Tracfone vs. Total Wireless vs. Straight Talk: Full Comparison & Verdict 2024
Apart from the main carriers, you will find many MVNOs or alternative carriers in the country.They are largely popular because of their affordable monthly plans, deals, and great services.If you’re looking to save on monthly bills significantly,Tracfone,Straight Talk and Total Wireless are popular budget carriers.
Tracfone Wireless service is the parent company for both Total wireless and Straight Talk.They offer prepaid cellphone plans to suit a variety of budgets. There are also no contracts and this means you can cancel any time of the year without facing repercussions.While the three cellular providers seem to have so much in common, there are still significant differences in their data plans, pricing, availability, and so on.Therefore, the question is which one is better?Which one has better service?Is Tracfone Wireless the same as Straight Talk?Is a Tracfone compatible with Total Wireless?
Within this guide, you'll be able to compare Tracfone,Straight Talk and Total Wireless coverage, features, plans and prices side-by-side, so you can decide for yourself which carrier offers the best deal.
Tracfone Wireless Review
TracFone Wireless, Inc. is an American prepaid, no-contract mobile phone provider. The company was established in Miami, Florida in the year 1996. They offer many basic phone plans and many smartphone plans. Tracfone is quite famous as it provides low-cost cell phone plans and is offering unlimited carryover data on its plans especially for its light data users. These packages are designed especially for them.
TracFone Wireless is a partner of four big companies like Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. These companies are considered as major cell phone companies. TracFone relies on these companies and has certain agreements as it does not have a wireless infrastructure of its own. Based on device and location, when a user signs up, he/she gets access to one of these networks. Moreover, in terms of customer support and service, by dialing 611611 customers can easily get help. Their customer support is considered very good as they respond quickly.TracFone is for people who prefer to save money and consume fewer data. Both Straight Talk and Total Wireless are Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) owned by parent company TracFone.
TracFone Pros and Cons
Pros | Cons |
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TracFone Plans and Pricing
Plan | Minutes | Texts | Data | Service days | Price |
Plan 1 | 500 | 500 | 500 MB | 30 days | $15/mo |
Plan 2 | Unlimited | Unlimited | 1 GB | 30 days | $20/mo |
Plan 3 | Unlimited | Unlimited | 2 GB | 30 days | $25/mo |
Plan 4 | Unlimited | Unlimited | 3 GB | 30 days | $30/mo |
Plan 5 | Unlimited | Unlimited | 5 GB | 30 days | $40/mo |
Plan 6 | Unlimited | Unlimited | 12 GB | 365 days | $199 |
Plan 7 | 400 | / | / | 365 days | $99.99 |
Plan 8 | 60 | / | / | 90 days | $19.99/mo |
Plan 9 | 120 | / | / | 90 days | $29.99/mo |
Plan 10 | 200 | / | / | 90 days | $39.99/mo |
Plan 11 | 450 | / | / | 90 days | $79.99/mo |
TracFone’s no contract phone plans provide flexible options for users to keep their phone service active and useful to them. A basic Pay As You Go plan starts at $15 for 30 days.These basic plans work on both smartphones and non-smartphones.
Tracfone’s most popular prepaid plans with carryover data start at $20 a month. For that price, you get unlimited talk, text and 1GB of 4G LTE data.
If you ever run out of high-speed data, you can always add more for $10 per GB. No unlimited data plan is offered.
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Total Wireless Review
Total Wireless was founded in 2015, and is owned by TracFone.It operates on Verizon’s network with a USA nationwide area of service.Total Wireless offers no-contract, flexible service designed to meet their customers’ ever-changing needs. Customers can choose a Total Wireless plan and phone that works for their lifestyle without having to sign a contract or deal with hidden fees. Consumers may be able to use their current cell phone with Total Wireless’ service and keep their existing phone number.Total Wireless is quite suitable for moderate level mobile phone users.
Devices and service plans are available through the Total Wireless website and on Wal-Mart’s website along with in-store at Target, Walmart, and Dollar General. They do not use Verizon’s voice VoLTE but use CMDA, so there may be variations in call quality depending on your area.
Total Wireless customers are satisfied with the overall services the company provides which includes the flexible packages and data plans and reliable coverage of the network. They may have some minor flaws but in the end, they are worth it considering their charges and services.
Total Wireless Pros and Cons
Pros | Cons |
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Total Wireless Plans and Pricing
Line | Calling | Data | Service days | Price |
One-Line | Unlimited talk Unlimited text | 1 GB | 30 days | $25/mo |
One-Line | Unlimited talk Unlimited text | 10 GB | 30 days | $35/mo |
One-Line | Unlimited talk Unlimited text | 50 GB | 30 days | $50/mo |
Two-Line | Unlimited talk Unlimited text | 30 GB | 30 days | $60/mo |
Three-Line | Unlimited talk Unlimited text | 60 GB | 30 days | $85/mo |
Four-Line | Unlimited talk Unlimited text | 100 GB | 30 days | $100/mo |
Total Wireless has both single and multi-line plans with prices between $25-$100 per month. All plans include unlimited Talk and text with different data options.
Total Wireless recently added an “unlimited plan” that provides 50GB of high-speed data for $50 a month.For those who use Wi-Fi at home and work, the 5GB data plan is probably the best choice. Customers can also buy 5GB of add-on data for $10 that rolls over from month-to-month.
