Tello vs Cricket Wireless: Which carrier is best?
We compared Tello & Cricket Wireless plans, coverage & customer ratings: Which cell phone service is best for you?
Founder
About Rob
Rob has 15+ years experience running price comparison & review websites that empower consumers to find the cheapest cell phone services, cell phone deals, home phone, and internet providers available. He has been published in Forbes, US News, Entrepreneur, Huffington Post, Inc.
Rob's Expertise
5G wireless networks, cell phone plans, cell phone deals, MVNOs, internet services, tablets, comparison shopping, money saving, reviewing telecom products & services
Editor
About Amanda
Amanda has 20+ years of experience as an educator. Her teaching career, paired with her love for research and technology, has led her to MoneySavingPro. Her personal experience with eSIMs and MVNOs after switching her entire family away from big wireless in the last few years has taught her the ins and outs of the industry. And saved her hundreds per month.
Amanda's Expertise
Writing, editing, proofreading, researching, blogging, collaborating, communicating, CMS, eSIMs, MVNOs, 5G home internet & comparison
Last updated on October 10th, 2023
MoneySavingPro independently researches the products & services to bring you our recommendations. We may earn money when you click our links - disclosure policy.
Looking to switch carrier but not sure if Tello or Cricket Wireless is better?
Within this guide, you'll be able to compare Tello and Cricket Wireless coverage, features, plans and prices side-by-side, so you can decide for yourself which carrier offers the best deal.
Tello vs Cricket Wireless: Coverage & Plan Comparison 2023
Tello vs Cricket Wireless plans
Tello 0GB
- T-Mobile 5G & 4G LTE networks Tello operates on the T-Mobile 5G & 4G LTE networks. This allows you to receive the same wireless coverage but at a fraction of the cost.
- Unlimited talk and text
- 0GB data
- $804 in annual savings Savings are calculated comparing the cost of the Tello 0GB vs an unlimited data plan from T-Mobile, AT&T or Verizon over the first 12 months.
$8/mo
Tello phone plans keep things simple with their wireless service. None of those hidden fees or long-term contracts that'll leave you feeling trapped.
With free international calls to 60+ countries on all plans, including Canada and Mexico, and a range of data allowances suitable for light to heavy users.
Pros
- T-Mobile 5G & 4G LTE wireless coverage
- Free international calling to 60+ countries
- Free mobile hotspot included
- Excellent score on Trustpilot
- eSIM compatible
Cons
- No international roaming
- No multi-line discounts
- Not only are their plans affordable for all budgets, but you can build your own plan. Depending on your usage, you get to choose how much data, minutes, and texts you need, so you're not paying for stuff you don't use.
- It's always worth checking your data usage as a set data plan could save money and help restrict excessive phone usage.
- Mobile hotspot is available with a limit of 5 GB of data.
- Tello doesn't offer any discounts if you purchase multiple lines, so if you're looking to get a plan for another family member, each line is billed as a single line at full price. However, you can still save money due to the low cost of their individual plans.
- Being online-based means that activation of an eSIM plan can take just a few clicks, or you can have a SIM card mailed to you.
Cricket Wireless 5GB
- AT&T 5G & 4G LTE networks Cricket Wireless operates on the AT&T 5G & 4G LTE networks. This allows you to receive the same wireless coverage but at a fraction of the cost.
- Unlimited talk and text
- 5GB data
- $540 in annual savings Savings are calculated comparing the cost of the Cricket Wireless 5GB vs an unlimited data plan from T-Mobile, AT&T or Verizon over the first 12 months.
