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Google Fi started simply as Project Fi with a single plan. However, in recent years, it has expanded to include two unlimited plans that are a better value for heavy users. Google Fi uses coverage primarily from T-Mobile with some additional coverage from Wi-Fi partners; it also provides international coverage in more than 200 locations. Fi also offers full smartwatch connectivity at no additional cost, and some plans can even get a second data-only SIM for a backup phone or tablet.
If you’re looking for the best Google Fi plan for yourself or your family, you just need to know your data and international coverage needs to get started. Google Fi keeps its pricing simple with discounts for multiline accounts, though taxes and fees are still added at the end. Luckily, Google Fi makes adjusting your plan very easy, so if you don’t pick the right plan off the bat, you can quickly change it without talking to customer support or heading into a store.
Best overall Google Fi plan
Google Fi Simply Unlimited
Savings for families
With 35GB of high-speed data on T-Mobile’s 5G network and even 5GB of hotspot data, Fi’s Simply Unlimited plan makes the most sense for most people. While it lacks many of Fi’s international features, you still get unlimited usage in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. Plus, if you ever need a bigger plan, it’s just a few taps away in the app.
- Plenty of data for most
- Solid multiline discounts
- 5GB of data for other devices included
- Unlimited data is actually 35GB
- Video streams are limited to 480p
- Taxes and fees are extra
While Google Fi is known for its international plans, one of its best-value plans, Simply Unlimited, sticks mostly to domestic service. This plan sits in the middle price-wise and comes with unlimited talk, text, and 35GB of high-speed data. For most people, this is more than enough to get to the end of the month, but heavier users could find themselves running out. Even for streamers, though, this is a lot of data, especially considering Google Fi limits video streaming quality to 480p on its unlimited plans.
If you need data on your other devices, Fi includes 5GB of hotspot data with this plan. This is enough for emails, messaging, and even some browsing, but it can run out quickly if you start watching videos. Luckily, if you have a recent Pixel Watch or Galaxy Watch with LTE, you can connect it for free with your Fi plan. While this plan is the weakest of the three when it comes to international coverage, you still get usage in Mexico and Canada, as well as free calls to those countries.
Simply Unlimited costs $50 per month for a single line plus taxes and fees. For two lines, this plan costs $80 per month, and with four lines, it’s just $100 per month. If you’re bringing the whole family to Fi, Simply Unlimited can be a great deal.
Best plan for light users
Google Fi Flexible
Pay only for what you use
Flexible is Google Fi’s original plan with $20 to get connected and $10 per gig of data used. This plan also includes most of Fi’s international features, which could make it a good travel SIM for lighter users. Needless to say, this plan can get quite expensive for heavy users, but stops charging for data after 6GB.
- Can be cheap for light users
- Comes with international usage
- Data-only SIM available
- Can get expensive quickly
- $10 per GB is expensive these days
- Taxes and fees are extra
If you checked out Google Fi when it first came out, the Flexible plan was the only one available, and it wasn’t a bad deal, even for heavier users. This plan starts at $20 and comes with unlimited talk and text in the US, Canada, Mexico, and 200 other countries. Data costs $10 per GB used, though a feature called Bill Protection stops charging you for data at 6GB used. At 15GB, however, data is slowed to a crawl. For lighter users, this plan could be plenty with a simple price, and for heavier users, this could still be a good choice for travel.
With Fi Flexible, you can use all of your data in a hotspot if you please and the only limit to video quality is the app and your choice. Hotspot data is shared with main data, so it can be used all on another device, too. Speaking of other devices, you can get a data-only SIM with this plan for use on a second phone, a tablet, or even a laptop with LTE or 5G support. And like Fi’s other plans, smartwatch connectivity is free.
If you’re looking to travel out of the country, Fi Flexible works in 200+ destinations at the same data rate, and $0.20 per minute for calls. Google Fi Flexible charges you only for the data you use, with a $20 fee to get connected. For light users, this can be a reasonably cheap plan, but heavier users should look elsewhere. You can save a bit by bringing multiple lines, but it only amounts to a few dollars off the starting price and data still costs the same.
Best plan for globetrotters
Google Fi Unlimited Plus
All of Fi’s best features
Google Fi’s top plan, Unlimited Plus, includes more of everything. It gets a full 50GB of high-speed data, international usage, international calling, and hotspot usage. Google Fi also offers six months of YouTube Premium as well as a 100GB Google One membership.
