Comcast Xfinity offers the best combination of price and data speeds. Spectrum internet is the best option that doesn’t require a contract. AT&T Fiber won us over with its speeds. Verizon Fios isn’t widely available, but offers fast speeds for low prices. Satellite internet isn’t the fastest option, but Viasat gives you the most bang for your buck.
Of course, all of this depends on where you live. Only certain ISPs (internet service providers) are available in your area, and you might not get the advertised speeds. All things considered, you should get solid download and upload speeds with any of these recommended ISPs. You can enter your ZIP code below to see what internet providers service your area. Your prices may differ based on where you live, but generally, Xfinity charges the same prices—or less—compared to similar ISPs. Here’s a snapshot of Xfinity plans and prices for the Western US: Learn more! Find the Xfinity internet and mobile deals in your area. Save on Xfinity Mobile and Internet Or, if you just want internet, you’re in luck. Switch to Xfinity and get up to a $200 Visa® Prepaid Card! But aside from cable TV, Xfinity’s other home services might be a bust. Here’s what our fellow experts had to say about other Xfinity services: Xfinity cable TV: “Xfinity might have a lot of fees, but at least you won’t be disappointed by Xfinity’s service. This cable TV company is reliable, widely available, and you’ll get most, if not all, of the channels you and your family want.” —Chantel Buchi, TV and streaming expert Xfinity Home security system: “Xfinity Home’s prices are hard to pin down, most of the equipment lags behind other brands, and its customer service (through Comcast) may be the worst we’ve ever encountered.” —Brianne Sandorf, home security expert Xfinity Mobile: “Because of its bundle-only model, plan structure, and rock-bottom prices, it really is like no other mobile carrier… Overall a solid, cheap plan for those already in the Xfinity universe, though you have to deal with data throttling, slowdowns, and poor video streaming quality (unless you have a 5G device).” —Easton Smith, mobile expert
Does Xfinity have Wi-Fi hotspots?
Another major benefit Xfinity customers enjoy is thousands of wireless hotspots across the US. And if you’ve got Xfinity Mobile or a Performance internet plan or faster, you get hotspot access for free. This is a huge boon if you’re on vacation and can’t find a Starbucks to siphon wireless internet off of. Not to mention access to all those Xfinity Wi-Fi hotspots is a lifesaver if your home internet goes down and you’ve got an assignment due the next morning. You can access the wireless hotspots through the Xfinity Wi-Fi app, which uses your Xfinity username and password.
Share your Wi-Fi with the Xfinity xFi Gateway modem
Xfinity has one of the largest Wi-Fi hotspot networks thanks to its xFi Gateway modems. Most of these modems are automatically set to broadcast a Wi-Fi signal. If you’re not keen on your own modem broadcasting a Wi-Fi signal that almost anyone can use, here’s how to turn off Xfinity Wi-Fi sharing. View Plans | Read Full Xfinity Internet Review We’re also keen on Spectrum because it serves much of the Midwest. While other large ISPs stick to the coasts, that can leave residents of states like Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin feeling left out. We do wish Spectrum speeds were more in line with other cable providers like Cox and Xfinity. But at 13th out of the 284 internet providers we analyzed, it’s still a great bet for getting the speed you pay for. We’re also glad to see Spectrum do away with its hefty $199.99 setup fee for the Gig plan. You’ll still need to pay a $19.99 equipment upgrade fee to go from its slower plans to the Gig plan, but that’s much more reasonable. (And understandable, since the Gig plan requires different equipment.) Its fiber internet plans start at $55 a month for 300 Mbps speeds, putting it leagues ahead of most, if not all, other fiber providers when it comes to affordable prices. And even if you’re running a home business and need gig speeds, the starting price for its 1000 Mbps plan won’t break your piggy bank. And if you sign up for the AT&T Internet 1 Gig plan or higher, new customers will get a $150 Visa reward card. Get the Deal This deal ends on March 31, 2023. The ACSI interviewed thousands of actual customers in 2021 and 2022 to score internet providers. That’s what makes it such a big deal that AT&T earned a top score out of all other major internet providers.
Can you bundle AT&T internet?
