Have you ever heard of Republic Wireless and their cheap cell phone plans? If you haven’t, you definitely need to continue reading this Republic Wireless review, especially if you are paying anything over $50 a month for your current phone bill.
I first heard about Republic Wireless last summer when I was reading a Republic Wireless review on a possible cheap cell phone plan. I was shocked by how cheap their prices were, and they’re even cheaper now.
We spend around $25 a month on each phone from Republic Wireless and it comes with unlimited talk, text, and wi-fi. There are even cheap cell phone plans as low as $15 a month.
Yes, FIFTEEN DOLLAR CELL PHONE PLANS!
This is much better than the $225 we used to pay for our phone service each month through AT&T.
Yes, this is an affiliate post by the way. If you are interested in skipping my review but you want to try Republic Wireless right at this moment, please click on my affiliate link. It’s very appreciated and it helps me create other reviews just like with this Republic Wireless review! 🙂
Why is Republic Wireless so cheap and how can they offer such cheap cell phone plans?
I’m sure this is a question you are asking yourself right now as you are reading this review.
Republic Wireless IS really that cheap. It’s that easy to save money by switching to Republic Wireless. It’s not a scam, a joke, or something where they are going to jack the price up later (they are not like cable companies).
There is no catch, there are no contracts, no activation fees, no roaming charges, and you can switch your plan easily if you need to (up to twice a month).
So, how is all of this possible at such a cheap price?
I know if you are anything like me, sometimes a price so low can seem too good to be true. It only makes sense to want to look into it further.
Republic Wireless is able to offer such a great price on their phone plans because of the hybrid technology they offer. All of the phones on the Republic Wireless network use wi-fi as the default setting. This means that whenever you are near a wi-fi network, your phone will attempt to connect to it and use it. This makes it very cheap for both you and Republic Wireless.
This also means that if you are traveling internationally, you can use your Republic Wireless phone for the same low flat price!
Wi-fi is everywhere these days, so it’s not a hard thing for them to be able to do.
What happens when there’s no wi-fi around with my Republic Wireless phone?
You might be wondering, but what if I don’t always have wifi available? That’s no big deal because your phone will still work even if you are not in a wi-fi area.
This is because your cell phone will then connect to a cell network (a Sprint tower and if that’s not available then a Verizon tower) so that you can still make phone calls, send texts, and more.
Now, if you’re worried that you might lose wi-fi during a phone call, no need to worry about that situation either. Republic Wireless’ phones can switch seamlessly to a cell tower so your phone call doesn’t drop. Also, if the wi-fi you are currently using isn’t the greatest, you can switch your phone manually to use a cell tower (or the opposite way around as well). This way, you can always use what’s best for you.
The service is great and at the prices Republic Wireless offers it honestly can’t be beat.
What kind of cheap cell phone plans does Republic Wireless offer?
Republic Wireless has four different plans. They are all cheap and very affordable. I don’t think it gets much better than the plans they offer.
There is the $15 plan that is wi-fi only. You have unlimited talk/text/data with this plan over wi-fi with this plan. That is an incredible deal and for the most part it should be very easy to find wi-fi.
What Republic Wireless phones can I use?
If you sign up for Republic Wireless, you can bring your own Android phone or purchase a phone through Republic Wireless.
They have many different phones to choose from, such as the Samsung Galaxy, Moto, LG Stylo, Google Pixel, Motorola moto, and more.
Should you cancel your current contract and switch to Republic Wireless?
You can also use your old phone number, so you can’t use that as an excuse for not switching to Republic Wireless. When you switch to Republic Wireless, you can bring your old phone number with you, so no one will even know you switched phones and you won’t even be affected by the switch. It doesn’t get much easier than that!
However, one negative is if you cancel your current contract with a company such as AT&T, Sprint, or Verizon, you may have to pay a fee. This fee may seem large in the beginning, but when you think about how much money you could save over the course of a year, switching to Republic Wireless still wins hands down because of how cheap their service plans are.
