We spent months testing US Mobile and Google Fi, including measuring data speeds, mobile hotspots, and even taking each carrier abroad to test its international roaming features. Overall, we feel that US Mobile is the best choice for most customers, thanks to its extensive domestic coverage—including AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile—and lower prices. That said, for customers who frequently travel internationally, Google Fi cannot be beat.
US Mobile’s and Google Fi’s strengths for potential customers include:
- US Mobile is the best option for customers on a budget, since its cheap Unlimited Starter plan starts at just $25/month and offers unlimited premium data on the Dark Star (AT&T) network.
- Google Fi is the best carrier for international travel since its Unlimited Premium plan offers up to 50GB of high-speed international roaming data in over 200 destinations.
Let’s dive into the details of US Mobile and Google Fi to see how our experiences can help you determine which carrier is best for your needs.
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Get to the point: Google Fi vs. US Mobile overview
If you want to know what it’s like to be a customer of one of these carriers, check out our hands-on reviews of Google Fi and US Mobile. Our mobile experts have years of experience using these services, have tested their features extensively, and know the best plan options available. Here are the quick details you need to know to make a decision right now:
| Google Fi | US Mobile | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing range | $20/month–$65/month | $10/month–$44/month |
| Hotspot data range | None–50GB (or $10/GB on Flexible) | 10GB–100GB |
| Network | T-Mobile | AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon |
| Highest recorded data speed | 400Mbps download | 488Mbps download |
| WhistleOut rating | ||
| Shop plans | Shop plans |
The bottom line: Pick US Mobile unless you need Google Fi’s travel perks
US Mobile wins on price at every tier, from $10/month entry plans up to a $44/month unlimited plan with a 100GB hotspot. Google Fi starts higher, at $20/month plus $10/GB on its Flexible plan, and tops out at $65/month for 100GB of premium data and a 50GB hotspot. That said, pricing isn’t the only factor here. US Mobile offers some of the best coverage of any MVNO because it has access to all three major networks and will let you switch among them. It’s simply the best option for average customers looking for a phone plan.
Where Google Fi really shines is its travel features and perks. Google Fi is one of the only prepaid carriers that offers a massive allotment of 50GB of roaming data when traveling internationally. It also has extensive roaming agreements stretching to over 200 destinations around the world. As for extra perks, Google Fi also offers a six-month subscription to YouTube Premium and 100GB of Google One cloud storage with its Unlimited Premium plan. While US Mobile can’t compete with Google Fi’s premium features, just remember you’ll be paying $65/month for them, making it the most expensive offering from either carrier.
Reviews and ratings: How we scored Google Fi and US Mobile
At WhistleOut, we review all carriers using the same five criteria: price, value, speed, coverage, and customer service. Each is evaluated on a 5-star scale to calculate the carrier's overall rating.
- – Price: 4 out of 5
- – Value: 4 out of 5
- – Data speeds: 3.5 out of 5
- – Coverage and network reliability: 3.5 out of 5
- – Customer service: 4 out of 5
- – Price: 5 out of 5
- – Value: 3 out of 5
- – Data speeds: 4 out of 5
- – Coverage and network reliability: 3.5 out of 5
- – Customer service: 4 out of 5
Google Fi's rating details
Alissa was extremely impressed with Google Fi and used it as her personal carrier for years. She tested it across rural and urban areas of Southern California and in over six countries around the world. She has used both the Unlimited Standard and Unlimited Premium plans during her time with the carrier.
She saw excellent data speeds on Google Fi’s network, including up to 400Mbps download speeds on the 5G network. As for the cost, she noted that Google Fi's prices were a bit higher than many of its competitor T-Mobile MVNOs. However, they’re pretty reasonable overall if you need comprehensive international coverage, which is something most MVNOs don’t offer.
Read Alissa's full Google Fi review for her experiences across years of usage.
