Verizon vs. Spectrum: Which Internet Provider Is Best for You? (2024)

* w/ Auto Pay. Available in select areas.

† w/ Auto Pay and select 5G mobile plans. Available in select areas.

§ For 12 months when bundled. Limited time offer; subject to change; valid to qualified residential customers who have not subscribed to any services within the previous 30 days and who have no outstanding obligation to Charter. Spectrum Internet® Gig promotion price is $89.99/mo; standard rates apply after yr. 1. Taxes, fees and surcharges extra and subject to change during and after the promotional period; installation/network activation, equipment and additional services are extra.

# Based on our annual customer satisfaction survey.

‡ No contract required. Available in select areas only. For qualifying households only. Availability of offer is based on income eligibility. Go to Spectrum.com/internet/spectrum-internet-assist for additional details.

|| For 24 months when bundled. Limited time offer; subject to change; valid to qualified residential customers who have not subscribed to any services within the previous 30 days and who have no outstanding obligation to Charter.

Choosing between Verizon and Spectrum mostly comes down to fiber versus cable. Spectrum is widely known for its cable internet, which is the clear choice if you want speeds faster than DSL internet and you can’t get fiber. Spectrum has some fiber, too, but only in “green” areas where other providers don’t have fiber.

We say go with Verizon’s fiber if you can get it. Verizon ranks better with subscribers in our latest customer satisfaction survey, plus it’s cheaper and, in some cases, faster than Spectrum.

* w/ Auto Pay. Available in select areas.

#Available in select areas only. Price per month with Auto Pay & without select 5G mobile plans. Fios plan prices include taxes & fees.

†w/ Auto Pay and select 5G mobile plans. Available in select areas.

Verizon has fewer plans than Spectrum when it comes to wired internet. Right now, Spectrum doesn’t offer cable or fiber internet with multi-gig speeds, so if loads of speed is what you need, Verizon is the better (and cheaper) choice.

Verizon also offers fixed wireless plans with download speeds up to 1,000Mbps. Spectrum does not offer a fixed wireless service.

* No contract required. Available in select areas only. For qualifying households only. Availability of offer is based on income eligibility. Go to Spectrum.com/internet/spectrum-internet-assist for additional details.

† For 12 months when bundled. Limited time offer; subject to change; valid to qualified residential customers who have not subscribed to any services within the previous 30 days and who have no outstanding obligation to Charter. Taxes, fees and surcharges extra and subject to change during and after the promotional period; installation/network activation, equipment and additional services are extra.

‡ For 24 months when bundled. Limited time offer; subject to change; valid to qualified residential customers who have not subscribed to any services within the previous 30 days and who have no outstanding obligation to Charter.

While Verizon mainly resides in the northeast, Spectrum is a nationwide internet provider. It’s mostly known for its cable internet, but it also installs fiber-to-the-home service in “green” areas not claimed by other fiber providers, like in new neighborhoods. Even if you subscribe to cable internet, the traditional cable TV lines are only used for the “last mile”—Spectrum’s core network is all fiber.

Spectrum’s biggest drawback is its price hikes. You get cheap promotional pricing for the first 12 or 24 months, but your cost increases by up to $25 per month after that. Verizon doesn’t have discounted pricing for the first year—its prices are highly affordable from the start.

Spectrum doesn’t charge a modem rental fee each month. However, it charges a $7 monthly fee for WiFi, whether you have Spectrum’s standalone router or one of its wireless gateways. You can eliminate this fee by buying your own router.

The good news is Spectrum dropped its one-time $199.99 activation fee and lowered the monthly cost for gigabit internet. The plan is now more affordable than ever if you need gigabit speeds and Verizon’s fiber isn’t available where you live. But Verizon is still the cheaper, faster, and more reliable option if you can get it.

* Ratings based on a five (5) point system used in our annual customer satisfaction survey.

Verizon ranks second out of 15 internet providers for overall satisfaction in our latest customer satisfaction survey. Its highest rating is in reliability satisfaction, and that’s not unexpected since fiber is more reliable than cable and DSL. Its lowest rating is in speed and price satisfaction—but that’s not saying much, as Verizon ranks within the top three spots in every category in our survey. The customers have spoken, and you simply can’t go wrong with Verizon’s fiber internet.

Spectrum doesn’t rate quite so well in our latest annual survey, falling a few notches to seventh out of 15 for overall satisfaction. In fact, it ranks seventh across the board except in speed satisfaction, where it ranks a slightly higher sixth. Still, pricing will always be an issue with Spectrum when it’s compared to AT&T, Verizon, and even Frontier, who don’t raise prices after 12 months. You’ll see a price increase of around $25 after 12 months with Spectrum.

