Metro vs Straight Talk

Plans, SIMs & pricing for an unlocked iPhone 11 — every tier, side by side. Prices reflect 2026 published rates (autopay where applicable).

The 30-second answer

CHEAPESTMetro $25/mo — unlimited data, no hotspot. Locked for 5 years. Nobody beats it.
MOST HOTSPOT/$Straight Talk Gold $55 = 30GB hotspot vs Metro $60 = 25GB.
∞ HOTSPOTStraight Talk Platinum $65 — the only plan with truly unlimited hotspot.
BEST BUNDLEMetro $60 — Amazon Prime included (~$15/mo value baked in).

📱 The phone

unlocked Metro iPhone 11

Will it work?

✓ Unlocked → accepts either carrier's SIM/eSIM
✓ eSIM-capable on both Metro & Straight Talk
Same plan price on physical SIM or eSIM

To activate

Charge ≥ 50%, connect to Wi-Fi
Pick a plan (online, no store needed)
Enter IMEI → scan the QR code

iPhone 11 SIM gotcha: it uses the older eSIM type — it can't do eSIM Quick-Transfer/push. You must activate via the QR-code method, with Wi-Fi (or the old physical SIM still in) so it can download.

Metro by T-Mobile

5-year price lock · runs on T-Mobile's own network

Price/mo	Data	Hotspot	Extras
$25	Unlimited 35GB high-speed	None	Cheapest entry
$40	Unlimited 5G	None	Scam Shield, T-Mo Tuesdays
$50	Unlimited 5G	8GB	100GB Google One
$60BUNDLE	Unlimited 70GB high-speed	25GB	Amazon Prime + Google One + intl texting

Straight Talk

no contract · BYOP eSIM · multi-month discounts

Price/mo	Tier	Data	Hotspot
$35	Bronze	10GB capped	5GB
$45	Silver	Unlimited	10GB
$55	Gold	Unlimited	30GB most hotspot/$
$65	Platinum	Unlimited	Unlimited + intl CA/MX, 100GB cloud

SIM: eSIM vs physical

type doesn't change the price

	Metro	Straight Talk
eSIM support	✓ iPhone 11 incl.	✓ iPhone 11 incl.
iPhone 11 method	QR-code scan	QR-code scan
Activation	Online, minutes, no fee	Online BYOP, enter IMEI
Physical SIM	BYOD SIM kit / in-store	Mail or store SIM
Network	T-Mobile (own brand)	MVNO (VZ / AT&T / T-Mo)

🎯 The pick

Just phone + normal data? → Metro $25. Cheapest unlimited anywhere, price locked 5 years, on T-Mobile's own network (no MVNO deprioritization). Since the phone's already a Metro device, it's the path of least resistance.

Tether a lot? → Straight Talk Gold $55 for 30GB hotspot, or Platinum $65 if you need truly unlimited hotspot.

Want freebies? → Metro $60 bakes in Amazon Prime (~$15/mo value).