Google Fiber is the clear choice, offering excellent internet at a reasonable price—but AT&T also offers excellent fiber internet.
AT&T Fiber vs. Google Fiber: Which One Is Worth Your Money?
8 min readAT&T Fiber offers fast fiber-to-the-home internet services. The provider delivers speeds from 300 to 5,000Mbps, making it a great option for households of all sizes that stream, play games, or work from home. Here's what you can expect in an AT&T Fiber plan:
- Stable prices and new-customer deals
- 20% monthly internet and wireless bundle discount
- Equipment included
- Unlimited data
- No contracts
Google Fiber delivers a fiber internet service known for its transparent prices, reliability, and fast speeds. The provider hails as Reviews.org's Best Overall Internet Service Provider thanks to its superb speeds and excellent customer service. Here's what you can expect from Google Fiber:
- Nest Wifi Pro or GFiber Wi-Fi 6E Router included
- No extra fees
- No price increases
- Unlimited data
- No contracts
Between the two, Google Fiber is our top pick. However, both fiber providers deliver incredibly reliable, high-speed connections and don't impose data caps or annual contracts. Keep reading for our full comparison of Google Fiber and AT&T’s speed, value, customer service, and more.
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AT&T Fiber vs. Google Fiber—plans, pricing, and speed
AT&T Fiber internet plans and prices
Provider | Plan | Price | Download speed | Type | Details |
| AT&T Fiber Internet 300 | $55/mo.* | Up to 300 Mbps | Fiber | View Plans | |
| AT&T Internet Fiber 1 GIG | $65/mo. | Up to 500 Mbps | Fiber | View Plans | |
| AT&T Internet Fiber 1 GIG | $65/mo.* | Up to 1000 Mbps | Fiber | View Plans | |
| AT&T Internet Fiber 2 GIG | $125/mo.* | Up to 2000 Mbps | Fiber | View Plans | |
| AT&T Internet Fiber 5 GIG | $155/mo.* | Up to 5000 Mbps | Fiber | View Plans |
Offers and availability vary by location and are subject to change. Data verified as of the article's publication date.
*
Above pricing is after $10/mo Autopay & Paperless bill discount with a debit card or bank account; if using a credit card, then price is $5/mo more.
Google Fiber internet plans and prices
Provider | Plan | Price | Download speed | Details |
| 1 Gig | $70/mo.† | Up to 1000 Mbps | View Plan | |
| 2 Gig | $100/mo.† | Up to 2000 Mbps | View Plan | |
| 5 Gig | $125/mo.‡ | Up to 5000 Mbps | View Plan | |
| 8 Gig | $150/mo.‡ | Up to 8000 Mbps | View Plan | |
| Core 1 Gig | $70/mo. | Up to 1000 Mbps | View Plan | |
| Home 3 Gig | $100/mo. | Up to 3000 Mbps | View Plan | |
| Edge 8 Gig | $150/mo. | Up to 8000 Mbps | View Plan |
†
Plus taxes and fees. Upload/download speed and device streaming claims are based on maximum wired speeds. Actual Internet speeds are not guaranteed and may vary based on factors such as hardware and software limitations, latency, packet loss, etc.
‡
Available in select markets only. Plus taxes and fees. Upload/download speed and device streaming claims are based on maximum wired speeds. Actual Internet speeds are not guaranteed and may vary based on factors such as hardware and software limitations, latency, packet loss, etc.
AT&T Fiber plans cost $55 to $155 per month for 300 to 5,000Mbps. Plans include professional installation and a router. There are no annual price increases. You can cut even more costs with our tips for how to lower your AT&T internet bill.
Google’s plans start at $70 per month, ranging up to $150 per month. For those prices, you get symmetrical gigabit speeds, with Google’s cheapest plan boasting 1,000Mbps download and upload speeds. Its most expensive plan delivers an eye-watering 8,000Mbps, but most people don’t need internet that fast. There aren’t many frills here—no data caps, extra fees, annual contracts, promotions, or bundles. Just absurdly fast internet for a fair price.
Google Fiber recently launched new advanced, customizable plans—Core 1 Gig ($70/month), Home 3 Gig ($100/month), and Edge 8 Gig ($150/month)—though their availability is currently limited to Alabama, Arizona, North Carolina, and Tennessee.
