Mint Mobile vs. Republic Wireless [An In-Depth Comparison]

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Mint Mobile and Republic Wireless are both great choices for cell phone service, but which one is right for you? In this post, we will compare the two services and help you decide which one is the best fit for your needs.

We’ll break down all the pros and cons of each service so that you can make an informed decision. Let’s get into it.

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What is an MVNO?

MVNO stands for Mobile Virtual Network Operator. An MVNO is a company that offers mobile phone services but does not have its own network infrastructure. Instead, an MVNO leases network capacity from a mobile network operator (MNO) and offers mobile phone services to its customers using the MNO’s network.

MVNOs typically offer services at a lower cost than traditional mobile phone operators, making them popular among price-sensitive customers. MVNOs can also offer unique plans and features that are not available from the major mobile phone carriers, such as pay-as-you-go plans, international calling, and data-only plans.

What Is Mint Mobile?

Mint Mobile is popularly known as Ryan Reynold’s prepaid cell phone service that offers a variety of plans with different data amounts.

Mint Mobile is like most prepaid carriers. It is considered a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO). MVNOs operate on the infrastructure of existing networks – and for Mint Mobile, that existing network is the T-Mobile network.

It’s designed to be a more affordable option than traditional cell phone service providers.

Check out our full review of Mint Mobile.

What Is Republic Wireless?

Republic Wireless is a no-contract cell phone service that is also considered an MVNO. It has partnerships with both AT&T and T-Mobile.

This also allows them to provide the service for a fraction of the price of other providers. Republic Wireless is owned by its parent company Dish Wireless.

Mint Mobile Vs. Republic Wireless: Pricing

Mint Mobile has better pricing for non-DISH customers, although prices do seem better if you are indeed a DISH customer. We don’t think that your mobile price should be dependent on another service.

Winner: Mint Mobile

How Much Does Mint Mobile Cost?

The killer advantage of using Mint Mobile is that you can decide what data plans you want to have based on your budget, and these plans are extremely affordable.

You can go as little as a 3-month commitment all the way to a 12-month commitment.

Cost for a 3-month Mint Mobile plan as a new customer (good for first 3 months only)

4GB per month of 5G/4G LTE data costs $15 per month
10GB per month of 5G/4G LTE data costs $20 per month
15GB per month of 5G/4G LTE data costs $25 per month
Unlimited 5G/4G LTE data costs $30 per month

Cost for a 3-month Mint Mobile plan

4GB per month of 5G/4G LTE data costs $25 per month
10GB per month of 5G/4G LTE data costs $35 per month
15GB per month of 5G/4G LTE data costs $45 per month
Unlimited 5G/4G LTE data costs $40 per month

Cost for a 6-month Mint Mobile plan

4GB per month of 5G/4G LTE data costs $20 per month
10GB per month of 5G/4G LTE data costs $25 per month
15GB per month of 5G/4G LTE data costs $35 per month
Unlimited 5G/4G LTE data costs $35 per month

Cost for a 12-month Mint Mobile plan

4GB per month of 5G/4G LTE data costs $15 per month
10GB per month of 5G/4G LTE data costs $20 per month
15GB per month of 5G/4G LTE data costs $25 per month
Unlimited 5G/4G LTE data costs $30 per month

How Much Does Republic Wireless Cost?

There are three plan options when it comes to Republic Wireless:

Only What You Need: This phone plan is perfect for people who use the internet, but don’t need a lot of data, especially if you often connect to wi-fi. You pay an additional $5 for each 1GB of data on top of that.
Everything You Want: If you are someone that regularly streams videos or music, this can be a better option for you because it has a higher data allowance. It includes unlimited talk, text, and data, 10GB of mobile hotspot, wi-fi calling, and unlimited international texting.
Everywhere You Go: For travelers, this is the best plan for you because it gives you the option to use your phone internationally. It includes unlimited talk, text, and data, 20GB of mobile hotspot, wi-fi calling, unlimited international texting, unlimited talk and text between the US, Canada, and Mexico, and 2GB of roaming data in Canada and Mexico.

