Is a Google Fi Wireless family plan worth the switch?
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
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:
Flexible | Simply Unlimited | Unlimited Plus | |
---|---|---|---|
Cost |
Flexible
$20/mo + $10/GB per month for 1 line |
Simply Unlimited
$50 per month for 1 line |
Unlimited Plus
$65 per month for 1 line |
Talk & Text |
Flexible
Unlimited |
Simply Unlimited
Unlimited |
Unlimited Plus
Unlimited |
Data |
Flexible
$10 per GB used until you reach limit |
Simply Unlimited
Up to 35GB of free, unmetered data |
Unlimited Plus
Up to 50GB of free, unmetered data |
Hotspot |
Flexible
Full-speed at $10 per GB rate |
Simply Unlimited
5GB of Wi-Fi hotspot tethering per person |
Unlimited Plus
Full-speed included |
International |
Flexible
Free calls from US to Canada and Mexico. |
Simply Unlimited
Free calls from US to Canada and Mexico |
Unlimited Plus
Free calls from US to over 50 countries. |
Extras |
Flexible
Data free after per-month limit |
Simply Unlimited
None |
Unlimited Plus
100GB of Google One storage for each group plan member.
One year of YouTube Premium per user at no additional cost. |
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.
Post-paid options: AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile at a glance
![Verizon logo on smartphone with a colored background Stock photo 4 Verizon logo on smartphone with a colored background Stock photo 4](https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Verizon-logo-on-smartphone-with-a-colored-background-Stock-photo-4.jpg)
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
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:
AT&T Unlimited Starter | AT&T Unlimited Premium | Verizon myPlan Unlimited Welcome | Verizon myPlan Unlimited Plus | T-Mobile Essentials | T-Mobile Go5G Plus | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cost |
AT&T Unlimited Starter
$65 for one line |
AT&T Unlimited Premium
$85 for one line |
Verizon myPlan Unlimited Welcome
$65 for one line |
Verizon myPlan Unlimited Plus
$80 for one line |
T-Mobile Essentials
$50 for one line |
T-Mobile Go5G Plus
$90 for one line |
Talk & Text |
AT&T Unlimited Starter
Unlimited |
AT&T Unlimited Premium
Unlimited |
Verizon myPlan Unlimited Welcome
Unlimited |
Verizon myPlan Unlimited Plus
Unlimited |
T-Mobile Essentials
Unlimited |
T-Mobile Go5G Plus
Unlimited |
Data |
AT&T Unlimited Starter
Unlimited basic 4G LTE |
AT&T Unlimited Premium
100GB premium 4G LTE |
Verizon myPlan Unlimited Welcome
Unlimited 4G LTE |
Verizon myPlan Unlimited Plus
Unlimited 4G LTE |
T-Mobile Essentials
Yes, but might slow down during congestion after |
T-Mobile Go5G Plus
Unlimited 5G & 4G LTE with 100GB of Premium Data |
Hotspot |
AT&T Unlimited Starter
Not included |
AT&T Unlimited Premium
30GB per line |
Verizon myPlan Unlimited Welcome
None ($10 add on exists, however) |
Verizon myPlan Unlimited Plus
30GB 4G LTE or 5G |
T-Mobile Essentials
Unlimited 3G |
T-Mobile Go5G Plus
50GB of hotspot data |
International Service |
AT&T Unlimited Starter
Unlimited texting to 120 countries |
AT&T Unlimited Premium
Unlimited texting to 120 countries |
Verizon myPlan Unlimited Welcome
Talk & Text in Mexico and Canada |
Verizon myPlan Unlimited Plus
Talk & Text in Mexico and Canada |
T-Mobile Essentials
Unlimited text in 215+ countries |
T-Mobile Go5G Plus
5GB of data and unlimited talk text in over 215+ countries |
Extra Perks |
AT&T Unlimited Starter
Device security and spam risk alerts |
AT&T Unlimited Premium
Device security and spam risk alerts
High definition streaming |
Verizon myPlan Unlimited Welcome
