Cricket Wireless gives you multiple ways to use mobile hotspot. You can use your phone to tether on the Cricket Smart Unlimited and Supreme Unlimited plans or add 10GB of mobile hotspot data to any of Cricket's unlimited plans for $10/month. Plus, you can pair a mobile hotspot device with one of Cricket’s Simply Data plans.
Keep reading to learn more about using mobile hotspot with Cricket Wireless' hotspot plans.
Cricket Wireless mobile hotspot phone plans
If your phone has hotspot capabilities, you can connect other devices like your laptop to the internet using your mobile data. However, you need a phone plan that includes hotspot data to make the connection possible.
Cricket has three plans that allow you to use your compatible phone as a hotspot: the Supreme Unlimited plan, the Smart Unlimited plan, and the Select Unlimited plan. While the first two options include hotspot data, the latter requires you to purchase a $10/month add-on for 10GB of hotspot data. That’s about 20 hours of streaming SD video. You can also purchase this add-on for the Supreme Unlimited plan if you want an extra 10GB each month.
Other perks of the Supreme Unlimited plan include:
- Unlimited premium data (no deprioritization or throttling)
- HBO Max (with ads)
- 150GB of Cloud Storage
Cricket Supreme Unlimited Plan
| Carrier | Cricket |
|---|---|
| Data | Unlimited Data |
| Type | No Contract |
| Total Price |
$55 per month
with AutoPay; $60 for the first month.
+ $9.99 Upfront
|
| View Plan |
The Smart Unlimited plan is Cricket's other unlimited option with included hotspot data. It includes 100GB of Cloud Storage, but not much else. Cricket may even reduce mobile internet speeds during heavy network congestion. Still, if savings are more a priority for you than perks, this is your plan.
Cricket Smart Unlimited Plan
| Carrier | Cricket |
|---|---|
| Data | Unlimited Data |
| Type | No Contract |
| Total Price |
$45 per month
with AutoPay; $50 for the first month.
+ $9.99 Upfront
|
| View Plan |
For more information on these and other Cricket plans, see our guide to the best Cricket Wireless plans available today.
Cricket hotspot device and Simply Data plans
Cricket also sells the Turbo Hotspot 3, a dedicated portable hotspot device you can use for tethering. The device costs $69.99, but financing is available through the third-party lender Affirm.
You can pair the Turbo Hotspot 3 with one of Cricket's Simply Data plans:
- 150GB Simply Data for $90/month
- 100GB Simply Data for $55/month
- 20GB Simply Data for $35/month
All plans also allow you to use your hotspot device in Mexico and Canada. Unfortunately, after you reach your monthly data limit, you will not have access to mobile hotspot until the following month. Additionally, streaming video may be limited to standard definition quality.
Cricket Wireless does not offer an unlimited hotspot plan, but to be fair, no carrier does.
Phone tethering vs. hotspot device
You might be wondering why you need a hotspot device if you can already use your phone for tethering. While using your phone as a hotspot device is convenient and doesn’t require purchasing a separate product, there are several advantages to using a dedicated hotspot device:
- Battery life—Using your phone as a hotspot can drain your battery faster than you'd like. Your mobile hotspot device would be running on its own battery.
- Speed—Tethering with your phone can be fast, but generally, mobile hotspot devices are much faster. This speed makes them the better choice if you are tethering multiple devices.
- More data—Often, hotspot data limits for phones are relatively small. You can usually get more data each month with a dedicated hotspot device.
Can Cricket hotspot replace home internet?
In most cases, Cricket Wireless hotspot is not a great replacement for home internet. The average household uses more than 400GB/month, and the 100GB Simply Data plan won’t be sufficient. Most home internet plans that cost $55/month include more data (usually 1TB or unlimited), provide faster speeds, and have better reliability than mobile plans.
We would only recommend the Simply Data plans as an alternative to home internet to those in rural areas without better home internet options, such as cable or fiber. Though, we'd suggest looking at satellite internet plans, too.
If you don’t use a lot of internet data per month, you might consider purchasing the Supreme Unlimited plan and getting rid of your home internet. This data allotment will give you enough data to check email once in a while and browse the internet now and then. Before making this decision, take a look at our internet usage guide to see if 50GB is enough for you.
You can also check out our more detailed guide to Cricket hotspot and learn if it's right for you.
Who benefits from Cricket hotspot?
If Cricket Wireless hotspot plans aren't a viable alternative for home internet, who exactly benefits from mobile hotspot? As we stated earlier, people in rural areas with limited home internet options might benefit from Cricket hotspot plans. However, we think Cricket hotspot is best for those who are constantly working on the go and can't rely on public Wi-Fi to support that work. Having mobile hotspot ensures that you always have a secure connection you can use to get your work done while you are away from home or the office.
Cricket hotspot vs competitors
There aren't many carriers that have plans built just for tethering. This puts Cricket above almost all MVNOs if all you want is a plan for your hotspot device. However, some of Cricket's biggest competitors include hotspot data with their phone plans.
Cricket vs. Visible
Like Cricket, Visible is owned by one of the major carriers (Verizon), and it also has a very generous allowance of hotspot data included with its plans. In fact, Visible's plans include unlimited tethering. However, the big caveat is that Visible limits hotspot speeds to 5-15Mbps. This is enough to do most tasks on the internet, but you might notice some slowness, especially when streaming HD or better video.
On the other hand, Cricket's hotspot is available at full speed, you'll just be limited to how much data you can use at the faster speed. Here's a look at Visible's base plan:
Visible $25 Visible Plan
| Carrier | Visible |
|---|---|
| Data | Unlimited Data |
| Type | No Contract |
| Total Price |
$25 per month
Taxes & Fees included
|
| View Plan |
Cricket vs. Mint Mobile
Mint is another big competitor of Crickets. While the popular MVNO can't match Cricket when it comes to data-only hotspot plans, it does have an enticing phone plan with a hefty hotspot allowance. With Mint Mobile's Unlimited plan, you can get 20GB of high-speed hotspot data to use each month. Cricket's Smart Unlimited and its 15GB of hotspot is slightly less than Mint, and Mint's bargain pricing makes it hard to beat.
You can take a look at the Mint Mobile plan here:
Mint Mobile Unlimited Data Plan
| Carrier | Mint Mobile |
|---|---|
| Data | Unlimited Data |
| Type | No Contract |
| Current Deal | Get this plan for just $25/mo. when you switch to Mint Mobile using promo code 15OFF at checkout. Upfront payment required |
| Total Price |
$25 per month
$75.00 upfront payment for 3 months (equals to $25.00/month). Intro pricing for new customers only.
|
| View Plan |
Cricket vs. AT&T
As its parent company, AT&T isn't a true competitor of Cricket. but it's good to see what the big player can offer in comparison to the small one. It's a lot. You can get a whopping 60GB of high-speed hotspot data on the AT&T Unlimted Premium plan. As you might expect, you'll have to pay for it. This is one of the most expensive phone plans available today at $85.99/month. Cricket's top-tier plan with 50GB of hotspot data isn't too far behind. The price might be worth it, especially considering other perks you can get with the AT&T plan.
Take a look at the AT&T Unlimited Premium plan:
Angelo Ilumba
Senior Writer
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