Last Updated on December 15, 2025 by Ewen Finser
Total Wireless and Straight Talk are both contractless, prepaid carriers that use the Verizon network. That said, while they have very similar offerings and plans up front, deciding between the two comes down to the details, like the plan features and other options.
Total Wireless is best for people who:
- Need international calling or texting included in the plan
- Want a set price with hotspot, data, and international for budgeting, which is guaranteed for 5 years
- Want to prioritize Verizon 5G access
Straight Talk is best for people who:
- Want more flexibility in their price, with things like auto pay discounts, 3/6/12 month discounts, or bundle discounts
- Prefer the perks of a Walmart+ subscription included in their phone plan
The table below provides a quick comparison of Total Wireless vs Straight Talk:
Total Wireless | Straight Talk | |
Price Per Month | $40-$60 | $25-$65 |
Discount | $5 off monthly costs with auto pay on top 2 plans | Around $5 off for auto pay, plus increasing discounts if you pay for 3, 6, or 12 months |
International | Calling to 180 countries in all plansTexting to 200+ countries in all plansRoaming in Canada & Mexico in all plans | International calling and texting to Mexico and Canada included in all plansGlobal calling add-on for $10, with rollover benefits. |
Coverage | 5G Verizon | Verizon, but speed depends on plan |
Price Lock | Guaranteed for 5 years | None |
Other Options | Home internet: $35 per monthTablet plans: $20-$60 per monthData plans: $30-$50 per month | Home phone: $15 per monthMobile hotspots: $25-$50 per monthTablets: $20-$60 per month for plans with 5GB or 30GB |
Perks | Some plans have Disney+ Subscription | Some plans have Walmart+ Subscription |
Total Wireless
Total Wireless focuses on straightforward, unlimited plans that have built in benefits and features all for one price. You get things like Mobile Hotspot data with all of your plans and guaranteed fix prices for 5 years.
This makes them arguably the better option for individuals or families that want to set a price for their phone service and know that it will remain the same month after month and year after year, with access to Verizon’s 5G Ultra wideband network, and a lot of built-in functions and features like calling and texting to almost 200 countries.
Payment Costs:
- $40-$60 Per Month
Discounts:
- $5 off monthly costs with auto pay on top 2 plans
International:
- Calling to 180 countries in all plans
- Texting to 200+ countries in all plans
- Roaming in Canada & Mexico in all plans
Other Options:
- Home internet: $35 per month
- Tablet plans: $20-$60 per month
- Data plans: $30-$50 per month
Total Wireless offers 5 GB home internet with download speeds up to 200 Mbps. However, the cost is really based on whether you are combining it with other services, with the ability to save $10 if you add auto pay and up to $15 if you combine your internet with a phone plan.
It should be noted that if you only opt for home internet and not a mobile plan with Total Wireless, you will pay $60 per month. No matter the setup, your router is sold separately, so you will have to pay for that when you get started.
With regard to their tablet plans, you have two different plan options: the base plan or the 5G Unlimited plan, both of which include different levels of hotspot data, streaming, and discounts depending on how you set up your account.
For example, if you want a 5G unlimited tablet plan with 30 gigabytes of Hotspot data and streaming at up to 1080p, it will cost $20 per month if you bundle it with a phone plan, but it will cost $60 per month if you buy it on its own.
The data hotspot plans don’t require a contract, so you can pay a plan (on a per-line basis) and use it the months you need it. I, for example, have added the hotspot data plan on the months I know I am traveling a lot so that I can be covered no matter where I go. You can save $5 off any price plan if you sign up for auto pay, but the most robust plan they have is $50 per month, per line, with 100 GB of data, which is exactly the same price as you pay with StraightTalk.
Smaller options include 15 GB or 40 GB, roughly on par with what you can get through StraightTalk.
Network:
- Verizon towers
Benefits:
- Disney+ Subscription
Plan Breakdown
One of the first things you’ll notice when comparing these two plans is that the basic starting cost for the Total Base 5G Unlimited plan is already a bit more expensive as compared to StraightTalk. However, you get a guarantee for Verizon 5G network connection, whereas the more basic plans from StraightTalk will drop you down to a 2G connection. Moreover, these plans include calling to 180 countries and texting to over 200 countries.
Total Base 5G Unlimited | Total 5G Unlimited | Total 5G+ Unlimited | |
Cost | $40/month | $55/month | $65/month |
Hotspot Data | 5GB | 15GB | Unlimited |
Connection | Verizon 5G Network | Verizon 5G Network | Verizon 5G Network |
International | Calling to 180 countriesTexting to 200+ countries | Calling to 180 countriesTexting to 200+ countries | Calling to 180 countriesTexting to 200+ countries |
Plan Length | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days |
Spam Filter | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Price Guarantee | Yes, for 5 years | Yes, for 5 years | Yes, for 5 years |
Additions | N/A | Disney+ Premium for 6 months | Disney+ Premium |
There are a few things that I absolutely love about Total Wireless, and that includes the international access, the spam filter, and the price guarantee. That price guarantee means that once you lock in your price on a monthly basis, you get to keep it for 5 years so you won’t have to contend with a price increase that comes every year like a lot of internet plans or other contract based phone plans.