Below are the different cancellation fees cell phone companies charge. It may vary slightly depending on when you started your contract, when your contract ends, and what type of phone you have, but this is what I found on online:
- AT&T charges $175 for a basic phone cancellation and a $325 fee for a smartphone cancellation. However, keep in mind that many AT&T plans are not on a contract nowadays so you may be able to leave for free.
- Sprint charges $200 for a basic phone cancellation and $350 for a smartphone cancellation.
- Verizon charges $175 for a basic phone cancellation and $350 for a smartphone cancellation.
What do I think of Republic Wireless?
I honestly think Republic Wireless is awesome and there is a clear reason I am writing this review. I have been a paying customer for a little over a year now, and their cell service is definitely improving.
I won’t lie, one year ago the cell service was not the greatest, but either was my AT&T service that I paid over $200 a month for. Now, Republic Wireless has fixed a lot of their problems they had in the very beginning, and they are definitely doing loops around AT&T and the other big cell phone networks because of their amazing pricing and service plans.
Let’s just think about it – $2,700 for cell phone service for one year for both me and Wes through AT&T, OR $600 a year ($25 multiplied by two phones multiplied by 12 months) for both me and Wes through Republic Wireless?
Yes, you might think $2,700 is a ton, but if you add up your monthly cell phone service over the year, I’m sure you are somewhat close to that number or perhaps even higher. Isn’t it insane how much cell phones cost us?!
So, even if you pay a cancellation fee (lets use a simple $250 as the cancellation fee), buy two Moto Gs for $149 each, and then pay for 12 months of the $25 service for two phones, your price would be around $1,150 for everything for the WHOLE ENTIRE YEAR. It would be even cheaper (of course) if you had a plan with only one cell phone.
That could mean a savings of $1,500 a year. You could use that money on savings, a vacation, retirement, whatever you want! You would save even more if you kept your phone past the first year. Your savings could then increase to around $1,800 a year.
And that savings amount above is for two phones. If you only need one phone and you choose the simple $5 plan, your cost could be as low as $209 for the year (one Moto G plus 12 months of service at $5). This means if you only get the $5 cell phone plan through Republic Wireless, your yearly cost could be just a little over $60 FOR THE WHOLE YEAR for the phone service.
What if you’re not happy with Republic Wireless?
Republic Wireless is also awesome because they have a 14 day guarantee where they will refund the price you paid for your phone AND the price you paid to use their service. So, you can try out their service for FREE.
I’m pretty sure you will be hooked anyways, but the guarantee is nice just in case you are not happy with the service. There is also no contract with Republic Wireless, so you can leave with no problem.
If you are interested in Republic Wireless, please click on my link. It’s an affiliate link but I promise this review was 100% my opinion.
How much do you pay for your cell phone service? Do you think you pay too much? Would you ever switch to Republic Wireless?
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kelsey says
I keep hearing about this from friends and my outrageous AT&T contract is up in November so I am seriously thinking about switching. How do you feel about the phone you use with them? Can you use most of the same popular apps? FB/Twitter/Instagram ect? Is the camera decent?
Michelle S. says
Hey Kelsey! Yes, I would definitely think about switching.
Do you have an iPhone currently? If so, I have included some articles below that compare the MotoX and the iPhone. Ignore any of the pricing info on the phones listed in these articles as it’s cheaper through Republic Wireless anyways.
http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews/mobile-phone/3498782/moto-x-vs-iphone-5c-smartphone-comparison-review/
http://bgr.com/2014/05/28/iphone-5s-vs-moto-x-2/
http://www.phonearena.com/phones/compare/Motorola-Moto-X,Apple-iPhone-4s/phones/7885,5257
Alicia says
We aren’t in the US, otherwise I would definitely try Republic Wireless or Ting, or one of the other low-cost options. We pay around $150/month for two smart phones (I know, it’s cringeworthy) but sadly we are locked into contracts right now bad would need to buy out the phone. I’m not comfortable with doing that right now, especially since our phones are 1.5 years old. Thankfully Canada changed contracts to be max 2 years rather than the standard 3 years (though that did open it’s own can of worms on contract costs).
Michelle S. says
Does Canada have any low cost options? It seems like many of the cheap options in the U.S. are not available there.
Little House says
I thought Ting was actually out of Canada. I’d check them out. Also, Ting reimburses up to $75 if you have to break a contract with another carrier.
