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Check your current internet speed in real time. Compare results against your plan.
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See side-by-side comparisons of plans, pricing, speed, and customer satisfaction.
Run Comparison →| Provider | Starting Price | Max Download Speed | Find Internet |
|---|---|---|---|
| EarthLink | $39.95/mo. | 5 Gbps | Check in My Area |
| AT&T | $60.00/mo – $35/mo. | 1000 Mbps | Check in My Area |
| CenturyLink | $50/mo. – $75/mo. | 940 Mbps | Check in My Area |
| Xfinity | $30/mo. – $100/mo. | 2,000 Mbps | Check in My Area |
| HughesNet | $39.99/mo. | 100 Mbps | Check in My Area |
| Viasat | $39.99/mo. | 150 Mbps | Check in My Area |
| Spectrum | $30/mo. – $70/mo. | 1000 Mbps | Check in My Area |
| Starlink | $120/mo.* | 200 Mbps | Check in My Area |
| Provider | EarthLink |
|---|---|
| Starting Price | $39.95/mo. |
| Max Download Speed | 5 Gbps |
| Check in My Area | |
| Provider | AT&T |
| Starting Price | $60.00/mo – $35/mo. |
| Max Download Speed | 1000 Mbps |
| Check in My Area | |
| Provider | CenturyLink |
| Starting Price | $50/mo. – $75/mo. |
| Max Download Speed | 940 Mbps |
| Check in My Area | |
| Provider | Xfinity |
| Starting Price | $30/mo. – $100/mo. |
| Max Download Speed | 2,000 Mbps |
| Check in My Area | |
| Provider | HughesNet |
| Starting Price | $39.99/mo. |
| Max Download Speed | 100 Mbps |
| Check in My Area | |
| Provider | Viasat |
| Starting Price | $39.99/mo. |
| Max Download Speed | 150 Mbps |
| Check in My Area | |
| Provider | Spectrum |
| Starting Price | $30/mo. – $70/mo. |
| Max Download Speed | 1000 Mbps |
| Check in My Area | |
| Provider | Starlink |
| Starting Price | $120/mo.* |
| Max Download Speed | 200 Mbps |
| Check in My Area | |
Pricing and availability verified April 2026. Speeds and prices vary by location. Additional taxes and fees may apply.
There are several types of internet connections, and they vary in performance, cost, and availability. The types that are available at your address depend on your location. If you have several technologies available at your address, have a look at the descriptions below to see their advantages and considerations.
Uses light pulses through glass strands. Fastest, most reliable, lowest latency. Best for gaming, 4K streaming, and remote work with large file transfers. Available in about 55% of U.S. households through providers like EarthLink, AT&T Fiber, Verizon Fios, and Frontier Fiber.
Uses coaxial TV cables. Widely available and generally reliable. Capable of speeds up to 2 Gbps though speeds can slow during peak hours in congested neighborhoods. Good all-around option for most activities and multi-user households.
Uses cellular towers instead of wired connections. No installation appointment needed. Performance varies by tower proximity and congestion. Strong alternative in areas with limited wired broadband. Available from T-Mobile, Verizon, and EarthLink, with plans starting as low as $25/month.
Uses existing telephone lines. Widely Available, even in some rural and remote locations. Speeds decrease with distance from the provider’s central office and depend on the quality of the line. Being phased out by many providers in favor of fiber.
Beams signal from orbit. The only option for truly rural areas with no wired infrastructure. Starlink’s low-Earth orbit constellation dramatically improved speeds and latency over traditional satellite
Uses radio signals from a nearby tower to an antenna on your home. Growing option in suburban and semi-rural areas. No cable installation required, though line-of-sight to the tower matters.
Picking an internet provider involves more than comparing prices. The cheapest plan is not always the best value, and the fastest plan is not always necessary. We’re here to help you make the right decision.
Before switching providers, know your current speeds to compare with other providers and plans. Run a speed test at TestMySpeed.com to measure your current download speed, upload speed, and latency. Compare those numbers against what you are paying for. If you are consistently getting less than 80% of your plan speed, that is grounds for a service call or a switch. If you are getting close to plan speeds but still experiencing issues, the problem may be your Wi-Fi setup rather than your internet connection.
