Satellite Radio is great because it is
commercial-free, static-free and censorship-free. However, these are also the
reasons why satellite radio isn't free. So you've fallen in love with your
friend's satellite radio and have come to terms with paying for a service that
you never imagined paying for. Now you need to figure out which service is going
to get you more bang for your buck. Here's some help.
Table 1: Sirius vs. XM Radio
| Service Provider |
SIRIUS |
XM |
| Current Promotion |
Order now and get a FREE satellite radio |
Get an XM radio and 3 Months of service for less than
$99 |
| Payment Plans |
Monthly: $12.95
1 Year: $142.45
2 Years:
$271.95
Lifetime: $499.99 |
Monthly: $12.95
1 Year: $142.45
2 Years: $271.95
3 Years:
$359.64
4 Years: 479.52
5 Years: 599.40 |
| Channels |
Over 125 |
Over 160 |
| Featured Stations |
Talk: Howard Stern, Blue Collar Radio, Martha, Maxim,
Sports: NFL, Nascar, NBA, College Sports
Music: Big 80s, Radio Margaritaville, New Country
News: FOX, CNN
For more station information , click here to
see an Interactive Channel Guide |
Talk: Oprah, Ellen, Good Morning America, E!
Sports: MLB, NHL, PGA, College Sports
Music: Bob Dylan, Snoop Dogg, Willie's Place, The 80s
News: FOX, CNN, Weather Channel, CNBC
For more station information , click here to see an Interactive Channel Guide |
| Activation Fees |
On website: $15
|
On website: $9.99 |
| Cancellation Fees |
Cancel monthly anytime
Refunds for prepaid plans
based on days remaining.
Lifetime Subscriptions nonrefundable. |
Cancel monthly anytime
May charge a cancellation
fee of up to $75.00 for prepaid plans. Refund based on days remaining.
|
| Additional Radios |
Up to 4: $6.99 per month |
Up to 5: $6.99 per month |
| Customer Service |
24 Hours |
Mon-Sat: 10AM-11 PM EST
Sun: 12 PM-8 PM EST
|
| Best Buys Choice |
If you like the station selection of both Sirius and XM
equally, our Best Buys Choice is going to have to be Sirius, due to their better
promotion -- a free radio. |
With comperable pricing options, features and overall
quality, XM will be your best buy if you like their exclusive stations.
|
| Sign Up |
Click here to sign up for Sirius now! |
Click here to sign up for XM now! |
Sirius vs. XM Radio: Selection
With such a comparable price, the real answer to
Sirius vs. XM is your preference in shows. Both offer sports, both offer a
variety of different types of music and both have news. But if you can’t start
your morning without Howard Stern, and enjoy Maxium, and Martha Stuart, Sirius
is your radio.
If you prefer Oprah, Ellen, the Playboy Channel, or
Snoop Dogg, XM is your new station. XM does offer a few more channels than
Sirius; 160 verses 125. Either way, you’ll have plenty of listening options to
choose between.
XM does offer one feature that Sirius does not; 80
channels of online music listening for home or the office. According to XM’s
website, existing subscribers “may” be able to get online listening for free.
For those who don’t want or need satellite radio for the car, XM also offers an
online only subscription for $7.99 a month.
Sirius vs. XM: Pricing
Unless you’re pre-paying for years in advance, the
prices of the two services aren’t just close; they’re identical up to the 2 year
mark. Beyond 2 years, Sirius offers a lifetime subscription at $499.00 while XM
offers a 3, 4, and 5 year prepaid subscription plan that costs substantially
more at $359.64, $ 479.52, and $ 599.40 relatively. Except for Sirius’s lifetime
subscription, you don’t have to pay the multi-year subscription costs up front;
instead, the cost is divvied up by month.
Activation fees are fractionally different between
the two. Though XM’s online activation fee is double that of Sirius’s, the
difference is only 5 bucks. Regardless of which service you choose, it’s
definitely more cost effective to activate service online verses phone
registration with a price tag of $15 for both services.
Sirius vs. XM: Termination
When you’re shopping and enamored by the prospect of
hundreds of channels uncensored, commercial free, programming, you’re probably
not thinking about cancelling. But cancellation fees and policies are a good
aspect to review when making a subscription. You never know when you’re going to
need to shave costs or want to switch to a new provider.
Other than programming, the cancellation fees
and policies are where these two satellite providers really differ. You can
cancel anytime with either and both will refund you for unused days on prepaid
subscriptions, but XM can charge as much as a $75 cancellation fee while Sirius
charges nada |