Best Internet Providers for October 2024

Our picks

Why we chose these providers

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Best fiber internet provider

Or call to learn more: (855) 696-0756

Best cable internet provider

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Best rural internet provider

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Best internet provider for customer care

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Best internet provider for value

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What's the best internet provider overall?

There is much that separates one internet provider from another. Availability is a major factor, as are connection types, speeds, pricing and service terms such as data caps and equipment fees. Considering these attributes and others, a select few internet providers rise to the top.

Verizon Fios and AT&T Fiber are two providers that stand out as the best internet service providers overall. Those in the Northeast will have a tough time finding a better ISP than Verizon Fios, while many in the South and Midwest will find AT&T Fiber to be the best. As we often say in our ISP reviews, fiber internet service almost always trumps other internet connection types, so don't hesitate to sign up if you can.

There are times when cable internet, like that of Xfinity, Spectrum, Cox or others, is preferred. Cable is often a solid choice for cheap internet or if you are interested in bundling internet and TV or internet and mobile. Cable internet also boasts the greatest availability of any non-satellite connection type, often making it the best option if there are no fiber providers in your area.

Best internet service providers in the US

Speed range

300 - 5,000 Mbps

Price range

$55 - $250 per month

Our take - It's not the cheapest internet provider, but in terms of overall value, AT&T Fiber is one of the best. Considering cost-per-Mbps, a good indicator of value, AT&T Fiber is better than most. Free equipment rental, unlimited data and no set price increases add to the provider's overall value. 

Read full review

Or call to learn more: (855) 696-0756

Speed range

300 - 5,000 Mbps

Price range

$55 - $250 per month

AT&T Fiber plans and prices

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Speed range

500 - 1,000 Mbps

Price range

$50 - $80 per month

Our take - You'll get the most bang for your buck with fiber, but a cable connection is the next best thing if fiber isn't an option. Among all the providers offering cable internet service in the country, Spectrum is the one I'd be happiest to see available at my address.

Read full review

Or call to learn more: (866) 724-3206

Speed range

500 - 1,000 Mbps

Price range

$50 - $80 per month

Spectrum plans and prices

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Price range

$45 - $65 per month

Our take - Pickings can be frustratingly slim when shopping for an internet plan in a rural area because most of the best internet infrastructure in the country is centralized in population-dense cities and the suburban neighborhoods surrounding them. If you live outside a region like that, your home probably isn't wired for fiber or cable. Instead, you'll have to make do with slower, less reliable and more expensive technologies, and you'll likely have fewer options to choose from too.

Read full review

Or call to learn more: (866) 484-6634

Price range

$45 - $65 per month

Rise Broadband plans and prices

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Speed range

300 - 2,000 Mbps

Price range

$50 - $120 per month

Our take - Verizon lands near the top of the American Customer Satisfaction Index's rankings of internet providers year after year, and it's been one of the strongest finishers with J.D. Power for multiple years running, too.

Read full review

Or call to learn more: (888) 235-6118

Speed range

300 - 2,000 Mbps

Price range

$50 - $120 per month

Verizon Fios plans and prices

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Speed range

100 - 1,200 Mbps

Price range

$20 - $95 per month

Our take - WideOpenWest is a relatively small provider that offers services in six states. It earns the exclamation point it likes to stick at the end of its branding by offering cable internet plans at some of the best prices you'll find anywhere in the US. That includes an entry-level 300Mbps plan that starts at $25 per month, reaching all the way up to a high-speed 1,200Mbps plan at $90 monthly. That's a stellar cost per Mbps of just 7 cents, which is unheard of in the cable category. For an extra $5 a month, WOW offers price-lock to your chosen plan to protect against sudden price increases.

Read full review

Or call to learn more: (888) 901-0817

Speed range

100 - 1,200 Mbps

Price range

$20 - $95 per month

WOW Internet plans and prices

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Honorable mentions

Speed range

200 - 8,000 Mbps

Price range

$30 - $165 per month

Our take - CenturyLink offers DSL internet plans across 16 states, but roughly half of the coverage map also has access to its sibling company's fiber plans, branded as Quantum Fiber. The plans themselves are a great deal, the entry-level plan at $30 a month for matching upload and download speeds of 200Mbps (15 cents per Mbps), all the way up to $165 a month for a 8 gigabits with matching speeds of 8,000Mbps. There are no data caps or contracts with those plans, and, best of all, the ISP offers a price-for-life guarantee, pledging to never raise your rate for as long as you keep your plan.

