Verizon Fios Home Internet vs. Cox Internet Review

Verizon and Cox Communications offer similar download speeds, with Verizon inching ahead by 300Mbps with its 2 Gig plan.

Cox’s Go Fast plan (up to 100Mbps) is the same price as Verizon Fios’ 300Mbps plan, so it really depends on which provider is available to you and how much speed you need.

Verizon offers the best value of the two, and Fios is average-priced among all internet providers. This means Cox is more expensive than most in terms of dollar-to-download-speeds.

Both ISPs don’t require you to sign an annual contract. And your monthly price stays the same for two years with Cox. With Verizon, the faster the speeds, the longer your monthly cost remains unchanged. And until May 8, new Verizon Fios customers can get a 5-year price guarantee on any Fios plan.

Outside of Verizon's price-lock promo, Fios prices are guaranteed for two to four years  For the 300/300 plan, your monthly price is guaranteed for two years. For the 500/500 plan, your price remains the same for three years, and the gigabit speeds for four.

Both ISPs offer a wide range of speeds and prices for different households: Those who like to save money, those who have four or more family members, or those who handle large files.

And if you’d like to save money on any of the plans, bundle Cox Internet with Cox mobile to receive a $15 discount on your internet service. Bundle Verizon Home Internet with Verizon 5G mobile to receive a $25 discount. (Keep in mind that you’ll have to become a mobile customer first, then add on your internet plan.)

Verizon Fios is a fiber internet provider, while Cox offers a cable internet connection. Fiber is known to be speedy quick, which is why Verizon ranks in our fastest ISP report. Because fiber infrastructure is newer, it operates with fewer issues. Verizon Internet also has the lowest average latency. Its fast upload speed helps minimize lag while livestreaming and gaming.

Unfortunately, because fiber is a newer technology, it is less available than cable internet. Fortunately, though, Cox is one of our favorite cable internet providers.

Cox Internet is an excellent option for bundling internet, mobile, Cox TV, and smart home automation. (Bundling smart home automation with these services is rare in the telecommunication world.)

But how much speed do you need? Our guide will help you determine which speeds will be best for you and your family.

Verizon Fios gives you unlimited data, so you’ll never have to worry about how much you stream, game, or peruse the internet. Cox Internet gives you a data cap of 1.25TB; if you go over that cap, you’ll find that your internet runs slower.

But one terabyte might be more than enough for you, so let me put it into perspective: 1TB of data equals about 400 hours of HD video streaming. Watching all nine seasons of The Office would take about 74 hours.

So take a second to consider if your family can go through that much data (or more) in a 30-day period. If you're unsure, keep an eye on your usage with the Cox Connect app and upgrade your data cap for a monthly fee later on if needed.

But if you don’t want to worry, unlimited data is a safe choice.

First, we have data from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) and HSI customer service ratings to give you accurate information on how good—or not so good—Verizon’s and Cox’s customer service truly is.

According to the 2023 HSI customer service ratings for Verizon, Verizon Fios received 3.9 out of five stars. For Cox Communications, the ACSI reports that Cox received a 61 out of 100 rating.

The average customer service satisfaction score is 3.6, which Verizon surpasses. The average ACSI score is 64, which Cox is below.

After speaking with various Cox customers, it's clear that Cox's customer service is hit or miss. This isn't uncommon with cable internet companies, since cable tends to offer more inconsistent service than fiber.

Audrey, a Cox customer located in Louisianna, shared her frustrations with delayed outage updates, complaining that "Every time there is an outage, I call it in, and shortly after, our app is updated to 'there's an outage/event in your area.'" 

The conclusion: Verizon Fios has slightly better customer service.

But whichever provider you choose, you might find our three tips for calling your provider’s customer service to be helpful.

Verizon Internet has a better dollar per Mbps, upload speeds as fast as its download speeds, no data caps, and a highly-rated customer service experience.

Cox Internet has speedier download speeds, but gamers and streamers can experience lag with its low upload speeds. Cox has a 1.25TB data cap, but you might not hit that mark within the month. Cox Communications also gives a great bundle customization experience during checkout.

• Price: Verizon Fios Home Internet’s plans range from $50–$85 for 300–2,300Mbps download speeds. Cox Internet ranges between $50–$150 for up to 100–2,000Mbps. So you can get faster speeds with Verizon for $50 and two gigabits for less than $90.
• Internet speed: Verizon Home Internet offers faster download speed than Cox Internet. And even though Cox Internet has faster download speeds than Verizon, we recommend Verizon Internet because it has symmetrical speeds—upload speeds that match its download speeds. This means you’ll experience less lag while livestreaming and gaming.
• Data caps: Verizon Internet gives you unlimited data—no data caps here. Cox Internet has a data cap of 1.25TB, but you and your family likely won’t use all that data.
• Customer service: Verizon Internet ranked higher than Cox in customer service satisfaction. Both are weighed with different metrics, but to compare them equally to give you an idea, Verizon received 72 out of 100, and Cox got 64.

We compare and rank internet service providers based on these key factors:

1. Price
2. Download speeds and data caps
3. Reliability
4. Equipment and fees
5. Customer service

We at Reviews.org have eight years of experience testing and reviewing tech, such as internet, TV, mobile, and home security.

With our years of reviewing expertise, we understand what is important regarding our recommendations for readers. We’re unbiased as we reveal what is both great and not so great about a provider, and we give suggestions on who a particular service might be excellent for.

The monthly price for the download speeds is the first aspect we look at because we wouldn’t want to recommend a service with little value. And then, of course, the reliability of those download speeds and the company itself is looked at before suggesting said service.

Some services rack up the fees for their equipment, and we don't like that—especially when it's over $20. And lastly, good customer service is always essential because we know how frustrating it can be when you need help but difficult to find.