Cricket Wireless Review: The Best eSIM for Travel in 2025

Cricket Wireless is a well-established player in the prepaid mobile space, which is owned by telecom giant AT&T.

Launched over 25 years ago, it is known for offering simple, budget-friendly wireless plans without the need for contracts.

Thanks to its reliable nationwide coverage and user-friendly eSIM technology, their service is becoming increasingly popular among digital nomads, business travelers, and remote workers. Currently, their customer base incorporates over 13 million users across the United States, and their headquarters are in Atlanta, Georgia.

If you’re traveling domestically or crossing borders into Canada or Mexico, Cricket Wireless provides a solid, affordable option with unlimited data, straightforward pricing (taxes included), and excellent reliability via AT&T’s 4G and 5G networks.

In this review, we’ll reveal everything you need to know about Cricket Wireless’s eSIM offering. Highlighting its pricing, coverage, speeds, usability, and more, to help you decide whether it’s the right mobile solution for your travel needs in 2025.

Overview of Cricket Wireless

Cricket Wireless was founded in Chicago in 1999 by Leap Wireless International and was later acquired by AT&T in 2014. A few years later, its operations were merged with Aio Wireless.

Today, it has become a trusted name in the prepaid mobile services market, holding its own against other budget-friendly providers like Metro by T-Mobile, Boost Mobile, and Visible. Notably, it has a female president in Angela Rittgers and vice president in Tiffany Baehman, who have contributed majorly to its success.

As mentioned, part of the reason for the company’s popularity is that it offers simple, no-surprise pricing that includes taxes and fees. It also boasts unlimited data options and wide coverage via AT&T’s reliable infrastructure.

Here are some of its key features at a glance:

• Coverage: Available across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
• Network: Full access to AT&T’s 4G LTE and 5G network.
• Pricing: Budget-friendly with no annual contracts.
• App Usability: The myCricket app is intuitive and allows for easy top-ups and plan changes.
• Activation: Both instant eSIM and manual options are available.

While Cricket Wireless doesn’t offer true global coverage like Airalo or Nomad, it has a strong presence in North America. This makes it ideal for digital nomads and remote workers who are staying within the region.

Coverage & Network Reliability

Cricket Wireless enjoys a strong domestic coverage within the USA as a direct result of it operating on AT&T’s robust network. This enables it to deliver consistent 4G LTE and expanding 5G coverage across most cities, towns and many rural areas.

Cricket plans also include service in Canada and Mexico, with no additional roaming charges on select plans. However, coverage does not extend beyond these regions. Therefore, if your travels take you to Europe, Asia, or Africa, you’ll need a separate eSIM solution.

Here’s an overview of Cricket Wireless’s Coverage by Region:

North America: Excellent performance in major cities and solid rural coverage. Great for road trippers and remote workers across the USA.

Europe, Asia, Africa, South America: These regions are not supported, so you will not receive roaming or eSIM access in these regions.

As its plans are tied strictly to the AT&T network, Cricket doesn’t rely on international network partners like Vodafone or Orange. However, you can call mobile phones in 35 different countries, including Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, India, South Korea, and the UK.

That said, if your travel is primarily within North America, you’ll find Cricket’s coverage and reliability more than adequate.

Data Plans & Pricing

Cricket offers a range of prepaid options for both general users and data-heavy travelers. At the time of writing, here is a selection of their phone plans.

However, it is important to note that these prices can change any time. So, don’t take them as gospel:

Phone Plans

Data-Only Plans

Cost Comparison vs. Competitors:

Cricket Wireless is generally more affordable than competitors like Verizon and AT&T’s postpaid plans.

Additionally, if you compare them to providers like Airalo, who are exclusively eSIM-focused, Cricket can be cheaper for North American use. However, it does lack the global reach that those companies offer.

Here are some of the perks and drawbacks of the Cricket Wireless service:

Perks:

• Taxes and fees are included.
• No contracts.
• Family discounts are available.
• Auto-pay options can yield $5/month discounts.

Drawbacks:

• No long-term user discounts beyond auto-pay.
• Only the top plan includes hotspot.
• Data throttling after fair use limits on some unlimited plans.

