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

We compare the two so you can choose what’s best for you.

  • Best for speed
    • Price: $49.99–$84.99/mo.*‡†
    • Customer rating: 3.9/5.0#
    • Speed: Up to 300–2,300Mbps
    • Internet type: Fiber, DSL
    • Annual contract: No contract
    • Setup charge: $99.00 (waived when ordered online)
  • Best for availability
    • Price: $19.99–$89.99/mo.§
    • Customer rating: 3.7/5.0#
    • Speed: Up to 100–1,000Mbps (wireless speeds may vary)
    • Internet type: Cable, fiber
    • Annual contract: No contract
    • Setup charge: $49.99 for pro; $24.99 for self

Compare Verizon and Spectrum head to head

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.

Pros:

  • Multi-gig fiber speeds
  • No annual contracts
  • No data caps

Cons:

  • Limited availability
  • No DSL for new customers

 

Pros:

  • No modem fee
  • No annual contracts
  • No data caps

Cons:

  • Monthly WiFi fee
  • Limited fiber availability
  • Price hikes after a year

Is Verizon or Spectrum available in your area?

Enter your zip code below to see if you can get Verizon’s fiber or Spectrum’s cable (or fiber) service.

Plans and pricing: Verizon vs. Spectrum

At first glance, Verizon and Spectrum have matching prices for their 300Mbps, 500Mbps, and gigabit plans. But Verizon has the upper hand with no price hikes after 12 months, unlike Spectrum. Verizon also has the fastest downloads you can get of the two.

Verizon plans and pricing

PackagePriceSpeedTypeOrder online
Internet 300/300$49.99/mo.*300MbpsFiber
Internet 500/500$69.99/mo.*500MbpsFiber
Internet 1 Gig$89.99/mo.*Up to 940MbpsFiber
Internet 2 Gig$84.99/mo.#Up to 1,500-2,300MbpsFiber
5G Home Internet$60.00/mo.*, $35.00/mo. for Unlimited mobile subscribers†Up to 300MbpsFixed Wireless
5G Home Internet Plus$80.00/mo.*, $45.00/mo. for Unlimited mobile subscribers†Up to 1,000Mbps
Fixed Wireless

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.

Spectrum plans and pricing

PackagePriceSpeedTypeOrder online
Spectrum Internet® Assist$19.99/mo.Up to 30Mbps
(wireless speeds may vary)
CableView Plan
Spectrum Internet® 100 Mbps$29.99/mo.Up to 100Mbps
(wireless speeds may vary)
CableView Plan
Spectrum Internet®$49.99/mo.*
for 12 mos.
Up to 300Mbps
(wireless speeds may vary)
Cable, fiberView Plan
Spectrum Internet® Ultra$39.99-$69.99/mo.*
for 12 mos.
Up to 500Mbps
(wireless speeds may vary)
Cable, fiberView Plan
Spectrum Internet® Gig$59.99-$89.99/mo.
for 12 mos.
Up to 1,000Mbps
(wireless speeds may vary)
Cable, fiberView Plan

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

HSI badge deals

Deals and promotions: Verizon vs. Spectrum

Get a free Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) OR a $200 Verizon Gift Card. Also, if you switch to Verizon you can get up to $500 to help with termination fees.

Get a free, 90-day trial of Peacock Premium when you sign up for a qualifying internet plan.

 

 

 

Get the Deal

Extra fees: Verizon vs. Spectrum

Equipment FeeInstallation FeeOther Fees
Verizon
  • No equipment fee
  • $99.00 (waived if you order online)
  • $7.00 phone payment processing fee
  • $9.00 late payment fee
  • Spectrum
  • $5.00/mo. for WiFi (no charge with Internet Gig plan)
  • $3.00/mo. per Spectrum WiFi Pod
  • No charge for modem or gateway
  • $59.99 for pro install
  • $24.99 for self-install and service activation
  • $49.99 for WiFi Pod install
  • $9.99 service activation fee
  • $8.95 late payment fee (after 21 days)
  • $25.00 insufficient funds fee
  • $5.00 phone payment processing fee
  • $9.99 reconnection fee (internet)
  • $4.99 reconnection fee (TV)
  • $19.99 equipment upgrade fee to Internet Gig plan
  • Spectrum doesn’t charge a modem rental fee each month. However, it charges a $5.00 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.

