Cricket vs Visible

Plan prices compared

Both carriers say government taxes are included in these prices. Cricket's broadband label lists a $25 activation fee charged only in Cricket stores.

Taxes and fees

This is one area where the two are alike. Visible's plans page states that taxes and fees are included. Cricket's broadband labels say "Government Taxes Included." That makes their sticker prices directly comparable, unlike carriers that add taxes at checkout.

Activation and store fees

Cricket's labels list a $25 activation fee, charged only in Cricket stores, and a $25 non-compliant return fee in stores. Activating online avoids the store activation fee. Visible is online-only, and its plans page does not list an activation fee.

Annual and promotional pricing

Visible sells annual plans that work out to about $23, $32 and $38 a month. Its plans page also carries a long list of promo codes, many with end dates that have already passed. Check the live checkout price rather than a code you saw elsewhere. Cricket's plans page mentions 3-month and 12-month options without listing their prices.

Cricket notes that Select Unlimited is for new lines only, and all lines on an account must be on the same plan.

Networks: AT&T vs Verizon

Cricket's plans page describes nationwide 5G "on the AT&T network." Visible runs on Verizon's 5G and 4G LTE networks. Visible+ and Visible+ Pro also get Verizon's 5G Ultra Wideband where available.

Neither choice is better everywhere. Check both carriers' coverage maps at your home and work addresses before choosing. If you are open to other carriers on the same towers, compare our guides to the best AT&T network MVNOs and the best Verizon network MVNOs.

Priority data and deprioritization

This is where the plans differ most, and where the published terms are clearest.

Visible

The base Visible plan says data may be temporarily slower during heavy traffic. Visible+ and Visible+ Pro include unlimited premium data. Visible's footnote says premium data on 5G and 4G LTE comes with no prioritization-based slowdowns. That is an unusually strong promise for a prepaid brand.

Cricket

Every Cricket unlimited plan, including the $55 Supreme Unlimited, carries the same line: Cricket "may temporarily slow data speeds if network is busy." Cricket does not sell a premium-priority tier on these plans. Sensible 10GB drops to 128 Kbps after its allowance, with more data at $10 per GB.

If you often use data in crowded places, Visible+ at $35 has the stronger written terms than any Cricket plan.

Video quality

Cricket limits video to SD on Select, Smart and Sensible, and says it "may be limited" to SD on Supreme. Visible's base plan streams at up to 480p. Visible+ allows up to 1080p on 5G Ultra Wideband, and Visible+ Pro up to 4K there.

Hotspot

The two carriers limit hotspot in different ways. Visible limits speed. Cricket limits amount.

• Visible: Unlimited hotspot on every plan, capped at 5 Mbps on Visible, 10 Mbps on Visible+ and 15 Mbps on Visible+ Pro. Visible says connecting more devices reduces the speed.
• Cricket: 15GB on Smart Unlimited and 50GB on Supreme Unlimited. Select Unlimited offers hotspot only as an add-on, and Sensible 10GB has none.

For occasional laptop use, either works. Cricket does not publish a hotspot speed cap on its plans page, so its allowances are limited by amount rather than speed. If you need a lot of light-duty tethering, Visible's unlimited allowance is easier to live with. A 5 Mbps cap can feel slow for large downloads or video calls on several devices.

Mexico, Canada and international use

Visible+ includes one Global Pass day a month on a monthly plan, or 12 days a year on an annual plan. Visible+ Pro doubles that. Each pass day covers unlimited talk and text plus 2GB of high-speed data in more than 140 countries. Visible+ Pro also includes up to 500 minutes a month of calling to more than 85 countries.

For travel beyond North America, Visible's published terms are much more complete.

Family and multi-line pricing

Cricket Group Save

Cricket's Group Save discount applies to lines on plans that start at $40 a month. The total monthly discount is $10 for two lines, $30 for three, $50 for four and $70 for five, with no extra discount for lines six through nine. Cricket says lines on its $25 and $30 plans are not eligible.

The catch: Cricket says accounts receiving Group Save are not eligible for the AutoPay credit. You get one discount or the other, not both. Ask Cricket which plans count as $40-and-up plans before you sign up, since its support page sets eligibility by price rather than naming the current plans.

Visible Inner Circle

Visible does not offer a traditional family plan. Its Inner Circle links up to seven separate Visible accounts into a group. Each member on Visible+ or Visible+ Pro saves $5 a month, and members can share payments or pay only for themselves. The base $25 Visible plan is not eligible.

On these published numbers, Visible stays cheaper per line even for a family of four. Cricket's Group Save narrows the gap but does not close it, and it cannot be stacked with Cricket's AutoPay credit.

Who each carrier suits

On the documented terms, Visible offers more for the money at every price point: lower base prices, stronger data-priority language on its Plus plans, and HD video. Cricket's advantages are AT&T coverage and retail stores. If AT&T is your best network locally, that can outweigh everything else.

Before you switch

1. Check coverage at your real addresses. Enter home, work and any regular commute stops into both carriers' maps.
2. Confirm your phone is unlocked and compatible. Check it with each carrier before you buy a SIM.
3. Get your port-out details. You will need your current account number and transfer PIN to keep your number.
4. Price the plan you will actually keep. Compare regular prices, not just a first-month or promo price.
5. Decide on AutoPay or Group Save. On Cricket, you get one discount or the other, so do the math for your line count.