All of these plans are on a month-to-month basis, no contracts required. Of note, current DISH customers get 50% off retail. Let’s take a look at pricing below:

For non-DISH customers:

Only What You Need for $39.99: For example, you get this base plan for $39.99 + 2GB data for $10, so that totals to $49.99 per month.
Everything You Want for $59.99
Everywhere You Go for $79.99

For DISH customers:

Only What You Need for $19.99: For example, you get this base plan for $19.99 + 2GB data for $10, so that totals to $29.99 per month.
Everything You Want for $29.99
Everywhere You Go for $39.99

Mint Mobile vs. Republic Wireless: Common Features

Both Mint Mobile and Republic Wireless offer:

Unlimited talk and text
Nationwide coverage
High-speed 5G/4G LTE data
Free calls to Canada and Mexico
Free mobile hotspot
Wi-fi calling
eSIM support

eSim allows you to have two phone numbers on one device. This is perfect for people who want to keep their business and personal lives separate.

Winner: Tie

Mint Mobile: Unique Features

One of the great things about Mint Mobile is that they offer a modern family plan. Not all families are the same. Some are larger with five people and others only have two people. But with Mint Mobile, it doesn’t matter because the level of customization that it offers allows for exactly how much you need.

Also, for those that are 55+ years old, there is a special plan as well. This is a great way to stay connected with family and friends without having to spend a lot of money. It comes with full-service activation by advisors at no additional cost. This means for those that aren’t tech-savvy, there is still a way to get great service without any headaches.

Mint Mobile additionally offers a great Mint Mobile app that allows customers to track their data usage, add features, and contact customer service.

Republic Wireless: Unique Features

When it comes to unique features, Republic Wireless has a couple under its belt.

The first unique feature is that they are truly month-to-month with no contract required. That can be a huge deal for some. In comparison, Mint Mobile requires a minimum of 3 months of commitment.

Also, as this company is owned by DISH, any DISH members who joined prior to May 10^th of 2022 are entitled to special DISH customer rates for all Republic Wireless plans. These special rates are sizeable discounts at roughly 50% off.

Pros and Cons of Mint Mobile: The Pros

Mint Mobile Pros

Mint Mobile has no hidden costs. That’s right, there are absolutely no hidden costs when you choose your plan. What you get is what you have paid for in advance. You won’t get any surprise bills in the end. They lay out their prices in a very straightforward manner, and that’s a huge plus.

Mint Mobile has a great app to manage your account with ease. It’s available on both iOS and Android. On the Apple App Store, it’s got over 7000 reviews with an average rating of 4.6/5 stars. On the Google Play store, it’s got over 6000 reviews with an average rating of 3.8/5 stars.

On the app itself, you can quickly renew, change, or add more data to your current plan. If you’ve got multiple family members with multiple accounts, you can manage them all in one place from the app as well.

Pros and Cons of Mint Mobile: The Cons

Mint Mobile Cons

New customer pricing is only good for 3 months. You might notice that the prices for new customers are great, and you’ll be happy to get those prices for 3 months as per the new customer deal. However, if you want to keep those prices after the initial 3-month deal, you’ll have to sign on for a full year at a time. If you decide instead to go with the 6-month contract, you’ll be spending $5 to $10 more per plan.

If it makes you feel better, just think of the 3-month new customer deal as a reasonable trial to commit to, and if you like it, you’ll probably know after 3 months whether you’d have any issues sticking with them for a year. I don’t think I’ve ever stayed with a mobile company for less than a year at a time so it’s pretty much a non-issue for me. Your mileage may vary.

Network coverage may be limited. The availability of Mint Mobile doesn’t completely cover the entire US, so not everyone can use Mint Mobile’s service. To address that issue, as mentioned prior, Mint Mobile provides a map on its website that allows you to determine whether or not the service will work for you.

If you aren’t sure about its network coverage, you can visit Amazon.com and buy yourself a starter kit to check coverage and availability in your area. It’s currently $0.99 for the starter kit instead of the previous $5.00. It includes 100 MB LTE data, 100 text messages, and 60 minutes of talk time.

