When it comes to low cost no-contract phone plans, Republic Wireless and Walmart Family Mobile are two plans that come to mind. But which is better?
Republic Wireless and Walmart Family Mobile have a lot in common, including no-contract plans that you can start and cancel at any time. They also offer “unlimited” data plans for a relatively low price (there is a catch, though – more on that later).
Having no-contract is a huge benefit in my opinion. Being able to deliver a no-contract plan at a low price is even more impressive. Both of these plans accomplish that, but there are some differences.
Today I’ll compare the two plans based on a variety of metrics including price, coverage, and phone selection.
Phone Selection
When it comes to phone selection, Republic Wireless is lacking. With that being said, the phones they do allow you to choose from: Moto X ($299), Build your own Moto X (Starting at $349), and Moto G ($149), are pretty good phones. They run on Android and have all the features that the average user would want in a phone.
Walmart Family Mobile has a much wider selection of phones, as can be seen here. They have the LG Optimus L90 as well as the Samsung Galaxy SIII and S4. There are some other, less expensive options but I’m pretty sure most people will buy the LG L90 or the Galaxy.
Network
Republic Wireless encourages people to use WiFi to make calls and use data. This has actually been a big part of their value proposition: not only do you have service wherever you get coverage, you also get service wherever there is a wireless network.
I don’t really see this as a special benefit of Republic Wireless, though. Pretty much ANY plan can be used over WiFi networks, so there isn’t value added by saying your plans can be used over a WiFi network.
I wish I could speak to Republic Wireless’ coverage, but I got this when I went to their coverage map:
Walmart Family Mobile has one big advantage in the service area: it’s on T-Mobile’s network. I’m 99.9% sure that Walmart Family Mobile is essentially just T-Mobile using the Walmart brand as a way to attract people looking for cheap data plans. It seems to be working, even though the Walmart brand turns me off more than makes me want to jump in.
Anyway, the point is that Walmart Family Mobile is going to get the same coverage you would get if you had T-Mobile. It’s the same network. You can check coverage in your local area here.
Oh – and you can use WiFi for data, calls, etc. Just like any other plan.
Pricing
While both Republic Wireless and Walmart Family Mobile have plans that are less expensive, I want to focus on the unlimited data plans they offer.
Walmart Family Mobile offers an unlimited talk, text, and data plan for $40 a month. With that $40 you get 3GB of data per month. If you go past that 3GB you have to purchase additional data or your non-WiFi service is throttled to 2G until the end of the plan month.
I’m a very heavy user of data and I have never gone over 3GB. So in their defense, this is an “unlimited” 4G plan for 99.9% of users.
Republic Wireless offers an unlimited talk, text, and data plan for…$40 a month. They offer 5GB before throttling you, though, so they have a slight advantage over Walmart Family Mobile. I think the advantage is negligible, though, unless you are an extreme user of data (and I mean extreme).
Walmart Family Mobile allows you to add additional lines for $35 a month. Keep in mind, though, the phone numbers must be in the same area code. This could be a very affordable option for families.
In summary: the pricing is essentially the same.
Which is Better?
I think both Walmart Family Mobile and Republic Wireless have good plans. I don’t think you could go “wrong” with either of them.
It’s hard to argue with the 5GB of data per month that Republic Wireless provides. With that being said, I am a heavy user of my data and I have never gone over 3GB. Remember, Walmart Family Mobile also allows for 3GB of data usage, so if you never go over 3GB of data you don’t have to factor in that variable.
I use Walmart Family Mobile and don’t really see any incentive to change to Republic Wireless. Again, you can’t go wrong with either of them and I think they are both good choices for no-contract unlimited data plans.
Check out Republic Wireless‘ and Walmart Family Mobile’s websites for more information on their plans, phones, and service.
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Have you looked into No-Contract cell phone plans? Would you ever sign up for Republic Wireless or Walmart Family Mobile?
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Good comparison DC. I actually spoke with a RW rep at FinCon and it was interesting to hear from them things they’re doing and how moving to a no contract plan can save a crap load of money. We’re currently with Verizon and it kills me to pay that bill each month, especially when we’re home all the time and on Wi-Fi. It comes up early next year so we’re definitely going to be looking to leave.
Good to know. Our employers pay for our phones at present, but we’ll need to figure out cheaper plans once we quit our jobs. I’m in the info-gathering stage at this point, so this is helpful–thanks!
I love Republic Wireless, although I am not picky about what phone I have at all. I just need something that works.
