited includes 15GB and Supreme Unlimited includes 50GB. Select Unlimited has no hotspot included but offers it as a paid add-on. Sensible 10GB has no hotspot and no add-on option, and neither multi-month prepay plan includes it.

Are taxes and fees included in Cricket's prices?

Yes. Cricket includes taxes and fees in its advertised prices — a real advantage over Straight Talk and Total Wireless, which quote pre-tax and add roughly 7–10%. Note that all advertised rates require AutoPay, and the first month costs $5 more.

Does Cricket work in Mexico and Canada?

Usage in Mexico and Canada is included on Smart Unlimited and Supreme Unlimited only, along with unlimited texting from the US to 200+ countries. Sensible 10GB and Select Unlimited don't include usage there, though every plan includes unlimited calls and texts from the US to Mexico and Canada.

Can I try Cricket before switching?

Yes. The tryCricket app gives you 14 days on Cricket's network for free without interrupting your existing service, so you can check coverage where you live and work before porting your number.