To top that off, Spectrum Internet plans come with a few extra perks you might not find elsewhere, like unlimited data. So is Spectrum the right internet provider for you? Let’s dig into the facts and find out. One thing we like is that Spectrum is widely available across the US. Use that zip code internet finder above to see if you live in one of the 42 states it’s available. Spectrum only has three plans to choose from, and we wish their Gig plan was a little less expensive. In comparison to Xfinity internet, our top pick, Spectrum offers three fewer plans and the Gig internet is $15 more. Compared to Cox Internet, Spectrum has more expensive plans, especially after the second-year price hikes. We do like how Spectrum doesn’t require you to sign a contract, but the Spectrum Internet service could be a little better (this is why it didn’t make our top five). But we’re not gonna lie, we’d love to see more plans from Spectrum. That’s because we love choices, and right now Spectrum doesn’t offer anything in the way of slower download speeds at lower prices. Sure, the price for its up to 200 Mbps plan* is reasonable, but what about solo gamers or casual web surfers that don’t need that much speed? (Of course, more speed is better than less speed, so we still think the Spectrum Internet® plan is a deal.) When it comes to price, we think AT&T Fiber offers the best value—and the lowest prices. AT&T Fiber is also a fiber internet connection, which tends to be more reliable than the cable internet connection Spectrum uses. But if you can’t get AT&T Fiber and instead have a choice of Spectrum versus Frontier, we’d go with Spectrum. Frontier’s prices start out great, but quickly skyrocket to the highest price we’ve seen for a gig speed plan. If you’re not sure whether the Spectrum Internet service is available in your hometown, we can help you out. Just enter your zip code below and we’ll tell you if Spectrum is in your area. The up to 200 Mbps plan* should be hefty enough to keep parents happily streaming Schitt’s Creek while their kiddo watches Phineas and Ferb on Disney+. (Just maybe not in the same room.) But if you’ve got more than a few connected devices, like cell phones, home security systems, and smart TVs, and still want to binge-watch The Great British Baking Show when you come home from work, you’ll probably want to upgrade to Spectrum’s up to 400 plan.* And that Spectrum Internet Gig plan? That’s perfect for a large family who loves to do all of the above—or for serious gamers or adults who make a living working from home. In our latest analysis of the fastest internet providers in the US, Spectrum ranked 14th out of the 38 total ISPs we analyzed. That puts it far below other cable internet providers like RCN (ranked 6th), Xfinity (ranked 7th), and Optimum (ranked 9th). Our highest-ranked cable internet provider, RCN, earned 47.4 out of 100, while our lowest-ranked cable provider, Sparklight, earned 31.5 out of 100. That puts Spectrum toward the bottom of the pack when it comes to high-speed internet access from large cable ISPs. So, we expect that you’ll likely get slower speeds than what you pay for with Spectrum. The somewhat silver lining is that Spectrum has no contracts. So if you find your download speeds waning and customer service is no help, it’s easy to put a stop to your service and find someone else. You won’t get slapped with early termination fees either. While most ISPs offer only 1 TB of data (which is usually more than enough data for most of us), Spectrum’s unlimited data is a dream come true for anyone who uses the web for file sharing, (legally) downloading movies, or working from home. Other options for no-contract internet access that may be in your area include Frontier and Xfinity. The only issues we have with Spectrum are it’s additional fees. Those fees are a confusing bunch, so we’ll try to clear them up for you.
Pro installation fees: $59.99 Self installation fee: $24.99 Early termination fees: No contract means no early termination fee. Yay!
The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) scores ISPs for customer service each year, and the internet industry averaged a score of 65 out of 100 for 2021.3 So if you look at Spectrum’s latest score of 63 out of 100, it may not seem that great. But that score is still a major improvement from two years ago, when Spectrum scored a lackluster 59 out of 100. But if you have no other choice but to call customer service, what can you do? First thing’s first, take a deep breath and grab a pen and paper.
Phone: 1-855-707-7328 Online chat Twitter: @Ask_Spectrum Facebook: @Spectrum Spectrum also has options to pay your bill including their app.
Although it’s still a good provider for some, we’ll give you some context of how Spectrum stacks up against our top four internet providers. But hey, if your house is home to a large family, you’ve got kiddos uploading YouTube videos, or a partner who works from home, you’ll want to look into the up to 400 or 1,000 Mbps* plans instead. Why we picked it: The price Spectrum charges for its up to 200 Mbps plan* isn’t the best out there, but it’s still reasonable. We also think it’s the best deal of all three Spectrum plans available. So if you’re stuck on a budget but still love to game and stream reruns of Parks and Recreation, we think this plan is the perfect compromise. How does it stack up? Mmm, so-so if you ask us. It’s widely available in the United States, offers a wide range of speeds that work for streaming or gaming households, and keeps you going with unlimited data—all while avoiding contracts. But its confusing fees and iffy customer service make us hesitate. Can you find better than Spectrum? Yes. But are there worse ISPs out there? Again, yes.
Prices Availability Speed scores Customer service scores Connection type
After comparing the criteria, we give you our honest opinion about each provider while giving you the information you need to know before signing up.