If you are someone with family located abroad, or you do a lot of business overseas, you might have roaming in 30 countries that are not included. However, you have calling and texting to nearly 200 other countries and that can make it easy to talk to just about anyone you might need, all included in your monthly base price.
As for the extra benefits, I think they could do better than Disney+. If you are signing up with the Total 5G Unlimited plan, that benefit for a subscription service only lasts for 6 months. After that, you aren’t getting any other subscription or fringe benefit as it were.
Straight Talk
Straight Talk is a prepaid, no contract provider for cell phones, hot spots, tablets, and home internet. They are widely available with an impressive array of plans which typically include a Walmart+ subscription given that the phone plans are available exclusively at Walmart.
There is a lot of potential to save on your costs, especially if you pay quarterly or annually, with a lot of customization for flexible plans. This makes them an ideal option for people who shop at Walmart and might benefit the most from a Walmart+ subscription, find it easy to purchase their plan during their regular shopping, and want specialized features like specific international calling or discounts on multiple services/payments for multiple months.
Payment Costs*:
- $25-$65 Per Month
Discounts:
- Around $5 off for auto pay, plus increasing discounts if you pay for 3, 6, or 12 months
International
- International calling and texting to Mexico and Canada included in all plans
- Global calling add-on for $10, with rollover benefits
Other Options:
- Home phone: $15 per month
- Mobile hotspots: $25-$50 per month
- Tablets: $20-$60 per month for plans with 5GB or 30GB
StraightTalk offers a range of benefits if you opt into plans for tablets, home phones, or mobile hotspots.
For example, f you want 30GB of hotspot data and streaming up to 1080p HD for a tablet, it is $60 on its own, but if you add it to a phone plan bundle, it is only $20 per month.
For things like mobile hotspots exclusively, you can get 100GB for $50 per month for mobile hotspot connectivity, or only 10GB for $25 per month.
Network:
- Verizon towers
Benefits:
- Walmart+ Subscription
Plan Breakdown
StraightTalk offers four primary plans. These are labeled as Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. The Silver unlimited plan can be set up in a 3-month, 6-month, or 12-month plan.
For example, you can buy the Silver unlimited plan and pay once every 3 months for a 90-day plan instead of a 30-day plan, and this saves $15 compared to the monthly rate despite everything else staying the same. Similarly, you can choose the Silver unlimited plan and pay for 6 months at a time, giving you 180 days of service and saving you $60. If you are ready to commit to one year, you can purchase the Silver unlimited one year plan, only paying $360 every year. This saves you $180 over the monthly cost.
Bronze 10GB | Silver Unlimited | Gold Unlimited | Platinum Unlimited | |
Cost | $35/month | $45/month | $55/month | $65/month |
Hotspot data | N/A | 10 GB | 30 GB | Unlimited |
Cloud Storage | N/A | N/A | 100 GB | 100 GB |
Connection | First 10GB high speed, then 2G | 5G network connectivity | 5G U/W | 5G U/W |
International | Calls and texts to Canada to Mexico | Calls and texts to Canada to Mexico | Calls and texts to Canada to Mexico | Calls and texts to Canada to Mexico |
Plan Length | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days |
Device Protection | No | No | No | Yes |
With each of these plans, you have the opportunity to save money the longer you pay. In effect, if you commit to paying 3 months at a time, 6 months at a time, or 12 months at a time, you can save more, more, and even more.
They do have two other plans which are not listed here, and those include the basic phone plan exclusively for flip phones, which is $30 per month, with 1500 minutes of talk, 100 MB of data, and unlimited text.
There is also the StraightSAVINGS! Nationwide plan, exclusive to customers who bring their own phone at only $25 per month with unlimited data, talk, and text.
Each of the plans in the table above include calls and texts to Mexico and Canada, but if you want additional international calling and texting, you can opt for the global calling add-on that can be combined with any other plan. This comes in $10 service amounts that get credited to your account, and any unused balance will roll over.
*Costs for users will include surcharges and fees for those in New Mexico, Hawaii, Massachusetts, California, and Arizona.
Summing Up
Picking between the two really comes down to price point and ease of use. I find the Total Wireless is easier to use because so many things are included in every plan, but the cost of those starting plans can be higher. Still, with the slightly higher cost comes the opportunity to reliably budget every month. Total Wireless is also better for international needs, if you have them.
Straight Talk is the better option if you are a regular Walmart shopper and you want flexibility for the type of plan you need with the option for the highest number of savings based on things like bundles and multi-month discounts. I also find that the Walmart+ subscription that comes with many of the plans is well worth it given that the subscription is otherwise around $100 per month. The subscription itself comes with dozens of separate perks, like Peacock or Paramount+ streaming.