Mint Mobile vs AT&T — which carrier is better for you?

Mint Mobile vs AT&T — which carrier is improve for you?

(Epitome credit: Future)

If you've been spending some time comparing the best telephone carriers, yous may discover yourself looking into the merits of Mint Mobile or AT&T. Both are strong carriers with compelling plans — but who has the best wireless plan for your needs?

AT&T is certainly the better known of the ii options, as i of the biggest carriers in the U.S. Mint Mobile, on the other hand, is a much smaller carrier. It'due south a MVNO — or Mobile Virtual Network Operator — which merely means it borrows the network some other larger provider. Specifically, Mint is a T-Mobile MVNO.

Caput straight to Mint Mobile or AT&T to see their deals
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While this would seem to put Mint Mobile at a disadvantage, MVNOs don't really lose out on much. They go to utilise the aforementioned network with the same coverage equally their parent carrier, though data speeds can be slowed if there's a lot of traffic.

So other than how their network works, what are the differences between Mint Mobile and AT&T? In the most basic comparison, Mint Mobile is the cheaper and more flexible selection, offering some of the best inexpensive jail cell phone plans around. AT&T on the other manus is feature-packed, cracking for families and offers a wider wealth of plans to cull from.

Here's a closer look at what Mint Mobile and AT&T offering to help you determine which service to choose.

Mint Mobile vs AT&T: How they compare overall

Mint Mobile

Better pricing
More flexibility
Uses T-Mobile'southward network
Available discounts

AT&T

Uses its own far-reaching network
More flexibility
More than choice in deals
Improve options for seniors and families

While Mint Mobile and AT&T are both very dissimilar options, information technology isn't as simple as saying i is amend than the other. Each carrier goes about serving its customers in different means, so information technology's more a question of whether Mint Mobile or AT&T better fit your needs.

Mint Mobile gets the nod for affordability and flexibility. It has ane of the cheapest unlimited data plans, and it offers several tiered data plans, compared to AT&T, which focuses primarily on unlimited information. (Our look at the best unlimited data plans goes into more than detail on what Mint, AT&T and others have to offer.)

Mint is also a much more flexible option compared to AT&T offering a number of different contract lengths with discounts for staying longer. That said, to become the best toll from Mint, you will need to pay for commit to service for a yr.

AT&T may have more plush plans than Mint Mobile, but its plans include a lot more features and incentives. An AT&T unlimited plan, for example, includes hotspot data, unlimited international texting, and a 6-month subscription to Google's Stadia streaming service. Sign up for the carrier'due south Unlimited Elite plan, and AT&T includes HBO Max streaming.

With discounts for both families and seniors (something Mint Mobile doesn't offer) AT&T is the better choice for added features, seniors and families.

Mint Mobile vs AT&T: Pricing and available deals

When comparison the two carriers, Mint Mobile is the meliorate option for pricing. At all data points, Mint is the cheaper pick and as nosotros mentioned higher up, and it has i of the cheapest unlimited data plans on the marketplace.

Mint Mobile offers more data at lower prices

However, there is a catch of sorts hither. To get Mint'due south cheapest prices, you practice accept to sign up for a total twelvemonth. Y'all tin sign up for as little equally three months, just the longer you choose, the amend the monthly price.

As for AT&T, it offers a lot more choice for deals, including a host of both prepaid plans and unlimited data cell phone plans. Where AT&T gains an advantage is in its family unit plans. Mint Mobile doesn't offering any but like a lot of other carriers, AT&T will offer you a discount for adding actress lines.

Mint Mobile and AT&T'south all-time plans

Mint Mobile vs AT&T: Network and coverage

AT&T is the improve option for coverage because it runs its ain network
Mint Mobile uses T-Mobile, which compares favorably to AT&T

While both carriers offer all-encompassing coverage, AT&T does go the slight lead. That's because it runs its own network and doesn't have to rely on another carrier.

Mint Mobile, similar all other MVNOs, has to use another carrier'due south network — in Mint's case, it'due south T-Mobile. That'southward usually non a problem, as Mint Mobile subscribers enjoy the aforementioned coverage and speeds that other customers get on T-Mobile's network. In that location's even 5G coverage, provided you have a 5G-gear up phone.

In that location is one exception: When there is a menses of peak traffic and the T-Mobile network becomes congested, MVNOs on the network could see their speeds slowed. T-Mobile customers will be prioritized in this situation.

It works in reverse for AT&T customers. As a main carrier, it will prioritize its customers and slow any MVNOs it supports instead. This makes anyone on an AT&T plan a priority customer.

Across all of the master carriers (including Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T), coverage and speed are at such a high level that at that place isn't a hugely noticeable difference. However, T-Mobile's merger with Sprint has made it arguably the best overall network and beats out AT&T on many fronts — a factor to consider in favor of Mint.

Mint Mobile vs AT&T: Features and incentives

Mint Mobile vs AT&T
	5G?	Mobile hotspot	Security features	Costless subscriptions	Priority data	Unlimited calls/texts
Mint Mobile	Available on all plans	Yep (with a speed cap)	No	No	No	Yes
AT&T	Available on select plans	Yep	Yep	On select plans	Yes	Yes

In terms of features, both Mint and AT&T cover the basics, such as unlimited calls and texts and mobile hotspots. All the same, there are a few features where the carriers differ.

For example, while Mint Mobile offers 5G across all of its plans, AT&T doesn't include it in virtually of its prepaid plans; you lot'll observe 5G coverage beyond all of AT&T's unlimited information plans.

On the whole, though, AT&T is the much more feature heavy option. All of its deals include security features with more options depending on which plan y'all choose, plus unlimited texts and talk in United mexican states and Canada. AT&T's back up for international phone plans is also more than extensive that what y'all go with Mint Mobile.

On its unlimited information plans, AT&T as well include a host of subscriptions for free, ranging from a Google Stadia Pro trial to HBO Max on its near expensive unlimited data plan. Go for that AT&T Unlimited Aristocracy pick, and yous can enjoy 4K UHD video streaming plus 40GB of hotspot data.

If yous're looking for something basic, Mint Mobile has all of the cadre features but for something more feature heavy, AT&T is i of the best options out at that place.

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Alex is an editor at Futurity with a focus on phones and broadband. With an eye on the best prices across both of these areas, Alex is bringing you lot the must-have bargains correct at present.