Boost Mobile vs Boost Infinite: What's the difference?

You might have seen the headline and be thinking, wait, aren’t Boost Mobile and Boost Infinite the same provider? Well, sort of. The Dish Network acquired Boost Mobile as part of the T-Mobile and Sprint merger and has revived the prepaid service. On top of that, it has also launched an even simpler postpaid service on the brand called Boost Infinite. The cell phone plans of the two services have some clear similarities and a few key differences.

Confused? We don’t blame you. But all you need to know for now is that Boost Mobile and Boost Infinite are two options for your next plan. We’ll compare them based on pricing, coverage, phone selection, and more to help you make an informed decision.

Boost Mobile vs Boost Infinite — Pricing

The plans of both providers are affordable and easy to understand, but the variety of plans couldn’t be more different. While Boost Mobile offers a range of packages that vary in price depending on how long you commit, Boost Infinite only has a few variations on an unlimited plan.

Boost Mobile

Let’s lay out the Boost Mobile options and then examine the details further.

As the table above shows, you can get better value on Boost Mobile plans by committing to longer periods of service upfront. That makes sense, but what is more surprising is that there are different plans available depending on how long you want to commit, as you pay the total price upfront.

If you want to pay by the month, four plans are on offer. There is one limited-data plan of 5GB, which is your cheapest option. There are then two unlimited plans that are very similar. One is $25 per month but requires AutoPay, and the $40 per month option includes a 12GB hotspot allowance. There’s then Unlimited Plus for $60, which offers a 30GB mobile hotspot allocation as well as coverage in Mexico.

Committing for three months gets you the same 5GB plan at the same price of $15 per month or the unlimited plan with the 12GB hotspot referenced above at the reduced equivalent price of $30 per month.

The cheapest plan is revealed if you pay for a full year of service, with the 1GB plan working out to just $8.33 per month when you pay the $100 total. The unlimited plan gets more affordable too at the equivalent$25 per month.

All plans include 5G coverage and unlimited talk and text, and the hotspot allocations draw from the monthly allotments.

Boost Infinite

Boost Infinite used only to offer one plan, but it now has four variations of the same plan. The cheapest is the Infinite Unlimited at $25 per month. That gets you unlimited talk, text, and data, plus 5G coverage on one network.

The other three plans are based on whether you want the latest Apple or Samsung phone at the same time. There are two versions of the Infinite Access plan at $60 per month, which gets you a free iPhone 15 or a Galaxy S24 today, with an upgrade to the latest model every year. The plan included the Infinite Unlimited perks, plus international talk and text, roaming in Mexico and Canada, and smart switching between three 5G networks.

Then there’s the Infinite Unlimited Plus plan at $50 per month. This has all the the features of the Infinite Access plans, but you need to trade-in your old device to get the iPhone 15.

Boost Mobile vs Boost Infinite — Coverage

Being under the same umbrella, there’s nothing to choose between Boost Mobile and Boost Infinite in terms of coverage. Both primarily work on the AT&T network, which is one of the fastest and most wide-reaching in the country. There is also scope to get 5G from two other networks as needed.

You can check the coverage map of Boost Mobile here. We could link you to the map for Boost Infinite, but it’s exactly the same for the reasons outlined above. As you’d expect, 4G LTE is available almost everywhere, and the 5G coverage has now been extended to the vast majority of the country.

Boost Mobile vs Boost Infinite — Perks and promotions

Being MVNOs, both providers sacrifice things like perks in favor of affordable plans, so you won’t find the level of extras that you’d get from the big three.

That said, Boost Mobile has a number of promotions available. The most obvious is the introductory offer on the $25 unlimited plan, which offers 50% off the cost of the first month. That means you’d pay just $12.50 to try the service for a month, with no continuing obligation thereafter.

Boost Mobile also has discounts on phones when you bundle them up with a new plan. For example, you can get the iPhone 12 or the Motorola Edge Plus for just $199.99, representing at least $400 off the retail prices. The Galaxy S24 is only $599.99, but you are required to commit to the $60 per month plan.

Some of these offers are online, and some are in-store only. It’s best to identify which offers interest you most and then work out how you go about taking advantage of it.

Boost Infinite has very little in terms of promotions, which is understandable given the price of the basic Infinite Unlimited plan. That said, you could fairly argue that the free handsets with the Infinite Access plans are an excellent perk, and there are a few other phone deals to explore.

Boost Infinite also has a 30-day free trial option, giving you the chance to try the service without the obligation to commit..

Boost Mobile vs Boost Infinite — Phone selections

The phone selection of Boost Infinite is rather atypical, even by MVNO standards. There are less than 20 phones available, but they include the Samsung Galaxy S24 range and the iPhone 15 series. Scattered in are a few budget options like the Galaxy A23 and the Moto G Stylus 2022.

Boost Mobile has a wider range of handsets on offer, including an array of iPhones, past and present. There are a few Nokia and TCL choices as well, but nothing from Google or OnePlus.

Which carrier is right for you?

Boost or Boost? It’s a tough choice, right? Coverage obviously isn’t a factor in deciding between them, and they’re actually both aimed at the same market. If one appeals to you, the other will, too.

If all you’re looking for is the simplest and cheapest unlimited plan, Boost Infinite is probably what you want — no considerations about which plan to choose or how many months you want to stick with it. There’s one flat fee and no frills, plus it’s just as affordable as even the 12-month unlimited plan from Boost Mobile.

But Boost Mobile gives you more flexibility with plans, and at under $9, it has the cheapest possible plan of both providers, albeit a 12-month commitment to a restrictive 1GB plan. Boost Mobile also has a wider phone selection and better promotions on buying a new phone in general.

You can’t go far wrong with either provider, and you have the option of walking away from either pretty quickly if you’re not completely satisfied. That’s true of many MVNOs, so you might also be interested in finding out what’s on offer from the likes of Cricket Wireless, Metro by T-Mobile, and Mint Mobile.