Best Internet Providers

Best Internet Provider Overall

When it comes to choosing the best internet provider, availability, connection speed and price are all critical factors to consider. Customer service and brand reputation are also important considerations. The following are some of the best overall ISPs based on this criteria:

Xfinity

One of the largest cable internet services in the U.S., and one of the most-used broadband providers in the country, Comcast’s Xfinity delivers dependable, high-speed internet to homes and businesses across more than 40 states. The company offers an impressive array of plans, including cable and fiber optic options, which deliver a variety of connection speeds to match every need and level of usage.

Regardless of the plan you select, with Xfinity, you can be confident you’ll get a reliable connection—even when several people are online. Their prices are competitive and they frequently offer deep discounts for new customers and excellent deals on service bundles. Xfinity also frequently offers unlimited data, depending on the service area.

Verizon

Verizon offers a variety of internet options, depending on your location and need. Their Fios Internet, which uses fiber optics to transmit data at the speed of light, provides an ultrafast connection and enough bandwidth to reliably support multiple devices and users. Their 5G Home Internet is a fast and reliable wireless home internet that’s a great option for those in areas where Fios isn’t available. It works like an unlimited mobile hotspot, taking a mobile phone signal and translating it into a Wi-Fi signal—so you get excellent network performance and speed without any of the hangups of cable. Verizon also offers an LTE Home Internet option, which works similarly to the 5G service, and is a solid choice for those who don’t have access to either Fios or the 5G wireless internet.

Verizon is one of the only ISPs to offer matching download and upload speeds on most of their plans, which is especially important for those who frequently engage in video chatting, gaming or sharing large files or images. We also appreciate that unlike many other ISPs, Verizon has no annual contracts, hidden fees, equipment charges or data caps.

AT&T

With a history dating back to the invention of the telephone in 1876, AT&T has long been a leader in telecommunications. The company offers broadband internet using a combination of fiber and hybrid-fiber connections, and a variety of internet plans with ultrafast speeds that support almost every internet need, including video streaming, online gaming and telecommuting. AT&T frequently offers discounts to new and existing customers, and depending on your area of service, you could enjoy unlimited data, no equipment fees and no annual contract.

Top Internet Providers by Location

The location of your home or office can have great bearing on your internet options—even nationwide providers may not service certain zip codes. Knowing which ISPs are available in your area can help narrow down your search for the best option for you.

Best Home Internet Provider

The best internet service for your home depends on a few factors, including your location, how many devices you wish to connect, and how extensive your internet use. ISPs with a fiber optic network, like Xfinity, Verizon Fios, and AT&T, are generally the fastest and most reliable, and are therefore thought of as the gold standard of internet options. If a fiber optic network isn’t an option for you, T-Mobile’s 5G Home Internet is a solid choice. It’s available to more than 30 million households nationwide, and while speeds vary depending depending on location, signal strength and availability, customers typically see speeds that are sufficient for streaming video, surfing the web, working from home and most types of online gaming. It’s available at a flat price, and there are no annual contracts or data caps. Plus, installation is easy—you can set it up yourself in as little as 15 minutes.

Best Internet Options for Rural Areas

When homes and businesses tend to be spread out, data has to travel further to reach its destination, resulting in slower speeds and greater lag times in these areas. In these cases, satellite internet, a type of connection that uses a satellite to obtain an internet signal from your ISP, can be the best option. HughesNet is a leading satellite internet provider that is a great choice for households in rural areas that can’t connect to land-based DSL, cable or fiber internet. It provides fast, reliable internet to more than one million customers, and has an A+ Better Business Bureau rating. HughesNet also comes with free installation and no hard data limits. Viasat is another good satellite internet option. It’s affordable, high-speed and it comes with built-in Wifi, high data caps and free installation for qualifying customers.

Best Internet Service Providers By Region

Since availability depends on location, most ISPs include a list of coverage areas or a coverage qualification tool on their website that you can use to check availability in your area.

Most larger providers offer a variety of options so if one plan isn’t available to you, another may be. Verizon’s Fios Home Internet, for example, is primarily available in metro and suburban areas of New England and the Mid-Atlantic; but the brand’s 5G Home Internet and 4G LTE network provide coverage in other parts of the country where Fios is not available. Earthlink also offers a variety of great connection options, from fiber to satellite.

Best Internet Providers by Price

Ultimately, the best internet is the one that meets your usage needs and your budget. Here’s a look at some of the best ways to get superior, budget-friendly internet access.

Best Internet and TV Bundles

Many ISPs offer internet, phone and/or cable bundles to save customers money. Xfinity, for example, offers a variety of internet and TV bundles that enable customers to take advantage of their fast and reliable internet service while also getting access to as many as 125 television channels. AT&T also offers a variety of internet and TV bundles that help customers save money on their fiber optics internet plan while also providing access to popular TV channels and subscriptions.

Best Internet Deals

In addition to bundling deals, ISPs frequently offer discounts or bonus add-ons in order to stay competitive. Some providers, like CenturyLink, often include a free modem and free installation with certain purchases. Others, like AT&T, frequently offer customers Visa reward cards with purchases. Many providers will also cover a portion of your early termination fees if you opt to switch to their service before your existing contract expires.

Best Internet Providers According to Usage & Needs

Whether your house is full of video streamers or you’re a super serious gamer, you need ultra fast, dependable service you can count on. In this section, we’ll take a look at the most important factors to consider to make sure you get exactly what you need from your ISP to ensure that all of your online activities are supported.

