Smartphone wireless plans have changed significantly in recent years. Where can you save the most money? Many customers are choosing to go with subsidiary wireless companies like Boost Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile (formerly MetroPCS). Both have cheaper plans and lots of features for customers who want to pay less every month while still taking advantage of the major cell phone networks.
Both of these companies frequently offer deals to entice new customers that lower the threshold for sales prices on wireless mobile plans. This guide breaks down the best and worst features of both wireless companies and why should you pick one over the other. Compare Metro by T-Mobile and Boost Mobile plans below, and then read on for an in-depth comparison of both carriers.
| Phone | Plan | Minutes | Data | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Phones Available |  Metro by T-Mobile Unlimited Talk & Text 2GB Data No Contract
| Unlimited Minutes + Unlimited Texts | 2 GB 4G LTE Data (then unlimited data at 3G speeds) | $ 0 /mo + $10 Upfront Link not provided |
| 28 Phones Available | Metro by T-Mobile Unlimited Talk & Text 10GB Data No Contract
| Unlimited Minutes + Unlimited Texts | 10 GB 4G LTE Data (then unlimited data at 3G speeds) | $ 0 /mo + $10 Upfront Link not provided |
| 62 Phones Available |  Boost Mobile Shrink It! No Contract
| Unlimited Minutes | 15 GB | $ 0 /mo Link not provided |
| 28 Phones Available | Metro by T-Mobile Unlimited Talk, Text & Data No Contract
| Unlimited Minutes + Unlimited Texts | Unlimited 4G LTE Data (may be slowed after 35GB of usage per month) | $ 0 /mo + $10 Upfront Link not provided |
| 28 Phones Available | Metro by T-Mobile Unlimited Talk, Text & Data No Contract
| Unlimited Minutes + Unlimited Texts | Unlimited 4G LTE Data (may be slowed after 35GB of usage per month) | $ 0 /mo + $10 Upfront Link not provided |
| 63 Phones Available | Unlimited Minutes | Unlimited 4G LTE Data (may be slowed after 35GB of usage per month) | $ 50 /mo Link not provided | |
| 62 Phones Available | Unlimited Minutes | Unlimited 4G LTE Data (may be slowed after 35GB of usage per month) | $ 60 /mo Link not provided |
Metro by T-Mobile is a wireless mobile service that is in the United States, and it is a subsidiary of T-Mobile US. It provides nationwide phone calling, text, and data. Metro headquarters are in Richardson, Texas, but their services stretch throughout the United States. The wireless company offers a number of different plans that are more affordable than most cellular plans, and it includes free music screaming. MetroPCS also uses a network that offers fast speeds across the country and has unlimited wireless plans.
Boost Mobile is also a wireless mobile service operating in the United States, but it runs off the Sprint Network. Like Metro by T-Mobile, the company offers affordable plans to Northern United States cellular users. However, since it runs on Sprint, which is the most limited of the major cellular networks, its speeds aren't as fast as competitors. However, its plans are more budget-friendly for those who don't want to pay more than $40 per month.
The plans for each of these companies is very similar. You can purchase either tiered plans that limits your data or unlimited data plans for an additional cost. There are other features that make each more appealing. Here is a breakdown of plans and prices you can expect from each company.
Metro has the superior network availability and cellular strength according to most reports.
Metro Tiered Data Plan - This plan provides 2GB or 5GB plans for $30 or $40 per month. While Metro by T-Mobile will often offer some different promotions, these are the typical prices year round for the wireless mobile company. You can use data as a mobile hotspot with these limited data plans as well.
Metro Unlimited Data Plan - This is an unlimited data plan that costs $50 or $60, depending on the options that you pick. The $60 provides up to 10GB of LTE hotspot data. However video streaming is limited to just 480p for all videos.
While cheaper than Metro's plans, Boost Mobile doesn't have the same network power as the other wireless company, which means that you may not always get cellular network availability or the fastest speeds.
Boost Mobile Tiered Data - This plan provides up to 3GB of data for $35 per month. You can use LTE data as a mobile hotspot with this plan as well.
Boost Mobile Unlimited Data Plan - You get unlimited data, but it’s not exactly unlimited. The plan costs $50 but places restraints on video, music and game streaming. You can only get up to 8GB of streaming hotspot data as well.
While both plans also tack on taxes and fees, it’s still rather low than most of the popular cellular data plans from AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint. However, you’ll find that you can save money even more by bundling up and going with family plans with Metro by T-Mobile and Boost Mobile.