    Is gigabit internet available where you live?

    Enter your zip code below to see if Verizon or Spectrum offers gigabit internet in your area.

    Customer ratings: Verizon vs. Spectrum

    Overall RatingReliability RatingCustomer Service RatingSpeed RatingPrice Rating
    Verizon3.94.03.94.03.6
    Spectrum3.73.73.73.93.3

    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.

    Best TV and internet bundles

    PackageInternet speedTV channelsPriceOrder online
    Verizon 300 Mbps Internet + Your Fios TVUp to 300Mbps125+$124.99/mo.*
    Verizon Fios Gigabit Connection + More Fios TVUp to 940Mbps300+$188.99/mo.
    Spectrum Internet + TV Select Signature#Up to 300Mbps
    (wireless speeds may vary)
    150+$109.98/mo.‡
    for 12 mos.
    View Plans
    Spectrum Internet Ultra + TV Select Signature#Up to 500Mbps
    (wireless speeds may vary)
    150+$129.98/mo.‡
    for 12 mos.
    View Plans

    Verizon’s Mix & Match options come in only four flavors, the cheapest of which costs $119.99 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.

    Internet types: Verizon vs. Spectrum

    Internet typeOrder online
    VerizonFiber, DSL
    SpectrumCable, fiberView Plans

    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 rivals Xfinity and 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.

    Data caps: Verizon vs. Spectrum

    Data CapOrder online
    VerizonNo cap
    SpectrumNo capView Plans

    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.

    Contracts: Verizon vs. Spectrum

    Contract lengthOrder online
    VerizonNo contract
    SpectrumNo contractView Plans

    Verizon and Spectrum do not have annual contracts or early termination fees. Spectrum, however, offers discounted pricing for 12 or 24 months, depending on where you live. There’s no catch either—you can cancel the discounted service at any time after the first month without any hidden penalties. They’re just promotions to get you to sign up with Spectrum.

    Installation: Verizon vs. Spectrum

    Installation optionsOrder online
    Verizon
  • $99.00 (waived if you order online)
  • Spectrum
  • $59.99 for pro install
  • $24.99 for self-install and service activation
  • $49.99 for WiFi Pod install
  • View Plans

    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.

    Availability: Verizon vs. Spectrum

    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.

    Is Verizon or Spectrum available where you live?

    Enter your zip code below to see what providers and plans are available to you.

    Final call: Verizon vs. Spectrum

    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.

    View Spectrum Plans

    Methodology

    Our HighSpeedInternet.com editorial team bases our analyses on customer input from our annual customer satisfaction survey, results from our speed test tool, and proprietary internet provider data on speeds and pricing. To strengthen our research, we look closely at provider contracts to get hard-to-find information on price hikes, data caps, and extra fees, and we keep tabs on the latest news reports and online reviews. When applicable, we also rely on our personal experiences testing these services.

    Author -

    Kevin Parrish has more than a decade of experience working as a writer, editor, and product tester. He began writing about computer hardware and soon branched out to other devices and services such as networking equipment, phones and tablets, game consoles, and other internet-connected devices. His work has appeared in Tom’s Hardware, Tom's Guide, Maximum PC, Digital Trends, Android Authority, How-To Geek, Lifewire, and others. At HighSpeedInternet.com, he focuses on network equipment testing and review.

    Editor - Cara Haynes

    Cara Haynes has been editing and writing in the digital space for seven years, and she's edited all things internet for HighSpeedInternet.com for five years. She graduated with a BA in English and a minor in editing from Brigham Young University. When she's not editing, she makes tech accessible through her freelance writing for brands like Pluralsight. She believes no one should feel lost in internet land and that a good internet connection significantly extends your life span.

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