480p streaming |
Verizon myPlan Unlimited Plus
480p streaming |
T-Mobile Essentials
480p streaming |
T-Mobile Go5G Plus
Netflix Basic, one SD screen |
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 at a glance
![Stock photo of Mint Mobile fox on phone with money 1 Stock photo of Mint Mobile fox on phone with money 1](https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Stock-photo-of-Mint-Mobile-fox-on-phone-with-money-1.jpg)
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
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:
Plan | Cost | Talk & Text | Data | Extras |
---|---|---|---|---|
Plan
Mint 5GB |
Cost
$75 for three months |
Talk & Text
Unlimited |
Data
4GB LTE/5G access |
Extras
Hotspot up to data limit |
Plan
Mint 15GB |
Cost
$105 for three months |
Talk & Text
Unlimited |
Data
10GB LTE/5G access |
Extras
Hotspot up to data limit |
Plan
Mint 20GB |
Cost
$135 for three months |
Talk & Text
Unlimited |
Data
15GB LTE/5G access |
Extras
Hotspot up to data limit |
Plan
Mint Unlimited |
Cost
$120 for three months |
Talk & Text
Unlimited |
Data
40GB premium data |
Extras
10GB hotspot access |
Cricket at a glance
![Cricket Wireless stock photo 2 Cricket Wireless stock photo 2](https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Cricket-Wireless-stock-photo-2.jpg)
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
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:
5GB | 10GB | Cricket Unlimited | Cricket Unlimited + 15GB hotspot | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Cost |
5GB
$30 per month |
10GB
$40 for one line |
Cricket Unlimited
$55 for one line |
Cricket Unlimited + 15GB hotspot
$60 for one line |
Talk and Text |
5GB
Unlimited |
10GB
Unlimited |
Cricket Unlimited
Unlimited |
Cricket Unlimited + 15GB hotspot
Unlimited |
Data |
5GB
5GB of 4G LTE or 5G data |
10GB
10GB of 4G LTE or 5G data |
Cricket Unlimited
Unlimited high-speed 4G LTE or 5G data |
Cricket Unlimited + 15GB hotspot
Unlimited 4G LTE or 5G data |
Streaming |
5GB
Standard Definition 480p |
10GB
Standard Definition 480p |
Cricket Unlimited
Standard Definition 480p |
Cricket Unlimited + 15GB hotspot |
Hotspot |
5GB
Not available |
10GB
Not available |
Cricket Unlimited
For $10 extra |
Cricket Unlimited + 15GB hotspot
15GB included |
International |
5GB
Not available |
10GB
Available |
Cricket Unlimited
Texts to 37 countries |
Cricket Unlimited + 15GB hotspot
Texts to 37 countries |
Perks |
5GB
None |
10GB
None |
Cricket Unlimited
None |
Cricket Unlimited + 15GB hotspot
Ad-supported Max subscription |
US Mobile at a glance
![us mobile logo us mobile logo](https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/us-mobile-logo-e1688405972730.jpg)
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:
Shared Data | 2-25GB Plan | Unlimited Basic | Unlimited Premium | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Cost |
Shared Data
$9 per line + $2 per GB |
2-25GB Plan
$12 for 2GB |
Unlimited Basic
$35 for one line |
Unlimited Premium
$45 for one line |
Talk & Text |
Shared Data
Unlimited |
2-25GB Plan
Unlimited |
Unlimited Basic
Unlimited |
Unlimited Premium
Unlimited |
Data |
Shared Data
At $2 per GB |
2-25GB Plan
2-25GB |
Unlimited Basic
40GB of 5G/LTE |
Unlimited Premium
100GB of 5G/LTE |
Hotspot |
Shared Data
At $2 per GB |
2-25GB Plan
Up to plan limit |
Unlimited Basic
5GB hotspot data |
Unlimited Premium
50GB hotspot data |
International |
Shared Data
For purchase |
2-25GB Plan
For purchase |
Unlimited Basic
For purchase |
Unlimited Premium
Up to 10GB international data |
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