Kent says
We’re using Republic while in China. The web only plan doesn’t care where you are.
Mrs. Frugalwoods says
I’m glad to hear that you like Republic so much. Our cell phones are paid by our employers at present, but, I’m hunting around to figure out which cheaper service we’ll switch to once we quit the 9-5’s. Glad to know more about Republic–thanks!
Michelle S. says
When do you think you’ll be leaving the 9-5? Just wondering 🙂
Mrs. Frugalwoods says
The plan is to retire early and move to a rural homestead in three years (targeting fall of 2017). Not set in stone though as we might change our minds or have another opportunity crop up, but that’s the goal :). Thanks for asking!
Michelle S. says
Sounds awesome! We have a pretty similar goal 🙂
Mrs. Frugalwoods says
That’s so cool that you’re thinking of homesteading too!! Must be a St. Louis thing 🙂
Taylor Lee says
I don’t think I’d every switch to Republic Wireless despite the delicious savings. Unfortunately, I travel a lot and it is pivotal that everywhere I go the service be as good as I can get it. Sadly, the large telecomm providers kind of have a stranglehold on the wireless networks, and I’m afraid how much data a RW phone would get would be bumped down, deprioritized under one of the major providers. I’m also not a big fan of the Moto phones (pretty much dedicated to getting the Samsung Galaxy S-whatever for as long as they continue that series), but that’s pretty marginal compared to the network thing.
That said, RW definitely seems like a good deal and kudos to you for finding a way to save so much money!
Michelle S. says
Thanks Taylor!
Laura Coleman says
I feel the same way!! If there was any way to take my Galaxy over to this plan, I would really consider it. The savings are very tempting. I too am concerned about the network. I have a really nice phone and I can’t help thinking that I just couldn’t use it to the potential it was intended with Republic. Maybe when the kiddos are old enough for phones, this will be the plan we choose.
Robin says
We made the switch to republic and couldn’t be happier with our service. We never have problems and my husband relies on his phone for his work. We’ve been trying to convince everyone we know to make the switch. I bet this company will be getting huge in the next few years once everyone starts finding them.
Michelle S. says
Yes, I think Republic Wireless will get huge as well. They are a great company and the cheap pricing is just amazing.
Leslie Beslie says
Whoo I’m in the process of switching right now!
I really can’t afford $300 on a phone but wanted the better camera & 4G capabilities of the Moto X. You can buy Republic Wireless phones refurbished!!!! They have an authorized dealer on eBay. $199 for Moto X and $99 for Moto G!! Great prices.
I’ll let you know how the phone is but I’m not too concerned. I’ll be getting the $10 plan, I currently pay $30 for less so it’ll save me a little over $200/year. I currently don’t have a contract so the switch is much easier for me.
I’m excited about switching though, glad it’s working out for you!
Michelle S. says
That’s awesome! Good job on saving money. $200 is still a good amount to save!
Sarah Vegetabile says
This is the first time I have heard of them. I am going to check this out as it seems like an extra great dreal! The major cell carriers over charge us so much these days!
Michelle S. says
Yes, I definitely recommend that you check out Republic Wireless. Their pricing is incredibly cheap.
Little House says
I switched my cell phone service last year from Sprint to Ting. I researched Republic Wireless, but because we didn’t want to change our phones, we chose Ting. It piggybacks off the Sprint network, so we kept our phone numbers as well, and they credited us for breaking our contract with Sprint. Now, instead of paying $140 a month for our phones, we pay $41! It’s AWESOME!
Michelle S. says
That’s awesome!
Michelle says
I made the switch last January and I couldn’t be more pleased! I had to side hustle my way out of my contract and that was fine. I just couldn’t stomach paying $105 a month (WITH a discount) it pissed me off every month. So, I kicked Verizon to the curb.
Michelle S. says
Good job Michelle!
Gretchen says
We’ve been with Republic Wireless for about a year and a half now, and love it! I have zero complaints about the service, and definitely not the price!
Michelle S. says
That’s awesome and great to hear Gretchen!