AT&T doesn’t seem to offer bundling options with its fiber internet service. But if you’re in an area where you can get only AT&T DSL internet, you might want to look into bundling DIRECTV. Our resident TV expert, Chantel Buchi, provides a helpful guide on which DIRECTV package is right for you. She also has this to say about DIRECTV: “DIRECTV’s satellite TV service has all the channels you want—including NFL SUNDAY TICKET and premium channels like HBO and SHOWTIME. Although DIRECTV has a two-year contract with second-year price hikes, you’re guaranteed a great channel variety for the family, for movie buffs, and for sports addicts.”
Does AT&T have Wi-Fi hotspots?
Similar to Xfinity, AT&T offers Wi-Fi hotspots across the nation. So if you can’t find the Wi-Fi password posted at your favorite coffee shop, you can just hop on an AT&T hotspot to browse Instagram or check your work email. View Plans | Read Full AT&T Internet ReviewRead DIRECTV Review Verizon Fios Home Internet is still limited mostly to the East Coast, but given its good reputation, we hope it expands its service area soon. After all, every one of our East Coast friends who uses Verizon Fios Home Internet has nothing but great things to say about it. We cover this more in-depth in our Verizon Fios TV and Internet combos review if you’re the kind of person who likes a little TV with your internet. And if you’re already a Verizon Wireless Unlimited customer, you can combine select mobile plans with your internet plan and save up to $20 a month. Okay, technically, it’s $10 off your mobile bill and $10 off your internet bill for a total of $20. And you’ll need to enroll in the Mobile + Home Rewards program through Verizon Up to land those savings. But an extra $20 each month is totally worth it in our book.
Does Verizon Fios Home Internet have Wi-Fi hotspots?
The only major downside to Verizon Fios we could find is that it no longer seems to offer a public Wi-Fi hotspot network. You won’t mind this much if your local haunts have a Wi-Fi wireless router and share their password. But if all those wireless connections are hidden behind lock and key—er, password—those hotspots will be sorely missed. (If Wi-Fi hotspots are a necessity in your life, check out Xfinity or AT&T instead.) View Plans | Read Full Verizon Fios Home Internet ReviewRead Verizon Fios TV Review | Read Verizon Wireless Review But in rural areas where you can’t get these types of internet connections, satellite internet can be a saving grace. And Viasat currently offers the fastest satellite internet speeds with the most generous data caps. Though it’s not known for blazing fast download speeds or low latency, satellite internet has come a long way. Viasat’s Unlimited internet plans now go up to 100 Mbps, which blows HughesNet’s 25 Mbps speeds out of the water. You’ll also find that Viasat gives you more data for your money, from 35 to 150 GB. HughesNet’s data caps range from 15 to 100 GB, which is not a lot. (That’s putting it lightly.) Still, we’re frustrated with only two choices for satellite internet, and we bet you are too. So, in the meantime, we’re keeping our ears to the ground for news on Starlink. Viasat’s prices may put you into a state of temporary sticker shock. And those prices last only for three months. About 90 days later, your price gets bumped up. Yuck. We should mention here that, even after the price hike, Viasat is still your best deal if you want 100 Mbps download speeds and fairly large data caps (as far as satellite internet data caps go.) And both Viasat and HughesNet, the only other satellite internet provider, suffer from high latency. That’s just the nature of the beast that is satellite internet. It likely won’t affect you—unless you enjoy fast-paced online gaming. But it did build a wireless hotspot network in Latin America, connecting much of rural and urban Mexico to the internet.5 Here’s hoping that Viasat extends its hotspots to the US soon. We recommend Viasat for its faster speeds and more generous data caps. But if you can make do with 25 Mbps speeds and low data caps, HughesNet might be worth a look. Promotional prices are great . . . at least until they expire and your monthly internet bill launches into space. But CenturyLink offers the best of both worlds: pretty low prices that don’t get out of hand a couple of years down the road. CenturyLink recently overhauled its internet plans, but even though some names have changed, it seems to still be the same deal it was before. Its Simply Unlimited Internet plan features DSL internet service that gets you speeds of 15–100 Mbps, depending on where you live. And its Fiber Internet plan gets you all the benefits of a fiber internet connection, complete with speeds up to 940 Mbps. (Though only certain cities can get this plan so far.) Sign up for the plan online and you’ll save $329 with a free gigabit modem and installation.* That’s a huge chunk off your bill. Get the Deal
No contract No data caps No price hikes
You’ll want to make sure you set your account up for paperless billing in order to get all the benefits as well. And if you swap internet plans or move, be aware that your monthly bill may change at that time. Otherwise, these CenturyLink deals are pretty straightforward and easy to get.
