Bulk savings
Mint Mobile
From $15/mo. at Mint Mobile
Pros
- Large T-Mobile network
- Hotspot on all plans
- 5G access included
- Multi-month discounts
- Unlimited plan available
Cons
- No multi-line discount
Mint Mobile delivers a solid network experience on T-Mobile’s network with access to LTE and 5G if you have a phone that supports it. Mint has four plans to choose from, all of which get significantly cheaper if you’re able to buy six months or a year upfront. If you know you have great T-Mobile coverage, Mint can be a great way to save.
Speed king
AT&T Prepaid
From $25/mo. at AT&T
Pros
- Fast AT&T LTE network
- Unlimited available
- Discounts for multiple lines
- Multi-month discounts
- Data rollover
Cons
- 5G access is only on the top plan
- More expensive plans
AT&T Prepaid leverages AT&T’s LTE network to deliver great savings in a variety of ways. You can mix and match a family plan with multi-line saving and autopay discounts or buy three, six, or 12 months of service upfront. Data rollover helps you make the most of your smartphone, and 5G access is included with the Unlimited Plus plan.
Mint Mobile and AT&T Prepaid are based on completely different LTE and 5G networks that have both improved a lot this year. AT&T made up a lot of ground on speed while T-Mobile narrowed the gap when it comes to coverage. It’s safe to say that most people should have coverage on both networks. For one or two phone lines, Mint Mobile is one of the best MVNOs you can get, but when you start adding more lines, AT&T Prepaid’s multi-line discounts can put it back on top.
Mint Mobile vs. AT&T Prepaid How many lines do you need?
You can save a lot of money with one or two lines on Mint Mobile. The reduced introductory price, in addition to the discounted rates for buying more months at once, makes it an easy choice as long as you don’t have more lines. While you can manage multiple lines from one account on Mint, there are no discounts for doing it. AT&T Prepaid wants you to bring the entire family and maybe a friend too. To do that, AT&T offers rather significant discounts for customers that are willing to bring four or five lines with them.
| Network | T-Mobile | AT&T |
| Minimum period | 3 months | 1 month |
| Maximum period | 12 months | 12 month |
| Data rollover? | No | Yes |
| International | available | available |
Mint Mobile vs. AT&T Prepaid Mint Mobile’s Plans
With Mint Mobile, you save money by buying data in bulk. Your savings increase with longer service terms. If you don’t feel comfortable making that jump right off the bat, you can start with a three-month plan and renew it for 12 months to keep your introductory price even longer.
Right now, there is a promotion at Mint Mobile that brings the price of the 8GB and 12GB plans down to the same $15 per month as the 3GB plan when you buy three months. That’s $45 upfront. You’ll need to pay attention, though. After your three months end, your price will return to standard rates.
If you need a lot of data, you can go with Mint’s unlimited plan that includes 35GB of high-speed data and 5GB of mobile hotspot data. All plans come with 5G connectivity if you have a compatible phone.
| 3 months | $15 per month ($45 total) $25 per month renewal ($75 total) | $20 per month ($60 total) $35 per month renewal ($105 total) | $25 per month ($75) $45 per month renewal ($135 total) | $30 per month ($90) $40 per month renewal ($120) |
| 6 months | $20 per month ($120) | $25 per month ($150) | $35 per month ($210) | $35 per month ($210) |
| 12 months | $15 per month ($180) | $20 per month ($240) | $25 per month ($300) | $30 per month ($360) |
You can add more high-speed data at a rate of $10 for 1GB or $20 for 3GB if you run out. You can also upgrade to the next plan up if you feel you’ll need more every month in the middle of your billing cycle.
Mint Mobile vs. AT&T Prepaid AT&T Prepaid’s plans
AT&T has four main plans that are all eligible for several discounts, depending on your needs. You can start with a simple 2GB plan with access to LTE, hotspot, and rollover data. The 8GB plan increases your data allotment as well as bringing along included use in Mexico and Canada.