My firm pays for half my phone, so I only pay $40 for unlimited text/internet and 450 minutes from Verizon. They only reimburse for Verizon and ATT so those are my choices for more. Good to know in the future though…
I view these plans as identical in my mind, and I am not a huge fan of the fact that you have to purchase certain phone to gain access to it. We recently called Verizon and got our phone bill down to close to what some of these other plans are charging and we didn’t have to buy a new phone.
We use republic and have great service. The phones are great too. I actually got the smaller plan so I only pay ten bucks a month, which is perfect for me since I’m always in WiFi.
While I like having choices for my phone (and the Galaxy is nice), I haven’t had an issue with my Moto X. They’re coming out with a $99 phone next month, but it’s pretty basic and still in the Moto family. I use their $25/month plan for 3G data and it’s been fine for my needs. I can’t believe they don’t offer coverage near you!
Republic Wireless and Ting are Sprint MVNO. So they use the full Sprint network. Ting uses the Verizon network as the “roaming” network for voice and text. There is no data roaming on Ting. I think Republic Wireless is the only carrier that routes phone calls through Wi-Fi. They customize the Android operating system. That is why they only have 2 and soon 3 Android based phones.
Nice overview DC. I will have to disagree with your point that any plan works over WiFi. Republic reduces your cost by routing every call over WiFi if possible. While some other plan have started offering WiFi calling, Republic has done a much better job with quality. WiFi calling is hard to do. I have tried both and just moved to Cricket as the Sprint network doesn’t do a good job for my wife in her travel area. Walmart Family Mobile worked great for me, but then when we moved, we couldn’t get service at home.
I’m with T-Mobile (Simple Choice Family Plan) and like the idea of SIM cards since we travel to foreign countries that are GSM and use SIM. My phone is unlocked and CDMA/GSM compatible so I can therefore use my smartphone in a lot of different countries. Glad that you found a service that meets your needs as that is the most important aspect of comparison shopping.
Verizon and AT&T seem to be the only networks that have service where we live. We tried a prepaid Sprint option and it just didn’t work for most of the places we need to be. Maybe someday. I’d love to use a lower cost carrier.
Eyesonthedollar You should look into Cricket then. It uses the AT&T network for half the price.
Interesting comparison, DC. I’ve heard good things about Wireless Republic, although the lack of phone selection is a bit of turn off for me. My husband and I have our phones through work, so we are bound by their stipulations and supported service providers. :)
I actually am on Verizon prepay right now. My deal is $60 a month with 2GB. $40 plus 3 or 5 GB is a great deal. My only concern is that I am a little scared to leave VZ because honestly they have the best service. I was able to talk on my phone from coast to coast during my cross country trip last year.
FrugalRules We were lucky enough to get paid to test out Walmart Family Mobile RIGHT when our contract was up. I was skeptical because the Walmart brand isn’t one I look at fondly, or didn’t in the past, but it’s essentially T-Mobile with no contract, unlimited data, and a super low bill. I’m very happy with it.
Mrs. Frugalwoods We got a discount when we were on Sprint, but even after a discount we were paying a lot more per month. Not only are these plans no contract they are also unlimited data – on the same network as the big carriers (at least Walmart Family Mobile).
Holly at ClubThrifty In all honesty if I had switched to Republic Wireless after using Sprint I would probably stick with them. But since I already switched to WalMart Family Mobile and have a decent phone with them, why would I switch? They are both good options imo.
theFinancegirl It’s nice they basically got you down to a comparable price. It’s amazing how expensive these plans are if you don’t have a work discount.
DebtRoundUp I think it’s misleading to say that Republic Wireless “reduces your cost” by routing every call over to WiFi as possible. That’s assuming you use more than 3 gigs of data a month, which is a very tiny percentage of the American population. So unless you use more than 3 gigs of data, it doesn’t save you a dime to have a plan that routes calls over to WiFi. With that being said, I’m sure in some areas where people are on weak WiFi Republic Wireless may have an advantage. It’s a non-factor for me, though, and cost isn’t part of the equation.
Thrifty Peach If you can make those $10 plans work, good for you! I need the $40 plan and see little incentive to switch to Republic Wireless now that I have Walmart Family Mobile.
blonde_finance Walmart Family Mobile has a wide selection of phones, so that doesn’t bother me. But you do have to factor in the cost of the phone. Even with the cost of the phone factored in, I think these plans are a lot cheaper. Kudos to you for negotiating your plan to a comparable rate!
