You can’t always pick from a wide range of home internet providers (depending on your location), but even if your choice is limited, you still want to select the right one. From pricing to speed, support, and contract plans, picking the right broadband provider can make a real difference to the service you receive. Here are our favorites.
Interested in grabbing a short-term internet deal with a discount and bundled extras? Here are the best ones available now.
AT&T Fiber
AT&T offers a range of affordable internet plans starting from $55 a month for up to 300Mbps download and upload speeds, to its flagship Fiber 5000 package, which gets you up to 5,000Mbps download and upload — though it does come at a $250 a month premium. The data caps on its lower-end packages are generous, with 1.5TB for everything up to 50Mbps, and then unlimited data from 100Mbps and up.
For additional value, you can bundle TV and cellular services, as well as internet security software and services. You can use AT&T hardware if you wish, with options for professional installations, but you can also use your own cable modem and router if you prefer, letting you get greater performance or features without having to pay twice for hardware.
If you want to use your own router, check our our list of the best routers of 2024.
AT&T is available in 21 states, offering strong coverage, but it does leave a lot of people unable to use its service. For those that do, though, if you find don’t like what AT&T offers, you can always switch to a different company, since its plans don’t have a contract locking you in for a set period.
Google Fiber
If you want the fastest fiber internet connection possible, Google Fiber is the service provider for you. It is only available in 16 states, and even then it’s only certain cities that can access it. But if you can, the performance available is unprecedented, and even impressively affordable, too.
Google only offers Gigabit+ internet packages and has symmetrical download and upload speeds. Its lowest-end offering is 1Gbps for $70 a month, but you can go up to 8Gbps in select locations for just $150 a month. You also get a terabyte of free cloud storage with all Google Fiber packages, and they include a router and optional mesh extenders.
Although availability is extremely limited, Google is expanding its coverage through 2024, so even if you can’t use Google Fiber yet, that may change in the near future.
Verizon Fios
Verizon is one of the most widely available internet service providers, with some presence in almost all 50 states. While that can be a 5G connectivity option, that’s a very viable way to get online with Verizon, though it also offers a range of fiber and DSL packages.
Packages start at $50 for new customers, though existing Verizon mobile plan subscribers can get packages as low as $35 per month, making it worthwhile to bundle your subscriptions together. There are also cable TV packages, streaming service packages, and options for free gifts with a signup, like a pair of Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses.
Verizon offers packages up to 2,000Mbps upload and download for $110 a month, making it an affordable high-speed option. All plans come with no annual contracts or data caps, so you can download or stream as much as you like. You get a free setup and installation with the Gigabit+ packages, too, and there are no hardware fees either. Router rental is included in the monthly charge.
Kinetic
Finding good internet in a rural location is tricky, but if you don’t want to rely on a satellite connection, Kinetic can often offer a fast and affordable alternative. Its cheapest packages start at just $40 for up to 300Mbps download and upload speeds, including a free cable modem rental for a year (just remember you’ll start paying for it the year after). There’s no data cap and no annual contract, so you can leave whenever you like. Kinetic’s packages top out at 8,000Mbps, which is much more expensive, but has limited availability to a few major cities.
Kinetic offers coverage across 18 states, with a main focus on the East and Southeast U.S., but particularly focuses on more rural regions where it’s harder to get traditional internet connectivity. If you find you aren’t covered by Kinetic, check out the 5G packages available through Verizon and AT&T.
T-Mobile Internet
If you want an internet service provider that offers straightforward high-speed internet without the bells and whistles and complicated packaging, T-Mobile is the provider for you. It doesn’t offer the fastest fiber connection speeds, but its simple package options make the signup and setup process easier than most.
Your speed will be dependent on your location, but T-Mobile guarantees a 25Mbps connection anywhere — T-Mobile has near complete coverage of all 50 states with 4G and 5G connectivity — and typical connection speeds are between 72Mbps and 250Mbps. That means there are no gigabit speed options, but outside of those doing the largest downloads and uploads, that’s not strictly necessary.
Home internet packages start at $50 a month for unlimited data and a 5G Wi-Fi modem/router, or you can pay $70 a month for the higher-performance version, which also includes video support for your connected devices. There are options for phone line inclusion, and you can bolt on additional features like home backup services if you want, but there’s no annual contract and no data cap to worry about.
Comcast Xfinity
If you’re looking to get online for the lowest possible price, Comcast Xfinity is the most affordable of the lot. Its standard packages start at $20 a month with a $15-a-month modem rental fee, but it also offers a special Internet Essentials plan for low-income households that gets you 50Mbps internet for just $10 a month. These super-low-cost plans don’t have a datacap, or a cancellation fee, and there’s no monthly rental fee, either. If you live in one of the 35 states that Xfinity operates in and you qualify, it’s a super-affordable way to get online.
For even those who don’t, though, you can get speeds up to 2,000Mbps for $120 a month, though that availability is dependent on your region. There is a monthly modem rental fee if you use the included hardware. You can use your own modem and router, but then Xfinity places a 1.2TB data cap, which isn’t ideal.