- Plenty of data for even heavy users at 50GB
- Excellent value for international usage
- Google One 100GB membership included
- Expensive, even for an unlimited plan
- Video streams are limited to 480p
- Taxes and fees are extra
Google’s most expensive plan, Unlimited Plus, is also its most complete plan with 50GB of high-speed data per month. You can share all that data with other devices using your mobile hotspot or a data-only SIM. Beyond that, full smartwatch connectivity is included for free for a Pixel Watch or Galaxy Watch with LTE. This plan gets a few other bonuses as well, such as six months of YouTube premium for free and a 100GB Google One membership. Google One not only provides backup storage, but a VPN for your other devices.
For international usage, you get unlimited talk, text, and data in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, along with 200+ other destinations. If you want to call other countries, this plan also includes free calls to 50 destinations. And those heading overseas requiring plenty of data don’t need to worry about tracking down a travel SIM or configuring any settings. Once you land in a new country, as long as it’s one of the 200 supported locations, your phone will just work.
Unlimited Plus can be a bit expensive for a line or two starting at $65 for a single line, and $110 for two. If you bring four lines, it comes to $160 or $40 each, which isn’t bad for the service you’re getting. One thing to keep in mind, though, is Google Fi doesn’t allow for family plans to mix and match. Everyone on your plan must use the same plan.
Pick the right Google Fi plan
There are a few things to consider when signing up for Google Fi. First, your final cost will be a bit higher than the plan price since taxes and government fees are not included in the presented price. This isn’t uncommon, but it’s worth noting if you’re building a plan around a budget. Still, with the perks you get with Google Fi, such as smartwatch connectivity on every plan and international usage on Flexible and Unlimited Plus, Google Fi can still save you some money over postpaid carriers.
If you’re traveling to another country, Google Fi offers some extra confidence since you won’t need to shop around for a travel SIM or pay for travel passes like on some other carriers. As soon as you step off the plane in a supported country, the phone will work. Domestically, Google Fi uses T-Mobile for most of its coverage with full 5G support and even some of its own Wi-Fi coverage in dense areas. Public Wi-Fi can also be used to reduce data consumption with a free VPN on supported phones.
For most, Google Fi’s Simply Unlimited plan makes the most sense. While it’s fun to imagine flying abroad once a month, most of us are lucky to do so once a year. In that case, using Simply Unlimited most of the year and switching to Unlimited Plus before a vacation makes the most sense. At home with Simply Unlimited, you still get plenty of high-speed data for most users at 35GB with excellent coverage and 5G speeds thanks to the T-Mobile network.
Google Fi Simply Unlimited
Google Fi Simply Unlimited makes sense for most users with plenty of high-speed data and a low monthly price, especially with a family plan. You even get 5GB of hotspot data and free connectivity for a smartwatch.
Get the best deals on phones with Fi
If you’re looking to switch to Google Fi, it might also be a good time to get one of the best Google Fi phones. While you can bring most of the best Android phones to Google Fi, certain Android phones like those from Google, Samsung, and Motorola are designed to take full advantage of Fi’s service with network switching, software support like automatic VPN connections, and quick eSIM setup. Luckily, Google Fi has some solid deals on fully compatible phones.
If you buy your phone through Google Fi with your service, you can get some solid savings with instant discounts and monthly discounts. As you might expect, Google’s own Pixel phones are deeply discounted, with the Pixel 8 being available for free after 24 bill credits. That means that Google pays you back the phone’s monthly payment as long as you stick with Google Fi. You’ll need to pay off the remainder of the phone if you cancel before that, so if you think you’ll only be sticking around for a year or so, you can also get the same deal on the cheaper Pixel 7a.
And the Galaxy S24 from Samsung or a Moto G 5G phone can be obtained with a $200 instant discount. Even with these discounts, you can still choose monthly payments if you don’t want to cough up the full cost of a phone right away.
All these phones are designed to work with Google Fi’s service, so you’ll get all the network switching, international data, and security features as soon as you activate. Last but not least, if you’re not sure if Google Fi’s service is a good fit for your needs, you can get a 7-day free trial with an eSIM-compatible phone.
Best Google Fi phones in 2024
Google Fi supports a range of phones, with full feature support for Pixels as well as some Samsung and Motorola models