*For new eligible TV and/or Internet res. custs. Availability varies. Wired & wireless Internet speeds vary due to device limits, multiple users, network & other factors. See Verizon.com/yourspeed for more info. $15/mo. router and $99 setup charges & other taxes & terms may apply. Auto Pay & paper-free billing reqd. Subj. to credit approval & may require a deposit. Fios TV: $12/mo. STB charge may apply.

† For new eligible TV and/or Internet res. custs. Availability varies. Wired & wireless Internet speeds vary due to device limits, multiple users, network & other factors. See Verizon.com/yourspeed for more info. $15/mo. router and $99 setup charges & other taxes & terms may apply. Auto Pay (ACH or bank debit card only) & paper-free billing req’d. for Internet service. Subj. to credit approval & may require a deposit. Fios Gigabit Connection: Gigabit network connection to your home. Wired speeds up to 940/880 Mbps with avg. speeds betw. 750-940 Mbps download / 750-880 Mbps upload. Fios TV: $12/mo. STB charge may apply.

‡ Limited time offer; subject to change; valid to qualified residential customers who have not subscribed to any services within the previous 30 days and who have no outstanding obligation to Charter.

# Limited time offer; subject to change; valid to qualified residential customers who have not subscribed to any services within the previous 30 days and who have no outstanding obligation to Charter. Spectrum TV Select Signature promotion price is $59.99/mo; standard rates apply after yr 1. Taxes, fees, and surcharges (broadcast surcharge up to $23.20/mo) extra and subject to change during and after the promotional period; installation/network activation, equipment and additional services are extra. General Terms: TV: TV equipment required; charges may apply. Channel and HD programming availability based on level of service and location. Account credentials may be required to stream some TV content online. Services subject to all applicable service terms and conditions, subject to change. Services not available in all areas. Restrictions apply. Enter your address to determine availability.

Verizon’s Mix & Match options come in only four flavors, the cheapest of which costs $135 per month. Verizon’s Your Fios TV service includes one set-top box and allows you to pick five of your favorite channels. The More Fios TV service consists of a set-top box, basic DVR service, Verizon’s most popular channels, and regional sports.

Spectrum doesn’t offer TV and internet bundles at a discounted price. Instead, you can pair its TV Select service with any one of its three cable internet plans. Both services have discounted pricing for 12 months, but all premium channels are an added cost. You’ll also see a broadcast surcharge of up to $21 per month that’s not part of the discounted pricing.

Verizon’s DSL service is the slowest of the three internet types. It uses telephone lines already installed in most areas and doesn’t go beyond 140Mbps in download speed. Verizon does not offer DSL internet to new customers.

Spectrum’s cable internet is a faster connection than DSL. Technically, it’s capable of symmetrical speeds of up to 10,000Mbps, but the fastest plan you can get right now is only 1,000Mbps. That will change over the next several years as Spectrum upgrades to 10G Platform technology like its rival Mediacom.

Fiber provided by Spectrum and Verizon are the best connections you can get. Verizon has the fastest fiber plan of the two, plus it doesn’t raise your rates after 12 months as Spectrum does.

Verizon and Spectrum do not force data caps, but that may change in the next few years for Spectrum.

Part of Charter’s deal with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 2016, when it acquired Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks was that it wouldn’t impose a data cap and usage-based pricing. That agreement will lapse in May 2023, and Charter already attempted to end its agreement two years early but withdrew its petition. In a response to the FCC, Charter implied that customers would benefit from data caps and usage-based pricing.

Verizon doesn’t offer a self-install kit, but you can save money by ordering Verizon’s service online—Verizon will waive the pro install fee. Spectrum doesn’t offer a similar discount with its pro install service.

In fact, Spectrum encourages new customers to opt for its self-install kit over a pro install. Spectrum sends a technician out to customers for completely new installs, relocating the modem, rewiring, and so on.

Verizon’s DSL internet covers most of its service areas. Its fiber-based network has a smaller footprint, available in key metro areas within Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Washington, DC.

Spectrum has a broader footprint across North America. It provides cable and fiber internet in California, Florida, Kentucky, Maine, New York, North and South Carolina, Ohio, Texas, and several other states.

The choice between Verizon and Spectrum boils down to where you live, really. Verizon’s fiber internet is only available in the northeast, so you’ll rarely ever see it overlap with Spectrum’s cable or fiber internet. Instead, Verizon generally competes with Xfinity, Optimum, and Astound Broadband.

But if you do happen to live in an area where the two providers fight for your hard-earned pennies, Verizon is simply the better deal. It has the fastest plan of the two if speed is what you need, plus it’s cheaper than Spectrum—even after 12 months.

• Xfinity vs. Spectrum
• Google Fiber vs. Spectrum
• Spectrum vs. Frontier
• Verizon vs. Optimum
• Verizon vs. Xfinity
• Verizon vs. RCN

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