Google Fiber vs. AT&T: Which One Is Worth Your Money?

AT&T and Google Fiber both have a lot to offer. 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 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.

AT&T’s plans aren’t bad either. Its prices start at $55 per month (though there are fees, which we get into later), while its faster plans cost up to $225 per month. AT&T’s fiber service also delivers symmetrical uploads and downloads, with its cheapest plan sitting in at a solid 300Mbps. AT&T’s plans get very fast with its fiber-to-the-home connection, ranging up to 5,000Mbps for those willing to pay for it. AT&T does also offer a cellular-based Internet Air service, which costs $55 per month and offers download speeds up to 225Mbps.

Google Fiber doesn’t offer deals like other internet providers do—but you ccan easily argue that it doesn’t need to because its service is just that much better. AT&T does have some deals to consider though, if you are going to go for AT&T over 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.”

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.

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.