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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:
Cost
Flexible
$20/mo + $10/GB per month for 1 line$35/mo + $10/GB per month for 2 lines$50/mo + $10/GB per month for 3 lines$65/mo + $10/GB per month for 4 lines$80/mo + $10/GB per month for 5 lines$95/mo + $10/GB per month for 6 lines
Simply Unlimited
$50 per month for 1 line$80 per month for 2 lines ($40 per line)$80 per month for 3 lines (previously $25 per line, now $26.67 per line)$80 per month for 4 lines ($20 per line)$100 per month for 5 lines ($20 per line)$120 per month for 6 lines ($20 per line)
Unlimited Plus
$65 per month for 1 line$110 a month for 2 lines ($55 per line)$135 per month for 3 lines ($45 per line)$160 per month for 4 lines ($40 per line)$200 per month for 5 lines ($40 per line)$240 per month for 6 lines ($40 per 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.On an iPhone, when you travel outside of the US, tethering and Wi-Fi hotspot options are not available.
Simply Unlimited
Free calls from US to Canada and MexicoNo international calls, texts, and data outside the US, Canada, and Mexico
Unlimited Plus
Free calls from US to over 50 countries.Unlimited data and texts in over 200 countries or regions.
Extras
Flexible
Data free after per-month limit
Simply Unlimited
None
Unlimited Plus
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
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:
Cost
AT&T Unlimited Starter
$65 for one line$60 for two lines$45 for three lines$35 for four lines
AT&T Unlimited Premium
$85 for one line$75 for two lines$60 for three lines$50 for four lines
Verizon myPlan Unlimited Welcome
$65 for one line$55 for two lines$40 for three lines$30 for four lines$27 for five lines
Verizon myPlan Unlimited Plus
$80 for one line$70 for two lines$55 for three lines$45 for four lines$42 for five lines
T-Mobile Essentials
$50 for one line$40 for two lines$30 for three lines$25 for four lines
T-Mobile Go5G Plus
$90 for one line$75 for two lines$50 for three lines$46 for four lines
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 LTE5G access with compatible device
AT&T Unlimited Premium
100GB premium 4G LTEUnlimited basic 4G LTE5G access with compatible device
Verizon myPlan Unlimited Welcome
Unlimited 4G LTE5G Nationwide
Verizon myPlan Unlimited Plus
Unlimited 4G LTE5G NationwideWideband 5G
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 CanadaTexting in over 200 countries
Verizon myPlan Unlimited Plus
Talk & Text in Mexico and CanadaTexting in over 200 countries
T-Mobile Essentials
Unlimited text in 215+ countries Unlimited talk/text in Canada/Mexico, just 128Kbps data
T-Mobile Go5G Plus
5GB of data and unlimited talk text in over 215+ countries15GB of data and unlimited talk/text in Mexico/Canada
Extra Perks
AT&T Unlimited Starter
Device security and spam risk alertsStandard definition streaming
AT&T Unlimited Premium
Verizon myPlan Unlimited Welcome
480p streamingCan add perks for $10 each, including 100GB hotspot data, Apple Music, Apple One, Disney Plus bundle, and more
Verizon myPlan Unlimited Plus
480p streamingCan add perks for $10 each, including 100GB hotspot data, Apple Music, Apple One, Disney Plus bundle, and more
T-Mobile Essentials
480p streaming
T-Mobile Go5G Plus
Netflix Basic, one SD screenApple TV Plus
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
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:
Mint 5GB
Cost
$75 for three months$120 for six months$180 for 12 months
Talk & Text
Unlimited
Data
4GB LTE/5G access
Extras
Hotspot up to data limit
Plan
Mint 15GB
Cost
$105 for three months$150 for six months$240 for 12 months
Talk & Text
Unlimited
Data
10GB LTE/5G access
Extras
Hotspot up to data limit
Plan
Mint 20GB
Cost
$135 for three months$210 for six months$300 for 12 months
Talk & Text
Unlimited
Data
15GB LTE/5G access
Extras
Hotspot up to data limit
Plan
Mint Unlimited
Cost
$120 for three months$210 for six months$360 for 12 months
Talk & Text
Unlimited
Data
40GB premium dataUnlimited 4G/5G
Extras
10GB hotspot access
Cricket at a glance
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:
Cost
5GB
$30 per month
10GB
$40 for one line$70 for two lines$90 for three lines$110 for four lines
Cricket Unlimited
$55 for one line$80 for two lines$90 for three lines$100 for four lines
Cricket Unlimited + 15GB hotspot
$60 for one line$90 for two lines$110 for three lines$130 for four lines
Talk and Text
5GB
UnlimitedHD Voice and Wi-Fi Calling
10GB
UnlimitedHD Voice and Wi-Fi Calling
Cricket Unlimited
UnlimitedHD Voice and Wi-Fi Calling
Cricket Unlimited + 15GB hotspot
UnlimitedHD Voice and Wi-Fi Calling
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 countriesCanada and Mexico usage (must not exceed 50%)
Cricket Unlimited + 15GB hotspot
Texts to 37 countriesCanada and Mexico usage (must not exceed 50%)
Perks
5GB
None
10GB
None
Cricket Unlimited
None
Cricket Unlimited + 15GB hotspot
Ad-supported Max subscription150GB Cloud Storage
US Mobile at a glance
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:
Cost
Shared Data
$9 per line + $2 per GB
2-25GB Plan
$12 for 2GB$15 for 5GB$20 for 15GB$25 for 25GB
Unlimited Basic
$35 for one line$20 per line for 4
Unlimited Premium
$45 for one line$30 per line for 4
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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