Mint Mobile customer support isn’t the greatest. Some Mint Mobile customers find this company’s customer support to be one of its more lacking features. Since the customer support staff can often be unhelpful, some customers prefer to go to online communities to find solutions for the issues they face. More often than not, YouTube serves as a really useful resource depending on how much of a DIY’er you are.

The unlimited data plan isn’t truly unlimited. As mentioned above, if you happen to exceed 35 GB of data usage in a month, your data speed slows down. You’ll no longer be getting 5G/4G LTE speeds, unfortunately.

Pros and Cons of Republic Wireless: The Pros

Republic Wireless Pros

No hidden costs. Republic Wireless doesn’t do a shabby job either with being truly transparent with their costs. Their pricing structure may be a bit less straightforward, but that’s only because they give you a bit more room for flexibility in their ‘Only What You Need’ plan. You can even opt for 0GB of data per month if you’d rather take full advantage of all the wi-fi out there.

Truly no contract required. They are month-to-month, whereas Mint Mobile requires a 3-month minimum plan paid up front. You’ll never be required to shell out three, six, or twelve months’ worth of payment all at once with Republic Wireless.

Pros and Cons of Republic Wireless: The Cons

Republic Wireless Cons

Best rates are for DISH customers only. If you aren’t already a DISH customer, you also don’t receive the same rates. This can be upsetting for people who want the best possible deal.

Network coverage may be limited. Since Republic Wireless is an MVNO that partners with T-mobile, they likely have the same or similar coverage shortcomings as Mint Mobile. You’ll have to check for coverage in your particular area to see if Republic Wireless is even worth signing up for.

Relatively costly data upgrade. If you’re opting for the ‘Only What You Need’ plan, you’re basically paying quite the premium for each GB of data you decide to subscribe to. You’re paying $5 for each GB of data, and that’s on top of the $19.99 or $39.99 base cost, depending on if you’re a current DISH customer or not.

Mint Mobile vs. Republic Wireless: How to Decide Which Is Best For You

Both Mint Mobile and Republic Wireless are great choices for people who are looking for an affordable cell phone service. However, there are some things you should take into consideration before you make your decision.

You should first check to see the coverage in your area by both Mint Mobile and Republic Wireless. If your area isn’t even covered, or coverage is spotty at best, there’s no point even moving forward with either service.

If you’re a DISH customer, you should really consider taking advantage of the 50% off retail on all plans by Republic Wireless.

Also, if you don’t want to be paying three, six, or twelve months’ worth of payment upfront all at once, Republic Wireless is probably your best bet, as it allows you to spread your payments out on a more consistent basis.

However, Mint Mobile’s plan pricing structure is very straightforward, which is very appealing. You know exactly what you’re getting and how much you’re paying for it. Also, if you’re 55+ years of age, there’s a special plan catered specifically to you.

Just know that if you’re a new customer taking advantage of the new customer pricing, that price will only be good for the first 3 months. After that, you’re no longer a new customer and you’ll be getting the regular pricing, which don’t get me wrong, isn’t all bad. It’s just important to be aware of it.

In Conclusion

Both Mint Mobile and Republic Wireless are great choices for people who are looking for an affordable cell phone plan.

Let’s summarize the key points between Mint Mobile and Republic Wireless:

Neither Mint Mobile nor Republic Wireless have hidden costs.
Both have unlimited talk and text, 5G/4G LTE, and free calls to Canada and Mexico.
Mint Mobile requires that you pay for your plan entirely upfront.
Republic Wireless has a plan that lets you subscribe to as little data as you think you need.
Mint Mobile’s new customer pricing is only good for 3 months.
Republic Wireless has a ridiculous 50% discount on all plans for current DISH customers.

No matter which service you choose, you’ll be getting a great deal on your cell phone bill. So, take the time to compare the two services to make sure you’re getting exactly what you need.

In the end, the choice is up to you. Both companies offer great deals on their cell phone plans. When compared to other retail giants like AT&T and Verizon, Republic Wireless and Mint Mobile are two of the best values around. If you are on a budget or simply don’t want to be tied down by a contract, either of these services could be a great fit.

Hopefully, this helps you come to a decision regarding which cell phone service provider is right for you. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us, or let us know what you think if you’ve got experience with either service! We’d love to hear from you.