Cindy @ GrowingHerWorth says
I switched to Republic Wireless in December, and couldn’t be happier! At the time they only had the Moto X. They’d announced the Moto G was coming, and I would have waited, but I dropped my old phone in the toilet, so waiting to save money wasn’t really an option. I’m on the $10 plan, which equals out to something like $12.63 per month, with all the taxes. Not having 3G data, I have to think a little more; I can’t always Google everything the instant I want to (if I’m not in WiFi range), or check FaceBook every second of the day.And sometimes I run into the moral dilemma when I’m out and about and come across an unlocked WiFi signal (that isn’t a business). But being a little disconnected isn’t a bad thing. I plan to bump up to the $25 plan whenever I’m traveling, so I don’t have to worry about the data disconnect.
Michelle S. says
Yes, being a little disconnect isn’t bad, especially at that cheap price.
Sahil Arora says
Thats amazing!!! I am paying around $15 for my Internet Pack per month which offers 2 Mbps speed upto 50 GB and beyond that 512 Kbps!! 🙁 The plans you mentioned above are quite low as compared to plans in India!!
Michelle S. says
Yes, Republic is super affordable!
Sahil Arora says
Yeah, it seems so!
Deb @ Saving the Crumbs says
We thought of switching, but the Sprint network in our area is pretty lousy. 🙁 If it just used Verizon towers only, it would probably be fine. Any thoughts on this? We’d love to switch if we knew we’d get good coverage.
Michelle S. says
It uses Sprint towers first, and then Verizon. I’m not sure how that’d work for you. I’d reach how to Republic and ask them. They have awesome customer service.
Broke Millennial says
I’m currently still on a family plan (I pay my share, but it’s cheaper for everyone for me to stay on the plan and keep rates low). I will seriously look into Republic Wireless though, if/when I get kicked off my family plan. I hear so many rave reviews from PFers that it seems like a company worth checking out.
Michelle S. says
Yes, it is awesome!
Andrew @ Budgetopolis says
Wow! RW sounds great!
We are on month-to-month with Verizon as our contract expired a couple of years ago. I have been thinking about going elsewhere, but Verizon by far has the best coverage in our area. If RW will switch to Verizon towers, I will seriously consider making a move.
We get a discount through my day job, but for my daughter’s basic phone, and two “allegedly smart” phones with shared 5 Gb data, our bill is roughly $170/month. I could probably cut back on the data, as my wife is usually at home, and uses wi-fi.
I must have a smart phone and data access for my DJ business. I pay for my phone and my daughter’s phone (since she works part-time for me) from the business. However, whatever account it comes out of, I’d rather pay less money!
Thanks for the information and review. I will check out your affiliate link.
Michelle S. says
Thanks Andrew!
Aldo@MillionDollarNinja says
I took a look at Republic Wireless and loved the prices, but ended up going with Ting since I already had a Sprint phone and only had to transfer the number. Also with my usage I pay on average $21 a month. I’ve had Ting for 3 months and my usage has been consistent. The only downside is that I can’t use the phone internationally, but I’ve never been able to do that so that’s not really a concern.
Whichever people choose, Republic Wireless or Ting, is going to help them save a lot of money on cellphone service. I can’t believe I didn’t know about these services before and was paying so much more money.
Michelle S. says
Ting sounds awesome as well!
Nikki Ooi says
I would switch over. If it was available in my country, which it sadly isn’t. And yes, I definitely think I’m paying too much for mine. But we don’t have such great plans here to begin with.
Michelle S. says
I’m sorry 🙁 I hope better plans become available to you soon.
Erin @ Journey to Saving says
I switched back in January and haven’t looked back. I was paying $92/month with Verizon which was awful. My boyfriend should be switching over soon, we’re just waiting to have room in the budget for the Moto G. He has a “dumb” phone which is costing him $40/month, which isn’t worth it compared to what you get with RW!
Michelle S. says
Ack yeah I hope he switches over soon!
Kipp says
Republic Wireless sounds like a great system, but the Sprint Network doesn’t work to well where I work, which is why I haven’t made the switch. If I work in a different location sometime in the future I will definitely look into switching. Even though my prepaid AT&T phone is only $25 a month, $15/mo savings is still $15/mo. (Comparing to the $10 a month plan that I would consider).