US Mobile's rating details
I tested US Mobile extensively, including connecting to different networks and taking the plan abroad to Aruba. Overall, I felt that US Mobile's plans are extremely competitive, and the Unlimited Starter plan stacks up as one of the best values on the market. It offers massive unlimited data allotments—including unlimited premium data on the Dark Star (AT&T) network—for just $25/month.
As for US Mobile’s data speeds and coverage, it was generally excellent. On the Dark Star network, I saw download speeds up to 488Mbps, which is extremely fast. While it doesn’t have the perks of carriers like Google Fi, US Mobile does offer access to all three major networks and allows customers to switch between them whenever they want. That said, remember that the Network Transfer feature is only free with the $44/month Unlimited Premium plan.
Read my full US Mobile review for more details on how US Mobile operates its multi-network features.
Google Fi vs. US Mobile: Prices and plan value
Both carriers offer a selection of unlimited plans and limited data plans.
Google Fi offers three unlimited plans, with Unlimited Essentials starting at $35/month, Unlimited Standard starting at $50/month, and Unlimited Premium starting at $65/month. While it does have higher prices, Google Fi offers extra perks not available with US Mobile, including YouTube Premium and 100GB of Google One cloud storage with the Unlimited Premium plan.
US Mobile offers three unlimited plans, but only two are available as monthly options. The monthly prices stretch from $25/month for the Unlimited Starter plan and top out at $44/month for Unlimited Premium. All of its plans are cheaper than Google Fi’s unlimited plans.
Compare specific Google Fi and US Mobile plans
Check out the postpaid unlimited plans offered by Google Fi and US Mobile below:
| Google Fi | US Mobile | |
|---|---|---|
| Select plan | ||
| Mobile data | ||
| Coverage | ||
| Hotspot | ||
| Speeds | ||
| Price | ||
| Shop plans | Shop plans |
*Data allotments depend on selected network.
Premium unlimited plans: Google Fi vs. US Mobile
If you need massive allotments of premium data and large mobile hotspot allotments, US Mobile’s Unlimited Premium plan is the best choice overall. The Dark Star network offers unlimited premium data and 100GB of mobile hotspot for just $44/month. That’s a larger data allotment and double the mobile hotspot at a lower price than comparable plans from Google Fi.
On the other hand, Google Fi does still win for customers who need international roaming data. The Google Fi Unlimited Premium’s 50GB international roaming data allotment is one of the largest on the market. It’s much larger than the 20GB allotment from US Mobile. Plus, while the initial price of US Mobile’s plan is cheaper, if you do need additional international data, it rapidly becomes much more expensive. US Mobile’s international data top-ups are $15 per 1GB or $30 per 5GB.
| Google Fi Unlimited Premium | US Mobile Unlimited Premium | |
|---|---|---|
| Premium data | 100GB | Unlimited |
| Mobile hotspot | 50GB | 50–100GB |
| International data | Up to 50GB | Up to 20GB |
| Price | $65/month | $44/month |
Limited plans: Google Fi Flexible vs. US Mobile By the Gig
US Mobile gives budget shoppers more concrete price points to choose from, while Google Fi's Flexible plan only really makes sense if you've got reliable Wi-Fi most of the time and want a cheap talk-and-text baseline underneath it.
Google Fi has one limited-data option, the Flexible plan, starting at $20/month for unlimited talk and text with data billed at $10/GB on top.
US Mobile has four limited By the Gig plans:
- 2GB By the Gig for $10/month
- 5GB By the Gig for $15/month
- 10GB By the Gig for $20/month
- 20GB By the Gig for $35/month
Additional high-speed data for US Mobile’s limited plans is $2/GB.
| Google Fi Flexible | US Mobile 2GB By the Gig | US Mobile 5GB By the Gig | US Mobile 10GB By the Gig | US Mobile 20GB By the Gig | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting data | $10/GB | 2GB | 5GB | 10GB | 20GB |
| Base price | $20/month | $10/month | $10/month | $20/month | $35/month |
| Hotspot | Included in data | Included in data | Included in data | Included in data | Included in data |
Perks comparison: Google Fi offers more perks overall
Both carriers throw in perks, but they’re much easier to qualify for with Google Fi.