AT&T Fiber vs. Google Fiber: Fees for modem and installation
Google Fiber doesn’t offer limited-time promotional deals like other internet providers do, but it does include some nice perks baked into plans, like unlimited data and a router. There are no early termination fees or contracts either.
AT&T Fiber, on the other hand, offers a 20% discount on your internet plan when you also sign up for a AT&T wireless plan. AT&T also covers any early termination fees incurred from switching from a different internet provider to AT&T Fiber.
AT&T Fiber add-ons and perks
Sign up for AT&T Fiber 300Mbps for $50, 500Mbps for $100, and 1 Gig for $150.
Sign up for AT&T Fiber and get your cancellation fee covered in full from your current internet provider. Must upload your final bill from your previous provider.
Download the app to go with your Wi-Fi equipment.
Add ActiveArmor to your plan.
Google Fiber add-ons and perks
Sign up for the Google Fiber 1 Gig plan
Sign up for the Google Fiber 2 Gig plan or higher
What makes this review legit?
Our fact-based research process centers on interviews with internet customers across the country, helping us understand how internet services hold up against diverse needs and challenges.
To put together this review, we looked at results from our speed test, pulled data from customer satisfaction surveys, and pored over the fine print to compare prices and speeds between the two providers. To flesh out our analysis, we also interviewed Google Fiber and AT&T customers to get their first-hand insights. We let their experiences guide our research and shape our conclusions. We also speak with ISP spokespeople and industry experts to get insights into connection types, speed capabilities, and other technical issues related to internet service.
The matchup—how we rate AT&T Fiber vs. Google Fiber
For all our internet reviews, we give a rating based on three main criteria: Speed and reliability, dollar value, and customer experience—which we then average to make an overall score.
Here, we compare those ratings face to face. We then offer some analysis and context for important factors to keep in mind.
Want to know more? Read our full-length Google Fiber and AT&T reviews.
Speed and reliability
Google Fiber: 5.0/5.0 | AT&T Fiber: 3.9/5.0
Google Fiber doesn’t beat just AT&T in speed—it ranks at the top of our Fastest Internet Providers list. It offers faster speeds than any other provider—cable and fiber alike. Even Google’s slowest plans are blazingly fast, sitting at 1,000Mbps. Google even offers symmetrical upload speeds—so you’ll be able to upload data just as fast as you can download it. According to our Google Fiber speed test, Google Fiber delivered an average download speed of 266Mbps and 28ms latency.
AT&T’s plans aren’t slow, though. On the contrary, AT&T’s fiber-based internet is quite fast, and while it didn’t make the top five in our rankings, with an average of 106Mbps, it does still offer features like symmetrical upload speeds.
The facts remain though—Google Fiber is way faster than AT&T, despite both offering solid fiber connections. Both remain good options for those who also need to upload lots of data, like online gamers, video streamers, and so on. AT&T also has a new Internet Air service that works over cellular connectivity, but it’s not widely available yet and most should go with a fiber plan instead, if they can.
While both are quite reliable, Google wins here too. Fiber infrastructure in general is more reliable than cable, and both offer fiber-to-home connections that do away with old copper cables entirely.
HighSpeedInternet.com’s customer satisfaction survey ranked AT&T number four for reliability, with Google Fiber coming in at number one.
Dollar value
Google Fiber: 4.8/5.0 | AT&T Fiber: 3.8/5.0
Google Fiber’s cheapest plan may be pricier than AT&T’s, but Google is a better value for the money—and it’s not close. Google Fiber starts at $70 per month, with no fees or contracts to get set up, even if you need professional installation.
AT&T’s cheapest plan costs $55 per month. Add an extra $10 per month to rent AT&T’s modem/router if you need it. That’s $65 per month, which is only $5 less than Google’s 1,000Mbps plan, and you get only 300Mbps. AT&T also charges installation fees. Even if you get yourself set up with AT&T’s self-installation kit, you pay $35.
If you match download speeds, Google Fiber is clearly cheaper. With Google, 1,000Mbps is $70. The same speeds with AT&T regularly cost $80, though new customers can get it for $65 per month until September 30th. Google’s 2,000Mbps tier costs $100 per month—that’s $50 less than AT&T’s equivalent plan. If you step up all the way to 5,000Mbps, it’s $125 per month with Google and $155 per month with AT&T.