All that money adds up!
Michelle S. says
Yes, money adds up quickly!
Natalie @ Financegirl says
Wow, I had no idea how inexpensive Republic Wireless is! That sounds like a great deal. I’m lucky that my work pays for my phone, but I’m going to keep this in mind for the future. I had no idea it was so cheap!
Michelle S. says
Yes, it’s extremely cheap. Thanks Natalie!
Andrew says
Not to rain on the parade, but I want people to know (assuming they get down this far in comments to read it) that connecting to open wifi networks is incredibly dangerous if you do anything that requires a password connection.
Unsecure networks (wifi with no password to access) means any data you are transmitting to that router can be intercepted and read by anyone nearby. Passwords, account numbers, credit cards.
That being said, there are ways to keep yourself safe, best options may be VPN which encrypts your communication to someones server before it goes out to the web, but that also costs money for decent ones.
Not trying to shy people away from Republic, just want to make sure you are informed of the risk.
Don’t forget to check the coverage map. This service would not work for me where I live unfortunatly, but it looks like all the major cities are covered.
Thank you for the article.
Michelle S. says
Thanks Andrew. Yes, there are risks, just like if you were to connect to wi-fi with a “normal” cell phone in open areas. Republic Wireless is great if you are at home, and if you are afraid of public wi-fi, you can always turn off the wi-fi and instead connect to a cell tower just like with a normal phone 🙂
Michelle S. says
That’s an awesome deal for international use!
DC @ Young Adult Money says
I’m actually writing a post about this as well! I have Walmart Family Mobile (really T-Mobile), which is very comparable to Republic Wireless. I saved about $1k/year from switching to Walmart Family Mobile. Savings would be minimal to switch to Republic Wireless, but I’m still considering it.
Michelle S. says
Sounds awesome DC!
Cami says
I wish Republic was available in my area! My phone bill is getting ridiculous.
Michelle S. says
I hope they will be everywhere one day 🙂
Katelyn @ Diaries of a Wandering Lobster says
I switched from Verizon to Republic Wireless back in January and love it. I was paying almost $100 a month for something that I barely used! I’ve had a few of my friends switch to RW this past summer as well. I’m hoping RW and other similar cell phone companies act as a wake up call to the big name brands (i.e. AT&T, Verizon, etc.). Paying $100+ a month for a phone plan is ridiculous! But, of course, I hope RW is here to stay! 🙂
Michelle S. says
Yes, other big name brands need to learn! They are charging way too much money.
Jason B says
I changed to Verizon prepaid last year and thought that $60 a month was a great deal. I stand corrected. Republic Wireless has some great options. How do those Motorola phones work though? I haven’t had the best luck with Motorola.(Razr and Droid pro both sucked) For that reason alone I’m up in the air about switching.
Michelle S. says
I’d read the articles below to compare them:
http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews/mobile-phone/3498782/moto-x-vs-iphone-5c-smartphone-comparison-review/
http://bgr.com/2014/05/28/iphone-5s-vs-moto-x-2/
http://www.phonearena.com/phones/compare/Motorola-Moto-X,Apple-iPhone-4s/phones/7885,5257
M.Clark says
I have never heard of Republic Wireless, but this does sound like a very good deal. I pay less than $25 a month because I do not use my cell phone on a daily basis, I only pay when I use it. The Republic Wireless $25 a month plan sounds good to me because it includes wifi. If I used my phone more often I would definitely switch. Thank you for sharing this review.
Michelle S. says
Thanks! 🙂
Meaningful Life @ Financewand says
You have just sold Republic Wireless to me. Yes, that’s true. While reading the post everytime I was having a question, the next line your post was giving the answer. Excellent. However, only one question: I’ve to go to such places for work, where there is no Wi-Fi connection. In that case what I understand is the network connection will work. But does that mean I’ve to pay higher rate than the normal?
Michelle S. says
Yes, the phone would just use a network connection just like with a normal cell phone. You just need to select the correct package. They don’t charge overage or anything like that. The package you choose is the package you pay (plus tax).