Google Fi's Unlimited Premium plan includes six months of YouTube Premium and 100GB of Google One cloud storage. All of its plans also include free smartwatch connectivity for Google and Samsung devices.
Apart from network switching, US Mobile only has one perk. Family plans with three or more US Mobile Unlimited Premium lines qualify for a streaming perk. It can be used with services like:
- HBO Max
- Netflix Standard
- Apple TV+
- The Disney Bundle
- Apple Family Music
- Spotify Family
Overall, perk hunters will find that Google Fi has more to offer than US Mobile.
Family plan comparison
Both carriers allow family plans, but they do it in different ways.
Google Fi builds its multi-line discount directly into the plan, but US Mobile doesn't discount at all, no matter how many lines you add to the account. That means Google Fi’s discounts for larger families bring its prices down to similar rates as US Mobile, so it's difficult to say either carrier really wins this category.
Google Fi and US Mobile family pricing
| Google Fi Unlimited Standard | Google Fi Unlimited Premium | US Mobile Unlimited Starter | US Mobile Unlimited Premium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 line | $50/line | $65/line | $25/line | $44/line |
| 2 lines | $40/line | $55/line | $25/line | $44/line |
| 3 lines | $30/line | $45/line | $25/line | $44/line |
| 4 lines | $25/line | $40/line | $25/line | $44/line |
| 5 lines | $25/line | $40/line | $25/line | $44/line |
If you have a larger family or friend group, the multi-line discount is a great way to get Google Fi’s service at a much cheaper rate. That said, for two-line family plans, US Mobile is still the much cheaper option.
Google Fi vs. US Mobile: Coverage and data speeds
You’ll have excellent service on both Google Fi and US Mobile. Remember that as MVNOs, both of these carriers rent service from the major carriers. Google Fi has access to T-Mobile and its 5G network, which is the largest in the nation. US Mobile actually has access to all three major networks, including AT&T, Verizon, and the same T-Mobile coverage as Google Fi.
Source: US Mobile
In another odd twist, US Mobile has nicknames for all of its networks:
- Warp is the Verizon network
- Dark Star is the AT&T network
- Light Speed is the T-Mobile network
US Mobile has the best 4G LTE coverage with the Warp (Verizon network). As for 5G coverage, both are able to access the T-Mobile 5G network, meaning it’s essentially a tie. That said, we think US Mobile is actually the better option overall because it lets users switch among the three networks whenever they want.
4G LTE service: US Mobile wins with the Warp network
Source: Verizon
US Mobile easily wins the 4G LTE coverage battle because it can access the Verizon 4G LTE network. With a 70% coverage area, it’s the largest 4G LTE network in the nation, and it offers excellent coverage overall. We’ve typically seen 4G LTE data speeds from Verizon averaging around 30-50Mbps during our testing across Verizon MVNOs.
As for Google Fi, its T-Mobile 4G LTE coverage is the smallest network in the nation at just 62% coverage. For rural customers, that can mean significant gaps in coverage. Alissa noted that rural areas were a challenge for Google Fi, with frequent slowdowns in small towns and at the beach. I had a similar experience with US Mobile’s Light Speed (T-Mobile) network when I tested it in the mountains of North Carolina.
5G service: Both carriers offer excellent T-Mobile coverage
Source: Google Fi
T-Mobile's 5G network covers 53% of the country, the largest 5G footprint of any carrier and well ahead of AT&T's 29% and Verizon's 12%.
Because Google Fi’s coverage map only runs on T-Mobile, its customers get that advantage automatically. US Mobile customers can get it if they specifically choose the Light Speed network when signing up, which is why we call this category essentially a tie between the two.
Source: Alissa Bird
Speed tests back up T-Mobile's edge for both Google Fi and US Mobile. Alissa clocked download speeds of 400Mbps and upload speeds of 138Mbps on Google Fi near a T-Mobile tower. On US Mobile's Light Speed network, I saw speeds up to 350Mbps.