Technically, you can spend less with AT&T—but not for the same speeds, and frankly, the price is close enough that it’s worth spending that bit extra for Google Fiber. Compared to other providers, AT&T offers decent value, but against Google, AT&T doesn’t stand a chance.
Customer experience
Google Fiber: 4.5/5.0 | AT&T Fiber: 4.0/5.0
You wouldn’t expect an internet provider to get good marks in the customer experience category, but both Google Fiber and AT&T do decently well. AT&T is in second place here, but it still generally offers a good customer experience overall. Google scored highest in HighSpeedInternet.com’s survey in both overall satisfaction and customer service.
AT&T scored well too—coming in at fourth (tied with three other providers) in overall satisfaction.
Our experience more or less confirms this. One of our team members has Google Fiber and noted that it was easy to set up an appointment for installation and make customer service calls after setup.
Customers reported in our interviews that while AT&T wasn’t as good, it wasn’t terrible either. “There’s an awful lot of scripted ‘we care about you’ talk, but it takes a long time to get an actual human on the phone,” says AT&T customer Mike Hayden. “They do seem to fix issues quickly, though, so the automated phone system hell is a minor hurdle overall.”
Overall quality: Which internet provider should you pick?
If both Google Fiber and AT&T are available in your area, you should go for Google Fiber. Google Fiber offers much faster speeds, better value for your money, and a better overall customer experience.
That’s not to say that AT&T offers a subpar service—on the contrary, it beats much of the competition, and it’s much more widely available. Google Fiber's coverage map only includes 27 cities, so AT&T is easier to find. But Google is just so far above everyone else right now, so you should get it if you can.
AT&T Fiber vs. Google Fiber: What do customers think?
Google Fiber
Generally speaking, Google Fiber customers love the service, and it’s very easy to find happy customers overall. Customers love its speed and reliability. Even when there are issues (which aren’t common), customer service is responsive and helpful.
R.J. Bass is an IT specialist with Google Fiber and has moved multiple times over the past ten years. According to Bass, Google Fiber availability was a requirement for him. “This year marks the tenth year I have been a Google Fiber customer—across four different homes, in three distinct areas of Kansas City,” he tells us.
Others love Google Fiber, too. Andy Philips, a network architect in Austin, Texas, is very enthusiastic about his Fiber home internet setup. In fact, Philips pays for Google Fiber’s fastest 8,000Mbps plan—which is absolutely overkill for almost everyone. Wi-Fi itself can’t keep up with those speeds—you need to connect devices with a wired connection to get even close.
“Not many can take advantage of speeds over 1Gbps,” says Phillips. “Most people struggle because they only use Wi-Fi or have hardware limited to 1Gbps. But if you have the hardware, Google is not going to hold you back.”
“If you have the hardware, Google is not going to hold you back.” —Google Fiber customer Andy Phillips
AT&T Fiber
While AT&T doesn’t have as die-hard customers as Google Fiber, AT&T still does very well in customer satisfaction. We spoke to four AT&T customers, and three of them had only positive things to say about the service.
Jane Collins, a retired healthcare administrator in Detroit, tells us that AT&T is the best of three services she’s tried. “I would say their internet is reliable. It’s been relatively trouble free,” she says. “The pricing has been stable.”
Danny Flanagan is another AT&T customer, and he lives in Ohio. He loves AT&T’s internet, noting that everything about it is “fantastic.” In fact Flanagan loves AT&T so much that he’s “looking forward to moving over to the mobile side in the next few months.”
As you might expect, not every customer loves AT&T, despite the mostly positive sentiment. Haydan in Oak Park, Illinois isn’t quite as impressed with the service. “I wouldn’t say it’s a good deal, but it’s comparable to the other ISPs I’ve used,” he says, calling it, “better than the alternative in this town.” In particular, he has been frustrated with his Wi-Fi extender, which frequently stops working properly.
“AT&T’s fiber network is fast and reliable.” —Lauren Hannula
Want AT&T Fiber or Google Fiber? Find it in your area.
If you live in an area that offers both Google Fiber and AT&T, Google Fiber is far and away the best choice. It’s faster, more reliable, offers better customer service, and more. AT&T is quite good, and better than the majority of other providers—so if you only have AT&T available to you, you’re still getting a solid service. But, Google Fiber is a better option overall.
Check out every internet provider in your area with your zip code.
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