I’ve tested TextNow, Google Fi, and Visible — here’s the unlimited cell phone plan I recommend

Earlier this year, I put Google Fi’s $35/month unlimited plan to the test against my Visible service — concluding that it’s a great alternative for anyone who wants a hassle-free setup. In my never-ending quest to find the best cheap cell phone plans, I spent the past 30 days evaluating TextNow’s $35.99/month unlimited plan to see how it holds up and what kind of value it offers over the competition.I actually signed up for TextNow’s free talk-and-text service a couple of years ago, but it lacked the consistent data connectivity and allotment I needed access to while on the go. Now, the MVNO is stepping up its lineup with an unlimited data plan that runs $8.99 per week, or $35 per month if you want to maximize your savings — directly rivaling Google Fi's entry tier, and for a little more, Visible+ Pro.If you’re wondering whether it’s worth switching to TextNow’s unlimited plan, I’ll break down the data allowances, extra features, and real-world performance to help you decide if it's worth getting over my experience with Visible and Google Fi.TextNow: $35.99 per month unlimited planTextNow's offering a cell phone plan that's ad-free and provides subscribers with unlimited talk, text, and data for $35.99 per month. If you're looking for a shorter commitment, you can lock in a $8.99 per week rate that still gives you all the same benefits as the monthly plan.View DealTextNow vs. Google Fi vs. Visible: Service ComparisonTextNow Essentials Google Fi Unlimited EssentialsVisibo+ ProStandard Cost$35.99/month$35/month$39/monthTalkUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimitedTextUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimitedPremium Data20 GB30 GBUnlimited*Throttled Speeds500 kbps256 kbps1.5 MbpsMobile HotspotNo*NoYes5G Ultra WidebandYesYesYesSmartwatch DataNoYesYesInternational FeaturesNoneNoneUnlimited talk & text and 2GB data to/from Canada and MexicoeSIM setup is a breeze(Image credit: John Velasco / Tom's Guide)While swapping eSIMs is often an exercise in futility, the setup process with TextNow was remarkably painless. All it took to get the service running was downloading the TextNow app, logging in, and initiating the eSIM setup. Once I entered my phone's IMEI, it took just a few minutes for the eSIM profile to push directly to my device.The app also made hardware upgrades effortless: I easily transferred the line from my Motorola Razr Fold over to the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, and it’s now active on my Vivo X500 Pro Max. If your handset doesn’t support eSIM, TextNow can still ship you a physical SIM card. Overall, I’m thrilled I didn’t run into any roadblocks when swapping between daily drivers.Both Google Fi and Visible also offer the convenience of eSIM activation, with Fi delivering the same frictionless setup as TextNow. Visible, on the other hand, has been hit-or-miss in my experience — with one device swap leaving me stuck with technical support for several hours to get it resolved.Data speeds are alright(Image credit: John Velasco / Tom's Guide)While it’s advertised as an all-you-can-eat offer, TextNow’s plan technically offers unlimited data to chow down on each month — but in reality, it comes with 20 GB of premium high-speed data. I’m a power user and could easily burn through that if I didn’t already have other services to lean on, but it should suffice for most people who primarily stay on Wi-Fi.On average, I’ve been getting about 80 Mbps down and about 4 Mbps up. These speeds aren’t a home run compared to the 200 Mbps speeds I got while running on Google Fi with ultra wideband connectivity, so you’ll have to wait a bit longer to download massive files onto your phone. Visible offers faster speeds too in my experience, but Google Fi has always been better.It's worth mentioning the data caps with each: 20 GB for TextNow, 30 GB for Google Fi, and none technically with Visible. In the fine print details, though, Visible says that "in times of congestion, we may temporarily prioritize Heavy Data User's data behind other traffic for the remainder of the cycle." Meaning, it's unlimited data, but "Heavy Data Users" can see their speeds reduced.In real-world situations, though, TextNow's data speeds were more than enough to stream Instagram and TikTok reels on the mass transit commute home without any buffering.You’re locked into the TextNow app for calls and texts(Image credit: John Velasco / Tom's Guide)One of the biggest adjustments is having to rely on the TextNow app for all your calling and texting needs, which requires granting default app permissions during initial setup. Since I tested the service exclusively on Android devices, losing access to my default phone and messaging apps wasn’t a major issue — especially since Google Messages also routes messages over a data network.The saving grace of being tied to the TextNow app is that the paid tier eliminates the intrusive ads that plagued the free tier when I tested it a couple of years ago. On top of that, the messaging client supports the modern features I rely on, including smooth handling of GIFs, stickers, videos, and emoji reactions.No hotspot or smartwatch data(Image credit: John Velasco / Tom's Guide)At this price point, TextNow leaves out two perks I rely heavily on with my primary Visible line: mobile hotspot and smartwatch connectivity. Visible includes both out of the box, while Google Fi’s $35 plan covers smartwatch data.Even though TextNow technically doesn’t support hotspot functionality on paper, I was still able to toggle the option on my phone and connect in a pinch. Over my 30 days of testing, the connection was never throttled or shut down — though there’s always a risk the carrier could clamp down on unauthorized tethering down the road.Still, in such a competitive price bracket, it’s tough to overlook these omissions when rival carriers package them in at no extra charge. Visible+ Pro, for example, lumps in both crucial features at no extra cost.Should you get TextNow?(Image credit: John Velasco / Tom's Guide)At the same $35 monthly rate, Google Fi simply delivers a more compelling overall package — not to mention free smartwatch connectivity. Add in Fi's dual-network “Super Network” switching to help eliminate coverage dead zones, and it easily stands out as the superior pick.Visible+ Pro is also a superb option, despite costing a little more at $39 per month. Although, that extra spread does come with welcome additions I simply don't get with either Google Fi Unlimited Essentials and TextNow Unlimited — such as mobile hotspot functionality, smartwatch data, and a robut set of international features.While TextNow gets the job done, it functions best as a short-term bridge or secondary option. Paying monthly saves you the most money, but having the flexibility to pay $8.99 week-to-week is a solid perk if you only need temporary connectivity in a pinch.If nothing else, TextNow’s free talk-and-text option remains well worth setting up as an emergency backup for when your primary carrier suffers an unexpected outage. More from Tom's GuideSamsung Galaxy S27 camera specs just leaked, and anyone hoping for major upgrades is going to be very disappointedI tried the viral 'hand in frame' iPhone hack — and it actually made my photos more colorfulI've been testing the iPhone Duo for 3 weeks and I'm surprised these very popular apps aren't optimized yet