Visible is a prepaid carrier with plans laser-focused on delivering unlimited LTE and 5G on Verizon’s network. Visible has two plans, with the pricier option including faster premium data and access to Ultra Wideband 5G. The Visible base plan comes in at just $30 per month for a single line.
Google Fi is a prepaid carrier that primarily uses the T-Mobile network for coverage. Google Fi has two unlimited plans and a flexible plan with multi-line discounts available. Google Fi even allows free international roaming on some of its plans and includes a VPN for your connection if you’re traveling or on Wi-Fi.
Visible and Google Fi are both carriers that broke the mold in different ways. Google Fi impressed with its relatively low prices, simple plan management, and international roaming support. Visible, on the other hand, stood out thanks to its cheap unlimited plan. With both carrier now offering multiple plans, both of these carriers could be a good option for most people.
Visible is owned by Verizon, and it uses the network to its full advantage with its pricier plan offering priority data and faster 5G speeds. Both Visible plans also come with unlimited hotspot data at a fixed speed. Google Fi is quite straightforward in its own way with plans that are clear and easy to understand, and pricing that’s reasonably competitive.
Mobile carrier features
Visible is owned and operated by Verizon Wireless, and with much more straightforward pricing, it fills many of the gaps left by Verizon’s postpaid plans. Visible’s unlimited plans seem like the perfect fit for those looking for a lot of data for a little money. However, it’s not a free lunch, and Visible’s data performance will often fall short of a Verizon postpaid plan. Still, if Verizon’s network is strong in your area, the speeds may be more than enough to justify the savings over another unlimited plan.
Both of Visible’s plans come with unlimited hotspot data at at 5Mbps on the base plan and 10Mbps on Visible+. Visible+ also has access to the faster Ultra Wideband 5G network and 50GB of premium data. Google Fi’s two unlimited plans both have high-speed data caps, but at 35GB on the cheaper plan and 50GB on the larger plan, most people shouldn’t notice. Fi also stil has its original Flexible Plan, but as competition has improved, this plan has started to feel very expensive.
One of the biggest differences between the carriers is how you save money. Google Fi offers multi-line discounts to encourage customers to bring along the whole family. For example, the Simply Unlimited plan costs $50 per month with a single line but comes down to $25 per line when you bring four lines.
Google Fi has data access in 200+ countries on its Unlimited Plus and Flexible plans, making it a great choice for those who travel abroad. These two plans allow for a free data-only SIM to use with a tablet or hotspot. Unlimited Plus also includes a year of YouTube Premium and 100GB of Google One storage.
T-Mobile, Wi-Fi partners
Pay through PayPal
Multi-line discount
Taxes and fees
eSIM activation
Mobile coverage and reception
Since Verizon owns Visible, it’s no surprise that the carrier relies on the Verizon network for all its coverage. At launch, Visible’s performance was unimpressive, but since 2022, the carrier has operated on Verizon’s core. The base plan only gets natiowide 5G speeds, which are similar to LTE speeds, but for most people, it’s fine.
Visible+ is a higher-tier plan that comes with 50GB of premium data per month and access to Ultra Wideband 5G. Premium data is like a VIP entrance that allows you to skip the line. Verizon’s goal is to get everyone through the door, but lower-priority customers, like those on the base Visible plan, may have to wait a bit longer if things are busy.
Ultra Wideband 5G refers to Verizon’s higher-capacity 5G bands like C-band and mmWave. These bands allow for much higher speeds than nationwide 5G, and while Verizon is hard at work upgrading its network, coverage is still spotty outside of cities.
Google Fi uses T-Mobile for the majority of its coverage. Although T-Mobile falls a little behind Verizon in rural coverage, its 5G network is by far the strongest in the U.S. and still comes out on top inOokla’s analysis. Google Fi customers have full access to T-Mobile’s 5G network, so there’s no difference between the speeds you’ll get on Google Fi’s plans. All Google Fi customers will have access to T-Mobile’s fast mid-band 5G coverage as long as their phone supports band n41.
Google Fi also has some handy coverage options to keep people connected in dense environments. For instance, Google has partnered with some city public Wi-Fi providers to add capacity for Fi customers. As far as your phone is concerned, it will be connected to a normal mobile network, and Google’s VPN keeps your data away from any prying eyes.
Phone compatibility
From a technical perspective, most unlocked phones that support Visible’s bands should work with the carrier, but you should still checkVisible’s BYOD compatibility toolto be sure. you may also download the Visible app to check your phone. Phones like theSamsung Galaxy S24,Google Pixel 9 Pro, or theiPhone 15 Pro Maxwill work on almost any carrier, including Visible. Visible supports eSIM activation and even has a15-day free trialif your phone supports eSIM.
Since Google Fi uses the T-Mobile network, just about any unlocked phone will work, but to get the most out of Fi, you’ll want a phone designed for Fi; phones designed for Fi have the software and hardware necessary to switch to Google Fi’s best available network. This includes many of thebest Android phones, including the Samsung Galaxy series and Google Pixel phones. You can check how your phone will work withGoogle Fi’s compatibility tool.
The most important thing to remember concerning Google Fi (and Apple) is that iPhone support is weak. Google Fi’s best prices require bringing multiple lines, which may mean bringing along some family members who prefer iPhones. However, iPhones don’t get network switching or encrypted calls on Fi. You’ll also need to adjust settings to enable SMS/MMS messaging. Google Fi’s iPhone support has been in beta for years at this point, so don’t expect that to change any time soon.