$30/mo
Pros
- Free talk and text with all plans
- Unlimited data plans available
- Available in retail stores
- Multi-line discount available
Cons
- Fastest data speed capped at 8 Mbps
- Mobile hotspot use costs extra
- One of the few MVNOs that charge an activation fee
Tello vs Cricket Wireless comparison
Tello plans start at $8 and Cricket Wireless plans start as low $30. With no contract, you can get some of the cheapest cell phone plans when shopping for a deal with MVNO's like Tello and Cricket Wireless.
| Carrier | Network | Data | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tello unlimited talk & text plan | T-Mobile 5G/4G Coverage | 0GB | $8/mo |
| Tello 1GB plan | T-Mobile 5G/4G Coverage | 1GB | $9/mo |
| Tello 2GB plan | T-Mobile 5G/4G Coverage | 2GB | $10/mo |
| Tello 5GB plan | T-Mobile 5G/4G Coverage | 5GB | $14/mo |
| Tello unlimited data plan | T-Mobile 5G/4G Coverage | Unltd | $25/mo |
| Carrier | Network | Data | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cricket Wireless 5GB plan | AT&T 5G/4G Coverage | 5GB | $30/mo |
| Cricket Wireless 10GB plan | AT&T 5G/4G Coverage | 10GB | $40/mo |
| Cricket Wireless unlimited data plan | AT&T 5G/4G Coverage | Unltd | $55/mo |
Tello vs Cricket Wireless coverage
Tello is powered by T-Mobile and Cricket Wireless is powered by AT&T. Coverage can vary depending on your location. You can check their availability in your area by using our coverage checker.
Tello coverage
Tello is powered by T-Mobile 5G & 4G LTE wireless networks.
Cricket Wireless coverage
Cricket Wireless is powered by AT&T 5G & 4G LTE wireless networks.
View Cricket Wireless coverage map
Find the cheapest cell phone service in your area
Enter your ZIP code below to find the best cell phone service in your area.
Tello vs Cricket Wireless plan features
| Carrier Features | Tello | Cricket Wireless |
|---|---|---|
| Networks | T-Mobile | AT&T |
| Data Speed | 5G & 4G LTE | 5G & 4G LTE |
| 3G Network | GSM | GSM |
| Mobile Hotspot | ||
| Bring Your Phone | ||
| Keep Your Number | ||
| Contract | No - prepaid | No - prepaid |
| Credit Check | ||
| Customer Service | 24/7 | 24/7 |
| Money Back Guarantee | Yes - 3 days | |
| 5G | 0 | |
| Taxes/fees included | ||
| VoLTE | ||
| WiFi Calling | ||
| Visual Voicemail | ||
| Multi-line Discounts | ||
| Multi-month Discounts | ||
| International Calls | Yes - Includes Mexico, Canada & China | |
| International Roaming |
Tello vs Cricket Wireless customer service
Tello customer service
Contact Tello customer care
Call (866) 377-0294
Tag @tellomobile on Twitter
Cricket Wireless customer service
Contact Cricket Wireless customer care
Call (800) 274-2538
Tag @CricketNation on Twitter
Tello vs Cricket Wireless FAQs
The main difference between Tello and Cricket Wireless are plan prices and features. Both offer cheap cell phone plans powered by the major networks.
Tello is powered by T-Mobile and Cricket Wireless runs on AT&T.
Most newer handsets are compatible if they're unlocked, but if you're not sure you can check phone compatibility with our IMEI checker.
If your Tello phone is unlocked it should work with Cricket Wireless. Most of the latest handsets are compatible but you can check your phone's compatibility with the carrier before purchasing.
Tello comparison guides
- Boost Infinite vs Tello
- Boost Mobile vs Tello
- Lycamobile vs Tello
- Mint Mobile vs Tello
- Red Pocket vs Tello
- Tello vs Boost Infinite
- Tello vs Consumer Cellular
- Tello vs Kroger Wireless
- Tello vs Lycamobile
- Tello vs Metro by T-Mobile
- Tello vs Optimum Mobile
- Tello vs PureTalk
- Tello vs Reach Mobile
- Tello vs Red Pocket
- Tello vs Spectrum Mobile
Cricket Wireless comparison guides