Max's experience with US Mobile's 5G speeds
During my US Mobile testing, I spent most of my time on the Light Speed network.
"I selected T-Mobile's network (Light Speed) and stuck with it until the very end of the month. During my testing, I saw speeds topping out around 350Mbps in an urban area close to a 5G tower. That's incredibly fast."
Read my full US Mobile review to learn more about my experiences.
US Mobile's Network Transfer tool and Multi-Network add-on
Source: Max McCaskill
US Mobile also gives you a way to switch if one network underperforms in your area through a feature called Network Transfer. Unlimited Starter customers get two free network transfers total, and Unlimited Premium customers get unlimited transfers. When I switched from Light Speed to test the Dark Star (AT&T) network at the end of the month, my speeds climbed even higher, up to 488Mbps.
It's a genuinely useful feature, but don’t expect it to be instant. US Mobile said the process would take around 10 minutes, but it took me almost two hours when I tried it.
US Mobile also offers a separate Multi-Network add-on, which lets a device connect to two networks at once using an extra eSIM for backup service. The first two months are free, then it runs $10/month or $90/year ($7.50/month).
International coverage: Google Fi vs. US Mobile
Google Fi is the best MVNO for international coverage on the market, offering a massive data allotment and avoiding the pay-as-you-go features normally found with other prepaid carriers. US Mobile's international coverage is thinner in comparison and gets pretty expensive if you need to add data.
- Google Fi Unlimited Premium: 50GB of high-speed data across 200+ destinations, plus free texts and $.20/min calls outside the US, Canada, and Mexico
- Google Fi Flexible: International data billed at $10/GB in 200+ destinations
- US Mobile Unlimited Premium: Up to 20GB of international data (available destinations depend on selected network)
- US Mobile Unlimited Starter (annual plans only): 1GB of international data free per month
- US Mobile add-on roaming: Starts at $15 for customers not on an eligible annual plan
Alissa tested Google Fi's international coverage in six Southeast Asian countries for over two months. She had reliable service in urban areas throughout the trip, including in less-traveled parts of Vietnam and Cambodia. Before you book a trip, it's worth knowing that international coverage maxes out at 90 consecutive days, and you need to join Google Fi at least a day before you leave. The plan is not designed for constant international service.
Alissa's experience with Google Fi's international coverage
Alissa had a great experience testing her Google Fi coverage throughout Southeast Asia:
"Google Fi proved effective even in the lesser-traveled regions in Vietnam and Cambodia. I never used the 20¢/min calling feature and opted for voice messaging alternatives like Marco Polo when connected to Wi-Fi."
Read her full Google Fi review for the rest of her trip.
My international test with US Mobile’s Unlimited Starter plan was shorter, involving a week-long trip to Aruba. However, the connection held up well the whole time, and it automatically connected to local networks the moment I took my phone out of airplane mode. My one real complaint is that there's no way to track international data usage on the US Mobile app, which made me nervous about blowing through my allotment.
Customer service
Neither Google Fi nor US Mobile has physical stores, so support comes down to phone, chat, and, for US Mobile, email and a chatbot.
Alissa's experience with Google Fi was fast every time she reached out. She connected with a rep over both phone and chat in under three minutes, and when she called to remove a line from her family plan, the rep walked her through it in under five minutes.
In my time with US Mobile, I never waited long either, whether I called in or used chat. That tracks with the carrier's reputation elsewhere, since US Mobile holds a 4.6 rating on Trustpilot across more than 3,500 reviews and comes up frequently in positive threads on r/USMobile.
Bottom line: Is Google Fi or US Mobile better for you?
Google Fi and US Mobile are both solid choices, but they're built for different priorities. US Mobile is the pick for value and network flexibility, while Google Fi is the pick for international travel.
If your biggest concern is price and flexibility, US Mobile is the better option. Its plans undercut Google Fi at every tier, and access to three networks means you're never stuck with weak service in your area. On top of that, the ability to switch networks with Network Transfer gives you a real safety net if your first pick doesn't perform the way you expected.
