PureTalk vs Cricket compares two brands on the same towers. Cricket is owned by AT&T and says every plan runs on “the AT&T network”. PureTalk does not name its network, but the settings it publishes are AT&T’s. The choice is about price and what each plan includes, not coverage.
Side by side
| PureTalk | Cricket | |
|---|---|---|
| Owner | PureTalk Holdings, Inc. | AT&T |
| Cheapest plan | $24.99 a month, 7 GB | $35 the first month, then $30 with Auto Pay, 10 GB |
| Cheapest unlimited | $34.99 a month | $40, then $35 with Auto Pay |
| Top plan | $64.99 a month | $60, then $55 with Auto Pay |
| Automatic-payment discount | None found | $5 a month after the first month |
| Taxes and fees | Extra | Not stated on the plans page we read |
| eSIM | Yes | Yes |
Figures are from each brand’s plans page, read on October 8, 2026.
The cheapest plans
PureTalk is $5 cheaper at the bottom and gives 3 GB less. Its $24.99 plan has 7 GB before speeds drop. Cricket’s Sensible 10GB plan is $30 with Auto Pay and slows to 128 Kbps after 10 GB.
Unlimited data
The two unlimited entry plans cost almost the same, $34.99 and $35. They differ in the conditions.
PureTalk’s has 2 GB of hotspot and slows after 50 GB.
Cricket’s Select Unlimited has no hotspot. It is for new lines only, and every line on the account has to be on it. Cricket says its data “may slow if the network is busy”, and video streams in standard definition.
Hotspot
PureTalk raises hotspot data with each step: 2 GB at $34.99, 10 GB at $44.99, 20 GB at $54.99 and 30 GB at $64.99.
Cricket gives 15 GB on Smart Unlimited, $45 with Auto Pay, and 50 GB on Supreme Unlimited, $55 with Auto Pay. For heavy hotspot use Cricket’s top plan gives more for less.
Extras
PureTalk’s dearer plans bundle add-ons: a watch plan, a second number, a tablet plan and money off a device. Cricket’s Smart and Supreme plans work in Mexico and Canada.
Which one
Choose PureTalk if you want the lowest price and 7 GB is enough, or want a small hotspot allowance on a $35 unlimited plan.
Choose Cricket if you want AT&T’s own brand, a lot of hotspot data, or use in Mexico and Canada.
Full details: PureTalk and Cricket Wireless.