Total Wireless offers optional automatic service plan refills charged monthly to the customer’s credit card with a 5% discount.
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Straight Talk Review
Straight talk is a Mobile Virtual Network Operator, also known as an alternative carrier which is responsible for offering prepaid wireless services. Straight Talk is a TracFone brand that primarily targets data-hungry, individual users on a budget. It has 25 million users and is known to be the largest no-contract cellular provider in America.
This MVNO operates on the networks of the big four cellular providers including T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint. The preferred network depends on coverage in your area.
It has around 800 stores in 15 countries worldwide. Today, straight talk is offering phones, devices, service plans, mobile hotspots, and other phone payment plans.Having a joint venture with Walmart makes it easier to act as an exclusive retailer which allows customers to purchase goods and services straight from Straight Talk.
Straight Talk is among the cheapest prepaid carriers in the market. This service provider maintains low prices by using cell towers from other MVNOs. While this helps you to pay cheaper phone plan rates, it also means doing without some bells and whistles. It translates to reduced speeds for data, without family plan deals.
Straight Talk Pros and Cons
Pros | Cons |
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Straight Talk Plans and Pricing
Plans | Minutes | Texts | Data | Others | Price |
Basic Phone Plan(Nationwide) | 1500 | Unlimited | 100 MB | / | $30/mo |
Unlimited International | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | / | $60/mo |
Unlimited Plan(Nationwide + Calls to Canada & Mexico) | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | 15GB Hotspot Data + 100GB Cloud Storage per Line | $90/mo |
Platinum Unlimited(Nationwide + International) | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | HD Video Streaming + Mobile Protect + 20GB Hotspot Data & 100GB Cloud Storage | $65/mo |
Gold Unlimited(Nationwide + Calls to Canada & Mexico) | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | 15GB of Hotspot Data & 100GB Cloud Storage | $55/mo |
Silver Unlimited(Nationwide + Calls to Canada & Mexico) | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | 5GB Hotspot Data | $45/mo |
Bronze Unlimited(Nationwide + Calls to Canada & Mexico) | Unlimited | Unlimited | 10GB | Hotspot Enabled up to 5GB | $35/mp |
When it comes to plans, Straight Talk has options for everybody. As a matter of fact, this is the major selling point for Straight Talk that makes it popular among the competitors.
Straight Talk has three main plans that include “unlimited data.” This means you get data at 4G LTE speeds until you use your monthly allowance. Then you’re lowered to 2G speeds until you top up or add extra data.
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Tracfone vs. Total Wireless vs. Straight Talk: Comparison Side by Side
1.Features
TracFone,Straight Talk and Total Wireless offer prepaid plans with no contract and you can bring your own phone and keep your phone number. So not only do you get the benefit of saving on a device, but you get the same great service on a cheaper plan.
Carrier Features | TracFone | Total Wireless | Straight Talk |
Data Speed | 4G LTE, 5G | 4G LTE, 5G | 4G LTE, 5G |
3G Network | CDMA & GSM | CDMA | CDMA & GSM |
Bring Your Phone | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Keep Your Number | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Customer Service | 8 am to 11.45 pm - 7 days | 24/7 | 8 am to 11:45 pm - 7 days |
Taxes/fees included | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
VoLTE | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
WiFi Calling | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Visual Voicemail | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ |
Multi-line Discounts | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
Multi-month Discounts | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ |
International Calls | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
International Roaming | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
2.Coverage
Without a strong signal, there is no way you’ll be able to use a cellphone. You can’t possibly stream videos or even send text messages.
Coverage shouldn’t be an issue for most people especially those living in metropolitan areas. Most of these areas are covered by the major networks and you can easily go for the right one.
Total Wireless runs exclusively on Verizon’s networks.TracFone and Straight Talk can work on any of the major carrier networks. You do this by selecting your phone’s compatibility. For example, if you’re bringing an AT&T phone to Straight Talk, you choose a SIM card designed to run on AT&T.
Verizon is among the top carriers with the best coverage in the country. Keep in mind, Verizon also packs the fastest data speeds.
Coverage can vary depending on your location. you have to check your area for coverage. Go for the network with the best coverage in your area.
3.Phone Selection
In terms of phone selection and the available devices, TracFone,Straight Talk and Total Wireless are at par.
They offer a good number of the latest smartphones on the market like the latest Samsung and Apple smartphonesand this gives the users more choices to get what they want.
Another thing is you can bring your own phone with the three cellphone service providers. All you need is a SIM kit from either of them and switching over would be easy.
To check whether your current phone is compatible, enter the device IMEI number on the specific website and let them do the rest.If everything goes well, you only have to select a SIM card and then a plan. You will be up and running within minutes. Besides, this is a huge money saver.
The Verdict: Which One Is Better?
TracFone owns Total Wireless and Straight Talk,there are not a lot of differences except the network services they support. They offer nice plans that are affordable and smart.TracFone and Straight Talk supports four carriers and Total Wireless supports Verizon only. Total Wireless plans have an upper hand for those with good Verizon coverage in their areas.But if a user has room to spend more than it is wiser to choose Straight Talk as it consists of unlimited data bundles for the user.Total Wireless offers only a restricted amount of data bundles to its customers.
The choice among the three carrier services depends on what you want. However, always go for the network with better coverage and faster data speeds.
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