Both wireless companies operate under different major networks. You’ll enjoy the usage of the network, but you won’t always get the same availability or speed as it is a subsidiary. There are some issues with coverage in both instances.
There are differences in coverage due to the networks that both companies are affiliated with.
When you compare Metro by T-Mobile and Boost Mobile’s coverage, you are really looking at the differences between T-Mobile and Sprint as both companies both work as a subsidiary. This fact would lean the power towards MetroPCS, which has been on T-Mobile’s network since the beginning and has better signal strength in most areas. Sprint’s networks is a little smaller and doesn't support all of the areas that T-Mobile can with their cellular service map.
T-Mobile actually has one of the faster networks and more 4G availability than any other network currently, including AT&T and Verizon. While Sprint is improving, it has done so slowly and isn't able to keep up with any of the other networks in terms of coverage.
Sprint has said that it is upgrading its network. A report from OpenSignal showed that Sprint’s speeds were improving and finally reaching 4G in most areas as well. While the report also showed that it tied in texting speed with AT&T and Verizon in a report by Ookla, it also has LTE Plus speeds that go up 28 percent and have been rising over the past several months.
For many years, Metro by T-Mobile has been the leader in offering different data plans and multiple lines for families. However, Boost Mobile has some low-cost plans that save customers a lot of money, especially if you switch.
Metro Individual Plans
Individuals have multiple plans to pick from at Metro, including two limited tier plans and two that offer unlimited data. These plans will cost you between $35 and $50 with the unlimited plans offering the most options. The only restriction is that you are limited to 480p streaming with videos. You can get up to 10GB of hotspot streaming for an additional $10.
Metro Family Plans
These plans combine multiple lines and tend to save you more money if you have multiple people in your household that need coverage. You can get two lines of unlimited data for $40, or three lines of unlimited data for $110. For the maximum of four lines, you can get a plan for $140 per month for Metro.
Typically the cellular companies has offers that are lower if you switch. For example, you can switch and get up to four lines for $100 per month.
Boost Mobile Individual Plans
Boost’s unlimited plan costs $50, but you will find yourself lifted with music streaming and games. Music streaming is limited at 500 Kbps, while games can only be played up to 2 Mbps. You can pay another $10 to get less restrictions, including allowances to stream video up to 1080p, games at 8 Mbps, and music at 1.5 Mbps.
Boost Mobile Family Plans
There are bigger savings for those who buy lines together and bundle up. You can get two lines for $80, three lines for $110, and four lines for $140 per month. You can also get free phone offers and four lines for $100 per month if you switch to Boost during their promotions.
Both of these companies rely on larger networks and have their own physical stores where you can pick up mobile plans, phones, tablets, and accessories. However, their customer service offerings are not as great as the larger networks.
Boost ranks higher than Metro, however. With friendly customer support and lots of options like live chat or phone support, you can generally get help much faster on Boost than with Metro.
Boost has a rather large knowledgebase with a lot of information that you can use to fix settings on your phone, change your plan, update your phone, and so on. Metro doesn't have the same robust offerings on its website and also can’t compete in the timeliness of help offered.
Metro by T-Mobile and Boost Mobile are very similar when it comes to picking out a phone on each network. They both put a lot of weight into carrying the best phones and offering decent deals on the latest phones so that customers always have the top tech.
Boost offers 30 phones currently with 22 of those smartphones coming in at under $200. Boost also sells the Samsung Galaxy S8 for a rather low price, when compared to Metro. It’s also lower when you compare prices for iPhones. Boost always seems to have a better deal when it comes to pricing smartphones.
Metro does have some exclusives such as the ZTE Blade Z Max. There are currently 31 phones at this time, and 20 of these can be purchased for $200 or less at Metro. The iPhone X is available through Metro but you will pay nearly the same price as buying it on Apple’s website.
While both phone companies have good features and some problems, Metro will offer you more coverage and better plans overall than Boost Mobile. However, you may pay less and get a higher quality phone through Boost Mobile.
Metro runs on T-Mobile's network and offers more plans than Boost. In addition, the features of those plans don't limit you nearly as much as Boost Mobile tries to do with different tiered streaming levels.
If you are looking for more signal strength and don't mind paying extra for a phone, you should go with Metro by T-Mobile. For those who do not want to get the latest phone and want to switch, you can pay even less with Boost by choosing their four line promotional offer, which is just $100 and provides free phones.