Poor Student says
Is it similar with Ting? Sounds like a great product but I unfortunately live in Canada 🙁 Even if I were able to have it, I’m not sure about the Motorola thing. I’m not really familiar with it so I don’t know if I’m going to like or not. It would be awesome if I can use Samsung/iPhone with it though!
Michelle S. says
I’d read the articles below to compare the phones:
http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews/mobile-phone/3498782/moto-x-vs-iphone-5c-smartphone-comparison-review/
http://bgr.com/2014/05/28/iphone-5s-vs-moto-x-2/
http://www.phonearena.com/phones/compare/Motorola-Moto-X,Apple-iPhone-4s/phones/7885,5257
Maria Carla Perez says
i live in the Philippines and i’ve never heard of Republic Wireless from anyone and anywhere here! But our Telecommuncation service here have their own set of promos either by call or text. From Prepaid to postpaid 🙂
Michelle S. says
I’m hoping Republic Wireless expands. They have a great service!
Maria Carla Perez says
Yes I agree, I hope they expand! I wanna taste their great service too!
Thomas @ i need money ASAP! says
Great info, thanks! My wife and I are nearly at the end of our contracts so we’re looking at switching and hopefully saving a bit of money.
Michelle S. says
Yes, do it!
Anita L says
I’m currently using AT&T and paying far more than that and don’t even have texting abilities. I will be looking into this as soon as my obligation is up. Thanks so much for sharing!
ms says
I pay $20 a month for a cell but it is my only phone… It makes sense to switch for a cheaper plan but you can also bundle as well..
Anonimatum says
Thanks for sharing, even thought I’m from Mexico so I’m not really sure if it works on my country as well but might as well be useful in the future.
Maria Carla Perez says
I really hope they will start to expand their company wordwide because it seems they have the best service ever.
Syed says
I have been considering RW for a while now but first have to cut myself from Apple’s umbilical cord! Luckily our current cell phone bill isn’t too high (around $1200 a year for 2 iphones and 2 GB of data) because it’s partly subsidized by my employer, but if that ever goes away or i/when I get a new job, you can be sure RW will be first on my list. Thanks for the informative review!
Meggan says
Getting married in March, and I’ve been looking for alternatives to the typical cell phone plan for us considering the insane amount it has cost me before. I plan on calling tomorrow to ask about it, just to be clear on the issue of what will happen if we are out of a wifi zone- would still need to get/make calls and text. Is it possible to be “allergic” to contracts? lol 🙂 I’m so excited to try this. So glad I read this before we signed one! Thank you for the post! 🙂
Michelle S. says
Hey Meggan!
Sounds great. Where I live, if you are out of the wifi zone then it just switches to the cell phone towers, so I can still make and receive calls just fine. You might want to ask for your specific city though 🙂
Cindy says
Seriously interested in doing this to save on cell phones. 3 smart phones and 1 dumb phone = crazy high Verizon bill.
Melissa says
Oh wow this is wonderful news! It’s time to leave my parents plan and after checking out all the big carriers, I was not looking forward to adding that monthly bill into my budget, but this is totally doable!
shelby says
Awesome, I will be switching over I pay $200 a month which I don’t have right now. I’m a student.
Douglas Vaughan says
Michelle, just went out to Republic cellular, price went up min is $15 now, also they will be offering byop on 8/11/16. Thought I would let you know. I know you try hard to keep your blog accurate and up to date
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Thank you! I’ll update this.
Matt Skinner says
For those of you who might be thinking about Republic Wireless – there is are, in fact, several big “catches” you need to take into account.
1) the money back guarantee is now 2 weeks, not 30 days.
2) There basically is no service. No one to call, it’s through the web site only. it took 48 hours for me to have 3 interactions with service folks.
3)My phone failed within 2 weeks and a day after it arrived. Republic finally admitted the phone was bad – but told me there was no replacement in stock. turns out they have lots of new phones – but the “replacement stock” are all used or refurbished.
4) Yes, it’s cheap. If you really can do without a working cell phone for a week or more – go ahead. But there is a price to be paid
Ayase Haruka says
I always was interested in this topic aand still am, reggards for posting.