If you’re thinking of buying a new cell phone plan, you could end up spending hours searching online. Finding a high-quality plan at a low price can often feel complicated. If you want a basic BYOD plan at an affordable price, consider one from Lucky Mobile, Public Mobile or Chatr. As subsidiaries of the three largest telecom companies in the country, they offer some of the most affordable options for Canadians. Due to their competitively low prices, it’s easy to feel torn between the options. Here’s everything you should know when making the decision between Lucky vs Public Mobile vs Chatr :
General Information – Lucky Mobile vs Public Mobile vs Chatr
Before unravelling the Lucky Mobile vs Public Mobile vs Chatr debate, we will start by talking about who owns whom in this space. Lucky Mobile, Public Mobile and Chatr are each owned by one of the Big 3 telecom companies and operate as flanker brands. A Flanker brand is a subsidiary of a main company that shares network resources with the parent but operates independently and targets a different demography and market than the parent brand.
Thus, Lucky Mobile is owned by Bell, Public Mobile by Telus and Chatr by Rogers. They each target a low-cost market where customers are price-sensitive, have limited needs and know their needs. For these customers, Lucky, Public and Chatr offer some really good deals and substantial savings on mobile phone plans. If you think the prospect of substantial savings sounds appealing to you, read on to see if Lucky, Public or Chatr is right for you!
| Lucky Mobile | Public Mobile | Chatr | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent Provider | Bell | Telus | Rogers |
| Contracts/Credit Checks | No | No | No |
| Prepaid Plans | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SIM Card Cost | $10 | $10 | $10 |
Of course, there are more differences between these three providers than just the fact that different companies own them! Here are a few more:
Network Coverage – Chatr vs Lucky Mobile
Since Lucky, Public and Chatr are each owned by one of Canada’s three largest telecom companies, they all offer extensive nationwide coverage. If you’re curious to see which of the three providers offer service in your region, check out our coverage maps for each of them. Until then, here’s a quick overview of Chatr vs Lucky Mobile’s network coverage:
| Lucky Mobile | Public Mobile | Chatr | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coverage | Coverage: 28.8% of Canada, Serves: 99% of Canadians | Coverage: 28.8% of Canada, Serves: 99% of Canadians | Coverage: 19.9% of Canada, Serves: 97% of Canadians |
| 5G | Yes - Available in BC, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario & Quebec | Yes - Available in BC, Alberta, Ontario & Quebec | BC, Alberta, Ontario & Quebec Yes - Available in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick & Nova Scotia |
Chatr’s network is less available in rural areas. However, for urbanites, it offers the widest 5G coverage in the entire country. Meanwhile, Lucky and Public Mobile’s coverage are almost identical, though it’s worth noting that Lucky Mobile offers 5G coverage in Manitoba while Public Mobile does not! Make sure to consider range and 5G coverage when signing up for a mobile plan!
Lucky vs Public Mobile vs Chatr : Plans
Next, we’ll look at a number of phone plans from each company. We’ll outline the cheapest, most data-heavy and all-around best plan from each company.
Cheapest Plans
To start things off, here are the cheapest plans from Lucky Mobile, Public Mobile and Chatr. These plans don’t include much data, and some of them have limited talking minutes – in exchange for some incredibly low prices. If you’re someone who doesn’t use their phone much, a plan from any of these three providers would make a great choice. Check them out below:
Heaviest Data Plans
Moving away from cheap plans, these providers also offer some bulky plans with loads of data. Of course, these plans are on the pricier side, but still available at competitive prices. Check out Lucky, Public and Chatr’s most inclusive plans below:
Best Data Plans
Last but certainly not least, let’s take a look at each provider’s best data plans. These offers manage to combine decent amounts of mobile data with affordability. If you’re interested in nothing but the best from these three carriers, check out their greatest, most all-around mobile plans: