Cricket Wireless vs Boost Mobile: Which Is Better?
Two budget prepaid names, one identical network underneath — as of late 2025, Cricket and Boost both ride AT&T's towers. Six rounds. Real numbers. One honest scorecard.
The verdict
Cricket Wireless takes it, 4–2 on rounds.
Cricket and Boost now share the exact same network, so the real question isn't coverage anymore — it's which company handles your account and your money better.
Choose Cricket Wireless if…
- • You want the most established, stable network relationship with no migration risk
- • You're adding a family plan and want simple, published 4-line pricing
Choose Boost Mobile if…
- • You want the most premium data on the cheapest single-line plan
- • You're willing to bet on Boost's upcoming Starlink satellite coverage
Round by round
- Round 1Price for a Single LineCricket Wireless winsCricket Wireless6/10
$35/mo (Select Unlimited)
Auto Pay price, taxes and fees included
- Taxes and fees included in the sticker price
- Scales up to a 50GB premium-data tier
- $10/mo pricier than Boost's cheapest unlimited plan
Source: Cricket Wireless pricing data
Boost Mobile7/10$25/mo (Forever)
Price locked "forever" per Boost's marketing; 30GB premium data
- Cheapest realistic single-line unlimited rate of the two
- Caps out at 30GB premium data on the base tier
Source: Boost Mobile pricing data
Boost is cheaper upfront, but Cricket gives you more room to grow into a bigger data allotment.
- Round 2Data Allotment Before DeprioritizationBoost Mobile winsCricket Wireless5/10
50GB (Supreme, $55/mo)
Base Select Unlimited tier has no explicit premium-data callout
- 50GB premium data available on the top tier
- SD video streaming even on the top tier
Source: Cricket Wireless plan data
Boost Mobile7/1030GB ($25/mo Forever)
Stronger entry-tier data allotment than Cricket's comparable price point
- 30GB premium data on the cheapest $25/mo plan
- Reports of Boost trimming a prior 100GB allotment down to 50GB on other tiers
Source: Boost Mobile plan data
Boost gives you more premium data at the entry price point than Cricket does at a comparable tier.
- Round 3Perks & ExtrasBoost Mobile winsCricket Wireless6/10
HBO Max Basic (with ads)
Bundled free on the $55 Supreme Unlimited tier
- Free HBO Max Basic on Supreme Unlimited
- 100GB cloud storage on Smart tier and up
Source: Cricket Wireless plan data
Boost Mobile8/10Starlink Direct-to-Cell (2026-27)
Global talk/text on all tiers now; satellite coverage planned via $17B EchoStar-SpaceX deal
- Global talk and text included on every plan, even the cheapest
- Future Starlink satellite coverage via EchoStar-SpaceX deal
- Satellite coverage is a 2026-2027 promise, not available yet
Source: Boost Mobile / EchoStar deal data
Boost's global talk-and-text on every tier, plus a real path to satellite coverage, edges out Cricket's streaming bundle.
- Round 4Customer Service & TrustCricket Wireless winsCricket Wireless6/10
1.6/5 Trustpilot, strong in-store
- Nationwide retail stores for in-person support
- 1.6/5 on Trustpilot, 651 reviews
Boost Mobile5/103.9/5 Trustpilot, hard-to-reach agents
- Higher headline Trustpilot score (3.9/5) than Cricket
- Offshore call centers criticized as hard to reach and understand
Boost's Trustpilot score looks stronger, but Cricket's in-store support is the more dependable fallback.
- Round 5Network Transition StabilityCricket Wireless winsCricket Wireless8/10
11+ years on AT&T
No migration risk — fully AT&T-owned since the 2014 acquisition
- No migration risk, over a decade of AT&T ownership
- Data still deprioritized behind AT&T postpaid customers
Source: AT&T/Cricket ownership data
Boost Mobile4/10Migrated Nov 15, 2025
Wholesale AT&T deal guaranteed only through 2031
- Now running on AT&T's mature nationwide network
- Recent migration caused real device-compatibility disruption
- Wholesale deal has a defined 2031 end date, not permanent
Source: Boost Mobile network transition data
Cricket's decade-plus of AT&T stability beats Boost's brand-new, time-limited wholesale deal.
- Round 6Family & Multi-Line PricingCricket Wireless winsCricket Wireless8/10
$25/line (4 lines)
Cricket's advertised, straightforward family-plan price
- Clear published 4-line rate: $100/mo total
- Data still deprioritized behind AT&T postpaid on every line
Source: Cricket Wireless pricing data
Boost Mobile4/10~$40-47/line (3 lines)
No standard 4-line family promotion like Cricket or Metro
- 3-line discount available on Unlimited Premium
- No headline 4-line family plan
Source: Boost Mobile pricing data
Cricket has a genuine 4-line family plan; Boost's multi-line pricing simply doesn't scale that far.
Which one is for you?
Shopper wanting the most stable, established AT&T relationship
→ Cricket Wireless · AT&T-owned and stable since 2014, no migration risk
Single user wanting the most premium data at the lowest price
→ Boost Mobile · 30GB premium data included on the $25/mo Forever plan
Family of 4 wanting a simple, published group rate
→ Cricket Wireless · $100/mo total for 4 lines, no multi-line guesswork
Someone who spends time in dead zones and wants future satellite backup
→ Boost Mobile · In line for Starlink Direct-to-Cell coverage via EchoStar-SpaceX deal
Side by side
- $25/line at 4 lines — a real family discount
- Rides the same AT&T towers that won H1 2025 RootMetrics awards for best overall, most reliable, fastest
- Full 5G AT&T access on every tier
- $25/line at 4 lines on one shared account
- $25/mo with 30GB premium data and global talk/text included
- No credit check, no contract on any tier
- Now running on AT&T's mature nationwide network instead of Boost's still-building infrastructure
- 30GB of premium (non-deprioritized) data included on the base tier
- $35/mo for a single line — $10 more than Visible
- Data-capped Sensible plan drops to 128 Kbps after 10GB
- Deprioritized behind AT&T postpaid during congestion
- No premium-data upgrade exists at any price, even on the $55 top plan
- November 2025 migration caused real disruption and device-compatibility issues for some existing customers
- Deprioritized behind AT&T's own postpaid customers after the allotment
- Documented history of unilaterally cutting data thresholds
- No streaming bundle comparable to Verizon's perk stack