Net10 vs Tracfone Free Minutes with Activation
Net10 phones come with 300 to 600 free minutes when you activate them. The Net10 phones that show a phone card with them will come with 300 activation minutes and also you will get the minutes and service time from the Net10 card shown. Tracfone phones normally only come with 20 free minutes. Many Tracfones come with DMFL already included. I would try to purchase a Tracphone with DMFL.
Monthly Minimum Charge
The minimum you can keep a Tracfone in service for as little as $6.66 per month. You will spend at least $15 a month to maintain your Net10 phone active. This is not nearly as expensive the $45 a month which is the usual minimum for most contract phone companies.
LG 200c and Samsung R451c Above Closed Below Open
Cost per Minute
Net10 minutes are almost always 10 cents. You can only get Net10 minutes for less than 10 cents if you purchase them in $400 chunks.
Tracfone Minutes will cost between 33 cents each and 6.6 cents. Check out how to get Tracfone Minutes for 6.6 cents each at Best Yearly Cell Phone Plan.
Texting Costs with Net10 vs Tracfone
Net10 texts will cost you 5 cents to send and receive. Tracfone texts will cost you .3 units so if you are buying 33 cent minutes it will be 11 cents to receive and send and if you are buying 6.6 cent minutes it will be 2.2 cents per text. Net10 has just released the Samsung R451c and the Samsung 401g which only charge 3.3 cents per text.
Tracfone DMFL
Tracfone has the DMFL (Double Minutes for Life) option to make their minutes competitive in price with Net10. Do not add minutes to a Tracfone that does not have DMFL installed. For a full explanation check out Tracfone vs Tracfone DMFL.
Various Phone Prices with Net10 vs Tracfone Prepaid
You can purchase Tracfone phones for as little as $9.99. Net10 phones start at $20 but remember you get $30 in free minutes with your Net10 phone purchase. You almost always get the Net10 phone for less than the Tracfone phone after buying matching minutes from Tracfone. Tracfones must have DMFL installed to be comparable to Net10 prices also.
Nicer Phone Availability
Net10 is offering some nicer Qwerty Keyboard phones and Tracfone does not. Usually Net10 has phones with more features available.
Tracfone Yearly Plan
The Tracfone yearly plan that gives you 3,000 minutes on DMFL phones for $200. This is the most minutes per dollar than you can get with Tracfone or Net10. Check out more information on Tracfone Annual Plans. For many people the 6.6 cents a minute $200 yearly Tracfone plan will work well.
Normal Minute Purchases
If you normally buy $30 cards and get 300 minutes and two months of service with Net10 you can purchase $40 cards with Tracfone and DMFL and pay 10 cents a minute and get three months of service. If you buy the $20 Tracfone card you will pay 17.5 cents a minute with DMFL or 33 cents a minute without DMFL.
Summary of Net10 vs Tracfone
Net10 phones are usually cheaper to purchase when you figure in the 300 minutes. If you buy in large chunks Tracfone minutes are cheaper. You can get nicer phones with Net10.
Buy your Net10 Phone at Net10.com and use Net10 Purchase Discount Code 34567 .
Buy your Tracfone at Tracfone.com to get the best price and selection. Be sure to use Tracfone Purchase code 23444.
Benefits of Net vs Tracfone
Both Net10 and Tracfone phones will roam onto different networks without a roaming charge. You will get better cell phone coverage with Net10 and Tracfone than any other prepaid cell phone.
Both Net10 and Tracfone have phones available in every zip code in the US.
No credit check required with Net10 or Tracfone.
Neither Net10 or Tracfone has an activation fee and neither has a reactivation fee if you run out of service time or use all of your minutes.
You can transfer your current phone number to Tracfone or Net10.
6 responses to Net10 vs Tracfone Wireless
I was surprised at how much money I saved by going from a contract to Net10!! I figure I will save about $800.00 per year, partly because the calls are cheap and there are no hidden expenses and partly because I’m more careful how much time I spend on the phone now I’m on prepaid!
This is a great comparison between these 2 services. Its really helpful to have a direct comparison between prepaid services, which each function slightly differently and offer savings that vary on what kind of phone user you are. Net10 offers a great service and with the free minutes when you buy your phone, are hard to beat on value. Thanks for making it clear and easy to compare.
Personally i would choose net10 at the moment. With up to 2 months free talk time and the lowest rates on calls and texts, you can’t go wrong with Net10…
Thank you so much for posting all of this information. I have been trying to figure out which system would be right for my needs and you have answered so many of the questions I had!
Do you know if TracFone will be offering any “qwerty” keyboard phones in the near future?
You really can’t go wrong with either one. In my opinion it depends on your usage needs. For those with lower usage, want a simple inexpensive phone for a young person, or need a cell for emergency use, Tracfone is the way to go. True, the phone selection is nothing fancy, but the value plan selection and coverage are just fine. Depending on which type of phone you get, it will use either the AT&T or Verizon provider network. And, just in time for the holidays…on Black Friday, Sears will have the LG290 and Samsung T301 for $14.99. Just add one of the value minute plans and you’re good to go.
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