Read full review

Or call to learn more: (888) 271-6698

Speed range

200 - 8,000 Mbps

Price range

$30 - $165 per month

Quantum Fiber plans and prices

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Speed range

150 - 6,000 Mbps

Price range

$20 - $300 per month

Our take - Comcast is the biggest name in cable, and the company offers its Xfinity internet service to over 100 million people in the US -- more than a third of the country. Subscribers will find a great variety of plans and packages to choose from, including download speeds of up to 2,000Mbps that are available across the majority of the sprawling coverage map (or, if you're lucky, plans with multi-gig speeds of up to 10Gbps that are available at a small percentage of addresses). In addition, Xfinity consistently earns above-average customer satisfaction scores, too.

Read full review

Or call to learn more: (877) 297-7621

Speed range

150 - 6,000 Mbps

Price range

$20 - $300 per month

Xfinity plans and prices (varies by region)

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Speed range

1,000 - 8,000 Mbps

Price range

$70 - $150 per month

Our take - It's been over a decade since Google first announced that it would bring fiber internet service to select regions across the country -- and it's been an interesting ride ever since. After initially rolling out across 11 metro areas, Google struggled to build the service beyond that. It paused its efforts in 2016, leaving disappointment across dozens of cities where the company had teased prospects for future fiber expansions.

Read full review

Or call to learn more: (888) 595-5774

Speed range

1,000 - 8,000 Mbps

Price range

$70 - $150 per month

Google Fiber plans and prices

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Speed range

12 - 150 Mbps

Price range

$70 - $300 per month

Our take - Satellite internet is typically slow, laggy and temperamental in inclement weather, so I'd explore other options if you've got them. That's the issue; too many of us don't have other options, and satellite internet from established names like Viasat and Hughesnet are available just about everywhere.

Read full review

Or call to learn more: (877) 390-0656

Speed range

12 - 150 Mbps

Price range

$70 - $300 per month

Viasat plans and prices

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Speed range

100 - 50,000 Mbps

Price range

$20 - $900 per month

Our take - Ziply Fiber is a relative newcomer to the fiber scene after acquiring fiber-optic infrastructure in the Pacific Northwest from Frontier. The service launched in 2020 amid the pandemic, offering relatively affordable fiber plans to customers across parts of Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

Read full review

Or call to learn more: (844) 585-9189

Speed range

100 - 50,000 Mbps

Price range

$20 - $900 per month

Ziply Fiber plans and prices

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Other broadband providers compared

The broadband beat keeps our team busy, but we'll continue evaluating internet providers and updating this post as new options emerge. Please note that the plans below show each provider's cheapest available tier. The maximum speed is the top advertised speed for that given plan, but it might not be available in your area. Overall, the best selection for you -- and the most cost-effective plan -- might be a different tier that provides a faster speed at a higher price but a better value. To more fully understand this value-based approach, check out CNET's guide to examining the cost per Mbps.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to choose the best internet service provider for your home 

Finding the right ISP for your household isn't easy. This is especially true if you live in a rural or underserved portion of the US. We recommend carefully considering your household's activities so you can better determine the download and upload speeds necessary to meet your needs. With that knowledge, you can better tackle plan pricing that will fit your budget and broadband demands.

For more comprehensive tips on finding the top internet plan for your household, check out CNET's 10 tips to help you get the most out of your internet service. 

Download and upload speeds

For most of us, our internet use mainly focuses on our download speeds. It determines how easily we can stream the latest hit Netflix show or how fast we can load our favorite Amazon shopping page. The slower your download speeds, the longer it takes to do tasks on the internet. For example, Netflix suggests 15Mbps or higher to watch programming in ultra HD (to take full advantage of that 4K TV you bought). 

As for uploads, most of us couldn't care less about our upload speeds before the pandemic. Once we started excessively video chatting with friends and family, taking Zoom calls with business colleagues and sending files and homework to our bosses and teachers, we discovered its importance too.

Considering what types of activities dominate your household will affect what level of download speed you'll need. Do you work remotely from home? Are you living in a household full of kids with their own devices? Have you recently downsized and are an empty nester?