If you frequently travel internationally, Google Fi is worth the extra cost. Its Unlimited Premium plan bundles more travel perks than anything US Mobile offers, and that coverage held up well across months of real-world testing in Southeast Asia. For anyone who splits their time between the US and abroad, that level of coverage for just $65/month is a feature you’ll struggle to find from any other prepaid carrier.
Switch to Google Fi or US Mobile
If you've made your decision, here's what to expect when you switch. Both Google Fi and US Mobile carriers require an unlocked, paid-off phone and handle activation entirely online, so there's no store visit required.
Google Fi supports both eSIM and physical SIM activation, with eSIM available on newer phones like the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 series. Check out our guide to switching to Google Fi and bringing your own phone for the full walkthrough.
US Mobile runs a similar process through its app, letting you pick a network and plan before you activate. Check our guide to switching to US Mobile for the full step-by-step instructions.
Google Fi vs. US Mobile: FAQ
Is US Mobile or Google Fi better for international travel?
Google Fi is the better choice for international travel. Its Unlimited Premium plan includes 50GB of high-speed international data across 200+ destinations, while US Mobile’s Unlimited Premium plan tops out at 20GB.
Does Google Fi or US Mobile have better network coverage?
US Mobile has better network coverage than Google Fi because it has access to all three major networks, including AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon.
Which is cheaper, Google Fi or US Mobile?
US Mobile is cheaper than Google Fi in almost all cases. US Mobile’s unlimited plans cost $25/month and $44/month, while Google Fi’s unlimited plans stretch from $35/month to $65/month. However, larger family plans of four or more lines can bring the total cost of Google Fi’s plans to prices equal to or slightly cheaper than US Mobile.
Can I use my own phone when switching to an MVNO?
Yes, you can bring your own phone when switching to an MVNO. The switching process is often called BYOD in carrier guides, which stands for bring your own device.
Does Google Fi or US Mobile throttle data after a certain limit?
Yes, both Google Fi and US Mobile throttle data after you reach a certain limit on most plans. Google Fi drops to 256 Kbps after you exceed your plan's fast-data allotment. US Mobile throttles to a more usable 1 Mbps after the same point. However, note that the US Mobile Unlimited Premium plans and the Unlimited Starter plan on the Dark Star network include unlimited premium data, so those plans will never be throttled.
How WhistleOut rates cell phone plans
WhistleOut evaluates phone plans based on the following criteria:
- Price & value: Not all cheap plans are “bad,” and not all expensive plans are worth it. We look at everything a plan includes and compare it both to other plans from the same carrier, as well as similar plans from competitors in the market, to determine whether the value is consistent with the price.
- High-speed data: Also called “premium” data, this is how much data you get at full 4G/5G speeds before they can or will slow down. The more guaranteed high-speed data the plan includes, the better experience you’ll generally have—but there’s also usually a limit to how much you actually need, and we ensure that you’re not overpaying for data that will go unused.
- Coverage & network reliability: The breadth of each carrier’s 4G LTE and 5G networks determines your reception and service. Particularly in the case of 5G, some carriers offer far more robust coverage than others, which affects how their phone plans perform in different parts of the country.
- Plan extras and perks: In addition to the basics—talk, text, and data—some plans throw in freebies like hotspot allowances, cloud storage, entertainment subscriptions, or service discounts.
Our mobile experts tested Google Fi and US Mobile for at least a month each, in addition to leveraging proprietary data and real-world customer feedback. We compared the two carriers by analyzing their coverage, cost, and plan options. We considered plan-specific elements, including perks, premium data allowances, and mobile hotspot allocations. After performing hands-on testing and extensive research, we picked the best carrier we felt meets the needs of most people where we were able—in some areas, each carrier stacked up equally. We only compared Google Fi vs. US Mobile; no other carriers, big or small, were included in our examination.
Visit our guide to choosing a phone plan to learn more about cell phone carriers and plans and find the one that best meets your specific needs.
Max McCaskill
Sr. Staff Writer
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