Does CenturyLink have Wi-Fi hotspots?
One of our frustrations with CenturyLink is that it doesn’t offer a Wi-Fi hotspot network to its current subscribers. So if hopping from hotspot to hotspot is a must-have for you, we think Xfinity or AT&T are better Wi-Fi companies. Both of these ISPs let you access hotspots as long as you’re paying for a home internet plan—no extra cash required. View Plans | Read Full CenturyLink Review If you’re looking for top-notch DSL internet, these other providers are worth a look: Cox still costs about $10/month more compared to an internet service provider like Xfinity, but having no contract and potentially getting on promotional pricing can really sweeten the deal. On top of all that, Cox performed fairly well in our latest speed report and offers some excellent bundling options if you want cable TV with your internet. Grande service should remain the same, and we’ll keep this review plus our full-length Astound Broadband, powered by Grande review updated if any more changes roll through. Aside from limited availability, the only other thing about Astound Broadband that makes us frown is its promotional prices last only 24 months. Either way, searching for the best internet gives you a lot to think about. We recommend running through our guide on how to find the right internet plan before you start shopping.
Xfinity: Best Value. Available basically nationwide, Xfinity offers stellar prices and speeds. It scored high on our list of the fastest ISPs, and regularly offers limited-time deals. Plus, you can save more money by bundling your internet with its TV, home security, and mobile services. Spectrum: Best for no contracts. Spectrum Internet comes with no contracts or data caps, and most of its prices are competitive. But you may not get the internet speeds you pay for. AT&T Fiber: Best for low fiber prices. It’s hard to find fiber internet prices lower than AT&T’s. That makes it a stand-out deal for gamers, streamers, and anyone who works from home. Verizon Fios Home Internet: Affordable plans. We always recommend fiber internet if you can get it, and Verizon Fios Home Internet comes with top-notch fiber speeds and customer service we’ve heard nothing but good things about. The only thing it’s missing is Wi-Fi hotspots. Viasat: Best satellite internet speeds. With the fastest speeds satellite can provide, Viasat is our pick for anyone who can’t get cable or DSL service in their area. It may even be a better value than the competing satellite provider, HughesNet, if you’re looking for speeds around 100 Mbps. CenturyLink: Runner-up. Look no further than CenturyLink if you’re after reasonable prices that don’t skyrocket a year later. It also offers a fiber internet plan for those that need gig speeds. But if you need a wireless network while you’re out of town, look elsewhere. Cox: Runner-up. Cox saves you money with low promo prices that last for three years. And it doesn’t require a contract for most of its plans. We only hope it improves its internet speeds and raises its data cap to unlimited in the future. Astound Broadband, powered by Grande: Runner-up. Astound (formerly Grande) gets a gold star for no contracts, unlimited data, fast internet speeds, and good value. But it’s not available in every state—and your promo prices last for only 24 months.
Based on hands-on testing, we gather information on data speeds, billing, customer service, installation, and outages for each ISP. We also use millions of Reviews.org internet speed test results from across the country to get a better idea of average performance. We also use outside sources like the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), HighSpeedInternet.com, and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to complete our assessment of an ISP. (Remembering that FCC data is flawed and doesn’t include every ISP.2) We also look at Better Business Bureau, JD Power, and Consumer Affairs comments and ratings, along with browsing Reddit or Quora threads for anecdotal insights on ISP experiences. Long-story short: We balance our own proprietary data and personal experience with research from other sources. These three ISPs are discontinuing their DSL service in 13 states. A majority, if not all, of their DSL service is set to be replaced by fiber or fixed wireless.
AT&T: Ending DSL service in Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, and South Carolina by 2025.10Verizon: Massachusetts, New York, and Virginia.11Ziply: Oregon and Washington.12
All of our best internet provider picks participate in the program. Find out more, like how to qualify and how to apply, in our Affordable Connectivity Program guide. Xfinity’s 3 for 1 Bundle gives you unlimited internet, a free Flex 4K streaming TV box, and one Mobile Unlimited line. With no contract requirement, and a two-year price guarantee, this is a pretty sweet bundle. Also, if you ask for an Xfinity Flex streaming box along with your internet service, you now get access to YouTube TV along with Sling TV and Hulu + Live TV.8 See Xfinity Internet Deals