Most households overestimate their speed requirements and end up paying more for it. A household of two people who stream video and browse the web only needs 50-100 Mbps. A family of four with multiple devices streaming simultaneously needs 200-300 Mbps. Households with multiple users that stream 4K video, game online, have many IoT devices, or transfer large files regularly benefit from gigabit speeds. Use our speed calculator to get a personalized recommendation based on your specific usage patterns.
Internet availability changes from city to city. Your neighbor across the street may have access to fiber while you are limited to cable or DSL. Enter your address in the search tool above to see what internet options you have. If you are in a rural area with limited wired options, 5G home internet and Starlink satellite have dramatically expanded availability since 2024.
The monthly price on the provider’s website is rarely what you will actually pay. Watch for additional internet provider fees like equipment rental fees ($10-15/month for a router/modem combo), installation charges ($50-100), price increases after promotional periods, early termination fees, and data overage charges. EarthLink stands out with a fixed-price guarantee — the rate you sign up at is the rate you keep, with no surprise increases. Spectrum and Frontier also offer strong price transparency with no contracts.
Some providers require 1- to 2-year contracts with early termination fees ranging from $100 to $400. Others, including Spectrum, T-Mobile, Starlink, and most fiber providers, offer no-contract plans. If you are uncertain about a provider, no-contract options let you switch without penalty if the service does not meet expectations. See our data caps guide to understand usage limits that could affect your experience and your monthly bill.
When a provider advertises “up to 500 Mbps,” that is the theoretical maximum under ideal conditions. Real-world speeds are influenced by network congestion, your equipment, and how many devices are connected. Our speed test data from TestMySpeed.com shows that most users achieve 60-85% of their plan’s advertised download speed during peak evening hours. Fiber connections tend to deliver more stable speeds than cable or DSL.
Most people focus on download speed, but upload speed and latency matter just as much for certain activities. Video calls on Zoom require reliable upload speed (at least 5 Mbps per call). Online gaming performs better with low latency (under 30ms) than with top download speed. Working from home with cloud-synced files needs consistent upload bandwidth. Fiber is preferred for all of these activities because it typically offers symmetrical upload and download speeds with minimal latency.
Pricing varies dramatically by region and competitive landscape. In areas with multiple fiber providers, gigabit plans can cost $50-60/month. In areas with a single cable provider and no fiber competition, 200 Mbps might cost $80+/month. Always check what is available at your address before assuming you’re getting better service by paying more.
A gigabit internet plan through a three-year-old router is like putting premium fuel in a car with a clogged engine. If your router does not support Wi-Fi 6 (or Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi7 for newer devices), you may be bottlenecking your connection before it reaches your devices. Renting equipment from your provider costs $10-15/month and often uses older hardware. Buying your own router typically pays for itself within 8-12 months and delivers better performance. For larger homes, consider a mesh Wi-Fi system for consistent coverage, instead of relying on a single router.
Several programs and provider discounts can help reduce internet costs. The FCC’s Lifeline program and provider-specific plans like Xfinity Internet Essentials, AT&T Access, and Spectrum Internet Assist offer service for $10-30/month. Our guide to low-income internet options covers every available program, eligibility requirements, how to apply, and tech discounts.
If you are outside the reach of cable and fiber networks, your options have expanded significantly since 2024. Starlink delivers download speeds up to 220 Mbps virtually anywhere in the continental U.S. T-Mobile 5G home internet reaches many semi-rural areas at $25-50/month. Fixed wireless providers continue expanding coverage. Our mobile internet guide covers options for RVs, boats, and locations without any fixed-line infrastructure.
Working from home places specific demands on your internet connection: video calls need a reliable upload speed and low latency, cloud file syncing needs consistent bandwidth, and VPN connections add overhead. We recommend at least 50 Mbps download, 10 Mbps upload, and latency under 50ms for reliable remote work. See our remote worker internet guide for provider-specific recommendations and Wi-Fi optimization tips.
Online gaming is less about fast download speed and more about latency and connection stability. A fiber connection with 100 Mbps and 10ms latency will outperform a cable connection with 500 Mbps and 40ms latency for gaming. For specific recommendations by game type and platform, see our gaming internet guide.
Several providers offer military and veteran discounts that are not widely advertised. These typically reduce monthly costs by up to $15 or waive installation fees. Active-duty military with deployment orders can often suspend or cancel service without early termination fees, regardless of contract status.