Plan pricing

At first glance, you might think it would be easy to spot good plan pricing. The cheaper the monthly fee, the better the price, right? Maybe. Because internet providers are not the most transparent (a Consumer Reports broadband study from late 2022 noted that customers found internet bills to be "extremely confusing"), one low monthly rate might not equal the next. 

Keep on the watch for promo rates that expire quickly. That means the enticing starting price won't last, and you may pay more in the long term. Also, look for hidden fees that may add to your monthly expenses. For example, some providers don't include equipment rentals in their monthly rates. That could add another $5 to $15 to your monthly bill. 

Lastly, one good way to determine value is by examining the cost per megabit per second. You might find a 75Mbps plan for $20 monthly from one provider and a 250Mbps plan for $30 monthly from another. Before you sign up for that $20 plan, consider that the cost per Mbps is just under 27 cents. The 250Mbps plan, on the other hand, chimes in at 12 cents per Mbps, so it's a better value -- more than 50% cheaper per Mbps -- and you get more than three times the download speed.

Customer satisfaction

Just as you might search the internet for recommendations on a good local restaurant, it can be helpful to research customers' experiences with an ISP before you sign up. CNET has found it helpful to lean on the annual ISP surveys from the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power, but many resources are out there. Learning about constant network interruptions, a negligent help desk or frequent billing mistakes can be valuable info for choosing (or avoiding) certain providers.

Internet connection types

There are six major types of internet available: fiber, cable, 5G, fixed wireless, DSL and satellite. Each of these internet technologies provides different quirks and benefits. Our CNET crew shares their experiences with each internet connection type to better illustrate some of the differences.

For a thorough breakdown of each, check out CNET's guide on internet connection types. 

Fiber

Fiber internet is the gold standard if you can get it. It's often called "future-proof," meaning that it offers some of the fastest plans available and features symmetrical download and upload speeds. It's more reliable than cable and is less prone to outages or network congestion. AT&T, Google and Verizon are among the major players that offer fiber-optic internet. To learn whether this connection is right for your household, read our review on fiber internet.

Cable

Cable internet supplies your internet connection through the same cables (often a hybrid fiber and copper line) that providers use for TV services. It's more reliable than satellite internet and offers faster download speeds. Often, cable internet is bundled with TV to get consumers to buy higher-priced packages to get a deal on internet service. Companies like Cox, Spectrum and Xfinity offer cable internet.

5G home internet/Fixed wireless 

5G home internet and fixed wireless go hand-in-hand: 5G home internet services are fixed wireless internet services. Not all fixed wireless services are 5G home internet offerings. Fixed wireless service means the connection between your provider and home is not wired. That fixed wireless connection can come via cellular networks or satellite. Fixed wireless networks tend to be slower and more laggy than wired connections. The promise of 5G home internet from companies like Starry, T-Mobile and Verizon is speeds that match up favorably to cable connections.

DSL

DSL, or digital subscriber line, uses telephone lines to provide internet connectivity to users. Companies like AT&T, CenturyLink and Frontier offer DSL internet. The good news is those copper lines are prevalent across the country. The not-so-good news is that download speeds fall short of what cable internet can offer. In some cases, your speeds might even be slower than satellite internet.

Satellite

Satellite internet is the one broadband connection type currently available to people in the rural areas of all 50 states. As a solid alternative for those without access to DSL, cable or fiber internet, satellite internet links a modem in your home to a satellite in space, sending the internet back to Earth.

How CNET chose the best internet providers 

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it's impractical to personally test every internet service provider in a given city. What's our approach? For starters, we tap into a proprietary pricing, availability and speed database that draws from our own historical ISP data, partner data and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov. 

It doesn't end there: We go to the FCC's website to check our data and ensure we consider every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power, to evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP's service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as of publication. 

Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions: 

• Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds? 
• Do customers get decent value for what they're paying? 
• Are customers happy with their service? 

The answers to those questions are often layered and complex, but the providers that come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, although we also factor in things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively straightforward. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports. (Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.

What's the final word on the best internet providers?

Finding the right ISP is easier said than done, especially if you live in a rural part of the country with limited options for getting online. Fiber internet is almost always the best internet connection type, we recognize that many Americans don't currently have access to fiber internet.

Some providers we listed might not be the perfect fit for your situation. Often, the best provider is simply the one available at your address. We recommend carefully considering your household's activities so you can better determine your broadband demands. 

Best internet providers FAQ