Tracfone Wireless service is the parent company for both Total wireless and Straight Talk. Comparing the details for total wireless vs straight talk is the basic step in finding the right prepaid mobile phone provider. Total Wireless comes with basic personal and family plans, with no activation and monthly fees. On the other hand, Straight Talk offers personal prepaid monthly plans. Both phone plans can be picked from official retailer stores such as Walmart, and allow customers to maintain their existing phone.
If you are looking for cell phone plans without the frills, Total Wireless might be a good match. This cell phone service costs less than most competitors in the industry. While other cell phone providers make you pay more, the lack of features in Total’s plans will make you feel high and dry. For instance, they do not have any plans with unlimited data. This is against the backdrop of an ever-growing online society.
Straight Talk is popular among prepaid carriers because it allows customers to maintain their phone, number, as well as a preferred network. Pricing for Straight Talk is not the lowest you can find in the market, although the latest $45 for 25 GB offer is quite similar to what other MVNO carriers are marketing as unlimited. While most customers will be happy with the service provider, you should be careful if you are looking for the fastest data speeds or heavily, depend on customer service.
Difference Between Total Wireless And Straight Talk
The main difference between total wireless vs straight talk is in the plan costs. The Straight Talk carries unlimited data in the form of 3GB full speed, which throttles back after reaching the cap. Total Wireless, however, provides 2.5 GB without unlimited offers.
Total Wireless
Total Wireless comes with refreshingly low-cost plans to subscribers. Even so, you will notice a huge gap in Total offerings in terms of unlimited data plans. Many other prepaid cell phone providers, including Straight Talk have unlimited data plans. Therefore, if you are looking to stream videos on your mobile device, Total Wireless does not measure up.
Running on the Verizon network, you should expect expansive coverage from Total Wireless.
Calling & Data Plans
Here are the calling and data plans from Total Wireless:
| Line | Calling | Data | Price |
| One-Line | Unlimited talk Unlimited text | No data | $25 Per Month |
| One-Line | Unlimited talk Unlimited text | 5 GB data | $35 Per Month |
| Two-Line | Unlimited talk Unlimited text | 8 GB data | $60 Per Month |
| Three-Line | Unlimited talk Unlimited text | 12 GB data | $85 Per Month |
| Four-Line | Unlimited talk Unlimited text | 15 GB data | $100 Per Month |
While Total Wireless provides unlimited talk and text in all their plans, it still falls behind in terms of mobile hotspot, unlimited music streaming, and caller ID. Some of these features make up for a truly digital experience, which is unavailable with the carrier.
If you are interested in more data or international calling, Total’s low-priced add-ons are a perfect match. For 5 GB of extra data, you only pay $10, which is similar to their global calling rates. However, the $10 international calling is only for calls coming from the United States.
We recommend Total Wireless’ data add-on as it does not expire as long as you keep your service active. Besides, the data will not be spent unless all the data that comes with your plan is used up. Nonetheless, the greatest bonus with Total’s data add-on is that the data will keep rolling over if any of it is unused. This is provided your service is active. It means you can save up your data and only use it when you need it.
Phone Selection
If you want to have the latest model, Total Wireless has you covered, provided you are shopping for a Apple or Samsung phones. For Google fans, using Total services means bringing your phone, which is a downside. When you want to save a buck or more, the service provider avails plenty of refurbished phones and older models to select from.
- Apple: iPhone SE, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus
- Samsung: Samsung Galaxy S9, Samsung Galaxy S9+, Samsung Galaxy S8, Samsung Galaxy S8+, Samsung Galaxy S7, Samsung Galaxy Note8, Samsung Galaxy J7 Sky Pro
How To Get Started
Getting started with Total Wireless is simple. You can bring your smartphone or check out their smartphone selection. The company also accepts universally unlocked phones, in which you can keep your old number or get a new one on the old network.
There are no activation fees, bills, overages, and credit cards to worry about, besides making it easy to move your stuff. With no obligation to commit your part, here is what you need to know before getting started:
- You need an unlocked smartphone
- Phones and SIM cards sold separately, with service being activated within 6 months of purchase
- The plan will be activated after purchasing the service plan
- Buy a sim kit to activate your phone
Straight Talk
If you are unsure of what you will be up to in the future, going with a no contract plan for your cell phone is a great idea. Straight Talk is among the cheapest prepaid carriers in the market. This service provider maintains low prices by using cell towers from other MVNOs. While this helps you to pay cheaper phone plan rates, it also means doing without some bells and whistles. It translates to reduced speeds for data, without family plan deals.
Calling & Data Plans
Here are the calling and data plans from Straight Talk:
| Line | Calling | Data | Price |
| Unlimited Monthly Plan | Unlimited calling Unlimited texts | High speed 2 GB data, which drops to slower 2G | $35 |
| Unlimited Monthly Plan | Unlimited calling Unlimited texts | High speed 10 GB data, which drops to slower 2G | $45 |
| Unlimited Monthly Plan | Unlimited calling Unlimited texts | Unlimited high-speed data | $55 |
| Unlimited Monthly Plan | Unlimited calling Unlimited texts Unlimited international calls 400 minutes to call Claro numbers | High speed 10 GB data, which drops to slower 2G | $60 |
Phone Selection
If your old model phone makes you sick and is in the market for an upgrade, Straight Talk might be the best place to begin your search. The company avails the latest Apple and Samsung phones. However, budget options from different manufacturers are also available, including the retro flip phone for seniors. The best thing is that you can pay for the phones through monthly installments.
How To Get Started
To activate your service, you should visit the Straight Talk website and go to the activation link. Besides, you can activate the new phone by calling their customer service center at 1-877-430-CELL (2355) if you are calling from a different phone.
Total Wireless and Straight Talk Pros and Cons
Having looked at individual plans, including how to get started on total wireless vs straight talk, it is time to consider the pros and cons of respective providers.
Total Wireless
- No credit check when signing up
- Avails international calling plan
- Affordable shared plans
- Low-cost add-ons, including 5% discounts with auto-refill
- Bring your own device or get a new one when switching
- Excellent coverage
- Basic plans with limited data offers
- No international texts
- No tethering
Straight Talk
- Great rewards program
- $1 monthly discount with auto-refill
- Avails international calling
- An excellent choice for mobile data users
- Keep compatible old phone when joining
- Offers an app to get all data from the old phone when getting a new one
- Sometimes coverage is spotty
- Data speed drops to slower 2G after reaching the cap
- No shared plans
- No international texting
Conclusion
Total Wireless plans have an upper hand for those with good Verizon coverage in their areas. However, it has a limited selection of phones, without the full speed 4G LTE offerings. Since Total Wireless is a new service, many things are likely to change in the future. Moreover, both total wireless vs straight talk is from the same company: Tracfone, although Total Wireless comes without unlimited data plans.