JourneytoSaving I think they TECHNICALLY offer coverage, but the map tool was messed up when I was researching them. If they didn’t have service in one of the largest metro areas in the United States, that would be a huge problem!
bloomwcjkl Thanks for sharing your insights. I’m pretty sure I’ve called while connected to WiFi, though, on Walmart Family Mobile.
Aldo @ MDN Eyesonthedollar I haven’t heard of Cricket. I’d be curious to see how they stack up to Walmart Family Mobile and Republic Wireless.
Kassandra @ More Than Just Money That’s great that you have a setup that works for your international travel. I rarely leave the country so it’s a non-factor for me, for the most part.
ShannonRyan I had a discount through work but unfortunately my wife and my plan was still a lot more expensive than these alternative plans. I’ve been happy with Walmart Family Mobile so I see no reason to switch to a company with comparable plans but less phone options.
Jason @ The Butler Journal I don’t blame you for wanting to stick to Verizon, and $20 extra a month isn’t TOO much more.
DC @ Young Adult Money I am not sure how it is misleading. That is how they provide service for a lower cost. Remember, you can get service as low as $5 per month if you just want to use WiFi. If you want some data, you can go with a $25 plan and get unlimited 3G data (5GB) and WiFi of course. Why does it not save you money if don’t go over 3 gigs of data? Why would Republic have an advantage when you have weak WiFi? Their entire business model is built on being able to use WiFi to call. That is why you can’t buy phones anywhere else, but at Republic.
Just in the sense of plans, you can get Walmart for $34.98 per month as a special. You can get Republic for $25 offering the same speed service. Since the 4G is limited on Walmart (almost non-existent in many places due to T-Mobile), you have to compare 3G to 3G. That is an instant savings each month of $10.
I’ll throw an even better option into the ring for some. I have a Moto X, no contract, running it on T-mobile. Unlimited text, 5gb data, and 100 talk minutes for $30/month. Most of my communication is done via text/email/FB messenger so the 100 talk minutes is not an issue. Love it!!!
Good article. Wasn’t that aware of Walmart family mobile. I think there could / should be a larger explanation of where Republic wireless would be an even better deal.
You mainly (only) talk about their $40 a month plan, but the real value is in the $25 a month (3g up to 5 gigs) and their $10 a month plan.. unlimited calling and texting (even when not in wifi range) and then data when you are in wifi range (now all phones do this.. and if you think about it is pretty rare when not driving to not have wifi).
These savings are biggest with families – 4-5 people instead of 1. Lets say family has a $200 month plan with Verizon or AT&T (would be shocking for it to be less than $150 and have seen some north of $300).
Lets say the two parents go with the $25 a month plan (they have important calls). Lets be real here, kids will survive with the $10 plan).
Now you are at $70 per month. $130 in savings, for $1560 per year.
Some bits missing from this analysis.. but this is the real power of it in my opinion. Although after talking to them at FinCon they assured me that my number could transfer (which their website still says it can’t).. and since they don’t have customer service (except community based help), alas not really an option for me right now (and being single it helps less)
My husband switched to Republic Wireless and he has enjoyed it so far. He has the $25 plan and the Moto X Phone. We’re saving $75/month just by making the switch from Verizon. But I see now Verizon is offering similar deals. I’m glad they finally decided to join the club and offer more affordable prices. All this competition has been great for the consumers.
MattKruza I was only focusing on Walmart Family Mobile to Republic Wireless. The savings are a lot less if you compare a 4g unlimited data plan on Walmart Family Mobile to the 3g plan for Republic Wireless. Plus, I personally don’t know anyone who wouldn’t be willing to pay $15 more a month to get 4g instead of 3g.
Walmart Family Mobile has customer service both online, through their customer service line, AND in-store, which I think is a huge benefit that I didn’t stress in my analysis. Overall, though I don’t see Republic Wireless as being much better than Walmart Family Mobile, and I think you could easily argue it’s worse.
Finally, the reason bloggers talk about Republic Wireless as if it’s this company that leagues ahead of others is due to the fact that they have an affiliate program.
Practical Cents The plans are much more comparable today than even a year ago. I think Republic Wireless is losing some of it’s competitive advantage.
Kyle James Hmm I probably don’t use more than 100 minutes, but I wouldn’t like having that low of count in case I work from home and/or need to go on conference calls away from my desk.
DC @ Young Adult Money Kyle James Yeah, if I didn’t have a land-line in my office it probably wouldn’t work.
KyleJames1 DC @ Young Adult Money Kyle James Yeah that works too. I guess I’d just be scared of something coming up where I would be stuck on a conference call for a few hours one day and be away from home AND outside the office. But that’s me, it sounds like it’s working out for you.