There are two unlimited plans with the cheaper unlimited plan restricted to LTE and without any mobile hotspot data. Video quality is also limited to SD. For a bit more, you can get unlimited plus, which comes with 22GB of unrestricted data speeds with 5G access. This bigger plan also includes 10GB of hotspot data. With autopay, this is one of the cheapest ways to try out AT&T’s 5G data.
The 8GB plan is available with three, six, and 12-month payment options. You can also save with monthly plans by signing up for autopay as well as bringing multiple lines. Each additional line up to five lines is reduced. You can also mix and match your plans.
Mint Mobile vs. AT&T Prepaid Get the right coverage
In years past, it would’ve been a foregone conclusion that the AT&T network was going to be better than T-Mobile’s, but continued investment and additions, such as band 71, have helped the T-Mobile LTE network. AT&T has also been investing with a focus on speed. PCMag, among others like Speedtest.net, have AT&T speeds firmly sitting at number one.
Of course, you should check your coverage on both AT&T as well as Mint Mobile to be sure you will have a solid connection at home and anywhere you might go. Be sure to select “AT&T Prepaid” to see an accurate map since AT&T, like most carriers, provides more roaming coverage to postpaid customers than prepaid.
Mint Mobile vs. AT&T Prepaid International
Both Mint Mobile and AT&T Prepaid offer international calling. On AT&T Prepaid, as long as you have the 8GB plan or higher, you get free calls and texts to Canada and Mexico. The rates to other countries can vary quite a bit, so you should check before you call. You can find AT&T Prepaid’s rates on AT&T’s website and Mint Mobile’s rates on Mint Mobile’s website.
If you’re traveling to another country, Mint Mobile and AT&T both offer service. On AT&T Prepaid, you get free talk, text, and data usage in Mexico and Canada as long as you have the 8GB plan or higher.
For other plans, service in Mexico costs $0.25 per minute, $0.25 per text sent, and $0.20 per text received; picture messaging is $1.30 for each sent and $0.25 for each received.
For Canada, service costs $0.39 per minute, $0.25 per text sent, $0.20 per text received, and picture messaging is $1.30 for each one sent and $0.25 for each received. If you intend to travel to Mexico or Canada often, the bigger plans will be worth it.
There are also add-on packages available containing a larger amount of service. You’ll need to sign in to see your options.
Mint Mobile’s simplicity is refreshing with a flat rate of $0.05 per text, $0.25 per minute, and $0.20 per megabyte for countries on the supported list. Service in Mexico and Canada is reduced to $0.02 per text, S0.06 per minute, and $0.06 per megabyte.
Mint Mobile vs. AT&T Prepaid Which phones work?
AT&T Prepaid and Mint Mobile both sell phones on their websites. Mint Mobile offers many of the high-end devices you would expect from any carrier such as the Galaxy Note 20 series or the Pixel 4 series phones. Mint Mobile also sells a selection of cheaper phones that will provide a great value to someone that doesn’t need a ton of power or wants a cheaper secondary phone.
Of course, you can also bring your own device to Mint Mobile as long as it is unlocked and supports the T-Mobile network. You can check online to see if your phone is compatible.
AT&T Prepaid also sells phones on its website though these phones are cheaper devices. There are some decent devices available, but if you want something more premium, you’ll need to buy it elsewhere and use the BYOD option to use it with AT&T Prepaid.
Both of these carriers should be compatible with the best unlocked phones you can get.
Mint Mobile vs. AT&T Prepaid Which one should you get?
The answer here isn’t that cut and dry. AT&T Prepaid offers a great value for a lot of people thanks to its multi-line discounts, but its more limited phone selection and higher cost with only one or two lines make it a tougher sale. With Mint Mobile, you get a much simpler approach with simple data packages and terms coming in three different sizes. If you have only a couple of lines and are willing to buy more months in advance, Mint Mobile is an easy choice.
Bulk savings
Mint Mobile
Great savings even on one line
From $15/mo. at Mint Mobile
Get plenty of data with 5G access and mobile hotspot included. Save money on your plan when you buy six months or a year upfront.
Speed king
AT&T Prepaid
Save more with the whole family
From $25/mo. at AT&T
Mix and match AT&T Prepaid plans to make the perfect family plan with rollover data, mobile hotspot, and multi-month savings.