Internet Speed & Network Performance

Using AT&T’s infrastructure, Cricket Wireless delivers strong speed performance for its customers in most areas. Typically, they can expect the following:

• 5G Download: 46–254 Mbps
• 4G LTE Download: 7–61 Mbps
• Latency: 27–56 ms

These speeds should be sufficient for HD streaming, video calls, and general browsing. However, Cricket limits video quality to SD (480p) across all plans, and data deprioritization is not uncommon during network congestion after 22GB of use.

Real-World Feedback:

You can learn a lot about a company’s service and reputation from the customer reviews it receives on Google, Reddit, and websites like Trustpilot.

Here is an overview of the common consensus customers seem to hold about the company:

• Users praise the network’s fast and consistent performance in metro areas.
• It’s regularly noted that speeds can dip in rural locations and during peak evening hours.
• Gaming and HD streaming are possible but less ideal under throttled conditions.
• Customers wish Cricket Wireless offered international coverage for their plans outside of the USA, Mexico, and Canada.
• The eSim in North America is ideal for digital nomads who want to perform everyday remote work tasks and moderate streaming.

Ease of Use & Setup Process

Cricket Wireless does a good job of making the activation of an eSIM straightforward, even for non-tech-savvy travelers.

Their eSIMs are compatible with all Apple devices with a 10.3 or higher operating system. This includes the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and various models within the iPhone 11 to 16 ranges.

It can also be used on the iPad Pro 11″ (1st Gen or later), iPad Pro 12.9″ (3rd Gen or later), or iPad (7th Gen or later), as well as most of the newer Android devices.

How to Get Started:

To get started with an eSim, you should follow these four simple steps:

1. Check Compatibility: Use Cricket’s online checker to verify your phone supports eSIM.
2. Buy Online: Choose a plan from the Cricket website.
3. Receive QR Code: This is sent via email post-purchase.
4. Scan to Install: On iPhone, go to Settings > Cellular > Add eSIM. On Android, use Settings > Mobile Network.

Usually, the activation process takes just a few minutes, so you are up and running in no time.

App Usability:

If you sign up for the Cricket Wireless eSIM, you should find the myCricket app to be intuitive and inclusive of:

• Balance & usage tracking
• Plan upgrades or add-ons
• Payment management
• Support chat

Customer Support:

Should you require customer support, you can receive it by

• Phone: 1-800-CRICKET (274-2538)
• Live Chat: Available on the site
• Retail Stores: Various across the USA

Their support hours are subject to change. But at present, they are Monday–Saturday (9 AM–11 PM ET) and Sunday (10 AM–11 PM ET). Generally, their response times are decent, although some users have reported occasional delays.

Pros & Cons of Cricket Wireless

Like most companies in the mobile communications space, Cricket Wireless does some things very well, while other aspects of its business can do with a bit of improvement.

Here are some pros and cons of their service:

Pros:

• Affordable prepaid plans with no contracts
• Reliable AT&T network with 5G and 4G LTE
• The app makes account management easy
• Taxes and fees are included in all pricing
• Good domestic and North American coverage

Cons:

• No roaming outside the U.S., Canada, or Mexico
• Video streaming capped at SD quality
• Hotspot is only available on their top-tier plan
• Speeds may slow after 22GB of usage
• Inconsistent customer support reported by some users

How Does Cricket Wireless Compare to Other eSIM Providers?

Cricket Wireless is a standout option for anyone wanting to use their service in North America because it offers more affordable plans than most of the postpaid carriers it competes with.

Companies like Airalo, Nomad, or GigSky may cater to global travelers, by offering them attractive multi-country data packs.

However, as they position themselves for the domestic market and provide customers with clear pricing and dependable coverage, Cricket Wireless’s service gives you more value per dollar than most.

Final Verdict: Is Cricket Wireless Worth It?

For digital nomads and remote professionals travelling within North America, Cricket Wireless offers reliable performance, great value, and user-friendly service.

You should be aware that it’s not built for globe-trotting. But for those who are based in the USA, it is an excellent option to consider.