Best High Speed Internet Provider

If you spend hours browsing the web, streaming movies or shows, gaming online or working from home, having an ultra fast and reliable internet connection is especially important. In this section, we’ll take a look at the features to look for in the best high speed internet provider.

Internet Speed

Internet services that offer download speeds of 25 megabites per second (Mbps) or faster are considered high speed. In most cities, the fastest internet speeds are around one gigabytes per second (Gbps), or 1,000 Mbps. In some areas, you may find speeds twice that fast or be limited to slower cable or DSL internet service. While you may be able to find cable, wireless, satellite or DSL ISPs that can deliver fast enough speeds to support your needs, fiber optic internet connections typically offer the fastest speeds. Xfinity, Verizon, Frontier and AT&T all offer this technology.

Unlimited Data

Some ISPs may offer fast speeds but have a monthly data cap, which means that if you exceed your monthly data allotment, they reserve the right to slow down your internet connection until the next billing cycle, or may impose overuse fees. If your household has multiple heavy internet users or you frequently download large files, stream videos or play online games, it may be worth looking into a plan with unlimited data. Providers like Verizon and EarthLink, which offer ultrafast fiber internet with no data caps or speed throttling, are a great option. Other providers, like Xfinity, offer such large data caps, it’s very unlikely even heavy internet users will reach the limit.

Reliability and Consistency

Having a fast internet matters very little if the connection is unreliable or inconsistent. One way to ensure your connection is dependable is to read through customer reviews. Another way is to look for an ISP that enables you to test out their service prior to making a commitment. T-Mobile offers a 15-day trial of its home internet service so you can determine if it works for you.

Compatibility with Your Devices

To ensure you get the best possible speeds and avoid connectivity issues, you need to ensure that your router and modem are compatible with your ISP’s infrastructure. One way to check compatibility is to verify with potential providers that your existing equipment will work prior to your purchase. Another fool-proof strategy is to select an ISP that provides equipment as part of your purchase. Many providers, like Xfinity, Frontier and CenturyLink frequently run these types of promotions, saving you money and sparing you the hassle of learning too late that your equipment won’t work.

Cost

Obviously, budget is a significant factor when shopping for the best high speed internet. Look for a provider with plans that provide maximum value for your money, and that offers discounts or promotions. You can reduce costs by bundling your internet with your TV or phone, or opting for providers that include equipment and installation as part of your purchase. Of course, you’ll want to be wary of cheap providers that may compromise on speed, reliability or quality of service in the name of keeping costs low. Our list of the best ISPs include reputable companies that offer reasonable prices, so you an be confident you’ll get good service at competitive prices.

Best Internet Provider for Gaming 

Unlimited data, low latency, and fast upload and download speeds are among the most important factors for gaming. Here’s why:

• Unlimited data: Having no data cap means you can play as much as you want without financial penalties or the risk of having your connection throttled.

• Low Latency: Latency refers to the response time between when you click a button on your gaming console, and when the action occurs on the screen. A low latency connection means that you won’t experience lags between them, which makes for a much smoother and frustration-free gaming experience.

• Speed: There is quite a bit of variability in the recommendations, but most experts advise gamers to look for download speeds of at least three Mbps—this should support online games with low requirements. But if you frequently play online multi-player games (think first-person shooter games), or you prefer to livestream your gameplay, you’ll likely want to consider a faster internet speed—from 25 to 100 Mbps.
  

Fiber internet, like the kind offered by Verizon, Google Fiber, Xfinity and AT&T will typically give you the best speeds and connection to play games online. Frontier’s fiber internet is also a great option for gamers—all plans include unlimited data, it’s fast and reliable, and no contract is required at signup. Plus, it’s very reasonably priced. If fiber is not available in your area, cable internet is your next best bet for a smooth gaming experience. Spectrum and Xfinity both offer solid cable internet service that can support most online gameplay.

Best Internet Security Provider

Many ISPs offer online security services like firewall, anti-virus software and anti-spam systems that can be added to your internet purchase. Some ISPs even offer supplementary applications or hardware like a Wi-Fi VPN router or extra encryption measures for those who need another layer of online protection. Xfinity’s xFi Advanced Security provides a personalized security solution for home networks, and is available at no cost to Xfinity Internet subscribers who rent a compatible xFi Gateway. Companies like Verizon offer resources like webinars and articles to help users prevent and manage cyberthreats.

Customer Service & Support

Nothing is more frustrating than losing your internet connection, then spending hours on hold waiting for assistance only to be greeted by an unfriendly or unhelpful customer service representative with no answers. Customer reviews can shed light on how professional, proactive and friendly a particular ISP’s customer service team can be. Calling the customer service team yourself a few times with a question or two can also provide insight into their accessibility and approach.

Google Fiber, Verizon Fios and AT&T have all been named 2023’s best fiber ISPs for customer satisfaction by cabletv.com. All three have fast and reliable fiber internet plans, no yearly price increases and exceptional customer service. Of the cable ISPs, Xfinity, Astound Broadband, Cox and Spectrum ranked highest for customer satisfaction.

Best Internet Service Provider for Hot Spots

Wi-Fi hotspots are sites that offer internet access over a wireless local area network (WLAN) by way of a router that then connects to an ISP. For those who frequently travel or are constantly on the go, finding an ISP that provides these hotspots wherever there is an available cellular signal can be critical. Many companies offer this feature for an added fee. But some companies, like Xfinity, provide free access to Wi-Fi hotspots, minimizing costs and keeping your connection strong anywhere you go.