Is a Google Fi Wireless family plan worth the switch?

Multi-line discounts were once reserved for postpaid plans from Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. Thankfully this practice has caught on in the prepaid world as well, with a variety of carriers offering family plans. One of the better-known options is the Google-owned Fi Wireless. In this guide, we take a look at the Google Fi family plan to see if it’s a good deal versus the competition.

What is included in a Google Fi family plan?

Google offers three main plans: Flexible, Simply Unlimited, and Unlimited Plus. All three options can be added to a family plan, but there is no mixing and matching. In other words, all family members must be on the same plan type in order to qualify for family plan pricing.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the prices, features, and extras included in each Fi Wireless plan:

Although all three plans support family discounts, we highly recommend Simply Unlimited for most. Four lines are just $80 a month, and you can have family plans with up to 6 lines (still $20 per each). Many prepaid family plans cap this at 3-4 members, so it’s nice that Fi Wireless is suited for larger families. This gets you unlimited talk, text, and data, but after 35GB of data per user, you’ll see speeds of 256Kbps for the rest of the billing period. 

Want more? Fi Wireless Unlimited Plus also adds unlimited hotspot tethering, 50GB of high-speed per line before slow down, a year of YouTube Premium, 10)GB of storage with Google One, and extremely impressive international calling features starting at $65 per line for one user or as little as $40 per line for four users or more. 

Is a Google Fi family plan a good value?

Fi Wireless has changed its features a bit over the years, but it remains one of the best choices for families in terms of raw value. It also remains one of the choices for international travelers, too. Of course, it really depends on what you’re looking for.

For those that prefer limited data, Google Fi offers four lines for just $65 a month (or $16.25 a piece) for unlimited talk and text, with data costing $10 per gig. That’s not bad, but it’s not the best. Mint Mobile’s limited data plans are better for families, working out to just $15 a month. The only catch is that you have to pay ahead in quarterly intervals of $45 a piece per line. 

The situation flips significantly when you look at Unlimited data. Google Fi Simply Unlimited runs as little as $20 per line for four lines or more, up to six lines. You won’t find a cheaper rate for unlimited data on the postpaid or prepaid side. 

Google Fi family plan alternatives

As we said, you’ll be very hard-pressed to find a better value for family plans. Of course, not everyone puts value first. There are other factors including customer service, extra features, and more.

Google Fi has great pricing and some very intriguing international features, but it also has some sacrifices. Since it’s an MVNO and uses T-Mobile’s network (and US Cellular for roaming), it is also subject to throttling and deprioritization during times of congestion. Postpaid carriers also tend to have better extras like streaming perks, domestic roaming, and more. 

Here’s a quick look at how Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile compare in terms of features:

Not interested in postpaid? While there are several prepaid carriers out there, our most recommended alternatives are Mint Mobile, US Mobile, or Cricket.

Mint Mobile works a bit differently than most family plans. To understand the difference, let’s first explain how Mint Mobile plans work. Instead of paying monthly, Mint charges you either 3, 6, or 12 months at a time. In exchange for paying in advance, you get a discount. Those who pay 12 months at once get the most significant discount. Family plans are an exception.

While you must commit to a year to get the best value, you don’t have to pay all at once. Instead, you’ll be charged the 12-month rate in four quarterly payments. Because Mint Mobile’s pricing is so aggressive, this still works out to as little as $30 a line for unlimited service or $15 a month for something more modest, like their 5GB plan.

While you’ll find better unlimited plans elsewhere, Mint Mobile’s rates aren’t bad for those interested in a  limited family data plan. See more plan details below:

Cricket isn’t quite as affordable as Google Fi, but its unlimited plan is a better deal than what Mint offers. You’ll get four lines for just $100, or what works out to $25 per line. There are also limited data plans, but in most cases, we’d recommend sticking to an unlimited plan. While the basic Unlimited plan is good enough for most, the Cricket Unlimited + 15GB Hotspot adds some nice extras, including 15GB hotspot data and the ad-supported Max service. 

Cricket also has the advantage of brick-and-mortar stores, notable customer service, and a bunch of extras like discounted phones for loyal customers, device payment plans, and more. See more plan details below:

US Mobile is priced similarly to the others for unlimited data, at $100 for four lines. Need more premium data and hotspot access? There’s also a Unlimited Premium plan for $30 per line for four lines. This also includes up to 10GB a month of international data.

If you don’t want unlimited data, there are also several US Mobile plans that offer limited data, including a plan that gives you a line of data for just $9 per line and $2 per GB. This is honestly a great price for those that don’t use much data. For someone who only uses 3GB a month, this would come to $18 a month per user. 

See more plan details below: