Edgar Cervantes / Android AuthorityMulti-line discounts were once reserved for postpaid plans from Verizon, ATT, 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. Be aware that in early 2024 Google Fi raised its pricing for the first time in a while for Simply Unlimited families greater than 3 members in size, though even with the higher pricing it remains arguably the most flexible and affordable carrier in the US.

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 $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) $90 per month for 3 lines ($30 per line) $100 per month for 4 lines ($25 per line) $125 per month for 5 lines ($25 per line) $150 per month for 6 lines ($25 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	FlexibleUnlimited	Simply UnlimitedUnlimited	Unlimited PlusUnlimited
Data	Flexible$10 per GB used until you reach limit	Simply UnlimitedUp to 35GB of free, unmetered data	Unlimited PlusUp to 50GB of free, unmetered data
Hotspot	FlexibleFull-speed at $10 per GB rate	Simply Unlimited5GB of Wi-Fi hotspot tethering per person	Unlimited PlusFull-speed included
International	FlexibleFree 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 UnlimitedFree calls from US to Canada and Mexico No international calls, texts, and data outside the US, Canada, and Mexico	Unlimited PlusFree calls from US to over 50 countries. Unlimited data and texts in over 200 countries or regions.
Extras	FlexibleData free after per-month limit	Simply UnlimitedNone	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 $100 a month, and you can have family plans with up to 6 lines (still $25 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: ATT, Verizon, and T-Mobile at a glance

Edgar Cervantes / Android AuthorityGoogle 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, ATT, and T-Mobile compare in terms of features:

	ATT Unlimited Starter	ATT Unlimited Premium	Verizon myPlan Unlimited Welcome	Verizon myPlan Unlimited Plus	T-Mobile Essentials	T-Mobile Go5G Plus
Cost	ATT Unlimited Starter$65 for one line $60 for two lines $45 for three lines $35 for four lines	ATT 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	ATT Unlimited StarterUnlimited	ATT Unlimited PremiumUnlimited	Verizon myPlan Unlimited WelcomeUnlimited	Verizon myPlan Unlimited PlusUnlimited	T-Mobile EssentialsUnlimited	T-Mobile Go5G PlusUnlimited
Data	ATT Unlimited StarterUnlimited basic 4G LTE 5G access with compatible device	ATT Unlimited Premium100GB premium 4G LTE Unlimited basic 4G LTE 5G access with compatible device	Verizon myPlan Unlimited WelcomeUnlimited 4G LTE 5G Nationwide	Verizon myPlan Unlimited PlusUnlimited 4G LTE 5G Nationwide Wideband 5G	T-Mobile EssentialsYes, but might slow down during congestion after	T-Mobile Go5G PlusUnlimited 5G 4G LTE with 100GB of Premium Data
Hotspot	ATT Unlimited StarterNot included	ATT Unlimited Premium30GB per line	Verizon myPlan Unlimited WelcomeNone ($10 add on exists, however)	Verizon myPlan Unlimited Plus30GB 4G LTE or 5G	T-Mobile EssentialsUnlimited 3G	T-Mobile Go5G Plus50GB of hotspot data
International Service	ATT Unlimited StarterUnlimited texting to 120 countries	ATT Unlimited PremiumUnlimited texting to 120 countries	Verizon myPlan Unlimited WelcomeTalk Text in Mexico and Canada Texting in over 200 countries	Verizon myPlan Unlimited PlusTalk Text in Mexico and Canada Texting in over 200 countries	T-Mobile EssentialsUnlimited text in 215+ countries Unlimited talk/text in Canada/Mexico, just 128Kbps data	T-Mobile Go5G Plus5GB of data and unlimited talk text in over 215+ countries 15GB of data and unlimited talk/text in Mexico/Canada
Extra Perks	ATT Unlimited StarterDevice security and spam risk alerts Standard definition streaming	ATT Unlimited PremiumDevice security and spam risk alerts High definition streaming	Verizon myPlan Unlimited Welcome480p streaming Can add perks for $10 each, including 100GB hotspot data, Apple Music, Apple One, Disney Plus bundle, and more	Verizon myPlan Unlimited Plus480p streaming Can add perks for $10 each, including 100GB hotspot data, Apple Music, Apple One, Disney Plus bundle, and more	T-Mobile Essentials480p streaming	T-Mobile Go5G PlusNetflix Basic, one SD screen Apple 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 AuthorityMint 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
PlanMint 5GB	Cost$75 for three months $120 for six months $180 for 12 months	Talk TextUnlimited	Data4GB LTE/5G access	ExtrasHotspot up to data limit
PlanMint 15GB	Cost$105 for three months $150 for six months $240 for 12 months	Talk TextUnlimited	Data10GB LTE/5G access	ExtrasHotspot up to data limit
PlanMint 20GB	Cost$135 for three months $210 for six months $300 for 12 months	Talk TextUnlimited	Data15GB LTE/5G access	ExtrasHotspot up to data limit
PlanMint Unlimited	Cost$120 for three months $210 for six months $360 for 12 months	Talk TextUnlimited	Data40GB premium data Unlimited 4G/5G	Extras10GB hotspot access

Cricket at a glance

Edgar Cervantes / Android AuthorityCricket 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 $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	5GBUnlimited HD Voice and Wi-Fi Calling	10GBUnlimited HD Voice and Wi-Fi Calling	Cricket UnlimitedUnlimited HD Voice and Wi-Fi Calling	Cricket Unlimited + 15GB hotspotUnlimited HD Voice and Wi-Fi Calling
Data	5GB5GB of 4G LTE or 5G data	10GB10GB of 4G LTE or 5G data	Cricket UnlimitedUnlimited high-speed 4G LTE or 5G data	Cricket Unlimited + 15GB hotspotUnlimited 4G LTE or 5G data
Streaming	5GBStandard Definition 480p	10GBStandard Definition 480p	Cricket UnlimitedStandard Definition 480p	Cricket Unlimited + 15GB hotspotStandard Definition 480p
Hotspot	5GBNot available	10GBNot available	Cricket UnlimitedFor $10 extra	Cricket Unlimited + 15GB hotspot15GB included
International	5GBNot available	10GBAvailable	Cricket UnlimitedTexts to 37 countries Canada and Mexico usage (must not exceed 50%)	Cricket Unlimited + 15GB hotspotTexts to 37 countries Canada and Mexico usage (must not exceed 50%)
Perks	5GBNone	10GBNone	Cricket UnlimitedNone	Cricket Unlimited + 15GB hotspotAd-supported Max subscription 150GB 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:

	Shared Data	2-25GB Plan	Unlimited Basic	Unlimited Premium
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 DataUnlimited	2-25GB PlanUnlimited	Unlimited BasicUnlimited	Unlimited PremiumUnlimited
Data	Shared DataAt $2 per GB	2-25GB Plan2-25GB	Unlimited Basic40GB of 5G/LTE	Unlimited Premium100GB of 5G/LTE
Hotspot	Shared DataAt $2 per GB	2-25GB PlanUp to plan limit	Unlimited Basic5GB hotspot data	Unlimited Premium50GB hotspot data
International	Shared DataFor purchase	2-25GB PlanFor purchase	Unlimited BasicFor purchase	Unlimited PremiumUp to 10GB international data

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