College students have access to discounted internet plans and streaming service bundles. Many providers offer student-specific pricing in college towns. Our student internet guide covers the best options by situation: on-campus, off-campus apartment, and shared housing.
Enter your zip code or full street address in the search tool at the top of this page. We cross-reference provider coverage databases for 35,000+ locations to show you every internet provider available at your specific address, including fiber, cable, DSL, 5G, and satellite options. Availability depends on your location, so checking your exact address matters more than your city or zip code.
If you just send emails and browse the web, 25 Mbps is enough. For HD or 4K streaming, you’ll want 25 to 50 Mbps per device. Remote work with video calls works best with 50 to 100 Mbps. Gamers should also aim for 50 to 100 Mbps and a low latency of 30 ms or less. If your households has 4 or more people streaming at the same time, consider 200 to 500 Mbps. For more details, use our speed calculator for a personalized recommendation.
Internet plans start as low as $20/month for basic DSL or fixed wireless. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet starts at $25/month with no contract. Some cable providers have plans for $30/month. EarthLink starts at $49.95/month, and its fixed-price guarantee means no surprise rate increases. Low-income households may qualify for government assistance programs that lower costs to $10 to $30/month. Check our low-income internet guide for all the programs you can use.
Fiber reaches approximately 55% of U.S. households as of 2026, through providers like EarthLink, AT&T Fiber, Verizon Fios, Frontier Fiber, and dozens of regional providers. Enter your address in our search tool above to check availability. If fiber is not available to you, cable or 5G home internet often delivers comparable speeds for most households. Read our fiber internet guide to understand the advantages.
Fiber uses light pulses through glass strands, delivering the fastest speeds (up to 5 Gbps) with symmetrical upload and download. Cable uses coaxial lines shared with TV service, typically offering 100-1,200 Mbps download but slower uploads. DSL runs over telephone lines with speeds of 1-100 Mbps. For a deeper comparison, see our fiber vs. DSL guide and connection types overview.
The average American household pays $60-75/month. Basic plans (25-100 Mbps) run $30-50/month. Mid-tier (200-500 Mbps) costs $50-80/month. Gigabit plans range from $60-100/month. Additional costs to watch: equipment rental ($10-15/month), installation ($50-100), and early termination fees. Our fee guide breaks down what each provider actually charges.
Yes. This is called dual-WAN and is common for remote workers who need failover reliability. You will need a dual-WAN router to manage both connections, and each provider bills separately. Some households use a primary wired connection paired with 5G home internet as backup. Read our two providers guide for setup instructions and router recommendations.
5G home internet uses cellular towers instead of wired connections. T-Mobile and Verizon offer plans starting at $25-50/month with no contracts and no installation appointments. Speeds typically range from 100-300 Mbps. It is a strong option in areas with limited wired broadband, but fiber and cable generally offer more consistent speeds and lower latency for gaming and video calls. See our complete 5G home internet guide.
Start by checking your current contract to see if there are any early termination fees. Next, use our comparison tool above to find providers available at your address. Once you choose a new provider, sign up and set up an installation date. Keep your old service running until you know the new one is working. Only cancel your old service after you confirm the new connection is stable. Switching usually takes 1 to 2 weeks. For more help, see our moving guide for a complete checklist.
Advertised speeds are “up to” maximums based on ideal conditions, not guarantees. Common causes of slow internet include: Wi-Fi interference, outdated router, network congestion during peak hours, too many devices, and distance from your router. Run a speed test at TestMySpeed.com to check real-time performance. If it’s consistently below 80% of your plan speed, contact your provider. If the connection is fast but Wi-Fi is slow, the problem is likely your router or network setup.
Find providers available in your state. Availability, pricing, and speeds vary by location.
HighSpeedOptions is part of the EarthLink family of brands. We compare internet providers by address, reviewing availability, speed, pricing, and customer satisfaction across 35,000+ locations nationwide. Our goal is to help you find the best internet service for your specific address and needs.
Our comparison data comes from provider-published plan details, FCC broadband availability databases, and real-world speed test results from TestMySpeed.com. We verify pricing and plan details monthly and update this page accordingly. The current data on this page was verified in April 2026.
HighSpeedOptions is supported by commissions from some of the providers listed on our site. This does not influence our rankings or recommendations. Our editorial team evaluates providers independently, and we clearly disclose our compensation methodology.
Have feedback or a correction? Contact our editorial team.
