Is Total Wireless The Same As Straight Talk? Answered!

Since Total Wireless and Straight Talk are owned by TracFone, it might seem like they are the same. I’ve used both and can tell you how they are different.

Table of Contents

• Is Total Wireless The Same As Straight Talk? 
• What Are Total Wireless and Straight Talk?
• What’s So Great About Total Wireless and Straight Talk?
• Why Should I Choose Total Wireless?
• Why Should I Choose Straight Talk?
• Tips When Using Total Wireless Or Straight Talk
• Key Takeaways

Is Total Wireless The Same As Straight Talk? 

Total Wireless is not the same as Straight Talk, as they are separate wireless carrier brands that offer their own products and services. Straight Talk uses networks from Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint, while Total Wireless only uses the Verizon network.

I’ve used budget wireless carriers for years and found Total Wireless and Straight Talk to be reputable brands with solid offerings. I’ll go over the ways these two carriers are the same and the ways they are different.

What Are Total Wireless and Straight Talk?

Total Wireless and Straight Talk are MVNOs (mobile virtual network operators) that provide budget wireless services hosted on other carrier networks.

Compared to wireless plans offered directly from big carriers like Verizon, AT&T or T-Mobile, I’ve found that MVNOs like Total Wireless and Straight Talk tend to have lower pricing.

Though Total Wireless is technically not the same as Straight Talk, they offer similar cellular-related products and services.

Though my service quality at an MVNO has generally not been as good as a big carrier, I can tell you that my experiences with MVNOs have largely been positive.

Just because my network speeds with an MVNO weren’t always at the maximum level, the overall service I received at most MVNOs was usually not bad.

When MVNO companies first came on the wireless scene, many customers complained about the poor service compared to major wireless companies at the time.

Customers would often experience low internet speeds that were further diminished during peak hours or after a certain amount of data had been downloaded to their device.

When I needed to use my mobile phone for business, to call friends, or access a website online, the unpredictable internet speeds of MVNOs in the past were often very frustrating for me.

Though internet speeds and overall service quality is generally better for direct customers of major wireless carriers like Verizon and T-Mobile, MVNO customers now experience better connectivity, internet speeds, and higher overall service quality than in years past.

Many MVNOs like Total Wireless and Straight Talk offer similar services such as unlimited calling and texting with a variety of internet data packages.

What’s So Great About Total Wireless and Straight Talk?

When it comes to issuing phones to my contractors, my highest priority is to find the lowest-priced phones and plans on the market.

If you are shopping for a new wireless carrier and want to maximize your value, you should look more closely at all the options available at MVNOs like Total Wireless and Straight Talk.

In this day in age, I’ve found that almost every major MVNO will provide at least adequate phone and texting services.

Communicating with my contractors mostly consists of standard phone calls, text messages, and basic live chats in messaging apps like WhatsApp, Messenger, and Slack.

When I hire contractors to help with business projects, I often use prepaid wireless plans to issue phones to the contractors.

Compared to reimbursing contractors for personal phone usage, giving them prepaid phones made it easier for me to manage my expenses.

The flexibility of prepaid plans and add-on features allows customers to have flexibility with their monthly mobile phone expenses.

Since I considered Total Wireless and Straight Talk to be suitable MVNO carriers for my contractor phones, I looked more closely at the service offerings of both carriers.

I’ve used countless wireless plans for personal and business needs and have experienced the ups and downs of major carriers and MVNOs.

There are many MVNOs like Total Wireless and Straight Talk in the wireless service market today that offer flexible and low-priced mobile phone services.

An encouraging aspect of watching the MVNO market growth is that their services are continuing to improve.

If you’ve been looking at wireless plans from Total Wireless and Straight Talk, you might find many of their plans to look quite similar.

Total Wireless and Straight Talk are both known to offer low prices compared to big wireless carriers like Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile.

There are many budget wireless carriers on the market today, but Total Wireless and Straight Talk both stand out for their affordable phone plans and dependable services.

Why Should I Choose Total Wireless?

When comparing Total Wireless and Straight Talk, one of the main features that stands out is the lower starting prices at Total Wireless.

If you want to pay the bare minimum for basic mobile phone services such as calling and texting, you can do so for a lower price at Total Wireless and still have the option to upgrade your services later.

If your wireless needs mostly involve phone calls and text messages, you can find lower-priced wireless plans at Total Wireless.

Total Wireless has an unlimited talk and text plan that only costs $30 per month, which is less than the plans at Straight Talk.

Paying $30 per month is actually less than I paid for several phone plans I had as a college student with no job.

Straight Talk has a mobile phone plan that costs $30 per month, but it doesn’t come with unlimited calls.

On top of that, Total Wireless will give you unlimited texting and some data for basic internet access needs.

Why Should I Choose Straight Talk?

Straight Talk has a higher starting price for an unlimited talk and text plan, but they also have more advantages when it comes to network access and quality.

Though Straight Talk is owned by TracFone, which is owned by Verizon, Straight Talk has access to more than just the Verizon network.

Straight Talk also runs on networks owned by AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint, so customers will typically have access to a wider coverage area compared to Total Wireless.

However, you should understand that your ability to access a wireless network depends on your specific coverage area.

Though Straight Talk as a whole may have a wider coverage area, your specific location might be better suited for a wireless carrier like Total Wireless, which has a smaller overall coverage area.

Tips When Using Total Wireless Or Straight Talk

MVNOs like Total Wireless and Straight Talk allow customers to add features as they go, which can help when users experience a sudden shift in their mobile phone needs.

If you don’t plan to use the internet on your mobile device that much, you might want to choose an internet data plan with a lower limit.

Though you might not receive as much data, you will spend less on your overall mobile phone plan.

Unlike more all-encompassing mobile phone packages at larger wireless carriers, Total Wireless and Straight Talk customers can start off with lower-limit plans and build on them throughout the month.

Since Total Wireless and Straight Talk use the Verizon network, you should be able to easily switch your service between them.

Regardless of the wireless carrier you choose, you should be well-served with either Total Wireless or Straight Talk if you are mainly looking for affordable and dependable calling, texting, and internet data services.

Key Takeaways

• Total Wireless and Straight Talk are both MVNOs owned by TracFone, but they operate as separate companies with different products, services, and prices.
• Total Wireless offers features like unlimited calling and texting at a lower starting price.
• Straight Talk is known to have better coverage since they use more wireless networks than Total Wireless.