Both Visible and Google Fi have kept their plan offerings fairly simple, with just five plans between them. Visible’s plans keep things as simple as possible with the taxes and fees included in the plan price and no multi-line or multi-month discounts to speak of. Google Fi, on the other hand, has gone the way of the big carriers with multi-line discounts plus taxes and fees tacked on at the end.
It’s not terribly unreasonable for a carrier to make taxes and fees extra, as the exact cost can vary depending on where you live. Still, carriers like Visible, US Mobile, and Cricket Wireless bundling them in with the plan price makes budgeting much more straightforward. It’s also worth noting that multi-line discounts don’t affect these fees; as your number of lines increases, so do your combined fees.
Visible’s plans
Visible has just two phone plans, and they both come with unlimited talk, text, and data on Verizon’s network. They also get unlimited hotspot data with the base plan getting 5Mbps and Visible+ getting 10Mbps. Talk and text to Mexico and Canada are also included in both plans.
The base Visible plan comes in at just $25 per month with taxes and fees included. This plan can access nationwide 5G but won’t get any speed boosts from Ultra Wideband 5G. It also lacks any premium data, so Visible+ and Verizon plans could be faster in a head-to-head comparison. The thing is, premium data is most noticeable on congested towers, meaning that if Verizon coverage is strong in your area, you may not need the extra speed. Visible is a good starting point for most people, with the upgrade to Visible+ available if you discover you need a bit more network performance.
Visible+ comes in at $45 per month with a handful of extra perks, such as access to the full Verizon 5G network, including the fastest Ultra Wideband 5G. It also has 50GB of premium data to keep your phone feeling speedy in congested areas. Besides that, international support gets a shot in the arm with free roaming in Mexico and Canada, calls to 30+ countries, and texting to 200+ countries.
$25 per month
$45 per month
Nationwide
Nationwide and Ultra Wideband
Talk and text
Unlimited (50GB premium)
Unlimited (5Mbps)
Unlimited (10Mbps)
$5 off Verizon Home Internet
$10 off Verizon Home Internet
If you’re looking to save with Visible, both plans are available with annual payments, which can save you some money over the year. Visible costs $275 per year, which works out to a savings of $25. Visible+ costs $395 per year, which is a savings of $145 over paying monthly. If you’re able to get Verizon home internet, you can also save $5 per month with Visible and $10 per month with Visible+.
Google Fi’s plans
Google Fi isn’t much more complex, but its three plans cover much more ground. Fi’s most basic plan is called Flexible, and it comes with unlimited talk and text with data at $10 per GB. While this isn’t exactly cheap data, it’s a good way to save money for a light user. Plus, Bill Protection means your single-line bill on this plan never exceeds $80 monthly. This plan also features international roaming in 200 destinations for no extra cost.
Next up, Simply Unlimited is Fi’s cheapest unlimited plan starting at $50 per month with a single line. This plan is simple, with 35GB of high-speed data and 5GB of high-speed hotspot data. As the name implies, Simply Unlimited is designed for those who need a simple domestic data plan with plenty of data for most people. This plan is also a great candidate for families and comes down to just $20 per line with four lines.
Finally, Unlimited Plus comes with 50GB of high-speed data that can be used on your phone or as a hotspot, a year of YouTube Premium, 100GB of Google One cloud storage, and all of Fi’s international features. That means you can take your Google Fi phone to more than 200 destinations and still use your data without paying extra.
Simply Unlimited
Unlimited Plus
Price (per month)
1 line: $20 (+$10/GB)
1 line: $50
1 line: $65
4 lines: $65 (+$10/GB)
4 lines: $100
4 lines: $160
$10/GB (up to 6GB) Slowed at 15GB
Which is right for you?
Visible is much more focused on the value-oriented shopper than Google Fi, but it doesn’t have to cover as many people’s needs. Google Fi has a plan for light users and heavy users alike. Google Fi’s international coverage is also unmatched by anything Visible can offer. In fact, for the international traveler, Google Fi is an excellent way to stay connected without messing with add-ons or downloading a new eSIM for travel.
Visible’s low prices and ample data make it the stronger pick overall for most people. While Google Fi can get close to Visible’s pricing with four lines, it falls well behind for single or dual-line customers. Visible’s unlimited data means you may use your phone as much or as little as you want, whether on Wi-Fi or not. With Visible+, you can get faster data speeds than Visible and some international features for less than Fi’s unlimited plans.
Visible is a prepaid carrier owned by Verizon that offers two unlimited plans at a low price with taxes and fees included. Both plans can access 5G, though the better plan gets faster 5G access and premium data.
There are still some things that Google Fi gets very right, and to some people, it will be worth the price. For one thing, Google Fi’s VPN gives customers extra peace of mind when traveling and makes public Wi-Fi safer. On top of that, Fi’s use of the T-Mobile network means more widespread 5G coverage and higher average speeds than Visible. Finally, Google Fi allows you to travel internationally without needing to mess with a travel SIM or finicky carrier plan add-ons.
Google Fi is a carrier operated by Google that uses the T-Mobile network with full 5G support for most of its coverage. Due to free international usage on some of its plans, Google Fi is a great choice for travelers.
