Mint Mobile vs. Straight Talk: Which should you subscribe to?

Straight Talk offers a ton of great options making it one of the easiest choices if you need something that works without worrying too much about network compatibility. The problem is, Straight Talk gets expensive fast, especially if you want unlimited data. Mint Mobile's simpler approach and data sizes work for most people. The simple pricing structure and discounts make Mint Mobile a great choice when you want to get as much service as possible for your money.

Mint Mobile vs. Straight Talk: Two great prepaid options

Straight Talk offers the most data of the two if you're willing to pay for it. Still, most people will be happy with one of the smaller plans. Straight Talk has a significant coverage advantage though if you're covered by the T-Mobile network, Mint Mobile comes cheaper for every data amount. Mint Mobile manages to keep things simple with plans that work for most people, with savings tied directly to how many months you're willing to buy. Buying more data on Straight Talk is very reasonable at just $5 for an extra gig.

Mint Mobile vs. Straight Talk: Get the right coverage

Mint Mobile only uses the T-Mobile network, but for most people, that's fine. This network has become quite competent in the past few years, and with its past upgrades, the T-Mobile network currently covers most Americans with decent speeds. T-Mobile also has the best 5G coverage of any carrier and with its Ulta Capacity 5G network covering more than 210 million people, there's a good chance you'll get some of the best network speeds around.

Straight Talk has an advantage here since it buys coverage from AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon and can give you a SIM card to match your device or the coverage where you live. For the most part, new customers will be on either the Verizon or T-Mobile network. In time, Straight Talk will be transitioning over to the Verizon network but for the time being, there's no need to worry about it.

So no matter where you live, as long as your phone is compatible, you should be able to get covered on Straight Talk with the right SIM. This can be a little more complicated than Mint, but Straight Talk will help you pick the right network and SIM card when you sign up, and you won't have to worry about it after that.

Mint Mobile vs. Straight Talk: Mint Mobile plans

One of Mint Mobile's biggest strengths is the simplicity of its plans. Mint offers data in three sizes and unlimited. The unlimited plan is slowed at 35GB of usage and only comes with 5GB of hotspot data. For your first three-month period, you can get the 12-month pricing so you can decide if you like the service before signing up.

You can also upgrade your plan mid-cycle so you can start small and work your way up if you run out of data. You can also add more data at a rate of $10 for 1GB and $20 for 3GB. International calling and roaming is available and is charged as you use them, depending on the country. Calls to Mexico and Canada are free.

Mint Mobile vs. Straight Talk: Straight Talk plan options

Straight Talk has slimmed down its phone plans to just a few main options with Unlimited Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Bronze starts with 10GB of high-speed data before being slowed to 2G speeds. Video streaming is limited to SD resolutions on these plans.

Unlimited Silver comes in at $45 per month and is truly unlimited though Straight Talk reserves the right to review the account if you exceed 60GB per month. Still, this is well above what most people need and mostly exists to combat potential abuse. You get 5GB of hotspot data as well. This plan can also be had at a discount if you buy an extender 3-month, 6-month, or 12-month plan.

Unlimited Gold comes with the same 60GB of data but expands the hotspot data to 15GB. This plan also comes with 100GB of cloud storage. Still, if you need that much data or more, you may want to check out another unlimited plan.

If you want even more from Straight Talk, you can get the Unlimited Platinum plan that comes with the same 60GB of data but increases the hotspot data to 20GB. This plan also includes HD video streaming and starts at $65 per month.

Straight Talk also has a basic plan with just 100MB of data, 1500 minutes, and unlimited texts. So again, this might be a decent pick for a backup phone, but it isn't a good fit for any Android phone.

Extra data is $5 per gigabyte, which is one of the lowest rates of any carrier.

Mint Mobile vs. Straight Talk: Bring just about any unlocked phone

(Image credit: Samuel Contreras / Android Central)

On Mint Mobile, you can bring any phone that is unlocked and works on the T-Mobile network. Luckily, this includes pretty much any of the best Android phones. If you're not sure, you can check your IMEI during the signup process to find out. If you're ready for a new phone, you can also grab a new one at Mint Mobile. There is a wide range of Androids and iPhones, so you should be able to find something that works for you.

Straight Talk sells a similar range of phones, whether you want a budget phone or top of the line. You can bring just about any unlocked phone to Straight Talk; you need to get the right SIM card to get activated.

If you're shopping around for a new carrier, it's a good idea to get an unlocked phone you can bring with you to any carrier. Luckily, the biggest names like the Galaxy S22 and the Pixel 6 will work with either carrier as well as the other best cell phone plans available.

Mint Mobile vs. Straight Talk: Which works best for you?

Straight Talk has a simple range of plans for most people, and the smaller 10GB plan will be a good fit for many looking to save on phone service. However, if you really need it, the unlimited plans with 60GB of worry-free data will be a great choice. The plans offer plenty of data and features, but it makes it much easier to pay for more than you can actually use.

Even so, Mint Mobile nails the average smartphone user with tiers of data that will work for nearly any user. While it can't match Straight Talk's unlimited plans for very heavy users, most people can find a Mint Mobile plan that works well enough. Besides that, you get the option of bringing your price lower than anything Straight Talk offers if you are willing to pay for the whole year or even just six months.